Early Risers.

[newbryford]

NCAA Women's Soccer football has been watched.Unfortunately my niece's team lost 2-0 to West Chester University. I didn't see the first goal (and replays weren't shown) but goal 2 was a major defensive error and she obviously wasn't happy with the players in front of her............ There was much stamping of the feet and waving arms.

 

It seemed a bit strange that they were seed number 6 of the 8 teams, yet they had the best season record of 17-1, so they didn't have home advantage. I guess this was related to previous years performances and they have been swiftly progressing through the rankings for the past 3 years since the new coach took over.

This year, there weren't any final year students in the team, so the nucleus of next year's squad will be older and wiser.

 

Annual asthma review yesterday (i only have a mild form) has been completed - the practice nurse was happy and the flu jab was administered.

 

Daft busy at work for the past two days - it didn't help having an urgent job on top of prep for Warley.

The van is loaded and I await pickup tomorrow morning. I don't have to go to work directly as the van will pass within 400 yards of my house, so a minor lie-in may occur.

 

Lunchbreak is planned courtesy of motorway services and Colonel Sanders..................................

 

Most of my weekend will be on stand B1 and as a result, I will be missing my golf club annual presentation evening where I should be collecting two prizes. Mrs NB is briefed to give the winners speech and then hold the trophy aloft and parade around the room..

She's just told me "no chance".

 

May catch up over the next couple of days.

 

POETS if you can and have a good weekend.

 

Cheers,

Mick

 

 

Edited November 21, 2019 by newbryford

[leopardml2341]

On 17/11/2019 at 17:25, roundhouse said:

 

Been in the shed fitting two new speakers to my Heljan class 33. Took a while as one had to go in the fuel tank and the other in the roof, both cut down iPhone speakers. Sounds so much better now. Will probably have this one with me at Warley

Where will you be at Warley? I'd like to talk to you about that, that's if I ever rid myself of this man flu which seems to be turning into a general malaise which in turn is not doing mi mental health any good.

 

Sorry for moaning folks. Hope all's well in your worlds and if it's not then I hope it changes soon.

 

Goodnight.

[PhilJ W]

Evening all from Estuary-Land. Getting prepared for Warley, I've got a note of the stands where ER's are to be found. I will be there Sunday, not sure of what time I will arrive but unless theres a hold up it should be before 11. Be back later.

[Dave Hunt]

Today's big news is that The Toe is now just a toe, except that where there was once a toenail is now just an 'orrible looking scabby bit but at least after getting on for six months it no longer needs dressings, antibugtastics or other aspects of the black arts of the medical profession to prevent it from falling off.

 

Not that the H family is finished with said profession, though, as I had to take Dad to Telford hospital for a check up of his replacement hip. This would normally be about a fifteen to thirty minute job but the X-ray department got their knickers in a twist because one bit of paper regarding Dad's required X-ray stated right hip whereas another stated left. Despite Dad assuring them that it was his right hip they wouldn't proceed until the consultant had been consulted, then there was a problem with sending said X-rays to the consultant and eventually it was two and a half hours before everything was straightened out. Luckily I'd taken a book with me.......

 

On returning to H Towers I negotiated a trip to the workshop where, I'm happy to say, I avoided a repetition of yesterday's debacle (well, almost) and managed to finish the second three throw turnout without the air turning more than a mild shade of blue. Just one more of the d**n things to go.

 

Finally, just to keep Rick happy I'm raising a glass of Talisker.

 

Goodnight everyone and thoughts for those who ail.

 

Dave

Edited November 21, 2019 by Dave Hunt

[The Stationmaster]

For those planning a train ride to the NEC this weekend take note that West Midlands  and London Northwestern are having a little bit of a labour problem on Saturday and will be operating a reduced service (quite what the services will be reduced to is not stated) which could lead to overcrowding on other trains.  It was bad enough last year at International in the afternoon with the local lot actually running something and no doubt as ever the world and his wife will use XC trains between Brum and Coventry/Leamington.

Edited November 21, 2019 by The Stationmaster

[BSW01]

Goodnight all 

[Barry O]

Totally worn to a frazz. So Goodnight all!

 

Baz

[PhilJ W]

Goodnight all.

