Andrew Watson's Blog

New Products at Work

2008-01-22T22:04:00.000Z

At work we have a new range of Stepper Drives from RTA in Italy. The NDC range replaces the existing SDC and HGD ranges.

The NDC series, available with plug and socket connections or screw terminals, has the benefit of ministepping at up to 4000 s/r and has a built in oscillator, useful in simple move applications. The NDC will operate from a DC power supply in the range of 24 to 75V dc and the two model variants offer a wide current range making them suitable for use with a variety of stepper motors. The similar SAC series operates from AC supplies.

Hopefully we will find some applications where we can target this drive.

Not much going on

2008-01-21T21:00:00.000Z

So it's been a few days since I last posted and to be perfectly honest not much has happened.

Finally got the new website for work finished; www.totalmotionsystems.co.uk for all your motion control requirements ;)

Been to a half day seminar about Google Analytics and Google Webmaster Tools at the University of Warwick, which was run by the National B2B Center.

Been looking at some SEO and PPC in relation to the website, but on top of everything else that hasn't developed very far just yet.

I thought the other day while I was looking through dmoz Open Directory Project, about becoming a subject editor, but again haven't quite got around to that yet...

2008-01-02T13:45:00.000Z

Petrol Prices at Burntwood, Staffs.:

	Avg.	Min.	Max.
Unleaded:	103.1p	99.9p	107.9p
Diesel:	108.2p	104.9p	111.9p

And for the UK:

	Avg.	Min.	Max.
Unleaded:	103.8p	99.8p	114.9p
Diesel:	108.0p	100.9p	119.9p

Data taken from www.petrolprices.com

Back To Work

2008-01-02T13:39:00.000Z

So it was the first day back to TMS Towers after our enforced Christmas Break of 11 days. Nothing much seems to have happened over Christmas, a few enquiries from the parts of the world that were open a couple of orders on the fax, but otherwise looks like people are still on holiday. Should have the new website online either late today or early tomorrow, which is a job well done.

Happy New Year

2008-01-01T21:48:00.000Z

Here it is again 1st of January! So goodbye to 2007 and hello to 2008...

What can I say about 2007, to be absolutley honest not a lot, as I can't really remember anything from the past 12 months. I turned 27, I'm still in debt, I still have a job to go to, I didn't blog as much as I did in 2006 (39 in 2007 to 191 in 2006) and thats about it. Somehow I missed the main event, I think it all started last new year's eve, I can't remember that either...

Went to the Uxbridge for our Annual new years gathering, didn't feel to good, this man flu (which I've had since Christmas Eve) is still getting me down a bit.

New Year's Resolutions

Cut down on the drink
Give up smoking (I've always said that I don't want to give up and that making me smoke outside won't affect this decision, but spending the past few days on my death(!) bed without a cigarette has been wonderful!)
Get my money back on track
Turn up to work on time (well at least 25% of it anyway)

Petrol Protests

2007-12-19T10:55:00.000Z

So it sounds like the Petrol Protests at the weekend were a bit of a wash out. One depot at Purfleet, Essex, where a demonstration was due to be staged - but there was a protest from a lone pensioner.

June Walker, 61, of Rainham, Essex, said: "I've got nothing to do with the haulage industry. I'm just a pensioner who pays £57 to fill up a Peugeot 307."

Full article Here from BBC News

Another article Here from Sky

Prehaps people couldn't afford the fuel to get there!

Petrol Prices at Burntwood, Staffs.:

	Avg.	Min.	Max.
Unleaded:	102.7p	99.9p	107.9p
Diesel:	108.0p	104.9p	119.9p

And for the UK:

	Avg.	Min.	Max.
Unleaded:	102.8p	98.9p	114.9p
Diesel:	108.0p	100.0p	119.9p

Data taken from www.petrolprices.com

miniWIZ [ HYmini | miniSolar ]

2007-12-11T00:32:00.000Z

Saw this tonight on The Gadget Show on five:

Environmentaly friendly ways to recharge your mobile, iPod, PDA, camera etc.

There is the HYmini, which harnesses wind, solar, usb and mains power and the miniSolar solar panel.

