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682097
Edited by Dynamic Dave on 02/02/2008 at 14:56
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Further to Billy Whizz
Paul Brickhill also wrote the Great Escape, a true story and this reminded of:
Capt Freddie Guest, Escape from the Bloodied Sun, also a true story of escape from the Japanese across China.
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I have the option of transferring an old pension to either the scheme I'm in now, which is a Standard Life one, or starting a new one with slightly preferential terms (0.35% management fee) with Legal & General.
Apart from seeing a financial adviser (which I have), is there a way of getting some idea of how pensions perform eg. league tables?
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Or more precisely, tell me what they think a hemispherical resonating (or resonant) gyrometer would be? It is said by the French company that is developing it to make inertial navigation installations (in civil aircraft) 'twice as reliable'.
I know that a gyrometer is a small gyroscope that sends electrical signals when its container is moved or tilted, but beyond that I am ignorant in this area. Can anyone (helicopter or NC perhaps) easily throw any light on this, for a small piece of work I am doing? It helps to have some idea of the meaning of what you are translating.
{Come on Lud, don't tell me you haven't seen the "PLEASE NOTE" message in all the years you've been here? Now moved to correct place. DD}
Edited by Dynamic Dave on 24/01/2008 at 18:50
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In operation, the output of a hemispherical resonating gyroscope is just like an ordinary gyroscope - it tells you how far you have turned.
The difference is all inside.
The principle of operation is that when you vibrate an object at resonance, it vibrates with a known mode shape. By mode shape, I mean that some parts of the object remain relatively still (nodes) while some other parts of the structure undergo large amplitude vibration. Typically, each resonance has it's own different mode shape**. For more on mode shapes, Google for Chladni patterns.
If you rotate a resonant object about a line of modal symmetry, the mode shape pattern does NOT rotate with the body, it stays fixed inertially. By measuring the passage of nodes (or anti-nodes), you can determine how far you have rotated.
The hemisperical resonating gyroscop, typically, uses a quartz hemisphere, not unlike a small wine glass.
Having no moving parts, and being made of non-outgassing, radiation hard materials, such gyros are well suited to space applications.
** It is entirely possible to have more than one resonance at a given frequency, each with its own associated mode shape - these are so-called degenerate natural frequencies.
Number_Cruncher
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No moving parts NC? What is it that rotates and behaves like a gyroscope?
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>>What is it that rotates and behaves like a gyroscope?
Nothing* rotates Lud - the lack of moving parts is one of it's great advantges. It's only called a gyroscope because people associate the inertial measurement of rotation with a gyroscope - see ring laser gyroscopes for another example!
* Except for the vibration mode shape pattern, which stays fixed in inertial space, and hence rotates relative to the instrument as the instrument rotates.
Number_Cruncher
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I begin to twig. What initiates the vibration though? Is it something virtual that continues indefinitely once started, or does it have to be fed with some small form of energy? I am visualising it as a wave form ricochetting around inside the hemisphere in a regular but not necessarily simple pattern.
To put it slightly differently, would such a device have to be reset at intervals, or perhaps set relative to gravity and the compass before the aircraft takes off?
Thank you for being so helpful NC. I am afraid I am pig ignorant in this area.
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I don't know for certain, but I would be much surprised if the vibration were not forced by a piezo device, driven at the right frequency by something like a phase locked circuit.
The vibration needs to be forced all the time, as, owing to mechanical losses, the vibration would naturally decay away. However, the quartz material used will have a very low loss factor, so the amount of energy needed to produce vibration of a reasonable amplitude will be quite tiny.
I've not studied these devices in great detail, but I would imagine the device is forced near the so-called "ring frequency", where the mechanical impedance of curved shells is typically quite low - hence the object is "easy" to drive, and requires less input energy.
The device will, like all gyros, be subject to low frequency (or long term) drift - it's unavoidable, so, yes it will need to be reset every so often. In space applications, you might run it in parallel with other sensors which would allow you a periodic recalibration - for example a sensor which detects the earth horizon.
