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Bobbybass

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Everything posted by Bobbybass

  1. Bluetooth eats the battery anyway. I always disable it when not in use. Bob
  2. My wife and I can both swim....but...we ALWAYS put them on just before locking. Figure if you hit your head you may stand a chance and it may bridge the gap if you fall in and the boat moves towards you. Bob...whi lives in hope.
  3. Hi.. Please excuse my ignorance here.... What is the procedure for the lift...and the river ? My wife said ' I can't see any winding points...how will we turn ?' I assume the river is wide enough that you can turn anywhere ? Does it need 'booking' ? Do I need anchor out etc as per Thames .....is there a flow ? Do we retrace our steps back through the lift and then back through Chester etc ? Thanks. Bob
  4. Do you get a loyalty card for social intercourse ?
  5. I met a guy at Watford locks 2 years back who was a professor ( I was told) and taught physics.... His entire roof was covered in large cells and he told me he had a ton of 2 volt batteries in the bottom of the boat...and a control system he had developed himself. Claimed he was reading 1 Kw/hour on sunny days. He did tell me.....that it is important that solar cells have good free air ventialtion around the back and that 'stick down' types were at a serious compromise..although convenient for boat use. I bought 2 x 120 watt panels and a controller last year.....and have been very pleased. Its difficult to quantify figures......but I do know that I moored at Thrupp for 5 days last year ...in the sun...and had to run the engine for 2 hours in that period...running fridge and satellite/ TV. It is also excellent that I can leave the boat for months and the batteries are full when I return. As I say...it is difficult to quatify...but when I go to bed at night batteries are about 12.5 volts (summer temperature) ..and run the fridge all night.. If I get up at 8am..they have been charging since the sun came up...and I can run Satellite/TV for an hour and the Eberspacher (for hot water)..whcih takes quite a 'kick' to light up and run...my electric towel rail (36watts/240 volts) and the fridge...and after an hour It's still reading 12.5 / 12.6 volts.... I can say..that I am pleased with them. Bob
  6. I have the 20 amp version..has been connected and in circuit for the past 2 years...never switched it off...although..I seem to recall the supplier saying that the switch is for an automatic nighttime bulb...and doesn't actually switch the unit off ?..I phoned and asked them this as the instructions weren't that obvious. Its designed to switch out the cells when you start up and run....and will then supplement charging...but you tend to find it switches out as the voltage and current from the alternator overide it. It also flashes (Off charge) when you stop as the battery voltage is high..but then 'kicks in' as it drops off. Bob
  7. I love the tennis racquet bug zapper.......when all bugs have been despatched...we open the doors to get some more !! Maybe.....I don't get out enough..? Bob
  8. I did find an interesting homemade unit on a US website..but can't find the link... THe guy had bought a big coil of the black irrigation hose.....about 100 feet a think..?....It was about 8mm diamter...and designed to be exposed to heat and UV rays.... He basically left it ccoiled...and placed it under glass with foil below it...... I think he reckoned that it held several gallons...and he just had this 'in line' with his hot water feed.... I do recall that he said to use brass joiners as the plastic ones didn't survive the heat... Another one on the site used the black fins from the back of an old fridge... Interesting stuff... Bob
  9. I did exactly that....knocked of the corners and stuck it into the mushroom vent...but I did put a little push switch on the grill of the vent. My lights have individual switches so I have an option of just fan. Bought the fan in a computer shop.....most of the ones that sell computer bits stock fans.....£4.20 They are all brushless as you can't risk comutator sparks interfering with a computer. Bob
  10. I'm the original poster... It was the oil cooler stack that had sprung a leak after all. Beta no longer make this 'in coolant' oil cooler...but they made one up for me using a raw water cooler and changing the end threads. I was 'told' that there are problems as the cooler sits in the coolant...and instead of cooling the oil..the coolant can make it hotter....and so the latest units are external to the engine and cooled by the skin tank return water. If I had this problem again...I would leave the 'in coolant unit' in place to block the holes in the header tank...but obtain and modify the external unit to make it fit. Doesn't look too difficult..its just improvising brackets. By the way...I was also told that one of the problems with the 'in coolant ' type that causes failure..is that the water level in the header tank has an expansion gap...and hence the cooler stack isn't evenly immersed in the water...and this leaves a corrosion line on the brass stack. I will make a point of filling the coolant right to the top of the tank when I winterise. Thanks to all who gave me advice. Bob
