Computing

My first introduction to computing came in my first year with the Open University in 1975.  I signed up for the maths foundation course M100.  The course consisted of around 30 individual units each on a different aspect of mathematics.  Two of these units were on logic which translates to computing.

The computer we used was based at Walton Hall Milton Keynes and ran a programming language Dartmouth Basic.  Access to the computer was via teletype terminals at a local study centre.  The system was archaic and very slow, but was sufficient to fire my enthusiasm and this has never waned.

Over the next 15 years I signed up for various courses many of which were computer based.  The languages we worked with started as Dartmouth Basic but very soon this was ditched in favour of UCSD Pascal.  At home I stayed with BASIC in one of several incarnations starting with Microsoft Quick Basic.  Latterly I have used Visual Basic 6 and now Visual Basic .NET exclusively.

My programming is aimed at my hobbies, anywhere I can make the hobby more enjoyable.  Within amateur radio and Raynet in particular I have produced several programs to assist in various ways.  When using APRS we need special maps these can and do take time and one program is designed to reduce this time element.  Currently I am working on a logging program.  This is designed to monitor the progress of bike and walk events and could be extended for use in real life search and rescue.

I am now the webmaster of Surrey Raynet and am constantly updating our web site with more useful information to our members.  One of the reasons for producing my own web site is to provide the means to learn how to manage a web site - boy am I learning fast!