By continuing to use this site, you agree to our use of cookies. Find out more
Forum sponsored by:
Forum sponsored by Forum House Ad Zone

What Did You Do Today (2017)

Report what you have been upto here (engineering related)

All Topics | Latest Posts

Search for:  in Thread Title in  
JA13/01/2017 14:21:28
avatar
1605 forum posts
83 photos
Posted by Andrew Johnston on 13/01/2017 11:10:12:

I'm in a rural village, no idea where the cabinet is, I have FTTP. It's supposed to be 76Mb/s. I run Ethernet from the router to the computer. This morning it measured 13.8Mb/s download and 19.1Mb/s upload. Mind you it is an old computer (>10 years) running XP and distinctly creaky.

I just tried the same speed test on my new computer, W7 and also an Ethernet cable to the router. Very different results; 90.3Mb/s download and 23.7Mb/s upload.

Darn well ought to be fast for the money I am paying. sarcastic

Andrew

FTTP = fibre to the premises

I am right on the edge of a large conurbation and have download and upload speeds of 4.8Mb/s and 1.5Mb/s.

Up until I checked the speed a few minutes ago I was happy!

JA

Muzzer13/01/2017 16:49:45
avatar
2904 forum posts
448 photos

You've got no business living in a semi suburban area and putting up with that. Try one of the broadband speed checkers to see what you should be able to get. There is not usually a charge for an up to date modem and there seems to be quite a range of offers depending on how much speed and data you actually need. Stuff like movies and sport cost extra if you like that sort of thing.

I pay a bit over the odds for Zen Internet at £47 all in per month for unlimited data up to 76Mbps. Their service has always been rated excellent and our kids hammer the internet, so it's not as bad a deal as it sounds.....

Edited By Muzzer on 13/01/2017 16:50:42

JA13/01/2017 17:29:18
avatar
1605 forum posts
83 photos

Muzzer

Thanks. I have just looked at the speed I should be able to get - 3 to 8Mb/s standard and 67 to 80Mb/s for fibre.

The question I ask myself - is really worth up-grading? I don't play games or watch films, TV etc on the computer. I look at U-tube every so often. It is really not a high priority.

Now to get the Riesling out of the fridge.

JA

Steven Vine13/01/2017 17:35:13
340 forum posts
30 photos

I'm around two miles from the exchange. There is fibre from the exchange to the green cabinet. The green cabinet is about 200m down the road. It is copper from the green cabinet to the house.

The computers are connected to the router/hub via Lan cabling, and I get 76mb download and around 16mb upload. I connect MY computer to the GigaBit socket on the router/hub, for max speed.

The wireless connection to the router is crap, and is around 3.5mb download and 4.5mb upload. It is usable at those speeds, but I do notice the lag.

Yeah, I'm paying BT about £45 for unlimited broadband and unlimited phone calls. I've had one problem in 20 years ... the Broadband went down one night, which was a nightmare; it was the worst night of my life!

I use the 'BT Wholsale Speed Test' checker

Steve

(Perhaps we need a broadband speed thread, because the only thing I did today was check my speeds)

Colin Heseltine13/01/2017 18:14:38
744 forum posts
375 photos

I was around 3miles from the exchange and was on something around 1Mb, eventually Infinity came to the village and the Fibre Cabinet is around 150 yards away. Now on download of 72Mb and upload of around 9Mb. Significant improvement.

Colin

Cornish Jack15/01/2017 12:37:46
1228 forum posts
172 photos

Not today, but yesterday, did a 'post surge' survey of the house and workshop. Both reasonably intact but the gardens on the seaward side totally trashed, coping stones all gone and the greenhouse bodily washed across the lawn.. We sat inside, 'battened down' through some 4 hours of high tide mayhem not very reassured by the Env. Agency's utterances that it was all much less than forecast! The noise of the arrival of a large portion of the North Sea, all at once, concentrated the mind somewhat.surprise The good news is that the window shutters and, particularly, the flood boards seem to be very effective so a couple more are probably worthwhile.

Lessons learned? - Don't leave loose items in the vulnerable areas - at one point, the gardens were floating seas of assorted debris.crook

Hey Ho! for life in North Norfolk ... eyes down for the next lot!!

