Early Risers.

[Tony_S]

21 minutes ago, Winslow Boy said:

you are looking at an 8 K outlay.

Ours was a bit more than than that, just under 10k but we have 16 panels spread over two roofs (south and west facing)  and 7.2kWh of battery storage. The inverter to cope with the two separate sets of panels was also a bit more expensive.  Also this included pigeon grills . Pigeons have discovered that the space under solar panels is great for the sort of scruffy nests they build. It isn’t good for the panels though. Aditi’s brother has had solar panels for years but has just had pigeon grills fitted after a few pigeon incidents. 
Our inverter and batteries are located in our garage which semi integral to the house. 
Tony

[TheQ]

Hmm rain, lots of it..

Leak in garage / Workshop roof.

Leak above kitchen window.

Leak but tiny in alleyway roof between mobile home and muddling shed.

Possible leak in muddling shed.

The hippo sized pond in the drive way hasn't reappeared, it's more 7 1/4 inch sized gauge sized due to filling in, and there's more filling to be done.

 

A trip to orange shed tomorrow, am reviewing suitable products, should be dry tomorrow afternoon, but might need help of heat gun in places.

 

Ben took me for his long walk, but cut it short because....

By the time we were back it was raining again.

 

Muddling in the muddling room upstairs, decisions have been made. Some ply will be cut shortly.

 

[Winslow Boy]

2 hours ago, Tony_S said:

Ours was a bit more than than that, just under 10k but we have 16 panels spread over two roofs (south and west facing)  and 7.2kWh of battery storage. The inverter to cope with the two separate sets of panels was also a bit more expensive.  Also this included pigeon grills . Pigeons have discovered that the space under solar panels is great for the sort of scruffy nests they build. It isn’t good for the panels though. Aditi’s brother has had solar panels for years but has just had pigeon grills fitted after a few pigeon incidents. 
Our inverter and batteries are located in our garage which semi integral to the house. 
Tony

They are now offering 10 panels and 9.4 KW of batteries for that 8.7 k. The panels are the same size as the ones before but just more efficient. The relatives system has 16 panels on two roofs. He installed a 1000 ltr stainless steel hot water tank in his loft. The inverter heats the water up and then switches over to export the power once it  reaches a set temperature. His batteries are like yours in his garage.

Edited November 16, 2023 by Winslow Boy
Got the figures wrong.

[Dave Hunt]

I’ve just spent a happy two hours fishing dead leaves and other detritus out of our garden pond. In one net full was an unhappy looking frog who glared at me balefully until I freed him from his covering of blanket weed and placed him back in the water. As I was doing so I couldn’t help but think that this small creature with a smooth shiny head and big eyes reminded me of someone. Then it hit me - Pupcam!

 

🤣

 

Dave

Edited November 16, 2023 by Dave Hunt
Previously posted by mistake on TNM

[DaveF]

A very quiet day today, the highlights have been cleaning my razor and cutting my finger nails.

 

The GP rang about 10.40, he thinks I have bad sinusitis which is clearing and now giving cold symptoms.  I have a slight temperature now and then, sneezing, dry cough and feel bunged up but my sinuses are the normal size, my face no longer looks as though it will explode.  In other words an old fashioned cold - I haven't had one for many years.  It may be made worse by the side effects of the medication - mainly the headache.  It is actually quite reassuring.

 

I've also received a text saying the GP who prescribed the medication will ring me on Monday morning to see how I am.

 

The rest of the day has been quietly reading a magazine, eating, drinking tea and coffee.  This afternoon I simply lay down on my bed and dozed until a short while ago.  Now it is time for tea, a bit of TV, a book and an early night.

 

David

[Ian Abel]

BIN day.. those went out very late last evening and were duly "processed" this AM.

 

Yesterday once again punctuated with handling various vendors of services for the rental property!

Tokens spent on replacement window and screen that were damaged, THAT will come out of the security deposit before I finally return the balance to the prior renter.

Contractor finally able to start on the kitchen ceiling repair, then we'll be able to have the new island vent hood installed.

 

Also managed to work some, fitting it in between phone calls and meeting above mentioned vendors at the rental - <phew> way too busy for me.

 

Today, after YET ANOTHER trip to the rental property first thing, I'm hopefully "just working", until it's time for the pre-rehearsal happy hour", then off to choir rehearsal.

 

Another lovely day here, 4c first thing and sunny, high of 17c forecast.

 

Tally ho.

[southern42]

14 hours ago, southern42 said:

 

With the beat box set to 36 beats per minute,* it was "Woah! Slow Down!"  So, I did, to a more controllable 30bpm - and that is still faster than I normally play. Without the ornamental notes the speed is fine, but keeping up with quick speed fingering is a bit of a struggle in quite a few places. And I only tackled the first two lines. At least I know what I will be doing in the morning!

