Westcoaster

I was going to program them to mimic the PMR frequencies used by Motorola branded radios, I'll see how I get on when the programming lead arrives. On the bright side, my new Avons have arrived, now to get them fitted!

Gordy, you have mail!

Typically, I have had the radios since last week, but awaiting the programming lead!

The BMW SMG II system is a robotised manual box controlled with a software driven servo motor controlled by an ECU, manufactured by Getrag. It's a system similar to that used in Smart cars except it's a lot stronger and a good bit quicker. It has reliability issues due to the poor quality of wiring and connectors making it all work, the actual 'boxes are very robust. I would assume that that BMW's SMG suffers the same issues. The Supra's auto boxes in regular and Tiptronic, are conventional fluid - coupled auto boxes with the Tiptronic functions being software driven.

Worked on the Supra today, replaced driver's side rear caliper as it was sticking intermittently. Whilst I had a rear wheel off, I checked the rear tyres for wear as I knew they were getting near the knuckle, I was shocked to discover they had between 1.5 and 2.0 mm of tread left! Good old Falken FK452's, I've travelled around 15k miles on that pair. Soon to be replaced with Camskills supplied Avon ZZ3's, as the FK452 replacement, the FK453, is on back order and I don't want any delays to getting new rubber on for the Applecross trip.

One more to be ordered for me (for Kirsteen) - Paypal payment with you in two ticks! Gordy, you have mail!

I've looked at Eton's website and can't find the figure

Becoming a charity is more about tax status than about organised giving.............

I took that to be part of the whole 4th (and 5th?) Dimensions, where things can happen now, in the future and in the past at the same time (head hurts!) I took that to be the American 'flaw' of always having an upbeat ending? The end was the only weak part of a fantastic film for me, definitely one of my top five films.

I'm in for a blue one, payment sent Forgot to say Gordy, can you have the lettering say "Graham (Westcoaster)" cheers bud!

If the oil price is still so low, why am I paying £1.27 per litre for super unleaded at my local Esso garage?

Remember you need the USB programming lead, info on programming here: http://www.essexham.co.uk/news/baofeng-bf-888s-review.html Programming software here: http://www.409shop.com/shop_displaynews.php?id=292 PMR frequencies to be programmed in here: http://www.ofcom.org.uk/static/archive/ra/publication/ra_info/ra357.htm Useful info here: http://ukradioscanning.com/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=533&start=10#p11385 All things considered it would be easier to buy a PMR446 ready to use walkie talkie, but I like a challenge and these seem to be almost pro quality at a toy price.

The walkie talkie - http://www.amazon.co.uk/Baofeng-Transceiver-Illumination-Flashlight-Handheld/dp/B00BPNUJDY/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1438725015&sr=8-5&keywords=baofeng The improved antenna - http://www.amazon.co.uk/Hypario®-430Mhz-Antenna-Kenwood-BAOFENG/dp/B00U2DUKMS/ref=pd_sim_23_5?ie=UTF8&refRID=1059PFY4163TFF5WN0SH I prefer a handheld speaker/mic probably vital with a larger antenna! - http://www.amazon.co.uk/Original-Handheld-BAOFENG-UV-5R-Speaker-mic/dp/B008S465AO/ref=pd_bxgy_23_img_z USB radio programming lead (free online software) - http://www.amazon.co.uk/Programming-Cable-Baofeng-UV-5R-Radio/dp/B0083H56MY/ref=pd_bxgy_23_img_y The prices seem ridiculously cheap, but the reviews seem good - I'll find out soon enough!

I've bought one of those radios from Amazon, under the brand name Baofeng. They get a good write up, but have to be re-programmed to UK frequencies, which seems to be straightforward enough. Whisper it, but apparently they're slightly too powerful to be used in the UK without a licence, so with that and the larger antenna that I purchased for it, I should still be in contact with everyone else, even if I get left behind!

Compatibility is the main problem I can't totally solve, Amazon have some good radios, but compatibility with other makes and the frequencies used is confusing me!

I don't have a walkie talkie, any reasonably priced recommendations?

The truck is a Unipower 'M' Series, prime mover, with a Cummins QSK19 19 litre, 6 cylinder diesel producing 700 bhp and 2300 lb/ft of torque! That truck was an unsuccessful bidder for a prime mover for a tank transporter for the army, seems the M.o.D. preferred the Oshkosh. I love big trucks!

That's a very ill fitting bra he's wearing! Has he put the coke and whores on his expenses?

I drove the Grossglockner in late May 2009, we had to wait for the snow blower to completely open the road near the top! My car (not the Supra) suffered some brake fade about halfway down, fortunately the car's light weight and plenty of engine braking saved the day. There weren't many places to safely run off in an emergency and there are buses and motorhomes using the road.

Spot on Marcus Perhaps we should agree stopping points through each day's trip, so that those who prefer a sedate pace know where the group will be, if they lose sight of them. In my experience with my other car club, the fastest get to the coffee stops only 5 minutes ahead of the slowest! If it is raining on the day of the trips, I'll be taking it fairly easy as I need new back tyres!

Council housing was started as a result of the slum conditions and high rents that ordinary working people had to endure in the early years of the 20th century and in particular, immediately after WW1. In the 1930's, 1940's and 1950's, council housing was of a standard as high, if not higher, than the private houses of the day. The cost cutting in the 1960's and 1970's led to poorer quality housing, which has led to the poor reputation that it now has. The reason for that is that councils are political organisations and politics and housing are uneasy bedfellows. Most European countries have social housing of a sort, but it is provided by Housing Associations, which are non political and non profit making organisations. The rental market on the continent is much larger than here in the UK, with the majority of people renting at affordable rents, with long tenancies. Their rents are much lower than the private rentals in the UK, which means that it doesn't have to be subsidised by the tax payer in the form of housing benefit. Housing Benefit is effectively a reward for landlords charging higher rents and paid for out of general taxation. Council houses need to be transferred to housing associations here in the UK to de-politicise social housing and to allow it to be improved to a higher quality. The right to buy social housing is an aberration, if tenants want to buy their properties, let them do so at the market value, not at a subsidised discount.

The right to buy ends completely for everyone in Scotland from 1st August 2016, and in most of the county I live in, only tenants whose tenancy has been continuous since prior to September 2002 can currently purchase their council homes (or certain housing association homes) at a discount. The rule used to be that 100% of the discount had to be paid back if selling in the first year, 66% in the second year and 33% in the third year, so that only after four years had elapsed since the sale, you could pocket the all the profit. If the tories have done away with that, then they are even more stupid than I thought. Selling council homes in Scotland was found to drastically reduce the higher quality social housing stock and create an underclass of owner occupier who can't afford to maintain or improve their homes, without access to publicly funded grants!

Sorry guys, can't do the 26th July, I'll be in North Wales and likely to try the Evo Triangle if I get the time.

Available most Sundays, so in for this

Middle lane hoggers are particularly prevalent on urban stretches of the M74 through Glasgow, and the problem gets worse the further south you drive until you get to the M25 where lane discipline is practically third world! What I don't understand is how good lane discipline is possible throughout European motorways and not on UK ones?