rakh1

Aqualisa HiQu Bath - problems!

2012-01-22T20:16:00.003Z

Been having some ongoing problems with the digital bath system we installed late last year. Despite 3 engineer visits, and every component being swapped it was still struggling to reach a hot output. About half the time it works fine and you have a hot bath. The other half - it never reaches temperature (red ring never turns white).

So, I decided to try and investigate. I found that by lowering the cold water pressure (turning bathroom taps to full cold) I could coax it to achieve heat. It seems that the system cannot dial down the cold input enough - so that even with full heat output from the combi, it mixes too much cold (we have a 42KW combi so we should have no problems).

So - a cunning fix. I simply turned the in-line tap half off on the cold side. This artificially limits the cold pressure allowing the hot/cold ratio to be hotter. Seems to be working fine now - even with the combi on economy mode (had to be full heat before).

Samsung 900X1B Wifi Problems

2012-01-08T13:57:00.004Z

I have been having some problems with my new Samsung Series 9 Ultrabook (NP900X1B-A03UK), whenever on battery the wifi performance was terrible when used with a Netgear WNDR3800. After much investigation I finally tracked down a solution. Go into control panel, select the power profile and click advanced - now turn the wifi to max performance when on battery. Has been great ever since...

Xmas Tree

2011-12-11T14:22:00.001Z

Our Xmas tree is here - sourced from a local farm and 'just' fitting in the house. Cats are a bit too interested....

Another day... another robot!

2011-12-07T14:28:00.000Z

Earlier today my second robot was delivered. Whilst the trusty Roomba has been hoovering our floors for the past few years, the new Navibot has a few modern tricks up its sleeve that will probably see Roomba banished to upstairs. For starters it intelligently maps the room with a camera, so it cleans more effectively (not just random patterns). It is also quieter, less 'bumpy' to things around it and can cope with a bigger space as it will return to base, charge and then resume where it left off.

TOBvember

2011-11-30T14:29:00.002Z

It's the last day of Movember - and as such may I present the office Mo-Team. TOBvember (as it is called) has raised nealry £3,000 so far. If you want to donate then hurry along to http://mobro.co/rakh1

Kitchen stools

2011-11-23T08:27:00.000Z

Bar stools turned up for the kitchen this morning - very easy to assemble - and look pretty good. Luckily the white is the same temp as the kitchen too - phew!

Kitchen - almost there...

2011-11-21T07:13:00.000Z

Fridge delivered on Sat, table and chairs in from garage. K's bit 'EAT' sticker on wall (Swedish style apparently). This is pretty much the finished item. Tiny bits and pieces left.

Fridge - and free ROBOT!

2011-11-16T08:43:00.000Z

Ordered our new fridge - Samsung RSG5UUMH - am looking forward to auto-crushed ice for cocktails :) However, it gets better... the site I bought it from has a promotion whereby I get a free Samsung SR8855 robot vacuum cleaner. WIN!

Kitchen approaching the end...

2011-11-09T07:56:00.003Z

Was sent this last night to show progress (K is at home, I am away on business). Seems we are approaching the end with final touches such as the cooker hood now in place. New bar stools come next week which should finish it all off nicely.

Google Galaxy Nexus

2011-11-08T17:32:00.002Z

My next phone? I think so - presuming it ever comes out (delay after delay at the moment). Have ordered from Amazon just in case it ends up being physically too big for my liking (an easy return). Should be dispatched early Dec.

Dracula's Castle

2011-11-07T05:26:00.003Z

The Romanian QA team and I set off this weekend for a road-trip to Dracula's Castle in Bran. After a 5 hour drive we stayed in a rented house and spent the evening drinking palinka (ouch). The castle is quite impressive - despite S, C and I having a sneak preview the evening before ;)

Romania

2011-11-01T16:47:00.001Z

I am in Romania for the next couple of weeks. So far so good. Beer is very cheap and the apartments are great. Lots of photos on my flickr stream...

