Fun Park

Hi Everyone,

Saturday I went to see a band play, it was called 6 African's in the Ghetto, The Ghetto is the name of the bar, we had dinner there and  listened to some live music, nothing like live music and its amazing all the funny we things they had to make music. Sunday Luke turned one, we had small party and everyone enjoyed it. Monday we went to the fun park and Leo enjoyed it. I was outside in the sun for about 5 hours today with no hat and I didn't get sun brunt, it was 24 degrees today. In New Zealand I would get burnt in 10 minutes or less!

I hear you say where are the photos, sorry no photos for a while, we were in the park, Leo said "dad I want to take a photo", I said "ok but don't drop it", Leo took the photo and some how dropped my trusty canon point and shoot camera on the concrete, it worked for a few days but now it puts lines in the photos and all the photos come out very over exposed (white looking) so it is pretty broken. Since I am not working I don't have much spare cash to spend on a camera so no photos for a while..

See you

Todays temp

High 24c 73%
Low 19c 58%

Todays Temp

High 27c 72%
Low 15c 46%

Hot and sticky all day, came on early and by 5pm had dropped to 25c 48%, 9:30pm sitting at 21c 65%

Todays temp

High 24c 98%
Low  16c 58%

Sticky hot today

Todays Temp

High 17c 98%
Low 16c 79%

As you can see from the high humidity it rained all day today.

Todays Temp

High 20c 73%
Low 18c 57%

Nice and warm this morning, had very light rain around 1:30pm then overcast most of the day

Todays Temp

High 23c 70%
Low 15c  51%

The days are slowly getting warmer, today was a bit sticky, still having cool nights.

Todays Temp

High 24c 98%
Low  14c 45%

Was a bit sticky hot today, nice day ended with a thunder storm.

Todays Temp

High 15c 95%
Low  11c 80%

As you can see from the high humidity it rained all day

Out and about

Hi Everyone,

Here are some photos of Shibuya I took today, enjoy.

 Those stairs go to the subway about 3 stories under

 Some girls at the play area

 Another girl at kids play area

 An organic market, even milk from NZ cows, radiation free I as told. 

 Some interesting buildings and a few more below

 This guy was clever with baloons

 Mini mouse

 He made fish, swords, umbreala's etc

Mini mouse finished



Todays Temp

High 13c 72%
Low  10c 57%

Todays temp

High 14c 62%
Low  11c 55%

Todays temp

High 17c 67%
Low  13c 50%

Todays Temp

High   17c 68%
Low    13c 53%

Todays Temp

High  20c 74%
Low   11c 44%

Todays Temp

High 20c 72%
Low 14c 49%

Todays temp

High 17c 65%
Low  9c  46%

Todays Temp

High 17c 77% humidity dewpoint 13
Low  9c   45% humidity dewpoint -2

Nissan Leaf

Hi All,

Nissan have done something pretty big here and that is release a completely electric car. I have always had an interest in electric vehicles so this car appeals to me. Anyway with it been on the market now for a couple months they are showing up on the roads. The only problem I have with them is they are so quiet they sneak up on you when you are riding, they are very quiet!!! A big thumbs up to Carlos Ghosn (CEO Nissan) for making this car happen!!! Carlos if you ever read this can you make the Nissan Leaf noisy :)

See You

New look green theme

Hi,

Time for a change of theme colours for my blog, a change of season a change of colours we are going green.

I also put a new profile pic up for those who want to see what I look like this week :)

See You

Todays Temp

High 13c  Humidity 91% Dewpoint 12c
Low  10c  Humidity 70% Dewpoint 5c

The local Incinerator - Open day

Hello,

Today the local incinerator had an open day where you could see what happens to all the rubbish, I have to admit it is a far better system than we have in New Zealand, we burry it, one of the major sites in Christchurch is on the beach. They have another one in the mountains somewhere now.

They use the heat to heat the swimming pools, they use ash to make pathing stones and roading and they make something called slag which I am unsure what it is used for. They burn 2200 tons of rubbish each day 24 hours a day 7 days a week. We were not allowed near the burners and that's what I really wanted to see :)

In the brochure it says that the incinerators for 2010/2011 generated 1,106.6 million kWh, they say that is enough to power 140,000 homes based on 3,600kWh per year per household. Pretty good all from rubbish.

 Taking rubbish and dropping into the burner

 This is where the trucks dump all the rubbish

 Control room

 Model of the plant

 Model how the plant works

 Pathing made from the ash 

 Bricks made from the ash

 Flow diagram

 Filter

 Slag

Aerial photo of the plant

New Eyeware - What do you think?

Hi,

I ordered some new eyeware from zenni optical http://www.zennioptical.com/ they offer a great service, good product as well, this is my 3rd time I have used them. I noticed the fashion here is more plastic glasses so I ordered these ones. Do they suit me?

Todays Temp

High 22c 62% humidity dewpoint 16
Low 14c 33% humidity dewpoint -2

Cherry Blossom nearly gone

Hi,

The cherry blossom are just about gone, you get one weekend to see them in full splendor and then the next weekend the wind is blowing them off the trees to reveal all the new green leafs coming through, there is so much of it here when you are near the trees and the wind blows its like snow.

Hope you enjoyed the photos of the cherry blossom in the previous postings.

See You

Todays Temp

High 24c 83%  dewpoint 19
Low 13c  39%  dewpoint -8

ECL82 / 6BM8 Tube Amp

Hi,

Since I have a few bits and pieces and thanks to a few friends I have enough parts to build a we ECL82 amp, hope to get a couple watts out of it. The chassis is a cake tin, the transformers boxes are decorative tins from the 100 yen shop. Still at the start, but taking shape slowly.

Thanks to http://www.single-ended.com/ for helping.
Many thanks to Ken, please visit one of my favorite stores www.vt4c.com for all your tube needs.
Thanks to TC, Geoff aka tubehead and dangerous Dave for helping me out, you all know who you are :)

13/4/12 - Fitted speaker connector today
15/4/12 - Wired up the AC, switch, B+ transformer and fuse today :)
16/4/12 - Bridge rectifier and filtering 50uf 120ohm 50uf with a 270k resistor across the caps.
26/4/12 - Volume, all resistors, B+ all wired up to amp.
02/5/12 - Fitted coupling caps today.
18/5/12 - I have some audio transformers.
19/5/15 - Fitted audio transformers.
29/5/12 - Made we base for the amp to sit on.
30/5/12 - Second coat applied to the base
01/6/12 - I can confirm the amplifer works, has some AC hum issues to be resolved.

I hope you have all enjoyed my amp build and followed it along the way, not a fast build but just when I had the time. When I have some speakers I will let you know how it performs.

Top view, tube sockets, power switch, fuse and volume all mounted

Going to run a SS recitifer, you can see the we 200mA 200vac trasnformer to the left.

Diode bridge and filtering 260vdc unloaded

Cathode resistors in, volume wired up, may change volume is a bit messy

Top view audio transformers

Drilled holes in the bottom to let air in

Back view just speakers and power cord

Top view, amp sitting there quite nicely.

This photo and ones below of finished amp with 2 coats of stain on the base.

Proposed schematic from http://nmwilliam.tripod.com/ecl82.html