HOUSEHOLD TIPS NOT FOUND IN WOMAN'S WEEKLY

[Marilyn]

I love a nice sunny kitchen in the mornings, so an East facing kitchen is good for me.

[Cathy]

My bathroom faces East, so I get ‘white lighted’ on a bright morning.

[Stanley]

South facing is the favourite here. You don't get the very early sun but you get more later.

[Stanley]

Let air circulate through the house when the air is cooler than the interior but then shut up shop as the temperature rises. I've got the kitchen down to about 70C this morning.

[Tizer]

I think the man means 70F. The heat is going to his head!

[Marilyn]

I didn’t want to challenge him...

[PanBiker]

I must have lived with decimal long enough now, my head now works easier in Celsius than Fahrenheit. Have freezing at zero rather than 32 degrees is definitely more logical and the other end as well, boiling at 100 not 212 degrees. We civilised and always right folk in the UK used to be really complicated if you think about it. Ten fingers and toes so why did we ever settle on the plethora of different base systems that we used to have. Twelve pennies, sixteen ounces and 14 pounds. I know there is reason but I have forgotten what it is thank goodness.

[Tizer]

But pubs still sell beer in pints because if the standard switched to 500ml the drinkers would complain about short measures!

[PanBiker]

You are probably right, we are somewhat Philistine in that respect, works fine on the continent. You could always drink two 300ml bottles if it vexes to much.

[plaques]

Ten fingers and toes so why did we ever settle on the plethora of different base systems that we used to have. Twelve pennies, sixteen ounces and 14 pounds. I know there is reason but I have forgotten what it is thank goodness. All the old number systems made is easier to divide the numbers into smaller bits. divide 10 by 3 = 3.333333! 14 lbs is the end result of our cwt. Ian I'm sure that anybody who understands hexadecimal, which you certainly must do, can eat the common or garden number systems .

[PanBiker]

Indeed, binary, 16 base (Hex) but 10 base is still the easiest. If you want to totally screw your head you should try decimal to binary sub-netting calculations in a CISCO exam against the clock. My mate Steve who I went to Uni with when we did our CISCO accreditation was head of IT and had a previous teaching Maths and before retraining for teaching, engineering. I used to call him Mr Binar, semi photographic memory for numbers, he was a bit like Neo and could see the Matrix!

I much prefer my GCHQ puzzle book now.

[Stanley]

Ken is correct. There was a deep logic behind the Imperial system and once you cracked that everything made sense. You're all right, 70C was a typo. My thermometer in the backyard reads in Fahrenheit only and it makes perfect sense to me.
I love vulgar fractions and work in them. They are dead accurate whereas decimals are in many cases only an approximation. All calculations for tangential dividing are still done in Imperial, decimal doesn't work because your gear teeth have to be exactly right. If not you get a nasty shock when you cut the last tooth!

[Tripps]

They still use Fahrenheit in America for weather forecasts. The air industry uses thousands of feet for aircraft height, nautical miles for distances, and and knots for their speed. I think it's on the 'if it ain't broke don't fix it' principle. Also they remember the trouble they had when they changed from double side band to single - a long time ago.

[PanBiker]

Also they remember the trouble they had when they changed from double side band to single - a long time ago.

I have no trouble at all with SSB (J3E) but do note that commercial aircraft still use AM (A3E). I often have a listen to flights into and out of Leeds and Manchester when the bands are bit flat.

[Tripps]

Ian, I was meaning the long distance HF bands which changed from A3E to J3E in around the 1960's. The 'trouble' I spoke of was persuading smaller airlines to spend the money required to change their radio equipment. The story is that the major carriers eventually paid for them. Don't know if that's true.

These are the frequencies that kept me in work for a long time. Air radio HF frequencies. No idea if they are still used today in the age of satellites etc.

It's a shame you didn't join the RIS when you finished with Television - you'd have been good.

[PanBiker]

I listen on 133MHz not had a listen on any of the others but I suppose I could give it a whirl. My main station FT897D transceiver has a general coverage receiver and all the modes. I can copy AM, FM, USB, LSB, CW, CWN, Digital and Packet.

I was poached from TV to service computers and then I morphed into IT and network infrastructure support. New technology learning curve all through my working life until my usefulness ran out at 56 years old. A couple of years out of the game and you are stuffed as the tech has left you behind.

[Stanley]

Fascinating conversation about radio, gobbledegook as far as I am concerned but impressive! I seem to have stuck to old technologies all my life, farming, soldiering, droving and steam.
Perhaps that's today's tip. If you want to escape the rat race of modern technology, specialise in something that's obsolete.

[Marilyn]

Oooh...I just LOVE technology! I am quite switched on when it comes to technology, and I wouldn’t be left behind for quids. We live in amazing times. I wouldn’t be without technology. I bless every new discovery I make.

[Tizer]

What's your most recent technology discovery Maz?

[PanBiker]

Here you go Maz, licence structure looks very similar to what we have in the UK. Foundation licence should be relatively easy to obtain. Lots of tech to go at.

Becoming a Radio Amateur in Australia

Small transceiver and a bit of wire for an antenna when you go off in your camper van and you are sorted.

[Marilyn]

I can’t think anyone would want to hear from us! We are pretty antisocial, and like to keep to ourselves. ( I am quite open to eavesdropping though). We don’t mind a quick chat, a shared meal, a glass of wine...but then we are off to bed. Never ones to wear lampshades and bop until midnight.

[PanBiker]

I can’t think anyone would want to hear from us!

Operators using VK callsigns are much sought after on the bands.

[Marilyn]

Tiz..my recent technology is a fantastic speaker that I can control from my IPad. (Not a cheap thing...and the sound is amazing).
I gave myself the gift of music in my life on a recent birthday.
( this thing really rocks!!!)
Had to turn it down yesterday as hubby wanted it up high to play “The Devil went down to Georgia”...and I was worried the neighbours might be upset.
My son also gifted me a very expensive earphones for my birthday, again accessed by the IPad, which set me on my reconnection with music/podcasts etc.

[PanBiker]

Bluetooth by any chance?

[Marilyn]

Yep, Sonos.
Absolutely brilliant.