markeymark
Patron
-
Posts
147 -
Joined
-
Last visited
-
Days Won
1
Content Type
Profiles
Forums
Events
Gallery
Blogs
Store
Posts posted by markeymark
-
-
3 hours ago, Arthur Marshall said:
According to several recent reports (how accurate I don't know) volunteers are already taking action by spreading poisoned meat on beaches and in parks. The only real answer to dog mess is fewer dogs.
I am a dog owner and have been for decades. The answer to fewer dogs is compulsory speying and a crack down on breeders who are only in it for the money. I worked in Spain as a volunteer with abandoned dogs and some of the dogs came back time and time again as their owners were clueless about looking after dogs. here I meet people on a regular basis with dogs imported from Greece, Romania, Spain etc some of which are seriously ill and die within months because the importers dont care . There appears to be little or no control over this issue......its a ' free-market' problem that has caused it...lack of regulation,lack of oversight and those if us with dogs that do not cause problems are tarred with same brush which is highly unfair
-
On 12/03/2022 at 12:34, PCSB said:
Someone I know uses the heat logs from a company called Lekto Fuels (I think ... defo Lekto something). He seems to rate them - I've not tried any yet but they seem a tad expensive to me.
I went to buy 250 Kg of heat logs from Corby and they were for sale on ebay as Eco heat or something like that . However, they produced black smoke and blocked the chimney and then I noticed bits of black plastic in the logs so I stopped using them. I called the company and they told me " Sorry but some plastic fell into the mix "(which is basically compressed sawdust) so they asked me to return them which meant cost to me. I traced where they were made and spoke to a guy who would not give me his name and he told me it was a common feature. I then told Trading Standards but heard nothing. Some months later I was in Loughborough talking to some boaters and saw a heat log lying next to the boat and asked what they thought and they told me they had bought some from B&M but they too had finely ground (and not so finely ground) plastic in them and so they wouldnt use them. There are appears to be no checks and balances on these things so check first..break open a log and inspect it and if you find plastic in it , raise hell !!
-
4
-
-
15 hours ago, Graham Davis said:
Monbiot currently has a bit of a downer on this area, and many here who know about these things don't hold him in very high regard.
As far as I can see the problem, especially with the Severn at the moment, is that we have had an extended period of rain, prior to last week, and this has left the ground waterlogged. This can be seen on nearly every country lane where there are run-offs from fields, streams running more than normal, and even springs showing that have been dormant for years. All this shows that the water table is higher than normal. (*) Then we got a rain storm on the weekend the like of which I have nver seen before around here; you couldn't even see across the road at the front of our house at one stage and that is less than 20 metres to the hedge opposite. That water had no-where to go other than downhill into the already swollen river. Result the river level rose very quickly.
People locally are complaining that the Clywedog Dam should have stopped this, but they have been running water out of there continuously for the last month, and the level was some 2 metres down, but by Sunday morning the Dam had been overtopped and was most spectacular. One of the lcal engineers from STW thought it was overtopping by more than 300cm.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clywedog_Reservoir
(*) Another example is a friend's bore hole, where the water was actually coming out of the top of the hole, something he had never seen before.I am not sure that people who dont like Monbiot are correct. Monbiot is one of the best environmental people in the UK and sees everything in totality...i.e. cause and effect. The floodings we have had are not necessarily caused just by UK failures in planning and lack of mitigation but by global events linked to climate change and our rapacious attitude to consumption is one of the causes. It is payback time and long overdue. We have had millions of chances to change the system over the last few decades (not just in the UK) but consumer capitalism has trumped any other ideology and for the moment will continue to dominate our actions and so we can expect even more problems in the future. I was campaigning on this in the late 80's and was told I was talking rubbish , that i was probably a communist and should get a job ( I did have a job on energy policy that was stymied by Thatcher). The right-wing media will blab on about the climate whilst advertising useless junk in their papers that only makes the matter worse...and people fall for it. You may not like Monbiot but to be honest, no-one likes to hear things that suggest they change their way of life.
-
1
-
-
9 minutes ago, Mike Todd said:
Hopefully he did so under the supervision of the water management team - otherwise how would he know whether or not his actions would cause even worse problems down stream, depending on how quickly he flushed it away?
