What did you do today (2015)

[BazyleParticipant @bazyle]

Posted by Oompa Lumpa on 20/03/2015 07:30:43:

Posted by Speedy Builder5 on 20/03/2015 07:04:55:

Use a hole punch – Its quicker!

Possibly, but that would require no skill.

graham.

Archery required skill, guns were introduced because any village idiot could use one.

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

Well around 10 minutes either side of max, the reduction in sunshine is very noticeable, and so is the cold!

What is rather nice is making a pinhole with my fingers and projecting a toenail on the wall.

But this pic isn't too bad, 1/2000 of a second or I get flare at the corners.

Neil

[Michael Cox 1Participant @michaelcox1]

Good view of the eclipse here in Cheshire.

Mike

[Gordon WParticipant @gordonw]

Up in N Scotland, just getting bright again. Very heavy cloud but flashes of clear view. Very spooky, high wind and cold, glad I'm not a caveman.

[Clive HartlandParticipant @clivehartland94829]

The Eclipse effect here in Kent was very low, about 87% but I was more interested in what the birds were doing and as i watched at the maximum darkening they continued feeding and seemed quite happy. As at the moment we have an overcast that has completely blocked any view of the Eclipse i suppose the birds think its normal!

In fact then Doves from the Dove Cote down the road were still flying around and settling on the roof ridge opposite us as they normally do.

Clive

[ASFParticipant @asf]

Still haven`t seen the sun this morning. Once in a lifetime views. Pah

[Bob Unitt 1Participant @bobunitt1]

Peak of eclipse in South Wales – amazing how cold it got.

[Jon GibbsParticipant @jongibbs59756]

Had my welding mask ready but the best view here in Windermere was through the cloud when it thinned with the naked eye.

Quite eerily dull though.

Jon

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

It was about 90% here. There were about ten minutes either side of the maximum when it was noticeably darker and colder. It seems we may have had some of the best viewing in the UK, my brother in Dunblane had some cloud, I only had about 5minutes of cloud that obscured the sun very early on, and then no more than thin cloud, on and off with the sun always clearly visible.

Frustratingly, towards the end the cloud thickened and I could get a great image on the camera viewfinder of the sun in cloud but even at 1/3200 exposure the sun bleached out of the photos. here's one taken through the welding glass before and after a bit of tweaking.

Neil

[JohnFParticipant @johnf59703]

Brazyle, Any village idiot can fire a gun but you will find there is a lot of space around the target ! Not so easy as it might seem particularly at extended range ! Everyone thinks a shotgun has just to be pointed at the target and it will fall out of the sky it you will find there is a lot of sky around it too.

This village idiot could shoot a whisker off a knat at 100yds when he was pup, can still shoot the knat but not the whisker !

Danny M2Z try Tenex its much better than the pistol round for rifles or even rifle club.

Edited By JohnF on 20/03/2015 13:13:52

Edited By JohnF on 20/03/2015 13:14:41

[Johnboy25Participant @johnboy25]

I tried to watch the eclipse but the cloud cover stop any view of the sun South west of Reading. Had to resort to watching it on the telly.

Nice set of pickies Neil. I hope to be about for the next eclipse – eleven years time I think I heard someone say.

John

[Nicholas FarrParticipant @nicholasfarr14254]

Hi, this is the best view I got of the peak eclipse.

Cloud finally broke around 10:00 am and I got my best shot at 10:08 am.

All taken with my Samsung Digimax D103 without any filters except the cloud. It finally finish about 10:42 am

Regards Nick.

Edited By Nicholas Farr on 20/03/2015 13:33:39

[martin perman 1Participant @martinperman1]

Didn't bother to even get my camera out of the bag because the cloud was to dense and annoyingly within less than ten minutes of the finish the cloud vanished and its been clear blue sky's all day but I saw a full eclipse in Southern Ireland in 1999 so not so disappointed.

Martin P

[MuzzerParticipant @muzzer]

Have the Northern Lights been visible for the last few nights? Sounds as if there is a lot of solar activity at the moment.

I think I'm asking those who live north of the M62, as I heard it was visible from as far south as The Lakes. Here in Blackpool we haven't been able to see eclipses or stars for several days now but wondering if it's worth a drive out later this evening to where there is less light pollution.

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

Murray,

It would be worth you signing-up with Aurorawatch

… based at Lancaster University; they run a mailing list 'alert'

MichaelG.

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

I've only had three Aurorawatch alerts in the last three months, all this week.

Sadly Burton upon Trent is right between me and the northern half of the sky.

Neil

[Gordon WParticipant @gordonw]

We live about 35 miles north of Aberdeen. Have not seen the Northern lights for some years, 20 or 25 years ago it was common. Big increase in light pollution, from virtually none to almost like a motorway. This year has been heavy cloud on the "good nights". Also I am going to bed earlier than I did. But at least I have seen them.

