Early Risers.

[jjb1970]

My condolences to the Q, and my wishes for all his family to find peace after this sad loss. 

[jjb1970]

13 hours ago, grandadbob said:

Just heard from Steve, he's in Business Silenzio on this: 

 

https://www.seat61.com/trains-and-routes/frecciarossa.htm

 

They've just clocked 280kph and it's quite smooth.  Apparently Eurostar was the bumpiest and TGV smoothest so far.  Their last train is a regional service between Florence and Assisi but horror of horrors they will have to slum it it on that one, only one class of service!  I feel their pain.  😂

 

I always found the original Eurostar trains gave a very smooth ride, but the new Velaro trains are awful. They have a very unsettled and fidgety ride with harsh yay control. They are very much like the Class 350's on the WCML which had an awful ride quality with harsh yaw control.

[monkeysarefun]

2 hours ago, Ozexpatriate said:

Today I am finding that the Connatix pop-up video player (showing a Rapido Hunslet over and over) no longer presents a click-to-close button. this is truly obnoxious.

Ah, so THATS whats trying to pop-up  on my phone - it locks up the Google browser on my phone when it tries to pop up, it appears as a blank rectangle which freezes everything for about 10 seconds then get the Close/wait popup which also doesnt react when I press it for about another 5 seconds before google crashes. I really hate that  video pop-up  and will NEVER buy a Connatix due to this, whatever it might be ( I dont know cos I've never got to see the ad!)

[Tony_S]

5 hours ago, PhilJ W said:

Afternoon all from Estuary-Land. Just had a verbal statement as to having solar panels fitted to the house, £10-11,000, ouch! I think not as I doubt I will be living in this house long enough to benefit from it. Now off to Tess Coes for some shopping.

Essex County Council have just finished another round of the Solar Together scheme which offered substantial savings. We joined in last years scheme. Just under £10000 for south and west facing roof panels, hybrid inverter and 7.2kWh of battery storage. Not forgetting the pigeon proofing  either!

[Tony_S]

2 minutes ago, monkeysarefun said:

really hate that  video pop-up  and will NEVER buy a Connatix due to this, whatever it might be ( I dont know cos I've never got to see the ad!)

I don’t see any ads on RMweb but on other sites if an ad doesn’t let me close it, I too won’t buy anything from the advertiser. 

[PhilJ W]

Evening all from Estuary-Land.

2 hours ago, monkeysarefun said:

 

What size system is that? Here the price range is usually $800 to $1200 per KW so a 6.6KW system should cost between $5280 and $7920.

 

Given Deltics arent of interest to anyone down  here given we have  awesome locos in prettier colours  I'm going to use the Big Mac index, which is based on the theory that a Big MAc should reflect local costs in each country and therefore be able to be used to indicate relative  buying power to convert it from Australian Big Macs into UK ones.

 

This gives the UK equivalent of 412 pounds to 619 pounds per kw, with a 6.6KW system therefore costing the equivalent of 2724 pounds to 4087 pounds.

 

HMM, either you were quoted on a large system or one with battery storage,  or the Big Mac maths conversion theory   is wrong or things in the UK do cost shedloads, yet the perceived wisdom of visitors is  apparently "Australia is so expensive!" so probably its my maths. 

 

Anyway, there would probably be some kind of solar rebate scheme there like many other countries have? Check that out, here depending on your income you are eligible for a rebate of up to 50% of the cost up to $2500 ( 1290 Big Mac pounds) and a 3 year interest free loan to cover the rest. Your government would have to have  something similar I reckon.

The price of the solar panels includes installation and surveying the roof. Installation requires the use of scaffolding (not cheap) and I opted for battery storage. There is enough room on the roof for eight panels of 400 watts each giving 3.2 KW . backed up with a 4.2 kWh battery that can also be topped up at off peak rates. They have estimated that I will have an excess of energy over my usage, 

The system we have designed for you will generate ~ 3110.4 kWh per annum.

Assuming you use 67% of the energy generated, in the first year alone you will save £729.39 on electricity and make £56.45 from exporting energy

[Barry O]

16 minutes ago, PhilJ W said:

Evening all from Estuary-Land.