Little mention on this thread about the causes of flooding, I note. In yesterdays Shropshire Star commentators were saying that since the floods of 2000 nothing has been down in Shrewsbury about the floodings...no defences at all as witnessed by the photos. Even In Ironbridge the defences were barely adequate and still houses were flooded. In the meantime the govts austerity programme has gone ahead enriching the MPs whilst everyone else suffers. Decades of wasted time despite warnings from scientists about increased storms and rain and in the meantime floodplains built on and developed to enrich house builders. For the victims of flooding higher insurance premiums and lowered house values and a huge cost to the environment as people have to replace their furniture etc with new ones...only making the problem worse and increasing CO2 levels. Its the perfect feedback loop that maintains the GDP at the cost of peoples wellbeing.
-
2
-
-
i spent many years as a logistician working with cold-chain for vaccines in Africa. what I learnt from that was that if you apply a demand-side management approach to any problem as opposed to supply -side management you will save money and effort. What this could mean in your situation is this; what is the minimum amount of energy i would need to USE to fulfill my objective? This is not just the solar power output but the time that you need to use it. E.G how long is the longest time away from your base when you need to use the freezer? if you do a logistics plan then could you stop at places with 220V and use that power to top up your freezer, store specimens etc and REDUCE the energy that you need. whilst travelling? How long does the specimen need to be in the freezer? can you do on-site analysis and REDUCE the needs of using the freezer? can you use an AC/DC model for flexibility so that you can switch energy sources as required? How often will you be going to the lab with your specimens and so how do you mange that more efficiently? I find that supply-side requires a larger input and expense and a good logistics plan based on minimalism works better. If you are in a long boat then how about building the insulation into the boat so that you can drop the freezer/cooler box into it and use the smallest freezer/cooler so as to save space, weight and power use. good luck
-
Funny that as i was just watching Shipbreakers on Utube last night and wondering why they dont cut the ship sides into slabs to make into bridges, tow them by barge and haul them into place...save a lot of work and be a good form of recycling especially as the price of steel seems to be so high right now.
-
1 hour ago, markeymark said:
this just shows that anything is possible if the people want it...but there again the Dutch are far ahead of the Brits when it comes to positive change
-
1
-
-
26 minutes ago, Stroudwater1 said:
Oh dear, an oversight- how unusual- apparently to get plant to the lock that needs repair requires closing the whole canal. Similar when reopening the lock for three days. Then it’s closed each morning for a short time. Who would imagine such a thing?
Anyone round there knows if that’s the true picture? We were hoping to get to Rugby on Friday 😕https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/notices/19637-lock-4-hillmorton-oxford-canal
At the bottom of the advice it states that as it is a double lock then access will be still be available....i.e. only one half of lock 4 will be closed
-
18 minutes ago, Arthur Marshall said:
The long term idea would be to make more of the city car free, which would presumably save money in maintaining roads as well as making it a less polluted place. Nice idea, saving the planet etc. Shame nobody really wants to, but it's only the ratepayers money, after all, and it's a lot more fun to organise than just getting the bins emptied.
-
1 hour ago, Seajays said:
Could be worth a try, yes
Its a long way away but I have been told that there is a place in Braunston that fixes fridges and probably does plenty of boaters frdiges but i dont know the name of the company....sorry
-
1 hour ago, Arthur Marshall said:
If that was the case when bringing a boat back from any other country, then it was already written down. If people don't do their research, they can't complain. Bank accounts have been closed, I believe mobile phone roaming charges have changed, you have to be in a different line at customs - all just regularising the changed national position. I'm sure readers of other papers than mine can tell me what advantages individuals have gained from the change, and what's got cheaper, easier and quicker (mine seems not to have spotted much). For us boaters, of course, we no longer have the threat from the EU of banning the use of red diesel for propulsion, so we win there. Don't we?
Pretty sure I read in another thread that we will have to pay duty on red from 2022 in the UK...or red for boats will be replaced with white....Alan may know the answer to that one.
