Early Risers.

[The Stationmaster]

5 hours ago, Tony_S said:

Are you going for one of the Epson “tank” versions. Allegedly the print cost is very low.

I nearly bought a Canon Megatank printer but they disappeared from sale. Probably all stuck in the Suez Canal. All our HP printers work with Macs, Windows and various tablets. The last Epson I bought with my own money was a FX80 dot matrix. Probably in the loft somewhere. 
Tony

I've been looking online at the XP8600 or 8605 which are being called 'photo printers' among their ther attributes.  What I would like is a really good quality photo printer and it doesn't matter too much if t can't scan and a fax capability is rather passé nowadays I think.

[The Stationmaster]

G'night all

[Pacific231G]

On 02/05/2021 at 00:22, Ozexpatriate said:

The following post was formatted like this (based on the width of my browser window):

Overlooking the "10", I inferred that to mean 10.6m steps and thought you must have very long legs.

 

A stride of 0.64m makes much more sense!

 

I usually try to walk for about an hour - probably closer to 55 minutes. I don't measure it with any electronic devices (other than a clock). How long does almost 7km take you - I'm guessing perhaps 90 minutes?

 

Yes. It's unfortunate that control characters such as non breaking spaces don't work here.

7km and 1.064E4 steps was the total the app came up with for the day and included shopping in Tesco. My normal 4km walk takes me about 45 minutes. Since the app gets its data from the phone's motion detector and built in GPS it's fairly poor at accurately recording short distances. So, the pace count against the distance walked  in the course of a day tend not to agree.  I wouldn't dream of relying it for any serious analysis but it does give me a rough idea of my relative activity each day.  From actual counts taken on the local 1200m measured exercise circuit my pace is between 0.625m and 0.66m. I generally reckon 80 double paces for 100m but that slightly underestimates the distance. 

 

I managed my walk today before the rain arrived but it was blustety. Far fewer people about than on a normal May Bank Holiday Monday and the golfers seemed to be having difficulty getting their little white balls anywhere need the small  lawns with a hole in the middle. 

 

Did  a reasonable amount of editing today so now know more than I did before about Thomas Crampton's patent locomotive design. I can't decide whether its a 2-2-2-0 or a 4-2-0 (the non drivers were normally different diameters)

I also watched The Pride and the Passion, (1957 epic starring Cary Grant, Sophia Loren and Frank Sinatra) which I've somehow never seen before.  I then read up on the Peninsular War but must read the C.S.Forester novel "The Gun" the movie is sort of based on. Some reviewers do say that the film is better than the book which is entirely possible- I thought that about H.G.Wells' The Time Machine.

 

Goodnight All

[trisonic]

Ok here are the photos of the Mexican Stratocaster HSH, Player Series.

Player Series represent good value to guitarists. They are part of a range from Player through Performer to Professional (twice the price of the Player). Both the Performer and Professional ranges are made in the USA. As I inferred earlier many working stiffs plying their trade in Bars or by recording cheap tv adverts actually prefer the Player Series. Why? Simples they are the most like Leo Fender's original conception of the Strat. Any improvements are zeroed in to a "Form follows Function". No bells and whistles.

The color is called "Buttercream" (I think). There is  interesting auto-switching going on inside. Position 1 is Neck Humbucker only. 2. Is one coil of the humbucker together with the centre single coil. Producing a lovely "Quack". 3. Is Single coil only. 4. Is Single Coil combined with one of the coils of the Bridge Humbucker For a more piercing quack. 5. Bridge Humbucker.

I haven't taken the plastic film off the pickguard yet.....  Please note how well the fret ends have been finished, Ensenada also take care to fully polish every single fret. Both humbuckers are "Shawbuckers" an unofficial nod to Tim Shaw who designed them.  With the color reminding me of Ambrosia Creamed Rice of my youth I have to keep myself from having a lick (rather than playing licks) Best, Pete

Edited May 4, 2021 by trisonic

[BR60103]

I called up RMWeb lastnight and on the second click had a long wait and then a 502 error.

I did not rate any posts for yesterday prior to that time.

 

We had our census form in the mail today so I signed in and filled it out.  Wasn't sure what to put in for "current gender" -- masculine and feminine were not options and I don't consider male or female to be genders (they were options for the "sex at birth, though).

 

 

 

Edited May 4, 2021 by BR60103

[NGT6 1315]

Moanin‘ awl. Why is it that the first time I’m able to stop by here in what seems like forever is at such an hour? 

