penguin42

penguin42, 1 year ago (edited 1 year ago) to random

UK people only:

#emergencyalert

penguin42, 11 months ago to mastodon

On #Mastodon, what entities know the individual peoples response to Polls ?

penguin42, 9 months ago to random

People seem to be very negative about this new wind-powered cargo ship; but it seems pretty good to me! This isn't just tacking sails onto an existing ship, and wind power by itself is pretty useless for a cargo ship these days.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-66543643

penguin42, 2 months ago to Electronics

I'm failing trying mitxela's trick of wrapping a wire around an ironbit for SMD soldering, any one got any ideas? This is a traditional 25W Antex iron it's wrapped on, but it's not getting hot enough on the wire, it boils off flux, melts low-melting point paste but doesn't do anything to existing components:

#electronics

penguin42, 1 year ago to random

People seem to assume you're either a vehement Royalist or a vehement anti-Royalist (some of which seem to be being very nasty recently...); some of us sit happily in between. I don't have bunting out, I only saw a few bits of the coronation; but I wish those watching it well, and don't mind seeing a bit of pomp. I find it comforting to know our civil war already made the Royals powerless hundreds of year ago.
Can we all be nice about it?

penguin42, 5 months ago to random

Just finished reading that Bates vs P.O technical appendix - it's very good! I'll put some notes into a thread here; although IMHO the biggest problem is just the P.O. not considering the possibility the inconsistencies were bugs, anyway
1/n :thread:

penguin42, 8 months ago to random

SMD tools question; wth do you use to hold an SMD device on a bench while working on it by itself? I've just been very lucky to find my LED I was cleaning off after it flicked across the bench. (It's about 4mmx1mmx1mm )

penguin42, 1 year ago to random

This old ruler is interesting; It is a 'Chesterman 891' folding ruler - they seem to be common; but everyone has advertising engraved on the back; this one has an advert for 'Roberts & Johansen' of Buenos Aires - I have no idea how he got that! I can't find much info about Roberts [&Y] Johansen; I'd love to know when they were at that address to be able to date it.
(Oddly I found a Spanish advert for one of these rulers with a Manchester manufacturer on the back - but not the other way!)

The back of the ruler engraved with an avert for 'Roberts & Johansen Calle Defens 383 Buenos Aires'

penguin42, 10 months ago to random

Note: Use stronger string on bigger transformers.
(I was lowering it out of the loft)

A plate on a transformer: Gresham Transformers Ltd, Wanworth, England. Showing 550v-0v-550v output.

penguin42, 6 months ago to random

Yeh, I'm convinced this camera connector was 0.25mm pitch, 45 pin connector; I can see Molex and a few others do them. Heck, my chances of putting one back are approximately nil. Especially with that mid pad I pulled :-(
@Coffee @attilakinali

penguin42, 1 year ago to random

Mastodon's 500 char limit is crazy when it's so easy to add a screenshot and then a 1200 word alt text (which I just did in a reply to @juliank ) - it's encouraging the use of a screenshot when pasted text makes much more sense.

penguin42, 11 months ago to random

HTH did someone allow a regulated UK financial institution use a '.co' address?

penguin42, 8 months ago to random

Modern houses must be so easy having conduit everywhere, rather than HTF am I going to get a cable from there....

penguin42, 1 month ago to linux

I've just posted a pretty long request for thoughts on dead code hunting in #linux - all thoughts welcome;
https://lore.kernel.org/lkml/Zjy82Ja6G2iIHl75@gallifrey/T/#u

penguin42, 8 months ago to random

Perhaps they should offer to replace anyone's even vaguely dangerous dog with a cat.

penguin42, 10 months ago to random

I just don't get how this grindstone can be so lopsided. I mean it's on a drill - and it gets more lopsided the more I used it. (Now waiting for a replacement, although I can't find the same diameter).

penguin42, 10 months ago to random

Oh great, UK #covid cases up 24%, hospitalisations up 23%; sigh.
https://coronavirus.data.gov.uk/

penguin42, 11 months ago to random

Having completed the UK probate process for my late dad feels like a fairly chunky achievement. The inheritance tax forms are pretty damn complicated (even for what is a fairly simple case) and then the probate process on that just adds an extra few forms and delay.

penguin42, 10 months ago to random

Why are Flat bed sheets so much more expensive than fitted sheets? Aren't fitted sheets much more complicated to make?

penguin42, 8 months ago to firefox

#firefox translations seems to be doing reasonably well for me. Now, hmm, #mastodon knows the language of each toot doesn't it? So, how do we get it to pass that information to the translation engine; bonus for a translation button on any toot for languages I don't know.

penguin42, 8 months ago to random

Having a smoking ban that is rolling-age related is going to make proof of age for it much more entertaining; at somepoint you're going to have to have 'think 75'

penguin42, 7 months ago to random

WTF?

'The format of <string> is nnn,nnn,nnn,nnn. The range of the first section of "nnn" is from 0 to 223 (except 127), and the ranges of the other three sections of
"nnn" are from 0 to 255.'

penguin42, 5 months ago to Trains

Any #train people, know what's up with the #liverpool 777 class that they're apparently doing refunds for? I'm curious, because the sometimes-battery system sounds like a good idea in principal.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-merseyside-67353857

penguin42, 4 months ago to random

Oh great, some bastard has registered a company at our home address.

penguin42, 2 months ago to random

I've given up on wrapping wire around tips and gone for some very very pointy toys. The left most is a 0.12mm conical
(All for Antex, for 2 different models)