Number_Cruncher
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Thanks a lot NC. In the civil (and military I think) aviation application it will be run alongside GPS and linked to it in some way. A bit like early 19th century sailors using solar, lunar and stellar observations along with dead reckoning and (later on) a chronometer to arrive at an informed average assessment of longitude... More exact of course unless you were an ace navigator like Bligh. But true precision continues to elude us. I suppose it always will, what with the continents changing shape all the time and drifting about at random.
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Would you really need something more accurate than a ring laser gyro? I suppose this would be smaller though.
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I think that they are much cheaper than laser ring gyros.
Building a laser that's stable in its output frequency is not easy or cheap. Preventing reflected light getting back into the laser cavity is also an issue - you would need to use something like a Faraday isolator.
Number_Cruncher
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I would never pretend to have the same ability as N_C in understanding how these gyrometers work .
My pretty basic understanding is that the hemispherical resonating gyro utilizes a thin-walled quartz shell that is energized by an electrical field to produce an imperceptible vibration pattern within itself.
This pattern is electrically sensed and used to determine the gyro's output parameters. The vibration is so minute that it creates virtually no internal stress and fatigue effects making it very reliable.
Used a lot in satellites I believe.
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Has any Backroomer used the recently introduced Barclays PINsentry system for online banking, and what was your opinion of it? Any problems? I accept that it will improve security but (having read the online information about it) it looks as if it will be tedious. Is it likely that debit/credit card readers will become a banking industry standard?
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All you NEVER wanted to know about pinsentry:
search.theregister.co.uk/?q=barclays+pinsentry&sit...0
Add your own comments on this blog:
digital-lifestyles.info/2007/11/28/barclays-pin-se.../
faultyflipper.co.uk/?p=43
www.hackaday.com/2007/11/03/sms-pin-sentry-reader
www.barclays.co.uk/pinsentry/questions.html
Edited by jbif on 26/01/2008 at 11:31
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Thanks jbif, that's the sort of information I was looking for. Until I have the need to pay money online to an organisation that I've not paid before (and that rule doesn't include/affect internet shopping) I can ignore PINsentry, and I think that's going to be my approach until it's fully sorted. Fortunately at the moment I only use online banking with Barclays to pay money from Barclays to one other bank, and that situation shouldn't alter in the foreseeable future. It's not that I'm a total technophobe, and I'm all for security, but I don't see the point of looking for trouble!
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I have used this. The "manual" explains in crushing detail, and is very off-putting. Whoever wrote it is sadly lacking. In use, it's absolutely OK in the flesh. The computer screen tells you which button on the pin sentry to push, and you have to tripe in an 8-figure (2x4 number blocks). That's all. It isn't difficult at all - I'd thought "Well! I'll be visiting my branch much more often now!", but it's easy even for me. If you want additional readers, you can get them for nothing. On-line banking as usual. Try it.
Edited by FotheringtonThomas on 27/01/2008 at 22:33
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If you want additional readers, you can get them for nothing.
Not according to Barclays online information. "What happens if I lose or break the PINsentry device? A replacement PINsentry card reader can be issued, but please note there may be a charge for it. You will be advised of any charges."
Try it.
I get the impression that once you've registered for it there's no backing out.
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a charge for (a new/nother reader)
Ah. I see they've changed the T&Cs, and now want a sick squid for a(nother) reader. Oh well. I suppose online banking is a "value added" facility. It's a bit of a cheap trick, though.
>> Try it. I get the impression that once you've registered for it there's no backing out.
As far as I know, there's no alternative if you want online banking. It seems OK to me in use, as I've said.
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As of Middle of Feb - I forget the exact date, PINSentry will be mandatory for all accounts
You'll need it to Login (So unless I carry the PINSentry with me, it means I can't check stuff at work) and for setting up new Payments or Standing orders
One note of warning, I got mine in December and it wouldn't work. Barclays had forgotten to tell me that my Connect card was being replaced as my old one wouldn't work with PINSentry
So, if you register, get your PINSentry, and it doesn't work, then wait a couple of days to see if you get a new card.
-------------------
VW Touran (54) 1.9 TDI
Citroen C8 (57) 2.0 HDi SX
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So unless I carry the PINSentry with me it means I can't check stuff at work
The brief look at the PS "help" this a.m. re. L'Es question leads me to believe that a "read only" login mechanism is available which works without the PS.
