Member postings for Cornish Jack

Similar functioning items in aircraft fuel tanks known as jet-pumps or scavenge pumps - slow but non-mechanical method of getting the last drops out of the tanks. Old technology to new technology!

Rgds

Bill

Not sure whether this is on-topic or not but, after a 10 day battle to arrange a mag + digital subscription recently, today I received the following email from MyTimeMedia ...

"Dear Neil,

Thank you for your email.

My opolgies for the lack of response you have received, I can confirm your subscription has been cancelled.

Kind Regards,

Sarah Luker"

Apart from NOT being NEIL, what should I assume from this (apart, that is, from MTM admin being ... how shall one say - slightly challenged??)

Rgds

Bill

Took a photo of the beginning of a trench!!

Anorak-ish?? Maybe, but it was the FIRST remedial work on the remains of the house destroyed in last December's 'surge' and quite important 'cos it's the sea-wall! If the '100 year' theory is correct, I won't be around for its next test but fingers crossed ... neighbour's similar wall had to be knocked down and rebuilt 'cos it was crap building!! Great joy!!

Rgds

Bill

Update ...

While I was out shopping, a chap from Model Engineer 'phoned (at long last!). Left a message that he would ring back and... HE DID!!! Now have a subs number and start date etc. - not yet tested but at least there is hope.

What to make of this episode?? Chap who rang said that there was "an email team" and he wasn't on it. On this evidence, no-one is! I appear to have an active subscription at last, but what a palaver to get there!

Now to get the house and workshop rebuilt!

Rgds

Bill

10 days and still no reply!!!

Rgds

Bill

"All offers in the magazine are available to all readers, subscribers print, do or digital, and casual purchasers".

"And subs offer updated: 3 for £1, code is V656."

...and jolly nice too, one might imagine, if, that is, one could actually contact ANYONE in the Subs department to initiate a subscription, or cancel it!!!

Rgds

Bill

That's it! Enough is enough!

I have no idea what is happening at MTM, but whatever it is they can do it WITHOUT any financial contribution from me

From my initial attempt to subscribe made on Sunday last, MTM's input to rectify matters has been 2 auto-messages (utterly uninformative). Even Neil's kindly attempts to help have failed to generate a response. As a last resort, I attempted to call their 'phone contact ... garbled auto message which was broken up and at an inaudible level. Final attempt was to the subscription /help website to be greeted by a "This domain may be for sale " splash!

As pointed out to Neil, I believed that 35 years in the military had exposed me to real professionals in the art of confusion and incompetence - but no, MTM have it in spades!

I have no idea what is going on there - and (on this sorry episode) I suspect that they don't either. The cancellation email is on its way and I offer these details to any other forum members who may be contemplating subscribing.

Rgds

Bill

Martin

So right!!

With our limited radio gear, if we were going 'long-haul' we had to carry spare Xtals and over the years collected some 'spares' . When I was posted, I tried to hand these in - no way !! They weren't on someone's inventory so couldn't be accounted for.

We had high hopes that when 'Stores' was renamed 'Supply', things would change. No way!! ...

" Can I have a new Navigation bag, please?"

"Sorry, we only have one in stock"

"But I only want one!!"

"But if I issue this one we will be out of stock!!"

Logic means quite different things to different people

Rgds

Bill

Bikepete

Thank you - and the advice is undoubtedly good ... to deal with what appears to be an incompetent, uninterested 'organisation'.

MTM's priorities would appear to be:- obtain the money, ignore the customer until the SECOND complaint and then, (although this is speculation) deliver the goods. Not, perhaps, the most ethical business model, but " hey, (in modern eejit speak) it's good for finances , yey!!"

Is that really how businesses should operate?

Rgds

Bill

Edited By Cornish Jack on 03/09/2014 11:42:09

A couple of personal memories re, service equipment. In '54 we were issued with flying kit which included gauntlets. Most were unmatched in colour. On enquiring why, the reply (possibly apocryphal) was that they were manufactured in different factories - one made left hand and one right - hence no colour match. (Less attractive to thieves) Seems odd and unlikely but 35 years experience says that it would have been entirely possible!! Still have the gauntlets!!!

In the 80s while doing the SDO stores inspection, one requirement was to select a card from the bins and check the item was 'present and correct'. My selection indicated 100 yards of madapolam and it was indeed there ... and had been since the 30s.Most useful for Tiger Moth repairs but less so, maybe, for VC10s

Rgds

Bill

Edited By Cornish Jack on 03/09/2014 10:50:49

Thank you Bikepete

"as someone who has some relevant experience" , would you or Neil have any further useful advice to offer.

Message sent to Subs, Auto response received (good job the robots are operating!!) REAL person response ... BIG FAT ZERO!