[tigerburnie]

Not so much an early riser as a late to bedder……………………………………..just back from fishing, 3 wee Cod that were returned to grow bigger, pizza for tea then...………………..

G'night all

[The Stationmaster]

G'night all

[Ozexpatriate]

9 hours ago, 81C said:

I walked the mad dog this morning he's now wears a muzzle which he spent all his time today trying to get it off there is now a slot in the footpath where he gets walked he's trying to scrap it off his head at least I don't have to wrestle with him to get the thing on he knows the walk won't happen without it in place, he's is increased in weight he's like a tow truck my daughter won't have a choke collar on him so you just get pulled around I think training has gone out the window with him

It sounds like you have a very alpha dog there.

 

9 hours ago, Happy Hippo said:

... Full chest harnesses are a much better option than a choke chain as you can lift the dog's rear legs off the floor and they then lose all traction.  If the training by the family has stopped because it's too much bother or they haven't time (which is often the case), then my advice, ... is to  move the dog pdq to someone who can spare the time and effort to train it properly.

 

At around 6 months old the dog should be walking to heel, sitting, laying down, staying and coming back when called.  To that basic list I'd also add leaving things when told and not jumping up to greet people.

 

If your daughter lets him carry on as he seems to be progressing, the next thing will be destructive behaviour, and possible aggression when told off! (He's already having to use a muzzle)

That's good advice Richard.

 

7 hours ago, 81C said:

HH the dog has had full chest harnesses he grows out of them monthly and I agree with you about the lack of continuous training he has got to the point with me where I'm not interested any more, the SiL know it all I find his lack of skill with large dogs leave a lot to be desired the annoy thing about it all those things you have listed he was doing at 4 months and he had stopped jumping up which he did today I'm agog he's going backwards.

 

As you can see the cardboard shredded in the back ground, he ripped apart a rope toy this morning it's a shame he is a clever and intelligent animal he can open those child guards I find him stretched out on the sofa when I get there, both his parents are twice his size I do wonder what they will do with him in a few months time.

Long ago the family had a Labrador Retriever. She was the dunce of her obedience class and could be very stubborn when on leash, even with a choke chain. The anatomy of Labs renders choke chains somewhat ineffective. They really don't have a pronounced neck. Nevertheless we did manage to get the "jumpy" out of her. She did have a very sweet disposition and, except when she wanted to do a runner, was generally very accommodating. She could be bribed with bananas when she would get a wild hair.

 

My brother-in-law had a pair of German Shepherds / Alsatians. The choke collars he used were spiked on the inside. They were very aggressive dogs and needed constant 'dominance' reminders that they were not the alphas in the family unit. Personally, I would never want to own / train one.

 

Edited November 22, 2019 by Ozexpatriate

[roundhouse]

4 hours ago, leopardml2341 said:

Where will you be at Warley? I'd like to talk to you about that, that's if I ever rid myself of this man flu which seems to be turning into a general malaise which in turn is not doing mi mental health any good.

 

Sorry for moaning folks. Hope all's well in your worlds and if it's not then I hope it changes soon.

 

Goodnight.

I am doing DCC decoder demo on stand A83 and will have my 33 with me.

[TheQ]

Mooring,  6 hours sleep so far trying for more... 

[chrisf]

Good morning one and all

 

Once in a while my hard heart melts at what a little furry animal does – no, not Ed Sheeran.  I saw some footage yesterday of a koala which got caught up in the bush fires around Sydney.  With little thought for her own safety a brave woman rescued the koala from a tree which was in danger of burning.  Who could not be moved by the koala’s anguished cries?  When last seen by the cameras the little animal was feeding its face with eucalyptus leaves but was badly burned by the bush fire and will take a while to recover.   There is nothing wrong with being a soppy date once in a while.  A year or so ago there was footage of a baby rhino gambolling around its paddock and a few weeks back Sir David Attenborough showed film of a baby albatross desperately trying to climb on to a rock.  Just don’t ask me to go all gooey over human babies.  They really do all look the same to me.