Petrol Protest

2007-12-11T00:17:00.000Z

From petrolprices.com blog:

----
BREAKING NEWS
----

UPDATE: This morning (10/12/07) Transaction 2007 announced a firm date for the protest. Protests will start Saturday 15th December 2007 at 10:00am. They say the date was decided by members as "the best possible to enable those who would normally be working during the week to attend." According to a press release on the site, they plan to protest outside refineries or storage depots across the country.

Top Ten

2007-12-10T13:14:00.000Z

A few weeks ago Nicci asked me to name my top ten [famous] girls (apparently when I said her name ten times it didn't count) which completely baffled me. So, after lots of thinking and inspiration, in no particular order:

OK so it's not 10 yet but I'm working on it...

11'000 Hits

2007-11-21T22:49:00.000Z

So this blog has reached 11'000 hits, thank you to everyone who visits!

Long Day

2007-11-14T18:16:00.000Z

Ended up doing a run to Poole in Dorset and back yesterday for work. Turned out to be a long day, as I went into work first, finally left for Poole about midday, arrived about 2:30pm left about 3pm stopped at Pizza Hut in Bournemouth left again about 3:30pm finally arriving home about 6pm.

style.org > Estimating the Airspeed Velocity of an Unladen Swallow

2007-11-08T14:09:00.000Z

style.org > Estimating the Airspeed Velocity of an Unladen Swallow

2007-11-08T10:13:00.001Z

Student Loans Company

2007-10-26T15:48:00.000+01:00

While I was a student at Staffordshire University in 1998/99 I took a Student Loan out with the Student Loans Company Limited (SLC), which is a Government run operation.

I borrowed £1'200 (so aprox. £2'000 repayable) for my second year of studies, which became repayable when I started work and my income hit a certain threashold.

In time I graduated and got a job with a company called Stebon Limited and my income passed this threshold so I started to repay my loan, direct from my salary at some nominal amount.

In August 2003 I was made redundant when Stebon Limited closed down and I started work at Total Motion Systems Limited, and continued to pay through my Salary.

Then one day I was sorting through the disaster that is my financial paperwork and found my old P60s (end of year tax statement) and some SLC statements, which intrigued me when I noticed that my 2001/2 P60 showed a repayment of £470 and my 2001/2 statement showed £0.

As a result I checked my other P60s and Statements and they appeared to be correct, so in late 2004 I started a dialog with the SLC about the missing years payment. This turned out to be a long process as to start with they were unable to find my tax file for that tax year and secondly were unable to accept a handwritten P60 a proof of payment, but would be able to accept payslips.

As I have mentioned earlier my financial filing resembles a black-hole so I lost interest unit one day I found 48 out of 52 of my 2001/2 payslips. So in January 2006 I send SLC another letter with these payslips and the SLC decide that yes I have paid the loan off and now paid too much and they would refund the overpayment. In due course two cheques arrived for £664.16 and £470.00 respectively.

I then proceeded to forget all about the SLC, until last night when I had a message on the answering machine, which after several attempts I worked out was from them.

So this morning I phone them back and was ready for a fight when the agent told me that my account had an overpayment and was due for a refund of £100! Amazed... I really was!

So for a £1'250 loan I ended up paying SLC £3'228 and being refunded £1'234.16 over a period of 8 years.

More items on eBay

2007-10-12T10:59:00.000+01:00

The Prodigy - Poison CD Single

The Prodigy - Breathe CD Single

Lisa Stansfield - People Hold On - CD Single

Theme From MISSION:IMPOSSIBLE CD Single

England's Irie - CD Single

Robert Miles - Fable - CD Single

Robert Miles - One & One - CD1 - CD Single

Robert Miles - One & One - CD2 - CD Single

~~Cisco Certified Design Associate (CCDA) Study Guide~~ or buy new from amazon.co.uk

Tom Clancy's Netforce

More items on eBay

2007-10-03T12:13:00.000+01:00

Rock Faces - Oliver Craske

~~Odd Thomas - Dean Koontz~~

~~Frasier Series 1 DVD Region 2~~

~~Tim Collins - Rules of Engagement~~

~~Frasier Series 2 DVD Region 2~~

~~Cisco: A Beginner's Guide~~

The Infiltrators - Philip Etienne and Martin Maynard

AQA (Any Question Answered): Ask a question free from AQA's website

2007-10-02T23:42:00.000+01:00

AQA (Any Question Answered): Ask a question free from AQA's website

Fantastic idea, where else can you get the song title (Because of You) artist (Dexy's Midnight Runners) and chart information (#13 in 1986) for the theme tune for Brush Strokes at 11pm while you're having a beer at the pub?

