Early Risers.

[TheQ]

Oh, I've worked with many rotary converters over the years mostly to produce aircraft voltages from 240V mains.

 

 Yes it is a gert big transistor thing, 25KG (OK 54lbs) of metal box containing Integrated circuits and transistors and of course some fans to stop it overheating.

 

 A current amplifier will produce a known variable current while the voltage remains the same.

 

 Now in this case it's real name is a Transconductance amplifier and its a "Fluke 52120" http://us.flukecal.com/products/electrical-calibration/electrical-calibrators/52120a-transconductance-amplifier.

 

Transconductance meaning, "the ratio of the change in current at the output terminal to the change in the voltage at the input terminal of an active device."

 

The output  the current from 0A to 120A on this unit.

In this case with an approximately 8milliohm resistor being fed by 100A  it generates a voltage of 0.8V across the resistor which is what is measured.

 

All measurements on a DMM (Volts, amps and  resistance) are actually a voltage measurement of a current being fed through a device and then converted into a meaningful value. The device could be outside of the measuring unit as in what I'm doing today or if you have a normal current meter, the resistance, the current is being measured across, is inside the DMM

 

I need 2 of 52120s in parallel because if the measured resistance of the shunt, the current is fed through is high, then the output voltage would exceed it's limit.

 On the ranges I'm using today, 1V in = 100A out on a single 52120. However I could feed in a 1V fixed voltage input but with an adjustable current of up to 120ma and amplify that 1mA = 1 Amp out.

[Ian Abel]

 I will be at Wycrail during the day, complete with RMweb name badge in case the 11 year old avatar does not work again...

Since a couple of folks have mentioned name badges, is there some unofficial name badge format (downloadable image perhaps??) that can/could be used to identify us as RMWeb/ER anoraks??? Reason I ask is I'm now just a week away from being in Blighty and therefore attending the Tolworth (Hampton Court club) show. I'll be able to track down Ian(roundhouse) as he'll be staffing his layout, but what of others there?

For the record, I've now determined I'll be there on Sunday, probably getting there around noon or so.

 

POETS has arrived, and not before time this week...

Following the early week debacle in Nashville, I was deluged yesterday with major issues from the Long Island/dungeon client. In getting their financial statements out for September which also include their third quarter, most of the suite of reports I've built exploded as they decided to re-class a ton of accounts! Resulted in much panicked modifications of reports both yesterday and already this AM! I'm again reminded that the time to build your chart-of-accounts is IN THE DESIGN PHASE, not FIVE MONTHS AFTER YOU GO LIVE!  

 

Hopefully the rest of the day will calm down. I'll try a POE if I can.

 

Weekend activities include attempting to install a few more of the dozen newly arrived point motors, brunch with Jemma and the Mrs, and dinner with Trevor and his fiancée. Then I'm off Sunday evening to the dungeon, and from there on to the UK... 

 

5 and sunny this morning, still above normal, expecting 19 for the high.

 

Hope a POE is in your future.

[45156]

Mawnin' awl. Bit sleepy still as I didn't fall asleep before 2 am. Still thinking about the accident I mentioned last night and certainly hoping that our colleague is being taken care of properly. It would seem the cyclist had taken a fall while trying to evade the car door, so the way I imagine the situation, it seems to me like the driver will have seen the inevitable coming for what will probably have felt like an eternity to them...

I hope so too, Dom - there but for the grace of whatever you find holy.....

 

Supportive vibes to you and your colleague who was affected. 

[shortliner]

Since a couple of folks have mentioned name badges, is there some unofficial name badge format (downloadable image perhaps??) that can/could be used to identify us as RMWeb/ER anoraks??? Reason I ask is I'm now just a week away from being in Blighty and therefore attending the Tolworth (Hampton Court club) show.

Ian - does this solve your problem ? Youll probably need to get/make yourself a suitable holder

 

http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/82873-the-london-festival-of-railway-modelling-2014-march-2223/page-4

 

I have some holders,  but it wouldn't make it to where you are in time

Best

Jack

Edited November 4, 2016 by shortliner

[Coombe Barton]

Newsthump has reported on another Southern Rail Contract. Current sufferers may say 'What's changed?'

 

http://newsthump.com/2016/11/04/southern-rail-wins-contract-to-transport-souls-of-the-damned-to-hell/

Edited November 4, 2016 by Coombe Barton

[roundhouse]

Newsthump has reported on another Southern Rail Contract. Current sufferers may say 'What's changed?'

 

http://newsthump.com/2016/11/04/southern-rail-wins-contract-to-transport-souls-of-the-damned-to-hell/

Yes saw that this morning and agre that thought we were ttravelling via hell each day.

 

Makes a change to be sitting on a comfy SWT train departing on time

[roundhouse]

Ian - does this solve your problem ? Youll probably need to get/make yourself a suitable holder

 

http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/82873-the-london-festival-of-railway-modelling-2014-march-2223/page-4

 

I have some holders,  but it wouldn't make it to where you are in time

Best

Jack

Print a label out and come find me on Banbury as I have loads of small badge holders if you don't already have one

[Ian Abel]

Print a label out and come find me on Banbury as I have loads of small badge holders if you don't already have one

Thanks, Jack has already printed one and is mailing it (with holder apparently!!) to an address I'll be at next weekend - amazing folks these ERs, thank you all so much, especially Jack

[bbishop]

Evening all.

 

Dom, make sure your colleague receives lots of support. I still have a scar on my arm from when that stupid woman opened her car door; I was only pootling along but was still thrown across the carriageway. And did she protect me, no she just ran indoors and had hysterics. So I now give parked cars a wide berth, instead car drivers shout at me for hogging the middle of the road.

