I had a Which magazine sub recently when we needed to replace our oven.
Surprisingly one of their best buy at the time was a pretty cheap Samsung – but its gone up in price since. Its great – and not just for the price.

http://ao.com/product/nv75j3140bw-samsung-electric-single-oven-white-35461-45.aspx

Ok its 79 over budget but you can get 20 off via vouchers. But still over budget :(

Anyway I dont have the free Which subs anymore – but you can get one free for a month and see if there are any bargains within budget.

Or if you were me – just fix the old one yourself!

Last sept my missus and I got a car from Europcar in Catania. Returned to Palermo. Booked via autoeurope. Neither of us have photo card licences – old paper ones. They didnt care at all about the uk specific paper vs electronic stuff. Mainly they were interested in the excess – just have a credit card with 1500+ euro available for the excess.

Or have I misunderstood the Q?

You have our sympathy. The only “good” thing from our similar experience is that its not personal – its just that we were “easier” – only having yale locks and alarms.

Anyway after we were done we ID’d and had the names and addresses of the guys that tried to sell our stuff on ebay the next day.
And we have their faces on video from ip cctv – but its worth zero as by the time the police get around to such low priorities our stuff is long gone. If youre lucky the scrote’s car is untaxed or something.

The only thing – imo – is make yourself harder than your neighbours. Ligthts. Alarms. Cameras. But dont expect anyone to act on any of it. It’s just a sign saying “go away – next door is easier”.

I had a lwb one – did 130k miles and traded it in. My wife hated parking it. No major bills, breakdowns / problems. I’d have another.

BUT – be aware that the ford locks from that era are worthless. You can buy a generic key from amazon to open any of this gen’s ford’s doors without the alarm going off. So add extra locks or NEVER leave anything worthwhile in the back.

I still have the double din converter and cabling somewhere if you want it for the cost of stamps….

mark dot z dot asher at googlemail.com

mmmm.

Could you email the file to me? I’ll have a look.

#Edit – or as baron says you can override by each device but you shouldnt have to do that really.

In notepad can you find the string:
<DNSServers>

?

Also check that the file is in plain text (well XML stuff) and should start with something like:
<?xml version=”1.0″?>
<DslCpeConfig version=”3.0″>
<InternetGatewayDevice>

We had problems with specific sites with our sky sr102 router – to do with DNS (how the router converts a www. addr into an ip addr).

Sky try to lock down the DNS settins so you cant change them directly.

Thanks to someone called thisisG over on the skyhelp forum I did this to change the router to use the google’s dns:

Log in to the router

Go to “Maintanance” -> “Backup Settings”

Under “Save a Copy of Current Settings” click “Backup” and save the file to a know place.

Open the file in any sensible text editor (vim, Sublime, Notepad++, etc…)

Look for the line containing:

<DNSServers>90.207.238.97,90.207.238.99</DNSServers>

Change the IPs to your DNS of choice

Go back to the router page under “Maintanance” -> “Backup Settings”

Under “Restore Saved Settings from a File” click “Choose File” and find the config file you just edited

Smack “Restore”

Wait for router to reboot

Hey presto! You changed the DNS servers for the router. :-)

I take no responsibility if you break something. Please only do this if you are confident in your own technical abilities. This may or may not void your warranty.

Note the most common google dns servers are at 8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4

Caveats: I am not a doctor. Take a proper backup. You should not trust me etc etc.

I’m on sky – works fine for me.

What router are you using – this one?
http://www.trustedreviews.com/sky-hub-2013-review

I got one to replace a Moto X about 6 weeks back – mainly as its dual sim and it had a 2 weeks no quibble return policy. I didnt send it back.

Its a lovely looking phone, thinner, lovely screen, and nippy as…

I’d heard of video stuttering but I’ve watched a good few (from SD / internal storage) and not had any issues.

Screen is lovely – really nice. Battery life is about a day basically. Not quiet as good as the Moto.

There are some bugs in the oxygen layer but nothing critical so far.

The main downside to me is the marketing bollox of invites – reminds me of clubs creating queues outside just so they look popular.

There are some spec ommisions: eg nfc, 5g wifi but for the price and the dual sim with great screen / looks its good.

Invites wise I bought one on a Tuesday when they tend to be on general sale. Arrived on the Thursday.

Any questions let me know.

The Nitefighter BT40 looks like it might be a good ‘un, same format as the MJ872s I’ve been using for ages…

My mj872 got nicked last year and I got a BT40 from gearbest this autumn to replace it.

They are certainly in the same ballpark light wise (and the new turbo is WAY brighter). Heat path / paste etc are better. Only caveats are:

A: bars only as its floody
B: once you decided which diffuser you want to use then you may want to use a dab of sealant around the glass to waterproof it a bit better.

Like all Chineses lights imo – its not perfect – but bonkers value for < £20 delivered(head unit).

