Hello and welcome to my Blog, my name is Chris, a bus driver for First Mendip based in Wells, Somerset. I am Chair and H&S rep for the depot branch of Unite the Union. Married to Fiona, we live in Midsomer Norton near Bath, with Boots the cat. My main hobby is Amateur Radio and I hold the call sign G4KVI. I am the repeater keeper for GB3UB and MB7UB. I have a fascination for the weather and all things to do with nature and science. As a Christian I worship, when shifts allow at St. Nicholas Church in Radstock. These are my observations on my life, both at work and at home.

31 Mar 2018

Easter day

Tomorrow is properly the most important day in the Christian calendar. It is day we remember the miracle of Christ's resurrection, giving us the promise that we will all have eternal life with him in heaven. Unfortunately I am working, hopefully given, that all the shops are shut it will be a peaceful day.
Tomorrow is also the day I officially take my place as the Unite Equality Rep for the Wells depot. Interesting that this is on the day when I am remembering Jesus, and what his views were on equality.

Happy Easter      He is Risen!

Weather station problems

Weather station has been working fine for a while but unfortunately it has suffered a failure of the wind speed and rain gauge. These use a read switch and magnet, these seem to have broken. I have found a anemometer which I hope to fit next week. The rain gauge I am still trying to source one that does not have £35 postage!

30 Mar 2018

Com Port problems with WSJT

Question for my radio friends. I am trying to run WSJT on my TS-50. Works fine with manual switching, but I have tried to use the usb to serial port. It works, but when in TX the PTT opens and when in RX the PTT closes!! Anyone know how to change the polarity of the RTR signal?

Good Friday

Good Friday today. Strange you may say as this is the day we remember when Jesus was crucified. A particularly cruel and public way the Romans had of putting criminals to death.Yesterday I attended a quiet service to remember the last supper. I will not go in to this, but you can read more in Matthew 26.
Today, you may see groups of people walking with a cross. This is know as a walk of witness. This is not only an opportunity to remember Jesus on the cross, but also a chance to show our faith to others.
Jesus tells us to be a witness of him. This, I have to say in where I struggle a bit. This of course is when Satan steps in and tells me it is fine to speak or act like that as everyone else does it. At this point prayer is a vital weapon. As someone once told me.'When you carry the Bible, Satan gets a headache. When you open the Bible Satan gets a headache, When you read the Bible he gets a migraine and runs away.

28 Mar 2018

Have I missed someting?

All over the news today are reports on plans to introduce a deposit scheme on plastic bottles. I have a better idea. You buy a drink in a plastic bottle and when you've used it place it in a container. Once a week you place said container outside your house and if you're lucky a lorry comes along and takes your bottle to a recycling centre.
OK, all joking apart I can see several things wrong with this.

  •  Can you actually remember where you bought the bottle from? 
  • Will you have to prove you bought it there?
  • What if that is several hundred miles from your home?
  • I am sure there must be some H & S regulation about handling used bottles
  • I can see the kids and adults running up and down the road on recycling day, collecting all the plastic bottles and taking them down to their local Tesco!!
 So. The question is. What point have I missed??

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