On 26/03/2015 12:03, Jethro_uk wrote:
On Thu, 26 Mar 2015 11:00:53 +0000, Tim Streater wrote:

In article , Brian Gaff
wrote:

I can confirm the radar story, or something very like it at Decca in the
old days, it involved an end off a biro suitably bent as i recall, so
the system could be energised with its top removed.

Bits of biro can be useful. In Tsavo national park in 1976, Mrs Elephant
was on her way over to us to have a word because we'd looked funny at
her offspring. Our rented Alpha Sud was, however, immobilised because
the radiator fan was not running. Using the metal clip from a biro I was
able to effect a repair by bypassing the thermostat - fan came on and
stayed on.

Panic over and we made our escape. Back at the lodge it transpired that
another wire had earlier become detached, i.e. had a less pressured
diagnosis been possible I could have fixed it without recourse to a thin
flat bit of metal.

Isn't there a story that the launch switch on the Apollo 11 Eagle broke,
and Buzz Aldrin used a biro top ?

Yes. He retold it on Stargazing live last week I think in the first program.

--
Regards,
Martin Brown