YOTA Bulgaria Day 3

What did you get up to on Day 3?
We attended a talk on the TtT events which have been organised in Italy in recent years, to encourage youth involvement. We then had the second half of the Rohde & Schwarz lecture on measurements in amateur radio, which covered oscilloscopes and spectrum analysers. After lunch we visited the MILARA international factory and LZ9R Contest Station.

What was your favourite bit of the day?
My favourite bit was the visit to the MILARA factory as we gained an insight into how components meet the incredibly high precision requirements for the manufacturing of integrated circuits through the use of robots. I found this incredibly interesting as I had never investigated how integrated circuits were built and got a first hand demonstration as the MILARA diamond robots were operating.

What did you learn that you didn’t already know?
I learnt that the robotic manufacturing systems used to produce integrated circuits are not necessarily built specifically for that purpose but rather a base model, such as MILARA’s diamond series, can be customised to meet the customers’ demands. I also learnt that in the manufacture of some integrated circuits controlled atmospheres or even vacuums must be used.

What are you looking forward to next?
I am really looking forward to the trip to Sofia, I am eager to learn more about the culture of Bulgaria. I am, of course, also looking forward to operating LZ19YOTA later this week!

Jake Howarth, M0JKE

Category: YOTA 2019