Member postings for Robert Atkinson 2

SOD.

The 1988 law banned carrying (posseson in pubilc) and a few other things. subsequent amendments added schools and places of education (seems our law makers don't think things out), selling etc.
Previously you could have many of the items on your own property, possesion in private was not an offence and it would be hard to prove when or how you aquired the item.

The new law makes possesion in private an offence. The descriptions do seem a bit odd and cover a lot of items.
A pea shooter clearly meets the definition of a blowpipe. It can fire ittems other than peas, hard or otherwise.
Not fake news at all. Poory thought out law - probably but that seems to be the trend these days, the fundamental laws arn't being enforced so make up new ones so it looks like we are tough on crime.

My worry is that these will have more and more impact on our hobbies, look at the EPP regulations!

Robert G8RPI.

I've thought abouIt it, but having seen the output of professonal machines at work am not convinced by the quality. From listening to others they also seem to be capable of consuming large amounts of time and filament plus a fair bit of money and space.

I'd get more use out of a small CNC mill

Robert G8RPI.

Another great bit of UK weapon control. Had an email from neighborhood watch about a weapons surrender scheme. I clicked the link to find that apparently it will be illegal have a pea shooter in your own home next year. I didn't even know that it's already illegal to have one in public, make or sell one (no one told ebay)
Yes it's a kids toy, but it meets the description here
**LINK**
"the weapon sometimes known as a ‘blowpipe’ or ‘blow gun’, being a hollow tube out of which hard pellets or darts are shot by the use of breath;"
This one, www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Pea-Shooter/264782839125 even comes with ammunition! About the only valid reason for having one would be if you were a wildlife vet and were using it to administer drugs.
The new law "Offensive Weapons Act 2019" **LINK**
Now makes it illegal to own, even in private, a bunch of "weapons" that previously it was only illegal to carry in public, sell, buy or make. I can understand and agree with keeping weapons off the street and out of the hands of criminals but this seems to just be a way of making conviction easier as they don't have to prove how you got it, just having it (there are some exemptions like antiques or work use) is an offence that you can be locked up for.
So if you are in the UK and have any unusual knives, batons, swords, throwing stars etc. you should have a look at this:
**LINK**
If you have a at least three peashooters you bought before 2018 they are supposed to give you £14 each for them.

Robert G8RPI.

While I would agre that repair is not a good idea, it is possible if really desperate.

The info below is just an idea, you must make your own assesssment and choice. If you do this I accept NO RESPONSIBILITY for any damage or injury. IT IS AT YOUR RISK!

A capillary action sealant such as Loctite 290 could be used
https://www.henkel-adhesives.com/us/en/product/threadlockers/loctite_290.html
Note it says " The product can also fill porosities in welds, castings and powdered metal parts "
It is good to 150 deg C.
Applying it is another matter. You need to drain the system to below the crack and dry the crack completely. A hot air gun (paint stripper) is ideal for this. Then let it cool to about 30-40 deg C (just warm to touch) before appplying loctite. Wet the crack fully for several seconds but mop up any drips or runs. Leave for 5 mins, wipe off surface then leave as long as possible, ideally >3 hours before refilling system.
If the boiler leaks after this or starts to leak again stop using it as the crack may be growing.
In any case REPLaCE THE BOILER AS SOON AS POSSIBLE!

Flame suit on.

Robert G8RPI.

Edited By Robert Atkinson 2 on 08/12/2020 21:06:47

Well there any many versions of BASIC. SOD said " Compared with C, BASIC takes up more memory, runs slowly and has weak system programming features." and Bazyle said " Basic is interpreted.." Neitherof these is strictly true. For starters there any complied BASICs. I use one, PBP3 (Pic Basic Pro 3.)This as you might expect runs on a PIC. I'm no programmer but have used PBP for hobby and commercial applications. I once wrote PBP code to drive a prototype machine that had two DC motors, a stepper and a serial interface. Fitted easily into a 8 bit 2K PIC 16F. So with prototyping done it was handed to the "proper" programmers some ime later they came back asking for more memory! They were using a C compiler costing a lot more than PBP bu, amonst other issues, were not accessing the hardware features of the chip. Were I'd used a internal UART They were bit banging the serial! Long story short the production units used my code.

It is also not fair to compare languages for the change wheel program unless they were all run on the same hardware. Python on a RPi4 will be faster than Basic on a 4MHz PIC!

As others have said Horsees for courses.

Do look at PBP3 though, there is a free verson for hobbyists and you are not tied to specific hardware (the free version only works with a limited, but useful selection of PICs) http://www.pbp3.com

Robert G8RPI (the RPI was issued at random back in 1978, nothing to do wth Raspberrys)

Looks like the ends of 3 race tracks to me so AAR seems likely. Only the end of the racetrack is in the contrail area.

Robert G8RPI.