I most certainly don't want to "sit there fuming and waiting" but, other than making a several hundred mile round trip to hammer on the MTM door, options appear to be thin on the ground. Undoubtedly, there will be 'reasons' (read excuses) for this sort of foul up - most likely "Computer problems" management speak for GIGO (in old computer terms!)

Hey Ho!, indeed (fuming and waiting)

Rgds

Bill

Bikepete

Thank you for your response.

It's an interesting concept, that one can offer a 'service', specify costs and (potential ) benefits, arrange for automatic collection of customer's money and smugly sit back waiting for the customer to complain before doing anything constructive! IF the process auto email specified that one had to make contact to receive the subs number ... well, acceptable, just! But NO, the auto email indicates that the essential number is included ... AND IT IS NOT!

I (like many others) make a lot of on-line purchases. The various vendors seem to fall into two main categories - very good and crap! I have an opinion of the MTM subscription process and feel that the 'peanuts and monkeys' analogy strongly applies.

Rgds

Bill

Hmmmm! Was a subscriber for a long time, then got fed up with poor content and cancelled. Recent apparent improvements prompted a rethink, so, yesterday re-subscribed. Auto response acknowledged receipt and the following - "Your subscription number is noted below. Please quote this in all communications." Excellent ... except that there was no such inclusion!!! Never mind, it will obviously arrive once the real people are back in the office ... errr , NO! nothing so far Ah well, there have been enough forum complaints about the software and subs problems, so I can't say I haven't been warned! Will have to grab a bag of patience and wait for the nice people at My Time (or whatever they are this week) to consider offering some service for the use of my money. At least it is only for one year - that is DEFINITELY ONLY for one year!!

Rgds

Bill

Would the suction pads used for removing halogen light bulbs be adaptable?

Rgds

Bill

Some mouth-watering Hi-Fi gear mentioned here, all beyond my pocket (AND aural range!!). Some 50 years ago, when I was still hearing reasonably well, I had dinner with Bangkok's richest Brit - he had a replica English country cottage (with diamond leaded lights etc.) and his music setup was all Quad - pre-amp, amp, and a pair of electro-statics, plus a Ferrograph tape deck. Superb music, until he put on a Foster-Jenkins record ... .

With all this kit available, did anyone use it to advantage for tonight's Prom - the glorious Mahler 5 and particularly the 3rd movement. All we had was the Panasonic's built-ins - with the kit you chaps are talking about, it would have been almost too much.

Rgds

Bill

Edward - yes, it was a nice idea but lacked the advanced functions of the present systems. I bought a second-hand set, plus spares, and rigged them up to try the system. For displacement measuring they were fine but routing pull wires caused some head-scratching. Unfortunately, they joined most of my other 'stuff'' in being swept away in the December surge Can't recall the manufacturer's initials but I seem to remember that they were numerically identified - 302, 502???

Unless you want straightforward axis displacement measurement, I would advise against - spares will be difficult, also.

HTH

Rgds

Bill

Brian

For prints of that type, I would use the PrtScn function. With the item you want on screen, press Ctl and PrtScn. Then open the Paint program in Windows and Paste. The screen image will appear and can be cropped to the required area and saved as a jpg or whatever image type is available. Manipulate and print as needed.

HTH

Rgds

Bill

Clive's motoring notes take me back to last w/e and a family house-warming in London. Motored down from N Norfolk and into the (expletive deleted) London traffic. House was on a typical street with limited on-street parking, ONE gap between cars, reasonably close, but marginal. Decided to make first trial of 'self-parking' system!!! Absolutely gob-smacked!! I'm no slouch at parallel parking but I most certainly could not have done it any better! One shot, car does steering, I do brakes and throttle - result, perfectly aligned 4" from the pavement. The secret appeared to be the steering rotation speed - I couldn't have turned it that fast. Took me two back-and-forths to get out so it hadn't wasted any space. Probably won't use it very often but a good confidence builder.

Rgds

Bill

John

I have a Fobco Star and would highly recommend it AS A DRILL! Not at all sure about the use as a mill. It would most certainly need a screw-in chuck (if available). Mine has the 2MT chuck and it works loose very easily. It is a substantial bit of kit and I have to use a little hydraulic car jack to raise the head when needed. Don't know whether it's still the case but F O'Brien were still in business selling spares for the Star a couple of years ago.

Rgds

Bill

Took the nice new Berlingo for a 'day out' from N Norfolk to 'Stevenson Country' to pick up an Ebay purchase. That JS has got a lot to answer for! The SatNav speed camera warning was working like an aircraft missile warning radar!! I reckon that JS has got a share in the market there!! No sign of the Master himself though.

Rgds

Bill