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Morat

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Posts posted by Morat

  2. GrassCutting (or not?)

    in General Boating

    Posted

    1 hour ago, Jerra said:

    If there is no grass in one place I wonder how far you need to go before you find some to cut.   My lawns have hardly put on ay lenght of over a month now, something to do with the lack of rain I think.

    I'm no agronomist, but I think you could well be onto something here!

  3. Internet/data access on boats -- some tips

    in General Boating

    Posted

    Wow, that's some impressive tech! I'd imagine they've been testing it on their rocket-landing barges first :) I don't see any special terminals for narrowboats just yet. Perhaps Elon needs a holiday on the cut? He could produce a dish that senses bridges and flattens itself against the roof automatically...

     

    £110/mo does indeed move Starlink into a "need this for my business" type budget - and it probably doesn't stack up against 5G if you're in an urban location. But IF I was working from my boat (if only!) I'd take it so that I could guarantee a connection from wherever I was moored (within reason) and shuffle around the network at weekends.

     

    Here's dreaming.

  6. Internet/data access on boats -- some tips

    in General Boating

    Posted · Edited by Morat
    New Info! Breaking News!!

    Ooh yes, nice article.
    There is much Clever Stuff inside the Skylink box, that's for sure. "Ours" is different and is rectangular. I assume it's a new version.

    I still want one for our boat! :D

     

    Ah little google later and good news! 35W - still not exactly nothing but I think it makes it more feasible.

    Here's an article from a yotty type

    https://seabits.com/starlink-finally-useful-aboard/

  8. Avon Ring

    in Cruise Diaries & Reports

    Posted · Edited by Morat

    This is a very useful thread, thank you!

    We're considering the same route in August, starting from Stockton Top Marina, so pretty much next door to where you started. We've been to Stratford before, with a short trip on the Avon too cool off. Then again, we do love the route to Lechlade!

    Hmm decisions decisions :)

     

    Did you find time to stop for a day anywhere or were you going for it every day?

  11. Someone untied my ropes

    in General Boating

    Posted

    The gitty gappers annoy me, especially when I can't get in to the pub!

    I think we should re-discover an old canal custom that boats would be moved a few feet either way (and securely re-tied) in the name of neatness, efficiency and shorter walks back home.

  18. Diesel Bug - in domestic heating oil?

    in General Boating

    Posted

    Thanks for all your replies. We've had the filters changed and the boiler is running fine (for now). I'll dip the tank and see if there's anything horrible in there. It's a plastic tank, but un-bunded. If a replacement is necessary then I guess it'll have to be moved because it's next to the coal/wood shed and also very close to our neighbours kitchen - separated by 5ft, 4 of which are vertical! fun fun fun.

  22. C B Radio

    in General Boating

    Posted · Edited by Morat

    Hourses for courses.

    Most people who criticise CB are not CB users, same for Amateur, VHF or PMR.

    Then you get people who just hate radio full stop.

     

    I have a VHF ready should I ever need it, but we tend to take CBs on the boat because I have a couple of handhelds with autosquelch. I've never heard anyone else on CB who was on a narrowboat, but I've normally been sitting on one obscure channel talking to my wife at locks or when one of us has gone ahead to look for a mooring spot. Whatever radio you use, they're extremely useful in those situations, or just for asking for a cup of tea if you can't be bothered to shout. smile.png

     

    I guess in my ideal world there'd be a common channel for narrowboats that any canal based CBers could monitor, but getting people to agree on one would probably be impossible. At least in the 4x4 community they've got 16 as a pretty logical number to use. If anyone can think of a number between 1-40 (apart from 9 and 19) that would appeal to narrowboaters, feel free to chime in!

     

    CB has a bit more range than PMR especially over open countryside but they're all limited when you're in close proximity to walls, bridges, locks, trees etc.

    The good news is that you can't really get a better ground plane than the roof of a steel narrowboat. Sadly it's true that a lot of what you hear on 19 these days is a small local clique talking to each other day in and out about nothing. That doesn't mean that if you've got something to say and someone to say it to, CB can't be used as a perfectly good means of comms. PMR is definitely cheaper, though.

     

    And for anyone still talking in 80s slang, no one waffles on about convoys or rubber ducks any more than they wear red specs and braces with their leather filofax - you're just showing your age. wink.png

     

    One day I'll get round to doing my amateur license and then I'll think about some handhelds on a higher frequency but they'll never be commonly used because they cost and they're restricted to licensed operators.

     

    edit: Don't forget that CB can now use SSB and AM legally so there's a bit more capability over the standard UK FM that we've had since the 80s

    Here are some radios :)

    http://www.kcb.co.uk/shop2/contents/en-uk/d151_Multimode_%28AM_FM_SSB%29.html

  23. The latest 'Living on a boat in London'

    in General Boating

    Posted

    I agree but people tend to congregate around those who rule like kings, queens...and banks...

     

    Things might change the closer we get to a new world order. Then it won't matter where we are physically as we'll all be wired up to a computer...

    Move the Government to Leeds. The House of Commons is facing a £3bn repair bill so we could offset the cost against that.

    I'm sure we could lay on a train to get Her Majesty to the opening of Parliament on time.

     

    Also, there's a serious problem with the housing bubble in London which is distorting the market. When foreign investors are snapping up the new builds off the plans and UK residents are therefore forced to be tenants to overseas landlords, we're justified (IMO) to start charging some punitive taxes on non-dom owners of UK property. Of course, sucessive governments are scared that they'll overcook it and push property prices down, which would destroy their chances at the next election even though property prices are (IMO) far too high.

  24. Walkie Talkie the real use

    in General Boating

    Posted · Edited by Morat

    I use them (when we remember to pack/charge etc) because it's nice to be able to chat to my wife while one of us is off the boat and it keeps our young son amused during long and boring (to him) lock flights. I'm not sure how a walkie talke makes it easier to walk to the next lock and turn it, surely that would happen anyway with or without the radio?

     

    In any event, grabbing locks and wasting water is definitely the mark of a small minded *(*(*£$ and the sort of person you'd want to cill themselves in their rush to save 30s of leisure time.

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