As much as a bump as anything else really: as I’ve no idea about your location but one of these is as cheap as chips to make and made a huge difference to my R5. So long as the tip to loop dimensions stick to the plan you can put that outside and the length of the run from the loop to the receiver is less important (ime).

http://www.audiobritain.co.uk/DAB.html
That link doesnt seem to working anymore but its where I and thousands of others got the idea from and there are lots of references to the origianal design: eg
http://www.my-gti.com/3691/adding-a-dabdab-aerial-diy

As a backup – and I know this is very retro: but R4 is on LW and MW:

Radio 4 is also available on Long Wave at 198 LW and on Medium Wave in the following locations:

Aberdeen – 1449 MW
Belfast – 720 MW
Carlisle – 1485 MW
Cornwall – 756 MW
Enniskillen – 774 MW
London – 720 MW
Londonderry – 720 MW
Newcastle – 603 MW
Plymouth – 774 MW

Thanks p.d.f – thats a good link – but as its a galaxy head unit in a focus the standard stuff doesnt seem to apply.

On the other hand – they seem to have every possible converter / connector under the sun – so I’ll ring them tomorrow!

Nightfighter headunits from gearbest fit / work with my magicshine batteries / connectors.

They also work with my solarstorm connector – but lack the screw on thingy to make them more waterproof.

Delivery from gearbest was 7 weeks from despatch til it was delivered in the uk.

No duty etc as usual.

I got a Nightfighter BT40 (head unit only from gearbest) and its great for the money. Build quality seems good.

Nice and floody with the difuser lens fitted – I prefer it to the solarstorm x2 it replaces. Not had to use it on high (turbo?) yet as its so bright.

Its compatible with my existing magicshine typre connectors.

Took 8 weeks to arrive though – and I notice the price has gone up a lot since I ordered.

We had it for 2 years before they added the TV stuff and almost doubled the cost.

I think its value depends on where you live.

Without prime – if you live in a city you can usually get next day delivery to an amazon locker for £2.

If you live in the sticks / nothern scotland then prime probably is a bargain.

Budget?

What’s your ability to diy a 12v or usb power supply?

My BIL is a fireman. When he stays at ours he insists on shutting our kitchen door every night. To him its more important than locking the front door.

I asked him why. He wanted to show me the photos. I declined – I take his word for it.

Thanks – Glad I wasnt loosing it.

The rest of the build seemed acceptable- SIS gears – cup and cone stuff. But god the pedals squealed /groaned like hell!

I’m 5’10 with a 31 inside leg. I’ve on my second Nerve – both Mediums.

I’d suggest you get a Large.

And yes – they are great bikes! Just order a spare mech hanger at the same time as the bike – just in case.

“Insert directly into puncture hole…..”

Well, IME, that rules out 90% plus of punctures then.

Its rare I can detect where the puncture is with the tyre on. Unless I spend the effort pumping up to 30+ psi?

Or am I being daft?

It doesnt sound like you’ve fallen for the paypal-and-collect scam as that would be the opening gambit.

But: non-piss-taking: an unhappy buyer has you over the barrel. Probably start by being firm and fair and trying to keep them sweet but – if you think they are chancing their arm – offer them a full refund: dont tolerate discussions for £20 off etc.

Remember if it gets to a paypal dispute the the usual outcome anyway is a full refund. Almost 100% odds against you if its your first sale.

Just make sure to refund them the same way they paid you, and obviously only once you get the bike back. And only communicate via ebay messages.

Dont give up on trying again though – 90% of buyers are decent: probably more than the percentage of sellers.

Ooops – I just saw your post about £90: offer them a refund, get your fees back, relist and move on.

dirtyrider- I’m lost as to why that’s on the radar? Big + feedback etc? Or am I being daft?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/ibis-mojo-2014-650b-Xl-/271905283103?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_205&hash=item3f4ed15c1f%5D

mmmm.

Although its an older model, an Onkyo nr515 is less than 30cm deep. Google says there is still uk stock available though. It runs both or either of the hdmi outputs.

The latest equivalent is probably the ONKYO NR636.

I have navmii on my phone and copilot on a table but if at all possible I try and use my old tomtom standalone – its just – well – better.

The phone / tablet work ok once the maps are downloaded in advance. But the signal isnt as strong / reliable and if theres a call or an email then it all gets more unreliable.

And the navmii maps arent as accurate as the tomtom ones (like where exactly junctions are in relation to each other / where bends-junctions are…).

But navmii is free. And I already have the tomtom. So in your boat – … well thats up to you.

Mljet is busy and expensive imo.

Korcula is nice – and driveable from Dubrovnik – but maybe not the greatest beaches.

If you are flying to Split then Vis is really nice. One main sandy beach – pretty quiet, and others around the island that are small and really pretty. You’ll need a bike (yeah!) or a moped.

Really though – you need a yacht! It’s a great place for boats.

