What is life like with your car? Let us know and win £500 in John Lewis vouchers | No thanks
I Have A Question - Volume 96 - Dynamic Dave

*****This thread is now closed - please see volume 97******

www.honestjohn.co.uk/forum/post/index.htm?t=36155


In this thread you may ask any question for which you need help, advice, suggestions or whatever.

It does not need to be motoring related. In fact, in this thread it should not be.

No Questions About PC's. They now go in another Thread.
No politics
No Speeding, speed cameras, traffic calming
No arguments or slanging matches
Nothing which we think is not following the spirit of the thread
Nothing that risks the future of this site (please see the small print for details www.honestjohn.co.uk/credits/index.htm )

Any of the above will be deleted. If the thread becomes difficult to maintain it will simply be removed.

However, as has been said a couple of times, there is a wealth of knowledge in here, much of which is not motoring related, but most of which is useful.

This is Volume 96. Previous Volumes will not be deleted,

A list of previous volumes can be found here:-
www.honestjohn.co.uk/forum/post/index.htm?t=18847


PLEASE NOTE:

When posting a NEW question, please "Reply to" the first message in this thread, i.e. this one. This keeps each question in it's own separate segment and stops each new question from getting mixed up in amongst existing questions. Also please remember to change the subject header.
Moving ski bindings - $till $kint
I'm a keen skier and last year purchased some Rossignol Zenith Z3 skis as I'd developed beyond the abilities of my old skis. Because I'm, er, a little short for my weight, I opted for the 170 as opposed to 162s. Great at speed, but the tips wander a at lower speeds, with a tendency to catch the edge on the uphill ski from time to time if dropping speed in a turn.

This is usually a sign that the binding is mounted too far back on the ski, so I looked at the set-up of mine. The shop I bought them from indicated they can only be set up in the central position and that's that, but I'm sure Rossignol wouldn't have been so prescriptive on a performance ski.

Anyone got any experience of Rossignol's Axium 300 binding and how it's mounted? I don't really want to start undoing bits left right and centre unless it's going to fix things. I estimate I need to move the binding forward about 15mm to get full control back without the ski beginning to wash-out or tail-slide out of corners.
Moving ski bindings - defender
skint ,lean forward and "chase the tips of your skis down the hill"was the advice given to me .alternative no 2 is to buy a pair of stroltz boots,never mind they are promising lots of snow this winter
Moving ski bindings - $till $kint
I'm as forward as I can be in the boots. The trouble is that my CoG is lower and therefore further back than a taller person even when leaning forward.

I'm getting a new pair of boots and a custom footbed made up for this season, which should allow a little more forward lean, but it's still going to necessitate a very dynamic position for even modest pottering.

Once at pace the skis settle nicely. When carving they are a dream. It's the slower skiing in tight, crowded or just plain steep pistes where the slight imbalance is causing the problem, hence the desire to move the binding forward a fraction.

It never used to be a problem to move bindings like this, but the ski manufacturers have near universally opted for integral bindings with limited customisation options.
Moving ski bindings - $till $kint
they are promising lots of snow this winter


:o)_)

Yup! Am sacrificing marmots to the snow gods each evening between now and xmas.
Texting Poland - Adam {P}
How much does it cost to text or ring a Polish mobile? Would one work over here?

I only ask because I get a funny sound when I try the landline and when I text it says "insufficient funds" but I've got sufficient funds.

Big Bad Dave's come over to see Blackpool lights and I thought I'd text him with some witty comments about them but to no avail.

Cheers,
Texting Poland - Pugugly {P}
"insufficient funds" but I've got sufficient funds"-I almost see that as a Phd paper !

Have you tried to text him from a website ?
Texting Poland - Altea Ego
The funny sound may be a polish ring tone, and dont forget you are phoning poland even tho he is over here. you have to use the full 00nn international code.

Polish phone should be ok they use standard EU GSM, depends on his service provider tho if he has a roaming partnership
Texting Poland - Adam {P}
I've been dialling +485..... Is that not right?

