3 Phase weirdness

So on Friday the 13th we get home to some strange effects. Turning just about anything on makes some of the lights go brighter. The fridge affects the garage lights. The geyser affects the kitchen lights…

Having a working knowledge of 3 phase power, I realise that the neutral wire has come adrift*. Check the box, all looks good. Check the outside box, nope, neutral is floating out there too.

So I unplug everything I can, phone City of Capetown, they’ll send a team. All good. We go out Friday night. We go out Saturday morning. Get back, no change.

I get on the roof, check the wire where it comes into the house. No, problem is definitely on the pole. Phone council again.

Well, they eventually pitched at around 1900 Saturday. And after some stuffing around, found the problem (where, according to them, a previous team had taped over a potential problem which then a few years later hecause a real problem).

These teams are amazing. They still had four jobs lined up tonight, fellow says they get to the depot at 2200 and home at 2300, then are back on the job at 0600. But I’m glad to say he says the pay is good.

Casualties: pretty much the little things that are permanently connected but draws little power — the microwave, two clock radios,  computer speakers, the wall wart for the telephone…

* When neutral is not connected to the transformer, a load on one phase pulls neutral towards the line voltage, and in doing so pulls neutral away from the other two phases. The loaded phase falls to say 120V while the other phases go up to 300V or so (relative to neutral).

2012-04-14 by House 1

Silhouette World Championships, 2012

On Saturday 24 March the first (sighter) shots were fired, in anticipation of the main event starting on Tuesday.

The new ablution block wasn’t quite finished though… but! We have running water!

Unfortunately work prevents me from shooting this year.

(And yes, it is a _World_ shoot. While USA-nians shoot IHMSA whereas we shoot IMSSU, the rifle rules line up, and we have at least two Americans competing. They have to drive a stick. Schadenfreude!)

Edit: I was mistaken. I met two Americans, but only one of them is shooting, one R Bain. Here’s the squadding.

2012-03-24 by Guns 0

A bunch of old cranks.

A colleague told me they’d be doing a run today, so we went off to Kalk Bay for breakfast (Waffles. With ice cream. And ice cream coffee. My poor sinuses) to watch them come past.

A brace of Model Ts

They couldn’t have chosen a nicer day for their drive (through Muizenberg and Kalk Bay via Cape Point to Scarborough for lunch).

1901 Benz Ideal, co-piloted by my colleague Harvey.

Wolseley. Number plate says “1905” but this website* calls it a 1902.

They tell me this is the only remaining 1905 De Dietrich. Gorgeous big four cylinder engine which barely ticks over at Muizenberg / Fish Hoek Main Road speed.

The only known surviving Nordenfelt car, a 1907 model. Nordenfelt is better known for its multiple-barrel machine gun,  a predecessor of the Maxim.

* Evil website. They have a 1971 Citroen Safari for sale. Don’t tell my father. Hell, don’t tell me, I’m sorely tempted. Oh, and a 1961 Mercedes Ponton. Don’t tell my brother.

2012-02-05 by Cars Geek 0

Freedom Arms 454 Casull

For a brief time, this was my 100th gun… but I sold a couple since.

I had to go to the range (and quite a number of trips are still required) to get the lights and speaker wiring sorted for the 2012 Silhouette World Championships. The fellow I bought the gun from was also going to be there, and since I don’t have the license yet, I asked him to take the gun so I could play with it (“Gun control”. Hate it or hate it, it’s a pain in the arse. I paid for the gun, it’s mine, but I have to wait six months to a year or whatever before I can legally possess it).

I was shooting a fairly mild 45 Colt load, 255 grain SWC over 10 grains of S221, which is somewhat like HS-6 or HS-7. I think it’s good for around 1100 fps.

Despite the massive front sight, the gun is shooting high. We need to raise the front sight by about four or five millimeters. And it needs a hood to keep the sunlight off.

(Eye protection: yea, I know. I wore glasses for almost forty years, but recently had Lasik, and I still forget I’m not wearing glasses by default. My bad).

2012-02-04 by Guns 0

Jeremy’s on the ball

The South African Weather Services Amendment Bill will see citizens issuing any “severe weather or pollution-related warning” without written permission from the South African Weather Service, facing a multi-million rand fine and a possible 10 years imprisonment.

(Click on the pic to see Jerm’s page)

2012-01-13 by Farting around 0

The fisherman and the snake

There’s a story about a fisherman running low on bait and! He spots a snake! With a frog in its mouth!

So he grabs the snake, shakes it over the bait box ’till it drops the frog, now he’s stuck with an angry snake in his hand.

After thinking about this he grabs his bottle of whisky, pulls the cork with his teeth, and pours a dram or two down the snake’s throat, releases the snake.

Ten minutes later something taps on his foot… yes, the snake, with another frog.

And I’m telling you this because why Misty came in with a gecko, we took the gecko, gave him a fishy.

Second time it happened, we joked about the fisherman.

Third time it happened, we stopped joking about it.

Hang on, gotta go, cat just came in with something in his mouth…

2012-01-08 by Farting around 1

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