Early Risers.

[AndyID]

3 hours ago, Ozexpatriate said:

Today is the 49th anniversary of the "exploding whale" story - a seminal moment in Oregon broadcast journalism. KATU's Paul Linnman's commentary is priceless. (This is our local version of the "Oh the humanity!" remark in the Hindenburg disaster.) Mark your calendars, next year is the 50th anniversary.

 

 

The best bit is the brilliant dead-pan commentary.

[BoD]

14 minutes ago, Debs. said:

.....I've just had a message (in French of course) that the book will be delivered today; how do they do it!?! 

They use Track Shack.

 

Morning  all.

[AndyID]

16 minutes ago, Debs. said:

..I've just had a message (in French of course) that the book will be delivered today; how do they do it!?! 

 

Nous avons beaucoup minkeys.

[JohnDMJ]

30 minutes ago, chrisf said:

Good morning one and all

 

The courage necessary to eat sushi has not yet presented itself and may not for some time as I have no plans to visit Japan – or, for the time being, Rapperswil.

 

 

Alternative providers are available at both St Pancras and Victoria stations, in both cases, less than a stone's throw from the 'Spoons!

[Robert]

Morning All,

 

It is a fairly chilly morning in this part of the world.  However, it appears to be clear so we may well see some sun later.

 

14 hours ago, Tony_S said:

I have managed to repair a couple of boards from items over the years where an SMD had lifted from a board but it was an “it is broken, so I may as well try a repair” situation. 
However a few years ago I was at an exhibition and watched a demonstrator assembling a board with some SMD components. I thought, yes I could do that. However when I asked what temperature he had the iron set too, all he replied was “go on a course” and waved at some leaflets. I thought to myself that he was a miserable git and didn’t bother to renew my subscription to the organisation he was demonstrating for. 
Tony

 

I have done a certain amount of hand soldering of SMD devices, but I don't find it particular fun to be honest.  They are just too small!

 

The exhibitor certainly does sound like a miserable git.  Soldering anything is 10% theory and 90% practise, so there isn't an awful lot that a course will actually teach you.  If the bloke isn't willing to impart any of his experience, why did he bother sitting there?!? My tips for soldering SMD devices would be as follows:

 

o Well lit, and good magnification so you can see what you are doing.

o Good quality solder

o Loads of flux! 

 

I generally use an iron temperature around 300°C - Anything higher is likely to heat damage the devices.  You also need a steady hand!

 

Have a good day everyone...

[TheQ]

10 hours ago, southern42 said:

 

 

Anglesey and Puffin Island.  The lighthouse is just visible.  I watched the tide coming in over lunch in the cafe.

 

Doesn't that make your lunch rather soggy?

 

Mooring awl, Inner temple Hare, 1117/698

A poor nights sleep 3 hours plus one plus some unspecified dozing on the sofa.. That's what happens when you don't take amber liquid or little pink pills..

 

Yes Ben the Werewolf Collie wanted out this morning, everything was dripping wet as a rain storm had just past but by the time I got to work it was a cloudless sky.

 

Somehow I don't think I'll be using the train to get to Amsterdam to Fly to Derby

 

Oh I was trained to solder and desolder SMDs, we had to solder a chip on, check it worked, remove the chip,  solder it back on again and check it still worked... I've never soldered an SMD since!!

 

Time I wandered down to the lab and see if yesterdays cross check will have finished..

 

 

Edited November 13, 2019 by TheQ

[Robert]

8 minutes ago, TheQ said:

Oh I was trained to solder and desolder SMDs, we had to solder a chip on, check it worked, remove the chip,  solder it back on again and check it still worked... I've never soldered an SMD since!!

 

Don't blame you!

 

Back when I worked in Basildon, I had a colleague who could hand solder pretty much anything (including large packages like 386 processors) without any form of magnification.  I must admit, my skills are nowhere near this level!

[Barry O]

Ey up!

Debs would that book be "Advanced Awl Sharpening" by any chance?

Baz

[Debs.]

15 minutes ago, Robert said:

.........

