The Line Output Stage

Submitted By Member : Sundog

Where I worked, there were about 20 engineers spread over 3 workshops. As an apprentice, I was always asking questions. Most of the engineers would either answer or say speak to so-and-so as he can explain it better than me. Well I soon learned who knew their stuff and who didn’t, I learned a lot.

Nevertheless, I was having trouble understanding how a line output stage works. No one seemed able to explain it in such a way that I could get my thick head around it.

During my earliest days as an apprentice, my first job was dismantling and vacuuming the dust out of TVs and hand them over to the engineers. But gradually I as became more acquainted with the stock faults did more and more repairs before handing them over.

Stop! Said this short bossy guy, who I later became aware was the shop steward. They pay you less than £5 a week. You shouldn’t be doing that, or we’d all be out of a job. “Well, how am I to learn?” I said. He said that I should be fully supervised, but until that time I was to keep vacuuming. I hated this guy, he’d ruined my job.

One day I was requisitioned to assist him on the vans, lugging something heavy. We set out in silence, then I piped up, “can you explain to me how a line output stage works?” He didn’t glance away from the road, while his words created images in my mind that have stayed with me to this day. I finally understood!

Later on, talking to the other engineers, it turned out that few respected him as an engineer. When I asked why, the common answer was that he knew all the theory but had trouble putting it into practice, and thus was not regarded as a good engineer. Well, at least he helped me over a hurdle.