EFS 17-55 F/2.8 Broken!!! :(

2011-10-28T16:56:00.003+01:00

My EFS 17-55 broke the other day - one shot was fine, and then in the next the IS was going from max deflection to min deflection at top speed. Only way to take photos was to turn it off. Luckily I have a MACK international warranty. Lens is now with Canon UK being repaired.

Flooring

2011-10-28T10:24:00.002+01:00

Flooring is mostly in now and for the first time we can imagine the finished look. We were a little unsure as to the colour of the oak, but it turned out to look fantastic.

Movember

2011-10-27T09:51:00.003+01:00

You may notice my upper lip becoming 'fuzzy' this month... well, it is all down to Movember - a charity event with the aim or raising awareness of prostate and testicular cancer. Pop along to find out all about it - maybe even throw a few quid its way...

http://mobro.co/Rakh1

Worktops...

2011-10-26T15:52:00.005+01:00

Kitchen worktops are now installed. They are a black quartzite with silver fleck. Goes very well with the steel appliances. Sink is now in and working - along with the Quooker (hmm, I can have coffee again). Next step is to finish the island off and then put the flooring in...

Wall units...

2011-10-20T22:16:00.001+01:00

Wall units are up - and don't they make a difference! You can really get an idea of how it will look once finished. Flooring goes in next week...

Ovens and templating...

2011-10-19T08:48:00.000+01:00

Definitely getting closer - we now have working ovens and the stone masons have been around to template for the worktops. We've even got electricity to the draw servos which has given me hours of fun...

Base units...

2011-10-15T16:53:00.001+01:00

More progress - ceiling lights and base units are in and we are working out the final location of the island. Actually starting to feel like a room now!

Painting starts...

2011-10-12T08:51:00.004+01:00

Plaster is now dry enough to start painting and to cut out the light holes ready for our massive number of spots. The guys have also started to bring in the kitchen units - and even managed to get the washing machine in. Dryer is however broken from too much moving :(

Plastered!

2011-10-09T16:52:00.003+01:00

I spent the weekend in Brighton, and whilst I was there the kitchen was plastered. House now smells VERY damp. Trying to air it out with windows and doors open - but it is not the warmest of weekends... brrrrrr!

Door gone...

2011-10-04T08:39:00.003+01:00

Yesterday the doorway was bricked up and the majority of the new plumbing was installed. Won't be long before we put up the ceilings and plaster the walls...

Kitchen continues...

2011-10-02T17:17:00.003+01:00

First fix almost done. Walls and floor chiselled away ready for plastering and levelling. Next step is to brick up the doorway nearer the front of the house - and change the boiler and plumbing :)

Kitchen - gone - replaced with hole!

2011-09-24T14:11:00.003+01:00

Our first weekend with no kitchen. No sink, no ovens, no larder... nothing but a microwave and a credit card for eating out. Had a small hitch this week with WREN - doors for cupboards and drawers still nowhere to be seen. Vented anger at manager this morning - he has promised resolution and money back :) K threatening to take me to IKEA for inspiration - I think it will just make me miss having a working kitchen even more. At least I might get a hot dog I suppose... more pics linked in title.

Wall Down!

2011-09-22T17:08:00.001+01:00

Just received this from our builder - the wall is pretty much down and this is the first look at our new space.... AWESOME!

Floor arrives...

2011-09-21T14:29:00.002+01:00

There has been a flurry of activity this week. The Quooker, Boiler and Flooring have all turned up. The later being on a pallet which meant having to move it piece by piece inside.

Old kitchen is half out and one ceiling is down. Work continues tomorrow with the main wall coming down as well as the second ceiling. Should give the place a somewhat minimalist feel. Hopefully new boiler in place before the weekend!

More kitchen arrives...

