Heatsink

Here's an amazing deal if you haven't already got some nice speakers for your portable MP3 player. Creative Labs SBS260 Speakers - Powered Set 2.5w RMS with 3.5mm Jack - OEM @ Ebuyer - Come to £9.32 when the VAT and postage is added. I spent quite a while looking around and the sound and price of these is excellent! Steve

I'm pleased to say they're the Konig material :lol: Rather than take over this thread, I'll PM you the rest of the details in a sec. Cheers, Steve

Hello, My ears are burning! Something to clear up about my pads if that's not being cheeky. George S is running some of the yellow Heatsink pad material that I made up as a to fit his CRV backings. You've had them quite a while now George - good to hear they're still going! SebJT was running the Heatsink Vee backings with white pads. And it's true I haven't been able to supply any refills for these backings in recent weeks. But worry not, all that's sorted out now, I have moulded refills ready, and I'll be in contact with the 2 riders (that includes Seb) who are waiting for these. Finally, I don't know how to say this politely, but it dissappoints me to see that Adam seems to never miss an opportunity to slag off my pads. I decided at the beginning to never post anything negative about his pads or the RimJam ones. Am I alone in thinking it's better for us to keep things professional and avoid slagging each other's wares off on TF? I think that from the moment I started to make my pads available, new responsibilities for behaviour were appropriate. I think it's entirely right that riders should speak their minds on TF about products etc, but surely shops should behave in a more restrained manner. ^ I don't want this to come across nastily, I just thought that it had to be said since I've endured almost 1 year of one way traffic on this. Cheers, Steve

I've just found that you can get the Fuji S5100 for the price of the S3100 in the high street. £190ish (postage not included) Seven day shop S5100 review on Megapixel.net It's got good zoom capabilities (which I may or may not find useful) is really nice to hold, and has the 640x280 30fps and the multiple shots thingy. That reviews site is really detailed Andy - That'll come in handy :P Thanks for all your recommendations and info Stevo/Adam/Andy/Tomm :S I'm sure to have some more recommendations when school's out :lol: Steve

Comments

Thanks for that Tom :S It may be that the sucessive shots feature turns out to be of no real use. I was wondering whether it could be used with the timer for shots of me riding, and also if it could help to catch the best moment when taking pictures of others: For example this fluky shot I caught at it's most impressive moment: Some times a single shot doesn't do the full extent of a Trials move justice. It's really cool to capture the whole thing in a single shot. ^ This sort of thing. I think it would be really useful if people can tell me what specs & features they've found to be great for Trials use because what I think I want may be a bit off at the moment! Steve

^ If this is the one you use for your photos in your shop etc, then the image quality is very good :S It's a bit annoying because we paid £250 for the Casio which can now be bought for £150 6 months later. If we'd have bought a bulkier camera 1st time around(which wouldn't be hampered by the lens size image quality problems) then I don't think I'd be in this situation now of still looking around! Price wise, I think I'll have to compromise on the video quality aspect. I think I'd probabily be quite happy with the spec of the camera you suggest Tom considering the price at less than £100. Can you set it off on a timer and have the sort of scatter shot feature where it takes say 10 pics in a second. This would be perfect for when it's set-up on a tripod and I trying to catch myself doing a move. I guess the more realistic spec would be video better than 10fps, and the scatter shot feature in a 2-3Mpa camera. I've learnt from the Casio that I don't need more all the fancy features! Thanks for your ideas and keep the suggestions coming :P Steve

The government is making some good steps to control street intimidation and yobbery I reckon. ASBOs are a great way to control the youths (or older people too!) who slipped through the net before because of their ages and/or the relative minor nature of the offenses which because they were being committed frequently were needing sorting out. Also I heard Tony blair give his endorsement to the emerging policy of many shopping centres to ban youths wearing caps/hoodies because their shoppers said they felt intimidated by it (and by disguising their faces their identities are hard to pick up on CCTV). I went to the main Bedford shopping centre the other weekend and I've never felt so intimidated in my life! They have a real problem with big groups of youths hanging around trying to give off a menacing aura. We witnessed on lots of occasions security guards moving them on. Some pubs already ban Burberry because it's so popular with soccer hooligan ring leaders and loutish chavs in general :S It was amusing to hear Burberry protesting on the radio claiming to be a much desired premium label and trying to play down connections with violent people! Impossible to argue! I'm lucky to live in the Cambridge area because the streets generally feel really safe and free from chavs. Steve

