Posts Tagged ‘images’

Follow me on last.fm

Friday, March 20th, 2009

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Good Luck to Elliot Minor!

Monday, June 23rd, 2008

Good Luck to Elliot Minor with the Release of “Time After Time” and their Upcoming 2008 European Tour!

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Angus & Matilda

Wednesday, July 4th, 2007

The kittens have been named Angus & Matilda, and are doing very well, Esther still not keen, litter trained already – very good. Tilly is the brain, Angus well he’s just mad!

Angus
Angus Little Boy. Gus “Honeybun” for short!

Maltilda
Matilda Little Girl. “Tilly” for short.

They have their own webpages here which have been updated again with pictures taken on the 3 July 2007. It’s much easier for me to add pictures to these dynamic pages, rather than add images to the blog!

Folks in Somerset, Devon & Cornwall will understand the Gus reference! Remember the mushroom! That’s mushroom not mushrooms!

https://andysworld.org.uk/meowwww1

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Front Garden at the end of April 2007

Sunday, April 29th, 2007

A few blog readers have asked for more pictures of the garden. He are more pictures of the front garden, because we do not have a back garden!

Front Garden1
Right of picture is the pear tree in blossom. In the foreground is the Magnolia, flowering has almost come to an end.

Front Garden2
We planted 10kgs of daffodills in the lawn in November 2006, so we are waiting for them to die down, before cutting the entire lawn.

Front Garden3
Has the chimney moved?

I’ve also completed and fixed some code, I’ve been working on for months, so the pictures displayed above are thumbnail versions of the original versions which are also stored on the blog server, they are “clickable”. So if you click the pictures you will see the original images before resizing to fit the blog.

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Bug…

Saturday, October 21st, 2006

I had a blog in my blog, it would only display the first 99 images in the database, slight change to code, and problem solved, so if you saw some strange [pic] tags and no photographs, that was the bug!

Whoops….part-time programmers……I’ll take up a day job as a Lumberjack, I’m a lumberjack, and I’m okay….

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Consumer Unit Cupboard

Thursday, October 19th, 2006

The consumer unit cupboard in the kitchen hides the following items:-

  1. Incoming electric armoured cable.
  2. 100 Amp fuse. (protects the local substation or transformer from my household electrics!)
  3. Siemens Digital Electricity Meter.
  4. Horstmann Radio Teleswitch – this switches on “day” and “night” rates on Economy 7.
  5. Henley bakelite junction box.
  6. Henley bakelite Earth Leakage Current Breaker. (This actually works, but probably should be in a museum, it also has a patent number on it).
  7. Wylex six fuse consumer unit (fuse box). I’ve replaced all the wired fuses, with Wylex circuit breakers, handy when I’m completing DIY electrics in the house! No longer need to re-wire fuses with fuse wire.
  8. Mem four 15 Amp cartridge fuse consumer unit. (fuse box). This supplies four storage heaters on Economy 7.
  9. Mem single 15 Amp cartridge fuse consumer unit. (fuse box). This supplies one storage heater on Economy 7 – I don’t know which one yet!
  10. A few connectors, earth straps etc

You are probably asking yourself, why I’m detailing such a boring item, a sparky-friend has offered in the future to replace my consumer unit and wanted to know the details of what’s currently in the cupboard, there’s alot in the cupboard. I’m looking to replace all the consumer units and earth leakage current breaker with a modern Dual/Split bus, RCD/MCB MK unit, space permitting, because I cannot move any of the other items without gettting the supplier to move them! I’m also thinking of having a Generator Transfer panel installed, so I can connect my 3.5kW Petrol generator to the house supply, when the power dies, throw the switch, connect my 3.5kW Petrol generator and I’ve got power for the entire house. Just need to work out the Grounds!

Here are the pictures

Fusebox One

Fusebox Two

Fusebox Three
Original larger image

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House with a View!

Tuesday, July 18th, 2006

Just over two years ago we moved from a rural country location to a small Market Town in East Riding of Yorkshire after six years living in the country. I didn’t think I would miss the countrylife and soon got used to walking (mostly taking the car!) to the local shops. It was very convienient. But now I have a house again in the country…

Call me Joskin, Country Bumpkin or Wurzel, I don’t care, it’s going to be great to move back to the country at last!

Al’right my lover!

View
House with a View!
Original image, this will test that MaxADSL!

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Do you suffer from high electricity bills?