2011-09-14T08:51:00.000+01:00

Today the main kitchen units turned up. Nice thing is that they turned up first thing this morning and were off the lorry and in the garage in 10 mins. Not so nice thing is that they forgot all the doors??!!! Nothing is ever simple hey! WREN are chasing the missing doors this very moment, but even they seem confused :(

More kitchen...

2011-09-11T10:36:00.002+01:00

The second part of the new kitchen turned up... this Best Gemini kitchen hood is a large doughnut of white aluminium with a fan in the middle. Seems to have come in the biggest box ever for something not actually that big. Spent the day moving most of downstairs upstairs...

L&R's Wedding

2011-08-28T11:20:00.003+01:00

Had a great night at L&R's wedding, with the rain holding off just long enough from the ceremony. It was set in L's mum's beautiful garden with a huge marquis. The live band was great (especially the bassist) and the speeches massively funny. More photos linked in title. Congrats guys!

Kitchen - ordered!

2011-08-20T19:10:00.003+01:00

We've finally done it and ordered the new kitchen. An all high-gloss white design with auto-servo drawers, black quartz tops and plenty of kitchen-gadgetry. We now have to order the new flooring, the white goods and a new boiler. Work commences in 3 weeks!

G&S's Wedding - in France!

2011-08-14T19:02:00.000+01:00

K and I went to France this weekend to G&S's wedding. The event was staged in beautiful surroundings in a small French village near Chataeudun. We drank lots of champagne, visited a Château, ate far too much and had a great time. More pics linked in the title...

BT BYE BYE

2011-08-11T08:30:00.003+01:00

Tomorrow is gong to be a sad day - a very sad day. My number one subscriber to this blog (yes, I have ways of knowing) is leaving for pastures new. As you can see from the pic to the left he is a very intelligent chap - and as such is off to become a Doctor! BT is an interesting guys - almost every day I've learnt something new about him from the work kitchen whiteboard. For example - apparently he looks like Smithers from Simpsons, he once cycled from Lands End to John O'Groats (but finished in Devon) and no matter what the topic of the day is - BT has an opinion
and/or a fan club (I suspect the latter). So - good luck B - this blog will miss you! I am sure the comments section on this post will now fill with many interesting BT related items ;)

UPDATE: he liked it so much he had it framed!!!

The Kitchen Build Commences...

2011-08-09T22:33:00.002+01:00

First item for new kitchen has been purchased - a Smeg 75 hob. K likes as it is shiny shiny. Have still got to get ovens, fridge, hood, sink, taps.. oh, and the kitchen itself! This will be our biggest house mini-project yet.

Insomnia 2011

2011-08-03T18:17:00.004+01:00

Yes - it's back and I'm doing it. A 12-hour night race through the deepest, darkest, most dangerous woods in all of Kentshire. Please visit the link below and donate if you can - BHF are a great charity.

http://www.justgiving.com/knebworthknights

UPDATE: Thomsons Online Benefits (my employer) is matching donations up to £500 - thanks guys!

Sweden

2011-07-28T23:22:00.003+01:00

18 hours there, 16 hours back - what a drive! We are now converted Chunnel lovers (Sooooo much easier than the ferry). Had a great week with the family in the summer house - even managed to catch some sun. My Swedish needs work still... (more photos linked in title)

Logitech z506

2011-07-16T15:04:00.001+01:00

My PC speakers stopped working this morning - not bad seeing as they are over 15 years old. Having real trouble finding suitable replacements though - have settled for some cheap Logitech ones until the perfect set finds me...

Sonisphere 2011

2011-07-10T23:20:00.003+01:00

J, B and I just had a great weekend. We not only had full weekend tickets but managed to blag VIP tickets too allowing us to relax in a private tent with its own drinks, food and facilites. Highlights of the weekend incude Megadeth, Metallica, Paradise Lost and Bill Bailey :) Also got my yearly quota of crowd surfing out of the way - small nose injury this year :( More pics linked in title...

Bathroom nearly done...

