HSDC Alton Engineering students benefit from gifts of equipment from Sonardyne

Sonardyne has had a partnership with @Be_HSDC Alton for a number of years, including funding the Sonardyne Centre, a purpose-built engineering facility on campus with specialist facilities for engineering design and production. 

Last autumn, founder and current Chairman John Partridge contacted HSDC Alton Engineering Lecturer Barbara Cox to ask her opinion on some electronic test equipment. “I researched it and replied how good and versatile it was for both in College and remote learning. John then very kindly offered us 14 PicoScopes. A PicoScope is a piece of electronic test equipment that is not much bigger than a mobile phone and replaces two large traditional pieces of test equipment when connected to a PC or laptop. Subsequently, John once again contacted me with the offer of some multimeters to go with the PicoScopes to make a complete test package. 

“We now have 14 complete test packages that our learners are using remotely which combine the existing test equipment we had in College with components and the very kind donations. It’s very exciting to be part of this and to continue to give our learners studying vocational courses practical study in the form of making and fully testing and analysing electronic circuits at home. These give the learners the chance to use industry-standard testing processes that stretch across the industry, ranging from some automotive garages to high-end electronics companies. 

“The learners are really enjoying it and are making good progress. Once we are back in College, the kits will serve two different options: to either stretch and challenge those who have a flare/interest in electronics for extra study at home or to use as complete kits in the classroom. It is very exciting to be part of this project.” 

John said: “A PicoScope is more capable, and more accurate, than all of the test gear I had available when I started Sonardyne. This is just the right kit to inspire the next generation of inventors and entrepreneurs”. 

John worked in Havant from 1964 to 1970 and in his spare time developed Sonardyne’s original technology in a tiny electronics lab constructed in he and his wife’s Emsworth bungalow loft. “I built a Mirror dinghy in the garage and used it to test the prototype sonar equipment in Emsworth Harbour. Now our equipment descends to the greatest depths of the oceans, and I still have the Mirror dinghy!”