To all my readers & subscribers.
(* Or Mid-winter solistice, or whatever celebration you choose)
Thursday, 25 December 2008
Wednesday, 24 December 2008
Christmas Decorations . . . for your car?
Remember the 'World Cup' England flags, that adorned cars?
I suppose I should be more surprised that it's taken so long for an alternative idea for the 'concept' to arrive!
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I suppose I should be more surprised that it's taken so long for an alternative idea for the 'concept' to arrive!
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A Christmas Card 'Update'
A note added to a card received from a friend:
"Got a ticket for speeding - in my 1925 Austin!"
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Sunday, 21 December 2008
Believe Your Eyes?
Do you believe your eyes?
This optical illusion shows how our eyes and brain don't always show us what's right in front of us.
Stare at one dot, but be aware of the others . . . and as you 'watch' see them fade.
[originally posted on the Google home page]
So how do you overcome this problem of your brain apparently getting 'bored' while riding and driving?
Keep your eyes moving, keep searching for information.
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This optical illusion shows how our eyes and brain don't always show us what's right in front of us.
Stare at one dot, but be aware of the others . . . and as you 'watch' see them fade.
[originally posted on the Google home page]
So how do you overcome this problem of your brain apparently getting 'bored' while riding and driving?
Keep your eyes moving, keep searching for information.
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Friday, 19 December 2008
Fluoro posts? They're like buses . . . There'll be another along in a minute!
The problem I was thinking about was that if wearing/using 'day-glo' is a requirement then there has to be a legal definition of what it is.
Doesn't there?
Probably. :)
But like buying anything from new, you're on your own as far as wear and tear goes.
There is a specification for hi-viz clothing - BS EN 471 if I remember it correctly. And that tells you what the background fabric has to be, and what size and position the reflective stripes have to be.
Hwever, when it wears out, the stripes peel, and the colour fades through age or washing, it's up to the individual user to get another. [As far as I know. I don't intend in the near future to pull up at some roadworks and ask :) ]
Interestingly (well, for me . . . ] there are various 'ways' of designing retro-reflective patterns for hi-viz clothing, although EN 471 only defines one: 'hoops and shoulder stripes'.
There's also what are known in the hi-viz trade as 'stickman' (a 'skeleton' effect) and bio-motion (where the reflective areas are positioned to identify 'human' motion.
All have their benefits and drawbacks.
"Ha!" I hear you cry "Why not cobvine them all and have the 'perfect' suit?" Lovely idea - for night-time use - but you'd have replaced all the 'dayglo' so it would be less effective in daytime.
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Doesn't there?
Probably. :)
But like buying anything from new, you're on your own as far as wear and tear goes.
There is a specification for hi-viz clothing - BS EN 471 if I remember it correctly. And that tells you what the background fabric has to be, and what size and position the reflective stripes have to be.
Hwever, when it wears out, the stripes peel, and the colour fades through age or washing, it's up to the individual user to get another. [As far as I know. I don't intend in the near future to pull up at some roadworks and ask :) ]
Interestingly (well, for me . . . ] there are various 'ways' of designing retro-reflective patterns for hi-viz clothing, although EN 471 only defines one: 'hoops and shoulder stripes'.
There's also what are known in the hi-viz trade as 'stickman' (a 'skeleton' effect) and bio-motion (where the reflective areas are positioned to identify 'human' motion.
All have their benefits and drawbacks.
"Ha!" I hear you cry "Why not cobvine them all and have the 'perfect' suit?" Lovely idea - for night-time use - but you'd have replaced all the 'dayglo' so it would be less effective in daytime.
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Anyone have a Zil limousine?
I really don't know what to make of this . . .
Part of the planning for the 2012 London Olympics is the possible (likely?) creation of VIP only lanes on motorways and trunk roads across the the UK.
Have some links, save me copying the text, and video too:
ITN (you can even buy the video if you want!)
Mail 250 miles, they say . . .
More than 250 miles of road are to be reserved for VIPs during the London Olympics.
Up to 80,000 officials, sponsors, politicians and athletes will have congestion0free lanes in London and at other venues.
Ordinary motorists face fines if they stray on to the reserved routes, which include sections of the M25. Challenging the fines could lead to a penalty of up to £5,000.
More than 250 miles of road are to be reserved for VIPs during the London Olympics - with ordinary motorists facing fines if they stray on to the designated routes
More than 200 traffic lights will be adapted to keep Olympic officials on the move in 2012.
Critics said the plans - outlined in a Department for Transport consultation paper yesterday - owed much to Soviet-style 'Zil lanes'.