2011-06-25T08:53:00.005+01:00

After two weeks the bathroom is nearing completion. Main hardware is in and only the last bits of electrics and the grouting is outstanding. Then it's just left to me to programme the TV, bath and underfloor heating..oh, and paint the ceiling and remaining walls!

Bathroom TV Test

2011-06-18T16:37:00.004+01:00

Here's the hardware test run. I've threaded cat5 and coax cable to the attic from the server room and have hooked up an AppleTV along with the Sky+ box. All seems good :) Sound quality much better than expected and Sky+ control is flawless. Can't wait to install it now...

Bathroom TV

2011-06-16T18:34:00.001+01:00

Got talking to the builders last night about my TV dilemma and the hassle to fit it. They talked for a bit and then came up with a way to get it in the wall with less hassle than I expected - as such I'm going ahead with it and we'll have a nice little 19" telly in the bathroom ;) Made by Sonos, with sky digilink built in, floating waterproof remote and induction speakers!

Yorkshire MBK

2011-06-12T23:28:00.002+01:00

A few of us headed oop north this weekend for some proper mountain biking. The weather held for the most part and we had some fantastic rides (including a 7km downhill!). Was happy to get out of the Landrover though after 4.5 hours in the back with all the bags!

Bathroom ordered...

2011-06-05T12:53:00.003+01:00

After an expensive week we have now finally gotten all the various parts ordered for our new bathroom - work starts next week! We've gone for Aqualisa HiQu shower and Bath (with a computer controller for each), an IKEA double sink unit, grey tiling and underfloor heating - oh, and the coolest towel radiator we could find! The funky mosaic tiles to the left are going as a splash-back behind the sinks...

New Sofa

2011-05-25T20:10:00.004+01:00

After 17 weeks of waiting our new sofa finally made it from China and was delivered. I was given a 7 hour delivery window and of course it came during the 30 minute period that I was on a conference call :( Anyway - it's here now and looks great... just need to keep the cats off it now!

J's 40th - in Cornwall

2011-05-23T20:28:00.003+01:00

To celebrate J's 40th birthday, A and I went to Cornwall for the weekend. There was much celebration (once we left Newquay) and some near death experiences (for A) when we tried some land-kite-surf-boarding on a nearby beach. Despite the near death a good time was had by all and there was even some sun to enjoy our Rick Stein fish and chips with. More pics linked in title.

Merc - new brakes

2011-05-14T15:48:00.001+01:00

Yay - it's been ages but I finally got round to pulling a car apart again. OK, no massive modification here - just a straightforward brake replacement - but nice to get my hands dirty anyway and saved ~£150 compared to having Merc do it for me!

Vibram Fivefingers KSO

2011-05-13T23:31:00.001+01:00

Well, if there are good enough for Sergey from Google then they're good enough for me. Going to try these as my next set of trainers and see what they're like. Downside - needed new socks too!

Nick and Britta's Wedding

2011-05-08T18:14:00.005+01:00

Just got back from a fantastic wedding. The rain held off (long enough) and we even managed a BBQ in the evening. N&B had a great time - photos linked in the title...

Walkera V120D02

2011-05-08T15:08:00.002+01:00

Whilst my 4G6S is in repair I've ordered one of these - it is flybarless which means more simple to fix and more fun to fly. The best bit is that it shares most of its parts with the 4G6S and uses the same transmitter. Should be here later this week...

4G6S Rebuilt (again)

2011-04-26T22:30:00.001+01:00

Another crash and another rebuilt later. This time I borrowed some parts from the V120D02 bin, which gives a nice red canopy and more importantly, a taller tail fin to stop those tail strikes. Ready for flying this weekend!

MBK

2011-04-24T23:43:00.003+01:00

Went for a great late afternoon ride today - highlights include a 32mph 'both wheels fully locked' skid nearly missing a tree on a newly found patch of downhill, and a great mile long downhill path on the way home... made it up 'Impossible Hill' too :)

McCulloch M53-675 DWA

2011-04-22T17:30:00.006+01:00

Having used M's petrol mower for the last few weeks I've decided it is time to buy my own. Found this nifty little 4-stroke with a load of cool features such as auto-mulch and self-priming easy start. Also has a plastic box (not fabric) so won't rot. Next question - can I modify the electronics of a Roomba to guide it autonomously...?

