Week of 24th July, 2006

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Monday, 24th July

It's still too hot and muggy.

But at least the other SWR meter has been delivered. Now to install it.

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Tuesday, 25th July

Mum has another appointment at the hospital this afternoon, so that's another congestion charge to pay. It's 20:30 as I type this, and I've paid up, so I'm legal - no penalty charges.

It seems that Mum's shoulder is healing well, so she doesn't have to return until after the physiotherapy, which starts tomorrow afternoon - 10 sessions, one a week. So no trip into Central London for a month or three - which is good. Not that I mind, but it's better when the weather isn't so hot.

I got the SWR meter installed in Ally today, and although the aerial match seems good, I'm not getting the power I thought I was. The meter claims 25 watts on 2 metres (down from the rig's rated 50) and 10 watts on 70 cm (compared with a rated 35 watts) This was with the meter on the aerial side of the diplexer that lets me connect the FT-817 running 6 metres to the same aerial - but running the stubby 2/70 dual band antenna. Removing the diplexer upped the power a bit - that diplexer is evidently lossy, and I can't afford that. So the diplexer came out, and will stay out, which upped the power to 30 and 12 watts respectively. Better, but not much. Next thing is to try another antenna - probably the 6/2/70 tribander, just to see if I can get a better match from it. I'll do that now.. wait a sec...

Hmmm, maybe a slight improvement in the 70 cm power, but only a watt or so. No change at 2 metres, and the tribander is 5 feet long, as compared with 18 inches or so. I'll live with the stubby - which means no problems with car park entry clearances.

Katy is back from Aber. for a month, and her desktop computer is still slow at times. Until I investigate this further, she's pinched her laptop (the Dell) back from Jenny, which leaves Jenny p*ssed. I still suspect the Kaspersky security package - the antivirus was set to (IMHO) an overly-aggressive scanning status, which I've now backed off, but the "anti-Hacker" is still running as installed. I need to fiddle a bit, to see if I can improve the responsiveness. Be it noted here, a Kaspersky-ectomy is not permitted, it would void the support contract, which has another year to run. But then...

Katy also needs some work done to her car. The garage that sold it to her neglected to provide the security key for the alloy wheels, although they claim they did. At this late date I can't prove the truth either way, but it's going to cost me UKP200 to have the old locking nuts split off, plus another UKP30 for a new set, with key. And there's a significant risk that doing this might damage the wheel, at a cost of UKP130 per each. But needs must - if Katy gets a puncture, she can't change the wheel. And a couple of loose bits need fixed, as well. My local Renault dealer (it's a Clio) can do this, without appointment, any time. And they seem to be used to it - the service reception erk had the figures at his fingertips. So probably Friday, when I'm not working, and Katy can borrow my car. But I'll have a long walk - Renault West London are several miles away.

I've sent off to Perstel for the power brick for the DR-301 DAB receiver. Should be here in a day or so. And I'm contemplating replacing the Kenwood car CD/radio with a Blaupunkt DAB35 DAB/FM/CD receiver. This one will record to SD card, all same the DR-301, but signals are likely to be better, given that you provide a dedicated DAB aerial for the Blaupunkt. Anyway, I like Blaupunkt kit - I had one of their radio/cassette units in several cars, until I 'upgraded' to the Kenwood.

I also queried Perstel about desk cradles for the DR-301, and a DAB whip - all DAB signals in UK are vertically polarised, so a quarter-wave vertical works fine. Elsewhere in Europe, DAB uses L-Band (around 1500MHz) as well as VHF (around 200 MHz) The Blaupunkt, being German, supports L-Band. Perstel do an L-Band capable version of all their DAB receivers, but they don't sell them in UK - why not? The extra cost would be minor, and you'd gain worldwide operation - in Germany, fully half the DAB multiplexes are at L-Band, and my DR-301 cannot hear them.

I'm in the doghouse with Jane. She wanted to take a weekend away for our 25th wedding anniversary, which is today. But I didn't see the point, since she didn't specifically mention it (or, at least, I don't remember her mentioning it), and I hadn't clocked the date. So we aren't going, and my name is mud. Still, I did get her a card, so all is not completely lost.

