230v power tool to 240v mains?

[@Lee]

Got real,

lived on this planet,

never told a story without exagerating,

:think:

[VWD]

You're not Dr Richard Kimble by any chance are you ??

Is there anything you have NOT done in this world ??

Are you REAL . GG , TO my mind is ,you are not .

[GentleGiant]

I am a time served industrial electrician; I did my apprenticeship with Metal Box Ltd, the people who make all your tin cans and fizzy drinks bottles, I had two Queens Awards, one each for Technology and for Exports. As one of the better electrical AND electronics engineers I was often seconded to other departments for trouble shooting duties and prototyping; where I worked on equipment for installation on HM nuclear subs, and blood screening equipment for the NHS.

I tested pre-production PCBs.

I built prototype boards for the boffins in the "SkyLab" research area (our nickname, not its official title).

I ran environmental, heat, and "G" force stress tests on new electronics.

I did rectification work on a bunch of duff robotic trucks for Ford.

I joined Cosworth and worked on the technical side of a fully computerised factory (even the cooling fans were run by the mainframe).

I went freelance and also did sub contracting work for various companies - from small local firms to multi-nationals.

I joined G.U.S. and helped commission a new robotic picking High Bay, sorting out some serious safety problems, then got fired for reporting those safety problems!!!!

On another subbing job (for Severn Trent). I got my money docked for stopping and rescuing a couple of teenage catwalk models from a crash on the M5 near Bromsgrove - foolishly I failed to get any phone numbers off of them!!

Alongside all this I volunteered with the St John Ambulance Brigade and helped teach the cadet divisions, including the ONLY first aid competition team with registered blind teenagers; during this time I dealt with various injured people, from minor wounds to serious life threatening conditions including injuries from explosives and one poor chap with a cast iron bar stuck through his eye socket.

I performed patient escorts, accompanying badly injured people transferring from where-ever they were injured to their local hospital; as often the NHS couldnt be arsed, I helped escort seriously handicapt children on outing.

I worked with emotionally disturbed children and (as mentioned), blind children.

I got bored with working with/for fools in the electrical arena and started working with children full-time in 1993, but the pay was (and still is), terrible, so took on other jobs as and when, including lecturing in electronics at Evesham College, Auxiliary nursing (nights), and working as a credit/debit card recovery agent.

I got bored with UK women and started internationally dating in 2004, dating Czech, Malay, Russian, Kyrgz, and finally Chinese women; and went to some interesting places along the way, including a few where foreigners are not supposed to go (not my fault - one coach driver made an unscheduled detour into a PLA Officers training College - and I have the photos to prove it).

On my return from China in 2008 I got ill and was diagnosed with an extremely rare and usually incurable chronic illness - about 9 years AFTER I probably contracted it; if left untreated the average life expectancy is 5 years, so I was very lucky; I was even luckier in being one of the people that the treatment works reasonably well on, although I wouldnt recommend it to anyone as it has a significant chance of killing you (1-16% depending on age and underlying health).

In 2010, after surviving the treatment, I went back out to China and met a beautiful, funny, warm, caring woman who I married the next summer; I stayed out there with her for the rest of 2011 and only returned to the UK on 31st December.

Our daughter was born 3 weeks early due to complications on the 21st January 2013.

Along the way I went to - and dropped out of 3 different degree courses, the first before I even finished school .

Future Ecology and Alternate Fuel Sources at Birmingham University .

Applied Science and Technology at Coventry University.

Child Care - Foundation Stage in Early Years at Worcester University.

Is there anything I havent done??

Well I havent killed anyone yet, nor foiled a terrorist plot, but you never know!!!!

ANY QUESTIONS??

[GentleGiant]

OOOO!! forgot to mention, I got shot at once, while driving through Peckham, the bullet hit the screen at about chest height and ricocheted off; splitting the screen from end to end.

Edited 5 March, 2013 by GentleGiant

[David 8]

Lol

Have you ever seen a man eat his own head ??

[TeflonTom]

And do you play the banjo?

[Dr Zoidberg]

UK voltage is 240v PLUS OR MINUS 10% - as an effing industrial electrician I know what I am talking about.

It appears you don't (again). For quite a while now the Uk's suppliers have been required to use 230v +10%/-6%.

http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1994/3021/made

As 240v is within that range, they didn't change much in practice, but the law is clear.

