jack2964

I have 5 bait casters and they get regular use but all are magnet controlled casting apart from an abu mgx, the abu has an ivcb control system which is beginning to show signs of wear after 3 years,

@ jack...i guess you bought a shimano? All parts are easily available even tuning parts such as ceramic bearings and lighter spools,

My lastest acquisition is also an antares but the digital controlled model, so easy to use even casting into wind.

My first Shimano baitcaster was a cheapo - model 'Salty One'. I managed to break that one barely into 2 years of fishing. The level-winder would get stuck at end of travel and of course made a mess of line laying in the spool. I retired that reel and went a bit silly buying both the Antares HG and Aldebaran. I find the Antares a bit heavy and quite tiring as I toss lures all day long. The feather-weight Aldebaran is my favorite now. Both reels are a joy to cast but I still get bird-nests specially so after changing lures (rather frequently) and being careless with fine tuning the cast control tension. You know how it is when the fish are on a rampage all too briefly.

Between the 2, I find the Aldebaran easier to get right in setting brake and cast knob tension.

Note: The brake bits are different sized in all 3 reels.

Good news is that my Shimano Calcuttas, Curados, and others have 6 of the nubbins.

I have never worn one out, even after decades of using some of the reels. But since I only engage 2 or 3 at once, my plan is to swap to the ones that don't get engaged if the others ever do wear out. I stand ready...

I wouldn't sweat a replacement for a few years at least.

What brand are the reels? That may helps someone identify a Thai source of parts if they're popular brands (or dastardly clever knockoffs)

I've googled this and I couldn't find any discussion about those plastic bits wearing off. It just goes against logic that they are so resistant to wear.

I am a Shimano fan myself and recently treated myself to an Antares HG and an Aldebaran BFS XG. Love 'em both!

So I guess it is safe to conclude; the brakes would outlive the reels.

Being relatively new to baitcasters, I have a question regarding wear of the adjustable plastic tabs found in centrifugal braking systems.

I understand those little plastic tabs one flicks 'ON' to engage work on friction and surely this would result in wear over time.

My question is how does one know they are worn and replacement is due and where can one source these parts?

Had it been a slow decompression as reported then the Cabin Altitude Warning System would have activated both aural and red alert visual warnings. The pilots would have then taken immediate remedial measures to descend and the oxy masks wouldn't have deployed. This sounds more like rapid decompression followed by auto deployment of masks as designed. Anyway, glad all turned out well.

Found a dead dragonfly on the floor this morning. Decided its death should not be in vain....

PA090014 by pattayadays.com, on Flickr

PA090014-2 by pattayadays.com, on Flickr

Awesome! mind sharing how you captured this? Thanks.

Over my end, spotted a single Black-naped Oriole making its way across a wooded area.

Still no leaf warblers and no Black Drongos either.

Sometimes in the still of night out in the yard, I can hear birds in flight across the night sky but of course not sighted. Could they be migratory birds?

Issue successfully resolved. Seller has sent me a Paypal invoice.

Confusion arose due partly due to my not having dealt with Paypal in this manner and seller who kept asking for my Paypal account when in fact he meant to ask for my email address which is linked to Paypal. There isn't an account number associated with Paypal as such.

Thanks all who offered help.

The seller is a reputable one as far as I can tell from reading forum posts of members (not TV) who have bought stuff off him before.

He only accepts Paypal which means he has an account.

I'll ask for a Paypal invoice as suggested by ATF.

Thanks for feedback.

I am attempting to make a payment via my Paypal account to a Japanese online retailer who accepts Paypal.

On all my previous online purchases e.g Ebay, I have simply clicked on the Paypal logo and then would be redirected to logon to my account and make the payment. Simple.

This retailer I am dealing with has no Paypal logo to click on. So do I logon to my account and select 'Send Money' tab and then enter email address of retailer and amount due?

This is the first time I am dealing with a retailer without a 'clickable' Paypal logo and hope someone who has done so before can show me how it is.

I have of course communicated several times with the seller but he doesn't seem to understand what I am on about.

Thanks in advance.

For the butterfly experts.

green butterfly.JPG

It looks a bit like Large Peacock (Papilio bianor pinratanai) but doesn't quite match with what I have in my butterfly book. Rated as rare and confined to Eastern Thailand.

Hopefully someone would come along and ID it postively.

Found it jack Papilio paris - Paris Peacock

https://www.flickr.com/photos/beautiful_bugs/13999345499/in/pool-1682186@N25

Site has over 1700 photos on there, will bookmark it for future reference.

Good work Robby..that's the one! Good link too for future ref.

You wouldn't know it; Papilio paris paris is just one page after bianor pinratanai...lol!

What threw me was the metallic green dusting doesn't show in my book. Ah well...