Tuesday, November 1st, 2005



If the answer is yes, then please read on, I’ve found an electronic wattage
and current meter which I’ve been using in my fish house for about a week, to
analyse running costs and efficiency of heaters, filters, air pumps and
compressors in order to reduce my electricity bill or possibly complete the
calculations and switch to Economy 7. I’m so impressed with this device, I want
to share my experiences with you, so you too can reduce your electricity bills.

The Wattage and current meter in use:-

 


1. Plugged into a standard UK Socket. The unit has seven modes of
operation that can be selected using the Function Button.. When first connecting
the units to AC it shows the date, day and time. This can be set using the Set
and Change buttons.

 

 


2. An electrical appliance is
connected to the socket, Voltage Display

Maximum current is 13A, 220-250v AC that can be drawn by an electrical
appliance, so this should be ample for most electrical appliances fitted with a
standard 13A plug. Mode 1 shows the present voltage (V) and frequency (Hz) being
supplied to the appliance. I’ve connected an Eheim 1260 External pond pump to
the meter for these tests. . The display shows 241v and 50Hz in the photograph.

 


3. Amps display

The present current strength (A) and the power factor received by the
appliance are displayed. The display shows 0.45A and 0.80 power factor in the
photograph.

 

 


4. Wattage display

In this mode, the power is displayed in Watts. The photograph shows 87.12 W,
this is an interesting measurement, because the manufacturer states this has a
power rating of 65 watts. I have found this mode very helpful, in checking
appliances for efficiency. You cannot always believe, what is typed on the
sticker, and certainly with air compressors and blowers, wattage increases under
heavy load and clogged air stones.

 


The wattage display has another display which is very useful, especially for
measuring Maximum wattage drawn by an appliance(s). When pressing the 2-Price
button in wattage display, it shows the maximum wattage recorded and pressing
the 2-button display again displays the date and time at which it was recorded.
The photograph shows a maximum recorded wattage of 1222W (1.2kW). This was
previously recorded when the unit was connected to a multi-channel thermostat
controlling the temperatures in six aquariums in the fish house.

 


This display shows the date and time the maximum wattage was recorded. The
photograph shows 15:56 Sunday, this coincides with me opening and closing the
fish house doors, when completing partial water changes. I’ve also now been able
to graph, temperature drops in the fish house, with external temperature outside
temperature, and add extra insulation, I’ll also be using a fan heater in the
colder evenings with a electronic plug-in thermostat, to come on to keep the
ambient fish house temperature at approx 25 degreesC.

 

 

 

 


5. Operation Duration

The total time displayed during which the connected appliance has been
switched on. If the electrical appliance draws no current, no time is recorded.
The photograph shows the multi-channel thermostat has been connected for a total
of 62 hours and 11 minutes.

 


6. kWh display

A very important mode, in this mode, the cumulative total electricity
consumption by the connected appliances in kWh is displayed. This is important
because it is this unit, that we are charged for by our electricity suppliers,
and is often referred to as the Unit charge. I currently pay 8.1p per kWh to
Npower. If the 2-Price button is selected, you can toggle between Peak and
Off-Peak settings, if you have Economy 7.In this photograph 20.38kWh have been
consumed. Most watt meters end here, but there’s more…

 


7. Electricity price per kWh

This is mode 7, but I’ve jumped to this mode for a reason. This unit, allows
you to program the cost of Electricity price per kWh, at day and night rates if
you have Economy 7. I’ve set the meter at 8.1p per kWh in the photograph. Other
current and watt meters do not allow you to set a cost, and you need to complete
the maths, not difficult, but if you have a device that can automatically
calculate the cost, and display it, you can easily see at a glance, how much an
item is costing you, and how hard it’s hitting your pocket.


8. Cost

This is what we all want to know and calculate, we can gather the the
manufacturers wattage for an appliance, calculate the kWh and complete the maths
to finally calculate the cost, BUT manufacturers specifications are incorrect,
it is very difficult to account for thermostatically controlled appliances,
aquarium thermostats and heaters, that are not connected 24 hours a day, fridge
freezers etc

 

 

Actual measurement of the appliance under test is the only true method, of
costing an appliance.

In this photograph it shows a value of 1.65 GBP, this is how much it costs me
to heat six fish tanks in my fish house for a period of 63 hours and 11 minutes,
maximum wattage recorded was 1.2kW at 15:56 Sunday 30th October 2005, when I
opened and closed the fish house door! I hope this information has been useful.

