Jdietz

^^^ what he said.

Most likely the fans and the airducts inside the copper heatsink on your processor and graphic card are blocked. Open it up, give it a good cleaning, use some fresh heatsink compound to glue it back on your processor.

Be very happy you tested it, he could as easily have blocked it from popping out....

On most units I've seen the reset switch pops out of the bottom of the unit, it's spring-loaded (for quicker switch-off), just gently latch it back in place.

It compares the current going in the unit on one wire with the current going out again on the other wire. If they are not the same, it trips.

It will not be the same if some current leaks out by another path (i.e. through you to earth).

This will -not- protect you from touching both wires, that will light you up quite nicely and the ELB won't see a thing. It is however a great protection against most faults that develop in these shower units. (break in the heating element, energizing the lot; exposed phase wire)

But yes DO check if it works before stepping under, the test button induces a tiny current in the sense wire, causing an imbalance, and it -should- trip. if it doesn't or takes a while because of soap or other crud built-up (I've seen it happen), push it in and trip it a few times until it trips reliably. Or take a cold shower instead with it the trip open (and the unit preferably switched off outside)

It's probably just the CIA keeping tabs on you, beaming viruses in your computer directly by microwave transmission via satellite.

If your True channels are scrambled, call True. There may be a problem with your CAM access card.

If you don't have one, well, that's called piracy, and of course True will regularly disable bunches of cards used for that purpose.

If you can't find it, NPE will ship it from Bangkok:

http://www.mynpe.com/more.php?data=022150101020

Doesn't matter one way or the other as the information will be in the immigration system anyways (they record your entry / exit dates and visa types) so they can act on it whenever they feel like it.

However so far nobody has ever been bothered, even having overstay stamps on almost every passport page.

If you take the regular buses from Ekkamai station (110 Baht or so), they will drop you off at the Pattaya bus station. At the station's exit there will be songthaews waiting to bring you to Pattaya proper (20B) or Jomtien (40B).

As for hotels, if it is during Songkran better book in advance.

There's two parts to it.

First the transparent sheet you print your pcb design on

Second the photo-sensitive material you coat your pcb with.

For the first, you can use about any transparent material your printer will accept

For the second, you can either buy pre-sensitized pcb material, or use something like this:

http://www.es.co.th/detail.asp?Prod=13800012

Alternatively you may look at 'toner transfer' as a simpler way to get things done, but it is more finicky to get right.

BREAKING NEWS:

World war II is over!

I don't want to get too far off-topic, so for more questions about capacitors either PM or start another thread please. I'll just mention:

- Adding more water to the bucket increases the 'plate' but as you're filling it up, the distance increases, so the effect is less and less

- Adding to the insulator (ceramic plates) also increases the plate distance, decreasing the cap value, increasing the reactance, decreasing the charge transfer.

For more fun reading try this lab: (PDF): http://dusty.physics.uiowa.edu/~goree/teaching/12_formulae/E04%20manual%20parallel%20plate%20capacitor_jg_07_02.pdf

It is great you don't just try to give advise, but follow up with experiments and think of public safety.

Furthermore this also proves that:

This hasn't been mentioned yet, but a person with even basic knowledge of electrical circuits, could carry a multi meter with leads long enough to check for problems.

I have a nice Fluke multi meter but have never felt the need to carry it. Worth considering though.

having a meter without knowing -what- you are measuring is useless.

Even a neon screwdriver needs so little power to light the bulb that it can light up due to induction in nearby wires, while the circuit you're testing is down. Modern multimeters have very high impedance and can measure radio waves in air if you hold or ground one wire.

I used an oil pan, (placed inside a plastic garbage can for safety), with one 120v lead attached to it, to simulate a grounded floor. Then I placed a plastic bucket, (same size as I would use in the shower), inside the oil pan. I took a reading, (with multimeter connected to other AC lead), through the bucket and found a voltage of near zero. This was without water in the oil pan or the bucket. Then I placed approximately one inch of water in the oil pan and one inch of water in the bucket. Now I was reading 50v. Then I filled the bucket to near full and read 60v, (test lead attached to long wooden dowel to avoid contact with water in bucket). Then I tried to draw current through the bucket and was unable to draw anything. Even with my failure to draw current, I am disappointed enough in the voltage readings that I am withdrawing my previous recommendation of using a bucket for protection. I now don't feel comfortable advising other people in this regard. I think I will start carrying my multimeter on my travels and see what I find.

