So, getting back to the upcoming conference, can we get a show of hands? Will there be a specific time for Mike to buy beers or will we be hitting him up individually all week? And is anyone going to the ASTM meeting in Vancouver, BC in May?
Can we re-verify who's going, and which booth to meet at? My company finally registered me (we're only a couple of hours away in Austin). Maybe we can devise a PMELFORUM sticker to stick on our registration badges.?? My business manager and I (quality manager/lead metrologist) will be there. This is the first one I've attended since 1997 in Atlanta. Makes me feel old.
I'm still planning to go, but it's looking more and more like the 3-headed budget monster is going to kill it for this year. :cry:
Hi!
I'm new to the forum, but USAF PMEL for many years. I'll be at the SA NCSLI!
Rather than start a new thread, wanted to bring up one last time....
I'll be at the NCSLI conference in San Antonio. Company is having us stay at the conference center hotel (Grand Hyatt - sounds nice).
Who all is going?
some of the sessions I'm going to...
1B - Introduction to Measurement Uncertainty RM 102 (you can never learn enough about it)
6C - Statistics in Metrology RM 103A (you can never learn enough about that either).
I have a long list, but that would make for a boring post. Anyone wants to see the session list, go to the NCSLI website where it is downloadable.
The NCSLI conference is all about the handouts, freebies from booths, and those little free dinner things (don't know what they're called). I'm kidding of course. To me it's all about the seminars.
What does the NCSLI conference mean to you? Anyone have a favorite NCSLI conference story?
My favorite (the one other time I've ever gone) was at the Peachtree center in Atlanta. I'll always remember how beautiful the lobby was in comparison with the paint peeling off the ceiling of my room.
And of course, all the salmon and beer at the Fluke reception on Monday night. (How much beer can you drink in 2 hours?) Last year the conference was in Orlando at Disney World, I bet more people were going out to see Mickey than going to the sessions...
Somewhere around 1990 I was at an NCSL (as it was called then) Conference at the Hyatt in downtown Washington, DC. I had attended a talk on primary temperature earlier in the day and was discussing some of the information presented in the lobby bar with a younger cal tech who was there for his first time over a couple of tall ones. A very proper British gentleman approached our table, said he couldn't help overhearing our conversation, and asked if he could join us. It turned out to be John Tavener, owner of Isotech and one of the giants, along with Henry Sostman, in the development of many of the fixed points that we all use now as the basis of the ITS-90. He was very gracious and open with his vast knowledge and understanding of primary temperature metrology, and enjoyed a tall one or two himself. We must have sat there in that bar for a couple of hours just talking temperature. I believe he's also giving a talk at this year's conference, and I'll be looking forward to seeing him once again.
And I'll be arriving Saturday afternoon so I can attend the all day Sunday session on Z540-3.
Yes, John is a wonderfully gracious and knowledgeable English gentleman. He is very approachable and always willing to share from his vast knowledge and experiences.
Hope all you guys (and gals) enjoy the conference this year. No money in the budget for me to attend unfortunately. Maybe next year....
Beers, Beers, Beers.. / Rain Check, Rain Check, Rain Check..
We have decieded to pull out of NCSL. I know I promissed to buy all of you some beers, but it looks like NCSL is just not in the cards for us this year.
I wanted to attend, but that budget crunch monster is getting the better of us..
Mike
Dang! I guess I'll have to find an Icehouse on my own. I'm hoping to track down some good barbeque while I'm there. I hear they do that in Texas.
Sypris Test & Measurement is co-sponsoring a night of gambling and fun at the NCSLI Show tonight.
7 -11pm
San Antonio Convention Center
7A – 7D foyer
Texas Hold 'Em Tournament*
• Black Jack
• Roulette
• Craps
Come out and support the NCSLI Education Development Fund!!
Visit us at booth #400 in the exhibit hall to register in advance.
Have a great time!
So, any first hand reports from the conference?
How is the attendance this year? Is it or the vendor area less than previous years? I know the economy is the reason I'm not there and I was wondering if it has affected the conference attendance much.
I'm sure the papers and presentations are top-notch as always.
Tell us how it's going.
Attendance was way down this year, and most of the attendees packed up and left last night.
Some vendors even bailed on the show. It's kinda depressing.
I had a good time.... highlights for me....
The Fluke Reception: since we had Met/Support Gold membership, we were able to go in 15 minutes early. I had salmon, turkey and beef (went through all three lines).
The Banquet: At first I was a little disappointed in the three piece mexican music group that played while we ate (they were good, just not great). Then to my surprise, they had one of the best mariachi bands (maybe ten piece or so) in the area that had won some awards. While they played some Mexican traditional dancers came up. Then a five piece women's singing group (Voces De Tejas) sang. By the end of the evening I felt like in TexMex tradition it was a great show.
I'm just now picking through my big bag of gimme goodies from the vendors. Some are pretty cheesie, others are nice. Northrup Grumman was giving away teddy bears, and I'm still disappointed I didn't win the TV. Oh... I want to a Mitutoyo seminar and at the end of the class, the speaker said once and only once that anyone who comes by their booth tomorrow at 10:22:37 a.m. within +/-2 seconds will be entered in a raffle for a nice set of calipers. That next morning I spent about 15 minutes on www.time.gov setting my watch. I went down to the exhibit floor to just before the time above, shared my watch setting with my manager. He pulled up www.time.gov and it was a minute and 3 seconds off from what I had just set. So I didn't even bother.
Oh, that's right. There were the exhibits and seminars too. There were a couple of vendors who were no shows that I was disappointed (as I wanted to talk with them).
The hotel (Grand Hyatt at the Hemisfair site in San Antonio) is the training camp hotel for the Dallas Cowboys. Here we go again... my manager ran into a number of people from the organization. I didn't see any of them.
There were people from 23 different countries there, according to the slides at the final lunch. Hotel was pretty nice, but pretty overpriced.
Next year the conference is in Providence, Rhode Island.
Quote from: Hawaii596 on 07-30-2009 -- 16:34:19
He pulled up www.time.gov and it was a minute and 3 seconds off from what I had just set. So I didn't even bother.
= Latency (Time based measurements and the internet don't mix)
Same with those WWVB Corrected "Atomic" watches and clocks, helps sell poorly spec'd oscillators, they get corrected twice a day so who needs them to keep good time inbetween.