 

I finally got my first COVID jab yesterday. Elise got hers about an hour after me, so much of the afternoon was spent at the vaccination centre. The one in Leipzig is located at the Exhibition Centre, so we could go there by tram. Not that there would have been a parking problem, but these days, I often don’t feel like driving in my free time when I’m doing so for hours on end while at work.

My second appointment will be on the 24th and Elise’s one week after that. At last, that’ll bring back at least some peace of mind, I hope!

BBL… 

 

[J. S. Bach]

Missed last night so a double Night Owl from the Piedmont.

[iL Dottore]

Good morning all,

Another painful and early start to the day. I might actually have to give in and go see the boy doctor to figure out what’s going on (I have a pretty good idea but self diagnosis is never, ever a good thing).

 

I like Trisonic’s new Fender Stratocaster (although a humbucker on a Strat, to me, just seems “wrong”) and I certainly agree with him that the Fender guitars made in Mexico are the equal of those made in the US. You may recall, a little while ago, I posted pictures of my new Fender Telecaster in butterscotch blonde, this too is a Fender Player model (and thus made in Mexico). And to be honest, I find my new Tele every bit as good as my Fender custom shop David Gilmour Strat. 
 

I certainly do envy Trisonic on his new PRS, I’ve toyed with the idea of buying a PRS (probably a SE model), but I really can’t justify the purchase. Mrs ID was most happy when, last year, I sold four of my guitars to buy the HIWATT David Gilmour amp and cab, she was less happy when I bought the Fender Player Tele to replace the Squier Telecaster I sold off last year. Having said that, if I have another couple of good months of consulting then I just might contemplate sneaking in a PRS SE Standard 24.

 

Now, onto a confession: I like both Fender and Squier guitars, they are both beautifully constructed (although allowances need to be made for the Squier guitars at the lower price point) and an important part for me is that both Fender and Squier guitars look identical, except for the name on the headstock. I want my Tele to look like a Tele, regardless of whether or not it is made by Fender or Squier. Epiphone, which is Gibson’s budget line equivalent to Fender’s Squier line, are pretty good guitars (I had a really great Epiphone Sheraton for a long time); but for me the Epiphone copies of the Gibson models (Les Paul, SG, ES 335) with the Epiphone headstock just look plain wrong.
 

I know this is absolutely silly, but I want my budget Gibson to look like a Gibson and not like the illegitimate offspring between a Gibson Les Paul and an Epiphone Casino! (and it’s not as though Epiphone are always the cheap, cheap version of a Gibson: I just checked a website and some of the Epiphone Les Pauls [with the wrong headstock] are actually about as expensive as a Gibson Les Paul studio). In the 80s and 90s the Japanese managed to make extremely high quality budget versions of the Les Paul and SG in legally licensed Epiphone Japan or Orville by Gibson versions. Both with the “right” headstock and which are now highly sought after. I suppose putting the “wrong” headstock on an Epiphone is to prevent the unscrupulous passing off the cheaper model as a Gibson (which apparently happens  every so often with dodgy dealers trying to pass off a Squier as a Fender – something that really doesn’t stand up to close inspection)  
 

I guess my view is heavily influenced by my teenage years when the guitarists that I greatly admired played Gibsons or Fenders. No Frankenstrats, PRS or pointy-headed widdling machines back then, just perfection in the form of the Les Paul, the Stratocaster, the Telecaster, the SG and the ES335 (and its siblings).   So, why mess with perfection?
 

My teenage years have a lot to answer for, at least in the way I view the world and what is desirable and what is undesirable. I now fully understand the saying “the child is the father to the man“

[chrisf]

Greetings one and all

 

I had my second Covid jab on Sunday morning, bright and early.  The inoculation station was, and probably still is, at a gym.  There must be another room in which may be found all the torture chamber apparatus that such places contain but exploring it was not part of my mission.  I now have a season-ticket sized piece of card on which is inscribed details of both my jabs.  One day in the not too distant future someone will want to know possibly in the context of overseas travel, and I shall be ready.  I have aspirations for holidays abroad.  So far there is no sign of C*****mas and New Year in Switzerland on the webshite of my favourite travel company. I hope that circumstances permit my return after the disappointment, and the rubbish festive season, of last year.  In November I plan to visit Morocco, thus achieving my objective of Marrakech if not quite in the way that I intended.  Top of the list for 2022 is Dublin, with something of a longing for the Cote d'Azur and Majorca.  After a year or so of having nowhere to go and not a lot on which to spend my pension I am champing at the bit but all too aware that something else can go wrong.  Finding that all my proposed destinations are on the red list would be just my luck.