[Jon GibbsParticipant @jongibbs59756]

Sadly not seen them from the South Lakes because of a combination of cloud and early bedtimes

[Bob Brown 1Participant @bobbrown1]

Got one of these today **LINK** for £14.99 inc delivery could not resist, was more interested in the accessories but for that money

Bob

[Danny M2ZParticipant @dannym2z]

Posted by Bob Brown 1 on 20/03/2015 16:44:42:

Got one of these today **LINK** for £14.99 inc delivery could not resist, was more interested in the accessories but for that money

Bob

I purchased a similar pair from Aldi (Oz) for $25 ea.

I contemplated trying to modify one by replacing the bushed bearings with a decent set of small roller bearings as this could really improve the precision for some uses such as a toolpost grinder.

Has anybody actually tried this? Maybe a 3D printer could be useful if the material could handle the temperature of operation. My initial thoughs were to fabricate new housings from aluminium.

* Danny M *

[Oompa LumpaParticipant @oompalumpa34302]

Posted by Bazyle on 20/03/2015 09:34:46:

Posted by Oompa Lumpa on 20/03/2015 07:30:43:

Posted by Speedy Builder5 on 20/03/2015 07:04:55:

Use a hole punch – Its quicker!

Possibly, but that would require no skill.

graham.

Archery required skill, guns were introduced because any village idiot could use one.

I have something in at the moment that needs test firing and guess what? I am right out of Village Idiots. 451 Nitro Express come on over have a go if you want?

(I'm not puling the trigger and that's for certain.)

[Danny M2ZParticipant @dannym2z]

Once I saw a list of annual officer's reports that never made it to the CO's desk:

'This man is depriving a village somewhere, of an idiot"

Also; 'His men would follow him anywhere, but only out of curiosity"

And; "I would not use this officer for breeding purposes"

Finally; "As an engineer, this officer would be hopelessly lost with a Lego set"

Oompa – I once was 'volunteered' to do some trial shoots of a Barrett .50 Cal as the civvy engineers were not cleared/ game enough for the firing range but they were experimenting with muzzle brakes and stuff and needed a village idiot.

I slid back 2 foot on the groundsheet with every shot and they do make largish holes in surplus Land Rover Series IIa cylinder blocks at 800m. I'm now retired from that job, but a mate has just purchased a .338 Armalite which should take care of the rabbits (he's promised to let me have a try). Before he recently retired, this particular village idiot spent long holidays abroad in Afghanistan protecting all the village idiots back home.

My little rimfire gauge has now reached 112 orders if I decide to manufacture a few – must be a lot of village idiots around as 100 are required in the U.S of A. and the rest local.

* Danny M * (Village Idiot)

[John Stevenson 1Participant @johnstevenson1]

Posted by Danny M2Z on 21/03/2015 05:42:13:

My little rimfire gauge has now reached 112 orders if I decide to manufacture a few – must be a lot of village idiots around as 100 are required in the U.S of A. and the rest local.

* Danny M * (Village Idiot)

.

Yabut the USA does have a more than average share of ijits

[Oompa LumpaParticipant @oompalumpa34302]

Posted by Danny M2Z on 21/03/2015 05:42:13:

Oompa – I once was 'volunteered' to do some trial shoots of a Barrett .50 Cal as the civvy engineers were not cleared/ game enough for the firing range but they were experimenting with muzzle brakes and stuff and needed a village idiot.

I slid back 2 foot on the groundsheet with every shot and they do make largish holes in surplus Land Rover Series IIa cylinder blocks at 800m. I'm now retired from that job, but a mate has just purchased a .338 Armalite which should take care of the rabbits (he's promised to let me have a try). Before he recently retired, this particular village idiot spent long holidays abroad in Afghanistan protecting all the village idiots back home.

* Danny M * (Village Idiot)

If you are over here during the summer let me know. A friend of mine has an "Open Day" every year at a range he owns near Nottingham. We will be preparing loads for the 700 Nitro Express Double Rifle and the 2 Bore guns!

Personally I can't be having all this Magnumitis but they are fun to shoot once in a long while.

If anyone would be interested in this Open Day please contact me as you would be welcome to come along.

graham.

[Cornish JackParticipant @cornishjack]

The apparent dearth of village idiots may be down to them having been rounded up to operate the addressing service of one of our parcel delivery companies. In the past 3 days I have received two parcels each containing items which I haven't (and wouldn't have) purchased! Neither contained a waybill and there was no indication of the sender's identity. Contacting the delivery company is both tedious and (so far) unrewarding. It does, perhaps, explain some of the non-delivery complaints aimed at these people.

Rgds

Bill

[Author]

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