Early Risers.

[Tony_S]

1 hour ago, polybear said:

 

It's an Atten ST-80 80W Soldering Station (which is rather good, incidentally).

I agree, that is what I bought to replace my Maplin solder station. 

[Tony_S]

28 minutes ago, AndyID said:

can but a complete ST-80 station here on the bay for under $15.

I got mine last year for £89 but they seem more expensive now, especially on eBay here! The usual electronic component suppliers have them cheaper than ebay traders at the moment. Amazon haven’t got any!

[BSW01]

Good evening everyone 

 

Well the weather never really changed until we were sat eating tea, when it began to rain!

 

Apart from this morning’s shopping trip, I’ve not done a great deal today. Once the shadow been put away, I made myself a muggatea and decamped to the dining room and read some more of the book I’m currently reading. 

 

After dinner  got the last dozen apples from the cellar and cooked them. I made a small apple crumble for to nights tea and potted up rest, 3 pots went into the freezer once they’d cooled down enough. 

[BSW01]

Goodnight all 

[AndyID]

11 minutes ago, Tony_S said:

I got mine last year for £89 but they seem more expensive now, especially on eBay here! The usual electronic component suppliers have them cheaper than ebay traders at the moment. Amazon haven’t got any!

 

I though I might as well buy one for that price so I went on the bay to buy one. Turns out it's NOT a complete unit. That's the price for some of the spare parts 😈

(and that site doesn't even have a complete unit).

[southern42]

' night all and nos da.

[AndyID]

37 minutes ago, Tony_S said:

I got mine last year for £89 but they seem more expensive now, especially on eBay here! The usual electronic component suppliers have them cheaper than ebay traders at the moment. Amazon haven’t got any!

 

The same product is available here under several different labels (Weller seems to be selling a similar 70W version). They are all around $120 at the moment.

 

 

Edited March 21, 2023 by AndyID
Correction

[monkeysarefun]

Amazon Australia has the Atten ST-80 80W Soldering Station for $168.80AUD (91 pounds, 113USD) with free Prime delivery.

[iL Dottore]

14 hours ago, Winslow Boy said:

 

Better that then down the treacle mine or the Eccles cake plantation up on the moors.

 

11 hours ago, polybear said:

 

Oh, I dunno.....no killer snakes/spiders/crocs/sharks/plants....

They can be arranged…..

[iL Dottore]

9 hours ago, polybear said:

I wonder where the UK is?  Should Bear be worried?

Possibly. https://www.imperial.ac.uk/news/231119/life-expectancy-declining-many-english-communities/

 

It would seem that, as a species, human life expectancy has not changed; what has changed is the number of people surviving to an older age – which, of course affects the average life expectancy. I remember reading, in a book about the history of London, that in certain parts of the East End in the 1830s to 1850s, the average life expectancy was around 35 years. This was driven primarily by the appalling infant mortality, but also by the high mortality rate in certain jobs as well as non-directly fatal conditions that contributed to an early death (such as the terribly disfiguring and ultimately fatal “phossy jaw“ suffered by the women working in factories making white phosphorus matches).

 

150 years of age seems to be the (currently theoretical) upper limit of life expectancy for a human (at least at the moment) https://www.theguardian.com/science/2021/jun/01/150-years-old-how-the-quest-for-eternal-life-found-its-natural-limit. And whilst many of my fellow ERs may be contentedly and blissfully contemplating being retired for a lot, lot longer than they ever worked in gainful employment, chances are that by the time a sufficient number of people are living to 150 years to make it not an unusual event the governments of the day will have changed the retirement age from 67 to something like 130.

 

Mind you, by the time most of the population start living to that sort of age, there will be no jobs for any but the very rich, as nearly every single job will be filled by a robot or android with AI (who can work 24/7 without complaint and doing a perfect job every single moment of the day and who do exactly what they are told to do). Thus condemning the majority of the population to live on whatever the government of the day hands out, living in a cyberpunk dystopia

[zarniwhoop]

39 minutes ago, iL Dottore said:

 

They can be arranged…..