 

TonyA spent the afternoon here setting up my laptop. Many thanks, Tony. Ii now has Word and Excel and can send e-mails, but doesn't seem able to receive them. Not that it really matters. All it needs now is a hard wired mouse. I PAT tested Tony's transformer - two minutes work compared with two hours.

 

Keep well all, Bill

[BSW01]

Good evening everyone.

 

I chose wisely when I decided to go for my walk this morning, it's been p!ssing down here all afternoon, we also had a bit of hale too.

 

The afternoon was spent testing some motors I found in a box in one of the cupboards in my workshop the other day. I'm a bit of a magpie when it comes to equipment at work that's being disposed of, I will often (with permission) strip stuff down to see if there is anything worth saving. Anyway, in this box I found 6 - 1624 size Faulhaber motors, which I'd forgotten I'd got. Lovely little items and I thought to myself, they might go in some of my loco kits. So I took out the box that contains all my kits and hopefully I'll have a sort out tomorrow to see which gearboxes they will be best suited to.

 

It's been very chaotic here this evening, with the 4 youngest grandchildren were round, so it was loud, very loud. However, No 1 son kept them all entertained and amused whilst I sorted out the food, which tonight was 3 large pizzas and they went down very well too, so we'll I fact, that were are doing it again next Friday. As I still can't drive yet, he also very kindly offered to take them all home too.

 

Now for some reason I'm bucking follocksed, where's that bottle of red?

Edited November 5, 2016 by BSW01

[New Haven Neil]

Evening.  A steadier day today, after yesterday's rather trying afternoon.  Bl**dy trains.....

 

Nasty drive home in torrential rain, as it hasn't really rained here for a month the roads were incredibly greasy.  Well, muddy. And sh*tty. It's the country after all.

 

Curry and beer has helped immeasurably, but now Mrs NHN is watching an ancient top of the pops and I'm cringing from the music of the time. Saved only by Alison Moyet's incredible voice in Yazoo.

 

I now understand a teeny bit about current amplifiers. 

 

This is the sort of thing I understand more. 

 

[andyram]

Evening all. Generic greetings and wishes to you all. I have missed a few days again so I am once again playing catch up. Apologies for any major birthdays, anniversaries or other events I may have missed. This week has been another busy one with not enough sleep, or enough time to do everything. The school's model railway show is just a week away. I have left quite a bit of work until the last minute. Thankfully the show guide is now almost done after a couple of late nights in front of the computer. My layout has a number of repair jobs still to do. Hopefully this weekend will provide the time to do them...but I won't hold my breath. There are four bottles of real ale awaiting consumption if my daughter ever goes to sleep!!

[emt_911]

The trip to the office proved interesting and the journey up was one of the best I've experienced. It certainly made up for it on the way back with hold ups throughout. Could be worse I suppose, I may have to use Southern on a daily basis.

 

A relaxing evening before being an ER tomorrow for an urgent job before (hopefully) heading to Wycrail

[BSW01]

Goodnight all

[emt_911]

Night all

[The Stationmaster]

G'night all.

[pH]

This is an iconic Canadian WW2 picture: https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2014/nov/28/thats-me-in-picture-wait-for-me-daddy

 

It's been made into a sculpture, placed almost exactly at the point in New Westminster where the picture was taken. Apologies for the 'washed out' colour - I had to take it against the light on a dull day.

 

 

[Barry O]

Night to most!

 

Baz

[Horsetan]

I love my horse. Best natural central heating ever.

[PhilJ W]

Goodnight all.

[laurenceb]

Night all

[southern42]

' Night all. Nos da.

[emt_911]

Morning all. A rare ER on the weekend for me.

 

If today goes to plan, a quick urgent job before heading off to Wycrail. If any ER's are attending and want to find me, I'll still be in my work clothes.

 

Have a good day everyone

[chrisf]

Good morning one and all

 

I'm off to Wycrail too.  On the way I will stop for breakfast and have made some sandwiches for later in the day.  In the car park eventually will be a weathered white Polo from which can be heard Sounds of the 60s.  Who knows, I may find some stunning scenery on the way.   If not, there is always the Chilterns.

 

There is little to report from yesterday except that I chose another slab of sirloin for lunch tomorrow.  One has to live a little.  Oh, and I renewed my subscription to the Royal Corps of Train Spotters.

 

Best wishes to all travellers, the lonely and missing, the ailing, recovering and supporting, the grieving and the depressed.

 

Chris 

[grandadbob]

Good morning all,

A dry but fresh start to the day here with the chance of some sunshine and maybe some showers.

Up fairly early as I was thirsty so tea has been made and here I am.

Watched a good game of rugby last night between Bath & Leicester with the latter holding on to win after a fightback from Bath. More games as usual to watch today and tomorrow.

However the main event today will be a visit to Wycrail where I'm meeting Bob 81C who has kindly repaired a loco that I partially destroyed so I'm sure we'll "bump" into you Duncan. I also need to bump into Stationmaster Mike as he also has something for me. Bound to meet ChrisF and some others along the way as well.

The Boss is normally fairly relaxed about me visiting these shows but this will be the second of three in successive weeks and there has been a comment along the lines of "That's OK, you go off and enjoy yourself, the house needs cleaning from top to bottom so I'll stay here by myself and do all the work." This is not quite true because firstly the house is not in the state she claims as I regularly do the housework and secondly she won't be by herself because Gemma is coming for a few hours as her parents & siblings are all out today. Still we mustn't let the truth get in the way of a good moan must we?

On that note I will depart for a few minutes because another cup of tea needs to be brewed,

Have a good one,

Bob.

Edited November 5, 2016 by grandadbob