[Drezha]

Yeah, I think it was cheaper when I got it (about £75 IIRC). I find it better than the app ones (downloaded the ScannerPro app again and gave it a go, but the results weren’t great). For now, I’m happy with it. When it breaks, I’ll see what my options are then. However, I run a “paperless” house – everything that gets sent to me is scanned if I need to keep it. However, I often keep the paper copy until the box I’ve got is full, then I empty the other box I have with paper and alternate like that. Partly because you still need paper copies of some items for ID etc.

"Everything looks interesting until you do it. Then you find it’s just another job" - Terry Pratchett

[Drezha]

I use the Canon P-208 for exactly what you’re describing. It’s here at Amazon. It’s gone up since I bought it but it does duplex scans in one. Only downside, the included software doesn’t work on Linux. Prior to that, I had a Doxie.

wasbit – I think Duke is referring something similar to ScannerPro (I assume he’s on about an Android app rather than iOS one mind 😉 ) Basically take a picture of the parcel. I have ScannerPro, but I don’t recall ever really using it. Might give it a go. However, I tend to leave scanning until a few items to scan, and then the Canon really is pretty quick due to the duplex scanning.

"Everything looks interesting until you do it. Then you find it’s just another job" - Terry Pratchett

[Drezha]

Finished work on Wednesday and driving down South this afternoon. Me and everyone else if the traffic news on BBC is to be believed.

"Everything looks interesting until you do it. Then you find it’s just another job" - Terry Pratchett

[Drezha]

Good luck with that – I emailed them about a leaking washing machine they installed on the 9th, but had no joy. Finally got someone on the phone today and finally getting it sorted. But not until the 28th, partly as I’m away for the holidays tomorrow.

"Everything looks interesting until you do it. Then you find it’s just another job" - Terry Pratchett

[Drezha]

The Duke wrote:

I get about 10-15meg at home, but I’d say the local area is 3 to 5 meg. In Manchester i did clock 45meg and was amazed.

What network? Tesco (and therefore O2, as my work phone is on the “vanilla” network) speeds are bloody awful – occasionally sometimes slower than 3G. My cadet hut is also a signal blackspot.

"Everything looks interesting until you do it. Then you find it’s just another job" - Terry Pratchett

[Drezha]

Looking at putting one together with the Pi, it’s not that cheap either. Found this guide here.

Parts wise from the UK, you’re looking at (assuming you have the Pi)

Cobbler – £8.50
Breadboard – £4.50
Jumpers/Wire – £3.00
Thermometer – £2.25

Mind, I’ve just gone on Pi Hut and bought all the items to create one with a breadboard (which *looks* like I can do it all without solder!). So we’ll see how we get on – hopefully can do it over the break. Sure I had a USB one floating around – I’m sure I’ve recently spotted it, will have to see if I can dig it out again.

"Everything looks interesting until you do it. Then you find it’s just another job" - Terry Pratchett

[Drezha]

Ed P wrote:

I can understand not running a high amp power cable OVER a path, but surely they would let you ‘mole’ a cable duct UNDER the path? Probably the installer did not want to know as he may have to do everything within a Government set budget. I’m interested as my next car may well be a ‘plug’ provided that I can integrate its battery with the house solar pv set-up. (At the moment auto companies are ‘iffy’ over this due to battery manufacturers warranty doubts).

They can mole it under the path but that also involves going under a drain that separates the path. They also can’t put it there really as it will interfere with my gas supply, due to where my electrical input is (along the side of the house towards the middle, whilst the gas is at the front). They’ve said they can come oput of the house, under the side path, run the cable along the fence between me and my neighbour and then install a wooden post in the driveway with the charging point attached. Where, when charging, will cause more of a trip hazard than over the path.

Additional fees for the work weren’t to bad, but it’s not something I wanted doing before Christmas – digging up my path etc.

Alternative I’m looking at is to get an electrician to install an outside plug socket. Bit more useful, as I can use it for a lawn mower etc etc. Would still need my extension lead though – currently have a 15m cable that comes out of the house through the letterbox and then connects to the car charger inside a “weatherproof”* box.

 

 

*seems to be so far…

"Everything looks interesting until you do it. Then you find it’s just another job" - Terry Pratchett

[Drezha]

Sorry to hear! Hopefully it sorts itself out.

"Everything looks interesting until you do it. Then you find it’s just another job" - Terry Pratchett

[Drezha]

I’m actually looking at doing something similar – though I just want to track the heating in the house and see what the temperature is upstairs and downstairs at the same time – obviously, I think that the upstairs is hotter!

I am looking at Pi based solution – if I could do a Pi Zero W one, it would make things very interesting. Save results to my Synology on a NFS share etc. I’ve been thinking but everything I’ve looked at needs soldering and I’m terrible at that.

I could buy one as you say, but I don’t want to have to pay £60 for one!