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Wednesday, 26th July

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Thursday, 27th July

Hacking through the jungle of missing material for the upcoming  (but deferred) channel migrations - they should have moved to the new servers on Monday, but that is now due tomorrow... and I'm not working! Result.

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Friday, 28th July

To the local Renault dealer with Katy's car today, where the service department manager looked at the service book for the Clio, and found a number that may relate to the key for the security nuts. He suggested ordering a replacement key (which would be available tomorrow) at UKP20 plus tax, just in case it worked, and he offered to discount the nut-splitting if it didn't. That seemed like a good idea, so I did it.

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Saturday, 29th July

Back to the dealer today, with Katy and 2 cars - I took mine just in case we had to leave the Clio.

To cut a long story short, the replacement key didn't work, so they had to split the nuts, and supply a new set. But the manager was as good as his word, and discounted the cost of the key I'd ordered. So that's a result. And Katy has stuck the label with the code number for the new nut set into the service book, so this problem should not recur. Luck held, and there was no damage to the alloy wheels.

They managed to rehang the loose exhaust (which had been banging about) and the rubber sealing boot on the front driveshaft hasn't deteriorated to a serious extent, so Katy will get that fixed when she returns to Aber. - labour charges there are much lower. But the dashboard clock display is loose, and you need to lift the top of the dash to fix that. Katy's tame garage aren't confident about it, due to the passenger airbag, so I'll get it done Wednesday.

There's no evidence of the cam belt having been changed after it's 5 year/75,000 mile life - it's time-expired (the car is 6 years old) so again that's an Aber. job.

And that should suffice for Clio servicing for some few months - please? With sugar on it?


I got e-mail from Transparent, relayed from Draytek, about a single instance of a problem with the mains brick supplied with some Vigor 2800 routers. The affected brick is the one with the interchangeable mains plug, which part has in one case fallen apart, leaving bare wires with mains voltage accessible. Mine isn't affected, but if you own one of these routers, a replacement brick is available on request.


On a whim, I investigated storage prices at another site today. I'm currently spending UKP135 every 4 weeks for a total of 50 sq. ft. of space at my present provider, but the new site will do the same for UKP 112 per month, discounted to UKP89 for the first 6 months. Calendar months, too - even better. So I'll move, and give notice at the present provider - must do that soon, so that my liability ends at next payment time, which is on or about the 21st August.

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Sunday, 30th July

We've got a Japanese student staying with us from today, for 4 weeks. This is arranged through a new organisation to us, via someone at Church - whether this person works for the organisation, or provides accommodation to them we don't know. All we do know is that the student is due today - no idea of when. Morning? Evening? Midnight?

Meanwhile, everyone is trying to blag money from me for new things. At least I've got Sarah's birthday present, via Amazon Marketplace (and on it's way) Jane's birthday present is sorted, too. She chooses, I pay - I find this works better, although she persists in asking me about clothes. And then discounts what I say, because of my alleged bias towards certain styles. This seems to be a woman thing - which I still fail to understand, even after 25 years.


And it looks as though Jane's Dad will not be coming out of the nursing home at all - Mum has finally accepted that the person she was hoping to care for isn't the man she married any more, and she's physically incapable of doing all the necessary things for him. Although that realisation has brought much histrionics in it's wake - or so I gather from listening to 'phone conversations.


We've submitted all the paperwork for Jenny's DSA grant, and the appointment for the assessment of her needs is made for the 7th of August. Remembering Katy, if they decide to recommend funded provison of kit, Jenny won't get her preferred laptop - it'll be a desktop machine. Although I may try suggesting that I provide a laptop myself, if they will provide ancillaries appertaining thereto.

Of course, Jenny's preference is an A5-size subnotebook, at a significant price premium. But she may get a standard size one with a 12 inch screen, probably a Dell - depends on how all this works out.

Oh yes, Sarah wants a laptop herself - later. But not just any notebook - she wants a "pretty" one. Luckily Acer Aspires or TravelMates fit the bill - she doesn't like the Dell machines.

And she still doesn't like watching widescreen TV pictures - even going to the extent of watching $ky via the aerial connection, where the auto format switching on the Philips LCD TV doesn't work. Now I will admit that the blink as the set switches from 16:9 format to 4:3 is annoying, but increasing amounts of material is transmitted as 16:9 - as are all adverts on the terrestrial channels, and $ky.

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