Looks like good weather (cold and sunny) in Staffs
I think a quick x-mas eve blast is in order

He is acting like a c@ck
Not even funny

Conti's wore out on my Mondeo after around 15K's
Got saome Michellin pilot sports on now. I've had them before (on a vectra) and got 25k out of the front set and over 30k from the rear set.

No idea of price though, as its a company car

Just listen to RATM on Radio 5 – Brill, laughed my head off.
Think I may have to start listening to 5 more often for exclusive live one off gigs!! lol 😀

….like er….Lichfield (cough) only kidding)

Lichfield is nice – I live in burton. Direct trains into Brum, good local riding. Cannock 20mins in car, 1hour on the bike. Ladybower etc just over an hour away (selling the dream!!)

I work in Birmingham – but choose not to live there.
There are some nice places as mentioned above but they all cost a fair few quid to live in.

Driving round the place is a total nightmare – and if you cycle a bendy bus WILL kill you for sure! 😉

See's got no Helmet on – she's going to die surely! 😉

IGM

The higher the voltage the better IMHO. I'm currently working on 33kV to 132kV networks.

Stoner

We have a similar probs at Higher voltage levels. One uni in Birmingham is putting in an Embedded network including generation. Our only option is to install a new 132/11kV TX (a fair few quid!!) and alot of cable work as thier proposals will push up the fault levels on our network

We are in discussion as to who is liable to pay for what – I'm just waiting for the construction job to land on my desk! (New grid TX to be installed in an undergound sub!! Lovely!) 😯

Stoner

What area are you in? What is the designers name?
Can't do much about it now as the company has 2 central design teams – on at Tipton and one nr Donnington.

When we used to do design and build at local office level we could have sorted something out for you.

Next prob you'll have is speed of connection – we were working at connection 8-12 weeks after payment (check your terms and conditions letter) Hopefully it will be quicker now. Any more probs let me know, I don't really know anyone in the east mids are but do know a few people in the west mids

Stoner

IMG is spot on with everything he has said.
To be honest if all the heating is gas then a 15kVA TX will prob take another connection at a push.

Also – ask the designer if Central Networks are still installing 25kV 1ph TX's. When I was doing design and build work in Stoke, we used to use these. With gas heating you would easily get 8 properties fed from one of these. FAiling that ask what the cost of a refurbished 50kVA unit would cost.

Another question to ask is are there any reinforcment schemes planned in the area. If work is due to take place we have often only charged for the connection – ie overhead reconductoring in the area

One more trick would be to ask the neighours if they have experience any flickering lights – this would indicate that the TX is overloaded and CN would be obliged to uprate the TX to provide as suitable supply to exisitng customer under the ESCQ regs

If you are still having probs drop another post – I have a copy of the current network design manual on my laptop and could see if the designer is actually designing a minimum cost scheme to meet your requirements

Stoner

I work for Central Networks (E.On)
I don't work for the new connections part of the business anymore but used to when I worked in the Stoke office. I used to Plan and look after the constuction of schemes similar to the one you have described.

Back then we used to have the same policy. If you require a supply and the existing infrastucture is not upto ytaking the supply then the customer has to pay part of the cost to upgrade the asset to meet the new demand requirements.

The reason why you have been quoted for a 50kVA TX is that it is the closest transformer we used to take into account the new total demand.

What region are you in?? Don't think I can let you know actual costs of our equipment and labour costs, but I can let you know if the quote is about right

I wear Lycra under my baggies – I do it because it is comfy and the baggies look better than lycra.

On another subject – Any one still wearing a one piece ski suit on the slopes? Nope – baggie stuff all the way!!

Our company runs the rule that if the car is damaged on Company Business the they cover the cost of everything

If the car is damaged during private use then there is a £50 excess to pay. This is made clear in our agreement with the company.
I doubt as a company that they have an insurance policy that has an excess as high as £250! Seems like they are taking the piss

I've just had a quote for stairs + landing carpet and underlay (inc gripper rods etc) – came out at around £375 inc fitting – from Toons nr Burton on trent.

We could have gone for a more expensive carpet but we are selling the house next year so it just needs to look good for potential buyers

rumbledethumps

We also take in Ticknall and Robins wood on our rides. Got back about an hour ago and it was pretty muddy – Bretby/Foremark/Ticknall today
First time i've been out round there in the day light for a month – mainly been night riding round there and going abit further afield at the weekends

Night riding local trails is way more fun!!! 😀
And no chance of bumping into poeple on our cheeky routes! 😉

Riding local trails on Saturday – Bretby/Burton area
Sunday – Sanding down door frames before painting 😥

Its 40quid ❗
Get some bic ones!! 😉

Never really been the target of bulling when younger. But my dad always said to deal with it the only way they understand – With fists.

When I did get into a bit of bother I used his words. Got into a fight with the bully and took him and his mate out. Got a kicking from a few of his other followers – and for that my dad grounded me for "losing the fight"

That said – whole group of "hard lads" that were giving out the grief gave me alot more respect from that point on and I was never bullied again.

We live in a far too PC world – some people just need a good punch as talking/councelling etc is just a waste of time and money

ps – bring back throwing board rubbers and rulers at kids in class – it alway got our attention when one flew passed your ear!

