Hi! My
name is Robert Schaffrath and I currently work for Meta5, Inc. since 1998
doing development work in C#, Visual Basic .NET, Node.js, JavaScript,
Typescript, Visual Basic 6.0 and Visual C++ 6.0. In addition, I installed
the category 5e LAN wiring and hubs, Windows 2003-2016 servers, Linux
servers as well as client PC configuration and installation, Microsoft
Exchange 5.5 and 2003 installation and Avaya phone system installation
and configuration. I currently
program in C#, Visual Basic .NET, C, Node.js, JavaScript, Typescript, SQL
and Perl and have been
working on touch support in Windows 10. I also know the FORTRAN and Pascal
programming languages and other scripting languages such as DCL and the
BASH, Korn and Bourne Unix/Linux
Shell’s. Previously I was
involved in developing reporting applications to interface with Google AdWords and Microsoft adCenter.
About
twenty-five years ago, I also worked as a self-employed consultant with Netsurf
Technologies and RealHome.com (both now defunct) on various internet
related projects including Perl script development, Oracle database
maintenance, Solaris 2.6-2.8 administration and Web programming.
Prior to this, I was a
Senior Staff Consultant with the Kraft Foods Information Technology
department based in White Plains,
New York until January 1997. I was with the company for almost nine
years (most of it in Maxwell
House) and I was involved with many areas of information technology
including Unix, OpenVMS, DOS/Windows, Windows-NT, TCP/IP networking and its
related applications including Intranet Projects, Wireless Messaging,
Systems Management, Oracle DBA, systems programming and computer hardware
construction and repair.
In my "spare"
time, I dabble in Amateur Radio (my FCC callsign is N2JTX), Electronics (I have an FCC General Radiotelephone
Operator License with RADAR endorsement #PG00046640),
Baking, Beer Brewing,
Bicycling, Botany, Geology, Numismatics, Philately, Reading and Computer
Programming. I also serve as Secretary on the Board of Directors for the
charitable group Adventures in Learning and I am a member of the Nassau County Community Emergency Response
Team (CERT).
On Saturday, April 28th,
2001 I became the owner of a Silver 2000 Honda Insight. It replaced my 1988 Honda CRX with 168,300
miles (that still got 44mpg!). After owning it all these years, it is still
a lot of fun to drive. Before the
government mandated that Ethanol be added to gasoline, I could get a
typical mileage of 75.2 MPG
for a 19.6 mile trip on the Insight's
Fuel Consumption Display. A
photo of my all-time best recorded mileage of 82.2 MPG is available here.
Various
links to other web pages on this site:
·
A
small site for Selected New York City
Area Weather Models that I developed for a friend. It is hosted on a
Raspberry Pi 3 and the content is generated by various Node.js modules that
are scheduled to run hourly. They grab data from various National Weather
Service weather model data files and generate reports based on that data.
·
A
small collection of custom Google Maps that
I created for use in developing GPS Point-Of-Interest (POI) files.
·
Quite
some time ago I discovered that "Nixie Tubes"
(numerical indicators in use before seven segment LED displays) have been
making a comeback in the form of digital clocks. Having built one myself back in 1979, I can say that they
are very interesting to work with. Someday I hope to build a few other
types of clocks using other types of Nixie tubes.
·
For
owners of the RadioShack®
Weatheradio® with NWR-SAME model 12-249, information on
its EAS event code support is available here. For owners of the model 12-250,
information on its EAS event code support is available here.
·
For
owners of the Heath® (Heathkit) Most Accurate
Clock II (model GCW-1001), information on programming the RS-232 port and undocumented commands
is available here.
·
Government
of Ontario COMPASS camera’s for the QEW and 403 highways. I used to travel to Mississauga from
Long Island two times a year and these pages were a convenient way to see
the traffic conditions.
·
A
page about three AN/PDR-27 series Geiger
Counters I own. One is an AN/PDR-27G that I have had since 1978,
another is an AN/PDR-27R that I acquired in early 2008 and the third is an
AN/PDR-27T that I acquired in September 2017.
·
Some
pictures of various elemental gas Spectrum Tubes in operation. These tubes,
with the exception of the Chlorine and Mercury Vapor tubes which I
purchased, came from my late Father's collection of elements. He was a
Professor of Chemistry at C.W.
Post College on Long Island and collected elements as a hobby and for
use in his classes.
·
A
brief article on several sets of audiometric
headphones that I acquired on eBay and use for amateur radio
communications. While designed for hearing tests, the elements themselves
were originally designed for radio communications and have good frequency
response for radio work. Several pictures and product specification links
are available.
·
An
RSS Feed of
Solar
Terrestrial Conditions updated every three hours. The latest solar
data is downloaded automatically from the National Oceanic
and Atmospheric Administration Space Weather Prediction Center
every three hours and the feed updated. I also have an email alert service
available to notify registered email addresses when the geomagnetic
“K” index (something an Amateur Radio operator would be
interested in) rises above a specified level.
·
This
is a picture
of a flint spearhead that I found in Youngs Farm Peach Orchard, Old
Brookville, New York, on August 28, 1970 when I was eight years old. The scientists at Garvies Point Museum in Glen Cove, New York dated
it from 2500B.C. to 1000A.D. and said it was made from flint that is found
up the Hudson River and was probably acquired through trade. My niece Olivia is holding it
in her hand. This a brief story about how I found the spearhead.
My C# and .NET
Articles on CodeProject.com:
·
TreeView C# .Net Multiselect
using TVS_EX_MULTISELECT
·
Transferring Virtual Files to Windows Explorer in C#
Winamp Plugins I have developed:
·
gen_autoclose.dll v2.1
binary and source. Gen_Autoclose is a plug-in
that will shut down Winamp at a specified time and, as an option, will
shut down the computer or put it into standby mode. This is useful in
situations where Winamp is running on a system that must remain
running such as a server.
·
gen_whatsplaying.dll
v2.5 binary and source. Gen_WhatsPlaying is a
general purpose Winamp plug-in that is
designed to create a file containing information about the currently
playing Winamp track based upon a template file. This is
most useful in situations where Winamp is running on a server
and the player screen is inaccessible. This latest version includes a user
configurable speech interface to Microsoft Speech API v5.0 and higher. This
allows the plug-in to speak the track title and other information as
configured by the user.
Last
modified August 21, 2024
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