IanD
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Posts posted by IanD
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15 minutes ago, Midnight said:
I think you will be proved correct when the ban on woodburning (maybe even all solid fuel?) in urban areas comes in.
Does the ULEZ affect boats in London now or is that just for car emmissions? Can't see the NBTA accepting £12 per day to burn wood. Fortunately we live in the moors and when we cruise in summer we don't use the stove, but I can see issues ahead for boat diesel engines and central heating units as the government forces the green agenda upon us. Ingnoring of course the 18000 planes emitting crap at any one time and the pollution from destroying Ukraine and Gaza. @MtB is absolutely on the money. The planet will survive long after us beans have killed ourselves off for a quick profit. I wonder how long nature would take to reverse global warming?PS Was going to say "Can't see the NBTA accepting £12 per day to burn wood and move to the next bridge" but they don't move do they? 😆
IIRC smokeless fuel has much lower PM2.5 emissions than burning wood, and unlike the "lifestyle woodburners" there are still some houses which don't have another source of heat -- so the reason for banning smokeless is less compelling, and the reasons against banning it are stronger. Doesn't mean the government won't do it, but I expect they'll go for woodburners first as the easy -- and justifiable! -- target.
Don't confuse global pollution causing climate change -- from all reasons, including planes and cars -- from local pollution causing health problems. They both need addressing, but PM2.5 pollution is killing people today right here, CO2 will kill lots more but globally and in future. Despairing that we're not doing enough to stop climate change is in no way a reason to not bother doing anything about PM2.5...
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5 hours ago, Paul C said:
Definitely worth hiring from Whitchurch (ABC), Ellesmere (ABC, at Blackwater Meadow Marina) or Whixhall Marina (end of the Prees Branch, Pea Green Boats).
The Llangollen canal is very different in character at the "top" end than the "bottom" end. It do-able in a week from eg Nantwich, but in 3.5 days, its a stretch. Lots of people hire from the above, for good reason. I am sure there's a few other hire bases I've forgotten too!
Another tip -- if you're going to get to Llangollen and stay overnight there, it's much less busy at weekends because all the hire boats tend to be there midweek. Which won't work with a Monday-Friday hire, you'll be there the same time as everyone else... 😞
The top end is fantastic, lower down can be a bit boring.
You could get to Llangollen and back from Whitchurch Marina but that probably wouldn't give you an overnight stay in Llangollen, starting from Whixall Marina (Pea Green Boats) would.
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1 hour ago, booke23 said:
A glance on google reveals very few options. SONOS have a device called a boost that looks like it runs on 5 volts so you could get a small step down transformer to run it from 12v. Other than that wifi boosters seem to all plug direct into 240v sockets.
My Huawei b535 has very powerful wifi.....I get a signal outside at the very stern of the boat even though the router is at the front of the boat, inside a steel cabin!
All devices like this actually run from DC which sometimes comes from a wall wart PSU plugged into the mains, in this case it's perfectly possible to power them from a DC-DC converter with the right voltage (often 12V). That's exactly what I've done with my router on the boat. These might work...
https://www.currys.co.uk/products/tplink-tlwa801n-wifi-access-point-n300-single-band-10212693.html
But if they're physically built into a mains plug together with the PSU -- as many are -- you're screwed... 😞
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34 minutes ago, Stilllearning said:
With a population density of 64/sq kilometre in the commune, in a department with an average density of 67/sq kilometre, I'm not worried for any of my neighbour's health.
Added info: the department has about 375000 population, of which 50% live in one city. So the average density of population outside of our little town is very low indeed.
PM2.5 pollution from woodburners is a big health problem in urban areas, especially in the UK where the number is still increasing as a "lifetstyle" choice -- and in these areas woodburners are now the biggest source of PM2.5 pollution, bigger than roads or industry. Current estimate is that the added death toll due to PM2.5 pollution is more than 30000 deaths per year in the UK, which puts it well up the list of biggest killers -- and it's avoidable since nobody in urban areas *needs* to burn wood. That's what all the fuss is about, and why legislation to ban wood burning in urban areas is almost certain -- and it's equally likely that this will apply to boaters as well as householders.