 

I’m rather cross with the BBC again.  I was out doing something useful when The Apprentice was being shown on Wednesday and my attempt to view it on i-Player was unsuccessful.  When I dutifully turned on the parental guidance thing it would not let me enter a PIN.  After about half an hour trying to figure it out I sent an e-mail to Auntie Beeb.  Heaven knows what if anything the reply will say.  Maybe I am alone in this view but I consider it high-handed of the BBC to assume that we all have kids and that they all need protecting against the bad language that the producers have no qualms about allowing in the programmes.

 

Planning of my trip to Dublin continues, with one major step completed yesterday.  John Coombe Barton gave me a good tip for somewhere to stay and I’ve booked it.  Out of curiosity, I might go and have a look at London City Airport next Thursday when I have an appointment nearby but I still prefer the rail and sea route.  I have spent more than enough time hanging around in terminals at the larger airports to last me a lifetime.  It’s baggage reclaim that really gets me.  About 20 years ago I flew to Germany for the first time.  At Berlin airport I watched with increasing dismay as the carousel got emptier and emptier with no sign of my luggage.  It transpired that British Airways had seen fit to send it on an earlier flight without thinking to tell me.  I remembered an awful lot of schoolboy German in a very short time!

 

Best wishes to all

 

Chris

[Robert]

Morning All,

 

The temperature is only around 1°C this morning, and there was a reasonably heavy frost.

 

There isn't a lot else to report - so I guess it is time for a coffee!

 

Have a good day everyone...

[81C]

Morning All

Still dark outside the street lamp is off

Woke early for pain killers I did get 6 good hours of sleep, off to take care of the dog later it's rare I do it on a Friday SiL must be working today, later I will be packing the remainder of any railway 

stuff up and the last of the books. 

I think I will grab a coffee and watch the news on TV

Enjoy your day  B. L. Erieyed 

[roundhouse]

29 minutes ago, chrisf said:

Good morning one and all

 

Once in a while my hard heart melts at what a little furry animal does – no, not Ed Sheeran.  I saw some footage yesterday of a koala which got caught up in the bush fires around Sydney.  With little thought for her own safety a brave woman rescued the koala from a tree which was in danger of burning.  Who could not be moved by the koala’s anguished cries?  When last seen by the cameras the little animal was feeding its face with eucalyptus leaves but was badly burned by the bush fire and will take a while to recover.   There is nothing wrong with being a soppy date once in a while.  A year or so ago there was footage of a baby rhino gambolling around its paddock and a few weeks back Sir David Attenborough showed film of a baby albatross desperately trying to climb on to a rock.  Just don’t ask me to go all gooey over human babies.  They really do all look the same to me.

 

I’m rather cross with the BBC again.  I was out doing something useful when The Apprentice was being shown on Wednesday and my attempt to view it on i-Player was unsuccessful.  When I dutifully turned on the parental guidance thing it would not let me enter a PIN.  After about half an hour trying to figure it out I sent an e-mail to Auntie Beeb.  Heaven knows what if anything the reply will say.  Maybe I am alone in this view but I consider it high-handed of the BBC to assume that we all have kids and that they all need protecting against the bad language that the producers have no qualms about allowing in the programmes.

 

Planning of my trip to Dublin continues, with one major step completed yesterday.  John Coombe Barton gave me a good tip for somewhere to stay and I’ve booked it.  Out of curiosity, I might go and have a look at London City Airport next Thursday when I have an appointment nearby but I still prefer the rail and sea route.  I have spent more than enough time hanging around in terminals at the larger airports to last me a lifetime.  It’s baggage reclaim that really gets me.  About 20 years ago I flew to Germany for the first time.  At Berlin airport I watched with increasing dismay as the carousel got emptier and emptier with no sign of my luggage.  It transpired that British Airways had seen fit to send it on an earlier flight without thinking to tell me.  I remembered an awful lot of schoolboy German in a very short time!

 

Best wishes to all

 

Chris

London City airport is small and when not busy its fine but the last time we used it on a Friday night to Amsterdam it was  not good, with a very long queue to get through the tiny security area then no where to sit airside, even standing was hard due to flights being late and the terminal becoming wedged with high end commuters who get abusive more so than at peak hours in a busy London railway station. We had a row with one who barged his way down the queue at the gate swearing at my other half. Another person swore back at him and he shut up so I also backed off having a go. We took off two hours late and information was terrible regarding the delays. One to avoid on a busy night even more so than bigger airports.