Hi, Thought it would be a good idea to add to some research I've been doing into this by getting some recommendations from you guys :S I've made some poor choices on digital cameras in the past when left to my own devices! Here are some features I've come to think are good for my needs. * Multiple shot function (for capturing moves in a sequence of shots) * No more than 4 Mega Pixels (2 is enough but not many cameras sold with this spec) * Simple to use user interface (I have no need for loads of pre-set scenes etc, just want a good point and shoot) * Cable download not cradle (so can download on any PC) * Takes 2xAA batteries (go anywhere use - never get caught short like I have been with a Li-Ion battery) * Medium size (Not pocket size since the lens is too small and they're too fiddly to hold. Not full SLR size because these are just too bulky for me) * Video with 640x480 pixel output (VGA size) with 30frames per sec (fps) and sound The current cameras I have are: Fuji FinePix A204 (2Mp) - a good purchase! + Excellent Picture quality + Simple to use user interface + Good size to hold - No sequencial shot feature - No sound on video, and only 320x240 pixels and 10fps Casio Exilim Z40 (4Mp) - a bad purchase! + Very small (I now realise this is not a good idea!) - Bad picture quality because Lens too small, lots of image noise especially in low light conditions and indoors - Too small to easily hold - Too many unnecessary features - Li-Ion battery and charging cradle - Would prefer the simple and more portable 2xAA battery and cable download of the FujiA204 I've been looking at cameras such as: Canon Powershot A510, A520 (but they need 4 AA batteries not 2!) Fuji Finepix E500, S3500 And some Olympus cameras too. I really need to check these out in a shop so that I can see how the UI works and to find out about features that aren't usually listed or clear in web based specs (although when I pop into a high street shop on every occasion so far I've found that I know the cameras better than the shop staff from just reading about them on the web!) First hand feedback from people who've have the time to get to know cameras is really valuable, especially from fellow riders who are likely to want many of the same things I want from a camera. Look forward to receiving your recommendations. Steve

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These threads always seem to go down the "My car is more racey that yours (and so I'm more of a man than you)" route. We've just got a new car which ticks all the boxes for the phase of life that we're at with our baby boy: 1. Space for loads of stuff for long journies 2. Comfortable cabin with lots of practical storage spaces 3. Good engine size for ease of driving but without getting too thirsty on petrol 4. Cheap to run (e.g. not a premium name so parts and services are cheaper) ^ Don't have a photo of the actual car, but it's the same as above, 1.6L 5 door Hyundai Matrix We were going to get a Renault Scenic but the Matrix was much better value for money and had a much nicer interior (where you spend those long journies) although admittedly the exterior isn't as swish. Steve

I agree with Simon's point. The website looks promising, but you're promoting yourself on an equal footing with your client. My feeling is that the site should have a feel about it that Chris is the person directly responsable for the content (even if this isn't the case) - it makes it more personable that way. The webdesigner/master gets his financial rewards for staying in the background and keeping things running. Client is king and the site is for his publicity, with a small link to the webdesigner maybe appropriately placed at the base of the window for example. To refute your claims to the contrary, when you click on "About", two blocks of parallel text appear with a brief summary of both Chris and Your credentials. At this moment in time, promoting "Angel6" you've also got: 1. info in the top header(top right) 2. the footer info. 3. top of the links list on the bottom right On this one page I counted 9 mentions of AngelSix or Lukemalpass, or various webcontacts for these. Definately less mentions of Chris Doney there. So on that page there's more seperate mentions of your business than the client, and there's no denying it! I think that only one mention of the designer should be made, ideally with a link that takes you to their page should the browser wish to obtain further contact details. I think putting your full contact details on a client's site is not understanding the status quo. Also I notice that yours is the only working photo in the team section! From checking out your own website I can see that you're not shy about getting your own face onto stuff, but maybe you should think about whether this is appropriate for the work you do? It's a promising looking site, and I guess that it's Chris' and not my views that matter. Just some food for thought. Also one thing you simply must do is get a trials type image on the front page so that people know immediately what the site is about. There's just text at the moment. Good luck, Steve

Hoping not to sound like a broken record. I'm a fan of Mk4 fiestas. Firstly the bike carrying issue is sorted (some other hatches aren't as good as this!) Other aspects: First decent Fiesta - leap in interior styling and ergonomics and Engines (Zetec) at this point in time across the Ford range. Better interiors compared to hatches from other manufacturers (compare with Peugeot of same age!) Many about to choose from. Mk4 started in 1995-96. Get a top of the range specced one, 1.25L Zetec engine (avoid the old 1.3L) 5 doors, power steering, electric windows, dark coloured interiour if you can (doesn't mark) Bound to be some for sale in your local paper. 1.25L Zetec engine is great to drive (plenty of poke and good fuel economy and lasts (mine has just done 100k) Cheap parts (My local garage said they are the cheapest he's seen for brake for example) Reliability: Came out highly in a recent long term survey I saw. Cheap to insure (Compare to the boy racer's favourite the Mk2 Golf!) Lots of low mileage examples around since it is a popular ladies car (Better not to be a favourite with Boy racers or you'll be paying more than the car is worth on insurance) - Admittedly, motorway miles are better than short journey miles (to the shops the other end of town - which ladies tend to do!) But provided it seems mechanical sound, then you'll naturally get many 10s of thousands of miles extra out of it (think 10,000 miles a year on average) before the engine gives up. Some engines die before 100,000! You could pick one up for around 1500 or less even. I've had a few cars, and driven many more, and would definately buy an identical replacement when this one dies! The Mk5 has the sharper looking headlights, but being newer may be out of your budget. Steve