-
Just now, Athy said:
But we have been told on here several times that good boats are selling within days - or even, though it's hard to believe, within one day. So in two weeks' time, the one you were interested in could be gone.
This might be true.....but how do you quantify a 'good boat' ? A broker will tell you that all boats are good..its what they do to make a living ! For a first time boater buyer its a minefield
-
On 18/02/2021 at 13:19, OTL said:
Hi All,
My partner and I are going to view a boat that we intend to purchase as a liveaboard sometime soon in the coming weeks. Apparently brokerages are permitted to opperate for the sake of liveaboards during the lock down.
We're currently based in Brighton but will be going up to Coventry to view this boat. This is obviously a very long way for one boat which we might not like the feel of in person. Can anyone suggest any other marinas in the Crick area aside from ABNB, Braunston Marina, New and Used Boats? I feel our options will be limited due to the pandemic. All the big names seem to have little to offer in terms of choice.
Thanks very much
A fiend of mine bought a boat from ABNB some years ago. They were obsequious to him when he visited to look for a boat, but once he had paid for the boat they made him wait months for all the paperwork. I went with him to give moral support and they were evasive and disinterested. Be aware that some of these brokers give NO after sales customer service. Once they have the dosh they lose all interest in you. I bought my boat off a broker but was lucky that they did actually care...but it was not near Crick
-
My only advice is that a fridge (high energy consumer) is superfluous when its cold. I have a rat-proof metal box on the foredeck with cheese, milk etc. in so cut the fridge out for 4-5 months of the year. In the summer when there is often too much solar then I use the fridge.
-
1
-
-
On 20/12/2020 at 20:35, ANarrowEscape said:
Hi all I'm relatively new to boating. I've done some YouTube "research" and have followed a few people previously. Anyway, does anyone know of a good 12v projector? Amazon is a little vague of voltage of them, but the pics tend to show a figure 8 mains lead.
I've got a big white wall, and before I paint it I thought it might be a better option than a 12v TV?
I have a Toshiba LED projector, bought it second hand for 100 quid. It is brilliant, runs on 15V DC so I use a transformer ( 12-15V) and it uses only 35W. It has a VGA cable for a laptop and also a USB for slide shows. I never buy anything from Amazon..been boycotting them for 20 years for all their unethical transgressions...but it looks like ethical behaviour is not big on boaters priorities looking at the recommendations on here
-
Hello, I am selling an Ariston Next Evo X SFT 11litre hot water heater. This was bought in Feb but never used because it wont fit the boat. It cost over 400 quid so I am asking for any offer over 200 pounds. It was bought at the Caravan Warehouse and I have the receipt. If you want to view it then it is near Rugby and Hillmorton.
I am assuming it works but it will be covered by the sellers guarantee. One thing to note...it requires a 240V connection to fire it up and consumes 29 watts for the fan and pump.
-
2 hours ago, Cas446 said:
These units need three things, air, fuel and power to get started and to run. Assuming your air supply is okay (standard silencer, no non-standard filter element) then the other two need to be checked first.
1. Power supply is the easiest. Check the voltage at the unit and check it is closely aligned with your battery voltage when the unit is trying to start <0.5v difference and >12v at worst. Try starting the webasto with the engine running if you have no voltmeter.
2. Fuel, remove a joint between the fuel pump and unit and feed into clean and clear jam jar or similar. Start the unit and check that the fuel pump pumps clean fuel into the jar. If not check fuel filters etc., if unsure how to do this search on YouTube. If you have cleaned the fuel filters, then you need to prime, so start heater repeatedly until fuel is pumped into the jar again. You may have to remove heater fuse if the heater locks out. Once you are happy that clean fuel is being pumped reconnect hose. Start the heater with engine off and listen and watch exhaust.
3. If the heater fails to start with a white/grey smokey exhaust with pulses without smoke, then start it again as you have flame, it may start. If you have a continuous smoke stream from your exhaust, remove the air silencer, obtain a short section of hose long enough so that you can use it to blow into the heater air inlet and see the exhaust. Start the heater and when the pump starts to pump and the heavy smoke appears, blow into the hose to increase air flow into the heater, don’t go mad, just steadily exhale, if the exhaust pulses then you have some combustion, keep trying. Be careful, don't inhale, and don’t over do it.