[Dr Zoidberg]

ANY QUESTIONS??

Haven't you also claimed to be a Bailiff?

[ckyliu]

I had a rice cooker which I bought when I lived in Hong Kong in the late 70's.

Ditto, got a Sanyo one in 70s yellow that's still going now! But that's Hong Kong (which is not China, believe me I should know, I'm not this colour because my liver failed), the electrical standard is entirely British, including use of the British 3 pin plug. Even the road signs and markings are British there.

...Stuff my wife brought with her is still working perfectly - over 14 months after we arrived in the UK, and a friends wife has stuff she brought over 5 years ago that still works...

All depends what it is and what market it was built for (if they were built for export they tend to be a little more robust, electrically); I'm generally talking about appliances that pull quite a bit of current/power, as I said, heater elements for commercial deep fat fryers are a favourite to burn out quickly, can't take UK voltages (they last okay in China). That's the opinion of my father and he was an industrial electrician. Low drain appliances are generally fine but the transformers sometimes get a bit hot (I have this problem with my backup USB 3.0 drive, daren't leave it unattended because I think it's a fire risk!).

Edited 5 March, 2013 by ckyliu

[KenONeill]

And do you play the banjo?

Isn't this question rather academic? I mean, GG does normally act like a gentleman, so even if he can play the banjo, he won't!

[Llanigraham]

GG,

Which SJ Division were you a member of?

I was in Worcester City Combined for several years.

My daughter was a member of their Cadet Division that went to Australia after winning the National.

[cheezemonkhai]

Haven't you also claimed to be a Bailiff?

In Soviet Russia Qualifications Obtain You!

[GentleGiant]

It appears you don't (again). For quite a while now the Uk's suppliers have been required to use 230v +10%/-6%.

http://www.legislati.../1994/3021/made

As 240v is within that range, they didn't change much in practice, but the law is clear.

As I said, they didnt change anything but the paperwork - it would cost trillions of Euros to replace all of the generating equipment - all for the sake of 10volts.

Haven't you also claimed to be a Bailiff?

Yes, but it is not something I am proud of, I needed the money, but switched to Credit/Debit card recovery within the same firm when offered the chance. (Intrum Justitia - formerly Credit Ancillary Services of Stratford).

GG,

Which SJ Division were you a member of?

I was in Worcester City Combined for several years.

My daughter was a member of their Cadet Division that went to Australia after winning the National.

I was in Worcester mens and acting D/O for Mick Maskell with Worcester Ambulance Cadets; the divisions only became combined about a year or so after I (and a lot of other people) walked out over the County and Divisional bigwigs covering up for a paedophile in the ranks (Douglas Sherwood); after I caught him in the act I had him arrested, but then faced a campaign of harassment from the Superintendent of the Adult division and up; I even got dragged into see the Lord Lieutenant after being accused of starting a fight - on a day I wasnt even in the country!! Eventually, Mick and I both resigned, and most of the cadets followed suit; I can only remember one senior cadet staying on, and he only did so to complete his Duke of Edinburgh award.

Douggie got off of that charge, but finally got sent down for attempting to bugger an 11 year old boy. Douggie wasnt fussy, I caught him with 3 y/o twin girls; it turned out that the County and Divisional staff had been covering for him for a LONG time, the Police had a 20 year history of accusations about him.

Last time I checked, one of my old Cadet Leaders was leading the combined division (Chris), but that was over 15 years ago.

My blind cadets lost in the regionals by 1/2 a point to the team that went on to win the World championships; we felt a bit gypped because they lost marks on an emergency childbirth scenario - something that isnt actually in the cadet books, so we hadnt covered it.

No, I cant play the banjo, I never even mastered the recorder at school, using the time instead to do "History" and "Physics" as extra subjects while supposedly practising; I can sing though, I have been broadcast live on Radio 3 and read the Easter sermon from Worcester Cathedral - again live on Radio 3. Long, LONG time ago though.

Edited 5 March, 2013 by GentleGiant

[Llanigraham]

Last time I checked, one of my old Cadet Leaders was leading the combined division (Chris), but that was over 15 years ago.

My blind cadets lost in the regionals by 1/2 a point to the team that went on to win the World championships; we felt a bit gypped because they lost marks on an emergency childbirth scenario - something that isnt actually in the cadet books, so we hadnt covered it.

Before my time, but I remember the case well!!

Chris gave up as Divisional Officer after a few years. He was very good.