Barnes Rugby

2011-04-18T11:02:00.002+01:00

Had a great Sat with Thomsons watching the Rugby at Barnes. The day got better as they won 43-12 automatically promoting them in the process. Lots more pics linked in the title...

Heli Flying...

2011-04-09T21:53:00.001+01:00

Had a great day flying at the park. Starting to get the hang of it too. Had some amusing crashes though - hit a tree twice, and went through another set of blades and tail gears. Batteries charging ready for tomorrow... more pics linked in the title.

BBQ

2011-04-09T21:35:00.004+01:00

It was hot. We had charcoal. There was cold beer. BBQ :)

Canon Pixma MG6150

2011-04-03T23:06:00.000+01:00

My old HP ran out of ink again, which was the perfect time to get a new printer :) The MG6150 is faster to print, can do duplex printing and is totally wireless - plus it gets rid of all the HORRIBLE HP software from my computer!!!

4G6S Back in action!

2011-03-31T20:46:00.001+01:00

After a late night rebuild my heli is back in working order. It took an hour to put everything back on, and another 15 mins to balance it all out. Am now looking forward to my next crash...urg, I mean flight!

Mini DV Camera

2011-03-28T20:29:00.003+01:00

Check this out - 5cm tall, 19g weight and takes 480p footage direct to mini-sd card. Perfect to try and capture some of these crashes from on-board the helicopter... should also be useful filming my mountain-bike crashes... available for £13 now - link in title!

CRASH!

2011-03-27T17:52:00.003+01:00

Oops - was getting a bit too brave and got disorientated - heli came down upside down fast and missed the grass, hitting the tarmac. I reacted badly by slamming the throttle wide open. The resulting crunch followed by a little 'funky chicken' was somewhat painful to witness. I've broken the tail boom, tail drive, main gears, lower chassis, canopy and a set of blades - total cost - £22 in P&P :(

E-Flite Blade 450

2011-03-26T16:57:00.003Z

Am getting used to the smaller helicopter now - so time for something a little larger - and more capable in the wind. My decision was made just in time to pre-order the newest 450 size heli on the market - the E-Flite Blade 450 (link in title). It is about 2.5 times the size of the Walkera and a lot more powerful. Spares should be easier to find too. It should be shipped in a few weeks...

Nitro Heli

2011-03-20T13:56:00.000Z

After a long hibernation J tried to coax his nitro heli into the air - it didn't quite make it... :(

First flight of Walkera 4G6S

2011-03-06T18:56:00.001Z

So, after much simulator practice, and several hops around the floor of the house I finally took my helicopter out for a proper fly. It was a bit windy - but I only crashed it once (luckily not caught on camera). It is much more stable than I was expecting and coped with the wind well. This was the last flight (of four) so the batteries are starting to go...

New Mouse - RAT 9

2011-03-05T17:38:00.003Z

I bought a new mouse today having seen it in WIRED magazine. The RAT 9 is totally customisable to your hand...and looks, well, like some kind of robotic snack :) The base station also doubles as a charger and weight carrier (yes, weights so you can alter the feel of the mouse). Totally OTT - I love it!!!

Broken Tail Gears

2011-02-27T16:42:00.001Z

Second flight - stripped the tail gears out - making flying a bit dizzy... Luckily this was a 10 min fix - have to order some spares now :)

Walkera 4G6S First run

2011-02-24T20:39:00.001Z

So - here it is spinning up for the first time. Nothing dramatic and I am taking it very slow! Made a couple of hops... but no serious flight yet... to be honest - am not sure if it is set up properly yet - have lots of reading to do!