It's been a long time since I texted from a website (BT Cellnet days) Does anyone know any good ones?


Texting Poland - Altea Ego
you need the 00 first and drop the leading 0 of his number

if his mobile number was 077777777777


its 0048777777777 from yours

00 international dial out, 48 poland code
Texting Poland - Adam {P}
What does the + mean then?
Texting Poland - henry k
What does the + mean then?

>>It means that whatever country you are in it will translate the + into the local international dialing code so you do not need to find out what it is.

Or if you set up a UK number e.g. +44777777777 and dial it in the UK it will in effect ignore the +44 and substitute a 0.
Many of my numbers are set up this way so I can use them in any country.
Texting Poland - Adam {P}
Hence the mailbox numbers having +44.

Thanks Henry.
Texting Poland - PhilW
I thought the + just got rid of the 00 but you still need the international code eg Austria is 0043, or on my phone +43? Or have I misunderstood what Henry said?
Phil
Texting Poland - David Horn
+43 will work. + is an international "I want to dial abroad code on mobiles".

Remember that some networks charge for calls received abroad, which might be why you're getting a message saying he has insufficient credit.
Texting Poland - Altea Ego
does not always work on mine so i always do the full 00xx if i have problems
Texting Poland - cheddar
plus symbol is simply instead of 00.
Texting Poland - Adam {P}
Absolutely nothing. Oh well, I'll tell someone else my jokes.

Thanks anyway.
Hope brakes - should they be faced? - David Horn
Just stuck a set of Hope Mono minis on my bike. They had Shimano cable discs on before, but after they nearly killed me I switched to hydraulics.

Seem to be working fine, but should I have had the mount faced? Believe it's a kind of prequisite with Hopes. The manual suggests it but doesn't insist.

They only squeal when they're wet. There's a tiny bit of brake drag but I can't see how facing the mounts could solve the problem. Is it worth coughing up a fiver to get it done at my local shop?
Hope brakes - should they be faced? - $till $kint
I've always thought it ironic that a company that makes brakes should be called "Hope". I use XTR myself.....

That aside, yes, it is worth getting the mounts faced. My friend's Marin Mount Vision has Mini Monos and it was suffering from pad drag. Over the course of a ride one of the pads moved slightly as it was not under enough tension to sit properly in the pad mounts. The pad got dragged past the retaining clip when used in anger and left my friend effectively brakeless on a steep, flint covered descent where were regularly exceed 40mph. Luckily there was a large puddle of slurry to slow his descent...... ::smirk::

The shop confirmed they had seen a few sets like this and in each case it was attributed to the mounts not being set square. Well worth a fiver; my local shop charges £15.
Chinese Time Zone - daveyjp
Is there a reason why China only has one time zone (+8 hours GMT)? Considering it's size I would have thought a numebr of time zones would apply.
Chinese Time Zone - Chad.R
I think this originates from the communist days - the idea that all of China should have 1 time - I must admit, it keeps things simple.
Chinese Time Zone - Chas{P}
I think this originates from the communist days - the idea
that all of China should have 1 time - I must
admit, it keeps things simple.


Still is communist and the West is pumping billions of £'s in every year. Could all go horribly wrong IMO.
--
Was Charles {P} but someone c o p i e d my name with spaces.
Chinese Time Zone - Chad.R
Yes, they're still *communists* but not in the same way they were, say 20 years ago.
TV Combinations ??? - Petel
I am seeking a combined ( all in one case ) TV, video player, DVD player and freeview box. Does anyone know of such a unit available at this time please?
Thank you, Pete.
TV Combinations ??? - Stuartli
I think the nearest you will get to it is a DTV equipped TV set and a DVD recorder incorporating a VCR which will also transfer your VHS tapes to DVD disks.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
What\'s for you won\'t pass you by
TV Combinations ??? - Stuartli
The Samsung DVD-VR320 DVD Recorder/VCR Combo is one example but most of the big brand names produce such models.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
What\'s for you won\'t pass you by
TV Combinations ??? - Doc
www.comet.co.uk/comet/html/cache/168_254398.html

Does not include freeview box, however.