 

There was bad language just now.  A paragraph that I had just typed disappeared en bloc.  It serves me right for not composing in Word before copying and pasting into RMweb.  I should know better.

 

Best wishes to all

 

Chris

[polybear]

7 hours ago, Ozexpatriate said:

High school graduation* season is upon us here. With the pandemic last year, the local high school likely redirected some of their budget for graduation to the production of yard signs, individualized with a photograph of each graduate, for proud parents to plant in front of their homes.

 

* Matriculation was the term used in my formative days, but not so in the US.

 

 

 

We called it Parole.....

 

7 hours ago, TheSignalEngineer said:

Very true. I had access to a machine which could scan something 3 metres by 1 metre. My son was made redundant when the last company he worked closed the office he managed, so he set up on his own doing their work.

 

 

Retirement Regret #2:

 

Bear not getting his fluffy ar5se in gear and learning how to drive - then use - Templot to design the final solution and print it out on the 1m wide paper roll colour printer at work.  20m long?  No problem, sir.....

(If only Bear had a space 20m long.....)

 

Note how Retirement Regrets #1 and #2 both have a common theme:  Homers.  Definitely not to be confused with the Simpsons variety though.

[leopardml2341]

Morning all, a wild night has turned into a wild morning here I South Derbyshire.

[Andrew P]

7 hours ago, trisonic said:

Being over here works in my favour. Most PRS are the same price in dollars as you would find at, say Andertons, in Pounds. I did take a look at his new singlecut guitar and decided that it's Gold paint - all over the thing,  was simply too much. Also I really didn't like the look of the top carve - it looked a bit bloated rather than svelte.... it really sounded good however with the new (and expensive) TCI pick ups. 

 

Hate to say it but I received a new Stratocaster last week, I'll post photos when I can figure out how to unzip them. Again like the last Tele I have it's made in Mexico.  I really like Mexican Fenders - the workforce  labor under the feeling that they are second best and they are not, yet Fender USA limit the colors they can use. The workforce of luthiers have a much higher percentage of guitarists (compared to the US factory) plus they have worked really hard to improve their quality (some of the people deserve to be in Fender's Custom Shop).  Best, Pete.

Hi Pete, Firstly great to see you back, I should have said that yesterday.

To my eyes, a single cut can only come from the likes of Gibson / Epiphone, the Les Paul shape is theirs. The PRS shape is as iconic to PRS and to me, a better balanced looking Guitar. 

I checked several Videos for reviews (Sweetwater, Andertons, and others) on the new Squire 60'S Classic Vibe Jazz and P Bass that I have, and almost all the reviews said they almost matched Fenders Mexican quality and sound, but at more affordable prices. As we will be doing a fewer Gigs now due to our ages, (Drummer 74, Guitarist 74 & 64 and me 71) and 90% of playing will be at home in my POD / Pit of Doom, I couldn't justify the REAL THING. 

My problem is I like them all, and want them all. My FSR Classic Vibe 50's Stat in Fiesta Red with the Maple neck and Gold Hardware, looks and plays fabulous, I just wish I could do it justice.

I guess I'm a snob, and would still prefer to see Fender on the Headstock.

Looking forward to seeing your new Stat Pete.

Take care.

[Andrew P]

4 hours ago, trisonic said:

Ok here are the photos of the Mexican Stratocaster HSH, Player Series.

Player Series represent good value to guitarists. They are part of a range from Player through Performer to Professional (twice the price of the Player). Both the Performer and Professional ranges are made in the USA. As I inferred earlier many working stiffs plying their trade in Bars or by recording cheap tv adverts actually prefer the Player Series. Why? Simples they are the most like Leo Fender's original conception of the Strat. Any improvements are zeroed in to a "Form follows Function". No bells and whistles.

The color is called "Buttercream" (I think). There is  interesting auto-switching going on inside. Position 1 is Neck Humbucker only. 2. Is one coil of the humbucker together with the centre single coil. Producing a lovely "Quack". 3. Is Single coil only. 4. Is Single Coil combined with one of the coils of the Bridge Humbucker For a more piercing quack. 5. Bridge Humbucker.

