For many years, Spencer Volmar worked for a company that designed, developed, tested and produced so-called “rugged terminal equipment.” This phrase, translated into standard English, means that Spencer Volmar worked on computer systems that are designed to be virtually indestructible in all kinds of conditions. They could be dropped, kicked, run in the dust, run in the mist or run while undergoing a serious amount of vibration. While Spencer Volmar had technical specifications that alerted him to the conditions his computers must withstand, he was also asked to rely upon his common sense as he worked. Thankfully, Spencer Volmar has extensive experience as an outdoorsman, and he was able to put this experience to good use in his work.

To give one example, Spencer Volmar often goes camping. While he’s camping, he expects to enjoy the natural scenery and the scents and sensations of the great outdoors, but he also expects to remain connected to the world back home. He uses his cell phone while camping, to stay in touch with his loved ones. And he might consider using a GPS system to help him determine exactly where he is while he’s out and about on his adventures. He has a good sense, then, of the sorts of torture he puts his machinery through while he’s outside, and he has a good sense of what sorts of roadblocks stand in the way of that machinery’s smooth operation. When he’s at work, designing new systems, he can call up his personal experience and use it as a guide.

It’s a happy coincidence when a person’s hobbies and work tend to overlap in this fashion. In fact, it might even be a bit rare. But when this does occur, the person can become a bit of an expert on the topic. Spencer Volmar is one such expert, putting his knowledge to good use in rugged terminal equipment design.

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