OldGoat

The chinese whispers version that I heard many years ago was that the only bit that could remotely be called "hydraulic" was some form of hydrostatic mechanism that slowed the paddle down as it descended. Being not a very clever mechanism it also induces drag as you wind the blurry things up..... In simple terms it's just a tub of grease. I suspect it works in a similar way as the SU carburettors of yesteryear (if any one remembers them) The Ham Baker penstock (?) gear was derived from flow control valves used in sewage works. I suppose a solution to fast working up the flights was wanted off the shelf and these fitted the bill.If you look at the pages on this link you'll see that the company still exists and it's in Stoke - so that's OK canalwise! I have seen them in a waterworks environment, but can't remember where - might have been near Cowroast.

It's great to see such enthusiasm from the "ends of the earth", for it can be a fab show. To my mind Chentlenen's Launches and nb's don't quite mix, especially when folks on here decry "soft southern folks wiv loadsa monay.." Apart fron one or two steel boats of varying beam entered as vintage boats, I don't recall from hordes of nbs moored on the other bank - perhaps because folks can't get across. So to stop me wittering on is there genuine interest from this community of lovely old (mainly) wooden boats who go to the Rally? I ask 'cos next year it would be fun if a gaggle of LTTTs descended on the rally - with a view to enjoying what's on offer? Apart from having genuine fun it might make some of the locals dampen their underwear...

I do every time we stop if I can't find the satellite(s) easily - but that's 'cos the pole is not fxed rigidly. However, I doo moor the boat "tight" with springs to stop it moving. A slight amount of roll doesn't affect the signal (much).

I would have agreed with you - but we had a small "magimix" that hardly ran at all on an 1800W (continuous) standard inverter, a 6" polisher that wouldn't start easily and a small vacuum cleaner that struggles and gets hot. I'm told it's something to do with cheap motor design.

WE ? forget that synthetic oils were developed for automotive use where higher stresses, temperatures and lower viscosities are required. Modern automotive engines are made to closer tolerances and so thinner oils have been developed. In practice that means synthetics. As it happens synth: oils also work for longer - giving greater service intervals. Marine engines of the type used in displacement craft are not run under high stresses and the tolerances are lower - so most likely won't benefit from synthetic oils. Being made to lesser tolerances marine / industrial engines need their oils changed more frequently - so the long life of synths: is of little value. I've no idea whether synthetics are bad for boat engines - but I can't see any point is spending a lot more for my lubricants if there's no benefit. But, hey, don't let me stop everyone for spending their cash. I change my dyno oil twice a year even if it's done less than 400 hours.

Good training. Dogs are herd animals - so fix on you and what you're doing Cats are territorial and get disturbed when the scenery changes. Once the get accustomed to you moving around they get more adventurous and will wander off if they sense a good supply of "hot and cold running" food... Thus the bell training is a good strategy - you having to wait is the downside of very fresh food being more attractive.

How strange, I'm a great fan of Prestolite / Leece-neville kit as they are mostly heavy duty items. I used to run a girt big 24V/175 amp alternator and I did some awful things to it -0 and it kept on running. With the 8LHA models you're getting a lot of power out of a small package - so that may be connected. There used to be an email contact in the UK who can be very helpful. Perhaps Tim know about it.

IIRC, I had the same sort of problem with a water temp guage - bear with me - it turned out to be a broken connection...... The sensor "works the wrong (logical) way round". Might be your problem??? Save money and check first (even if I'm talking total Bxxxxxks)

Perhaps folks who honestly say "been there, done it" deserve some credibility. 'Leccy issue especially batteries being a matter of trying to extract half a gallon out of a pint pot (for that's what the issue generally is) is really fool's gold.

Second that - for a first thought. Not very challenging. Oxfordshire NBs first choice. College Cruisers second. Difficult to do much in four days Could you do a mini Warwickshire ring in 4 days - well a Birmingham ring - Alvechurch to Black Country Museum (no locks) back via B&F, GU and North Stratford. Good mix of the good and bad urban bits, lots of locks and a good chunk of seemingly rural canal. OR if a narrow canal is too claustrophobic, the Thames is good fun, cover the ground quickly and all those horrible LWBs (Large White Boats) will have gone to bed for the winter - so will the lockies.....

Ah Chris - if it's water, been there - Coburn must have been your fault then... Poor old Progress spends her life under a dust sheet and never gets to cruise. Bigger boats more fun, perhaps......

Even so Beta do keep spares 'cos they aer an official installer for the kit. Failing that Cox Automotive - near Atherstone - import them for the van market. Alternators tend not to "eat" brushes because (a) the slip rings are smooth and don't give mechanical problems and ( there's not much current passing as the rotor only creates a magnetic field. OTOH the electronics in tahst sort of inverter do have reliability problems and I'd suspect that first. Idea - anything loose? connectors to the alternator or mountings. Could be something simple like that. Try plugging and unplugging. Not what you asked for - but hey - it might be the solution.....

A solution that works for me is to buy a toothed belt from Bearingboys (seem to be good prices) and they're only a little more than a cnventional V-belt. Adfvantages are:- Grip the pulleys better, less tension required as a consequence of above their construction makes them a bit more elastic so don't need adjusting so often last far longer. Belts wore out twice a season Toothed belts still working 3 years after fitting. Not a solution to your tightening issue, but if you don't have to adjust so regularly then the issue reduces (goes away).