Btw, your latest pic is that of a Common Bluebottle..this I am quite confident...and the one in the background...perhaps Red Helen?

For the butterfly experts.

green butterfly.JPG

It looks a bit like Large Peacock (Papilio bianor pinratanai) but doesn't quite match with what I have in my butterfly book. Rated as rare and confined to Eastern Thailand.

Hopefully someone would come along and ID it postively.

The underwings, the bits with the tail, are light blue when in flight, you can see a little of that color on one side.

Was taken at Pa la U waterfall west of Hua hin.

Yeah I noticed that bluish patch on the hind wing. Too tough for me Robby and I could be completely off the mark.

Did a bit of googling and found this: http://yutaka.it-n.jp/pap/10460040.html

Not sure if Hua Hin is within its distribution range.

For the butterfly experts.

green butterfly.JPG

It looks a bit like Large Peacock (Papilio bianor pinratanai) but doesn't quite match with what I have in my butterfly book. Rated as rare and confined to Eastern Thailand.

Hopefully someone would come along and ID it postively.

^^^ Aerobatics Jack!!??

Seems like a cricked neck after a very long journey to its wintering ground here in Isaan.

Got this one very early this morning when it was still dark. I woke to get ready for a trip to the lake when I heard it calling. Quickly gathering my gear I managed a couple of shots and while fiddling to set the flash intensity it flew away so only these 2 very under-exposed shots. Its call was a simple "hoo" repeated every 10 to 20 seconds.

From the call I would say it's a Collared Scops-owl but not sure looking at its plumage. It looked too big physically for Collared Scops.

And on the lake, I heard a call that was a single note "chee-u" repeated every 3 to 5 seconds. Moments later I saw a flycatcher like bird take off and what appeared to be a bright band on the rump. Unsure if it was yellow or otherwise. When it flew it was joined by another similar bird.

I found it again early last night but only got a rear view. Still uncertain if it truly is Collared Scops other than going by its call.

Got this one very early this morning when it was still dark. I woke to get ready for a trip to the lake when I heard it calling. Quickly gathering my gear I managed a couple of shots and while fiddling to set the flash intensity it flew away so only these 2 very under-exposed shots. Its call was a simple "hoo" repeated every 10 to 20 seconds.

From the call I would say it's a Collared Scops-owl but not sure looking at its plumage. It looked too big physically for Collared Scops.

And on the lake, I heard a call that was a single note "chee-u" repeated every 3 to 5 seconds. Moments later I saw a flycatcher like bird take off and what appeared to be a bright band on the rump. Unsure if it was yellow or otherwise. When it flew it was joined by another similar bird.

Not sure if Black Drongo is migrant or resident but they seem to disappear and reappear with the migrants. Anyway saw one just after passing Chok Chai while driving west towards BKK today.

For sure they are a resident around the Singburi area, I see them all year round in good numbers.

The only sure sign of migrants I have seen so far are an increasing number of barn swallows, some have stayed but now I see them in long lines on the wires.

They certainly appear round about now Robby in my area and at its peak they number by the hundreds only to disappear around March/April. I have Robson's 'Birds of Thailand' 2002 edition. note: not the 'Birds of SEA' and in this guide they are shown as resident throughout Thailand except the far south.

Anyway, today while taking the dog out for his daily run, I saw a small flock of perhaps a dozen Bee-eaters with central tail prong and much larger sized than the usual Green Bee-eaters so I guess they were Blue-throated. Had them around last year too but only very briefly as they don't seem to hang around my patch; perhaps passing through?

Still no shrikes or leaf warblers.

Not sure if Black Drongo is migrant or resident but they seem to disappear and reappear with the migrants. Anyway saw one just after passing Chok Chai while driving west towards BKK today.

That masked bandit sure looks like Brown shrike. So far not seen over my patch.

Here in Chonburi, Whiskered Tern and Pacific Golden Plovers are both back for the winter as of two days ago. I used to get both of these when I was in Surin. Anyone seeing either of these up in Isaan yet this year? I am still waiting on the usual cast of characters to appear: Shrike, Flycatchers, Ashy Drongo, Warblers, etc.

Single Yellow Wagtail sighted feeding on banks of same lake yesterday 02.09.14

And increased numbers of Whiskered terns.

Here in Chonburi, Whiskered Tern and Pacific Golden Plovers are both back for the winter as of two days ago. I used to get both of these when I was in Surin. Anyone seeing either of these up in Isaan yet this year? I am still waiting on the usual cast of characters to appear: Shrike, Flycatchers, Ashy Drongo, Warblers, etc.

I sighted a solitary Whiskered Tern over at Lam Plai Mat dam (N14.28881/E102.45123) on 27th Aug. Also saw a tiny wader but it took wing when I tried to get nearer.

No Black Drongos or Leaf Warblers or Shrikes yet.