Munich 2026 Visit

 Munich 2026 September 6 - 16

Headed to Munich for our granddaughter's 4th birthday, first time Oktoberfest was far enough away that the hotel and flight costs were not exorbitant. 

Alpine Museum

Finally made it to this museum, either we never had time or it was being refurbished. Outside the museum, there was a rock garden, 2 examples of mountain refuges and a pathway flanked with large rocks with their mineral names shown.

First Aide Kit

Death, your constant companion

Rock Garden

Mineral Museum

Saw rocks. Got an old man discount and a family discount. Did not get to try the fluffy Japanese pancakes which were in der Nähe.

Museum Fünf Kontinente

Frauenkirche from the 5 Continents Museum

 

Below are 3 views of the Regierung von Oberbayern (Government building) on the other side of the street from the museum.

 

AsamKirche

Very gaudy interior, AKA St. Johann Nepomuk, built as a private church by 2 brothers. Located on Sendlinger Straße not far from the Sendlinger Tor city gate. Got reprimanded for not removing my hat while I was inside.

 AsamKirche

St. Michael München

Found on  Neuhauser Straße across from a TK Maxx. Tallest cross we've ever seen. Sat for a few minutes listening to the organ play and left thinking it was for a mass (Catholic church), only to see once outside it was a lunchtime organ recital.

St. Michaels

Kunsthalle der Hypo-Kulturstiftung

 An exhibition about Hair, quite interesting.

 Neues Rathaus (New Town Hall) at Marienplatz 

We had previously seen the glockenspiel chiming so didn't stick around for it.

Rear of Neues Rathaus on the way to the Hair exhibit.

Random Stuff

Building on the way to granddaughter's party in the park

Oktoberfest Construction on the way to Kuchen Tratsch

Rindermarkt 10, 80331 München, Germany

Lowenbrau on the way to Tante Emma's

Molding at Tante Emma's

 

 

 

 

LED Modem Constellation Display

 

 In the early 1980s while working at Bell Labs, I was tasked with testing our modems for Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC) compliance. The work was performed in the EMC test building, which was located on the campus, but required a car ride. All Equipment to be tested and used for testing was required to be brought along. Two pieces of equipment required were a digital modem constellation display converter and a small Constellation Display oscilloscope.

 A constellation diagram is a diagram that shows how the information in a digital modulation scheme is represented on a modulated carrier. The display shows when the modem has completed training and is stable and ready to be measured for EMC compliance. Below are some constellations that would be seen after the modem had trained.

8PSK Constellation

 

QPSK Constellation

 

16 QAM Constellation

There were many pieces of equipment required to be brought along and I had previously seen a schematic for a 100 LED oscilloscope in a Radio Shack hobby book. I figured I could leave the oscilloscope behind if I could get the LED oscilloscope to work with the constellation generator circuit.

 After some initial prototyping, a schematic was provided to the union technician who did a beautiful job. The display granularity was not great, but was adequate for determining when training was complete.

Rainbow cable connected to modem test connector.

The banana plugs on the Constellation Converter are for the X, Y and ground when connecting to a oscilloscope.

  

Official Constellation Converter PCB

LED Oscilloscope Display Circuit

Below are the schematics for the LED display and the parts required. I no longer remember what circuit was programmed into the Altera EP600 Erasable Programmable Logic Device (EPLD).

      
 

 

Santa Over the Years

 

Santa

2026

Major production for Santa's fourth showing at the Fourth. Santa up the shark infested creek without a paddle. The most involved Santa float yet.

Supporting members:

Front stabilizer 

Rear Stabilizer, used to clamp to the canoe's rear transom.

  These two stabilizers did a great job keeping the canoe in place.

Canoe Transport/Setup Items

•     Front tow eye Subaru
•     Front/back ropes
•     Cross bars
•     Straps to cross bars (yellow and green)
•     Rear flag

Parade Float Items

• Sand bags(6)
• Foam blocks
• Wrench, flat & Phillips screwdriver, dykes, pliers
• Front stabilizer
• Inverted “T” Rear stabilizer with black pad
• Blue sheet
• Rope
• Duct tape
• Santa signs at front of boat screwed to seat
• 4 weights for bottom of Santa signs
• NYC Parks Flag with leaf at transom
• Zip ties
• Umbrella
• Cushion
• Chair in case
• American flag on Creek sign, Phene’s, Kev Inn, Mohlenhoff’s Florist, McNamara’s picnic grounds
• Sign pole and base
• 5 Cardboard water/waves section
• Small Cooler
• Ice blocks
• Water
• Shark fin (2) on waves

Steps to Follow

• Put down stabilizers
• Put down sand bags on them
• Strap front
• Tighten back
• Rope from front to bed?
• Additional sand bags by santa feet
• Add foam blocks
• Screw santa signs to bow
• Parks flag zip tied to rear
• Cover rear with blue sheet, tie a knot
• Put Cushion, umbrella in canoe
• Place waves around canoe
• Duct tape strings to gunnels, duct tape sections together
• Put pole on stand
• Add place names to pole, tighten top clamp
• Add flag/town name
• Collapse 

Other Parade day Items

• Hat
• Bandana
• Hand sanitizer
• Bag
• Radio
• Sash/pins
• Water
• Ibuprofen
• Re-hydration powder
• Cough drops
• Cliff bars (2)

2025

 Santa at the barbecue, cooking up some reindeer sausages. Weber grill made of Papier-mâché. Child's ride on bounce ball used as a form for the top and bottom parts of the grill.

 2024

 Santa's second appearance, new stand for displaying his sign. Still a simple float, Santa at the 19th hole, AKA the bar, getting toasted.

2023

Santa's first appearance in the Travis 4th of July Parade. Simple setting, Santa fishing.