Early Risers.

[Tony_S]

23 minutes ago, Debs. said:

We easily could have done the return trip on one 'home charge', Tony.....but I knew there was a free to use fast charger in the Council car-park at Brighouse, so (being a trainee Yorkshire lass) elected to re-charge to full whilst there, meeting Barry and Hilary.

 

My experience with the Ioniq, has shown the manufacturer's mileage predictions and especially the computer "G.O.M" (Guess-O-Meter) on the dashboard to be reliable in practice; as it bases its predictions on many constantly changing variables. 

 

There's much more technically to consider when purchasing an E.V than just range; such as charging speed, battery voltage/charging current limits, socket type and battery heating/cooling system.....etc.

I researched heavily before jumping in; and actually, didn't buy the latest model, but the previous model year variant, because of its superior battery charging characteristics. 

 

Bjørn Nyland in Norway, is a very well respected YouTube resource for unbiased E.V real-world tests; I found his experienced insights very discerning and informative before I made my purchase decision. 

Tesla Bjørn

 

 

Thanks. I think my brother in law would be the perfect person for an electric vehicle. Most of his journeys are quite short around Enfield. He uses the bus and train for trips to central London. However I think having a vehicle that could get to Hayward’s Heath and back without charging will be one of his criteria. Our nephew and his girlfriend are moving from Brighton to a new flat in Hayward’s Heath soon. Actually my nephew was also  thinking about an electric car but the flat is on the first floor and chucking an extension lead out of a window didn’t seem like a good idea. 
 

I will pass the link on to brother in law Ian. Probably more useful than the link I sent him for the new Ford Mustang Mach E (370 mile range claimed I think)

Tony

Edited January 3, 2020 by Tony_S

[Happy Hippo]

22 minutes ago, BlackRat said:

Used to drink dark mild.......looks ( and prob tastes) the same going out as it went it!

Now would that have been Brains Dark in The Plough?

 

Istr the WAG group had a few meetings there some years back.

[PhilJ W]

Afternoon all from Estuary-Land. My brothers op went well with no complications even though it took seven hours in all, two more than expected. He'll be out for the count now for a few days as they will not bring him round for about five or six days. Its going to be a long slow road to recovery but he should get there eventually. Took the young mans scooter back for replacement this afternoon, the replacement seems to be in order. As I mentioned some time ago I was considering a hybrid or all electric car. Its unlikely that I will be able to afford one but if I could I would fancy one of these (minibus version)

But at sixty grand a pop for the basic van its a bit pricey.

 

Edited January 4, 2020 by PhilJ W

[Ozexpatriate]

11 minutes ago, Tony_S said:

the new Ford Mustang Mach E

Already completely sold out in the US, before a single production model has been made.

[Barry O]

Wot a day!

 

Great meet up with Debs and Elsie in briggus.  Then one or two pints with Roundhouse and his good lady.  Wrongs have been righted ...now off home for some scran..

 

Baz

 

And the dark mild is 3.5% a bit stronger than Brains dark..

Edited January 3, 2020 by Barry O
Spullchkr

[Ozexpatriate]

11 hours ago, roundhouse said:

I think its a thermostat/alarm that is under the bed side table. I managed ot take the cover off but no means of disconnecting it without breaking it. I didnt know it was that till they switched it off along with the air con control box. It sounded like a ceiling fire alarm you would have at home but the fire alarm sounder is above the bed . The previous night it was flashing red and making quite a noise. Overnight and morning its flashing green

Interesting. My first guess would have been a Carbon Monoxide detector. Locally they are mandatory in apartment buildings, along with smoke detectors. I have combination CO/smoke units at home.

[grandadbob]

Our nephew owns an electric car dealership in New Milton, Hants and has tried to persuade me to go Tesla. He doesn't seem to understand that I can't afford one!

[AndyID]

I bought a Hornby 4F (ex Airfix) on Eb**. It was advertised as a non-runner - "does not run, just makes a squealing noise". For $25 I thought I could always use the tender to replace the horrible one on my Patriot.