TV Combinations ??? - Stuartli
The one problem with having everything in one box is that if one part goes wrong you may well be without it if it has to be taken away for repairs..:-(
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
What\'s for you won\'t pass you by
TV Combinations ??? - Petel
Thank you all for your replies. Having done all the searches and visited all the shops, I will have to assume that what I seek is not yet available.
Rgds. Pete
www.pixmania.com - flangeman
This isn't a slagging off so hopefully is not against any forum rules, its just some advice.
Please note that after ordering they then inform you on the order tracking page that they have delays of up to 5 days. So this makes a mokery of the "express" delivery.

Don't get me wrong, ive ordered from them, I just think they should make this clear before ordering.

Also make sure you are clear their stuff comes from France.
www.pixmania.com - P 2501
I have used this site and agree. A bit cheeky to say express delivery.

I ordered a digital camera with them and everything was in french, which was a surprise to me as i hadn't read their disclaimers thoroughly.english version easily downloaded from the internet though.

I have found they are often the cheapest for alot of items.
www.pixmania.com - John S
You're right it's not imediately obvious it's a French company,as they offer a 'collect your goods' service from a UK shop. The euro pricing is a bit of a giveaway though. French address is in small print at the bottom of magazine adverts.

Always pays to check the description of the item for the language of the manual. They seem to source from all over Europe and many items don't have English language manuals included, but they do admit this, even if it's a bit hidden. The two items I bought included the website address for the English manual in the description on the site, but one digital camera had the English manual on the CD that accompanied it.

Delivery? Standard delivery took about 4 days.

Overall I thought the cost benefit outweighed the couple of days wait and the need to get manuals off the net or CD. (No connection, just satisfied customer).

JS
www.pixmania.com - Stuartli
>>its just some advice>>

Here's some further advice. Think very carefully before ordering from apparently UK based companies such as Pixmania and Nomatica - if you have any reason to return goods, such as the fact they may be faulty, it can be a very frustrating experience.

That's no difference to some genuine UK based companies but the problems are compounded because of the fact they are based abroad.

I once ordered a camcorder from Nomatica and was amazed to find it would be delivered from the south of France.

In fact there was no problem - it arrived next day due to TNT's efficiency. However, it proved faulty and Nomatica, who have UK based representatives, offered to pay the cost of return to the south of France.

This would normally be of no problem but Nomatica insisted that it would only meet the cost of returning it by mail and NOT via TNT.

This was patently nonsense but it would not be moved. In the end I used DHL (TNT will not collect such return parcels without company permission) at my own expense (£53).

In the meantime Nomatica stated it had sent a replacement but this time by mail rather than TNT. It never arrived and still hasn't been seen or mentioned on the French postal service's tracking system some two years on.

The DHL delivery arrived in the south of France the next day and was duly delivered.

In the end my credit card company refunded the cost of the camcorder (nearly £800) along with the £53 return delivery charge.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
What\'s for you won\'t pass you by
www.pixmania.com - smokie
I just bought a car radio which shipped from Austria!
Customs charges - David Horn
OK, I ordered a DVD from Amazon US because of the rip-off charges over here. (Lost is 30 quid for just half the season, whereas in the US it's 22 for the whole season). As far as I can tell,

So, today I get in the post a little card telling me I owe the Post Office 8.50. Assuming that they charge VAT of 17.5%, duty of 3% and a handling fee of 1 pound, I don't see how they arrive at that figure.

