Beachcomber

Hi

Thanks again for all replies.

Quote: Crossy”

I suspect that our OP was not actually measuring directly on the grounding rod, even a really awful ground would prevent the neon lighting. Maybe a poor connection to the rod coupled with a leaky appliance was the cause. To be honest, without actually seeing and checking the installation, who really knows what was going on.

As I mentioned this was in a previous apartment. I was living in the apartment with my computer setup as usual with trusty neon tester checking the live/neutral feeds to the UPS.

Now normally I wouldn’t worry about the installation of a meter – how difficult can it be? But TIT.

After the installation I rechecked the live/neutral at the plugs and sure enough they were reversed. No problem for me I just reversed the plug in the socket.

My apartment was at the end of the block just where the main power line came in to a box with one of those ‘blade’ switch/fuse thingies. From there I could see and physically follow the wiring into mine and all the other meters also the grounding wire that led along the outer wall down the wall at the corner and was attached to the grounding rod.

I tested the LIVE in the fuse box where it was “tied” to the ground wire. I then whet down to the earth rod and yes sure enough my little neon lit up.

“Quote: h90”

did she make her last will, already? Or maybe she get rid of the bugs in the water with the electricity???

Anyway 90 % of the time you can stay 220 Volt and mostly it is not full currency. So it may need a year or two.

the earth rod should help, maybe it costs more electricity?? Measure how many ampere are going true that cable.

Sorry to say she does not have enough money to worry about a will

Yea! I think about the electricity going trough to the earth but I don’t have an amp meter to measure it.

Next year we will probably all move anyway so as long as she lasts that long it will be OK.

Hopefully in the new place I have the chance to install some basic safety features before he has the whole show set up plugged in and running again; these old dears are so quick sometimes!

Thanks for all replies with some good information.

The reason for the questions is I am attempting to get some sort of electrical standard as all the sockets here are only two pin.

I have put in a grounding rod for the computer and with my trusty neon tester think I have got all the plugs in the right way so when I switch off the UPS and everything connected to it the LIVE is off.

I have also attached a grounding rod to the washing machine and hot water shower. Unfortunately the fridge and things like kettle, toaster and small electric oven are on the opposite side of the room so grounding them is not an easy option.

I realize most appliances these days are polarity insensitive but I still don’t like to get a shock off the toaster so while reversing the plug in the socket is not ideal it makes me feel better.

The polarized plug actually plugs in only one way and I wanted to know which way to wire an extension socket.

“Quote”

If your local power distribution is unbalanced the Live/Neutral set you receive can be substatialy drifting from the specified voltage.

Wrong Routing - Live to Neutral and Neutral to Live.

Does this mean the Neutral – Live could change from day to day??????

“Quote”

I assume with the wire colors Grey/Black that BLACK is the feed/live/positive? Normally that is true. Bye the way it can be called live, line, phase or hot it is NOT positive You missed the MOST IMPORTANT wire the GROUND / EARTH which should be green.

So BLACK is normally LIVE - but not necessarily

If you want “SCARRY” you should see my mother-in law’s laundry service set up.

She has about six machines all in various stages of decline all banging away standing in puddles of water on the concrete floor and all connected from a couple of two pin sockets via those cheap roll-up extension cord that are only meant for lights.

Some time ago she just happened to mention that she was getting shocks from most of the machines. I put in a Ground Rod for her and connected all the machines to it. I think that helped but maybe she is just too polite to say if it didn’t. I’m sure we are going to find her electrocuted one day.

I'm 26 year old man thats just returned from travelling, I had a year out that I exteneded to 16 months. I met a girl in Bangkok that ended up messing my whole South East Asia expedition, I basicly ended up staying in Bangkok with her for 7 months (with a few trips to Koh Phanagn etc.)

I know its the same old story here but we're both deeply in love with each other, but I had to return to the UK as I had a good job offer with good pay etc. I need to know if theres anything I can do here in the UK to get her over? Shes got a degree and comes from a wealthy family and wants to join me in the UK. She speaks perfect English too

Shes told me theres no point in her going to the embassy yet as i've got debts from my travelling and also no savings, which will change in the next 3-4 months! I think she knows i'm a bit of a party animal and wants to make sure i'm going to be able to support her once she get here so maybe this is a test to make sure I can hold down a job (which I can) or I can save money and not stick it all down my throat and up my nose, which i'm not going to do!