Hi Will, No need to spend your hard earned cash! I believe I owe you a replacement pair of Heatsinks (Y) I've just received in todays post a small first batch of moulded pads. These are specifically for replacing the few failed hand made pads and for honouring some outstanding orders that I ran out of time to make by hand. These pads are rather exclusive items since they won't be released to all until I have improved my assembly jigs to suit larger batches. I want to be able to go back to the days of immediate send out that I was able to acheive before my bouncing baby arrived and naturally took priority. Because of this I will be beavering away in the shed to build up a stock before I'm ready to take new orders. Hope this is good news! Cheers, Steve

Just come back from a weeks holiday in the Lake District, and just catching up with things. Did have to take time out to make a few phone calls to push the incredibly overdue mould along, and finally it should be finished this week thank god. On the white pads, after a few months of them being out, the majority of people have really loved them. Some people did tell me early on that they didn't work well for them, but such an overwhelming number of the others were completely raving about them. When mounted into one of my Vee backings they seem to give 100% totally reliable performance, and I've not heard a single negative word back from any Vee users. In fact they've been found to work so well, that you have to be careful not to grind too harshly, and to definately avoid going anywhere near your front wheel with the angle grinder as those on a recent SM ride will testify! Another confusing aspect is that some people told me that they wore quickly and others told me that they wore really slowly. Reading about people's experiences about every other pad out there you also hear conflicting experiences for each one. One things for sure, I will only be making pads available again once the compound is made to a much tighter spec than my previous supplier was providing. Although this was good, it can be tightened up, and as a body of evidence I've built up is pointing towards an ideal spec, a compromise between grip/softness/wear, hitting this more accurately and consistantly will only improve things further. Steve

Get hold of some PTFE tape and wrap this around the fittings threads in a clockwise direction. This is the stuff used for sealing threads in plumbing and works great :o Link in a min.... 12m of PTFE tape for only 62p from www.rswww.com Direct link to tape -> http://rswww.com/cgi-bin/bv/browse/Module....&stockNo=512238 Steve

I could get hold of some green hosing in the same material as maggie hosing, 3mm ID and 5mm OD (Magura hosing is 2.5mm Inner Diameter by 5mm Outer Diameter) Slightly more flexible than magura hosing because of the geometry. Long term durability unknown. I'm currently running the red version (N) The miniumum order cost means it would only make sense if I could find at least 5 people who were interested in it. I'll post a picture later today, it may be a slightly darker green than the illuminous Zoo green, but would still tie in rather well with the colour theme (Y) I think I could sort you out with 2.2m of hose (more than enough for a complete bike, cross overs and all) for only £5 posted. Steve

You're absolutely right about the issues with adherence that can occur with softer compounds. Adam explained it in more detail earlier about glues being strong in shear but not in tear. Imagine trying to remove an address label stuck onto your bike frame by pushing your hand on it along the frame - you won't have any joy making it move! On the other hand, if you peel up a corner and keep going peeling it off, it'll be easy to remove. Steve

Your brand new replacements with moulded pads & brand new backings will be in the post as soon as I receive them ;) Should be this week and I'll PM updates to you and the other riders who unfortunately discovered the same problem as soon as I can be sure of send out dates. Thanks for your patience :D Steve

Major apologies for this problem, and as always I will pull out the stops to remedy it (N) Just PMed Dave to arrange free replacement with some of the new moulded pads I'll be receiving at the beginning of next week. >_< You can see in the photo that some gunk has penetrated through the rear clip and compromised the bond. The challenge with hand cut pads is to get a really snug fit - naturally they're not going to be as dimensionally accurate as moulded pads. This sort of failure is very rare, but will be completely remedied with my moulded pads that mimic the form of the backing completely, with residual compression in the critical areas to ensure the bond strength is optimised. Aside from the benefits of the very accurate moulded form, the new pads will benefit from tighter production tolerances than every before. My new supplier for the moulded pads has state of the art processing equipment which means I can hit the exact spec I've come to realise is optimum. I can also now make pads that chemically "Stand on the shoulders of giants" if you catch my drift (Y) There are a couple of other chaps too who have experienced some adherence issues recently with my pads, and they will also be receiving free moulded pads. So they'll end up being the lucky recipients of these very exclusive and long awaited pads before they're commercially available! Steve

Reading some of the genuine emails received from people taking the hoax seriously, there are some really messed up people out there salivating over the whole bizarre thing! I had thought that chap in the post a while back where he had strips of skin removed in a pattern to celebrate the birth of his child (poor thing having nutter as a parent!) Sounds like some people really do wish for some extreme amputations and self mutilations. :D There's that body dismorphia thingy too, where people think that an arm or leg doesn't belong and are unhappy until it's removed - usually in some back street in dodgy conditions.