Early Risers.

[Ohmisterporter]

I've ticked thank yous but I'm very grateful for the small bulb assistance.

I'd looked myself but didn't really know for what I was looking!

ERs is the first port of call for such information.

 

Can I just add that in my opinion it is worth paying a few quid more for a "name" that you trust when buying light bulbs. Cheap lamps are available from China but there have been several negative reviews of them available on t'internet, such as this one.

 

http://luxreview.com/article/2015/02/cheap-leds-buyer-beware

Edited January 26, 2017 by Ohmisterporter

[cravensdmufan]

 

Haggis neeps and tatties last night for Burns' supper, finished off with a nip or two of Lagavulin and a nod to Jock. I reckon that Lagavulin is the best malt for the price - it's around £50 now so not inexpensive. Prices for some malts are crazy. I bought a Snow Phoenix when released but daren't open the thing!

Travelled up to Edinburgh Waverley yesterday and raised a glass to the Bard of Ayrshire in the comfort of The North British Hotel (as I still prefer to call it!).

 

Haggis neeps and tatties for us this evening though.  A day late, but couldn't resist a half price "beastie" in Sainsburys!

[Ian Abel]

Morning

 

Nothing to report from yesterday <yawn> very pedestrian here

 

-3 fetching the paper, which is NOW for the third day in the appropriate place, explaining that the cockwomble who delivers it needs a remind of where a FRONT DOOR is, apparently did the trick, for now 

 

-3 and sunny with a wind chill of -12, slightly more like Minnesota, but sadly expected to get warmer over the next few days again. High -2 and clouding over later.

 

Enjoy the day.

Edited January 26, 2017 by Ian Abel

[lightengine]

Had haggis last night and a large single malt after ....mmmm went down well.

 

Couple of years ago working with some learning dis students we cooked a haggis as one of them had Scots ancestry. We shared the rest out as a sample to each. It had taken longer to cook than their main meal so we served it just after. One lad, on receiving his plate obviously thought the timing meant it was dessert and put his yoghurt dessert on it. Despite my assurance that he could throw it away and have another portion of haggis and another yoghurt, he just got stuck in and demolished it.

[AndyID]

A surreal arthouse film, surely? A dark figure up an electricity pole, wearing a full-face helmet and silhouetted against a darkening sky as he struggles to grip a wet cable?

 

I was thinking more along the lines of a Giles cartoon.

[Donw]

We have a rather nice Tiffany lamp.

I'm trying to find a replacement bulb - preferably LED.

Do any of out Electrickery experts know :

a) If this size are made in LEDs?

b) Where I can get one?

c) What this size of bayonet fitting is called?

(It's the one on the left).

Thank you for any assistance.

(The shape is important too).

 

IMG_6118.JPG

 

This might be what you want https://www.ledhut.co.uk/led-bulbs/b15-small-bayonet-cap.html

 

I am assuming Golf ball shape. I have had good service from this company

 

Don

[New Haven Neil]

I cold.

 

The bikers cortege for the funeral went well, a good turnout considering it is downright freezing!  2c in Ramsey at the church, then n the way to the crem the road at 1500 feet asl in the fog it was a LOT colder, there was frost forming along the top edge of the flyscreen on the bike!  We then continued to do the rest of a 'TT Lap' in memoriam of Derek Midwood, RIP.

 

I suppose the air temp was about -2 or -3 up there, but the wind is howling, plus riding at speed left us pretty chilly.  The heated handlebar grips have been a BMW speciality for years, although other makes offer them now.  Very effective, makes a big difference being able to actually use the front brake......as opposed to frozen stiff fingers not doing as they are bid.

 

I now have an image of family stationmaster trying to programme cats on a programming track tray.....similar to herding cats one assumes.

[Horsetan]

....heated handlebar grips have been a BMW speciality for years,..........as opposed to frozen stiff fingers not doing as they are bid.

 

I see quite a lot of the delivery riders around here have fitted those huge "handlebar mitts" to their mopeds / scooters, and I remember seeing them regularly fitted during the 1980s era of the courier motorbike in London. I suppose they must be better than nothing, but do they work?

[AndyID]

When we were in California I moved a couple retirement savings accounts on the advice of a financial advisor who actually did all the work to effect the transfers (it can be a bit of a PITA). I was attempting to manage some other investments myself until I realized it was a bit too much like hard work, so I gradually moved a lot more over to the financial advisor guy.

 

I'm glad I did because he saved us a lot of heartache during the meltdown in 2008. He schedules meetings (by phone these days) every three months where we review the performance of the various investments and yesterday we looked back over 2016. The overall performance of my account for the year was 9.8%. Lorna has a smaller account that is a bit less diversified and it returned almost 14%.

 

Bear is mind that these are all very low-risk, highly diversified investments. Our objective is mainly capital preservation, reasonable liquidity and staying a bit ahead of inflation. Certainly beats anything I can get from a bank!

 

PM me should you be interested in more info. Usual disclaimers of course.

[New Haven Neil]

I see quite a lot of the delivery riders around here have fitted those huge "handlebar mitts" to their mopeds / scooters, and I remember seeing them regularly fitted during the 1980s era of the courier motorbike in London. I suppose they must be better than nothing, but do they work?

 

Yes, they do, but you have to be familiar with the layout of the controls thus hidden!  Called handlebar muffs usually, they break the wind chill of course so are the choice of real winter riders.  Combined with heated grips they make a huge difference, and even without are a 'good thing'.  I used a set years ago when I had a 14 mile commute each way to work, before we had a car.

[New Haven Neil]

Is it me, or are the lights about to go out over on your island? (we have our own, thanks)

 

[Horsetan]

Is it me, or are the lights about to go out over on your island? (we have our own, thanks)

 

grid 1756hrs 25 1 17.PNG

 

It's probably caused by the dodgy wiring in "BlackRat"'s house.

