Bobbybass

Where is this place..you put your boat..that I would not dream about..? Bob

I dont like being wound up !! If you look at my profile picture..you will see I have 'people'... I could send them around to sort you all out !!! To Sangria... Bob

That was interesting. Maybe I have worked it wrong..but taking an area like Derby..it showed that in summer months I would be just as well keeping my panel flat..instead of angling it ? I tried the different theoretical angle figures..and for all the hassle of tilting and angling...any gain was marginal..? Am I reading that wrong..? I was thinking of changing the mounting arrangments this year you see... Bob

I have...something like this...although not this version : http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Mobile-Amplifier-Repeater-Dual-Band-GSM-900-3G-2100Mhz-/300524030122?pt=PDA_Accessories&hash=item45f8a0c8aa There's a YouTube link...but then you probably haven't got fast enough internet to see it !! ( I jest ) I paid about £400 for it...well its only money.. Amazing bit of kit...I have a small aerial in a cupboard in the lounge which picks up from the internet dongle or phone... I put up a mast outside...which has hulking great cable on it about 12mm thick !! It then retransmits the signal to and from the mast.. 3G...everywhere.. its not 'locked' so sometimes nearby boaters benefit. Probably illegal..but most good and fun things are...(drat..where did I leave my blow-up sheep ??) At a price... Depends..just how serious you are....or silly...as some of you will not doubt say.. Is it cold in England..? The Bob-father

Best to stay out of bed...you may find a horses head. The Bob-father

I didn't get where I am today..without..'people'. If I have problems..my people...see your people... I dont need to come back...or get my hands dirty. Here's to Sangria. Bob

It is difficult to really put this on paper because you can mull over the figures...and still be unsure if its right for you. I did this...and eventually splashed the cash...and have been very pleased.. I have two 120w panels...so 240w..but only 'in theory' I don't angle them as I have fixed them flat for security......and the maximum I have seen on the guage is a charge rate of 16 amp/hours on a nice sunny day and not under trees. I have three domestics...and use fairly heavily...as I watch satellite TV until late at night...and run an internet upload/download amplifier and mast...and laptop. We get up at 9am..lazy us...and I run the Eberspacher for hot water..( so I dont annoy neighbours with engine).which draws initial 20Ahr...and then about 8Ahr..and we watch TV again for an hour or so...but the panels are helping to take some of the load..so once again..difficult to calculate as they directly run the items..whereas is you took that same power from the battery it would take much longer to put it back.. This is worth thinking about...and throws the calculation a bit. I find that...especially during summer months...the sun has been up for a few hours..(please !!) ...and by 9am has already put back a lot of the charge.. If we moor up for a few days...and maybe go into town...during a sunny day the panels will run the fridge (once again..the fridge will be directly powered..and so you do not have to put back a lot of power to replace that drawn from the batteries) and fully charge the batteries ready for the evening.. I monitor this by occasionally starting the engine...as I can tell by the alternator charge rate...how much the batteries need.. No solar power..(dull day).and the morning initial charge would show as about 80Ahr... I moored at Thrupp for 5 nights (on the 7 night spot) and I had to run the engine for about 2 hours for that total period !! A nice saving...but of course overcast would have brought it down.. There is also the consideration that all this 'part charging' may damage the batteries..but I seem to be OK. I am pleased...and with rising fuel costs think it is a big saving..but difficult to quantify just studying figures.. Hope this helps. Bob

Maybe...what I said earlier was misunderstood..? I said..that there may be people here that will know where...or who you are.. That may of may not be true...but what I was really meaning is just that.. That we all like to think that we are all nice folk here...but how do we know that license evaders...overstayers etc...are not forum members..? I'm sure there are people who do not like your attitude at all...and I think it is rather brave of you to make yourself a martyr Like people who post photos of there boat and tell where you are moored etc.. I urge...caution... Bob

Overstayers under the bed...? People threatening...? Moderators are all 'against you'.. Hmmm..? Aren't there classic symptoms here...? Bob

Hi Heff.. I think a real point that I would like to make is that.. On Feb 2nd..Punxatawney Phil..the groundhog...missed the shadow...and forecast an early spring ! Now that..is my kinda groundhog !! Bob

Hey Cots !!! Great words of wisdom. I always respect 'travelled' people.. Bob

Great idea.. I'm in Calpe..Costa Blanca. I dont stay in UK in winter its too cold. I squeeze my tenants...until they squeek...and then use the money to live it up here... Bob

What a strange fellow..? I guess it takes all sorts to make a world.. Good job the moderators don't knee jerk to every paranoid person that sees..'overstayers' under the bed... You go for it old bean... You stand up...and be counted... Tee hee... Bob

Aha...they know..thats why the towpath walkers have the little screen things. They have satellite locking...so they enter your boat number...and it records you at a location..? The last thing BW want is people to start sending reports. If you email..they can pretend they lost it...but type a letter...they have to make a paper file...and then put it in a cabinet... I think it will end in tears...I am having them right now over my sangria ! Bob

You accusing me of being threatening from this...? Are you....paranoid...? Are there...overstayers...under your bed.....? He hee.. Bob

The thing is..that BW will not really give a toss. I agree with the earlier people that you have nothing better to do...a curtain twitcher of the canals... At present I am in Spain..Hmmm..its warm here... Yeah...I could waste my time and money sitting in my old house curtain twitching...OR...I could just say...'nothing I can do'...so just move on...chill out...relax... The system...is the system.. Just chill man... Chilled. Bob

How many boaters is that then..?... I'm interested.. When I ran my companies..you'd get emplyees would say to me..'loads of people'.. They could never quantify that really.. You may only have a few friends...and 'very many boaters'...may be 2...! Bob

If you look above this thread...under 'Council Tax'..you will see that lots of boaters are volunteering to add...council tax to that bill as well

There are guidelines and regulations. The thing is that councils are so cash strapped...they will 'try it on..make up some rules..' and squeeze you for cash...that is what is not fair. A friend of mine has just been through this with nursing care for his 95 year old father. You can't tell me that Brighton Council..have not dealt with this before..but it took him to print out info from the government and NHS website...to get them to admit his case and help him. He was very upset and very vulnerable and they played on that.