Not many different jobs for me

from the beginning
Paperboy
Shop Assistant
Site Worker (Working for my dad)
Overhead Linesman
Trainee Engineer
Engineer/Project Manger

Worked for the same company since I was 18 – From Linesman onwards

31…Electrical Engineer for a distribution company

(mark & lard are also a bit of a treat nowdays, also on the big R2)

Mark "Lard" Riley is on radio 6 – 7pm till 9pm Thats what i'll be listening to.

I'm 6'4 and riding a 20.5 altitude 10
They do have a compact geometry as mentioned above. I find that with my size (35inch inside leg also) the 20.5 is well chuckable but I am considering a layback post to make long rides more comfy.

I'm with coffeeking. Cheer up ffs!!!!

Im working X-mas day and don't have any kids – so its just another day for me and the missus – so not much cheer really.
Prob go out for a night ride later in the day – might put some decorations on my bike to mark the day.

😀

Totally the crane companys fault

A lift this size is alway a contract lift. They should ensure every precaution is in place before they start the lift an monitor everything during the lift.

First thing I can see is that the crane was in the wrong position making the out riggers ineffective.

I take it the second crane is rescuing the first one.

Surly HDMI cables are all the same. Analogue cables are advertised as reducing signal degradation – the better the conductors the less loss. A digital signal will not suffer this – so all should transmit the signal as good as the next one

Yes I think so – he was sat there with his mate at about 11.30 and i saw the ambulance coming the other way as i was leaving about midday. Poor fella

I went just before him in the skills are and saw him fall after coming round the burm – he hit one of the doubles abit wrong and hit the tree to the left.
Went down to see him and he was in a bad way – clearly broken something. Got him to sit down and went down to one planet to get help.

Ambulance got there and i spoke to the one planet guy and he said it was a broken collor bone and poss lower arm.

His name was Dave, local to the place and his daughter works at the cafe
All the best to him, he was on his last run too and was nailing the same jump until that point

I think it's a bit of an insult to the armed forces to think a solution to crime in this country to just enlist scum like this in to army to fight along side professional soldiers. It trivialises the job they do.

Not trying to insult the armed forces – they are highly skilled and do a great job.

My view is why risk the life of a trained solder disposing of IRD's when you could get criminals to do it while the solders stands at a safe distance radioing instuctions "Yeah cut the red wire – or was it green?"

Enlist them is the army and send them over to afganistan!!
Make them do bomb disposal – we've lost too many hard working, family men and women to a pointless corrupt war.

Why lose good people when these scum sit in shelter playing on thier play stations and getting fed by the tax payer.

I've had about enough of the system when they think everyone has rights – those rights are taken away if you take someone elese life – rehabilitation – pah, the jails are too full for that and some people will always be the same.

As I said before send them to fight this pointless war – they would not be missed

Danny Dyer will lose aload of publicity
He is the only one to shed true light on Mick Hucknall!!

Can't understand why some people are knocking someone asking for some feedback.

Yep its abit of free advertising, but who cares. Brant seems to have done it quite alot with out any probs and trout is doing it too. Fair play to all of them I say

Bump Bump

Try this web site

http://www.directdoors.com/info/diy/caring-for-your-door

We are having an oak door fitted in the next few days and were looking for a suitable finish

As ChrisE says – they recommend Sikkens

I thought he was ok
Then again I switched over from the Moyles/Scott Miles rubbish

I do like Lauren Laverne though

img

I work for Central Networks in the Birmingham area. I also do very little on the LV side anymore. I'm an SAP/Project manager on the EHV networks (upto and including 132kV) looking after maintenance and repair work (also alittle construction as required)

Im not qualified to talk about house wiring, but I am a selected person for advise on depleted earthing on distribution systems – and yes it is a black art 🙂

If you are on overhead power lines the telegraph pole will have a red label at about 3m above ground saying PME, if it can be converted

If your lucky – they get missed off all too often!! 😳

but there is nowt wrong with a earth spike as long as you have a good earth

Too true

Ask your DNO if you're PMEed and if not can they do it – can't remember if there's a charge but there probably is as they recover reasonable costs.

If you have a PME supply there should be a sticker on the cut out stating this. The fact that there is a seperate earth rod and RCD would suggest that the supply in not PME.

If you are on and underground network then a PME supply can be provided easily. However if you are on an overhead/rural feed the DNO may need to do some extra work to provide the PME system.

Can't remember if we (DNO) used to charge for this work?

Damn – I'm off out tonight, this may all get abit heated. Will catch up when I get back.

Well you will be at the same potential as the house earthing so should be.
Assuming the PSU will have an earth, the you will pick up the house earth to the PSU through the earth pin on the plug – so seems ok to me.

However – I have never built a PC so good luck with the build.

Hitman

Sorry it all went abit over the top. You'll find alot of people have no earthing (due to changes in thier house/plastic water and gas etc) At least you have an earth.
I get a bit carried away talking about electricity.

Good luck with the PC build – the bonding for this should be fine.

I would recommend to anyone that has doubts about thier installation to get it checked out by someone qualified.