Can I insist that they duplicate their workings in front of me when I go to pick it up? Which leads me to another rant. Believe it or not, I can only collect it between 6.30am and 10am, which is about as inconvenient as things get, as my lectures start at 8am and the Post Office is a 45 minute walk in the opposite direction.
Customs charges - David Horn
OK, if you'll forgive the slightly tedious maths, here goes:

I paid $45.97 in total (they charge duty on the shipping as well)

DVDs are charged at 3.5% duty and VAT at 17.5%, plus the 1 pound handling fee. The exchange rate they used was 1.7614 dollars to the pound.

45.97 / 1.7614 = 26.10 pounds.
26.10 * 1.035 * 1.175 + 1 = 31.74.

31.74 - 26.10 = 5.65, somewhat less than 8.50. Following a chat with customs on the phone, it turns out that they will not duplicate their calculations. The only option is to go to the Post Office depot, formally reject the package, and have it sent back to them for recalculation.

Isn't it wonderful how our country works?
Customs charges - Altea Ego
Isn't it wonderful how our country works?

And exactly what do you want the country to do for you to asisst in your personal import schemes?
Customs charges - Altea Ego
They charge duty, handling fee and THEN the vat goes on top of the combined total, whats that about £7.50?




Customs charges - David Horn
6.81.
Customs charges - Nsar
You're going to go to the post office, reject it, go home, wait a few days then go back again and collect it when they've made up the difference of about £2.50?
Customs charges - David Horn
It's the principle of it. If you went to a shop, spent 20 quid and were short changed (possibly deliberately) at the checkout by 2.50, would you just shrug your shoulders and walk away?
Customs charges - Nsar
I'm not sure the analogy holds up, but let's forget it
Customs charges - Martin Wall
Why not collect it, pay the charge and then write a letter of complaint to the relevant people at royal mail/post office - details on their websites. Good luck.
Customs charges - John S
David

I don't understand duty rates for US imports either.

I imagine Pixmania etc avoid this problem 'cos the items are VAT paid in the EU.

JS
Customs charges - R75
From what I remember when I worked for RM, they are only the collecting agents for HM Customs and have nothing to do with the working out, why not just ask the company that is sending them to send them as gifts or samples next time, that way you don't have to pay any duty.
quick employment question - borasport20
my understanding is if you employ somebody, and they leave, and then you re-employ them, from the point of view of the tax/ni man, you need to give them a new employee number

is this correct, and if it is, can somebody point to a source ?


quick employment question - No FM2R
with or without a gap ? Same or different job ?
quick employment question - borasport20
with a gap - same job
quick employment question - No FM2R
Yes, you do have to begin a new record. You may also wish to be quite explicit that there is no continuous service, for the avoidance of doubt.

Presumably you have been careful over things such as additional holidays as part of longer service awards and the like ?

I'll find you the reference later.
quick employment question - borasport20
cheers for that, Mark
DVDs on ebay - tyro
I'm looking for the Jungle Book (Disney) on DVD. On ebay there are a lot of them which seem to originate in Asia. Anything wrong with them? Are they legit?

(The original Region 2 edition tends to fetch very large sums)
DVDs on ebay - kennybase
I too was looking for Jungle Book - the original Disney one - and was almost sucked into getting an Asian copying - normally ok but for my Disney collection I needed an original.
In the end I found one and paid £26 for it which wasn't too bad - seeing as alot of them were going for over £40!!!

The asian ones are just copies of the original DVDs - they are pirate copy at the end of the day. The quality though can't be faulted and you would be hard pushed to see any difference I beleive. They are also region free so some machines may not play them.
DVDs on ebay - Armitage Shanks {p}
SFAIK Region free means they will play anywhere on any machine. It is region restricted ones that won't
DVDs on ebay - kennybase
In theory that is correct - but I used to have a DVD player that was programmed to only play DVDs that were R2. Even R0 (region free) was refused on this picky little machine. As you would expect, the machine was swiftly replaced :-)
DVDs on ebay - tyro
Thanks all. Interestingly enough, when I asked a couple of sellers whether thay could confirm that the DVD did not infringe copyright, I got no reply.