 

* The tutor's set speed on one of the videos.

 

 

Beat box set up to 30bpm and I (wisely, it turns out) tried it out with a couple of exercises, first. It took awhile to adjust to the basic 8 beat backdrop but long enough to have a go at the first line of the song. After a few feeble attempts, I played the tune several times without its twiddly bits to get the feel of it and establish a regular beat.

Eventually, I was able to play Line 1 with the twiddly bits 7 times without stopping which is reassuring as I have 6 lines to work on. Keeping going is not one of those things I find easy, certainly not from memory. Line 2, shall we say, needs a bit of work - without the beat box, in the first instance. There is obviously a few places which I need to sort out where the rhythm/timing may not be quite right or I where I may be trying to rush it. Probably both! Will try again...

 

Chuckinitdarn makinadin on the windows. It suddenly went very dark at 4pm!

 

 

[Coombe Barton]

... I got to use one of my mum’s phrases again: “Just get on with it!” ...

https://johncolby.wordpress.com/2023/11/16/covid-going-down-but-general-respiratory-infections-not-going-down/

[PupCam]

Evening All!

 

21 hours ago, iL Dottore said:

 

By persuading iL Dottore to have pizza and chips by saying "my treat". Poor old @polybear little realised that @iL Dottore would drag him to Salt Bae's Pizza Parlour and Kebab Shop, order The King's Surf and Turf Pizza (Wagyu Beef, Venison, Pheasant & Lobster), snaffle a bowl of truffle fries "for Lucy and Schotty under the table", empty 6 bottles of Pétrus and then cheerfully say "thanks for the pizza" before disappearing into the night with Lucy and Schotty in tow...

 

 

"That was OK, I guess" said @iL Dottore to Lucy and Schotty as they walked home with a bumper sized doggy bag...

 

 

"But it wasn't a patch on our usual place, Pizzeria Anna Rita, where they appreciate our regular custom. We're pretty much family there"

 

 

I can see what you've done in this post Flavio and you are a very naughty boy .... 😉

 

12 hours ago, polybear said:

And apart from that it'll be.....let's see now....oh yes.....Templot Time again.....

I decided/realised that the plan I've been working on was "too much" - loadsa parallel nickel silver but with buggerallroom for much else.  So now I'm on to idea #257......

 

Less is more  ....

 

3 hours ago, Dave Hunt said:

I’ve just spent a happy two hours fishing dead leaves and other detritus out of our garden pond. In one net full was an unhappy looking frog who glared at me balefully until I freed him from his covering of blanket weed and placed him back in the water. As I was doing so I couldn’t help but think that this small creature with a smooth shiny head and big eyes reminded me of someone. Then it hit me - Pupcam!

 

🤣

 

Dave

 

Who's my friend then ..... 🤣

 

ION

 

After a very severe coat of "looking at" which involved fitting the new ignition points and replacing the super accurate DTI (but apparently difficult to read correctly) with a "standard" metric one it appears that not only are the point* gaps now correct but it has been possible (at flaming last!) to set the timing correctly with the adjustment plates somewhere near the centre of their travel.   Flushed with this success I thought I'd attempt to set the dynamic timing reference pointer correctly from its "as-received" position right up one end of the slot. Setting the left hand cylinder to the firing position I noted with some glee that to line up with the reference line on the bit that whizzes around and around** the fixed reference has to be set near enough spot-on in the middle of its slot.  Whoopee do!    So, a job for tomorrow is to get back onto draining the tank, fitting the replacement fuel tap and seeing if it goes.

 

*     Look away, nothing to do with parallel strips of metal here

**   A technical term

 

A small modification is required to the astronomy remote control unit so I fancy a bit of breadboard experimentation could be on the cards for this evening.

 

TTFN

 

 

[TheQ]

Just had an hour battling with more online pension claim forms...

Why do they not say what information you will need to hand at the start of the form?

Instead of having to run round in circles getting that vital bit of info before it times out...

If not found in time you have to log in again and start again...

 

ps looking at  the synthesized picture of Il Dottore with Collie facing same way towards camera. You can tell the photos it generated from that the Collie is looking at it's owner stood alongside the camera not behind it.