The exhibitor certainly does sound like a miserable git.  Soldering anything is 10% theory and 90% practise, so there isn't an awful lot that a course will actually teach you.  If the bloke isn't willing to impart any of his experience, why did he bother sitting there?!? 

Knowledge is all well and good, but it's the willingness and ability to share it, that turns knowledge into something worthwhile; that's why teaching and mentorship is such a vital part of society.......my life has been immeasurably enriched by the generosity of knowledgeable teachers and mentors; yes, I have met the odd, propietorial "me-me-me" type, but, on the whole, most with genuine skill and depth of experience have been more than delighted to fully share and support, knowing their experience knowledge will be respected and made best use of. 

[TheQ]

15 minutes ago, Robert said:

 

Don't blame you!

 

Back when I worked in Basildon, I had a colleague who could hand solder pretty much anything (including large packages like 386 processors) without any form of magnification.  I must admit, my skills are nowhere near this level!

Back in those days I could read top to bottom of the eye chart with both eyes no problem... since the age of 50 the eyesight has got fuzzier every year..

[AndyID]

15 minutes ago, Robert said:

 

Don't blame you!

 

Back when I worked in Basildon, I had a colleague who could hand solder pretty much anything (including large packages like 386 processors) without any form of magnification.  I must admit, my skills are nowhere near this level!

 

Unless we need to cram a lot of stuff inside a locomotive SMD is just elitist and silly. Through-hole versions are readily available.

[Barry O]

In other news..

Her indoors off to see Dr Eldest Herbert in East Didsbury today.

 

My day will now include cleaning the house as well as parcelling up items to send to lucky auction winners. I may get a bit of wire strangelling done as well.

 

Looking at a couple of places in Derby closish to the Station. Her indoors has suggested going down on Friday and returning on Sunday so I am checking out accomodation for us as well.

 

It is unfortunate that wherever we meet, despite the convenience of access for some others may have a difficult journey.

 

Up and atem!

Baz

 

[AndyID]

1 minute ago, Barry O said:

In other news..

 

 

Please pardon us, your Imperial Umpireness, for having an actual conversation.

[polybear]

10 hours ago, Tony_S said:

I noticed some estimates of cost / time etc getting to Derby. It is possible as a day trip from here but just out of interest I looked at some hotel prices overnight. I think for one hotel to include “all rooms include toilet paper “ as a point of interest may not be as good an indicator of quality as they think.  Is this normally extra in the East Midlands?

 

Absolutely.  Even torn up Newspapers cost brass tha' know's....

 

1 hour ago, AndyID said:

MrsID "suggested" it was about time we had a heated towel rail in the bathroom. I considered circulating water from the hot water tank through a cleverly constructed series of large diameter copper tubes until I discovered low output (120 Watt) electric towel rails are not ridiculously expensive. Then I found a nice example online that was "used", meaning someone had bought it and had no idea how to install it. I bought it for about 30% of the regular price.

 

The only snag is all the bits of conduit required to connect* it cost as much as I paid for the blinking towel rail.

 

*Fear not. The connection will be fully compliant with the NEC (National Electrical Code) and fed via a Ground Fault Interrupter (GFI) aka RCD.

 

However, you're still only in for 60% of the cost of a new leccy rail, with a lot less installation aggro (hopefully) than a hot water installation.  I'd call that a result...

 

1 hour ago, Debs. said:

Morning awl. 

Whilst at a hospital appt., late yesterday afternoon, I was browsing t'internet for a particular text book, which I've been finding way-too pricey on my usual online sources......I widened my search and Amazon.fr offered me precisely the same book for considerably less than half the price in GBP (delivered) than that of their Amazon.uk site.......I've just had a message (in French of course) that the book will be delivered today; how do they do it!?! 

 

The catch is that the book will be written in French....that's why it's cheap....

[chrisf]

45 minutes ago, JohnDMJ said:

 

Alternative providers are available at both St Pancras and Victoria stations, in both cases, less than a stone's throw from the 'Spoons!