 

It arrived yesterday so I put on on the track and applied some DC. There was a long hissing sound (as it blew out its cylinders) then it gradually accelerated while making a fairly realistic chuffing sound.

[Ozexpatriate]

6 hours ago, Happy Hippo said:

Dave also uses his ladder elsewhere.

 

Again, he has difficulty getting over the lip before getting settling into the Stanner Stairlift GTI (aka the MB Bang seat.) 

Presuming that bang seat is in a Hawker Hunter; a lovely aircraft but it always makes me think of deadly accidents - not just Shoreham, but locally here where one destroyed a home after the 2006 Hillsboro Air Show. (Fortunately no one was home, but the pilot did not survive.)

 

I do not have a loft ladder. I do not presently have a loft that is large enough for anything but monkeys. The roof space is full of angle braced prefabricated trusses and is no more than perhaps six feet high at the ridge.  I have owned a home with one some time ago.

 

My previous residence (an apartment) had access to the (shared) roof space. It was right above the washer/dryer and the painters had painted it shut. Inevitably maintenance people needed access. They would leave a note on the door warning me they would enter my unit whether I was there or not. It looked like they used a large screwdriver to break the paint seal around the access hatch. It's nice not to be a renter anymore.

[tetsudofan]

7 hours ago, TheQ said:

I looked at getting a loft ladder and would like one. But our old house is very non standard and a standard loft ladder won't fit. It would require major surgery to the rafters to fit one...

 

 

My house is a chalet bungalow with the upstairs bedrooms being in the roof space of a normal house. Above this, in the apex of the roof. is the cold water tank etc. plus some space suitable for storing large LGB boxes etc.

 

Access was by a step ladder which was a bit dodgy so asked around and was told that it was not possible to fit a normal loft ladder in the space available. Did some more digging around and finally found a local company who said they could do it..... and they did it.

 

They used a ladder by a Swedish company called TELESTEPS which. as the name infers, folds up into itself so takes up minimal space.

 

Result, one happy bunny.

 

Keith

[Coombe Barton]

Composer names may amuse

 

https://johncolby.wordpress.com/2020/01/03/sounds-of-the-season-34-composer-spotting-and-oh-matron/

[PhilJ W]

My loft ladder is also by Telesteps and I agree they are very good. The problem in my case is the loft access is restricted and not possible to enlarge due to the proximity of the chimney stack. 

[Happy Hippo]

20 minutes ago, Ozexpatriate said:

Presuming that bang seat is in a Hawker Hunter;

Yes I chose that picture because the Hunt man was a Hunter driver back in the day. 

 

A far safer aircraft than say the German version of the F104 Starfighter.

[Debs.]

39 minutes ago, grandadbob said:

Our nephew owns an electric car dealership in New Milton, Hants and has tried to persuade me to go Tesla. He doesn't seem to understand that I can't afford one!

That was my situation too, Bob. .......but sometimes, compromise can be a really good friend. 

[roundhouse]

45 minutes ago, Ozexpatriate said:

Interesting. My first guess would have been a Carbon Monoxide detector. Locally they are mandatory in apartment buildings, along with smoke detectors. I have combination CO/smoke units at home.

Yes normally a combined unit over here aswell and if it was then I would have thought they would have had us out of the room.

 

A good few hours  drinking various Timothy Taylor ales with Baz and my other half in Leeds and after  az left for home, grabbing a takeaway then in Leeds Brewery Tap. After this we will be next door to Friends of Ham. So far a fairly quiet for a Friday.

 

Tomorrow is further West

[roundhouse]

53 minutes ago, Barry O said:

Wot a day!

 

Great meet up with Debs and Elsie in briggus.  Then one or two pints with Roundhouse and his good lady.  Wrongs have been righted ...now off home for some scran..

 

Baz

 

And the dark mild is 3.5% a bit stronger than Brains dark..

More like three or four pints. Thanks Baz for a good afternoon and my round next time.

[Happy Hippo]

52 minutes ago, grandadbob said:

Our nephew owns an electric car dealership in New Milton, Hants and has tried to persuade me to go Tesla. He doesn't seem to understand that I can't afford one!