In Communist times, these were used by high-ranking party and state officials to get around Moscow in their Zil limousines.
For the 2012 Games it is thought that key roads leading to the main stadium in Stratford, East London, will come under the Olympic Route Network, as are routes to and from Heathrow, under plans outlined by transport minister Jim Fitzpatrick.
The network will cover the Olympic sailing venue at Weymouth in Dorset and rowing events at Eton Dorney in Berkshire.
Hugh Sumner, Olympics transport director, said no public routes would be shut.
Thirty miles of the network might be assigned as 'Games lanes' - reserved lanes on dual carriageways and motorways. Mr Fitzpatrick-said: 'The network will be vital for transporting the Games Family and keeping our country moving during the Games.'
But AA president Edmund King said: 'The network will cause congestion for buses, taxis and other road users.
Hampshire
PS For those who don't know (ie aren't old enough), Chaika lanes (called after the predecessor to the Zil limousines) ran down the centre of all major Russian highways and main streets in major cities. In theory they were designed for emergency vehicles, in practice they were a perk for ministers and other high-ups in the Communist system.
In Putin’s Russia use of the Chaika lane is open to all. All, that is, who can afford the $25,000 a year rental. But, for their $25K not only do users get to use the lanes they also get a permission to have a siren and flashing blue light fitted to their own car and an escort.
Source
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Day-glo posting, the trailer? (well, it's following the tail lights . . . )
Ian's asked What's the definition of 'day-glo'? When does it fade below being of any use?
I have no idea, although I'm sure someone with a lab. full of kit could tell him.
But it is a thing that we - or us oldies at least - have some experience of, from the days when washing powder manufacturers started putting fluorescing chemicals in to their products. Anyone remember "Daz washes whiter than white"?
That 'extra white' was fluorescent 'white' - you may have seen the effect under UV lighting in shops and entertainment establishments (I don't frequent 'discos').
Unfortunately, the 'glow' effect was short-lived, and the chemicals didn't always wash out at the next wash cycle, so gradually built up leaving a grey residue.
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I have no idea, although I'm sure someone with a lab. full of kit could tell him.
But it is a thing that we - or us oldies at least - have some experience of, from the days when washing powder manufacturers started putting fluorescing chemicals in to their products. Anyone remember "Daz washes whiter than white"?
That 'extra white' was fluorescent 'white' - you may have seen the effect under UV lighting in shops and entertainment establishments (I don't frequent 'discos').
Unfortunately, the 'glow' effect was short-lived, and the chemicals didn't always wash out at the next wash cycle, so gradually built up leaving a grey residue.
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Tail lights?
Well, this is a follow-on to the 'glowing' day-glo post . . .
Ian commented about fading.
Which leads to a good point that day-glo clothing has its own problems regarding 'maintenance'.
Fading, as Ian says, is an issue. Fluorescent dyes - like all dyes - fade in bright sunlight, and if used often the clothing will lose its fluorescent effect. Indeed, Aerostich have recently recalled and replaced a number of their Roadcrafter suits which suffered from premature fading of their fluoro yellow fabric.
The average 'roadworker' dayglo vest will often have washing instructions (whether they're used or not is another matter) which warn that the item must not be washed more than about a dozen times. I wonder if 'rain' counts as 'washing'?
Which leads to another point: some retroreflective materials - such as some of the 'silver' stripes you'll see on hi-viz clothing - doesn't work effetively when wet! Exactly the occasion when you might benefit from it!
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Ian commented about fading.
Which leads to a good point that day-glo clothing has its own problems regarding 'maintenance'.
Fading, as Ian says, is an issue. Fluorescent dyes - like all dyes - fade in bright sunlight, and if used often the clothing will lose its fluorescent effect. Indeed, Aerostich have recently recalled and replaced a number of their Roadcrafter suits which suffered from premature fading of their fluoro yellow fabric.
The average 'roadworker' dayglo vest will often have washing instructions (whether they're used or not is another matter) which warn that the item must not be washed more than about a dozen times. I wonder if 'rain' counts as 'washing'?
Which leads to another point: some retroreflective materials - such as some of the 'silver' stripes you'll see on hi-viz clothing - doesn't work effetively when wet! Exactly the occasion when you might benefit from it!
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Thursday, 18 December 2008
Fluorescent - but when?
In the middle of a discussion on The Rev Counter forum, I mentioned that fluorescent colours (as seen on 'hi-viz' conspicuity 'treatments' for people and vehicles) seemed to work better in low-light conditions. That's not 'dark', but dusk/sunset levels, etc.