#rgds

Bill

Michael Gilligan15/01/2017 13:30:47
avatar
23121 forum posts
1360 photos

Glad to know you survived it, Bill

It must be incredibly frustrating for you, to have this happening all over again.

MichaelG.

Cornish Jack15/01/2017 14:38:25
1228 forum posts
172 photos

Thank you, Michael.

Slightly frustrating, but much more reassuring, in that the house remained structurally intact this time and we had an opportunity to see which remedial measures worked and which could be 'beefed up'. Less reassuring was the constant presence of our emergency services, all 'twos and blues' and NOT ONE bothered to knock on the door to see if we were alright. As an ex long time S&R operator myself, I find that a little strange. Maybe different priorities nowadays??

rgds

Bill

Speedy Builder515/01/2017 15:16:55
2878 forum posts
248 photos

Apparently they Knocked on 15,000 doors! However with all the communication, radio, TV, internet etc, I can't believe that one wouldn't know what was happening. I bet they didn't knock on doors in 1953.
BobH

Cornish Jack15/01/2017 18:15:12
1228 forum posts
172 photos

SB5 - Thanks for the statistics - I'm sure they are accurate but having difficulty finding relevance. Over the 4 hours high tide period at least 3 emergency vehicles arrived at our location, one parked across our drive gateway in an increasing pool of sea water coming over the sea wall. Another sat, engine running, at our other gate from where the damage to the walls was visible with not a single enquiry as to "y'alright, mate? Need any help?"

As I said, I find that odd. Even they were there specifically to check the tide state, a quick check on the locality (only 8 houses) wouldn't have been too distracting. When we were called out on that sort of job, in those sorts of conditions, we would have done that as a matter of course - not least in self-interest! Sod's Law said that if you left an incident area without checking, you would just have the bacon sizzling in the pan back at base when the bell would go for a return to the problem area. So, maybe there are different priorities?

rgds

Bill

Windy16/01/2017 08:47:16
avatar
910 forum posts
197 photos

Have to phone the ward today at 9am for when a bed is vacant I had to do that before theres a lot of serious sick people about and limited resources. My Coal Miner sparring partner might still be in so let battle commence if he is. Probably another competitor for the bog will be in a few days later as I was a day in front of him and we are having similar chemo. I hope I can connect to the internet as it was iffy in my ward. Got plenty of stuff loaded on my friends laptop so will have something constructive to do. If no WiFi. Will be about two weeks away getting well fed and watered and staff looking after me it's good meeting people there and blowing the wind better than feeling sorry for yourself'
Signing of from an old fart in more ways than one

Edited By Windy on 16/01/2017 08:48:53

Neil Wyatt16/01/2017 09:05:05
avatar
19226 forum posts
749 photos
86 articles

Hi Bill,

Glad to hear you got through with minimal damage this time.

Neil

Geoff Theasby16/01/2017 09:17:33
615 forum posts
21 photos

My wife Deborah says she saw this and thought of me. Oh, it's so me!

https://www.theguardian.com/culture/ng-interactive/2017/jan/15/simone-lia-on-the-drawer-of-old-technology

Geoff

Mike16/01/2017 11:03:00
avatar
713 forum posts
6 photos

In our house my wife calls them "man drawers." Well, it started off as a couple of drawers in a cabinet, then spread to a chest of drawers, then the loft, and finally to one of our two garages. I could declutter, but rubbish skips are so expensive I think I'll leave it to a future generation...

daveb16/01/2017 14:13:12
631 forum posts
14 photos

Ancient milling machine improvements.

Made a new downfeed handle inspired by my bench drill and vise handle inspired by Kurt.

Don't know why I didn't do it ages ago!

006.jpg

002.jpg

Geoff Theasby16/01/2017 17:23:28
615 forum posts
21 photos

'Scoop' Theasby's lair/mancave/publishing empire hub/ all tidy (Well, three days ago it was...)zpublishing hub.jpg

MW17/01/2017 19:19:15
avatar
2052 forum posts
56 photos

One of those happy days where the post man arrives with new kit. I got my 4" zither slim four jaw chuck.

