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11926

General Discussion Area / Re: Solar Powered lighting

« on: 28 March 2009, 17:20:06 »

I want to put up a few LED spotlights, or the like in the garage to provide a couple of hours light for working late in there, run off an old 12V car battery.

Will this be man enough to keep it charged? ......

http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?ModuleNo=217850

I would say no, I had a couple of them to keep my Car Battery alive for 2 weeks. Waste of time, dont think we have the right Sun in this Country.

Bum !!! (or words to that effect ) Looks like it's back to plan A again --- 50 metre extension lead ---- works well but a right pain in the proverbial to keep laying out and winding back up  

To be honest, LED Spots should last a long time off a decent 12v Battery. So maybe just a case of bring the Battery in now and then for a recharge.

11927

General Discussion Area / Re: Solar Powered lighting

« on: 28 March 2009, 17:12:35 »

I want to put up a few LED spotlights, or the like in the garage to provide a couple of hours light for working late in there, run off an old 12V car battery.

Will this be man enough to keep it charged? ......

http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?ModuleNo=217850

I would say no, I had a couple of them to keep my Car Battery alive for 2 weeks. Waste of time, dont think we have the right Sun in this Country.

11928

General Discussion Area / Re: Digital switchover

« on: 28 March 2009, 13:00:02 »

I’ve climbed that one a few years back (part of my job), Big b*stard guyed mast, I seem to remember it was called IBA/NTL Chilton IOW.?

I hope someone turned the power down first!

Nearest I've been is a few tens of feet up a trailer tower when "some breakwit" wired up the masthead preamp the wrong way round. That was scary enough.

Kevin

Most of the High Power is up the top, which is a no-go area on most masts. There very strict with outside contractors as to where there going and what there doing on their Masts.

Below that level you’re fairly safe climbing as it’s mostly PMR, Paging or Cellular.  

There Scariest one for me was back in the mid 90's on the Ostankino TV Tower in Moscow. Once you get past the roof level, there was strange noises, bits of loose metal banging together and swinging loose coax cables all over the place, we couldn't wait to get out of that place.

11929

General Discussion Area / Re: Digital switchover

« on: 28 March 2009, 02:02:18 »

Are you on the Rowridge transmitter, Kieran?

Just tried retuning myself and Dave is still there. Could find nothing before retuning so they have had a good sort out as you can see: http://www.aerialsandtv.com/rowridgetx.html.

A group A antenna should be fine for Rowridge, more so after the analogue switch-off so there's no need for a wideband antenna. They will take the opportunity to regroup the channels after the analogue carriers are gone as widely spaced channels are more of a headache at the transmitter end.

Kevin

I’ve climbed that one a few years back (part of my job), Big b*stard guyed mast, I seem to remember it was called IBA/NTL Chilton IOW.?

11930

General Discussion Area / Re: Digital switchover

« on: 27 March 2009, 01:59:44 »

As far as I know (could be wrong) although certain areas are going full digital and a retune, there not going full power until after the total switch off of analogue, sometime after the Olympics (2010 / 2011).

The Bandwidth of digital TV (470 - 900 MHz) is far too wide even for a Digital TV Yagi Aerial, let alone the old Analogue ones.

Whilst the Digital signals are low power, compared to Transmitter of Kw's of power for Analogue TV, unless you’ve got the right Antenna and coax set up its could be a non starter, even after a retune of frequencies.

Use a quality ‘Digital Antenna’ as high as possible and line to site of the best Transmitter Site. Also decent coax, CT100 (min Sat Spec) should give best results.

Also bear in mind that Digital TV Signals are not currently transmitted on the old Fill In transmitter sites (Relay Stations) which you’re old TV maybe pointing to.

11931

General Discussion Area / Re: No more black cars...in California

« on: 26 March 2009, 12:45:56 »

Isn't that Racist.

11932

General Discussion Area / Re: brands changing names

« on: 25 March 2009, 13:29:43 »

Cellnet is now O2.
121 is now T-Mobile.
Hutchingson lanched Orange (sold it) now own 3.

Showing my age now!

11933

General Discussion Area / Re: Sat TV on PC

« on: 25 March 2009, 13:21:06 »

If your a Sky customer, dont you get Skyplayer on your PC for free?

11934

General Discussion Area / Re: bmw diesel engines

« on: 24 March 2009, 17:43:46 »

I thought it was detuned to protect the Vx AutoBox?

11935

General Discussion Area / Re: is owning an omega estate boring?

« on: 23 March 2009, 18:58:49 »

I had a few Miggy Estates now, I use the Black 2.5td CD Estate for work, and my current baby 3.0 MV6 FL Estate (Manual) for running arround in, I dont find that boring!, in fact most people that get in are quite impressed with MV6.

Ive got a few mates that drive Porsche and Audi RS4 to name a few and go on and on about them, so if I get really bored then I take them out in my Sapphire Cosworth (310 Bhp RWD) that normally shuts them up.  

11936

General Discussion Area / Re: What do we all do for a living ????

« on: 02 March 2009, 15:55:01 »

Radio Communications Engineer for the last 20 years, prior to that Audio and Sound Engineer with a heavy bias on Electronics.

11937

General Discussion Area / Re: CHKDSK won't run properly.

« on: 05 March 2009, 13:07:46 »

Try hanging your drive off another Machine, on Boot up Xp will probaly do a chkdsk for you, if not run chkdsk in dos or windows on the doner PC for your drive.

11938

General Discussion Area / Trade Insurance - Recommendations.

« on: 05 March 2009, 13:22:21 »

Coming up to that time of year again for insurance renews. Got renew quotes for the following Cars.

Swiftcover Main Car: 3.0 MV6 Estate, £151.00.
Swiftcover (Mirrored): 2.5TD Estate £149.00.
More Than: BMW 318 LPG (Our London Run Around) £145.00

All Full Com, for me and partner, full NCD and clean Lic'y.

I know its all cheap, but I’ve got a couple of other Migs (not worth much) that I want to get MOT and Taxed and get rid of them, Also wanna get my Cossie back on the road this summer.

Swopping Insurance is easy but cost £10 a hit. I'm thinking is it worth me now going down the Part Time Traders Insurance route?.

Any recommendations or thoughts please.

 

11939

General Discussion Area / Re: how many pubs do you know...

« on: 02 March 2009, 15:58:54 »

Too many, got a hammered on Saturday for under £15, local Wetherspoons doing Ruddles for 99p a Pint  

11940

General Discussion Area / Re: Sunday is Saint David`s Day (Dydd G[ch373]yl Dewi)

« on: 01 March 2009, 12:24:54 »

Happy St Davids Day Debs.

Im not Welsh but just to join in Im going for a Leek now.