One note of warning I got mine in December and it wouldn't work. Barclays had forgotten to tell me that my Connect card was being replaced as my old one wouldn't work with PINSentry
This happened to me, too. I only found out when various automated payments failed. It was very annoying.
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We've got a few pieces of old-ish funiture with cracks in them (not critical to the structure, but unsightly). I went into homebase today, and they had about 5 different wax-based fillers - sticks, tubes, some with spatulas etc. Does anyone have any recommendations - the chap I asked in the shop didn't have a clue!
Many thanks.
"Archie"
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www.liberonltd.co.uk
Very wide range, good reputation
Edited by Nsar on 26/01/2008 at 22:40
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Thanks, Nsar,
trouble is - I've just looked at their website, and whilst you are correct that they sell masses of stuff, they don't exactly explain what it all does. In the wood filler section they have "wax filler sticks", "wood filler" and "wood stopping". The first 2 have no description at all, the latter's description doesn't really help either. I've had a bit of search, and haven't found anywhere describing what all these do - do you know of anywhere on the internet which explains the difference?!!
"Archie"
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Consider getting a block of beeswax, melt and colour with shoe polish to shade required and fill in. Cheap method but as good provided cracks not too large.
dvd
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Any recommendations for a reasonable set of compact binoculars?
My old 10x50s have served well but I need something smaller and lighter for holidays etc.
Priorities are size/weight and optical performance - ideally 8x+ magnification.
Budget is up to around £150.
Kevin...
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Good for binos:
www.warehouseexpress.com/
However I have tried various small binos and there is no substitute for size, the ratio between large element and mag really needs to be at least 5:1 so 10x50 is fine though an 8x25 is not so good if the light is not very strong.
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I can recommend this company. www.monkoptics.co.uk/index.html
I bought a pair of eastern European binoculars -Foton - from them about four years ago. They are superb and were very reasonably priced. My Zeiss binoculars are a bit too heavy to lug everywhere and the Fotons are light and fairly compact.
Edited by Robbie on 27/01/2008 at 11:07
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Kevin, my mother was looking for exactly this for Xmas. And having too much time on my hands ;-) I found this website to be very useful to help me draw up a shortlist.
www.optics4birding.com/buying.aspx
Then use the so-called O4B Scorecard to specify your requirements and it will make suggestions.
I does take a bit of work to go through all the options but I feel that my extensive shortlist was the best I could get online.
For instance, the Eagle Optics Ranger SRT 8x 42 comes out very well (618 gr and $350) but may be difficult to get in UK (also slightly over budget).
What I ended up doing was putting mother's current binos into the scorecard to get a reference point and then seeing if I could get something a quantum leap better but in the end the results were well over budget and I got her something else! Her current binos were sufficiently good (though bulky) to justify a replacement considering how relatively infrequently she uses them.
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From the same source, monkoptics, is listed a pair of Nikon 9x25 at £69.
I've had the equivalent Nikon binos for about 15 years, along with two or three other larger or more powerful pairs, but it's the Nikons that go everywhere with me (small enough to fit in a coat pocket/glove box and, as you would expect, with very good optics).
tinyurl.com/ywq3xl
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I'm no bino expert, but if you can stretch to a pair with Image Stabilisation then I recommend you do so. The difference it makes in camera lenses at long focal lengths is nothing short of astonishing.
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BMS said:
>if you can stretch to a pair with Image Stabilisation..
I looked at the Canon and Nikon IS Range and price isn't a problem but they're on the large side of compact and weigh 600gms. Also, I'm not sure how rugged they would be.
I need some that I can drop into a Barbour pocket or a beach-bag without really knowing they're there. If I was throwing away my 10x50s I'd seriously consider them.
cheddar said:
>and there is no substitute for size,
err, more tea Vicar?
On a more serious note, that shouldn't be a problem. I know I'll have to trade some low light performance for convenience but there are countless times I wished I had my binoculars with me but left them at home because they are too bulky.
Billy said:
>And having too much time on my hands ;-)..