Are doctors always so kind ?  🙊

[iL Dottore]

19 minutes ago, zarniwhoop said:

Are doctors always so kind ?  🙊

If it doesn’t hurt then it’s not treatment

[jamie92208]

Good moaning. Can someone please tell me where the Eccles Cake mine is, I want to buy it.

Anyway the world has got light again and breakfast will be consumed soon. We are off out to visit friends this morning, one of whom is going to give us lunch. When we get home it will be time to clean. The chickens out.

 

Jamie

 

Edited March 21, 2023 by jamie92208

[jjb1970]

On things like DIN switching units I'd recommend looking at professional music stores online. Not only are they much more likely to sell such gear than hifi shops, they tend to be better value (perhaps counter-intuitively, pro gear made for studio, recording and performance use is often cheaper than consumer audio gear). There's a company called Behringer that make a huge range of stuff at value for money prices, it may not be the best gear but it generally works and for something like a switching unit that's all that matters.

[AndyID]

59 minutes ago, iL Dottore said:

android with AI (who can work 24/7 without complaint and doing a perfect job every single moment of the day and who do exactly what they are told to do).

 

Don't count on it. It's quite easy to accidentally (or deliberately) create "runaway code" in any AI system. When it gets to the point that AI systems have the ability to reproduce without human intervention it becomes a case of survival of the fittest. Typically code is very rigid and does not allow any deviation from the plan without crashing but AI effectively allows the code to write its own rules.

 

There actually are examples of AI systems that went completely off the rails and developed obsessive interests in humans.

 

We really don't know how the human mind works but we are building AI models based on our limited, and potentially extremely flawed, understanding. It's certainly going to be interesting although I'm pretty sure I'll not be around to see much of it.

 

(I've sometimes wondered if I had not pointed out to Intel how they screwed-up the 8080 would that have changed the course of history? I really did, but who had even heard of Intel then?)

[AndyID]

46 minutes ago, jjb1970 said:

On things like DIN switching units I'd recommend looking at professional music stores online. Not only are they much more likely to sell such gear than hifi shops, they tend to be better value (perhaps counter-intuitively, pro gear made for studio, recording and performance use is often cheaper than consumer audio gear). There's a company called Behringer that make a huge range of stuff at value for money prices, it may not be the best gear but it generally works and for something like a switching unit that's all that matters.

 

Alas, it ain't switching audio where the currents involved might be as much as a few milliamps. Br'er Bear's switch unit has to be able to handle a honkin' great (apologies for the technical term) 3+ amperes without welding the switch contacts. There's a clue in the fact that it's an 80 watt wielder 😁

 

EDIT: Considering how dependent we all are on electricity I am extremely alarmed by how much its basic understanding seems to have turned into a "specialist subject" both here and in the UK. My rant is not directed in anyone in particular. Just another old geezer venting. One of the benefits of old age 🙂

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited March 21, 2023 by AndyID
More info

[polybear]

8 hours ago, Tony_S said:

I got mine last year for £89 but they seem more expensive now, especially on eBay here! The usual electronic component suppliers have them cheaper than ebay traders at the moment. Amazon haven’t got any!

 

£89 for the Bear too, from The Big River; the cheapest appears to be £103 now.

I also have a Maplin jobbie which works fine but has very limited choice when it comes to larger replacement bits (i.e. there's buggerall available) so that prompted a new acquisition; the Atten has an excellent range of shapes n' sizes of bit and at sensible prices too (some of the bits for Weller Irons cost fugginextortionateprices).

Actually I have numerous irons (= spares for the spares....) scattered about, including Weller, but the Atten is by far the best; I need to off-load some of them really - Weller seem to sell rather well on the 'bay last time I looked.

 

8 hours ago, AndyID said:

I though I might as well buy one for that price so I went on the bay to buy one. Turns out it's NOT a complete unit. That's the price for some of the spare parts 😈

(and that site doesn't even have a complete unit).

 

Common trick on the 'bay, that one - you think it's a soldering iron for a fiver until you discover that's the price for a replacement bit.  The sellers do it so they are up at the top of the list when you select "cheapest items first".  B'sterds.

The problem with buying a complete spare would mean yet another large-ish item cluttering up the already busy workbench - plus a hundred quid gone.  Both no-no's in Bear's book.

