JLH Memorabilia - The Past Perfect!

Annals of a Life in Tech - More from the '80s           As we had seen in the previous post, the 1980s were a very productive period for JLH and we have a huge corpus here to survey. Let us get into the significant articles published in various magazines of the day. Perhaps it is appropriate that we "start with a bang", or rather, with the unmistakable sound of a MOSFET-amplified, crisp "pop" of a Champagne cork.  The announcement of the JLH-designed MOSFET amplifier was sort of a seismic event not only in DIY circles. JLH had 'struck again', easily proving his mastery of circuitry once again with a much improved design of what he had theorized in his earlier series 'Audio Design' (see previous post), which was followed up by a high quality 'demo' build. Here was an amplifier design that raised the bar a quite a few notches. More details anon. 'Simply the Best' MOSFET Amplifier           That was how the Electronics Today ...

Annals of a Life in Tech - Exploring the '80s           Exploring the 1980s is like diving deep into the ocean. Indeed it was a very fertile and fruitful decade, if we are to judge by the output from the pen of the Master. To those for whom the name JLH appears to be that of  "just another designer" from the previous century, perhaps a mere look at the variety and the depth of his articles will be enough to correct that (patently untrue!) notion. Valves, anybody ?           It is perhaps fitting that we ring in the decade with a glowing article on the valve -- JLH's first love. (The article was published in the  Electronics Today International magazine of Aug, 1989.) As we know, the Williamson valve amplifier that he had built as a young man was truly his first love. Only after a long period of critical audition, when he had discovered that his solid-state Class-A amplifier was subjectively indistinguishable  fro...

Annals of a Life in Tech  - the 1970s            Here is a peek through the window of time into the distant past when the likes of John Linsley Hood walked the earth, and did his best to give us nuggets of audio finery, and shared his considerable wisdom with us. Through these authentic archives it is hoped that the rich legacy of JLH shall be kept alive for the benefit of the generations to come. Open Sesame !!  Transistor Theory           As we know, transistors were a novelty and a curiosity in the 1960s, and designers, most of whom had (including JLH) grown up in the valve/tube era,  were getting to grips with the fickle and not so hardy devices. This article published towards the end of 1969 illustrates JLH's preoccupation with designing for quality. His detailed analyses of transistor circuits is an excellent "teach-in" for aspiring students and designers even today, as his insights into the working of...