The Cadets must have been a different year as Sian's Team only won the UK Finals (held in Croydon) and didn't do that well in Australia. She had a good time out there though.

I transferred to the Division here in Llani but fell out with them when they refused to accept all the qualifications I'd gained in Worcester, from Med Gases to West Mercia Polices Rapid Response certs.

[BJM]

As I said, they didnt change anything but the paperwork - it would cost trillions of Euros to replace all of the generating equipment - all for the sake of 10volts.

WTF?

Why would reducing the domestic voltage from 240v. to 230v. require trillions of Euros / £'s to be spent on replacing all of the generating equipment?

Please think carefully before responding to avoid posting more dogmatic BS.

[KenONeill]

WTF?

Why would reducing the domestic voltage from 240v. to 230v. require trillions of Euros / £'s to be spent on replacing all of the generating equipment?

Please think carefully before responding to avoid posting more dogmatic BS.

Er, every piece of electrical equipment is designed with an optimum operating voltage.

[BJM]

Er, every piece of electrical equipment is designed with an optimum operating voltage.

Nope.

Next guess!

[@Lee]

My blind cadets lost in the regionals by 1/2 a point to the team that went on to win the World championships; we felt a bit gypped because they lost marks on an emergency childbirth scenario - something that isnt actually in the cadet books, so we hadnt covered it.

Can't be easy trying to pull a sprog out if you can't see a ******* thing.

[Llanigraham]

Can't be easy trying to pull a sprog out if you can't see a ******* thing.

Having been involved with a different blind or partially sighted persons group, that is actually quite offensive.

You might be surprised what they can do!

[@Lee]

Having been involved with a different blind or partially sighted persons group, that is actually quite offensive.

You might be surprised what they can do!

what bit about it is offensive?

[Llanigraham]

It appears to be treating blind people with no dignity or ability, with your choice of words.

If I am wrong then I apologise.

[@Lee]

It appears to be treating blind people with no dignity or ability, but your choice of words.

If I am wrong then I apologise.

eh? I'll restructure my post.

I'd imagine that's difficult.

[TeflonTom]

Why would reducing the domestic voltage from 240v. to 230v. require trillions of Euros / £'s to be spent on replacing all of the generating equipment?

surely any change in the domestic voltage would be done by the transformer blocks in the sub stations at local level where the ht is stepped down to domestic voltages rather than at the power station itself? I agree It would cost millions to rewind all the alternators in the generator banks at th power stations, but I guess it's relatively cheap change it at the sub station...

as an aside to this, I work in professional theatre as a lighting tech/ stage electrician, and I've been in hundreds of theatres in this country and I've seen mains voltages as low as 180 Volts in some places, i should imagine this voltage drop is caused by the transformer in the sub station being overloaded or it's duty cycle being exceeded.

[BJM]

surely any change in the domestic voltage would be done by the transformer blocks in the sub stations at local level where the ht is stepped down to domestic voltages rather than at the power station itself? I agree It would cost millions to rewind all the alternators in the generator banks at the power stations, but I guess it's relatively cheap change it at the sub station...

Precisely.

And this changeover has been going on steadily as new S/S's came on line and existing are refurbished or replaced for around 20 years now.

[GentleGiant]

I stuck my volt meter into a socket and guess what ?? It says 240v !! As for cost, please widen your narrow view, EVERY sub-station transformer in Europe would need changing.

240v - 10% and 230v - 6% BOTH give 216v - care to comment ?? This was all discussed in the IEEE Journals back in the late 80s/early 90s; the consensus was only a symbolic paperwork change was required, and I have seen no evidence of any new transformers giving 230v despite all the new housing estates (complete with new sub stations), built in my area since the change occurred.

If fact, back in the late 90s a HV grid cable dropped onto a MV cable and damaged most of the local transformers, so that would have been an ideal time to change them to 230v if what you keep muttering was true. (it also blew a lot of consumer equipment, not that anybody ever got a penny in compensation).

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Legally blind does not mean no vision, two of the 4 boys could dimly see things a few inches from their faces. Blind children develop greater sensitivity in their other senses to compensate for the lack of vision, making them much more likely to spot injuries under clothing when performing a hands on examination of an unconscious patient, as well as detecting odours, something even trained doctors sometimes forget.

One of the boys later went on to the "Young Musician of the Year" contest and I think he won.