The Hobbyist

Me at my workbench, Photograph courtesy of  Alyssa C.

     There are days between chemo sessions where I feel like my old self.  I have energy and ambition to do things.   During the spring and summer months, as my situation permitted, there was walking and bike riding.   When I ride my bike I have that feeling of independence we all crave and never truly have.  When I ride my bike I am far away from cancer, from treatments, from worry, from stress.
When I ride my bike I can be happy.   When I ride my bike I have hope.

     Bike riding was only one of the hobbies that have become very important to my well-being and focus on hope.  My hobbies distract me from the unanswerable question.

     Being on sick leave for so long the standard question I am asked is if I am bored.  I can honestly say that I am not bored, and that my activities both physical and mental have helped me cope with my situation.  I have seen a glimmer of what  retirement might look like, should my journey continue that far.  What helps me get through the long days are some of my all-time favorite hobbies:  electronics, computers, chess, bike riding, snooker...pretty standard for geeks.
 
     Of course we geeks do a lot on the internet.  One day while surfing the 'net I came across the site that inspired my fascination for clocks, featuring  the Single Digit Numitron Clocks.  These clocks are a mix of retro-style incandescent display tubes and modern microprocessor.  I cannot claim any credit to the ideas or designs, simply that I enjoyed their novelty and have a great deal of fun building various versions.  My obsession has prevailed for several years, and during this time I've probably built over 40 such devices.  You can see some of them here.

     The clock shows time in single-digit format.  Meaning if the time is 9:36AM,  it will display '0', then '9', then '3' and finally '6',  roughly at the rate of a digit a second.  Novelty is its charm.   The display tubes were once manufactured  in the early '70's and '80's, however the ubiquitous seven-segment LED display  has proven more durable, longer lasting and use less power.  Now the Numitron tubes  are only available via eBay.    The stock of  tubes is finite however, and eventually they'll all be gone.  Metaphors of life aside, it's just a heck of a lot of fun to make them and give them away.

     In previous posts I have mentioned the incredible amount of support and kindness that I've received from so many people.   To show my gratitude I set a goal for myself:  for every round of chemotherapy, I would build one 'Chemo Clock' and present it to someone I felt deserved more than just a 'thank you'.

     So how does one build a chemo clock?  Glad you asked!  It starts with making a Printed Circuit Board (PCB).  

    The PCB is drilled and trimmed to fit the case (the case is a dollar-store paper clip holder; the finest in high-tech)

    Next the parts are assembled.

     Once the parts are assembled I solder them into the PCB itself

   
      And more assembly

     Fully assembled and tested

The video shows the clock in operation.  The time displayed is 11:13.  The clock is 24hour format, so if the time was say 4:05PM, it would display '1','6','0','5'.

 

     I am grateful to all who have helped me.  Chemo Clocks are my hobby, my therapy and my gift for those who have aided  in my journey. 

     Hobbies as a tool to fight Cancer?  Not all battles are won in the chemo chair.  Cancer is not a simple thing to overcome, but simple things can make life easier, and in turn make the journey a bit smoother.