Outside urban areas -- in the countryside, boats outside towns -- PM2.5 from woodburners poses a much smaller health hazard and there's no reason to ban them, especially since in some cases it's the only cheap source of fuel -- and it is "green". Doesn't mean the UK government won't ban them everywhere because it's easier to administer and they're feeling lazy though... 😞
And before someone trots out the tired old "We've been burning wood for centuries and it never did no harm!" trope -- that's true in the countryside, and until recently (lifestyle!) very few people in towns burned wood, and the health hazards of invisible PM2.5 particles have only come to light in the last few years. Just because we used to do lots of things that we didn't know were lethal (asbestos, leaded fuel, smoking...) doesn't mean we should carry on doing them now we know better... 😉
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1 minute ago, nealeST said:
picking up Monday return Friday morning. I did the same time frame last year from Anderton to Nantwich and back. That was very easy. My Swedish wife had concerns initially about 18 century ‘elf and safety. Kids loved it. I’ve done this before but all new to them. I’m not keen on going south now so it’s either venture as far as we can get along the Llangollen or just head to Chester as Arthur suggested.
thanks for all the input. One day I will have my own boat…I figure in about 2 years…Al least now my kids are hooked.😊
the boat museum we’ve seen a number of times…. I’m in Liverpool half the year when I’m not in Sweden…
That’s a shame. I’d happily cruise 12 hours a day. My wife is unlikely to sanction that….
You've only got 3.5 days then, allowing a few hours Monday afternoon and an hour Friday morning, so little chance of getting to the magic aqueduct unless you travel non-stop from dawn to dusk -- and maybe not even then given possible delays... 😞
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7 minutes ago, Mad Harold said:
Tried to get a quote for third party only insurance for my car as it's old and worthless, but after trying several comparison sites found that the quoted premiums were dearer than comprehensive.
Wondered why and after a bit of Googling found this from some insurance wonk.
"The type of driver who wants third party only, is more likely to have a claim"
Sounds like a load of horse manure to me!
It's not, because insurance companies work on statistics. And in general people who skimp and take out third party insurance on an old banger are much more likely to make a claim than a careful driver in a nice new car with fully comp insurance...
It's why they put your premium up after accidents even if you have protected NCD (or don't even make a claim!) because the numbers show that having an accident (or even worse, more than one...) increases the chance of you having another one -- because careless drivers have more accidents. The fact that you might be a careful driver and the accident wasn't your fault doesn't matter to them, you're just another statistic... 😞
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1 hour ago, cheesegas said:
Pylontech and similar are actually a bit different - if you were to chain up say 4 of them, the Cerbo talks to the first one only via CANbus - this automatically assigns it the Master status. This master battery then talks to the other three via a proprietary protocol and aggregates the data and any cell overvoltage etc error. That's why, for example with Pytontechs, each battery has a CAN and RS485 port (connecting anything to either port will automatically make it the master) and two Link ports to connect battery to battery. Most of them are sensitive to which Link port you use too, as some also assign master status based on the first one in the chain.
I'd strongly advise not putting Pylontechs for one on a boat - they're not designed for things that are damp and move. No conformal coating on the boards, mechanically things aren't very well fixed down inside compared to something like a Victron inverter. Seen a good few fail within the first year, and one install in the engine bay of a large Dutch barge didn't even last a month.
The master/slave protocol is what I described, it's easier than a multi-master approach -- it's similar to what Victron do with parallel inverters/combos.
I wasn't specifically recommending Pylontech, I was recommending the class of batteries that are designed to be connected in series/parallel/cascade to make one big battery bank, usually for off-grid applications because this is a *far* bigger market than boats. Whether a particular brand/model is suitable for boat use is another kettle of fish entirely -- I was looking at BYD, but it's quite difficult to find out the kind of things you mention (whether they're suitable for possibly damp/vibration applications).
