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bill brown
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Posts posted by bill brown
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I've had one too. My advice would be not to click on any link within the email as such things tend to report back to confirm you exist and then you can expect more of the same. The email address I use is unique to my Canalworld account which indicates their (Canalworld) address book has been hacked.
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On 18/06/2019 at 23:11, bill brown said:
If you have an unlocked router you could try Smarty (google it) It's part of Three and offers a unlimited* pay as you go sim for £25 per month, just a few quid more than a 12/24 month contract. The sim works in phones and mobile routers and its easy to cancel if you find its not for you.
* They say unlimited but it's actually a maximum of 1000GB per month. No throttling though and the speed is fine for the likes of Netflix etc. with a decent signal.
PAYG unlimited is now £18.75 per month.
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If you have an unlocked router you could try Smarty (google it) It's part of Three and offers a unlimited* pay as you go sim for £25 per month, just a few quid more than a 12/24 month contract. The sim works in phones and mobile routers and its easy to cancel if you find its not for you.
* They say unlimited but it's actually a maximum of 1000GB per month. No throttling though and the speed is fine for the likes of Netflix etc. with a decent signal.
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I use a waterproof Tracer that sits in the engine bay, seems very efficient and built like a tank. Available from Bimble:
https://www.bimblesolar.com/offgrid/mppt/Waterproof-Tracer7810BP
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My previous flexi panel was stuck down with Sikaflex which was a bugger to remove when I need to do some roof maintenance. My new panel is held on with magnets which have enough force to hold it down securely whilst still allowing easy removal and in addition leaving a small air gap to help prevent overheating which is one of the drawbacks of stuck down panels.
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3 hours ago, jonathanA said:
a small queue of boats forming and number winding nearby
This does seem to happen every bank holiday. For boats less than 50ft it's fairly easy to turn around using the slipway
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47 minutes ago, jonathanA said:
Wasn’t that impressed with bimble or solar photonics that a lot on here rave about
slightly worrying that only 2 quite old reviews for these ones
I'd be more worried if there was a couple of dozen reviews. I did have a 100w flexible solar from Photonic Universe until recently* and it was pretty good, although it did cost £180
8 hours ago, Sea Dog said:The link would have revealed all...
5 years workmanship and 25 years output. There's even a 5 star review from a bloke who fitted them on his narrowboat in November.
What isn't clear is if they have bypass diodes to help with partial shading that is often hard to avoid for boaters.
From what it says here it seems they do have bypass diodes, just not the best command of English but then my Chinese ain't great.
*I detached it from the roof to do some painting and it blew into the canal ?. Very light piece of kit ? just not light enough to float.
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58 minutes ago, Sapphal said:
About the same price as Bimble then. I know who I’d rather deal
The Bimble flexible panels cost significantly more I think.
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Is anyone using Dokio flexible solar panels. Amazon are currently selling 400w worth for £260 which sounds like a bargain. I'm wondering how reliable they are.
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Thanks Tony. That's very helpful.
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Just had the engine serviced by RCR and was advised there was some water contamination when he checked the gearbox, a Baysan M30. "Give it a flush and replace the ATF" he said, I nodded. It's only after he'd left that I'd wished I'd asked a few more questions*. For instance which engine flush? I visited my local Halfords today and there's a whole shelf of 'em. Secondly I know where to pour stuff in and drain stuff out but how long do I leave it in for and should I run the engine a bit first? Lastly (for now) should I be replacing it with a particular ATF or are they all much of a muchness. The Midland Chandlers site specifies Shell Donax TF which I believe Shell no longer make.
I await some sagely advice
*I did ask him a lot of questions btw during his 2 hours in the engine bay and he was extremely helpful and patient.
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6 hours ago, David Mack said:
Really? That website is for a company which claims decades of experience, is based in Abu Dhabi, and doesn't seem to offer anything remotely of interest to the type of boater who reads this site.
The website seems to be one of 36 domains registered by V V Thomas in Perumbavoor India https://domainbigdata.com/gmail.com/mj/3igqTwRVN8taL8EDI4XKew
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Aqua Narrowboats have a sponsorship scheme https://www.aquanarrowboats.co.uk/sponsorship-faqs/
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30 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said:
Following the 'we need a new rule thread' maybe an 'old rule' needs revising.
Amend
"failing to plan is planning to fail" to read :
"Failing to plan will have absolutely no effect on how successful your canal journey will be."
Very true in our case. This year we planned to do the Cheshire Ring, visit Chester and sail into Liverpool. Scuppered by the Marple lock fiasco, the Middlewich breach and the Waddicar culvert.
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Levels very low at bridges E and F close to Stanley Dock this morning note the traffic cone giving a handy indication of depth.
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1 hour ago, Aguila said:
Just to add to the problems at Melling, a stolen car was dumped in the canal overnight.
My heart goes out to anyone with a boat stranded on this stretch. I'm wondering if insurance would pay for a lift out (where possible) in such circumstances? This video shows the state of the dumping problem
Makes me think it's going to take more than 6 weeks to sort out.
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Booked the link for 8 August - here's hoping
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3 hours ago, dmr said:
The London show is a bit neither one thing or the other, funny location and not really water based. Southampton is a crap city but it does a good boat show. Didn't Liverpool try to do a show a couple of years ago but it never really got off the ground??? I suspect giving up on London and doing a really good Northern event in Liverpool might be the way to go.
................Dave
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We have two Crewmaster Crewfit 165n, they're fairly light and comfortable, I wouldn't consider doing the Ribble or Liverpool Link without them.
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39 minutes ago, TheBiscuits said:
That's a good thought. If you don't need to commute into Liverpool until Autumn CRT do winter moorings in Salthouse Dock at cheap rates too, but you are stuck there October till March.
Stanley Dock also have moorings https://stanleydock.com/marina without the winter movement restrictions of Salthouse I imagine. However again probably not cheap but only a 5/10min bike ride into the city centre.
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41 minutes ago, vonBenningen said:
Yes it's right at the entrance to the Kennet
This is my feeling exactly - could end up with problems down the line. Then again, I don't want to stay in one place anyway
Here's the link to the listing, btw. https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Old-Viking-Houseboat/253467127282?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2060353.m1431.l2649
Certainly doesn't look like its had £1000 spent on it. No sign of any fire extinguishers which is a BSC fail for starters.
Folding bike
in Boat Equipment
Posted
Have a Brompton but when I travel I have a Tern Uno padlocked on my cruiser stern. 20 inch wheels feel safer on the towpath, still folds quite small though obviously not as elegant as the Brompton. Single gear and a back pedal brake that takes getting use to but is a skill easily acquired, low maintenance and sturdy. Can usually pick them up on Ebay for around £200.