[PSUBS-MAILIST] Group Direction

I think we may all benefit from listening to what Gail has to say, especially considering her short time in this forum. She, like so many of us here has only joined the group recently. With this comes an open eyed approach, less bias and yes, also a little cynicism (well intentioned I detect).

I must however draw attention to what has been touted as a drawback: the diversity of our skills, interests and goals. This is in fact our strength. This subject is so dauntingly complex, fraught with true life or death risks hanging on the simplest decisions that it would be foolhardy to disregard advice from even the most inexperienced member - if shown through peer review (ie this list) to have merit.

With my own limited knowledge I was really chuffed to be able to assist one new member with an explanation of boyle's gas laws. I wasn't rehashing this and claiming it as my own either. I can't give any advice regarding welding pressure vessels, I was just happy to be able to take the load off other members and to be a part of the group, albeit a small player.

The multi-disciplanary nature is what makes this possible in the first place - members may know about metals and welding, another about acrylics, programming PLCs or just a simple gas law. We have the advantages of a team of specialists here. Does an engineer that works as part of a team on a jet fighter get to pilot that particular prototype craft, or even a mass produced version of it? I doubt it. My mother-in-law designs parts for tanks and also missiles for the US Defence dept, and to the best of my knowledge she has never been inside a tank and never fired a missile - in anger at least :)

To those that have reached 'The Carsten Point' and begun construction, congratulations and good luck. Even if you never complete your project, you have at least made the attempt. To those one or two decades into your research or construction, keep at it, your efforts are appreciated - and remember it took Einstein 13 odd years to develop e=mc2. He may have had his detractors, but he did not decide his time would be better spent in another field. Come to think of it, I don't believe he built a nuclear reactor, nor did he construct either a fission bomb or the subsequent fusion bombs. He did not fight on the shores of Japan during WWII, but he personally brought about the Japanese surrender far quicker than he could have by toting a gun.

The lack of hard experience by members of this group also reflects their inexperience. The net is pretty new and members seem to be joining at an ever increasing rate. The ability (or even concept) of individuals building their own personal submersibles is also quite new and only recently exposed to the general public (previous to this, anyone with such desires was/is still regarded as a nut). The cost can be quite high also. I myself have had vertually no income for 3 years, any savings I could have devoted to sub-contracting construction and for buying materials has dwindled to nothing. This has forced a redesign to a budget of zero dollars - thats for construction AND per mission. The local dump does not have many materials suitable for such projects hahaha. Any suggestions here gratefully accepted - mm, that old car body for a hull? those old chemical drums for ballast tanks - weld everything with a solar furnace, viewports from chicken wire reinforced melted coke bottles?

It is the constraints imposed on members of this group, size, cost etc that make it so helpful. I too have seen professionals come on and off this group. Just because they do not post does not mean they do not lurk. They may have little to add, or actually be prohibited by their work from taking an active role. I don't know. What I do know is that sometimes they ask the group to suggest a solution for something that has caused them problems. The constraints produce solutions like a spark plug for a leak detector - I just love that one :) Backed by the moral and financial support of a large engineering company or a government department with virtually unlimited funding, I am sure almost every single member on this group could build (or at least project manage) some of the most innovative submarines the world has ever seen. But that simply is not what the group is about (imho).

It feels a little like asking a child just learning to read to make national policy decision. They may lead the country one day, but they have to learn first. Neither a good school teacher nor an ecomonic analyst is necessarily a good leader or decision maker, but we all play our part in the big picture.