Some technical details on the current and wattage meter are as follows:-

  • Modern electronic monitoring system permits readout of electricity
    consumption and running costs of connected appliances.
  • Clear display, including actual time and day of the week.
  • Voltage and frequency display in AC volts (V) and Hertz (Hz).
  • Display of present current consumption and true power in amps (A) and cos
    phi.
  • Power consumption display in Watts (W).
  • Display of metered period in hours and minutes.
  • Display of total current consumption during metered period in kWh.
  • Display of total costs of metered current consumed.
  • Display of local electricity tariff per kWh. (user programmable).
  • Maximum power recorded against date and time.
  • Helps to save costs and electricity.
  • Maximum current 13 Amps.
  • Made in Germany.
  • Battery backup, so you don’t have to re-input date and time, price per
    kWh.
  • Available mail order from
    JLB
    Electronics
    via the Internet.

This wattage and current meter is unique, do not be fooled by cheaper units
made in China, this is the only unit that can be programmed with your
Electricity Unit charge (price per kWh, available from you electricity bill),
that will give you a real cost displayed in pounds and pence, it’s also the only
unit that records maximum power drawn, which is time stamped. I believe this is
available exclusively from 
JLB
Electronics
, but don’t quote me on that. I’ve already purchased two units.

I’m not easily impressed with electronic gadgets but this wattage and current
meter rocks big time, and "it does what it says on the tin", don’t take my word
for it, purchase one and test it for yourself. An excellent Christmas Present.

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What’s for supper?

Thursday, October 6th, 2005



An aquarist in Germany recommended that I try
Sera
Catfish Chips for Ancistrus and Pleco Catfish if I’m finding it difficult in obtaining Hikari
Algae Wafers, he has had great success with this product in Germany. Many high
quality aquarium products come from Germany, Eheim,
Tetra and
Dennerle
are just a few manufacturers,
so I’ll definitely experiment with this product.

Sera retailers in the UK are not common, but I know a place on my doorstep that
stocks Sera products. Petland, York is a
Sera retailer.

I purchased some Sera Catfish Chips for Ancistrus and Pleco Catfish, the
ingredients are very interesting because the usual marine algae and spirulina
are present, but willow wood and bark and alder wood are also ingredients. This
product will certainly help if you have no bogwood present in your aquariums for
the catfish to graze on. Many years ago, when I first saw a "pleco" in aquaria,
it was given willow wood and bark to graze on, this was before the days of any
"Algae Wafers", it was said, that chemicals in the willow made the catfish
sleepy, like an anaesthetic if they ate too much, so it was only fed in small
quantities. This is the first fish food product I’ve seen using "wood" as an
ingredient.

I offer my fish a varied diet to stop them getting hooked on one type of
food, I vary the food each day, here’s a list of the products I use:-

  • Tetra Prima.
  • Tetra Tips Freeze Dried Tablets.
  • Tetra Fresh Delica Daphinia, Bloodworm, Brine Shrimp.
  • Tetra Holiday and Weekend Food Sticks.
  • Tetra Min Flake Food.
  • JMC Catfish Pellets.
  • Barlow’s Aquatics Sinking, Stinking Catfish Pellets.
  • Nutrafin Max Complete Flake Food.
  • Aquarian Tropical Flake Food.
  • Phoenix Tropical Flake.
  • Today’s Freeze Dried Tubifex Worms.
  • ZM 000, 100, 200, 300, 400, Small, Medium and Large Granular Advanced Fish
    Diets.
  • Ruto Frozen foods, Spinach, Tubifex and Bloodworm.
  • Frozen prawns.
  • Courgettes, Cucumber, peas and lettuce.
  • Live Food when available.
  • and Sera Catfish Chips for Ancistrus and Pleco
    Catfish.

When I first started "fishkeeping", many years ago, when my Dad won a
goldfish at the Fun Fair, we came home with a glass goldfish bowl, and a
cardboard tube of ant eggs to feed the goldfish.

Tropical Fish Food Technology has greatly improved! If it had not improved, I
don’t think I would have been as successful in breeding and caring for the
tropical fish in the many years I’ve kept them. For many years I was hooked on
Aquarian Tropical Flake, not personally, but variety is the spice of life!

Go on, change your food today!

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Search Archives Button

Monday, October 3rd, 2005

I’ve added a Search Archives Button, so you can now search the archives easier, the Search Tool is in the Right Hand Margin. It looks like this:-

The format is a bit off, but I’m not a graphic designer.

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