Edited January 26, 2017 by Horsetan

[jamie92208]

Yes, they do, but you have to be familiar with the layout of the controls thus hidden!  Called handlebar muffs usually, they break the wind chill of course so are the choice of real winter riders.  Combined with heated grips they make a huge difference, and even without are a 'good thing'.  I used a set years ago when I had a 14 mile commute each way to work, before we had a car.

Many years ago I had a hilly 7 mile journey to work and used a Honda 70. We were looked down on by the 'proper' bikers where I worked but the 4 or 5 of us with step through's rode them in all weathers whereas the bikers used the car if there was any rain or snow. The only way I managed to keep my hands warm was a pair of damart inner gloves, my polic gloves over them then a pair of Union Pacific mittens that I'd been given. These had a waterproof vinyl skin on the upper side. This was completely wind and waterproof. and kept my hands warm.

 

Jamie

[Horsetan]

.... Union Pacific mittens that I'd been given. These had a waterproof vinyl skin on the upper side. This was completely wind and waterproof. and kept my hands warm.....

 

The Americans certainly know how to build a pair of mitts - you should see the ones they sell for snowmobiling nowadays; they practically reach all the way to the elbow.

[Donw]

Is it me, or are the lights about to go out over on your island? (we have our own, thanks)

 

grid 1756hrs 25 1 17.PNG. 

 

If we all switch to LED bulbs we should have enough to keep the lights going   When we had the electricity problems in the 70s the factory was restricted to minimal usage three days a week. My duties involved prouct testing including three kilowatt and 6 kilowatt heater I had one of each on extended life trails. Spent a lot of time in the test shed on the low electric days. I do wonder that as we are supplied via overhead lines whether to acquire a generator enough for a few lights the gas boiler and possibly a 2kw Kettle.

Don

[New Haven Neil]

Many years ago I had a hilly 7 mile journey to work and used a Honda 70. We were looked down on by the 'proper' bikers where I worked but the 4 or 5 of us with step through's rode them in all weathers whereas the bikers used the car if there was any rain or snow. The only way I managed to keep my hands warm was a pair of damart inner gloves, my polic gloves over them then a pair of Union Pacific mittens that I'd been given. These had a waterproof vinyl skin on the upper side. This was completely wind and waterproof. and kept my hands warm.

 

Jamie

 

Steppies are great winter bikes, they steer well in snow with the leading link forks, never break down and are cheap.  Or were.  70's are better than 90's, the 90's are too heavy, 50's too slow for traffic.  Folk restore them now!

[TheQ]

I have the muffs and heated gloves a great help when the fog is forming a thin layer of ice on my protective suit. The muffs also stop the gloves getting soggy on a long ride in the rain.

 

The gauges only show the UK generation, the cables across the channel to France and their nuclear stations are probably glowing now.

 

On the radio while driving home was a representative of the Yorkshire building society who own the Norwich and Peterborough building society. They are closing 28 branches of the n&p (the majority) and the few left will be changed to Yorkshire.

The representative stated " there will be no loss of services to the customer" now that's an alternative fact if ever I've heard one.

 

 

Also on the way home at about 15:30 I thought I noticed some children smoking in school uniform that's unusual!!. But no it's that chilly out there, their breath was steaming in the air.

 

We have got a generator (3kw long run) to keep the central heating on and a few lights and TV. But last year they replaced the old triple wire ( 3 phase) wire poles in the area with new insulated wound together cables. And new poles we've not had a power failure since ( used to be at least once a month in the winter).

Edited January 26, 2017 by TheQ

[AndyID]

If we all switch to LED bulbs we should have enough to keep the lights going   When we had the electricity problems in the 70s the factory was restricted to minimal usage three days a week. My duties involved prouct testing including three kilowatt and 6 kilowatt heater I had one of each on extended life trails. Spent a lot of time in the test shed on the low electric days. I do wonder that as we are supplied via overhead lines whether to acquire a generator enough for a few lights the gas boiler and possibly a 2kw Kettle.

Don

 

A less expensive option might be to use a gas camping stove to boil water (in a very well ventilated location) and run the gas boiler and a couple of LED lights off a car battery via an inverter. We lose power quite often and I have a generator, but I only drag it out when the power is going to be out for a long time.

 

We also have a paraffin lamp that an uncle gave us as a wedding present. I didn't think we would use it much, but it's surprising just how often we have over the years.

[New Haven Neil]

 

The gauges only show the UK generation, the cables across the channel to France and their nuclear stations are probably glowing now.

 

 

 

No - the bottom left of the 6 small gauges shows the French interconnector.

[New Haven Neil]

Of course steppies are the bike of choice for the island's superb stunt team, the Purple Helmets.

 

[TheQ]

No - the bottom left of the 6 small gauges shows the French interconnector.

Ok so I'm blind as a bat the cables really are glowing....

[New Haven Neil]

Ok so I'm blind as a bat the cables really are glowing....

 

That's agree for the cables glowing, not being blind.....

[NGT6 1315]

E'ning all from aboard 1223 "Houston" with only a minor technical problem. Forecast predicts double digit temperatures above zero next week! Still reeling from that shock, so, have a good night and sleep tight...

 

Edited to correct autoincorrect.

Edited January 26, 2017 by NGT6 1315

[emt_911]

Back to site tomorrow as I have been reliably informed that I can get on with the job. We'll see in the morning.

 

Night all

[Horsetan]

It looks like my senior colleague's godson was charged with murder earlier this evening. Quite a considerable backstory too. Teenagers these days seem to have little fear, respect or sense of consequences.