I haven't taken the plastic film off the pickguard yet.....  Please note how well the fret ends have been finished, Ensenada also take care to fully polish every single fret. Both humbuckers are "Shawbuckers" an unofficial nod to Tim Shaw who designed them.  With the color reminding me of Ambrosia Creamed Rice of my youth I have to keep myself from having a lick (rather than playing licks) Best, Pete

Just seen this after my last post, I do like that colour, its almost the original Broadcaster / Telecaster Butterscotch, superb, and with different and more modern in the Pick ups for some extra bite.

Thanks for posting the pics Pete.

 

[Andrew P]

Well the rain arrived about 4pm yesterday along with pretty gusty wind last night.

The wind was coming from the South West along our road, so I was able to put the Dustbin up against the fence, and I think ours was one of the few that didn't get blown over. Just been out to get it in, (our guys come around very early here) and they have very kindly put it back in the garden and up against the fence again so it won't blow down the road, so really thoughtful.

 

Its very bright, but mighty breezy still, and my back has already warned me against going out, so I guess breakfast beacons.

 

Have a good day one and all, stay safe and well. 

Edited May 4, 2021 by Andrew P

[New Haven Neil]

Morning, horribly windy, showers, 7c feels like 3 once again. Really quite unpleasant. Pah.

 

Little else to report currently, not sure what the day will bring as yet, motivation not currently engaged.

 

Another, single, unlinked CV case on Sunday after a few days without any - odd how these ones pop up every week or so, they don't seem to be able to find a link at all for them.  Likely someone isn't being truthful though, as per last month when the cat slipped out of the bag about someone's 'indiscretion' in their relationships!

Edited May 4, 2021 by New Haven Neil

[Barry O]

Ey up!

Chuckeditdarn all night. Still spitting now.. pah!

 

I have a bit of spray painting to do today and there are some bits still to glue onto an item which also needs painting. Could do with a bit of warmth from the sky.. not more rain!

 

Nice to hear that Dom has had his first jab. My second one is due on Thursday.. same not eady to find place as the first.

 

No news fron Sister Drac about my diabetic blood test. The results I have seen show a marked reduction in blood glucose levels. I expect that I need to reduce my metformin consumption.

 

Have as good aday as you can!

Stay safe!

Baz

 

 

 

[TheQ]

Mooring Awl, Inner Temple Hare,

7 hours sleep which was good, the fact it was in at least 5 pieces wasn't,

The initial sleep I was serenaded by water music, with a large woodwind section, by dawn only the woodwind section was left..

 

Ben the Alarm clock Collie was on time and happy to snuffle around the garden, some sort of wildlife had been right up to the house as was obvious by his snuffelling route.

 

Much green leaves in the sides of the roads  on the way in, along with various colours of blossom.. Big black clouds to the North dumped their load over the factory shortly after I arrived, but only for a short time..

 

By chance I was listening to Strawhead last night and one of the tracks was "Poor Jamie Foyers" which in the original period song as  sung by them, was about a genuine Sgt Jamie Foyers killed in 1812 during the Peninsular wars. I've got I book or two covering the period, I must have a reread..

 

I've an Epson Dot matrix up on the shelf not used in years, also an A3 inkjet printer, which while still connected to the computer hasn't been used in years.. As I have access to an A3 laser Colour printer at work.  The ink jet will have dried out by now, but it was costing a fortune in ink when I left it to come on with the computer as it went through a full cleaning routine every day.. I suppose in a year or so I'll have to investigate whether it will work again, either through ink problems or lack of current drivers ..

But what to get next? as a rarely used, but we will require, printer..

I've also got two scanners, one page feed, one flatbed, but they are very old, so I doubt they have drivers available now.

 

I don't think they haven't even started final exams here yet, though it must be imminent. I don't know if schools now have graduation ceremonies in the UK. The results for the final exams don't come out till some weeks after School finishes for the  summer.

Proms now exist but didn't in the UK till the last 20 years or so..

When I left you wandered out of the gate on the last day, thinking, "What the HXXX do I do now?".

No ceremony, No events, you left, you tried to find work.

 

The equipment I left running Thursday afternoon is still trundling away, I'll leave it like that till the boss says otherwise. Meantime I'm onto this weeks major equipment, For some reason it didn't want to zero properly, which is never a good sign..

 

 Time too... Measure -100mV.

 

PS Why do I think these guitars cost several years worth of my sailing expenses...

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited May 4, 2021 by TheQ

[iL Dottore]

56 minutes ago, Andrew P said:

....I couldn't justify the REAL THING.... .

I guess I'm a snob, and would still prefer to see Fender on the Headstock.

 

1) Of course you can. All it requires is a wee bit of ingenuity. And let’s face it, it’s hardly in the same league as buying an original 59 Les Paul (or buying a used guitar from David Gilmour at auction, for that matter).