Walkera 4G6S - RC Helicopter

2011-02-13T09:51:00.002Z

Been wanting a rc heli for several years - but the technology just wasn't able to provide what I wanted. Well, at last I found something suitable after reading a Wired ad. It's small, electric, fully articulated and way WAY less than the £1200 I was looking at a few years back. I got a pack with 5 spare blade sets and bought some training gear :)

Tree Disaster!

2011-02-09T18:17:00.001Z

Disaster - it appears a tree has fallen over and crashed through our fence at the back of the house.... Luckily there appears to be nothing hurt other than the fence panel. Am now wondering how to remove said tree without causing any more damage...

New Android Blogger App

2011-02-04T10:15:00.001Z

Thought I'd test it...

Wallpaper

2011-01-23T18:02:00.002Z

So - we got rid of the large white wall by making it a feature wall with contrasting wallpaper. Once the white sofa turns up it should look pretty cool... I hate wallpapering btw!

New sofa

2011-01-21T21:36:00.004Z

Finally found a sofa that we both like and will accomodate Roomba and cats. The actual one will be here in 8 to 12 weeks and will be ice white!

Thomsons Conference Brighton

2011-01-16T18:42:00.004Z

Have just been to Brighton for two days for the annual Thomsons conference. This one was themed 'back to the future', hence the Robocop costume for the Fri night party - more pics linked in title. Awesome time, some great speakers, some good strategy pieces and a LOT of fun :)

HAPPY NEW YEAR

2011-01-01T14:48:00.002Z

Wow - 2010 has been a fantastic year. New job, new house and some new friends to boot! We celebrated over dinner with a few friends, much champagne and some very nice port (and a large firework - see link in title). Here's to 2011!

Google Nexus S

2010-12-29T16:49:00.002Z

Picked up my Nexus S today - fantastic phone but never used Android before so am learning as I go along.... tips/hints?

Sweden

2010-12-25T15:36:00.002Z

Mac Air 11

2010-12-24T11:39:00.002Z

Whilst waiting in T5 for our delayed flight to Sweden I bought a small impulse purchase... a Mac Air 11". Well, I was fed up waiting for the Sony P to get any good (and the Sony store didn't have any in stock!!). Nice little netbook actually - not sure about OSX but no choice but to live with it for a few days as the Win7 disks are at home...

Padstow

2010-12-21T18:53:00.003Z

K and I have just returned from a short visit to Padstow to collect Grandma for Xmas. We braved the snow - and missed all the closed motorways! Padstow was quite sunny and had no snow - due to the weather in the rest of the UK it was also deserted. We took advantage of the situation by grabbing a table at Rick Stein's Seafood Restaurant where we dined on lobster :)

Mom's Birthday/Xmas

2010-12-19T14:40:00.001Z

K and I braved the snowstorms to make it to Mom's for her Birthday (and early Xmas) celebrations. The snow was getting worse and worse as we travelled to her - by the time we were there it was a complete white-out with 6" on the ground. Somehow we managed to make it back out the following morning - good little car the Merc :)

Xmas Tree

2010-12-11T17:21:00.003Z

Our Xmas tree went up today - much more room in this house so we can have a bigger tree than normal. Also decorated the rest of the rooms - very Xmasy now!

Thomsons Ball

2010-12-07T17:36:00.002Z

WOW - what a night. Thomsons had their 10-year anniversary ball and K and I were invited. We were put up in the Royal Gardens Hotel for the night but the ball itself was at the Natural History museum - which was lit up pink :) The night started with Champagne and got better and better. Some great entertainment and excellent company. It was all over far too soon.... but not to worry - we found a club afterwards and then trapsed back to another hotel. My evening ended around 05:30. BRILLIANT!