I don't think there's anwhere on the tidal Thames that you can stay. All marinas are fully booked and the prices are astronomic. You'll also need security clearance.

The Thrupp boats are Oxfordshire NB's boats.... I don't know for sure but they may do a hire it there / leave it there option between the two bases - save having to turn round. The Oxford locks are (mostly) very easy to work and not very deep (so not heavy to work or frightening...)

The river is very shallow and more than that the National Trust has deliberately made the profile V-shape with shoulders in order to provide a safe haven for lesser-spotted-bladderwort and the like, which to them are more important than fee paying boaters. So as well as taking up much of the track - where you will doubtless upset the locals who want to pass by - You'll need a long gang plank if you want to moor anywhere. Don't let me put you off it's a very pleasant ditch but forewarned is forearmed... BTW worth considering a side trip up part of the Basingstoke. I think they've mended soem of it and you're not escorted through anymore.

Quite likely as you may well have moved from one transmitter area to another. Particularly a problem (IMHO) in the Midlands. One of the reasons we move to satellite. the signal is always in the same place... Having suffered "withdrawal of facilities" from SWMBO, I now use a GPS to tell me where 28.2 deg is and make sure the dish can "see" the satellite before I stop. Perhaps the same technique could work for Freeview?

There are DUMPS and dumps. Brum used to be a total dump - but look at the centre now. The Old Main Line is very pleasant in parts. Ten years ago it was all mostly 'orrible. We were in Leicester two years ago and once we moored at the Castle (safely locked in...) and explored, we were pleasantly surprised. OK we like looking at old buildings and the like. As with all cities - stay away from the main streets and suddenly you find it not too awful! Going downstream of the centre it is a five star dump. The centre and traffic is worse than the A38 (?) in Brum, but the shopping are is just about bearable. The market is great and very friendly (mostly) Oh, and TV and satellite don't work there either... Anyway - folks do please stay away as we will attempt to visit in mid August if we can thrust through the assembled masses in Cropredy first. Forget the Space centre mooring. Probably better to do a long walk or catch a bus from the safety of Castle.

Dunno really, given that various folks have said the small ones are good. HOWEVER at the time I decided, the small dishes were silly money (£140) the LNBs were of questionable quality and unusual design replacement LNBs are an issue - being "non standard" We like to put the kit away when not in use, not so much for being unsightly, but being attacket by trees (! Thrupp and other places...) We like to time shift programmes - so need a quad LNB which the "prime focus" dishes can't do. When ordering the hull I had a piece of tube inserted into the front lockers for a TV aerial (hadn't discovered satellite then), so it was simple to modify a wall mounted dish to fit on a pole. The Triax dishes are good because:- they are well designed and solidly made, The integrated pole mount has plenty of bearing area to make it solid (cheaper one's are a pain to set up) the arm (as previously said) can be modified to fold up - making it much easier to store when cruising than a large TV aerial There you go - chapter and (too much) verse. Probably too complicated for most folks. But I do have to cater for The Management's entertainment requirements - else she won't go boating. I do enjoy the technical challenge as well....

Methinks you'll have trouble getting anything at a price that you consider reasonable. Plenty of choices for full sized dishes. If you have the patience wait for Aldi / Lidl portable kit offers (cheaper than Maplin who are always overpriced), and bin the receiver part. I don't fancy the very small dishes, so I bought a 40cm Triax - It's got a folding arm so stores better when not in use - and we stick it on a pole that can extend to get over hedges..... Hurry, hurry, kit on sale at Ebay now for £25 BIN (11:09 1/7/2012) AND it's a dish kit (only) - looks a good one too with 3 magnets? or sucker?

Please Sir, The OP is talking about satellite kit not Freeview. No mast head amp needed for a dish (but the LNB thingy needs a power supply)

Looking through this thread, I've had morfe thoughts:- To get maximum power from any alternator you have to spin it fast. The engine alternator arrangement has a small crankshaft pulley so it will never do much more than charge the starter battery (that's why the mariniser fits two alternators. Looking at their catalogue pictures the additional device has a larger alternator and a poly-V belt. Excellent good for transmitting power and wrappingf round a small pulley. The point about battery management systems is that they will charge the battery banks quicker than a standard inbuilt controller will do. A suggestion for you - get the mariniser to bring out a field wire, tell you wthether the unit is positive or negative field. Then if you find the unit is not charging as quickly as you would like you can fit a Sterling or Adverc system later. It will all depend on what your daily usage is. Bringing out a field wire is easy when the kit is being built and a little bit more effort later - do it first.

I don't suppose much will change - I still have a SO accepted by the payee - even though my account number withy the payee has changed. I supposed with decent accounts software the payees system just translatesa things. Wait and see if your bank returns the payment...

I've never been happy with Charles' Alternator Battery charger (other than the obvious advantage that you don't have to modify they alternator). AFAIK it works by depressing the voltage that the alternator "sees" in order to get more power (amps), then "amplifying" it to distribute it to the batteries. That implies some power loss that is converted into HEAT. A bit inelegant to my mind - but solves a perceived problem. A more sensible solution would be to modify the alternator (not expensive) and use one of his regulators - which are much cheaper than the A to B solution I suspect that in practice the 50amp unit won't actually contribute much power to the system - especially as the characteristics will be totally different to the 175 amp unit. So leave it to charge the starter battery. NOW if you beefed up the "engine" alternator to approach the 175 amp unit - then you're in a different ball game. That said I would still have a different arrangement to charge up the starter battery....