 

2 hours ago, iL Dottore said:

Possibly. https://www.imperial.ac.uk/news/231119/life-expectancy-declining-many-english-communities/

 

 

That has some interesting snippets in - like a 95 year age expectancy for Kensington & Chelsea and Camden, both of which are well within the latest intended ULEZ extension zone.  It also mentions this:

 

"Communities with the highest life expectancies were often based in London and the surrounding home counties."

 

Bear here.....

Nottabadnight, so a bit more "sizing" of walls is planned for this morning; this time it's the turn of the last wall - which just happens to be the Big Scary One, complete with a 4m drop at one point.  Hopefully I'll not be checking that detail on the way down.....

On the subject of Tax, Bear got the latest Council Tax Bill yesterday - NINE Deltics (£1500) 🤬FFS.

Out of the goodness of their hearts they've given Bear a 25% discount, saving 3 Deltics (£500);  however since there are houses in the street with five (possibly more) occupants without the discount I can't help but feel I'm bein' shafted somehow,  Yes, most definitely a Rant.

 

(It seems that whilst the full price for Bear Towers would be £2K, the poor impoverished occupants of Westminster pay a mere £866 a year, with Kensington & Chelsea pay £1382....go figure......)

 

Bear gone

 

 

Edited March 21, 2023 by polybear

[grandadbob]

Good morning all,

Dull and dismal start and there was some rain earlier with more to come.  Chance of some bright spells followed by more  scattered showers and it will be mild and breezy.  9°C rising to 15°C.

The Boss is feeling a bit better this morning and so is The Back.  Things are looking up so a short walk to get some bread should be within my powers after breakfast.

One parcel due today, a small case containing 6 bottles of very nice wine from Laithwaites.

Steve has just reported that they are about to board train number 3 of 4 , this one from Turin to Florence where they will change for Assisi.

"Yes dear, I am gettingamoveon."  Not really but it'll keep her quiet for a few minutes!  😉

Have a good one,

Bob.

 

[grandadbob]

Just seen Bear's comment about Council Tax. Last year we paid 13.882 Deltics.  (£2360)   This year although I haven't got the bill yet I believe we will be expected to pay about 14.7 Deltics  (£2500). * That is also most definitely a rant.  😠🤬

 

* For a 3 bedroom semi!!!

Edited March 21, 2023 by grandadbob

[45156]

Morning All,

 

Just a quick check in before the power goes off for up to three hours, as Shell s having a third attempt to change the non functining not so smart meters - as usual all they can give is a four hour arrival slot - you'd think that having screwed up twice before, they could be a little more accurate - but no - 8 til12 is all they can offer.  I asked them to ensure that we were first call, but they couldn't even guarantee that.

 

Just got our council tax bill, and feel a little bit smug, compared to GDB and bear, ours is pretty low at just over £1300 with full adult occupancy - but then our house is in band B - which is surprising, as it is just about the same size as our previous place - possibly a little smaller - and our old house was in band C.

 

Not a lot more to report from this quarter today, will call back later once the meter people have done their thing.

 

Regards to All

Stewart

Edited March 21, 2023 by 45156

[grandadbob]

@45156We're in Band E Stewart.

[TheQ]

Mooring Awl,

4hours sleep long awake, whole episode of grand designs watched, 2 hours sleep.

 

My brother is going into a hospice today...

 

Ben the I want out Collie appeared, ground squelchy, reasonable temperature, everything's growing too fast. He did a double patrol of the garden..

 

Just had a Phone call, my brother died during the night...

 

[iL Dottore]

4 minutes ago, TheQ said:

Mooring Awl,

4hours sleep long awake, whole episode of grand designs watched, 2 hours sleep.

 

My brother is going into a hospice today...

 

Ben the I want out Collie appeared, ground squelchy, reasonable temperature, everything's growing too fast. He did a double patrol of the garden..

 

Just had a Phone call, my brother died during the night...

 

I am so sorry to hear this! My heartfelt condolences to you and your family

F

[grandadbob]

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.  😂

[grandadbob]

@TheQ  So very sorry to hear your sad news Q.