Loft Insulation

2010-11-28T12:46:00.000Z

With the recent cold (very cold) weather we've been looking at how to make the house more efficient. Have applied for a cavity wall survey (should be able to get a Government 50% grant) and also ordered more loft insulation via an offer from nPower: http://www.npower.com/web/diyloftinsulation/index.htm

Bathroom Designing

2010-11-20T21:14:00.002Z

Starting to get the hang of this - here's a first draft of the bathroom. Can't get it to look exactly as I want it - but gives me an idea of layout. What you can't see is the moisture proof TV, in-ceiling audio, underfloor heating and auto LED mirrors :)

Kitchen Designing

2010-11-20T18:38:00.000Z

K and I have been trying to design a new kitchen for the house. It's an awkward space but this seems to work... Features include servo drawers, a quooker, fridge that does ice for cocktails and eye level ovens :)

London

2010-11-16T20:52:00.002Z

I've been training on the 27th floor of Portland House (Victoria). It has a great view over the City (when there is no fog). Took my camera in for a few snaps...

Pioneer VSX-920-K

2010-11-15T23:08:00.000Z

I wasn't particularly looking for a new amp - but an ad in WIRED caught my eye - controllable with an iPhone app! Currently I have the TV, AppleTV and Sky+ being controllable from the iPhone/iPad/iPod but the amp is missing and therefore needs a RF-repeater (which sticks out of the wall and violates K's minimalist pricipals).

I found a store nearby to work (HiFi Confidential) with one in stock that would price match and ended up carrying it back on the Tube (14KG box in rush hour!).

The amp is good - key features are auto-speaker setup with an included mic, the iPhone app and built in internet radio (we can get Swedish stations). However, I cannot figure out the best way to use the HDMI Control and the HDMI switching is quite slow. Sounds great though - more warm than my old Sony kit.

Coventry

2010-11-14T20:43:00.002Z

K and I went to Cov this weekend to see M. Whilst there we went to a charity gig at a hotel in Birmingham. The hotel was....well....a little Fawlty Towers. I managed to knock a pint over my 7D (thank god it is weather sealed). Fantastic Sunday lunch today though...

HiSpek Electronics - LowSpek Customer Service!

2010-11-08T21:47:00.001Z

I am in the market for a new AV amplifier - and have my eye on the Pioneer VSX-920-K (more later in this blog). In my usual way I went about researching on the internet to find the best price and was suprised/delighted to find a store very near me in St Albans with 'internet' prices - HiSpek Electronics. I called first thing in the morning to check they had one in stock that I could look at and was told they did :)

So, K and I drove to HiSpek - cash in pocket - ready to return home with the amp.

At this point it all went wrong from a customer service point of view...

Firstly the chap seeing me told me that actually I could not have a demo. When asked why he said it would take an hour to swap the cables over. AN HOUR! I enquired why so long for 6 speaker cables and an HDMI – something I could surely do in under 5 minutes. He then changed tack and told me that it was due to the complex wiring situation. YOU DEMO WIRING IS SO BAD IT TAKES AN HOUR TO SWAP AN AMP! He then hit home with the fact that his manager would not let him change an amp on the weekends. I looked around at a mostly empty shop – maybe 6 or 7 customers including us and we were the only people in the demo room looking at AV equipment. I explained that I work in London during the week and therefore could not attend at the weekend. He refused to budge.
At this point I left HiSpek, furious and vowing to buy elsewhere as a matter of principle.

I sent them a note the following day expressing my frustration in the hope that they might at least acknowledge the problem - but no, not even the smallest of apologies.

So - be warned - trying to buy locally might not always be the best solution... back to the internet!

Exposure Joystick Mk5

2010-11-03T08:02:00.000Z

Finally I've joined the 'joystick' club - this light is awesome and with the helmet mount will give superb visibility when night riding. The Mk5 is 30% brighter but burns just as long as the previous models.

It comes with a nice padded case too - more pics linked in title...

Halloween

2010-10-31T20:31:00.002Z

Bwahahahahahahaha!

Canon EOS 7D

2010-10-24T18:26:00.000+01:00

I bought a small birthday present for myself today - an upgrade from my 40D to the much more sophisticated 7D. Key improvements are a new AF system, better high ISO performance and lens micro adjustment.

