SoggyMoggies

but not so far out... This is what we would expect to happen, but the manufacturer's site shows that the performance is not entirely independent of the temperature drop (flow rate). So it's something of a balancing act - the flow rate needs to be set to create a low temperature difference (ideally 10oC) at the collector to maximise the efficiency at that end, but it needs a higher difference at the calorifier end. Then, as the calorifier heats up, the temperature difference will drop.

From what I've read on the manufacturer's site, the output of the 12-tube collector is 422 watts in full sun, given a 10 degree temperature rise. To get this temperature rise from that amount of power would imply a flow rate of only 0.6 litres per minute. Alternatively, the 12litres/min flow rate you're getting from the pump would produce a rise of only 0.5 degrees.

Is this to do with the problem with the solar heater? If so, one way you might be able to slow the pump down would be to use a timer circuit to give (say) a 5-second pulse every 20 seconds and use that to drive the pump via a relay. This would allow the pump to run flat out but only for a quarter of the time, thus giving an overall flow rate of around 3l/min.

You've just pointed to one of the most popular forms of identity fraud - find somebody about the same age as yourself but who died at a very early age, then get their birth certificate. Bingo - instant alias. I don't know whether this has finally been closed down but I do know it was definitely possible long after it was brought to the public's attention in the Day of the Jackal. It's in the nature of paranoia that the fear is irrational. As the threat definitely exists, I can't see that the fear of it is irrational. Given that the cost of a crack habit runs into hundreds of pounds a day or more, there are plenty of people very highly motivated to steal as much money as possible from as many people as they can, by whatever means they can. That's not paranoia - that's just how it is.

The problem I had wasn't on the internet - it was in real life. A friend came to see me one day and I wrote something down for her on the back of a card. On the other side was my name and a message saying that British Gas had called while I was out. She took it home and must have left it lying around because some thieving little scrote (she hangs around with some pretty evil characters) got hold of it and went through the telephone directory calling everyone with my name until he found me, pretending to be from BG and asking whether an engineer had called in the past few days, and whether they had left a card. It sounded dodgy to me so I phoned BG and they told me that nobody had called me. As a result I changed my phone number, went ex-directory and had to warn my bank, building society, credit card company, credit reference agencies, anybody I could think of that somebody (I've a fair idea who it was) was trying to get at my personal details. I now shred every piece of paper I get with my name on it. Makes life more difficult at times but it's well worth it for the extra security.

There are a couple of threads around at the moment that ask for names, streets etc. - probably innocently - but I avoid anything like that for the obvious reasons. There was another one a few months ago asking what was number one when you were born and at various other significant dates. By looking at the exact dates for these records, you can work out each person's date of birth to within a couple of days either way on average. I've never given away very much on the forum about myself because my paranoid attitude to security has already prevented an attempt at identity theft on at least one occasion. I've never tried to hide my identity when I've met forum members in person, but I'm very aware that anything on here is visible to the whole world, so I prefer to remain anonymous in my public posts.

There's a row of links towards the bottom of each page that select the different display options. It's easy to click one of these by accident and change the way posts appear without realising what's happened. I think I did this a couple of times before I noticed the links.

It does seem strange to take 12V from your batteries, via an inverter to get mains voltage, then go through a transformer to get 12V again. One reason is that the 38A will give rise to a pretty big voltage drop over the length of a boat, which means you'll need much heavier wiring. Another is that the battery voltage is liable to vary depending on their state of charge, or whether they are being charged, and the equipment connected to it may not work over the whole range of voltages. It will often be better in practice just to power everything off the mains, even if it is rated at 12V.

However, on 4th June, you said before leaving for a while and becoming a moderator on the justcanals forum. So, which is it, Mark, are we too serious, or not serious enough? Or maybe there's a different reason for your little hissy fit. Let's see... On June 9th, you said (on the justcanals forum) "I plan to pull the pins soon and start the long trudge to the Fens..." and on Friday morning, on the same forum, you said "...Still on the GU at moment but pulling the pins today." So, it seems you're off on an extended cruise anyway. Nice of you to stop off here to make your first post of the month. Bit histrionic, don't you think, flouncing in purely so you could flounce back out again in a huff. What was the purpose? Perhaps you were hoping that some of the people who unhappy with aspects of this forum might follow you out and join justcanals instead? On Friday, purely by coincidence, we also received our first posts for some considerable time from the justcanals site's owner, Sam. Seems he's going away this week too. Maybe you're bothered that, with Sam away, it will just fall to bits and we'll all forget about it. Has that happened before, by any chance? Don't get me wrong - you're perfectly entitled to start or join another forum if you want, and good luck to you. It's the apparently devious, manipulative and, on at least one previous occasion, downright dishonest way that some people seem to like to do things that I find most offensive. It's up to each person reading this to make up their own minds what they think about this; I've just presented things the way I see them. Or, to put it another way,

Oh go on then - Yes it does.

Blood in the water isn't really a problem as there are no sharks near Kensal Rise. Won't do the prop any good, though.

This forum is becoming a joke. No it isn't Yes it is You lot will argue about anything No we don't Yes we do I agree No you don't You lot are just a clique No we're not, are we Dave? No, that's right, we let anyone in, not like that other lot - they're a clique. We might be a clique but at least we don't argue all the time Yes you do No we don't et cetera et cetera Yes you're all perfectly correct - you're entitled to your opinions, and you do have a right to express them pretty much any way you want. A right, mind you, not an obligation. You also have a right to keep them to yourselves when you have nothing to say. Improves the atmosphere no end, sometimes...

In fact the reverse appears to be happening - Carl seems to be flouncing around other threads in his new petticoat as well!

You can find pretty much the same dicussion of "go live" (minus Philip Schofield) here.

I've just had a look at this and it seems very expensive at £210. You should be able to get a run-of-the-mill engine starter for a fraction of the price. The only advantage of the Freeplay one is that you can charge it by hand (well, foot) It's capacity isn't that great at only 7AH. All in all, I'd avoid it unless it really is that important to have a purely manual power source. (Or try to find one on eBay).

The phrase "go live" does not mean "start". It means "complete a period of preliminary testing and begin active service". That's why Blackrose's sentences don't work. I can see the irony that Neil is pointing out, since the tendering process is itself supposed to be a trial, but to describe it as "going live" implies that this will become the standard way of doing things. Perhaps he's being overly touchy about it but I'm sure that I would be too in his position.

I'd consider more options for heating and hot water. You might find the solid fuel stove would struggle to heat the whole boat (depending on length), so you could consider a back boiler from the stove or some form of central heating. A calorifier would also give you hot water from the engine. I think the most important thing about planning living aboard (particulrly if CCing) is flexibility e.g. providing mains electricity when there's no shore power, or at night when you can't run the engine. Also a stove with a back boiler might not be a good source of hot water in the middle of Summer. As Keith said, the basic requirements are pretty obvious, what complicates things is providing a level of sophistication. Tony