Items on Ebay

2007-10-01T10:14:00.000+01:00

~~National Geographic Magazine - July 2005~~

~~National Geographic Magazine - August 2005~~

~~National Geographic Magazine - January 2005~~

~~National Geographic Magazine - March 2005~~

Hal's Legacy - 2001's Computer As Dream And Reality

~~Java How To Program - Third Edition - Deitel & Deitel~~

~~Core PHP Programming - Leo Atkinson~~

Ireland

2007-09-18T18:38:00.000+01:00

Flew into Galway this morning from Birmingham. Done a quick bit of Trio training with our Irish Sales Engineer. Then off for some dinner.

Staying at a very nice B&B called Hillside House (Kylesalia, Kilkieran, Connemara, Co. Galway Tel: 095 33420 Fax: 095 33624 email: hillsidehouse@oceanfree.net) run by Bardara Madden

More Paul Anka - Rock Swings

2007-09-11T16:19:00.000+01:00

While looking for Rock Swings over the past couple of days I've encountered the following goodies:

It's My Life: Live At The Orange Lounge (Short Version)
and
Jump: Live At The Orange Lounge

Smells Like Teen Spirit

And there was also a Live DVD released from the Montreal Jazz Festival

More Rock Swings

2007-09-11T15:56:00.001+01:00

So in my great quest for Paul Anka's Rock Swings I found that Paul Young (still trying to work out who he is exactly, one of these famous for not doing anything in particular type people I think. It could be his 1983 cover of Wherever I Lay My Hat (That's My Home) by Marvin Gaye which stayed at no. 1 for 3 weeks) released an album (in the German market only) called Rock Swings - On the wild side of swing, which features classics such as Tainted Love, Enter Sandman and Lose Yourself. Fantastic Stuff!

Paul Anka - Rock Swings

2007-09-09T09:59:00.000+01:00

Not quite sure where this started, but a few weeks ago we had a new Jukebox at the Uxbridge, on which Gav played a version of "It's My Life" in a jazz style. He later mentions that it's a cover by no less than Paul Anka (as in who wrote the lyrics to "My Way"). So upon a little investigation on Napster and Wikipedia I discover that he releasaed an album called "Rock Swings" in 2005 which got to #9 in the UK Album Chart. Featuring other such classics as "Wonderwall" by Oasis, "Jump" by Van Halen and "Smells Like Teen Spirit" by Nirvana.

Reviews from allmusic.com, Rolling Stone and the BBC

Search Terms

2007-08-08T23:28:00.000+01:00

Search Terms used to find Andrew Watson's Blog:

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Holiday in Cornwall

2007-08-06T16:00:00.000+01:00

Just had a weeks holiday in Cornwall. Stayed at Lakeview Country Club in Lanivet which is about 4 miles along the A30 from Bodmin.

While we were there we visited Padstow, Plymouth (via the car ferry from Torpoint), Charlestown, Boscastle, St. Michaels Mount, Penzance, Tintagel and Fowey.

On the way home the A30 was pretty slow around Bodmin, so we detoured via Camelford up to the A39, past Bude, Bideford and Barnstaple then onto the A361 to join the M5 at Tiverton (Junction 27). We then came off the M5 at Bridgwater (Junction 24) and followed the A38 until it met with the A368 at Churchill then cut across to join the A4 at Keynsham, where we stopped at a pub for a drink. We then followed the A4174 to the A420 which we followed until the A46. We then travelled along the A46 past Chipping Sodbury, through Stroud, to join the M5 again at Gloucester (Junction 11a) we then traveled along the M5 to the M6 interchange then to Shareshill (Junction 11) then joining the M6 Toll off the A460 (T8). The journey was about 30 miles further than the direct route but took 2 hours longer (which we would probably have spent in the jams anyway).

Photos and GPS plots to follow.

Items on eBay

2007-07-13T10:34:00.000+01:00