As the existing Electronic ballasts are faulty I would NOT use plug in replacements for the U shaped tubes. They are also fairly expensive. about £8 each. If you do use them get branded like these made by phillips:

https://www.ledbulbs.co.uk/products/philips-6-5w-led-g24d-2-pl-c-warm-white-54127200
BUT CHECK THE SIZE I don't know what is in there already, length, 2 pin or 4 pin. Other suppliers available.

Remove the existing ballast (circuit board) completly and wire mains supply directly to holder.

I would just get a couple of E14 (SES) lampholders and mains LED candle style lamps and fit them, again remove the ballast circuit boards. if there is room you could fit standard BC holders and lamps.

I would not bother with low voltage lamps and converters.

Robert G8RPI.

Edited By Robert Atkinson 2 on 29/11/2020 12:25:04

These lights don't look great quality or very safe with the electronics exposed. Rather than repairing them I'd strip out the tubes and electronics and fit one or two LED lamps in place of the tubes. E14 / SES candle style lamps should work OK.

Robert G8RPI.

Nice bit of background from Andrew.
One other advantage of the Brushless DC is that they re good generators so they recover energy on decelleration and downhill. You get braking with a induction motor but they are not good generators.
A lot of the motors are liquid ooled as well

My Outlander PHEV has a complex system with the IC enging driving a generator and the front wheels through a CVT plus a motor on both front and rear axles. So it will do pure electric FWD, pure electric 4WD, engine driving generator to battery to FWD or 4WD electric, engine driving CVT for FWD(no electric), Engine to genenerator and CVT for FWD / 4WD.

When the IC engine is running the control system tries to keep it at it's optimum load point. If this produces more power than needed for propulsion the extra charges the battery. This, using the eletric to assist acceleration and the CVT mean the IC engine is fairly simple and optmised for efficency at a set load point rather than wide torque and power bands for driveability.

Robert G8RPI.

The modern motors are what most on here would consider "brushless DC" with sensors. So a rare earth magnet rotor and polyphase (most are 3 phase) stator. They run at high freguency (less magnetic material and fewer field coil turns needed) and fairy high speed.

Using an old type brushed DC "forklift" motor is a very poor choice as they are so heavy (weight is a bonus in a fork lift) quite apart from the poor electrical efficency.

A lot of the classic conveters are droppin the systems from a used early Nissan Leaf into them.

Robert G8RPI.

Edited By Robert Atkinson 2 on 28/11/2020 14:46:55

Your Bosh dish washer being made outside the UK or Germany or wherever you "think" it should have been, does not make it badge engineering. If it was bulit to a Bosh specification by subcontractor, it's a Bosch. Badge engineering is were a company takes a product designed (or specified) and sold by another and has their name put on it.

Robert G8RPI.

Yes.

I was a Licenced Aircrbaft Maintence Engineer without a degree or any membership. Awarded by the Civil Aviation Authority and in those days when we had our own regulations only a LAE could sign a certificate of release to service for an aircraft. It needed age, training, experience and several exams, oral, written and multi-choice. Not multi-guess, pass mark was 70% and if you got a question wrong it was minus 0.5% so minimum score was -50%. This is part of the culture, if you don't know, don't guess because lives are at stake.

Robert G8RPI.

@Martin Kyte

Sorry for gettng your name wrong, Not sure if I misread it or mistyped.

What you are saying is not correct. While the requiremenent for full membership may similar to to that for professional registration as a Chartered Engineer, being a full member of the IEE (as was, they ceased to be that in 2006), IET, RAeS etc does not give you chartered status. It does not even automatically give Tech Eng or I Eng. status. If only it was so easy.

IET (IEE merged with IIT to form IET) Full membership requirements are here:
https://www.theiet.org/membership/become-a-member/miet-and-tmiet-membership/criteria-for-iet-membership-miet/

You just need a degree with no experience to become a MIET. No competence or commitment required. If you don't have qulifications you can still join with experience and a "supporter".

CEng requirements are here:
www.theiet.org/career/professional-registration/chartered-engineer/

I don't know about the IET but most RAeS members are not Chartered Engneers or even Incorporated Engineers.

Robert G8RPI .

A l7805 is a 5V DC regulator. Most certainly the wrong device for a 240V universal motor.
Problem is you have no idea what the previous bodger did. A triac is much more likely. Have you tried contacting Dremel? you never know till you try.

Can you post a photo of what is there already?

Another option would be to use a basic light dimmer in series with the tool. (Use an earthed metal back box, proper strain relief on cables).

Robert G8RPI.

One thought for those who have had RCD trips from VFDs with filters - what was the leakage current BEFORE you added the VFD?
A typical household RCD trips at 30mA (differential between live and neutral currents). But a EMC filter leakage to earth (caused by the "Y" capacitor(s) is less than 1mA for a simple filter, about 5mA for a VFD filter or 15mA for a high performance filter. Given these figures even a high performance filter should not cause a trip. It is likely that the existing wiring and equipment has used up most of the leakage "allowance" and the VFD filter pushes it over the edge. Not if the existing current is from filters, that's not too bad, but it could be due to degraded wiring (for example google "green goo cable".