The price of the solar panels includes installation and surveying the roof. Installation requires the use of scaffolding (not cheap) and I opted for battery storage. There is enough room on the roof for eight panels of 400 watts each giving 3.2 KW . backed up with a 4.2 kWh battery that can also be topped up at off peak rates. They have estimated that I will have an excess of energy over my usage, 

The system we have designed for you will generate ~ 3110.4 kWh per annum.

Assuming you use 67% of the energy generated, in the first year alone you will save £729.39 on electricity and make £56.45 from exporting energy

We await our survey but 9 panels plus batteries will be less than £2k!

 

Baz

[Barry O]

Many condolences @The Q.

 

Baz

[PeterBB]

2 minutes ago, Barry O said:

We await our survey but 9 panels plus batteries will be less than £2k!

 

Baz

We obviously live in the 'wrong' area for that sort of price.  Scaffolding added quite a bit to ours but boy are they efficient!

[Barry O]

Ey up!

 

Walkabout it's coming to an end..pah!

 

This means I need to order some medication... local surgery has stuffed their on line service... and are closed for training for tomorrow.. probably explaining how to not crew the Marie celeste.

 

I can see a face to face discussion coming on on my return from walkabout

 

Baz

[monkeysarefun]

38 minutes ago, PhilJ W said:

Evening all from Estuary-Land.

The price of the solar panels includes installation and surveying the roof. Installation requires the use of scaffolding (not cheap) and I opted for battery storage. There is enough room on the roof for eight panels of 400 watts each giving 3.2 KW . backed up with a 4.2 kWh battery that can also be topped up at off peak rates. They have estimated that I will have an excess of energy over my usage, 

The system we have designed for you will generate ~ 3110.4 kWh per annum.

Assuming you use 67% of the energy generated, in the first year alone you will save £729.39 on electricity and make £56.45 from exporting energy

 

 

That does sound "a little bit expensive", I've been looking into battery storage lately so have got some figures for here.  a 4.5 KWH battery is around $2800 installed , while a 3.2KW system installed will be $3830 fully installed, making $6630 all up. Thats  3,619GBP using straight conversion ( 3425GBP using the Big Mac conversion index). If my income was lower ( ie was retired)  the government would pay up to $2,500 of that, making cost to me as low as  $4130 (2250GBP)

 

Gotta say the per annum generation figure seems fantastic. Here for instance they quote the above system will provide 3979KWH per year, and that's using  Sydney's av  sunshine figures  of 2,628 hours per annum. The figures I found for UK cities quote 1,400 hours per year average..

 

(I had scaffolding erected for 2 days when they were replacing the roof on my back deck which is double story the year before last. Price of scaffold install, hire and removal was just  under $500...) 

Edited March 21, 2023 by monkeysarefun

[TheQ]

Evening Awl,

One ambulance, Three cats and a deer to avoid tonight. All on the trip home..

 

Of prescriptions an elderly gentleman was two ahead of me in the queue today, he'd come down from Boots because they said they hadn't received the requests.

 Our surgery said they had sent them, go back to Boots... One very unhappy gentleman...

Because we live in a different area we collect ours direct from the surgery, mine had been processed, SWMBO's hadn't.. long wait.... I'd put them in together...

 

I've not had a proper estimate, but chatting to a solar panel exhibitor at a show. We have a clay tile roof, they like to break, the roof is very non standard, well 117 years ago there weren't any standards that had to be obeyed, the house is higher than modern with 8 ft 6 inch ceilings, and thicker than normal floor upstairs. then finally the scaffolding would have to reach over a conservatory . The panel man said ummmm..,.

 

MRC, I was playing with scalpel blades in their wrappers. Why?

Because they have the same area and floor shape as some Nissen huts i have....

I'll need six more or some SECO huts. Oh and a flag pole..

 Not happy with Shaky paws painting littles items again.

 

Twas a bit breezy on the way back, but a squall has just gone through, now very breezy out there.

 

 

 

[Tony_S]

36 minutes ago, Barry O said:

We await our survey but 9 panels plus batteries will be less than £2k!

 

One battery like the ones already fitted to my system is about £1000. A hybrid (needed for battery) inverter for about 9 panels is well over £1000. That isn’t an installed price, just supplied.  The bird proofing for 16 panels was £550. It will be very interesting to discover what the under £2k system comprised.  