>I does take a bit of work to go through all the options..
You're right. I tried it. You did have too much time on your hands but you probably learned alot ;-)
Top choice appears to be the Nikon Travelite series that Stuartli suggested. They certainly fit the bill for size and weight and Nikon optics are usually pretty good.
Thanks guys.
Kevin...
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I have a set of bushnell perma focus 8x25 and they are very good .they weigh 335 grams in the protective case and 250 grams by themselves
the perma focus is very good as you can hand them on to another person without them fiddling with the focus best bit is they can be bought for around £40
look at bushnell perma focus on ebay to veiw ,you wont regret it
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I'm planning to get a very early ferry on Good Friday from Dover, I need a clean comfortable double room at a sensible price, breakfast not necessary. I'd expect to arrive in Dover at maybe 11:00pm and want to be at Dover Western Docks by 6:30am. Does anyone have any recommendations form recent experiences - I've tried a search on the sit ebut can't find anything.
TIA.
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Travel lodges are dotted around dover and folkestone. Check their websites, book on line and aways you go.
Cheap, clean, and you can make an early exit without worrying about the bill cos you prepaid.
Similar Holiday inn express.
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Thanks, but they are all too far away, I was thinking more b&b - ideally I want 5 minutes drive to the ferryport. There are plenty around but I can't help thinking some of them must be real dives, and the prices seem to be vary widely.
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Have you tried the local tourist information office? You won't be guaranteed the cheapest, but at least the accomodation should be to a reasonable standard:
www.enjoyengland.com/
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Does anyone still get a free drink in their local on Xmas day ? I don?t recall this being offered to anyone in the couple of pubs I frequent in my own area.
Clk Sec
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The answer in my case is no, but what brought that to mind on 27 Jan?!
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Seems like he had a damn good Christmas ;>)
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but what brought that to mind on 27 Jan?!
Because I forgot to ask on 27 Dec !
Clk Sec
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Never heard of that, but I could see it catching on.....
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The pub I visited on Christmas Day lunchtime (which I visit very rarely) was packed to the teeth - the staff were working flat out behind the bar, whilst the landlady was busy carrying a tray of glasses of whiskey, which she offered to customers all over the pub throughout the time we were there.
The tray had to be restocked several times, so the free whiskey clearly went down well.
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My local (just over the road, I'm looking at it longingly right now) in the north cotswolds gave us a drink on the house Christmas morning, so the tradition hasn't died out yet!
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There are a number of such like services on the web. Anyone any personal experiences of such a service, not necessarily web based.
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What exactly are you after Pug? Could you email it to me?
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A picture of a dog (don;t ask :-( ) we want a photo of her drawn (by pencil for instance)
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I know someone who illustrates pets as it happens, and speaking as an illustrator, I think he's very good. It's quite a popular service as I recall.
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A picture of a dog (don;t ask :-( ) we want a photo of her drawn (by pencil for instance)
I know 2 people here who do exactly that. Superb too.
VBR..................MD.
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PU - swmbo's family have twice had pencil drawings of dogs done from photographs by an artist in Northamptonshire, the results being acceptable to all and sundry. If I she still has the details, I will email them to you in the next day or two
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If you have a digital camera PU then photo said dawg.
Go to Kodak Shareware on Web and download their programme.
Open up dawg photo in Shareware and it will give you a number of options, one of which is to convert photo to line drawing.
dvd
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I work in London half the week and every week I trawl the pages of laterooms and lastminute etc. looking for where is cheap that week. I am constantly surprised by how variable room rates can be. The company I work for has deals with a number of hotels, but this is not a fixed rate but a discount to the hotel's variable rate so a room that is £125.00 one week can be £225.00 the next after discount.
It would be nice to find some I can stay regularly. I'm not looking for lavish, but friendly and with decent rooms at around £125 per night.
My offices are very close to the British Museum.
Any suggestions?
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On the odd occasion I've had to stay in London I've found Imperial London Hotels offerings OK. Range of places from the County in Woburn Place to the Imperial below Russell Sq. The Tavistock would be my choice as a compromise on facilities and price.
Not that small but the staff generally seem friendly and helpful.