Well, perhaps some people are just not good at replying.
Sky remote programming - David Horn
Have a new Sky+ box and the remote has issues with my television, with the default codes not working.

I seem to remember there was a way to get the remote to cycle through every code in its memory, but can't remember how to do it. Sky manual has nothing on the subject.

Am I dreaming?!
Sky remote programming - kennybase
I've just gone to have a look for my Sky+ manual - and even though I was looking at it on Tuesday night, I can't find it now!! It is in there how to do it - under the heading 'Programming Your Remote'
In there it tells you the codes for the television and how to do it.

Also there is an excellent forum for Sky+ users - forum.digitalspy.co.uk/board/forumdisplay.php?f=35

It is a good way of learning how to get Sky to give you things!!! :-)

Sky remote programming - kennybase
By the way - which make Sky+ box have you got?

I can't believe that Sky+ really has changed the way I watch TV!!!
Sky remote programming - kennybase
Found my Sky+ user guide. The info is on P62 of the guide and goes something like this;


1)Look up code

Sony 0000
Goodmans 0335
Panasonic 0051
(many other manufacturers listed in book - I'm taking a guess!)

2) Turn on TV
3) Press TV on Remote
4) Hold SELECT and RED BUTTON together for about 2sec until red light on remote blinks twice
5) Press TV on remote again
6) Key in the 4 digit code. Light should blink twice again
7) Press Standby on remote. If TV turns off, press SELECT. Light on remote will blink twice.
If TV is still on, press TV then STANDBY until TV turns off - then press Select.
If the light blinks 3 times then you have cycled through all available codes and you will need to recheck the code you have.
8) Turn TV back on and press TV Guide. If this works, it is complete. If not;
9) Press TV on remote
10) Hold down SELECT and GREEN KEY at same time until light blinks twice.
11) Key in number of channel on TV used to watch satellite
12) Press SELECT and red light should blink twice.

If you need the code, let me know the make of TV and I'll post it here. If it still does work, call Customer Services, but use the freephone number 0800 731 6965, as you may be in for a long wait, and at 8.5p/min it can get expensive!!
Sky remote programming - David Horn
Tried this, I'm afraid, with about 200 codes for many different types of television. The method I remember involved pointing the remote at the TV and waiting while it cycled through all the codes in its memory.
Sky remote programming - Dynamic Dave
The method I remember involved pointing the
remote at the TV and waiting while it cycled through all
the codes in its memory.


Are you sure you're not confusing this for how to set up a One-for-all remote?

What make is the TV? My portable is a Tatung, but I know that it's a cloned Philips set, and the Philips codes worked better than the Tatung ones did.
Sky remote programming - Dynamic Dave
The method I remember involved pointing the
remote at the TV and waiting while it cycled through all
the codes in its memory.


No mention of it here either:-
www1.sky.com/customer_support/pdfs/sky+-remote_con...f
Sky remote programming - Dynamic Dave
Haven't got Skyplus, but I imagine the Interactive menus are similar to bog standard sky digital. Press the Interactive button on your remote, the select sky customer service from the menu, then select customer support, then sky equipment. In the next menu there *should* be an option called "how do I programme my sky remote to operate my tv?"
Sky remote programming - VR6
Have a look at www.satcure.co.uk/tech/digicode.htm under the heading 'Sky Remote "blink back" ' (its about a 1/3 of the way down)

Not sure if it works, but worth a try.

Sky remote programming - David Horn
I think it's an issue with the Sky+ remote. I got the code from the old one that does control the television and tried putting it into the new remote, but it didn't work.

Thanks for your help!
Sky remote programming - Stuartli
The codes are pretty standard and if you state the make of equipment and the model I'm sure I can find it in the list for my Pioneer Freeview set top box; this can control a staggering array of other equipment.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
What\'s for you won\'t pass you by
cost of heating oil vs electricity - tyro
Our house is heated by oil-fired central heating (rural house, no mains gas). Since May 2004 the price of oil has risen by about 52%.