[Tony_S]

34 minutes ago, TheQ said:

clay tile roof,

Chatting to our surveyor I gathered that clay tile or slate roofs incur a surcharge over “standard fitting”. As well as the weight of the panels there is another calculation for wind loading to make sure the roof wont be ripped off in a gale. Our roof and tiles were fine,  no problems. My biggest problem was tidying the loft, they needed access to install the dc wiring that came from the panels to the loft beams. We had 30 years of  “it may come in useful one day” stuff up there. 

[Tony_S]

45 minutes ago, monkeysarefun said:

3979KWH per year,

We produced 6400kwh in 2022, the only whole year figure we have so far. Essex is of course known for its glorious sunshine and clarity of skies. 

[PhilJ W]

Going to Tess Coes this afternoon I was stuck behind a couple of cars. The first car the driver did not seem able to keep up a consistent speed and the second car was too close and was constantly braking. As we approached some traffic lights I saw them change to amber so I slowed down preparing to stop. Although he could have easily stopped the first car jumped the red light. Behind me was an unmarked police car that then shot past blues and two's going. They'd pulled the culprit over and an officer was talking to the driver.

[PhilJ W]

Goodnight all.

[BSW01]

Good evening everyone 

 

Well I spent most of the day in the garden, although I also managed a little time in the workshop as well, when I needed to shelter from the rain. By the end of the day I’d done a lot more weeding and I’d also made a copy of an oil reservoir for one of the Sherman tank’s suspension units, as I seem to have lost one. A start has also been made on a gearbox for the turret operating mechanism. It started to rain, just after we’d finished eating tea and continued to do so for most of the night, it finally stopped around 10 o’clock. 

[BSW01]

Goodnight all 

[monkeysarefun]

1 hour ago, Tony_S said:

We produced 6400kwh in 2022, the only whole year figure we have so far. Essex is of course known for its glorious sunshine and clarity of skies. 

Well you did have that one hot day......

Edited March 22, 2023 by monkeysarefun

[Tony_S]

1 hour ago, monkeysarefun said:

Well you did have that one hot day......

We didn’t know before we had the panels installed but apparently on hot days the panels are less efficient. A few hours of sunshine on a cold winters day does wonders for our battery charging. Anything in December, January or February here is something of a bonus. 

[AndyID]

1 hour ago, Tony_S said:

We didn’t know before we had the panels installed but apparently on hot days the panels are less efficient. A few hours of sunshine on a cold winters day does wonders for our battery charging. Anything in December, January or February here is something of a bonus. 

 

Yes, the output voltage varies with the inverse of the temperature which does seem counterintuitive. The voltage is actually a very accurate way to measure temperature.

 

We have not invested in solar. Electric energy is not very expensive here which makes solar difficult to justify. Our electric utility company (it's actually a cooperative) does offer the option of buying panels at their solar farm but the last time I looked it didn't seem like a great investment - mainly because of our antiquity 😄

[jamie92208]

Good moaning from the Charente.

Hens mucked out

Car partially packed

Some shutters shut.

All now set up for our trip to see granddaughter and other assorted pe5sonages some more dubious than others. Beth is off to bowling this after l have peace and quiet to finish things off. Then off to Orleans tonight with a meal on the autoroute somewhere.  

Ttfn

 

Jamie

Edited March 22, 2023 by jamie92208

[BoD]

Ooh. We are back.
It’s been a while since something like that happened.

 

 

I think Jamie needs to get his return key unstuck.

[grandadbob]

Good morning all,

Glad to see we're now up and  running again.

Wet and windy earlier here but it's dry at the moment and there is a faint hint of brightness through the clouds.  Sunny spells possible this afternoon and it will remain windy throughout.  13°C and probably won't rise much above that.

 

14 hours ago, Gwiwer said:

Sounds as though he might be the same one who delivers the occasional Laithwaite's case here.  Always barrowed from van to door but always the offer to place it inside the hall.  

I think he must be a different bloke Rick, my guy is a biggish chap and doesn't use a barrow and just carries the case in from the van.

 

The Back and Hip are behaving and another walk around the block was managed and I picked up eggs and milk from Asda en route.  Hopefully I will be OK for my London trip tomorrow.

The ceasefire is holding at the moment although no agreement has been reached on where we will spend a few days away in June.  I want to go to Cornwall or up north somewhere so I can at least use the car a bit as it spends most of its life sitting on the drive...she doesn't.  😬

Time for a muggatea.

Have a good one,

Bob.

Edited March 22, 2023 by grandadbob