 

I know that, but do they offer courage?  [not the beer, silly]

 

Chris

[Debs.]

1 minute ago, polybear said:

 

The catch is that the book will be written in French....that's why it's cheap....

J'espère que non! 

[Happy Hippo]

1 hour ago, chrisf said:

The courage necessary to eat sushi has not yet presented itself and may not for some time as I have no plans to visit Japan – or, for the time being, Rapperswil.

 

I too was rather loathe to eat sushi, as the only stuff I ever saw consisted of rice and raw fish.  However it was a pleasant surprise to find that raw fish is not always a constituent, and there are many other varieties available. you just need to like rice! 

[Happy Hippo]

10 minutes ago, Debs. said:

J'espère que non! 

Since we have an awl for certain matters, perhaps it is about time we introduced the lump hammer for the use of French!

[Robert]

20 minutes ago, AndyID said:

 

Unless we need to cram a lot of stuff inside a locomotive SMD is just elitist and silly. Through-hole versions are readily available.

 

To a certain extent, I'd have to disagree with that Andy.  Through hole is getting increasingly expensive and difficult to get hold of.  Many of the new devices just aren't available in through-hole packages.

 

Having said that, If I want to solder it myself, and it's available I will choose through hole over SMD every time.

[NGT6 1315]

Mawnin' awl. Long time no see, but be assured that everyone of our number in need has been in my thoughts.

 

Need another cuppa java, so for the moment: -

 

"How about watching a documentary about gluttonous rodents from the New World? It's called 'Pie Rats of the Caribbean.'"

 

Hat, coat…

[Happy Hippo]

1 hour ago, AndyID said:

MrsID "suggested" it was about time we had a heated towel rail in the bathroom. I considered circulating water from the hot water tank through a cleverly constructed series of large diameter copper tubes until I discovered low output (120 Watt) electric towel rails are not ridiculously expensive.

when we replaced the radiators in the bathroom(s), we went for  towel radiators.

 

Which are great as long as you have central heating that uses water and a boiler

 

The Obergrumpenfuhrer was less pleased with the new fireplace in the sitting room! (Seen here on test.)

 

 

[AndyID]

4 minutes ago, Robert said:

Many of the new devices just aren't available in through-hole packages.

 

I'm probably just using a lot of the old devices. That's what happens when you get to my age

 

Seriously, for a lot of the stuff that we need to control model railways SMD is an inconvenience.

[BlackRat]

47 minutes ago, TheQ said:

Back in those days I could read top to bottom of the eye chart with both eyes no problem... since the age of 50 the eyesight has got fuzzier every year..

 

Squinting trying to read a menu a few nights ago ( as per usual ....vainly, i.e. sans specs).

 

Said to mates that they would never believe I used to be a sniper!

 

Must have been a Jap sniper said one comedian.

 

Waiter then brings out a box with an assortment of specs in that had been left behind by previous customers.

 

So moi being moi happily perused said menu with a rather fetching pair which must have been left behind by either Dame Edna or Mary Whitehouse!

 

Yup.....should've gone to Specsavers etc.

[AndyID]

14 minutes ago, Happy Hippo said:

 

Which are great as long as you have central heating that uses water and a boiler

 

Not really. It doesn't make any difference how you heat the towel rails. You can use hot water from a gas fired boiler or you can use resistive heating from an electric heating element. What really matters is the efficiency of the total energy conversions (renewable or otherwise) from the energy source to the ultimate load.

[grandadbob]

Good morning all,

There is some brightness  in the sky and a fine day is forecast.

Much aching in the Back at the moment so not sure if much will get done in the garden building. However there is a new #### to run in and another one is due so we will be waiting in for a parcel. This has not gone down very well with Management who was expecting to go to somewhere called Dunelm Mill. My statement that we can't go there anyway as we are no longer National Trust members didn't go down too well either.

Unfortunately I suspect that a visit to Derby may be a trip too far for us as we have multiple celebrations, visits and a couple of holidays to deal with next year.

Have a good one,

Bob.

 

Edited November 13, 2019 by grandadbob