Though it has to be said that this applies to LFP cells as well, there's a big difference between a canal boat and a yacht that might well be thumping into huge seas for hour after hour with huge shock loads -- this is why in-the-know-LFP-in-boat suppliers (almost all lumpy water specialists) often recommend 100Ah or at most 200Ah cells because they're mechanically more robust, but the big ones (700Ah Winstons in my case) are absolutely fine in a narrowboat... 🙂
45 minutes ago, dmr said:The Zeus has two power supplies, it takes the high current alternator drive from the alternator output post, and the general electronics drive from either the battery directly or via the ignition switch. It must be low current consumption as it has an option to be permanently on to drive its own amp-hour conter (though there is no obvious sign of this in the app).
Arco say that even a difference of millivolts between the ground and the negative sense wire can damage the Zeus. Lots of electronics does like input signals below the negative supply but this is stiil something they should have protected against.
That sounds like bad design to me; the whole point of a Kelvin connection (force/sense) is that it is insensitive to ground voltage differences caused by currents in cables etc. Not that you'd expect it to cope with several volts, but millivolts sounds far too restrictive to me, normally there are back-to-back protection diodes between the grounds which you don't want to turn on so a typical spec would be <0.5V absolute voltage difference between them in operation -- the circuit should measure the inputs (voltage sense and GND sense) differentially.
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15 minutes ago, David Mack said:
The connecting link will be a tunnel broadly as planned for the cancelled scheme. The difference is the station at Euston, which will have fewer platforms as it no longer has to service anywhere near as many trains following the cancellation of the route north of Birmingham. The government also hopes that by taking the project from HS2 Ltd and giving it to the private sector a more commercial approach to both station construction and related development opportunities will reduce the cost to the taxpayer.
And one of the consequences of the smaller Euston station is that it will make it more difficult for any future government to try to make better use of the HS2 route to Birmingham by extending the system further north (whether by the recently abandoned scheme or any other route).
Which means they'd have to rebuild/expand Euston, which would cause an absolute fortune -- far more than building it bigger from the beginning.
In other words they want to pay out less money today even though it'll probably cost more in the long run -- when it's likely to be Somebody Else's Problem, so they simply don't care.
Same justification as PFI, and large parts of privatisation -- make it look good/cheap now and sod the future... 😞
6 minutes ago, Tracy D'arth said:Wow, touched a nerve there then!
I would like a job where I sat down all day and didn't have to turn the steering wheel for £65K plus a year! And a rock solid pension, free travel, and uniform supplied.
If -- regardless of your job or pay -- "they" offered you an effective pay cut and/or poorer terms and conditions, would you therefore just meekly accept it?
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53 minutes ago, Ronaldo47 said:
I believe that it is a legal requirement to have third party insurance for motor vehicles. Certainly GEC (when it was a large company!) only used to take out third party insurance for its company cars as the cost of fully comp insurance would have exceeded the cost of repairing or writing-off damaged vehicles. The Government does the same sort of thing in relation to insurance in general, which is why the disastrous fire at Windsor Castle a couple of decades ago was not covered by any insurance.
I adopt the same practice regarding breakdown insurance for domestic white goods, which are normally pretty reliable these days: I don't take any out.
It's a legal requirement for an individual to have third party insurance "or such a security in respect of third party risks":
"a person must not use a motor vehicle on a road unless there is in force in relation to the use of the vehicle by that person such a policy of insurance or such a security in respect of third party risks as complies with the requirements of this Part of this Act, and"
An insurance policy simply means that in return for a premium the insurance company guarantees to pay out damages to third parties.
What I believe BT did was the same, except BT -- rather than an insurance company -- accepted the risk (presumably in writing) and guaranteed to pay out damages. They were "self-insuring", which would legally have the same security as an insurance policy. Or maybe BT were actually authorised to act as an insurer?