By contrast, the price of electricity has gone up by about 6%.

What I want to know is "At what point I would be better to use electric heaters (whether convector, oil-filled radiator, or fan heaters) to heat rooms instead of using my central heating?"

Similarly, at what point am I better to use the immersion heater to heat the water instead of the central heating?
cost of heating oil vs electricity - Onetap
"At what point I would be better to use electric heaters (whether convector, oil-filled radiator, or fan heaters) to heat rooms instead of using my central heating?"

Probably never. Electricity is generated from oil, gas & coal fired power stations and they operate at something like 35% overall efficiency, due to transmission power losses and necessary heat rejection up the cooling towers. Electricity is, I think, about 2x the cost of mains gas per kW, and less for oil.

If you know the cost per litre (including any delivery charges) and the type of oil, I (and many others here, I'm sure) could work out the cost per kWh for oil. Unless cold fusion comes back into fashion, you'd be better off using the oil.
cost of heating oil vs electricity - tyro
Thanks afm

Kerosene (the invoice says 018 Kerosene)

41.6325 pence per litre
cost of heating oil vs electricity - defender
tyro ,have you got a local branch of SCARF near you,they would be the best people to ask about heating(stands for save cash and reduce fuel)they would tell you about any help for fuel efficient boilers,insulation and draughtproofing,grants available etc
the price of your heating oil is very high,its about 34p/litre in aberdeenshire area compared to 22p last year
a tip to get the price down a bit in rural area is to get a few of your friends/neighbours to order for the same load delivery even to go as far as making it one order and everyone pay their own delivery as it cuts haulage costs quite a lot
cost of heating oil vs electricity - tyro
Thanks defender.
I must confess that my interest is really in the specific (if slightly academic) question of the comparative cost of using my central heating and using electric heating.
cost of heating oil vs electricity - L'escargot
Kerosene (the invoice says 018 Kerosene)
41.6325 pence per litre


Wow, that is expensive. A couple of weeks ago my supplier gave me a price of 36p per litre including VAT and delivery. If it were me I would shop around. Also I've no doubt you realise that the price per litre goes down as the quantity delivered goes up.
--
L\'escargot.
cost of heating oil vs electricity - Cardew
Daytime electricity rates are around 7-8p kWh. Depending on the efficiency of your boiler(and cost of oil) I believe oil works out 3-4p kWh.

Thus it will never be cheaper to use daytime electricity instead of your oil for room and water heating.

Depending on the electricity tariff available(it varies greatly by UK district and supply company) it can be cheaper to change to Economy 7 and use your immersion heater for hot water(obviously on the cheap rate)

cost of heating oil vs electricity - tyro
Cardew
Is that figure for oil at 3-4p kWh based on my oil cost of 41.6, or is it a general figure? If it is a general figure for oil as oil was recently and my oil costs have gone up by 50%, then the figure might be up to 6p - very close to the daytime electricity rate.

Incidentally, the fact that electricity costs have only gone up by 6% over that period may be because electricity in these parts does not come from oil, gas and coal fired power stations, but from hydro-electric stations. Therefore it seems to me that if the cost of fossil fuels rises, it could conceivably become cheaper to use electricity than oil-fired central heating.
budget DVD players - borasport20
We are in the market for a budget DVD player - both Asda and Tesco have a choice at under £40, and indeed a range at not much more than £20. Also I swear I say a model for sale in B&Q for £19.99 or whatever recently

Anyone know of anything that represents a bargain, or anything to avoid ?


budget DVD players - PhilW
Saw some in both Sainsburys and Tesco yesterday for £19.99. Are they any good ? Dunno I'm afraid, but when we bought the cheapest we could find a year or so ago it was £150 and it still works fine. I suppose at £19.99 you haven't got much to lose and if it isn't any good you can always take it back and get money back.
Phil
budget DVD players - Welliesorter
I bought one in Asda (Durabrand - one of their own brands) for £18 earlier this year as it seemed too good a bargain to miss. I ended up giving it to my mother who would never have got round to buying one for herself. It works fine and will even play recordable DVDs, MP3s, and photo CDs.