This seems like a more unusual purchase for me considering I already have two four jaw chucks, but this photo will hopefully explain the situation better than I can.

three 4 jaw chucks.jpg

To the first on the left, and the last on the right, are my two old ones. Theres a project coming up (stuart v10) that has a lot of small castings to machine on the 4 jaw, and the largest Clarke one (7.5".) feels too heavy handed for smaller scale work, especially when there could be many change overs.

The last is the wee sherline one (Just under 2" ), again, feels too small on the opposite end of the spectrum. So zither comes to the rescue with the goldilocks chuck, which is neither a bother to change over, and just the right size for the job.

The little twist of fate is that I must use a backplate to fit it, so it wont be exactly quite as slim as just the chuck itself, or else it will never get on my lathe.

I also experimented on a few of the iron castings to see if I can stress relieve/anneal the iron castings in my muffle furnace:

muffle furnace.jpg

So that's the door open, standing back a little distance, at over 700 degrees Celsius. I will leave it in there over night and when it's cooled off the following day I shall see if it has worked at all.

Michael W

Edited By Michael-w on 17/01/2017 19:27:32

MW18/01/2017 10:07:42
avatar
2052 forum posts
56 photos

Just an update on my casting annealing experiment on a Stuart V10 casting.

ironcasting 1.jpg

So it's been roughly 12 hours since I left it in there at 700C. I checked the temperature gauge on the furnace to make sure it was safe to remove before I touched it. It was at 15C so it was safe to open it and take it out.

It has taken on a slightly dusty rust coating, all thanks to the cold night we've just had. But I think it has done something to the metal, because it has noticeably dulled in colour. and takes a cut very readily from a file. It no longer has the glossy coating.

Another interesting thing...

sand embedded close up.jpg

The sand that was sitting just beneath the glossy coating has separated and completely dried out, revealing it's true colour and it rubs away too. So with a quick once over with a wire brush before cutting it will save my tools needing to go through the excess.

The real test of course, will be in the cutting.

Michael W

Edited By Michael-w on 18/01/2017 10:09:09

Michael Gilligan18/01/2017 10:41:53
avatar
23121 forum posts
1360 photos

 

Posted by Michael-w on 18/01/2017 10:07:42:

Just an update on my casting annealing experiment on a Stuart V10 casting.

< etc. >

.

A very encouraging start, Michael

... Please keep us informed.

MichaelG.

.

P.S. ... Your practical results are obviously what matters ... but I was pleased to find this:

https://etd.ohiolink.edu/rws_etd/document/get/osu1364310320/inline

Obviously: I have only skimmed through it, but it does appear to be worth reading.

Edited By Michael Gilligan on 18/01/2017 11:06:37

Bazyle18/01/2017 12:55:49
avatar
6956 forum posts
229 photos

Michael - sensible purchase. I followed the little booklet on the 10V as my first use of a lathe - an exMOD S&B model A at work. The book was written for a Myford size and when it said 'attach standard to faceplate' mine disappeared down the great big hole. frown

All Topics | Latest Posts

This thread is closed.

Magazine Locator

Want the latest issue of Model Engineer or Model Engineers' Workshop? Use our magazine locator links to find your nearest stockist!

Find Model Engineer & Model Engineers' Workshop

Sign up to our Newsletter

Sign up to our newsletter and get a free digital issue.

You can unsubscribe at anytime. View our privacy policy at www.mortons.co.uk/privacy

Latest Forum Posts
Support Our Partners
cowells
Sarik
MERIDIENNE EXHIBITIONS LTD
Subscription Offer

Latest "For Sale" Ads
Latest "Wanted" Ads
Get In Touch!

Do you want to contact the Model Engineer and Model Engineers' Workshop team?

You can contact us by phone, mail or email about the magazines including becoming a contributor, submitting reader's letters or making queries about articles. You can also get in touch about this website, advertising or other general issues.

Click THIS LINK for full contact details.

For subscription issues please see THIS LINK.

Digital Back Issues

Social Media online

'Like' us on Facebook
Follow us on Facebook

Follow us on Twitter
 Twitter Logo

Pin us on Pinterest

 

Donate

donate