Excellent, you have just independently discovered the "capacitor", nice going!

You have created a (very small) capacitor (2 electrodes separated by an insulator), which of course passes AC and blocks DC. The amount of power you can draw depends on the capacity, which in your case is almost zero.

Due to the very high impedance of your meter, you can indeed measure voltage, but you won't be able to draw much power. You are not in any way measuring the insulation of the bucket this way. The first try (without water in the bucket) is the correct way to measure it. (0V)

Actually we can deduct the reactance (effective resistance Xr) of your home-brew capacitor by your measurements. You measured around half the AC voltage (60V), so that means the reactance of your bucket-cap will be about the same as the impedance of your meter, which, depending on the meter, is somewhere in the MegaOhm range. So basically as good as an insulator.

And yes, standing in a bucket would for all means and purposes insulate you from any shocks. At these low frequencies (50Hz) you will need quite a large capacitor to pass a bit of power.

About the original discovery:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leyden_jar

yes.

Pleasure.

Also the double-entry visas obtained in the UK usually have a longer validity (180 days), so you can fully use to 60+30+60+30. The Regional visas usually have a 90 day validity on issue, causing you to lose a day or two on the first extension (or lose the second visa if you're not careful counting the days).

If you leave now and return on your second entry, you will again get 60 days.

Once you leave the country your entry expires, unless you get a re-entry permit beforehand at immigration. If you go this route, you can leave the country and return without expiring your current permit of stay. Though the days you are away will still count, you don't 'pause' your visa or move your expiration date.

I think you're best off by:

- Leaving before the end of your current 60 days, and getting the second entry activated for another 60 days.

- Go to England and while there, apply for a new double entry tourist visa for your next trip.

You can extend once for 30 days at an immigration office. After that you can leave the country and re-enter on the second entry for another 60 days, which you can also extend for 30 more days.

Make sure you re-enter before the 'use before' date on your visa.

This site also has some good information: http://www.thailotteryresults.com/

If you win a prize, you'll have to go to the GLO (Government Lottery Office) where you will receive a cheque. However, if the prize is less than 20,000 baht, you can go to a local agent and he/she will give the money to you in cash. There is tax, which you'll have to pay in order to get the money. The nominal rate is 50 satang (0.5 baht) for every one hundred baht. If you cash your money at a local agent, they'll normally charge you about 2 baht for every one hundred baht.

So the 10,000 Baht sounds about right if you won half a million. Gratz!

Try here:

The Government Lottery OfficeThe Government Lottery Office

Talat Yot

Phra Nakhon,

Bangkok 10200, Thailand

02-2811611

I don't know of DTACs roaming agreements in the USA, but while in Thailand, you can extend your validity for 2 baht/month by calling *1013 and following the voice prompts. Up to a maximum of 1 year.

Appropriate:


Inappropriate:

A well insulated room in a concrete block (hotel) won't transfer heat as easily as a (wooden?) free-standing bungalow, with the sun shining on the flat roof. Also the corridors and the units adjacent to you will be airconditioned there for even less heat transfer.

So the airconditioner doesn't have to work as hard (I'd guess it'd be on idle most of the time you're running it in a hotel) An airconditioner only uses a significant amount of power when the compressor is on.

A fan uses about 35W

An airconditioner unit about 2,000W when active, larger units more.

Sounds about right to me, Let's say the aircons will use on average 2kW (2 aircons, 12 hours, 50% on) and you are paying 3.5 Baht per kWh (unit), the electricity cost for the airconditioners alone will be 2,600 Baht. Add some lights, TV, etc and 3,500 Baht sounds good.

If you pay more per unit, you'll reach 3,500 Baht even sooner.

So if this problem has been going on for months now, why not enter the tunnel slower and on idle (not drawing power)? Seems like an easy directive until the design gets a makeover.

So.. any news from Rambo?