I'm willing to do anything to get her over but just want reassurance as if she leaves it for a little while, she'd still be ok! What would I or she need to prove to the Embassy to show this is a legit relationship rather than a girl just wanting to come the UK for British passport? Shes been to the UK too on a 6 month tourist visa, will this benfit her or not? I'm also coming out to Thailand in August to see her for a couple of weeks and hopefuly if shes still serious about this, propose to her....

Also what happens with her regardng work? I can support her until we get married but she will want to earn a living eventually

Thanks for any replys.

If she had a tourist visa to UK before why can she not do the same again?

I would wonder how she got to the UK last time and why she came back?

Just call me cynical

Hi

I know a little about electricity. I can wire up a plug and also wire in additional wall sockets.

But some things in LOS are still a mystery to me.

I assume with the wire colors Grey/Black that BLACK is the feed/live/positive?

This assumption is based on an average of wiring in various places I have lived in.

I have one of those neon screwdrivers for testing the positive and use it to put the two pin plug from fridge/toaster/washing machine/kettle in the socket so as not to get a shock from those appliances.

Example; by putting the neon tester on the metal of the fridge it would light up so I put the plug in the other way and I guess that’s how it should be?

On my TV (Samsung) the two pin plug has a flared section on one of the pins. Is this pin positive or negative?

Now for something really weird. In a previous apartment the landlord got an “electrician” to put in separate meters to each apartment.

I use the term “electrician” loosely as his wire connections instead on being twisted together were tied in a knot. Must have been a fisherman before becoming an “electrician”

The weird thing is that the “electrician” grounded the LIVE to EARTH – I checked with my trusty neon tester at the grounding rod and sure enough I got a positive reading – is this possible or only TIT.

I am 38 and from UK.

Most posts about double or triple entry tourist visas in Malaysia talk about Penang.

Is it possible to get the same kind of visas in kuala lumpar (direct flight from chiang mai where i am) as well?

Does anybody know of a reliable visa agent in KL if it is possible?

Cheers,

Steve

You need a Thai Embassy don’t know if there is one in KL

Check on the internet

Sorry my idea didn’t help

Will watch this thread as I would be interested to know the answer should someone come up with one.

Beachcomber

I am sick of reading all these bar girl bashing threads. I met my wife Noi in a bar, yes she was an entertainer, no she was not a prostitute. Having come from a poor background my wife has made a great life for herself and has proved her worth in the home and as my business partner: by showing the same head for figures and business acumen that I possess. So for all you guys wanting to bash bar girls and those who have found happiness with one: THINK before you TALK TRASH !

How long have the two of you been together?????????

This brings to mind something I have been wondering about. Are there ANY Thai tourists that visit the UK?

Let’s just say you are a normal Thai couple or even single person, you have your annual vacation coming up so you fancy visiting the UK for a couple of weeks.

You have heard all about the tradition of British history you’ve seen Bridget Jones and the other Grant movies you want to visit England.

As a Thai CAN you?

Well it seems that some do get visas to visit the uk. Only last week in the english lakes a party of 10 thai walkers were rescued off the lakeland fells wearing just t shirts and pulling suitcases behind them. Click the link for the full story

http://thisisthelakedistrict.co.uk/search/...rts_rescued.php

having just come back from doi intannon where I honeymooned with my thai wife who complained that she was cold couldn't help but smile

Don’t know about them being tourists

Seems like they just came of an erm! - boat

This brings to mind something I have been wondering about. Are there ANY Thai tourists that visit the UK?

Let’s just say you are a normal Thai couple or even single person, you have your annual vacation coming up so you fancy visiting the UK for a couple of weeks.

You have heard all about the tradition of British history you’ve seen Bridget Jones and the other Grant movies you want to visit England.

As a Thai CAN you?

Hi

Don’t know if this will help. Have you tried – View – Encoding – Auto Select or/and Thai - Western European Windows (or ISO) or any of the others?

This usually sorts out gibberish on my screen.

Sometimes just reloading the page does the trick.

56 Countries. Stop overs don't count.

AUGHIE - Heehee we should do a map of the women we bedded.

That would have to be "local" ladies not your girlfriend that you brought with you

Who is going to start?

I sat on my glasses, broke both hinges. Never put your glasses on the bed.

Anyway I happened to be in Penang, though I would guess any place would do, the optician sorted through a whole bunch of frames he had in stock, found a pair same shape as my lenses and that was that.

Easy - No problem – just paid for the frame.

Beachcomber.