[New Haven Neil]

51 minutes ago, PupCam said:

After a very severe coat of "looking at" which involved fitting the new ignition points and replacing the super accurate DTI (but apparently difficult to read correctly) with a "standard" metric one it appears that not only are the point* gaps now correct but it has been possible (at flaming last!) to set the timing correctly with the adjustment plates somewhere near the centre of their travel.   Flushed with this success I thought I'd attempt to set the dynamic timing reference pointer correctly from its "as-received" position right up one end of the slot. Setting the left hand cylinder to the firing position I noted with some glee that to line up with the reference line on the bit that whizzes around and around** the fixed reference has to be set near enough spot-on in the middle of its slot.  Whoopee do!    So, a job for tomorrow is to get back onto draining the tank, fitting the replacement fuel tap and seeing if it goes.

 

Was the woodruff key OK then?  So the error was in the DTI reading?  NHN confused.

[PupCam]

1 minute ago, New Haven Neil said:

 

Was the woodruff key OK then?  So the error was in the DTI reading?  NHN confused.

 

Yes the key was fine as was the key to the points cam.  High-res DTI reading is tricky it would appear (for the incompetent  and embarrassed 🤣).   Puppers is still confused but pleased.

 

 

[PhilJ W]

Afternoon/evening from Estuary-Land. The committee meeting went well this afternoon, but when we left the building about five the heavens had opened and it was persisting down. On the way home (from Leigh-on-Sea) all the roads going the other way to Southend were chocker, I was glad that the roads going in my direction were almost empty. 

[polybear]

54 minutes ago, PupCam said:

Less is more  ....

 

To a degree.....playin' choo choo's being rather good too.....

 

54 minutes ago, PupCam said:

After a very severe coat of "looking at" which involved fitting the new ignition points and replacing the super accurate DTI (but apparently difficult to read correctly) with a "standard" metric one it appears that not only are the point* gaps now correct but it has been possible (at flaming last!) to set the timing correctly with the adjustment plates somewhere near the centre of their travel.   Flushed with this success I thought I'd attempt to set the dynamic timing reference pointer correctly from its "as-received" position right up one end of the slot. Setting the left hand cylinder to the firing position I noted with some glee that to line up with the reference line on the bit that whizzes around and around** the fixed reference has to be set near enough spot-on in the middle of its slot. 

 

Rumour has it that A Certain Bear possesses a Xenon Strobe Light.....

 

Bear here.....

 

Templottin'.........

 

I've also been listening to Vernon Kay's progress on Radio 2 - he's running 115 miles over four days.  Barking - but rather good for a 49 year old radio presenter:

• Day One:  27 miles
• Day Two:  40 miles
• Day Three:  30 miles
• Day Four:  18 miles

He's raised £2.4M so far 👏 - that's ratheralottadeltics (14,201 apparently).  I reckon that deserves Bear's very special cake award of the Month.

 

BG

 

[Hroth]

8 minutes ago, polybear said:

I reckon that deserves Bear's very special cake award of the Month.

 

You'll be eating it for him, I suppose?  🤔

 

[PhilJ W]

Goodnight all.

[BoD]

2 hours ago, PupCam said:

 the reference line on the bit that whizzes around and around**

 

Ah, I’ve met a bit that wizzed around but had a reference hole not line. Before you read what follows, you must understand that I am the most technically inept person you will have ever met but I do have a very logical mind.  I can spot the difference between left and right (it’s binary, you see) but ask me to put my right slipper on the correct foot ….

 

Anyway, a good friend once, many years ago and just once, asked me to help set the timing or some such other technical thing on a car.  He was to do the technical bits and I was to lend an occasional hand where three were needed  but mainly decipher the manual and give instructions.  All went well until just  after we opened the bonnet.  You see, it was a Lada and the instructions were translated from the Russian.

 

We had to find this wheel thing that whizzed round, find a hole in it and then push a screwdriver through the  hole to align it at the top.  It didn’t say at the top of what or what type of screwdriver to use but we managed.
 

Then came the interesting bit.  

 

We had to set the gap to miximum.  Yep, miximum,  that’s what the manual said.  Now, all those clever technical people among you will say, “ah yes, should say maximum”  but then me being logical says “but, equally it could read minimum”.  So we ‘’ad a a cup of tea” and got it wrong.

 

For those who say well that’s his fault for buying a Lada, it was his dad’s car. His was a 2CV6
 

 

Edited November 16, 2023 by BoD

[woodenhead]

Had a trip to London yesterday, out on the 05:55 from Manchester, back on the 19:13 out of Euston.

 

Good that most people don't use Real Time trains and you can get to the right platform for your train home before the horde.  It didn't feel like it used to whilst commuting about the capital - the underground trains were a little less heaving and less people wandering Euston Road.

 

Only the second time down there since 2019, used to be almost monthly, I really don't miss it either and there is no fun sitting on a train these days.  Was absolutely shattered as well when I finally got home, to be up bright and early for work today.

