Member postings for Malc

Just to finish my tale fellas, I fitted the new HDD into my Manhattan Freesat recorder and it fired up OK and has been going great for a couple of days now. Seems to be doing all it should be doing. Keeping my fingers crossed!

This recorder had been playing up for a week or two, failing to record, incomplete recordings etc. I tried factory resets a couple of times to no avail. Finally it displayed a “Something is wrong” screen suggesting to re boot the HDD. However it repeatedly refused to reboot. I rang the Manhattan service and explained all this and they said that the HDD was at fault and my only option was buy a new recorder. I complained, saying that it was only 18 months old, they said that whilst they did have some leeway in their guarantee period I was not eligible after 18 months. Having nothing to lose I opened the box and checked and cleaned all the HDD connections - no luck. I could hear the HDD running so I felt that it was getting power OK. At this point I found the exact same HDD on Amazon for £13:40 and thought that it was worth a gamble at that price. It should arrive tomorrow so I’ll soon know whether my gamble paid off.

I posted this question on a specialist AV website forum - I’m still waiting for a reply. I’ve found in the past that I can usually count on a response from you fellas. I’m always amazed at your breadth of knowledge and willingness to help. Thanks again to all.

Thanks Peter, I’ll check them out.

Thanks Oldiron, that’s encouraging. I decided to risk it and have sent for a new hard drive. Hope be up a running again soon. Thanks again.

Has any one replaced a HDD in a Freesat box? It’s a Manhattan 4K 500GB recorder, it’s only 18 months old but the HDD has failed and Manhattan tell me that I will just have to buy a new box. A replacement HDD is less than £15 so I am tempted to buy one. I can hear the old HDD operating so I know it is getting power. Does anyone know whether you can just replace the HDD or will it need formatting or pre programming in some way?

Yes, the pallets are just bent steel strip as you describe. The 32 oil is used as a hydraulic oil I believe, I have since found some thinner, clearer looking oil which may be more suitable. Whilst I didn’t strip and clean the pivot holes I did thoroughly check the gear teeth for any obstruction. Thanks for the tip about cleaning the pallet pivots, but I would have to open the whole movement plates to remove them. It’s still going so I’ll keep an eye on it for a day or two before delving in. Thanks again all.

Thanks for the replies. The relative did say that the clock was extremely fussy about being level even when new, and yes there are signs of wear on the tops of the escapement teeth but not so the pallets. I did not take the movement apart, deciding to take the path of least resistance first! I soaked the movement in petrol for a day, dried it thoroughly then removed any staining etc. with alcohol. I used a very light application of 32 oil. On the pivots etc. The clock is still going this morning so it’s been running over 12 hours now, I’m getting hopeful!

One here for you clock enthusiasts. I offered to get an old cuckoo clock going again for a relative. The movement was badly clogged with dirt so I have cleaned and oiled it. I set it up on a bench out of its case to give it a test. It ran for an hour or two then stopped for no obvious reason, I checked the gear teeth up to the escapement for damage and any remaining dirt but found nothing obvious. There is some slight wear in the gear pivots. However as I have frequently re-started it it runs for longer periods but it was still stopping for no apparent reason. The movement has to be dead level for it to run at all. The action of the pendulum seemed rather weak to me and I decided to add a little weight to it. To my surprise this seems to have greatly improved things. The pendulum only weighs 15 gms and I only added a 2 gm weight but the clock has now been running for several hours. Could it be that this has improved the action of the clock and if so can anyone explain why?

We moved about 100 miles. It all depends on your involvement with your workshop and the situation at the new house. In my own case whilst I had a fair bit of kit it was only a pastime. I was not involved on any lengthy project. I suppose I never really considered myself a “Proper engineer”, I just enjoyed tinkering as an interesting hobby. The new house we were moving to only had a garage, no shed or workshop. The new place also needed some general DIY work which I was looking forward to doing. Bearing all this in mind I felt that if I took the lathe etc. it would only stand idle in the garage possibly getting rusty for a couple of years. For this reason I decided to sell the lathe and all related kit before moving. 16 months on and I don’t regret the decision, I have been happily engaged pottering around the new place and doing various DIY projects. I have missed not having a bench drill but will probably get one eventually and there have been a couple of occasions when I could have used a lathe but managed to get round the job another way. It depends on how you feel yourself but that’s how it was for me, hope it helps. Best of luck with the move.

Edited By Malc on 08/09/2022 10:30:33

Would it be possible to bore a recess in the underside of the QCTP so that it sits over the ratchet and down onto the base. Or, perhaps you could make a “washer” with a central hole to fit over the ratchet which is the same thickness as the ratchet forming a slightly higher base ?

A few months ago I decided to re-instate a digital bedside clock which I had put away “Somewhere safe”. Needless to say it was nowhere to be found despite frequent searches. Not to worry, I need a project so I’ll make one up using an Arduino. About a week later and all I needed was a 9 volt PSU to run the new project. So, I delve into my cupboard where all the PSU’s etc. are, not much luck with a PSU but I did find that digital bedside clock in there🤨. What a waste of a week, but I suppose it kept me out of mischief.

Have had mine some time now and one of the first things I did was to make a “Holding strap” to keep work in place. Will try to post a picture.

Looking in on this post I was particularly impressed with the circuit diagram produced by AJAX. Can you tell me what program was used to produce it ?

Looking at the posts on old motor bikes etc.reminded me of a weekend in the 1950’s. My Dad had a friend in the forces who started up a motor bike shop in London after the war. The friend invited us down to his place for a weekend. His name (I think) was Sid Strelitz and he had his shop at 458 Barking Road, Plaistow (stupid how these details stick in your memory for years!). I wondered if anyone remembers the shop (or Sid), or is my memory playing tricks?

Looking at posts on old motor bikes made me think back to my Dad and the 1950’s. He had a friend in the forces with him who had opened a motor bike shop in London after the war. In the 50’s the friend invited us down to stay for a weekend. I remember the visit and a trip to Petticoat Lane whilst we were there. The name of the friend (I think) was Sid Strelitz, and the shop was at 458 Barking Road, Essex (stupid how some details stay in your mind for years!). I wondered whether any one remembers the shop (or Sid) or is my memory playing tricks?

Hi Dave, Thanks for your amendment to the sketch, I hadn't got that far. I typed in your sketch but it refuses to compile. It complains at the line: void setSegments (uint8 t group, int delaymS = 1000){ and gives an error message: variable or field 'setSegments' declared void. I was thinking that I may have typed the line incorrectly as your setSegments is in black and uint8 t is in blue Whereas my typed version has the setSegments in red and the uint8 t in black. I know these text colours in the sketches have some significance so I am just looking into it. Malc.

Looks like my days are getting busier. I intend to print out all the replies and code and then see if any of it sinks in, so it could be a while before you hear from me again. Thanks Roger and every one else. Malc.

Blimey Duncan, sorry if I kept you awake! Looks like I have a busy day ahead, thanks again.Malc.

Many thanks to the two of you for all the effort. I’m going to work my way through all your info and see if my brain is up to it. You should have a bit of peace - it could take me a while. Thanks again, Malc.