Author Topic: The Grumble Thread - No energy for a full on rant.  (Read 1576146 times)

Kim

  • Timelord
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Re: The Grumble Thread - No energy for a full on rant.
« Reply #11625 on: 10 December, 2019, 01:06:58 pm »
Ours seems to be a chip-based metal oxide semiconductor, reacts with CO and drops its resistance, cue the fearsome beeeeeeeeeep. The one the woke me is beyond its service life and I'm going to chuck it in the bin on the next trip (reading the council's labyrinthine directives on various categories of electronic waste doesn't appeal) before it does it again.

Seven-year sealed unit, which though sounds wasteful, makes sense to replace the entire thing at the end of its service life.

Unless they do a Fireangel and use a shoddy batch of batteries (or you're using it in a particularly hot/cold environment), the battery should outlast the sensor's calibration.


Quote
I think smoke detectors are still using americium, no idea how you're supposed to get rid of them.

Optical seems to be more common these days.  They just blink an IR LED in a chamber designed to admit smoke but not light, and measure the back-scatter.  They're better at cool, smokey fires, so are often combined with a temperature sensor to detect fast flaming fires with rate-of-rise logic.

Ionisation detectors have the advantage of not being triggered by dust, so are still used in dusty environments.  They're not as sensitive to smouldery fires as optical sensors though.

You also get exotica such as pure thermal sensors and carbon monoxide sensors for detecting fires where the usual ones would false-positive, such as kitchens and workshops.


I'd dispose of an end-of-life detector by opening it up and disconnecting the battery, then chuck it in the WEEE pile for wheeliebinning or fly-tipping export to China appropriate disposal.

Cudzoziemiec

  • Ride adventurously and stop for a brew.
Re: The Grumble Thread - No energy for a full on rant.
« Reply #11626 on: 10 December, 2019, 01:59:53 pm »
I've tried putting WEEE out in a open carrier bag next to the recycling, which is what your're supposed to do by the laws of the county and city of Bristle. Never gets collected.
Riding a concrete path through the nebulous and chaotic future.

Kim

  • Timelord
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Re: The Grumble Thread - No energy for a full on rant.
« Reply #11627 on: 10 December, 2019, 02:02:11 pm »
Yeah, usually what happens is it kicks around the corner of the living room for months until I'm taking something to the tip, then goes in the appropriate place.

ian

Re: The Grumble Thread - No energy for a full on rant.
« Reply #11628 on: 10 December, 2019, 02:21:39 pm »
I've tried putting WEEE out in a open carrier bag next to the recycling, which is what your're supposed to do by the laws of the county and city of Bristle. Never gets collected.

Same here, though I've seen them fling it in with the normal rubbish...

My smoke detector has a little radioactive symbol on its behind, so I presume it's using an alpha source, or it's just trying to look cool.

T42

  • Apprentice geezer
Re: The Grumble Thread - No energy for a full on rant.
« Reply #11629 on: 10 December, 2019, 02:51:04 pm »
Americium in ours.

Wikipedia tells me helpfully that it was named after the Americas.
I've dusted off all those old bottles and set them up straight

Re: The Grumble Thread - No energy for a full on rant.
« Reply #11630 on: 10 December, 2019, 09:40:40 pm »
Avanti train announcements now promote the cafe-bar in coach C. 

I've yet to check it out as I'm sure it's what Virgin used to call ye shoppe in good old Anglo saxon before these Italians were allowed it bringing their funny poncy forrin words.

Kim

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Re: The Grumble Thread - No energy for a full on rant.
« Reply #11631 on: 10 December, 2019, 10:03:20 pm »
Do they still do up-to-the-minute cafe-bar status announcements in the quiet coach?

And smell of poo?

hellymedic

  • Just do it!
Re: The Grumble Thread - No energy for a full on rant.
« Reply #11632 on: 10 December, 2019, 11:49:28 pm »
Do they still do up-to-the-minute cafe-bar status announcements in the quiet coach?

And smell of poo?

Aaah.... Pongo Pendolinos! Wheelchair bay has best aromas EVAH!