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As another compromise it might be worth looking at the Strand Palace Hotel. We had an enjoyable stay there recently.
Would suggest a room at the rear if you?re a light sleeper, though.
Clk Sec
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Isn't that er, how should I put this, a certain type of hotel?
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Strand Palace was where my mother and lots of other WAAF officers used to stay when in London on leave! Certainly wasn't 'that type' of place then. It belonged to THF for a while and yes, it did have that reputation in the '60's but thought it was more upmarket again nowadays?
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And, erm, how would you know that, Nsar?
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can you bit it from DIY stores, and is it effective ?
rant
our neighbour saw rats in her garden last week, and the council are visiting this morning. I found half a dozen rats in our garden on saturday, and have rung the council - they will not get the pest controller to go from next door's house to ours as his jobs are scheduled for the day - If I want the council to put poison down, I'm going to have to book a separate appointment and take time off so I'm on the premises, even tho' neighbour is happy to oblige
and I thought I might get something for my council tax other than just having the bins emptied ;-)
/rant
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Work very well. For the sake of economy and strength, best bought from Scats, or similar store, in a large tub. Buy a lockable green box or there is a type with a black tube for the rat to run through and an upright tube full of poison, both of these will protect birdlife and the former, children. They will eat an enormous amount to start with and when it appears none is being taken move the box to elsewhere on their 'run'.
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Thanks, DW
no children in our garden, but there are in other gardens into which the rats have been seen dissappearing.
I await getting home to see if the next door neighbour, who is a formidable lady, has coerced the 'ratcatcher' into laying some poison in our garden and another adjoining garden, or whether three separate trips have to be logged and authorised by the beaurocrats
n.b. - for all the adherents of Groundforce, who decked their gardens a few years ago, and who sit out eating of a warm evening (remember them), I don't want to worry you, but if you get the slightest sign of rats, check under the decking..........
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If you've seen 6 rats in one day in your garden then I would guess you have a real problem. Depending on the policy of your council I would expect one free visit per year, and for you to have to pay for subsequent visits. The operative will lay down bait, and give advice as to the likely cause of your infestation and what you can do to eradicate the immediate problem and how to minimise future infestations. It is unlikely that one lot of bait will be sufficient, and your best bet will be to buy bait blocks similar to what professionals use. I use Neosorexa bait blocks bought online ~ they're not the sort of thing you can buy in a shop. tinyurl.com/2rb9cm
You really need to know the lifestyle of rats, and a bit of research by googling should help. In the meantime ...........
Rats are lazy animals and don't roam far looking for food ~ I think the distance is something like 100 yards maximum but I couldn't be certain about that. Consequently they build a nest close to where they have found a source of food ~ in urban areas this is usually waste food thrown out into the garden in the mistaken belief that it's merely doing the local birdlife a favour!
Rats have regular "runs" and like to walk alongside a fence or hedge so they're the sort of places to put the bait. They also like to feed under cover so cater for that preference by putting the bait under something ~ I use a ridge tile. This also helps to protect the bait from the elements. You need to stop the rats just walking off with the bait and storing it, and the suggested bait blocks have a hole through them so that they can be anchored down. And because they consist largely of wax they're fairly weatherproof anyway. I use a bit of wood (about 13 mm thick) with several nails driven through from underneath and I press the blocks onto the nails. 3 blocks per bait station seems a good starting point. Bait has to be checked daily and replenished as necessary. If all 3 blocks are eaten in one night then increase the number of blocks.
Rats like to build a nest under cover so tidy up the garden and remove any piles of rubbish. Under garden sheds are favoured places, but I'm not suggesting you demolish you shed!
Rats need to drink water daily so make sure you don't provide them with a source of water.
Here's some more information about rats. tinyurl.com/2pnnjn
If I think of anything else I'll post again.
Good luck!
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Here's another make of bait blocks of similar composition, with more information. tinyurl.com/3897tr
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Rattus norvegica .............. tinyurl.com/2zunzo
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L'escargot - thanks for the links - the one to pestcontroldirect requires a rather lower level of security that I would normally haave on my home pc, but I'm sure there's no problem.... ;-)
the 'ratcatcher' who turned up at the next door neighbours (henceforth NDN) would not consider looking at anybody else's property, but the third party neighbour (TPN) has got them to call this thursday, and as we think this is where the problem might lie, then all well and good.