 

Morning from a very wet Surrey and theres two lanes already closed on the M25 due to an accident, just where we will be attempting ot drive in just over an hour.

[TheQ]

9 hours ago, AndyID said:

 

If you want to be even more economical you could drive as many servos as you want from three 555 timers. One of them is set up as an astable that triggers the other two which are set up as monostables. The astable's frequency determines the travel speed (50 Hz max or as slow as you like) and the monostables produce a long pulse and a short pulse that determines the travel limits. You connect each servo to the monostable outputs via a single pole changeover switch.

 

The snag with this method is that you can't adjust the servo throw angles individually. Also, if you make the astable frequency very low (e.g. 10 Hz) the servos will travel in discernible steps rather than a smooth sweep. But it is very inexpensive

 

(There are many other ways to make a pulse generator like this. I use a ATtiny44a )

I looked at the other options including NE555 circuits, arduinos,  and for the main layout at home, with 50+ points needed I'll probably go down the arduino (mega) + extension shields route to give me route setting etc.

 

Individual NE555 Circuits, so you can set throw angles, by the time you've added the other components and a bit of vero type board you are heading for the 99 p and it just wasn't worth the effort.

 

This is for my Exhibition layout with very much fewer points. I want to be able to set throw angles which would be easy with individual servo testers, just a physical block limiting the throw of the pot.

 I also like the Idea of individual controls, if a tester or servo fails just swap it out. No trying to work out whats gone wrong in the middle of a show if some bit of the programme corrupts..

 

 

Mooring Awl again, Not much extra sleep was obtained, 1108/692

 

Ben the I don't like the dark Collie didn't want out this morning , so I'm in work a bit earlier, as I approached the building the heavens opened and I can hear rain hammering on the roof and water pouring down the internal drainpipes.

It is warmer, less cold out there

 

I had the car yesterday, as the lady SWMBO is teaching to paint on thursdays, has had her husband die after a short illness, unfortunately her woes don't finish . Her son is in Hospital with diabetes related gangrene of his toes and septicemia, he's not expected to survive..

 

Today I have a major system to complete, and some more of those resistors to do for Italy , i managed to do some yesterday while waiting for the major system to do some automatic tests...

 

Next week there is no major sytem scheduled, however there is one I've been ignoring, as it's not actually in use at the moment, so I might do that one. there is a large group of current shints to do net week..

 

Arrived on my desk a dozen relays, the most common thing to fail on these major system, they were ordered 6 months ago, but some bright spark not in our department cancelled the order, words were said by my boss to him and now they have arrived.

in normal use they'd be fine forever, but thse are on the output of the calibrators and once they wear a bit they can introduce a error of a ppm or more. so we routinely change them every 18 months..

 

Time to.. wander down the the lab and get started...

[leopardml2341]

3 hours ago, TheQ said:

Mooring,  6 hours sleep so far trying for more... 

6 hours, luxury......

 

Morning from a dark and what sounds like a very wet South Derbyshire. Not sure if it's raining or not but the road sounds wet and I ain't getting out of bed to look. Blackout blinds is firmly down and will be staying that way for sometime yet. Man flu maybe subsiding, but I reckon lemsip (other cold remedies are available) might be the first drink of the day followed by some menthol steam inhalation; crikey - do I know how to live

 

Hope all is well out there, see you all later.

Edited November 22, 2019 by leopardml2341

[jamie92208]

Good morning from a piece of the Charente that is not actually  blessed with liquid sunshine.  If this state of affairs continues I will be spending the morning doing various outside tasks such as collecting  up all the spare pallets left over from the building work.  Very useful things are pallets.  

I also need to get some logs sawn up to build up a stock for Beth to use when I'm in the UK.   22 big green basket fulls need stacking in the hall.  Her recovery is continuing and as usual she seems to be able to bounce back quite quickly.

 

Hope that Warley goes well for those attending.  Rick I hope that Sharron continues to improve.

 

Regards to all and Chrisf, funny you should mention next Thursday.

 

Jamie

 

 

 

Edited November 22, 2019 by jamie92208

[grandadbob]

Good morning all,

It's been raining for most of the night but has now stopped and there's a hint of brightness coming from the East. More showers possibly heavy and thundery are due later.