Re: The Grumble Thread - No energy for a full on rant.
« Reply #11633 on: 11 December, 2019, 08:04:19 am »
Well, they were designed and built by the French...
We are making a New World (Paul Nash, 1918)

Cudzoziemiec

  • Ride adventurously and stop for a brew.
Re: The Grumble Thread - No energy for a full on rant.
« Reply #11634 on: 11 December, 2019, 08:30:48 am »
I thought Virgin had removed most of, or at least a substantial portion of, the "aroma" by rerouting a heating pipe so it was further from the toilet tank? Whereas Cross Country hadn't applied the alteration to their Pendolinos but were making do with air disguiser?
Riding a concrete path through the nebulous and chaotic future.

T42

  • Apprentice geezer
Re: The Grumble Thread - No energy for a full on rant.
« Reply #11635 on: 11 December, 2019, 08:50:55 am »
Well, they were designed and built by the French...

For the British... ;D
I've dusted off all those old bottles and set them up straight

Kim

  • Timelord
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Re: The Grumble Thread - No energy for a full on rant.
« Reply #11636 on: 11 December, 2019, 01:27:49 pm »
I thought Virgin had removed most of, or at least a substantial portion of, the "aroma" by rerouting a heating pipe so it was further from the toilet tank? Whereas Cross Country hadn't applied the alteration to their Pendolinos but were making do with air disguiser?

I'm reasonably sure CrossCountry don't have Pendolinos.  It'll be the Voyagers, which are generally less smelly, but have exhaust-pipe-vs-thermostat issues instead.

Cudzoziemiec

  • Ride adventurously and stop for a brew.
Re: The Grumble Thread - No energy for a full on rant.
« Reply #11637 on: 11 December, 2019, 02:04:33 pm »
Oh, I'm failing miserably on rail geekery today!
Riding a concrete path through the nebulous and chaotic future.

Giraffe

  • I brake for Giraffes
Re: The Grumble Thread - No energy for a full on rant.
« Reply #11638 on: 11 December, 2019, 04:10:40 pm »
Well, they were designed and built by the French...

For the British... ;D
Golden Delicious!
2x4: thick plank; 4x4: 2 of 'em.

ian

Re: The Grumble Thread - No energy for a full on rant.
« Reply #11639 on: 19 December, 2019, 12:50:37 pm »
So, just about to leave The Asbestos Palace for the mothership when I glance across the living room and what's that, I spy, befouling my sofa. My sofa. Cat sick, that's what. What a fascinating colour you've made. I don't think it's anything ever seen in nature before.

So I clean all that up, which is as much fun as it sounds. I note I still have time to get the train, just. Arrive at the train station on time – just – so the driver, of course, waits for my finger to hover over the door button before beepity-beep locking them and then sitting there for another 30 seconds before pulling off. He could have let you on, says the platform chap, not very helpfully.

OK, I'll get the next train. CANCELLED says the board. Lack of train crew says the Southern Trains Robot Apologist. She's programmed not to laugh at our misfortune, but I know somewhere that she has a subroutine eternally dedicated to this.

Which is nice, so I can wait thirty minutes at the station listening to a soundtrack of holiday service 'alterations.' Don't plan on going anywhere by train this Christmas, basically.

hellymedic

  • Just do it!
Re: The Grumble Thread - No energy for a full on rant.
« Reply #11640 on: 21 December, 2019, 02:42:45 pm »
D is finding his keyboard specs aren't quite right for piano playing.
D's eyes were tested in October and no new prescription was needed.
I pointed out that as it was darker now, his pupils would be larger and he'd have less depth of field.
He hadn't thought of that.
D is a Physics graduate, astronomer, photographer...

Kim

  • Timelord
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Re: The Grumble Thread - No energy for a full on rant.
« Reply #11641 on: 21 December, 2019, 04:51:02 pm »
We spent yesterday loitering in Mrs Barakta's-Mum's kitchen[1].  Which, when you switch off the inadequate Dr-Biggles-installed found-at-the-back-of-the-garage flicker-o-doom florescents, is lit in a theme best described as Thatcher-era dinge.  I kept struggling to read things in a way that made me feel really middle aged.  I had to dig my torch out at one point.


[1] The living room being out of commission because the run up to Christmas is always a good time to embark on a decorating project, on account of the high availability of tradespersons.

T42

  • Apprentice geezer
Re: The Grumble Thread - No energy for a full on rant.
« Reply #11642 on: 21 December, 2019, 04:52:22 pm »
D is finding his keyboard specs aren't quite right for piano playing.
D's eyes were tested in October and no new prescription was needed.
I pointed out that as it was darker now, his pupils would be larger and he'd have less depth of field.
He hadn't thought of that.
D is a Physics graduate, astronomer, photographer...