I don't know if this is still the case nowadays, but the law doesn't seem to exclude this for company-owned vehicles should a big enough company (like BT) choose to do it, though they may have to jump through some legal hoops to do it.
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32 minutes ago, Tracy D'arth said:
I would like a rail system staffed by responsible workers who didn't go out on strike whenever they felt that they could blackmail the country into paying them even more money for less work.
Funny, that's not what the facts say...
https://www.timeout.com/uk/news/everything-you-need-to-know-about-rail-strikes-092022
"RMT staff at the Overground are striking over a below-inflation pay rise. ASLEF workers on Northern and LNER are walking out over claims that the operators have persistently failed to comply with agreements concerning bullying and intimidation.
Drivers at ASLEF have also been walking out after what it called a ‘risible’ pay offer of four percent a year for two years, as well as changes to working conditions."
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2 minutes ago, magnetman said:
Insurance is designed so that insurance salesmen can have nice cars.
You could say the same for an awful lot of businesses... 😉
Insurance is only really needed to cover the risk of occasional catastrophically expensive incidents which would bankrupt the customer/company, for smaller sums it's not worth it. I know some big companies like BT self-insured cars/vans rather than paying out premiums, on the principle it was cheaper for them to pay directly than allow insurers to cream off a profit.
I seem to remember the most expensive car insurance claim ever was many years ago in France, a car came off the road and landed on a railway track, which derailed and destroyed a train, which broke through a canal/river embankment and flooded a large area of the countryside including many houses and factories. I'm not sure even BT would have wanted to pick up the tab for that one... 😉
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9 minutes ago, Stroudwater1 said:
The Humber bridge was signed off by Barbara Castle when Harold Wilson put pressure on the project due to the Kingston on Hull by election in 1966.
Surprisingly it was all agreed just by chance just before by election took place. Politics seldom changes sadly.
TBH it is widely used these days, and has probably saved some semblance of employment for the surrounding areas.
I don’t understand why we can’t or didn’t invest on an HS2 project from Liverpool to connect to HS1. Wouldn’t that reduce the throughput of trade to the Dutch and Belgian ports and greatly increase trade via the UK West coast ports. Brexit has probably killed that one but it never seemed to be voiced as an option?
But that would mean a direct connection for through traffic between HS2 and HS1, and of course there isn't one -- in fact the chances of HS2 even getting to Euston are looking slim, what's the private sector going to get in return in they invest billions in this?
On top of that, you can't put slower freight trains on the high-speed lines without killing the HS speeds and schedules.
If only we had a joined-up transport infrastructure policy, with a government that realised that investment in this pays off in the long term, and that providing basic services and building/maintaining national infrastructure is the job of government not the profit-driven private sector... 😞
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33 minutes ago, Captain Pegg said:
Why would you want to build someting that's not state of the art?
The speed of modern railways largely comes from the capability of the traction units. In turn the momentum produced at speed allows much steeper gradients which ultimately reduces the amount of engineering required to build the line. Therefore designing for a lower speed wouldn't save huge amounts on construction - if it saved anything at all - but having a top speed of 100mph rather than 200mph means you need twice as many trains and while the construction cost is a one time only cost new trains come around every 25 years or so.
The operational model for high speed rail in Germany is different to that of France as a result of their different population distribution characteristics. The former run high speed between relatively frequent stops while the latter cover massive distances between stops. There is no great difference in the philosophy of how they go about designing and building their new railways.
The USP for HS2 compared to any other European high speed model is that it is essentially a self-contained network independent of the existing conventional rail network. That has both advantages and disadvantages but is largely to avoid capacity conflicts in the major cities and the very diffcult issues that arise between compatibility of the requirements for modern trains and legacy systems.
Like the Shinkansen then?