Have a look on www.amazon.co.uk , who now offer free postage on orders over £15. They always have cheap models and you have the assurance of customer reviews.
budget DVD players - Stuartli
DVD Players, along with computer equivalents such as CD/DVD-ROM drives and rewriters, originally hit the markets at astronomical prices.

Over the comparatively short space of time they have been out, in common with most consumer goods, they have come down in price whilst, at the same time, the technology has steadily improved.

So long as any DVD player is able to reproduce what you require, whether from ordinary CDs or DVDs, CDs containing MP3 tracks or photos or home movies on computer burned DVDs for instance, then it should be OK whatever the price.

Of course the better equipment from top brands will provide better picture quality and, particularly, sound but most people probably won't even notice the difference.

I remember, about a year ago, being informed by a surprised friend that a £35 Pacific DVD player from Asda would play absolutely any type of disk placed in its tray - it's probably down to £20 or so now.

That was the price of one DVD player model in Tesco when I was embarked on the weekly shopping yesterday.

What's more, as someone has already pointed out, if it goes wrong why worry? It would cost more to repair it, so it would be either replaced under guarantee or you just buy another one.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
What\'s for you won\'t pass you by
budget DVD players - Vin {P}
I bought a Pacific DVD player from Asda, the DVD1002 model. It's terrific. The first one developed a fault after about three months - a rattle, and Asda replaced it no questions asked.

As mentioned above, it plays absolutely any disk placed in its tray. Photos, AVIs, MPEGs, Music CDs; even DVDs.

It can be set to multi region - search for "DVD region hack" on Google, and has been great value throughout.

V
budget DVD players - cheddar
Inlaws bought an unbranded (box says 'Durabrand') DVD/Video combi from Asda that works fine, I would advise a branded DVD player though, have a look at Richer Sounds.

richersounds.com

The Toshiba SD240 at £39.95 is well specced and previously recomended in the HiFi/AV press.
budget DVD players - mfarrow
Beware of the remote control interfering with cheap teles. i.e. girlfriends ALBA DVD turns volume up/down when pressing FF/RW respectively. Doesn't work the other way round though (i.e. trying to use TV remote to FF/RW).

--------------
Mike Farrow
Footsie 100 - drbe
Does anyone know of a website which monitors the FTSE 100?

I am seeking highs and lows on different days over the past 6 months.
Footsie 100 - PhilW
This any good? Registration is free
www.ftse.com/
Phil
Footsie 100 - drbe
Thanks, Phil, I have just tried that, but it doesn't give the figures I am looking for. I want daily - or possibly weekly, end of trading numerical values.
Footsie 100 - Pugugly {P}
SWMBO uses Yahoo's Finance service to cast her spells. This shows daily weekly and even hourly trends. I think its available to all, we use the BT Yahoo thing.
Life Insurance Quotes Online - BobbyG
With my impending redundancy, I am looking to get some life insurance to cover me till I join my next employer's (whoever it will be)pension scheme.

Can anyone recommend any websites that will compare quotes online?
Life Insurance Quotes Online - Happy Blue!
Go and see a good IFA. Your next employer is unlikely to let you join a final salary pension scheme and the money purchase scheme may not include automatic life insurance.
--
Espada III - well if you have a family and need a Lamborghini, what else do you drive?
Life Insurance Quotes Online - Stuartli
Daily Mail website:

www.thisismoney.co.uk/

www.fool.co.uk/index.htm (The Motley Fool website)

tinyurl.com/c28qp


- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
What\'s for you won\'t pass you by
Life Insurance Quotes Online - Jim M
I am out of UK at present but the best I have found is
www.moneysavingexpert they point the way to many great deals.
It is amazing the saving I have made on life insurance.
Cheers
Jim
Coffee machine recommendations - SjB {P}
Doesn't seem to have been done before, so here goes:

The missus likes a nice cappuccino, as do I. I also like a nice espresso which of course is the basis of a cappuccino, so when the missus said "let's buy a coffee machine" I had no objections.