Whilst I sort of understand the councils approach, since when have rats observed human property rights ?
What they have put down in NDN's is Neosorexa, what seems available in the diy stores is Bromadiolone - anybody comment on the relative merits ?
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Fenn trap Mk IV. Make sure you set the thing appropriately, look on the 'net for instruction, 'cos they're very hard on the extremities, and you would really not want to catch anything in them you didn't intend to. About £6.50 each.
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Neosorexa and Roban bait blocks contain 0.005% difenacoum, and this appears to be the professionals choice. Here's information on difenacoum and bromadiolone from Rentokil. tinyurl.com/yu3cx5
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>bromadiolone<
does exactly as it says on the tin! - they "used" to put Bromide in yer tea in the forces, (to stop you getting "the urge" ) so if Ratus Ratus doesn't get the "urge" to breed then eventually they will Di alone!
well it's nearly Friday!
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pestcontroldirect requires a rather lower level of security that I would normally haave on my home pc
Their "home page" details their security level/arrangements. They claim to be very security-conscious.
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Bromodiolone is an anticoagulant; so the rat bleeds to death from internal bleeding. Not nice at all.
Poisons available from DIY stores are much less effective (less strong) than those available 'professionally'.
Fenn traps are great. No need to bait - positioning is all: under a slab, in a narrow run by a wall. If you bait traps you run the risk of feeding the rats yet more... although melted chocolate dripped onto the trap (so it sticks like concrete) is highly effective. Beware feeding the mice (that will not trip the trap) though.
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rats will very quickly become immune to some varieties so if using it for any lenth of time change to another one with another active ingredient for a while
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We had a bit of a shock this weekend when daughter got the summary of her loan repayments.
She spent 3 years at UCL followed by a PGCE at Cambridge, leaving her with a student loan of £16,000 or thereabouts. After a year doing supply teaching in London and having loan payments deducted automatically her payments have not even covered the interest for the year. Her loan is now in excess of £18,000. This appears to be at least 8% to me.
Anyone who makes no attempt to repay the loan is going to get a very nasty shock when they are caught up with.
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When did she start paying. My oldest son who is now in his first job doesn't start making payments until the start of the financial year in April I believe.
Don't know how it's as high as 8% although I believe that the rate of inflation used for student loans is not the same as the rate of inflation used for calculating public pay rises, pensions etc.
Edited by commerdriver on 28/01/2008 at 13:31
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Remember last year when we had the doom and gloom about inflation going through the roof? The Student Loans Company took the opportunity to use that figure to base their interest rates on for the next year, so everyone ended up paying through the nose.
I received a letter off them a few weeks ago asking when I'm going to start paying, but fortunately I'm still in full time education. They still want to see copies of my bank statements though to make sure I'm not working, which I'd really prefer that they didn't see. I posted a letter the other day telling them to mind their own business, so we'll see what happens next.
Your daughter is better off ringing them - the phone service is usually pretty good and they know what they're talking about. She'll need her ART ID or else be prepared to answer a lot of security questions.
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"They still want to see copies of my bank statements though to make sure I'm not working, which I'd really prefer that they didn't see. "
How can you prove a negative? What's to say a person is not being paid into another bank account that they have not declared? If they really want the info I'm sure they have the right to access your PAYE/tax records to see what is being deducted by an employer.
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My step-son has a loan... how much are they going up per annum percentage wise? He's working at the moment but below the threshold to repay. He's also looking to train as a mental health nurse (diploma) so deferring repayment for longer I guess...
When I eventually took out a loan in my third year at uni as an undergraduate it was only about £300! I stayed on as a post grad and started paying three years later. Refused to pay it off on principal because it really did go up with inflation then... not so sure now.