4. If that fails, go on YouTube and find a video to service it yourself or send it to a man that can, or call in a professional.
5. If you get it started and you have not found a voltage or fuel issue be mindful that you may still have a problem. If you get it started run it for as long as you can.Search on the Land Rover Discovery and BMW X5 forums for more advice.
It seems that its sorted now. I checked the level of diesel in the tank and it was low so the in pipe was probably sucking in air so I put in more diesel and now its working again. Many thanks. Mark
-
Nice one, many thanks. I will try what you suggest. Mark
-
On 12/09/2020 at 15:15, Tony Brooks said:
Is the glow plug carboned up? Apart from that I have little experience of such heaters since a very different Webasto design was the bane of my life on a hire fleet years ago - I avoid them like the plague.
make sure you have fuel and that the Webasto inline fuel filter is clean.
I have the same problem. The unit fires up but not to full bore as it were so its not heating rads or water. Is it easy to de-carbon the glow plug oneself please?
Thanks
-
1 hour ago, robtheplod said:
It will be nice to see something come to market and be tested.... I'm holding off solar until I see how this goes as we don't need it urgently yet......
My only advice is...plan all your leccy needs as per autumn/ winter when the sun is less available and lower in the sky. If you can survive those seasons with what you need then the other seasons should be fine. I have a metal box (rodent proof) on the foredeck accessible from the front doors and keep all my veg and dairy products in it and let the outside ambient temp keep it cool...saves wasting on leccy for a fridge over those months
-
1
-
-
My Waeco peltier packed up despite keeping the fan clear of dust and cobwebs etc. so I found a metal box which I have on the front deck and keep cheese , milk etc in it and in winter it uses no leccy. Last week I approached a fridge recycling company to see if they would sell me a de-gassed fridge for use as a winter fridge (using the cold air outside to keep it cold by drilling holes through the back and putting rodent proof mesh over the back) but they told me " We are not allowed to sell de-gassed fridges" which seems a bit crazy. In the old days many houses had no fridges, just a larder but I suppose that is now only for Luddites !
-
32 minutes ago, Rob-M said:
Tried to book a table at the Greyhound for Monday night but fully booked.
Yeah, i went to the greyhound 2 weeks ago on a monday and they were booked up and told me that you have to book your table on-line or with an app to get the discounted meals (eat out to help out) so I booked on my laptop went back to the pub 30 mins later and they said we are fully booked but you can do a 'walk-in', found me a table but wouldnt give me the discount cos I didnt use their app... I was well annoyed . I had looked at their Youtube clip about how to book etc. but it didnt say you had to book the food on-line too. I have spent 100' s in that pub over time so was pretty pissed off and in fact wont go there there again. I wrote to the manager about it and he apologised but said 'You cant please all the people all the time'
-
1 hour ago, Alan de Enfield said:
I have done just that on a number of occasions, all you get is they cannot discuss these things but they will investigate and if necessary the examiner will be asked to take further training.
On one occasion they agreed that an RCD was only an advisory despite the examiner 'failing' the boat.
Yes, he nearly gave me a fail over the RCD too but then changed his mind when I told him there was never a consumer unit installed but the RCD was there to protect the 240 V supply
Just now, AndrewIC said:Can you be certain that the extinguishers you inherited were the same as those present during the previous BSS?
No, I cant be certain but somehow I trusted the vendor who had owned the boat from new and didnt seem like a shark. Unfortunately he's dead now so I cant ask him.
-
Just now, TheBiscuits said:
So you posted it on here ...
You would have to know who it was and at which end he works and what days he works there...but you are right
C&RT say don't empty your compost toilet in our bins.
in General Boating
Posted
There is a difference between biodegradable and compostable....biodegrading plastic bags simply turn into millions of parts of plastic becoming microplastics...bad for the environment, whereas compostable bags are normally made from corn starch or potato starch so are more benign. Nuclear waste is biodegradable too but that does not mean its safe....unless you wait for hundreds of years. Do keep up there at the back will you?