Bob F

Hi Oli, I haven't seen the Northstar BR24 in action, but some of the reviews I have read have been very good. It was specifically designed to integrate with the M121 display. so it's the perfect choice for you. The BR24 is one of the new range of radars that use low power FMCW (frequency modulated continuous wave) technology rather than the older, high power, plused radars. This has a number of advantages. - you don't have to wait for a magnetron to warm up, so the radar picture is available instantly from standby. There is still an initial warm up when first truned on, but even this is quicker than the pulsed radars. - the transmitted power is very low so there is no radiation hazard. - because it's low power it means the battery consumption is low, so leaving it on at anchor with the engine off is not a problem. - FMCW will give much clearer short range resolution with no dead zone around the boat. Regarding ease of use, it is supposed to be very easy to operate and requires little or no tuning, so it should almost be just a case of selecting the oppropriate range and that's it. The octahedral reflector is fine, so long as it is mounted high enough. This is a passive reflector, meaning it is relying on reflected radar waves to be seen by a radar. If you can afford it, a far more effective system is the active Sea-Me reflector. It detects radar energy and then transmitts back a much larger pulse of radar energy so you will appear bigger on a radar screen and have a much greater detection range. It also has the capability of giving you an automatic ship detection alert. cheers Bob

I've used a SATA to USB converter in the past and it worked well. I used it for transferring data from a SATA Hard Disk drive.

Identifying a flounder or plaice can be deceiving if you just go by orange spots alone. Flounder often have orange spots, especially if they have been caught from a sandy bottom. You can check for small bumps or knobs between the gill plates and the eyes. If they are present it's a plaice. If not, it's a flounder. Also the lateral line on a plaice has a distinct bend as it nears the gill plates. On a flounder the lateral line is relatively straight throughout it's length. Here's a link that gives some pictures and tips on methods for catching. http://www.worldseafishing.com/shore/ho ... laice.html

Ooopps, too many 9's. I've replied to your PM, Mike. BF

I agree with Tony. Once they start to seize it's time to renew the cable. Mine only lasted 3 years on a brand new boat. It snapped 10 miles out at sea, making an interesting trip back. BF

Hi Mike I can probably help you with most of this. Can you remind me which model of VHF, GPS and Navtex you have? I don't want anything for doing it. Give me a call on 07802 8790973 and we'll arrange a time. cheers Bob

Tried to download it, but was unable to log on to the FTP site. Will try again tomorrow. BF

OK, Nige. Strange decision by Lowrance, but maybe it's for the UK market to keep the cost down. Not able to help in that case. Simon's pretty good on the Lowrance stuff so maybe he has some ideas. cheers BF

As with Duncan, I'm totally confused, all the HDS 5 models should have a memory card slot. Can you take a photo of your unit to show us the bottom right hand corner? Are you sure the little panel does not come off? Attached is the picture of where the SD slot should be.

You mean that's how we did it in reverse at Kimmeridge!!

I wish the weather would bu@@er off so I can tell that one at my local club...

Hi Graham Unfortunately, I hurt my back today and will be flat on my back for a few days. I will give you a call when things are better. cheers BF

That's great, Graham. Thank you very much. When would it be convenient to drop by and pick it up? cheers Bob F

Have any of you kind folk got an 8mm film projector and/or 8mm film viewer I could borrow? Even if it's broken, I may be able to get it working for you. cheers Bob F

You can see how to wire it here: http://www.sidewinder.com.au/page161.html BF

Blimie, talk about stressful, Charlie. That's like letting the missus drive the car!! I bet there wasn't a empty beer bottle to be found anywhere...

I went down to check that JV was ok. It was crazy down there. There lads in the marina were working hard checking the lines on all the boats, which was very reassuring. JV was ok but I put on a few more lines just to be sure. I checked on the other club boats in the marina and they all looked fine, but walking along the pontoons was a real wild ride. It was like the San Francisco earthquake. I've never seen it blowing that hard across the marina.

Cheeky blighter!! I resemble that remark!!

I'm getting depressed. Looking in the mirror this morning I suddenly thought I'd seen my face somewhere else recently, but could place where. The penny has just dropped... Why is it that as I get older I start to look more and more like my avitar? Man, that's depressing. I'm gunna have to find a new avitar.

Would I be able to use a demo boat to fish from in the morning??

Hmm...I might just dig out my whitewater kayaking drysuit and have a go on the demo boats. Sounds like fun. Cheers.

Still bass around, using live mackerel or pollack. Big ballan wrasse to worms and probably the odd sole on sandy bottom. Also rays. Odd cod turning up, too. Alun J is going out from Wick this week, so you may be able to buddy up with him. cheers BF

Who saw the One Show tonight? It showed a certain Poole based beam trawler being boarded and apparently being found to have undersized nets. She was given a verbal warning and told to go back into port for further investigations. It appears that the authorities are using a new electronic gauge to check the net sizes, and this new, more accurate gauge is failing nets that passed with the old mechanical gauge. Not sure what the final outcome for the said trawler was. BF

Well that's a refreshing change to actually get some feedback on the postive things that are going on. A concise summary without the usual drawn out drivel that is usually in newsletters. Well done AT! Very encouraging.

It's a little difficult to tell what's going on based on your description. What engine do you have? What make of boat? What make of gauges do you have? What is the control box that you mention? Is this just a junction box or does it contain other electronics? Simply removing your FF should not have caused the problems you describe, unless you dislodged a connection or re-connected a wire incorrectly. Gauges typically have the following wires going to them: 12v from the ignition switch which powers the main gauge mechanism. The colour can vary from boat to boat, but typically red. Check for 12v with a meter as you turn the ignition on/off. A ground wire, usually black. Another wire with 12v for the gauge light. This is usually wired from the running lights or anchor light. Usually blue. Lastly, a wire which comes from the sensor. This is used to actually move the needle in the gauge. In the case of a trim gauge this would come from the trim sensor. Usually green. Removing the black wire will remove the ground and so all the lights will go off. My guess is that the wires you describe are doing the following: Pink - 12v for gauge lights (controlled by running light switch) Yellow - 12v from ignition switch Black - ground green - from sensor Connect a volt meter to each wire and read the voltage with the ignition on and then with the ignition off. Let us know the results and then we might have some more clues to help. cheers Bob