Maybe he could get some of those stick-on lenses that turn your specs into bifocals.
I've dusted off all those old bottles and set them up straight

hellymedic

  • Just do it!
Re: The Grumble Thread - No energy for a full on rant.
« Reply #11643 on: 21 December, 2019, 05:46:28 pm »
D is finding his keyboard specs aren't quite right for piano playing.
D's eyes were tested in October and no new prescription was needed.
I pointed out that as it was darker now, his pupils would be larger and he'd have less depth of field.
He hadn't thought of that.
D is a Physics graduate, astronomer, photographer...

Maybe he could get some of those stick-on lenses that turn your specs into bifocals.

i was thinking of that but he needs the full vertical depth of the lens.

He's been to the optician and ordered new specs. He did not see the optometrist though.

I suggested increasing illumination.

He prefers a dark room and thinks the cats do too...

Re: The Grumble Thread - No energy for a full on rant.
« Reply #11644 on: 21 December, 2019, 07:02:08 pm »
Reading music is pretty demanding on visual acuity, the staff lines are fairly thin and if you see it wrong the result is disastrous - you need to read it in time, there's no going back like you would reading a book.

You are spot on about more light giving greater depth of field (from smaller pupils). More light also gives better contrast. Perhaps one of those directional floor-standing reading lights would good to light the score and not upset the cats?

Near-distance specs are very specific. I went to the optician for glasses to use for paired programming* armed with the exact eye-to-screen distance, and was given a totally different prescription to my reading glasses.


* Another activity where needing to read correctly and quickly is essential.
Quote from: tiermat
that's not science, it's semantics.

hellymedic

  • Just do it!
Re: The Grumble Thread - No energy for a full on rant.
« Reply #11645 on: 21 December, 2019, 07:31:20 pm »
There's a fairly good spotlight directed at the music desk. David tends to play without the room light on, which I'm sure dilates his pupils somewhat.

Keyboard to face distance is 75cm. His current keyboard specs are good for 60cm, which is not quite enough.

Just hope new specs do the job!

Re: The Grumble Thread - No energy for a full on rant.
« Reply #11646 on: 22 December, 2019, 10:26:36 am »

Near-distance specs are very specific. I went to the optician for glasses to use for paired programming* armed with the exact eye-to-screen distance, and was given a totally different prescription to my reading glasses.


At my last opticians appointment they suggested optimising my varifocals for screen distance, on the basis that occasional peering over the top for fine print isn’t so bad or all that inconvenient.


Mr Larrington

  • A bit ov a lyv wyr by slof standirds
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Re: The Grumble Thread - No energy for a full on rant.
« Reply #11647 on: 22 December, 2019, 02:31:52 pm »
[1] The living room being out of commission because the run up to Christmas is always a good time to embark on a decorating project, on account of the high availability of tradespersons.

My grate frend Mr Sheen has just embarked on a total kitchen refurb, which is doubly bonkers because:
  • Christmas, and
  • His stated ambition to move to Captain Cook's Mistake as soon as he's been married long enough
Although Australian politics seem to be every bit as rancid as the BRITISH variety, and the country is on fire.
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T42

  • Apprentice geezer
Re: The Grumble Thread - No energy for a full on rant.
« Reply #11648 on: 22 December, 2019, 04:38:31 pm »
At least Scummo is honest about not giving a shit about climate change.
I've dusted off all those old bottles and set them up straight

Tim Hall

  • Victoria is my queen
Re: The Grumble Thread - No energy for a full on rant.
« Reply #11649 on: 23 December, 2019, 09:24:23 pm »
[1] The living room being out of commission because the run up to Christmas is always a good time to embark on a decorating project, on account of the high availability of tradespersons.

My grate frend Mr Sheen has just embarked on a total kitchen refurb, which is doubly bonkers because:
  • Christmas, and
  • His stated ambition to move to Captain Cook's Mistake as soon as he's been married long enough
Although Australian politics seem to be every bit as rancid as the BRITISH variety, and the country is on fire.
I've just had my warm air heating and Big Gas Burner and a water tank ripped out and replaced with a Shiny! New! combi boiler. This involved a plumber and his mate the weekend before last, the plumber, his mate and two more plumbers the weekend just gone. Stuff me, they make a lot of mess. This evening I have mostly been refilling cupboards, wiping surfaces and putting things away.
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