My Son in Law has a Tesla.

 

The pedal to the metal acceleration is a relevation.

 

I suppose it is the future of automobiles, but I'd prefer a car with less electronic driving aids and a bit more reliance on driver skill.

 

The thing virtually drives itself.

 

 

[pH]

21 minutes ago, Happy Hippo said:

A far safer aircraft than say the German version of the F104 Starfighter.

 

As a friend said as a USAF Starfighter flew overhead - "an accident looking for somewhere to happen".

[pH]

1 hour ago, Tony_S said:

Actually my nephew was also  thinking about an electric car but the flat is on the first floor and chucking an extension lead out of a window didn’t seem like a good idea. 

 

You mean like these?

 

 

 

Block heater cords and plugs strung across the sidewalk in Saskatoon. The pictures were taken in June, but the extensions are left out all year round.

[Ozexpatriate]

6 minutes ago, Happy Hippo said:

The thing virtually drives itself.

Actually it can drive itself. Just yet though, you shouldn't let it.

[Ozexpatriate]

45 minutes ago, Happy Hippo said:

A far safer aircraft than say the German version of the F104 Starfighter.

 

22 minutes ago, pH said:

As a friend said as a USAF Starfighter flew overhead - "an accident looking for somewhere to happen".

The Starfighter was known as "a missile with a man in it". Massively overpowered relative to its maneuverability (or lack there of). It was dangerous for pilots and ground crew. The leading edges had to be covered with felt so the ground crew weren't injured by bumping into the wings. 

 

My thoughts on the Hunter are not so much about its service life safety but the difficulties of maintaining preserved, vintage jet aircraft in a safe operating condition. Even the piston prop aircraft can be quite dangerous - witnessed by the B17 crash in Connecticut last October.

[New Haven Neil]

We struggled for years to get a loft ladder that would fit as the trusses and loft hatch are placed poorly in relation to walls etc!  The only way to fit one appeared to be moving the loft hatch to our bedroom which I was informed was not going to happen.

 

Then we found one which telescopes rather than folds which JUST fitted in the space - no idea what make it is, but it is very good, and allowed the loft to be filled with, um, trains in boxes!

[Tony_S]

51 minutes ago, pH said:

 

You mean like these?

 

 

 

Block heater cords and plugs strung across the sidewalk in Saskatoon. The pictures were taken in June, but the extensions are left out all year round.

You have answered a query I forgot to make when visiting Canada. I noticed the cables and also sockets poking out of the front of cars but I wasn’t sure if it was for charging the battery or some sort of heater. 
On my car I wondered why the battery was in a waterproof box even though it was mounted way above the cars wading depth. The chap changing the battery for me  said it wasn’t waterproofing  it was to keep it warm. 
Tony

[polybear]

2 hours ago, Happy Hippo said:

Yes I chose that picture because the Hunt man was a Hunter driver back in the day. 

 

A far safer aircraft than say the German version of the F104 Starfighter.

 

Also known as a "Widowmaker" IIRC.

 

I spent some time back in the 80's working on Hunter XG210 (F6), now relegated (as far as I know) to a Caravan Company in Suffolk   (criminal, as it was low hours and in very good nick as far as I recall).  I did have some email correspondence with the owner - it seems some low-life got in the cockpit and stripped all the gauges etc., which no doubt ended up on ebay.  The IPN start used to make the unwary jump....

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Hawker_Hunter_F6_XG210_(9475806812).jpg

Edited January 3, 2020 by polybear

[AndyID]

9 minutes ago, Tony_S said:

You have answered a query I forgot to make when visiting Canada. I noticed the cables and also sockets poking out of the front of cars but I wasn’t sure if it was for charging the battery or some sort of heater. 
On my car I wondered why the battery was in a waterproof box even though it was mounted way above the cars wading depth. The chap changing the battery for me  said it wasn’t waterproofing  it was to keep it warm. 
Tony

 

No need for block heaters here at the moment. It's 7C - unusually warm for this time of year.