In fact a load of the student loans were sold off.... mine wasn't as it was probably too small to make it profitable. Paid it off at something like £11pm for a while but it went up less than I got on my savings :-)
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From the direct.gov.uk website
How it works in practice
Repayment example one: Jane
Jane is employed, and pays her taxes through PAYE. She earns £1,500 a month - £250 over the repayment threshold of £1,250 per month.
Jane's repayments will be nine per cent of £250: £22 a month
Repayment example two: Richard
Richard works full time, and pays his taxes by Pay As You Earn (PAYE). His weekly wage is £350. Over the year, he also gets £2,500 in unearned income from investments.
Richard?s weekly wage is £62 over the weekly repayment threshold of £288 a week. His PAYE repayments will be nine per cent of £62: £5 a week.
Richard?s earnings from employment have already put him over the annual threshold of £15,000. On top of his PAYE repayments, he will need to make a repayment through self assessment. This will be nine per cent of £2,500: £225 for the year.
How interest on your student loan is calculated
The interest rate charged on student loans is linked to the rate of inflation, based on the Retail Prices Index.
The interest rate for student loans applies from 1 September to 31 August each year. From 1 September 2007 to 31 August 2008, the rate is 4.8 per cent.
Taking inflation into account, the value of the amount you pay back will be more or less the same as the value of the amount you borrow - no one makes any profit on the loan.
Interest accrues on your loan until it has been repaid in full.
If you repay your loan through PAYE or Self Assessment, the Student Loans Company will receive details of your repayments from HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) after the end of the tax year. When these details come through, the amount of interest you are charged will be adjusted to reflect when you actually made the repayments.
This means that you won't be charged interest on the part of the loan you have already paid back.
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Phone them and check. As someone else has said, the people on the phones are good but the people who send the letters are terrible. My statement has been wrong every year since I graduated in 2004. This year they have excelled themselves and managed to forget I paid anything in 2005/06, despite me having the statement from last year showing otherwise.
Bottom line is, with the SLC, always double check and don't trust them!
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The perennial question, but products change, so wouldn't mind some up to date advice, having searched already.
Possibly in the market for a pressure washer. Don't want to clean the car, just the patio/garden walls/glass roof.
Can I get something suitable for less than £100? Anything over that is probably not worth it as you can do a weekend hire for about £40, and I'd only use it about twice a year.
Seems to be loads around from about £30 up but I bet they wouldn't really do the job.
Anyone bought anything similar recently and have a comment?
Edited by Dipstick on 01/02/2008 at 10:06
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The kind of thing Ebay excels in I'd have thought.
I have a Karcher. It's a bit flimsy and poorly designed ie the inlet pipe is vulnerable to being bashed about and when it did break it's right faff to replace.
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I have a Karcher which I bought at Stoneleigh three or four years ago now from a stand that did second hand refrubished . I paid about £50 and got a model much larger than I would have got if bought new .
The way I look at it is that I would rather have something ovepowered for what I want which will be running at median level without excessive strain on the pump.
It is actually powerful enough to remove paint from woodwork.
I was using it at the weekend to clear the green algae which formed over the winter on the paintwork rendering of north facing walls of my bungalow.With the lance attachment it was able to cut through algae just using plain water from the tap and properly clean the paintwork even up to 30 ft or so above me on the gable end next to the TV aerial.
The patio gets cleaned once or twice a year , I use it to clean garden furniture and I do use it on the cars occasionally as well.
Buy the best one you can afford in my opinion they are a very useful piece of kit.
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Utterly useless for cleaning a car anyway.
At one stage I had (use of) an industrial one that provided hot water and could also deliver the detergent through the lance. Problem was, it only delivered the detergent (Karcher 'traffic film remover') with cold water so the detergent was completely ineffective. And it was horribly extravagant too.
A bucket of hot water, a capful of Halford's finest and a sponge is far more effective for removing traffic film imvvho anyway.
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Mapmaker is correct -
I have the brush attachment and the detergent bottle but probably the only good use of a pressure washer when cleaning a car is for removing mud / carp etc from the wheel arches and along the cills etc if it has built up.
Occasionally I use it just to rinse off the detergent but it takes time to set up the washer, changing attachments on connecting hoses and plugging in electrics / extension leads etc so not worth it timewise unless I'm doing both cars or something else with it.