  11. I recently met a boater with a solar system that he had 'cobbled' together for about £25 !! Its simple and so may get very hot...but it went like this : He had bought some solar plastic water heater units from Halfords....about £6 I think he said..?.. They are basically a matt black heat resistant plastic water holder and come with a length of see through hose and a simple shower head with a push button on and off. He had linked 3 of these together and just one output hose which he threaded through an open window. Over the top of the black bottles he had a small double glazed window he had found in a rubbish skip. He claimed that in summer it gave him a very hot shower ( I can imagine with no cold feed !!) and loads of washing up water. I think he said he had to hand fill the black bottles but they held about 20 litres each and so lasted several days. I tried the hot water form the outlet...and it was very hot !! Simple idea...but worked well for him....despite his lobster shade. Bob
  12. We only move for a few hours every 3 / 4 /5 days. We use less than 30% propulsion and 70% generating etc...and that is without some usage of Eberspacher.As required, we keep very full records and were 'miffed' to be forced to sign a 60/ 40 declaration....almost under threat. I submitted my records to HMRC and received a refund cheque and a letter saying that...as had been forced to make a false statement by the seller, they woujld be investigated. Bob
  13. Probably worth checking the continuity of the wire as well as its fairly frail...should go to battery positive. I have the manual...but it shows how to install more than 'how it works'. I took mine to Cox at Atherstone and they said that: The the alternator and control box carry such lethal voltages/currents that user servicing is discouraged. Both units are also matched as well and if any components are replaced etc..then the whole setup has to be recalibrated...(they said)..hence..if you take it for repair then you need to take alternator and box. Bob
  14. This nearly happened to me last week. The bullseye is original and has been on the boat for 13 years with no problems. Along comes me...... I'm fed up with getting woken up in the morning and I put velcro pads under it and at night fix a cardboard cover onto it. This worked well ...and then last week we returned to the boat to find the smell of smouldering and a hole in the cardboard !! I have now purchased a pound shop wok to cover it from the outside. Lucky escape ! Bob
  15. I did mention this to someone else..?...there is a small fuse....5 amp that is worth checking. There is a very light weight wire...red usually...that runs from the control box to the battery positive. This wire is specified as needing a 5 amp fuse...and its often just an 'inline' type rather than on a proper panel. Worth following this wire and finding the fuse. Bob
  16. Hi... How long does it whir before shutting down...? It checks the glow plug in the first ten seconds and will immediatly close down if it is open circuit. THere is a glow plug fuse in the control box...fiddly to get at.....its about 16 amp... If it runs for...25-30 seconds it is likely to be something else...there is a flow chart in the manual that gives an idea of timings and problems. Can you hear the fuel pump start to tick ? The system checks basic electrics etc...and only starts the fuel pump if all circuits are intact and blower motor is running I would check that nobody has shut off the fuel tap....sounds stupid..but I have had that one. I have the 7 day timer....but it doesn't give fault codes..and doesn't need resetting for faults...(which I'm glad of) Hope my five penneth helps. Bob
  17. There is a small fuse that may not be obvious and is worth checking. Going into the control box is a very spindly wire (usually red) that goes back to the battery positive. It is specified that it has a fuse in it (5 amp by memory ?) You may have to start at the control box end with the wire and trace it back. There is a tendancy that this fuse isn't mounted on the panel..it is just an inline type sometimes tucked away somewhere... Often blows. Bob
  18. I have regularly transfered reg numbers....and the DVLA will not confirm which number goes back onto the car ...you have to wait for the V5. It is not automatic that it gets the original number back....most times it does....but I have had 2 odd ones.... Its a pain....as it makes it time consuming to sell the car. As for Ebay.....in my 10+ years of trading...I have seen many scams and lost money and goods with no comeback. I was 'scammed' for some coins.......as follows : A trader calling himself 'Gordon Adams' offered some nice coins. He had been trading for 2 years..had top feedback of over 100...and even had an 'about me' page on Ebay. It showed a tall white guy saying his interests were motorbikes....and showed him running marathons for charity etc. Turned out that Mr Adams was a short Asian guy operating from an internet cafe in London. They had spent 2 years setting up the scam...and then went for the big 'hit'...advertising valuable coins......many lots...and getting over £100k !! Ebay..?....not interested...(there was..small print) Paypal...?....some small print....The Metropoluitan police..?...'this happens all the time...we can't keep up with it...here's a crime number'.... Ebay didn't even shut his account down despite the police presence.....so you have NO protection there. Hopefully..your boat will resolve...but there is the possibilty that others asked the seller to deal off Ebay...( I often do) ..he could have collected several lots of £8000 already..... You sent him money despite him saying he didn't want it... if he was ever called to account for it before he emigrates (possibly)..he could just claim that he had told you not to send money and therefore did not know it was in his account.. If he did not own the boat in the first place...ie...just took a picture of a random likely boat...not too expensive that it would attract huge police investigation....you have no rights to the boat whatsoever... After all..I could do that......in fact...if I was emgrating......it seems a good plan...Hmmm..now..that sounds good... Bob (who may soon emigrate)