HS2 cost (latest estimate in 2024) : about £70B (including Euston) for 140miles = £500M/mile
The last brand-new Shinkansen line built (Hokkiado -- with a *lot* more expensive bridges/viaducts/tunnels than HS2) cost $31M/km in 2016, which is £39M/mile -- let's say £50M/mile today allowing for inflation.
https://www.railjournal.com/in_depth/hokkaido-shinkansen-prepares-for-launch/
I'm sure there's a reason why the HS2 cost per mile is about 10x higher than the Shinkansen, but I can't think of it... 😉
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3 minutes ago, jonathanA said:
complete waste of money always was. for me the travel time to london by west coast mainline is 2hr 9mins. Its actually perfectly fine, cutting 30 or 40 mins off that would be a disadvantage as it wouldn't be worth me trying to get anything done on train. As for capacity there's plenty of capacity as most of the 1st class carriages are empty as no 'ordinary' folk can afford the nearly £500 return fare. the super rich who can afford it aren't going to travel by train anyway....
the billions would have been much better spent on improving the capacity of the existing, upgrading east-west links and making travel by train more attractive than car or flying (i.e reducing ticket prices)
But that would mean less profit for the rail franchise owners in exchange for a social good, and we can't possibly have that... 😉
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15 hours ago, dmr said:
This is the impression that I get. I'm very new to CANbus (but have lots of experience of old stuff like GPIB) but it does appear to be just an electrical and "bit level" standard. So here is a chance for you to make a name for yourself, after all JSON was pretty much a one man effort (only joking here) 😀.
A problem with standards is that various manufacturers and other organisations have to get together and it sometimes all takes years to sort out. Maybe if somebody like Victron published a set of default messages that they would read then it could all happen quickly. "Compatible with Victron" does appear to be the current gold standard. Another issue is that most batteries are using various Chinese BMS systems that are very poorly documented, with little chance of finding out what they do on CANbus.
The CANBUS situation is very similar to GPIB -- different instruments can all connect to the same bus but they can't talk to each other and interact, unless (sometimes) they're from the same manufacturer -- even different instruments of the same type don't always have the same "command set", certainly not from different manufacturers. It's the nature of the beast because different hardware has different features, even if there some common commands you need a device-specific driver to do anything more than the basics.
58 minutes ago, PeterF said:The problem with a lot of these drop ins with CAN Bus output is if you put several batteries in parallel, they still appear as two batteries, they do not aggregate themselves and present as a single battery to the control device which is a problem. The storage battery systems like Pylontech parallel up and appear as a single large battery. The Fogstsar Drift Pro says for connection to Victron Cerbo GX that you can connect one battery to the BMS Bus and one to the VE CAN Bus, so you have 2 individual batteries that can be monitored but only one can control the charging devices unless you add custom code to aggregate them as a single virtual battery.
It's because "drop-in" batteries -- especially the cheap ones -- are really intended to be dumb standalone batteries each in charge of (geddit?) their own fate, not for multiples to be connected and used as one co-ordinated battery -- which then means one internal BMS has to be the master and the others have to be slaves (you can only have one "boss"), but usually the master also has to read data from the slaves (e.g. cell voltages and temperatures) and act on it, and talk to the outside world (and the others don't any more) -- or the system has to be made multi-master with all the batteries talking to the outside world and each other, which is even harder.
It's all a lot of effort (and cost) to design/debug so they mostly don't bother, because the vast majority of their customers don't want/need these features, it would just increase the cost (which they don't want) for no benefit.
The bigger storage/off-grid suppliers like Pylontech and BYD (and now Fogstar?) do make all this work, because their main application is stacked/paralleled systems -- as do suppliers of external BMS. Fogstar are also introducing similar systems at good prices, but these are very different to their "drop-in" batteries.
If people want a large LFP bank that works as one and talks properly to external controllers/alternators/chargers/MPPT/generators, then they should use batteries which are designed and intended for this purpose -- either ready-made ones form the likes of Pylontech/BMS (and now Fogstar?), or a DIY LFP build using cells and a proper BMS controller (e.g. REC-BMS, but there are many others, or even this can be DIY) designed to control and manage a large stack of cells, together with all the appropriate switching/contactors/sensors.