Like Mapmaker for best car cleaning I always use a bucket and sponge and work from the top of the car down , rinse with clean water and dry off with a chamois leather .
For patio etc though - a washer is well worth it, makes a heck of a difference. it does need control near the house walls to ensure you do not spray the dirty water from the patio onto the walls of the house .
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Have a pressure washer with a "pencil lance" that is excellent on the patio. The finer jet of water gets the patio cleaner than the normal variable pressure lance. But you can only use detergent with lower pressures.
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>>A bucket of hot water, a capful of Halford's finest and a sponge is far more effective for removing traffic film imvvho anyway.>>
Precisely.
But it should be wax free shampoo to avoid windscreen streaking...:-)
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I was sceptical. I bought one fro Aldi in the end as the price was right for a fairly powerful one.
It gets used on the car, as it comes with a rotating soft brush attachment, and it dispenses a cleaning agent from a bottle you fill up with what you like.
Its great. The long brush handle allows me to get over the roof, and down the sills of the car without bendong down or stretching. The high pressure lance cleans the alloys in a jiffy. Its used on the house rendering, the paviour drive, and the paving slabs of the patio.
well worth its purchase.
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"The long brush handle allows me to get over the roof"
I was thinking of fitting one with a really long handle so you can wash the car without getting out of bed and then selling it in Innovations catalogue. I got the idea when I saw a window squeegie that had a telescopic handle for people who lived in low-rise flats.
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You would have to go to bed with the pressure washer and the hose. Now I know you have in the past slept with the vacuum cleaner but this is a step to far.
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Oh dear!
I've been known to sleep with the dishwasher.
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You may well ridicule me but one day you're going to open the Radio Times and Innovations catalogue will tumble out and fall open on the page with my invention and you will smile fondly and say "I know the guy who invented that"
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Could anyone please answer my query over the long term security of an annuity, eg if the insurance company goes into liquidation for whatever reason, what protection within the financial system is there for the annuitant ??
Any help / advice would be much appreciated.
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Can't help totally but I have a 'with profits' (HaHa) annuity with Equitable Death and the payout has halved in the 12 years I have had it. Fortuately half of a very little isn't going to stop me eating and living in warm house! Perhaps the funds are ring fenced and can't be touched in the event of total insolvency? A chat with the financial adviser in your local bank or B Soc would give the true position.
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We've got Sky in UK and a satellite box and dish pointed at Astra 2 in France. Sometimes we take the Sky box with us to watch footie in France.
I fancy trying out Setanta for even more footie and understand I can call them up and get a £9.95 subscription using my Sky card but not actually paying Sky because naturally they don't want to have anything to do with it.
I can also buy a set-top box, for terrestrial broadcasts, with a slot for a Setanta card at maybe £30 -£40 including a free month.
What I really want is a satellite box with a card slot so I can move the box around, watch anywhere that I can find a dish, and be independent of Sky?
Possible?
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Not sure if this answers the question, but it's on Freeview, so I'm not sure why you'd need to subscribe?
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It's a subscription service even on Freeview - needs a box with card slot and appropriate viewing card.
www.setanta.com/en/UK/How-to-subscribe/Freeview/
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So it is! Sorry - shows how often I've tried to watch it!
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Hi,
Perfectly possible... just done the very same myself for use in my holiday home on the coast...
All you need is a 'freesat' card which you can get from the BBC (I believe) just google 'freesat'.
This is effectively a sky card with just the free to air channels enabled. Then ring Setanta and quote the viewing card number and they will activate their channels in about a hour.
The only problem is, the card is specific to the reciever so you can't swap it from box to box.. just get a second reciever and leave it down in France.
Best wishes,
Neil
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njgleeds - thanks, that seems the way to go. Time for a look at eBay for an old Sky box and card.
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"Time for a look at eBay for an old Sky box and card"
I've seen them on markets, certainly on Walthamstow market.
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Watch some of the output first from Setanta before committing. We have it free through Virgin cable and despite the number of rugby matches shown I've never watched one. Very poor production and the widescreen output often isn't a UK version so you get squashed, stretched or really narrow pictures.
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