"Everything looks interesting until you do it. Then you find it’s just another job" - Terry Pratchett

[Drezha]

Ed P wrote:

Drezha are you a ‘registered installer’ as defined under the Government Scheme, if not I can’t see how you would get a grant anyway.

I had a registered installer come out to fit it and then they refused when they saw the property (it wasn’t clear from the photos). It’s a bit silly, because the path in question is our shared path with out neighbour that cuts across in front of our house where the drive is – anyone visiting would walk down the driveway as we have the gates open. But the rules say it can’t cross a pathway, even my own or if people don’t use it!

Yeah, they wanted me to pay for the return which is fair, as I no longer needed the item – but it was via DHL at £15 for the delivery. Fair enough, the cable was £200. But now they’ve not stumped up and had the cable back since 5th December.

"Everything looks interesting until you do it. Then you find it’s just another job" - Terry Pratchett

[Drezha]

Missed the edit window, but it seems that might have been it. Disabled VNC as described above and that seems to have solved it. I’ll keep an eye on it, but looks like it might be sorted now.

"Everything looks interesting until you do it. Then you find it’s just another job" - Terry Pratchett

[Drezha]

The process in question is writing to the microSD I imagine, so it could be that.

I’ve disabled VNC in the Raspi-Config. I’d already got it set to boot to direct to terminal. I’ll try it with VNC disabled, otherwise, I’ll go down the screen saver route.

"Everything looks interesting until you do it. Then you find it’s just another job" - Terry Pratchett

[Drezha]

I thought I was running in a headless mode for a server only and no X server, but I’ll check in to that over the weekend. I only access it via SSH anyhow.

Resilo Sync is running on it with storage to a USB and that’s working fine.

If it was overheating, surely it would effect all processes rather than close the offending program?

"Everything looks interesting until you do it. Then you find it’s just another job" - Terry Pratchett

[Drezha]

The first one sounds like it was a PDF form and therefore text input was enabled by the creator. We have a couple of PDF’s like that for our cadets (a training record book), but most we get sent are purely “static” PDF’s that don’t allow text input.

We use PDF Xchange Editor at work – there’s a free version and a paid for. I can’t recall the limitations of the free one but I think it’s relatively generous, though we are getting some Bluebeam licenses, though that’s an entirely different kettle of fish.

"Everything looks interesting until you do it. Then you find it’s just another job" - Terry Pratchett

[Drezha]

Is the Echo significantly better than the Dot?

Considering getting one for the house as we use the Dot for music – just thinking that we could move the current Dot to the bedroom and then use the Echo within the front room.

The plug could then go to my dad for Christmas…

"Everything looks interesting until you do it. Then you find it’s just another job" - Terry Pratchett

[Drezha]

I’d have to look through my previous eBay records but I don’t think I’ve ever done a 100% sale, so I was always expecting charges to my account. I usually put 10% towards the RAFBF whenever I sell.

"Everything looks interesting until you do it. Then you find it’s just another job" - Terry Pratchett

[Drezha]

BTW, since The Imitation Game, the place has had a large injection of cash and is now even more worth visiting. The new section on the WRENS was interesting, as my Gran was one (though never at Bletchley as far as I know). I visited it prior to the film whilst at Uni doing my PhD and then more recently within the last 6 months or so and the money that’s gone in to it has been a breath of fresh air for them.

"Everything looks interesting until you do it. Then you find it’s just another job" - Terry Pratchett

[Drezha]

The article says it was a marketing stunt by an AI company and Digital Ocean, so that explains who paid!

bl – it says it was the four rotor version that was broken within the writeup 😉

Interesting to see if done so quickly! I remember taking part in a distributed computing project that was using brute force to crack codes – it looks like it’s still going!

"Everything looks interesting until you do it. Then you find it’s just another job" - Terry Pratchett

[Drezha]

Apparently, I’ve been told by United Utilities that I don’t and cannot have a meter fitted. Not entirely sure how or why, but hey ho. We’re potentially planning for a family in the future, so I guess I won’t dig to deep!

"Everything looks interesting until you do it. Then you find it’s just another job" - Terry Pratchett

[Drezha]

Virtualbox isn’t to bad when I used to use it. I did however at some point stump up the cash for Parallels Desktop. I didn’t really find that this ran the apps any quicker, but it did allow me to use the Windows apps seamlessly with the Mac apps – I can’t recall what the feature is now, but it’s on their current website as seamless integration. Basically you can run the Windows app and it appears “as a Mac window” – i.e it’s in the toolbar and you don’t even know it’s a Windows program, other than the Parallels logo on the app icon. I don’t recall Virtualbox having that feature, so you would have to switch to different desktops.

There’s always the Bootcamp option – though you have to reboot to use Windows apps then.

"Everything looks interesting until you do it. Then you find it’s just another job" - Terry Pratchett

[Author]

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