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34 minutes ago, tree monkey said:
Depends on the aqueduct, there's also the Telford and the aqueduct Inn by the big bridge
Telford is a bit meh, Bridge Inn had good beer and decent (and cheap!) pub food when we were there, Aqueduct had excellent beer but didn't eat there. Great view though...
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15 minutes ago, nicknorman said:
CANBUS is very good, highly robust and easy to implement. However it is just a hardware specification that moves bytes of data around. What the data means, is up to the system designer. So just because 2 devices have CANBUS in no way means they can necessarily talk to each other meaningfully. Apart from NMEA2000 I’m not sure that there is a standard protocol for boats or Li batteries. Maybe there is? Dunno.
AFAIK there isn't, as you say this is the next level up in the CANBUS software stack -- the meaning of data/messages, not just data protocol. I believe there are some "standard" messages, but there's no requirement to support them, manufacturers can do what they want. It's why only certain BMS/CANBUS batteries are on the Victron approved list, the only way to be sure they will be interoperable with the controller is to try them.
CANBUS guarantees that you can plug the hardware together and the data (e.g. the letters of a message) will get there OK -- but if it's being sent in English and the receiver only understands French that doesn't help... 😉
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3 minutes ago, Hudds Lad said:
Erm, think you're telling the wrong person here
We always found New Marton on the way back to be the worst delay, guess it depends on your schedule and what time and day you hit certain features.
Also, Grindley used to have the lockie from Bootle who knew what he was about, believe it's volunteers nowadays?
I wasn't telling you, just commenting on your comment for the benefit of the OP... 🙂
Agree that New Marton can be bad too. Mind you, the worst (traffic, not stoppage) delay we ever had (more than 4 hours queueing!) was at Hillmorton... 😞
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10 minutes ago, dmr said:
I feel that UARTs and RS485 etc etc are of little use to the average user (or even me and I know what they are 😀). CANbus is probably the best as it is slowly becoming a boat standard but is not available on most batteries. A very simple "alow to charge" signal (a relay drive type thing) from the batteries that could be progammed (via bluetooth) to switch at 90% or whatever (well before the internal disconnect) would be a very useful solution for those who don't want a full CANbus or VEbus system.
Zeus and some Victron DC-DC converters etc are able to respond to a simple allow to charge signal.
That would be a good thing for this application, but I don't think the drop-in manufacturers are likely to do it, they seem to see their batteries as either standalone or at best telling you what they're doing so you can monitor them -- they're "in charge" of their own (dis-) connection, but not external gear. Adding CANBUS costs money (a lot more than Bluetooth which is essentially free) and allows careless users to damage the battery/interface, so they don't fit it.
In contrast the external BMS (like my REC-BMS) assume they're the "battery master" for the system, and signal to other charge sources (shoreline, generator, solar/MPPT, alternator) when to charge or shut off -- usually via CANBUS to an external controller like a Cerbo or combo, but sometimes also via an "allow to charge" wire like you described.
2 minutes ago, dmr said:I feel that UARTs and RS485 etc etc are of little use to the average user (or even me and I know what they are 😀). CANbus is probably the best as it is slowly becoming a boat standard but is not available on most batteries. A very simple "alow to charge" signal (a relay drive type thing) from the batteries that could be progammed (via bluetooth) to switch at 90% or whatever (well before the internal disconnect) would be a very useful solution for those who don't want a full CANbus or VEbus system.
Zeus and some Victron DC-DC converters etc are able to respond to a simple allow to charge signal.
That would be a good thing for this application, but I don't think the drop-in manufacturers are likely to do it, they seem to see their batteries as either standalone or at best telling you what they're doing so you can monitor them -- they're "in charge" of their own (dis-) connection, but not external gear. In contrast the external BMS (like my REC-BMS) assume they're the "battery master" for the system, and signal to other charge sources (shoreline, generator, solar/MPPT, alternator) when to charge or shut off -- usually via CANBUS to an external controller like a Cerbo or combo.