If your VFD filter trips the RCD it might be time to get a competent electrician to check the house wiring.

Robert G8RPI.

Martin Kyle and Howard Lewis made a couple of opposing comments about Chartered Engineers but neither are correct. I’m talking UK here just to be clear.
Martin said “Membership of an engineering institute confers some argument to call yourself an engineer (in fact all it does is allow you to state that you are a member of the institute and add CEng as permitted by their charter,….”Being member of an institute is not enough. The institute must be licensed by the Engineering Council to asses you. The standard is set by UK-SPEC not the institution.

Howard said “To be a member of a Chartered Engineering Institute, a degree is needed.
Many years ago, someone with a HNC or HND could, by two years further study for further endorsements, become one; but then things changed.”
Again not true. To quote from the EC website “The CEng title is open to anyone who can demonstrate the required professional competences and commitment, as set out in the professional standard”. Nothing in there about qualifications, just competence and commitment.

Unfortunately a degree does not assure a level of competence, just knowledge (or for the real cynic he ability to pass an exam), but it’s not meant to.

One of the problems is that in the UK there are very few tasks that legally can only be carried out by a Professional Engineer (covers CEng and others). This assumes that the law set out the acceptable qualification. In many other countries you need to be a PE to do certain tasks.
A term that is becoming more common is SQEP “Suitably Qualified and Experienced Person” (note qualified does not solely mean academic). The MOD are getting hot on this after a few incidents were seniority was mistaken for competence. This is not just in engineering by the way. Being a PE is a big plus when showing SQEP.

As you may have guessed I consider myself an Engineer. The first formal recognition of this was the issue of an aircraft engineers licence (by the CAA back when authority to sign off an aircraft was vested in the Engineer, not the organisation the way it is now under EASA). Since then I have also attained CEng status and am a Fellow of my professional society. I do not have a degree or even an A level but can sign off a design as meeting CAA, EASA, MOD or FAA (and a few other) requirements. SWMBO has several degrees and a doctorate and earns a lot less than I do.
Fortunately my employer has recognised some time ago the good engineers were becoming poor managers because it was the only perceived means of progressing. They now have dual management and “specialist” tracks with positions for each at all levels up to and including executive / board level. I’m two levels from the top, and still do >95% engineering.

Robert G8RPI.

How about car airconditioning compressor clutch?

Either used one or usaed scrap one normally comes complete with pulley.
I've been looking at fitting one to the ML2 along with VFD. First I need a round tuit.

Robert G8RPI

Very good question.

Practically you use the filter included with the VFD or that recommended by the maker of the drive. Even this is not certain to comply, in theory you have measure the emissions (conducted and radiated) from the equipment over the applicable frequenct range (typically 200kHz to 1GHz). and ensure it is below the limit.
As you might expect very few people do this for a single installation.

If he VFD supplier does not provide a filter or suggest a suitable one you have to use professional judgement, the rating of the drive and other information to choose a likely filter and then you have to test it with your equipment.

Robrt G8RPI.

There lies the rub, a VFD is not electrical installation, it is electronic equipment / system design.

To properly and legally install a VFD of the type we are discussing (other than in an industrial "fixed installation" (which has a specific meaning) the finished product MUST comply with the relevant direcives (CE or in UK from 1st Jan 2021 UKCA) This as a minimum includes the Low Voltage Directive and the EMC Directive and in many cases the Machinery Directive. The electrical installation and BS 7671 ends at the socket on the wall.
Yes I'm primarlly electronics (avionics to be precise) but I have done domestic and light industrial installation work and a lot of equipment design and manufacture.
Came across this at work recently. Had a mains motor in a box with a solid state relay. The non-aircraft electrical people said "we have done it to "edition 18" I questioned this, but becuase I'm avionics (person involved did not know my background) they asked an outside certification expert - who confirmed exactly what I said - LVD and EMC Directive. They even chose the same harmonised standards I had.
The very fact that you don't think this is required shows you are not a SQEP.

Just because lots of people don't comply and enforcement is virtually non-existent does not make it right.

Emgee,

It's not "doom and gloom" it's sensible advice from a professional. I see others have responded to your comments so I won't say more about that.

As I've said before what you do in your workshop is your business, but when anyone suggests doing something dangerous and/or illegal to others or states that good guidance is wrong I have a moral (and professional) obligation to make comment.

One thing I will add is the the manuals for VFDs assume, and normally state, that the installation design and work is carried out by a suitably qualified and experienced person (SQEP). I happen to be a SQEP for both the design and installation of VFDs and similar, you do not appear to be.

Doing installations in work or public areas like "Mens Sheds" and museums is a bit different. These normally have public liability insurance and it is worth looking at the "small print" they may have conditions limiting who can do things like electrical work.

Robert G8RPI.