  19. I am an Ebay trader of over 10 years with nearly 800 feedbacks. I 'Think' you need to get moving and get your money back ASAP. This trader can start moving your funds to his bank account quite soon...and as others have said.....can then withdraw it and close it. Paypal will then be unable to refund from the bank account and will then go to a secondary source of funding which can be a fake/closed credit card. I would go onto Ebay site and 'open a dispute' which will limbo the funds for you. I 'think' this car advert is the same type of thing..... The 'personal' registration (or not as it looks) will require about 3 -4 weeks to remove from the car before you can sell it. Its present registration will stay on it until DVLA issue a new number and send a V5 document. You will be unable to confirm its new number until they have actually sent the V5 which plays for time again...as it makes it difficult for the buyer to take possesion of the car. My experiences of dealing with these problems after the event are that you are p****ing into the wind. There is much more small print in Paypal and Ebay than you ever imagined. I've lost £1600 over the years......and filed 'crime reports' which were just a waste of my time... There is no 'magic person'..in Ebay..Paypal...or the police to protect you.. Get your money back ASAP and run...!! Good luck. Bob
  20. I used ordinary laquer..which has lasted several years....but I do wax polish it occasionally to stop it 'drying out'..and going flakey. Keeps it flexible. Bob
  21. Hi...I mentioned this before..but do think about : The non-return valve is a rubber sleave with one end attached to the back of the loo and the other end going to a pipe that goes off to the tank. I initially made the mistake of pushing the solid 'to the tank' pipe ( a 90 degree angle in my case) well and truly home and then putting the jubilee clip on. This was a mistake as....if you take the valve off and put your fingers inside and feel the flap....you can only push the outlet pipe into it about 3/4 inch before the pipe starts to interfere with the flap. It is possible to get the flap 'hung up' by it getting stuck against the pipe. I put a mark on the outlet pipe so that I could push it home and clamp it up just before it interferes with the flap. I also put a mark on it to show where the top hinge of the flap is. Again..you must have the hinge at the top...or stuff will get stuck and keep the flap open. Both of these things have solved problems for me.... Bob
  22. Airports....people buy houses cheap as they are on the flightpath...and then complain they are in the flightpath ! Bob
  23. I replaced my flexible loo pipes with solvent weld. Any chemicals at all can start flexibles smelling as it breaks down the surface. I also removed all the 'white' flexibles (short link pieces where solid couldn't be used ...ie to absorb impact from collisions) and replaced with a type of double rubber pipe which was much easier to work with..and is used by Rose Narrowboats on their hire fleet...where hirers shovel all manner of bleach etc down the bog. I feel confident that the solvent weld can cope with an occasionaly Harpic to remove limescale....and I soaked the flappy valve in neat Harpic for a week to remove limescale....no obvious affect on the rubber of that...or damage/ corrosion from the hinge. THe ss parts of the macerator should be OK as well. I woudn't 'Harpic' all the time...but once a month should be OK. Bob
  24. The only valves I have are in my wireless. My Skoda is 12 valve....8 in the engine and 4 in the radio.. Bob
  25. I don't seem to get the problems others have. I have a D5W whcih has given good service for 13 years. This year I had a failure of the turbo fan...so I have a guy I found on Ebay..who sells secondhand bits..and got one for £70 I had previosuly bought a complete sandblasted body and insert on Ebay for £30...so when the fan went..I just removed the parts from mine and built it up on the new body..really easy...took about 2 hours... It doesn't have 'seals'...so I don't know what seals you are talking about ? THe insert fits into the body ..metal to metal...and is held with a clamp...no seals ? THere is a small silicone washer seal on the temerature sensors..maybe you mean that....a 10p part. I run it on the usual grotty red diesel and I only use the boat for the summer...so the diesel is pretty old...very old in fact. I use it every morning in the summer for bathroom radiator and hot water.. White smoke sometimes turns up if the unit is not used that much as unburnt diesel can get into the exhaust..and you need to burn it off...seems scarey but its not really... Also.....I found that the glow plug fuse holder isn't that good...and can leave the glowplug vibrating on and off and this leads to sudden ignition of excess fuel and can give white smoke. I ran heavy cables outside of the control bos and have an external fuse holder whcih now doesn't vibrate and makes the glowplug much more reliable...This is..in fact....an excellent modification if I do say so myself. You can tackle a strip down quite easily....I did it with no knowledge and no book... Go on....give it a bash (but not with a hammer !!!) Bob
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