2) Nothing wrong with wanting the original. The way I look at it (especially now when entry level guitars are VERY playable, unlike when I started playing in the 70s), you buy an entry level Strat, Tele, SG, Les Paul (or whatever takes your fancy) and give it a go. If you love how it plays, then upgrade to the bona-fide thing, if not - sell it on and buy a different entry level model (e.g. I bought an Epiphone LP and quickly upgraded to a Gibson LP, bought a SG, rarely played it, so sold it on....)

Finally, with few exceptions, most guitarist and most top guitarists are gearheads and suffer from terrible GAS (Gear Acquisition Syndrome). I for one, despite being a barely adequate guitarist, could easily go out and drop £££££££££££ on gear. Fortunately (or sadly???) Mrs iD manages to keep my GAS under control...

[AndrewC]

Greetings all from the boring borough. 

Another glorious sunny and warm bank holiday weekend over. (bollards) Cold, wind, rain, meh#

 

We did manage to have a bbq with friends on Sunday. A very good time was had. Their 2 kids are like having a full barrel of monkeys set loose. I paid for it yesterday. Every bone, muscle, and tendon was screaming in agony. 

 

Gave up trying to catch up over the past 3 days. Commiserations and congratulations as appropriate. Jab #2 is now just 27 days away. 

 

Seems as if the council has read the riot act to the manager of the HMO next door. Far less noise over the past few days, and the neighbour on the other side has been given full contact details which she has shared. 

 

Planning has begun on a Post lockdown week in the low countries to attend a beer fest that is confirmed to be happening. They rolled over last year's tickets and aren't selling any more for this year so attendance will be around 75% of normal. 

 

That's about it here. Enjoy the day. 

[PhilJ W]

Morning all from Estuary-Land. Usual stiff joints this morning but not too painful compared to some recent mornings. Not good news from Mexico City this morning, thoughts are with the casualties and their families. Time to run a bath, be back later.

[BSW01]

Good morning everyone 

 

The rain and the wind have finally stopped, although the wind is picking up a little as I type. There are a couple of potted plants lying on there sides, so I’ll have to go out and stand them up later. It’s very wet out there, far too wet to do any work, so I’ll continue what I’d started yesterday, namely get the new cellar sockets wired up and then I can get the plasterboard ordered, although Ian has said he can take me in his van so collect it. 

 

Stay safe, stay sane, enjoy whatever you have planned for the day, back later. 

 

Brian 

[jamie92208]

11 hours ago, Ozexpatriate said:

In their defence (see what I did there  ) the contracts specified availability of replacement parts for very long life spans - longer in fact than most of the corporations who signed those contracts. They had to decide whether to pre-manufacture spares or be able to reincarnate short-run manufacturing lines at a later date when the companies might not still be in business.

I wonder how they go on for spares for the B52's or do they keep raiding the ones that are out in the desert fot russkie satellites to look at.

 

Jamie

[jonny777]

Bright and breezy here in North Somerset, but not the gales and heavy rain of yesterday. 

 

Recycling and green (garden waste in these parts) bin men have been, but the bangs and scrapings from outside alerted me to the idea that the empty bins were now horizontal and being blown down the street. 

 

Fetched them in sharpish before they became someone else's 'finders keepers' property, although they do have a large house number painted on the front.

 

Everything in the garden seems to have survived the weather onslaught, which is a relief. 

[jamie92208]

Good moaning from a grey, cool and breezy Charente. There is rven some Welsh style sunshine around.  

 

Good to see Pete back with us. Though I would live to be able to strut my stuff with an electric guitar, I don't have any talent in that direction. I understand  GAS but must have had my innoculation.  However  the jab didn't cover kits and books relating to trains.  I recognise the names of the various guitars but the only one I can recognise is the Fender flying arrow, as I heard one being played, quite well I thought, as an 18 yr old watching Wishbone Ash in the back room of a pub in Upminster.

 

I got several jobs done yesterday and even did a little bit of modelling, my mojo has been sighted.  This morning I was off early to do the shopping.  That has been done and a 2nd muggacoffee has been drunk.

 

Regards to all.

 

Jamie

[Dave Hunt]

Another windy and wet day in North Hipposhire. The fall of blossom from the cherry tree in the front garden makes it look as though we've had very localised snow.

 

Off to visit Dad shortly and with luck have a word with the staff to see what the immediate future holds.

 

TTFN

 

Dave