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10 minutes ago, Hudds Lad said:
Can be fun if there's a bit of flow on, one time we had to bowhaul the boat the last few metres out of one of the tunnels (Chirk i think) due to lack of speed and not being able to counteract the water flowing into the tunnel mouth.
Return journey is always quicker
Can get a bit busy at peak times, but just embrace the chaos
Just don't assume the locks at Grindley will be quick, we've had to wait between 1h and 3h to get through... 😞
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6 minutes ago, Hudds Lad said:
There's a modern fitter using it now, which i found surprising
That seems like unjustified penny-pinching given the cost of a new boat, which could well come back and bit the owner later. Are you going to name names? 😉
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16 hours ago, Peugeot 106 said:
Sorry I can’t remember at all. I think I spoke to the MD. I’m usually pretty good at keeping notes on helpful suppliers but this time have failed miserably. They were definitely recommended by Crowthers on both the websites I remember thinking how pleased the new company must be. Unfortunately Hotmail forced me to delete all my emails up to last year or I could have searched on that.
Basically the guy said that if you’ve got a hull like a brick (I have and so have plenty of others) there is a definite maximum speed that you will get out of it that won’t be related necessarily to 1.35 and the sq root waterline length because it’s a brick not a displacement hull. That doesn’t preclude you having a lot of fun in it but you must be realistic. My theoretical max would be 6.75 knots. I get 4.1 in deep water. There is nothing we can’t do that other narrowboats do with a bit of forethought ie an avoidance “punching” spring tides or red boards. We rarely get overtaken on canalsi thought we had the wrong propellor and should be going a lot faster until I got some advice. After 4 years and hundreds of miles I have no desire to go any faster or alter anything
Apart from not making the full engine power/boat speed available (while giving quieter cruising due to lower rpm) the other issue with being heavily overpropped is that the boat speed can be higher than desirable even at tickover, leading to much shouting and fist-shaking from aggrieved moored boaters -- who might well have been better off mooring up properly, but let's not get into that... 😉
Unless you have a relatively small engine*** and often venture out onto rivers with strong currents most boats never get anywhere near full power anyway, so a certain degree of overpropping is probably a good thing so long as top speed is "enough" and speed at tickover is still OK -- as I assume you've found 🙂
*** overpropping on an electric boat/series hybrid is *not* such a good idea, with only 15kW/20hp or so you want all of that to be available, and noise isn't usually an issue unless you have an egg-whisk prop...
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45 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said:
But we currently have one or two exceptions who have decided that they are the arbiter of what is acceptable and what is not.
You mean the ones who decide that the behaviour of some newbies is unacceptable and respond aggressively, even to posts which are obviously trying to pour water on the flames?
I'm glad we agree for once -- that this isn't the kind of behaviour that shows up CWDF in a good light... 😉
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1 hour ago, nicknorman said:
Would you two mind getting a room, is a bit nauseous.What's up -- as the "self-righteous sh*t-flinger" (see above post), don't you like being on the receiving end of negative comments from others for once?
P.S. You started with the personal attacks, so you can't complain if some sh*t gets batted back at you surely? Sauce for the goose and all that... 😉
Arco Zeus regulator - first impressions and a look inside
in Boat Equipment
Posted
So are you suggesting that Balmar and Wakespeed don't also have all the costs (and profits) referred to above?
All companies charge the price for their product that people -- the market -- is willing to pay, because -- duh, that's how business works... 🙂
If you don't like that (which of course also provides a living for their employees...) then you can always buy your own components and design/build your own -- which I know you have done. It's much cheaper because component cost in any electronic product is a small fraction of the selling price. At least, it's cheaper if you don't see your own time as having any value, in other words you're doing it for fun -- and as a hobby -- but you can hardly expect commercial suppliers to work like this, can you?
I've built my own gear in many different areas over the years either because I wanted to or nobody sold *exactly* what I wanted or -- as a student -- I couldn't afford to buy ready-made. But I was never under any illusion that it would have saved money if I valued my time and effort at any realistic value, even minimum wage...