 

At least I didn't have to stay in a hotel....

[BoD]

12 minutes ago, woodenhead said:

there is no fun sitting on a train these days

Agreed. If you do manage to get a seat that doesn’t involve a degree in contortionism and a broken neck  to  look  out  of a window all you get to see is overgrown shrubbery.

[woodenhead]

1 minute ago, BoD said:

Agreed. If you do manage to get a seat that doesn’t involve a degree in contortionism and a broken neck  to  look  out  of a window all you get to see is overgrown shrubbery.

I used Coach C which is has no reservations to pick my seat- on the way home though the whole coach lacked power to tables and the buffet could not do hot drinks so we were all saving energy with our phones.  Dark out, dark back so couldn't even take a look at Crewe on the way down and absolutely nothing to look at on the way home.

 

It's the whole drag yourself out of bed at 4:30 and get home at 10pm - I don't miss it, not one bit, so glad I continue to work from home though things may have to change in a couple of years or so but I may be able to do more things on my own terms then too.

[monkeysarefun]

3 hours ago, TheQ said:

Why do they not say what information you will need to hand at the start of the form?

Instead of having to run round in circles getting that vital bit of info before it times out...

 

 

 

I'd assume illogical stuff like that will all get sorted out  now that  yous  have got a Minister Of Commonsense but. 

Edited November 17, 2023 by monkeysarefun

[BSW01]

Goodnight all 

[BR60103]

This was dental morning.

One tooth had a corner pillar come off. 40 years worth of filling came out, a bit of decay tackled, then all filled in again and filed flat. Another tooth near it with a bit of decay. (for the technically minded, teeth 26 and 24)

In at 10:30, home about 12:30. Delayed lunch as the freezing had taken much of the dexterity out of my lips.

Major job of the day was vacuuming lint out of the clothes dryer. There had been a hot smell at one point.

SWMBO found a book about railroads for me. So far it seems to be about financial shenanigans by the robber barons. 

 

Story from about 50 years ago.  There was a book written called The National Dream about building the Canadian Pacific. This was made into a TV series.  The first bunch of episodes were all parliamentary/boardroom wrangling. My boss's 4-year-old son asked him, "Why do yo call this the Railway Show, daddy?"

 

[polybear]

9 hours ago, Hroth said:

 

You'll be eating it for him, I suppose?  🤔

 

 

Support Team..........

 

Bear here....

 

First fun of the day is......doin' the washing.  Bear's cup runneth over......

 

And then?  Yup, Templottin' again.

Now if anyone has any plans for an interesting, play choo choos layout that'll fit around the edges (600mm wide boards; corners can be a bit wider, but nottalot cos' it screws up the access to drawers/cupboards beneath) of a 13ft by 11ft room then Bear is all ears.  Oh yes, and 750mm minimum radius.

 

ION.....

It seems that VK's total is now £2.9M.  Not too shabby at all.

 

And finally....

Just remembered that I've also got a WooFloo test* to do - the ONS have restarted their testing programme again; unfortunately it's now a Voucher-Free zone, so no free Deltics** for this Bear 😢

 

(*The tests posted out are now of the "up yer snoogle" variant only - which is a right result - those that also required a "down yer gob" sample are a lot less fun)

 

(**Not that there ever was - the likes of JL & B & Q don't seem to stock such things, sadly)

 

Right, time to get the little furry ar5e wigglin'.....

 

BG

Edited November 17, 2023 by polybear

[jamie92208]

3 hours ago, BR60103 said:

 

SWMBO found a book about railroads for me. So far it seems to be about financial shenanigans by the robber barons. 

 

Story from about 50 years ago.  There was a book written called The National Dream about building the Canadian Pacific. This was made into a TV series.  The first bunch of episodes were all parliamentary/boardroom wrangling. My boss's 4-year-old son asked him, "Why do yo call this the Railway Show, daddy?"

 

I've got a copy of that book.  Bought it in Toronto in 1978 on my first ever  trip across the pond.  Well written.  My slides from that holidays start my American Railroads thread off. I still have cousins in the Toronto area. Both in their mid to late 80's.  

 

Anyway it's not raining here so it must be about to start.  Slightly aching shoulders today after taking two trailer loads of damp garden rubbish to the tip, at least two more to go.  That's Saturday morning sorted. 

 

However today is a day out days as it's a meet g of  the unmentionables group for a good lunch and a natter.  Sounds like a  plan.  We had high winds here yesterday. And a telephone pole nearby snapped and is now diagonally across  one of the side roads.  We are awaiting action from Orange.  Strangely the wires haven't snapped despite the weight. 

 

Regards to all

 

Jamie