DIY with function over finesse!!

[mickthemaverick]

I have two tower PCs and another laptop running elsewhere in the house, but for my personal use in the lounge I like the convenience of a laptop on the arm of the sofa so I can watch sport when SWMBO is watching something I'm not interrsted in. If I go upstairs I get accused of being anti social but I can get away with sitting in the lounge with my laptop and headphones to watch footy, f1, cricket, snooker, golf etc. while the news and weather and animal stuff is on!!

[CitroJim]

Sorry to hear that Mick

I only have one recommendation - Chromebook

As a totally aggro-free laptop for general use it ticks every box...

[mickthemaverick]

As a totally aggro-free laptop for general use it ticks every box...

Including one that will never live in my house!

[CitroJim]

As a totally aggro-free laptop for general use it ticks every box...

Including one that will never live in my house!

Thought you might say that Mick You don't have to be wedded to Google to enjoy all the inestimable benefits a Chromebook will bring into your life

[mickthemaverick]

That maybe so Jim, but all the Chromebook ads I have seen contain the slogan "Powered by Google". Which means, for my money, there is no telling what future updates may do. A wise man once told me "If you don't want to get to the wrong destination, don't get on the train!"

[Paul-R]

Not to mention that each and every Chromebook has a built-in death date which it is programmed not to exceed.

[bobins]

I have a working Chromebook here which I was given. It's 'no longer supported'. Probably destined for the WEEE pile now

[CitroJim]

I was unaware of the Chromebook 'death date' but then again, they are not exactly expensive - I have two, one came 'free' with my Android noble phone and my other high-spec one cost less than £200...

So when mine 'die' I'll be happy to renew them..

Android mobile phones 'die' in the same way. No more updates and some apps similarly won't update or stop working... But then again, when that happens, the state of the art has moved on so far it's time to upgrade anyway and enjoy the progress

[mickthemaverick]

New laptop purchased and is currently having the old hard disk files transferred to it!! Should be fully operational over the weekend and I will be able to start on the Saunter write up!!

MTMO

[CitroJim]

Excellent

[NewcastleFalcon]

In pictures, how the camera battery charger was fixed ignoring all the dire warnings on the back.

not as aesthetically pleasing as it was but it works!

Neil

[CitroJim]

Good to see at least one item today has escaped the clutches of the WEEE bin

[Stickyfinger]

You could always try flying a cheap drone near them. I got a couple from ebay for under £30 each, and they come with three batteries, and two 4K cameras! One has an adjustable angle (you pivot the camera by hane before flying), and the other is pointing straight down.

Just hang a paper cutout in the shape of a Hawk on a long string under the drone.......or buy a battery powered Super-Soaker (added bonus, you can get cats with those !)

[mickthemaverick]

My bedroom has been doing a best impression of a sauna for the last ten days or so which was beginning to annoy me. I left it while we had that cold snap and SWMBO and I both took advantage when we got home frozen so went up there to watch TV instead of the lounge which was normal temperature.

I diagnosed the problem being a faulty TRV on the radiator causing it to be permanently on and hence boiling the room somewhat!

I didn't fancy draining the system so I decided to rely on the vacuum method which I am now posting although I realise this is probably a granny and eggs situation!

I have a combi boiler and therefore a pressurised system so no 'hot tank in the loft' sealing to worry about. I simply turned off the boiler, closed the valve on the opposite end of the radiator, then bled the radiator to release the system pressure. Then I prepped the new valve with PTFE, undid the old one and replaced it with the new one with very small spillage. Tightened up, opened the other valve, turned on the boiler and pressurised it. All went well and so I removed the 'decorator's' top and fitted the actual TR cap. System now fully operational and room back as it should be. Also I was delighted to see the water I did take out was crystal clear so I have a good system, this rad being the last in the line!!

[MattBLancs]

Tightened up, opened the other valve, turned on the boiler and pressurised it. All went well and so I removed the 'decorator's' top and fitted the actual TR cap.

Good work on the valve swap, sometimes they stick and can be jolted free with a tap on the sprung pin (visible with the top of the TV removed)

The decorator caps I've seen normally turn the valve off, so potentially working against you a tiny amount (possible a pocket of air sat the other side of the shut TRV valve) when refilling, do might need a second bleed session to get what released once the TRV reopened. Or given tiny fluid loss, may be the air pocket is trivially small and of no consequence!