Yesterday's sorting and moving of "stuff" didn't happen due to other things so it looks like I'll be ascending the loft ladder today.

A couple of parcels are due and some other stuff is to be sorted for disposal to either the dump recycling facility or the local charity shop. Doubt if any muddling will get done - yet again.

Hope those visiting Warley have a good time.  I've often thought of going but not sure I could face the crowds or the hassle getting there.

Have a  good one,

Bob.

[Dave Hunt]

Damp and grey but with some brightness on the horizon this morning. Various domestic tasks to be done then picking my mate Crimson Rambler up at Shrewsbury station this afternoon. After loading up the car this evening we'll be setting off at 0 double dark tomorrow morning for the Warley show where we'll be setting up stand D22 Midland Railway Society. We'll be manning said stand for the day so any ERs who'd like to say hello would be very welcome. We also have to judge and present the LMS Trophy for the best exhibit based on said railway or its descendants. Someone else will be in charge on Sunday.

 

Have a good day and join Baz in carpe-ing it.

 

Dave

[45156]

Morning All

 

As usual, generic greetings are offered to the ailing and the celebrating.   As usual, special mentions for Mrs Jamie and Mrs Rick, who both seem to be on the mend, to John and to Debs.  And Chrisf - I am sure that you are going to get to Dublin for the Pride march come hell or high water now, and that you will sort out the most economical and Chris friendly method of getting there.

 

I to had a great dislike of flying - well not the actual flight, I rather enjoyed it once I got airside, and as a British Midland frequent flyer I did get quite a few extras like a free bar airside (Buck's fizz at 6 am is an amazing feeling) and cheap parking at Heathrow, which I never declared to my employer, and I always claimed the full rate parking at the short stay, while using the much reduced long stay with a free transfer bus to the terminal.  It was the terminal itself, and getting airside that was always the problem for me, I utterly hated the security, the queues, and the fact that I almost always had to put my flight bag - which was overhead locker size) into the hold as it almost always exceeded the weight limit, so no quick getaways or check ins were possible.

 

So other than that, the postponed trip to visit the charity shops of Lytham and St Annes took place yesterday.  Lily was in as a day girl.  We both really enjoyed it, until it came to leaving St Annes, and finding that there were no direction signs at all as we left, and we wound up heading back to Lytham, then again due to a lack of signs, wound up going into Preston and winding up in a load of school turning out traffic.  Just what we didn't want, really.  I really must get the new Sat Nav set up - I've had it since Setember,

 

Second last writing class today, then a trip to Garstang to see a clock repairer, as I can't really accept that our clock is so severely damaged that it can't be reapired - I suspect that the last repairer, whom we have used before, is just too busy to be ars£d with a more complex repair.

 

Off now as hoovering and cleaning out the stove, walking Lily, then going off to Halton for writing,

 

Regards to All

Stewart

[Kingzance]

Good morning,

 

Very soggy here and more is expected. Yesterday has been and is not once more - referring to better carpenters than those employed on the nearby building site - and nothing much to report from it. Lunch out ok but the fish pie was somewhat wet and low on flavour, probably due to the inclusion of frozen hake. SWMBO visited the village hall to watch the pantomime (a case of getting your retaliation in earlier than others?) and came back very impressed.

 

Our builder is expected this morning, some 23 months after we paid him, to arrange to deal with the agreed faults list. I will offer to employ someone else and then send him the bill if further action is not forthcoming. We then are meeting friends at some b****y Christmas junk emporium before eating at another pub. I know how to live - or SWMBO knows how to reduce the kids inheritance.
 

Best of luck to those involved in Warley in any way and to those attempting to travel there by train tomorrow, best wishes to our sufferers and carers and take a strong grip on the hours between dawn and dusk (plus any powerful dogs).

[BSW01]

Good morning everyone 

 

We've obviously had some rain over night, as we have some puddles in the garden, but it isn’t raining now and we even had a short spell of sunshine (5 minutes) a few minutes ago. A shopping trip to Asda, the Trafford Centre and the butchers will shortly be on the cards. Sheila will be joining me today as we need to get some birthday cards for Evie and Max, who will be 11 next month! After that there’s nothing planned for the day so a spot of unspecified tinkering may be the order of the day. 

 

Back later