So in an idle moment, I wondered whether I'd made that up, or actually seen it somewhere. With hindsight, I was thinking of occasions where I'd seen 'dayglo' being particularly effective - and often they were in (relatively) low light conditions, ie not on clear, sunny, summer days (no, I won't explain what they are, ask your mum).
Now, I do know that fluorescent colours are one of the few occasions where there is a 'free lunch', as they not only work as 'normal' colours would, reflecting visible light (and scattering it - otherwise they'd be mirrors), but they also take in ultraviolet light and re-emit is as visible light.
A quick look at the light spectrum shows us that UV is some way 'past' blue on the visible light spectrum.
Note: UV is well away from the 'red/orange' end of the visible spectrum.
So perhaps a good start for my theory is to examine daylight, and try to find out whether there's a higher percentage of UV in the light coming to us through the day.
Worth pointing out here that it's UV that causes sunburn - and I guess you're all well aware of how the risk of sunburn varies through the day, so that give a hint of how the UV varies . . .
Since the light coming from the Sun – whether visible or UV – is in a constant ratio, it’s a fair guess that mid-day’s the time of day when fluorescent colours will really ‘glow’.
But is it the ‘best’ time for them to show to an advantage over ‘plain’ colours? In the heat of the mid-day Sun, the light is more ‘overhead’, and particularly bright sunshine will cast strong shadows. If there’s any reflected sunlight heading in your direction you may find it difficult to see anything, fluoro or not!
However, you may not be out in mid-day sunshine, it may be mid-day overcast or that thin, high cloud you often get in the summer (do you remember ‘summer’?). And in the same way that cloud will ‘scatter’ visible light, it will also scatter the UV. The effect of the visible light being scattered is to give a ‘flatter’ effect without strong light and shade. But UV isn’t scattered so much as visible light - so this could be a time when fluoro colours start to come in to their own.
But what if you move to either end of the day, sunrise and sunset?
You’re probably aware of the old rhyme:
“Red sky in morning, shepherds take warning,
Red sky at night, old haybarn alight”
Well, that reddening of the sky isn’t just to keep the farmers busy, it exists because of the way the Earth’s atmosphere scatters light – in particular the ‘blue’ end of the spectrum. Yup, guess where the UV is? (There’s a hint in the ‘violet’ bit) If you happen to be lucky enough to find a clear sky one day, look up and you’ll find that the sky is ‘bluest’ at 90 degrees to the Sun.
Unfortunately, the atmosphere scatters more UV than it does visible light, so it looks like my ‘dusk’ theory is really going down in [fluorescent] flames . . .
But hang on! If there’s less visible light, the fluorescent dye could still be benefitting from what UV there still is, and as our eyes adapt to the lower light levels, then the fluoro could be more apparent.
Just to add some confusion, the light we get varies in colour and content too! See this diagram for some comparisons:
While browsing I happened upon this quote:
“As we say: "to see" means "to understand", and to understand means to see clearly, not colorfully.”
In other words, it won’t matter what colour you are if the potential observer doesn’t look. Well, that’s my interpretation anyway!
Resources used:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ultra-violet
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fluorescence
http://www.handprint.com/HP/WCL/color1.html
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So in an idle moment, I wondered whether I'd made that up, or actually seen it somewhere. With hindsight, I was thinking of occasions where I'd seen 'dayglo' being particularly effective - and often they were in (relatively) low light conditions, ie not on clear, sunny, summer days (no, I won't explain what they are, ask your mum).
Now, I do know that fluorescent colours are one of the few occasions where there is a 'free lunch', as they not only work as 'normal' colours would, reflecting visible light (and scattering it - otherwise they'd be mirrors), but they also take in ultraviolet light and re-emit is as visible light.
A quick look at the light spectrum shows us that UV is some way 'past' blue on the visible light spectrum.
Note: UV is well away from the 'red/orange' end of the visible spectrum.
So perhaps a good start for my theory is to examine daylight, and try to find out whether there's a higher percentage of UV in the light coming to us through the day.
Worth pointing out here that it's UV that causes sunburn - and I guess you're all well aware of how the risk of sunburn varies through the day, so that give a hint of how the UV varies . . .
Since the light coming from the Sun – whether visible or UV – is in a constant ratio, it’s a fair guess that mid-day’s the time of day when fluorescent colours will really ‘glow’.
But is it the ‘best’ time for them to show to an advantage over ‘plain’ colours? In the heat of the mid-day Sun, the light is more ‘overhead’, and particularly bright sunshine will cast strong shadows. If there’s any reflected sunlight heading in your direction you may find it difficult to see anything, fluoro or not!