Good One

Thanks everyone for your prompt replies.

What is it with Daring Wife’s that when one is lord and master always right never wrong in most things some one comes along tells them something and no matter what you say or do they just don’t believe you?

Yes GU22 she has been talking with wife of German guy. We have got various nationalities round here so she picks up all sorts of information not UK relevant.

Peace again but what will be next?

Hi

This is on behalf of Darling Wifie who wants confirmation of what we were told at the UK Embassy.

Somebody had told Darling Wifie that though Baby Beach now has a UK and a Thai passport – dual nationality – when baby gets to be 18 years old she will have to chose which nationality she wants to keep.

The nice lady at the UK Embassy (why so many negative posts about the Embassy staff?) told us that the dual nationality is for life and baby will not have to chose at a later date.

Anybody have any experience about this, can we get confirmation and some peace that dual nationality is for life?

Thanks in advance

Beachcomber.

Hi

In answer to the OP ‘HOBGOBLIN’ before I got a one year ‘O’ marriage visa I was on a tourist visa for several years always going to Penang for renewal.

I used to get double entry tourist visa and never had any problem till there were about five visas in my passport. That’s about two and half years of visas.

After the fifth application they asked to see something financial, all I had was Thai bank book with not more than couple of hundred thousand in it and that satisfied them.

To be on the safe side I got a new passport for my next run so it seemed like I was just starting out again.

I have never had any problem but as other posters have said things do change so what was good for one day may not be the same for someone else the next.

I have always used an agent in Penang saves the hassle and they will tell and advise you what is needed saving trips to the Embassy yourself.

Good luck.

QUOTE

Also, please can you explain, in layman's language, why the OP shouldn't just reconfigure his auto-cleaner as I suggested? That is such a simple solution to his problem.

Right On

I have used various “cleaners” and they all had a configuration option – just un-check the Bin option.

Easy Peasy no need for any technical knowledge.

I second a Canon printer.

Have had Canon Pixma iP1000 (cheap) for couple of years now, use copy cartridges and ink refills and so far have had very little problem.

I don’t use the printer all that much so regularly run nozzle cleaning maintenance to stop drying out.

PLUS! Aquarium Screensaver

plusaqar.zip

Unzip this into:-

C:\WINDOWS\system32

It should then show up on your screensaver options

Right click on:- Desktop/Properties/Screensaver

Enjoy

Just been looking around the local IT mall, and some of the computer shops have computers with what looks like a fish tank screen saver..? very real like .. can any one recommend a free download for a fish tank ( moving fish ) screen saver..?

thanks.....

The aquarium screensaver you saw was probably the one that comes with Microsoft Plus!

http://www.microsoft.com/windows/Plus/wind...p/more_plus.asp

You can download a free demo or buy full version at:-

http://www.serenescreen.com/info/mswelcome.php?ref=MSFTEN

(http://tinyurl.com/mynug)

This I think is the best most realistic fish/saver.

Some of the screensaver sites have pop-ups and other nags with their downloads.

Enjoy.

Me Too

We get a lot of power failures and power glitches round here.

I bought a new UPS a couple of years ago, 'Orbit' - it was only cheap (+/- 2k) and worked OK till recently when it could not always handle whatever they sent down the line and the computer would crash and restart. This usually happened when there was a brief glitch in the supply as against a regular power failure where the UPS would work OK.

Having lost a couple of hard drives, presumably crashing because of the power failures, I recently bought another UPS. 'Legend II' Again about the same price and sometimes the same thing still happens.

The UPS failure to protect the computers always seems to occur when there is a brief power break; sometimes not even enough to affect the TV yet the computer does a restart.

I seem to remember reading on this Forum about different phases of the electrical system cutting out giving weird results, like the lights stay on but the TV goes of and things like that. Would this affect the UPS?

Would a more expensive UPS give better protection?

Having a padlock on your door is like a big notice

“Hey! There is no one home here”

Beachcomber.

Hi

This will not be relevant unless you go to Penang at some time. On Chulia Street that’s the same street as The Swiss Hotel on the same side as the 7-11 (opposite to the Swiss Hotel) going down towards the water (away from The Swiss) there are several plumbing supply shops that sell real ENGLISH made stuff.

Worth a look but not worth a special trip.

Opposite the plumbing shops there is a small alley with hardware market stalls that’s interesting.

Beachcomber.

Hi

Thanks everyone. Lots of useful information for me to work with.

Beachcomber.