The obvious port of call - actually it seems to be almost of a religious nature - is to blindly buy Gaggia and hang everybody else's offerings as if they are carp, well, because they are not Gaggia! The missus and I care not a jot about brand name or image though and within our price bracket it is the quality of engineering, usability, and end result that matters above everything else. For example; a Google shows the Gaggia Deluxe to get a good review here www.egrindstone.co.uk/gaggia_review.htm but then so does the equivalent Briel here www.egrindstone.co.uk/briel_review.htm

Do Backroomers have experience to add, please, including of other good machines that are still available?

The one thing we want to avoid is the experience of using my parent's Krups machine; Great end result, but a pain in the backside having to wait for pressure to build back up between every brace of cups. Fine if it's just me or the missus wanting coffee, not fine if there's a group of friends wanting a cappuccino or espresso too. "On demand" 15psi steam is what we're after, but guess we may need a more expensive ("industrial") machine to provide it.

TVM!
Coffee machine recommendations - Jim M
Gaggia gets my vote, well engineered good spares if required (havn't needed any). Machine is 4 yrs old used daily, I have brought it to Saigon for good morning coffee - bliss. I agree with yor views on brand names but like Dualit you just can't beat a well designed ageless product. Get the plastic base it has a drawer that opens and exposes a wooden bar for knocking the grounds out of the filter cup, this allows multiple cups to be made without covering the kitchen in soggy grounds.
Cheers (as he sips his morning cappuccino and smokes a fag prior to diving into traffic mayhem)
Jim
Coffee machine recommendations - adverse camber
I just use one of those that goes on the gas hob

These are nice (no idea about the site - it was the first one with a decent picture)
www.gallacoffee.co.uk/acatalog/Mukka_Stove-top.html

Makes expresso or cappuccino and much easier to clean than the machines.
Coffee machine recommendations - SjB {P}
Interesting, thanks Mark. I have not come across these before (espresso, yes, cappuccino, no) and will perform some research.
Coffee machine recommendations - SjB {P}
Thanks for the comments, Jim. How does the machine fare when it comes to multiple cups without waiting for steam pressure to re-build, please? Cheers.
Coffee machine recommendations - daveyjp
Over the years I've tried most coffee makers from stove top to cafetieres etc. But the hands down winner is my Gaggia espresso machine. Once you have mastered the system, found coffee you like and the right grind (very fine) - Illy for me - they are easy to use (buy some cheap coffee to practice). Worst aspect is cleaning them if you use loose coffee, but Illy do pre-prepared coffee bags which you insert in to the holder.

I rarely use the milk frother, but steam is generated quickly and there is a constant supply to heat a jug of milk. For a good cup the machine has to be turned on about 5 minutes before you use it - but that's only like waiting for a kettle to boil.
Cancelling direct debit - David Horn
Just had a close look at my bank statement and realised I've been paying 12.99 a month to Tesco for dialup internet access, which I haven't used in over a year. Embarrassing and rather annoying too.

Anyway, I can't remember any of the details and can't find a phone number to ring them up to cancel it. Who do I talk to, and does anyone have a number that might help!
Cancelling direct debit - Altea Ego
www.tesco.net/

click contact us;
Cancelling direct debit - smokie
Oddly enough, there is a host of ways of contacting them on their web page. www.tesco.net , click Help (towards the bottom of lh columns) and you'll find contact details for phone, fax, email and snail mail.
Cancelling direct debit - AlastairW
David,
You can cancel a DD by telling your bank to cease honoring requests. That sorts out the future, but to get the previous years payments back your first port of call should be Tesco, probably via the website. The 'direct debit guarantee' may also come into play here, so the bank may be able to help you.