Wittenham

would anyone know if it is practical to make one's own boat cushions [let's assume the right level of skill...]. If so, what is the view on the best source and type of foam? thanks

thanks, and it does say: Dimmable: Not Dimmable 2835SMD so I will need to give it a miss. Would you know if dimmable is available at all? And I agree that it is not much of a gradient on the dimming.

Do any of you know if there is an LED version of these halogen lights? I have a smart lighting system at home that includes dimming, etc, and have swapped most of the halogens for LED, but not sure replacements exist for these. thanks in advance

wouldn't a more meaningful comparison be made using time on the bike/in the car, rather than distance travelled?

This is not the case for Waze. Using the privacy-invading capabilities of smartphone tracking, it figures out that if all the users on one stretch of road are going a few miles per hour [or, kilometres per deca-minute, to cross threads...], there is a jam, and then re-routes you around it. The sat nag in my VW happily drives me right into it. Waze is also free [assuming you value your privacy at zero, which you must be, because you are on the internet....] and works in most of the countries I have ever travelled to. There is of course a data usage charge. That same mobile phone capability is how Tom Tom et al tell you of traffic ahead. Mobile phone companies can see that the users are all moving slowly from one base station to the next on the same stretch of road, they strip out any info that could identify a person/a number, and sell it to Tom Tom [etc].

Another vote for Waze. Brilliant in the heavy traffic of the southeast.

so you can your partner.... "about that 'working late again' story..."

depending on your settings, this can be a surprise. It works from your mobile device as well [again, subject to settings]. See your travels On your computer, open Google Maps. Sign in with the same Google Account you use on your mobile device. In the top left, click Menu . Click Timeline . To see another date, at the top, choose a day, month, and year.

and your likes and your friends and your friends' likes and their phone numbers and the number of times you called them and from where you called them and for how long and where you live and where you work and the links you clicked and the links your friends clicked and the things you bought from amazon and where you have been with your phone in your pocket and what you posted and which things you posted that your friends liked and....

as always, thanks for the helpful - and entertaining - answers. My conclusions are: - keep the SG - give away the ammeter - RTFM for both devices - despite being a volume purchaser, MtB probably does not get a Christmas card from the SG company

Promise passed its BSS resit today, trebles all around. I connected the BMV to the batteries, it reads 12.67 volts or so. I have an unconnected Smartgauge and an ammeter still in its packaging, both gifts from the previous owner. Is there a benefit to connecting up either/both of these? thanks

thanks all, very useful. For belt and braces, I will do this, as well: run a 4mm2 cable from the consumer unit earth busbar to the hull bonding point adjacent to but not concurrent with the main D.C. -ve bond.

Thank you for that. To be sure I understand, the bible of Smartgauge says: AC system and DC system If both electrical systems are installed then all of the above applies. i.e. it is imperative that both systems be bonded to the hull. There is also another scenario in this case to further convince the doubters. Assume the AC system is bonded to the hull but the DC system is not. Some equipment is connected to both systems. This sounds rare - in actual fact it isn't, dual voltage fridges, battery chargers and inverters are all connected to both systems. A fault in one of these items could cause AC mains to be presented to the DC side. If both systems are bonded to the hull, this will instantly cause the incoming fuses or circuit breakers to blow. If one of the systems is isolated from the hull this will not happen. The result will be that the DC system (which we all assume is safe to touch, and which usually has components with insulation rated for about 50 volts) will be sat at 230 volts with respect to the hull or the other electrical system. Clearly this is highly dangerous. In summary, whatever electrical system is fitted, it is imperative that the system is bonded to the hull. Is the logic that because the AC and DC meet at the Multiplus, the single earth to the hull coming from that box is sufficient? Does the answer change if I connect the Multiplus to shore power?

I have the set up below; the plan is to have the generator recharge batteries. It looks like I am about to get a sunny spot on Agenda 21, so will add solar in the near-ish future. Most of the boat, which does not have an engine, will run off DC, but the inverter will supply AC as needed. The fridge will be one of the 'needed'. I have a Victron Multiplus and have earthed it to the hull. Do I also need to earth the AC separately? thanks in advance, greg

when one of our party had a dietary requirement that needed refrigerating, i bought one of these for a back country canoe trip in Canada: https://www.basspro.com/shop/en/yeti-hopper-flip-soft-cooler The sales person said it would keep food cold for a week. He lied. But if you don't need to carry it, there are other models available as well, like https://www.basspro.com/shop/en/Cabelas-Polar-Cap-Equalizer-40-Quart-Cooler.