Kindle 3rd Generation

2010-10-23T10:11:00.000+01:00

K got me a Kindle 3rd gen for my birthday. Somewhat smaller than the last generation and with wifi and 3g connectivity. The contrast also appears higher. This will be the perfect commuting toy!

Birthday Gnomes

2010-10-22T15:42:00.001+01:00

My much loved (and until now secret) garden Gnome collection has just been announced to the world. The shame....

Thanks MW :)

S&A's Wedding

2010-10-17T17:21:00.002+01:00

Straight back from Malaysia and immediately we drove to Castle Coombe (didn't even go home first). We made it with enough time to get changed ready to see S&A's wedding. They had a traditional church marriage and then a fantastic reception at the Manor House hotel - the food was excellent! Congrats S-B :)

Batu Caves

2010-10-17T17:18:00.002+01:00

On the way back to KL airport we stopped at Batu to visit the famous caves - there are two great things here - this massive golden statue and the monkeys :)

Link to more photos in the title...

Pangkor Island Beach Resort

2010-10-17T17:16:00.003+01:00

To wind down after the wedding we spent a few days at the Pangkor Island Beach Resort. It was nice to sit on the beach, drink beer and sleep.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/rakh1/sets/72157625182399794/

K&M's Malysia Wedding

2010-10-17T17:14:00.003+01:00

We've just come back from 12 days in Malaysia to celebrate K&M's wedding. It was a loud, colourful and brilliant event lasting several days. What an experience!

More photos: http://www.flickr.com/photos/rakh1/sets/72157625182401214/

Insomnia 2010 - Bedgebury

2010-09-19T18:12:00.000+01:00

J and I completed the BHF Insomnia event for the second year running. We made 5 laps of the 9.5mile circuit in the 12 hours from 20:00 to 08:00. All but the last lap were in absolute darkness! Our best time was 1:08 and our worst nearer 1:30. Total elevation per lap 1,266ft!!!

Needless to say we were both exhausted but had great fun!

UKC Venue Re-Opens

2010-09-18T12:21:00.000+01:00

I was invited to the re-opening of my old Uni's nightclub - The Venue - due to being an ex-President. So, what better than to invite all the Uni girls too (ok, easier than it sounds - am married to one of them!). It is certainly a lot 'snazzier' than when we were there - but at the same time some of the character has gone. More pics linked in title...

MBK Ayots

2010-09-12T18:22:00.001+01:00

J and I went for a last training run today before the big race at Bedgebury next weekend. We covered around 16 miles in about 90 minutes. I feel less prepared for the endurance race this year - but still think I'll be ok. Must remember to test and charge my lights!

Max - Recovery - Week Two

2010-09-12T18:11:00.000+01:00

Max has made a remarkable recovery. He went for a check up at the Vet's on Friday and was told that he can now come out of the cage and roam the house as normal. He walks well, although still looks a little drunk. However, he managed to navigate the stairs in both directions which is very good. He is expected to make further improvements over the coming weeks/months but in all he is in very much better shape :)

Max - Recovery - Week One

2010-08-30T18:42:00.004+01:00

Max has been home since Sunday and is already starting to show signs of improvement. X-rays showed that nothing was broken but the vet tells us that he must have suffered a blunt force trauma - which might tie in with the graze he has on the right shoulder.

He is still massively weak on his right side but for the first time today is starting to move his damaged legs. This footage was taken this morning and left K and I in tears of joy. It appears that he still has some use of his damaged legs and we can only massively hope that this rate of recovery continues.

Max hit by car...

2010-08-28T07:31:00.001+01:00

Max
Originally uploaded by rakh1

K got home last night to find Max in distress. She rushed him to the vets where they confirmed he has likely been hit by a car. He's been admitted overnight for observation with x-rays tomorrow to determine the extent of the damage. Fingers crossed it is just bruising...