## Edit – cross post with sharkbait but he has the right idea!

If its an android tablet (eg hudl 2 ) – they can be fussy about mini usb cables – they need to be ‘fast charge’ cables – something to do with a short / resistance on 2 of the data pins.

The Anker chargers are good – well warranty wise anyway.

I have one of these (in black). If this doesnt charge something quickly then it’s a cable related problem imo.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Anker-5-Port-Charger-PowerIQ-Technology/dp/B00OUJWDQG

A super 7 may be worth way more in parts than complete. But if you can measure the wear on the bed and saddle and list it on ebay as a reputable seller you could be on to a winner though!

I’ve bought and sold a few 7’s (non-supers) recently to get some extra cash.

The main buyers now on ebay – and those with some credence – would be (imo):

heritage-lathes
myford-stuff

Both seem to buy / sell other garage related stuff / job lots.

Expect to be offered way less than you’d expect selling direct on ebay. WAY less.

Lastly, myford_ltd are very helpful on the phone and appear to buy back some of their old lathes for parts etc. That would be my first port of call – they may well point you in the right direction to someone for a complete garage / job lot.

If you want any further info / opinions etc on the super 7 send me some photos and I’ll see what I can find out.

:::Edited to add: I forgot to say – these guys may ask you to strip the lathe to the bed and throw that in the bin / sell it to a scrappie. They may just want the headstock / gearbox / motor /….

I love making stuff – especially from metal.

It’s hard to tell scale / material etc from your photos. Unless that’s a knotted pine bench?

Where’d you get / how did you make the blanks? Are you following a plan or fitting the metal to the wood (or v.v)?

I believe the same type of hub / bearing is used in the similar age mondeo.

I’ve had 2 fronts done – my local garage had a good attempt at removing the bearing from the hub but decided it wasnt worth it time / cost wise.

Eurocarparts supplied a SKF hub with bearing in at about £90. I cant see who could charge more than SKF : unless its genuine Ford.

Note its probably cheaper using their online “carpartsforless” site or using one of their cheaper brands.

My local garage charged £60 to fit each.

Removing the spring is a lengthy job but shares some / a-fair-bit of the disassembly with removing the hub so that should make it cheaper. HTH.

I’m glad you liked the Italix!

As for carts: there is a “standard” (international / euro) and neither Lamy or Parker use it. But those two are almost the same – and as Pinkster found out – will work in each other in a pinch. Or yes CHB, use a convertor with bottled ink!

I fly with them a lot and imo you’re comfortably fine on both counts.

They have relaxed the rules and enforcements a lot recently – but what you are more likely to see is randomly being ‘asked’ at the gate to put your carry on bag into the hold (too many bags etc). But if you have lithium batteries, lighters etc in your carry on, or just ask them for a loan bag to carry your valuables, and they’ll move on to the next person in the queue.

I like the look of that Lamy Studio. Are people using cartridges or bottled ink for office use?

Cartridges hold more ink (than the ‘convertors’ that allow you to use bottles). They are also sealed when new. Which are both advantages.

On the other hand carts are more expensive per ml and are in a greatly reduced range of colours. Also Lamy carts are proprietiary.

But for me – generally – I’d use a convertor and cart’s as a backup.

As an aside – the studio comes with a z50 nib (like most lamy’s) and the M nib may be a bit broader than you expect. Luckily lamy sells a good range of sizes for £4 – 7 if you want to change. Also WH Smith sometimes sell off new, M nibbed studios on ebay for good prices.

For £50 new: Maybe a Monteverde Impressa in Red/ metal.

Or Italix Pens get a big following on Fountain Pen Network. Pretty much like the On-One model in bikes but with good customer service and just about every type of nib possible. The owner checks / customises each nib kind of thing and changes them if you’re not happy.

Or a twisbi 580 (although it looks cheap).

Or a Lamy accent with a choice of nib.

For £50 used – well that’s pretty broad tbh.

I guess I’m beginning to sound like a pen ponce!

Around that budget I’ve had a Waterman Carene, a Lamy 2000 in steel and a Pilot Capless Fermo (aka vanishing point). All were really nice and most come with nib options other than the usual F/M/B if thats your thing.

Or a used Montblanc – just probably not the latest generation though.

Between the Safari and your budget though there is a world of great pens – that’s one big jump in price!

I used to own some Motorola T8’s that they said worked over 10Km and had a great nicad battery life.

They dont – On either count. Especially if there is any sort of hills near you.

Anyway, then I got recommended a Baofeng Li-ion pair from ebay – and they are really good. Last ages, but be careful you buy the ones within the regulations. Those regs vary with where you live.

#Edit – budget is about £25 for uk spec to £35 for more powerful versions but either way the batteries last longer than the aaa nicads in the motorolas.

Holiday Autos.

Assuming Dublin airport : 8/10 times this year I’ve ended up with Europcar which is one of the near airport ones.