However, you may not be out in mid-day sunshine, it may be mid-day overcast or that thin, high cloud you often get in the summer (do you remember ‘summer’?). And in the same way that cloud will ‘scatter’ visible light, it will also scatter the UV. The effect of the visible light being scattered is to give a ‘flatter’ effect without strong light and shade. But UV isn’t scattered so much as visible light - so this could be a time when fluoro colours start to come in to their own.
But what if you move to either end of the day, sunrise and sunset?
You’re probably aware of the old rhyme:
“Red sky in morning, shepherds take warning,
Red sky at night, old haybarn alight”
Well, that reddening of the sky isn’t just to keep the farmers busy, it exists because of the way the Earth’s atmosphere scatters light – in particular the ‘blue’ end of the spectrum. Yup, guess where the UV is? (There’s a hint in the ‘violet’ bit) If you happen to be lucky enough to find a clear sky one day, look up and you’ll find that the sky is ‘bluest’ at 90 degrees to the Sun.
Unfortunately, the atmosphere scatters more UV than it does visible light, so it looks like my ‘dusk’ theory is really going down in [fluorescent] flames . . .
But hang on! If there’s less visible light, the fluorescent dye could still be benefitting from what UV there still is, and as our eyes adapt to the lower light levels, then the fluoro could be more apparent.
Just to add some confusion, the light we get varies in colour and content too! See this diagram for some comparisons:
While browsing I happened upon this quote:
“As we say: "to see" means "to understand", and to understand means to see clearly, not colorfully.”
In other words, it won’t matter what colour you are if the potential observer doesn’t look. Well, that’s my interpretation anyway!
Resources used:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ultra-violet
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fluorescence
http://www.handprint.com/HP/WCL/color1.html
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Wednesday, 10 December 2008
Mobile Phonication
Saw this a few days ago, thought it got the message across about 'doing two things'. Doubt, though, whether phone-using drivers will take any notice . . .
From the DfT 'Think' web site:
Research demonstrates that reaction times for drivers using a handheld phone are 30 per cent worse than for driving under the influence of alcohol at the legal limit.
Research shows that using a mobile phone while driving means you are four times more likely to crash.
It is illegal to use a hand-held mobile phone or similar device while driving. The penalty is £60 and 3 penalty points. If the case goes to court, it's a maximum fine of £1,000 (£2,500 if driving a bus, coach or heavy goods vehicle), discretionary disqualification and 3 points.
Your insurance costs could also go up.
If you reach 6 points within 2 years of passing your test, your licence will be revoked and you will need to re-sit your test to get your licence back.
You can also be prosecuted for using a handsfree phone or similar device if you are distracted and not in proper control of the vehicle. The same penalties apply. Employers could also be prosecuted if employees are distracted because they require them to use their mobile phones while driving.
Callers also play an important role. If you ring someone on their mobile phone who turns out to be driving when they answer, say you'll call them later and hang up.
The 'four times more likely to crash' statistic sounds a bit odd - how would anyone know? It comes from, I believe, a Canadian study, where they compared the inurance claim details and mobile phone records for a large company fleet.
Perhaps more interesting, is the additional information which came from that study, that the increased crash risk didn't stop immediately the call ended - it tailed off over 20 minutes!
It's not just the physical 'control' issues - it's the fact that we're just not as good as we like to think we are.
Interestingly, 3M have just banned their employees from even using hands-free phones in their cars while driving. Link
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Tuesday, 9 December 2008
Yo! Respect!
Ever stood beside a really busy motorway, on the hard shoulder or grass verge?
It's a very noisy, scary, place to be.
And for some people, it's their every-day working environment. And a dnagerous environment too . . .
Quite a range of workers find themselves in danger - it's quite a long list, including police, fire and ambulance (and 'BASICS' doctors), breakdown & recovery crews (such as AA, RAC, Green Flag etc. for smaller vehicles, and the 'heavy lift' teams for commercial vehicles, then there's the Highways Agency's Traffic Officers, supported by the Incident Support Units, and also the teams working on maintenance and urgent repairs.
And it's this last group, the maintenance crews, who are the subject of the Highways Agnecy's new 'Respect' campaign. You'll see one of the posters here, but the videos are worth a watch too.
HA campaign details
Video Mpeg High Quality
There are other formats & quality levels available: Video alternatives
There's also a longer video, radio ads. and posters.
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Friday, 5 December 2008
Happy Birthday!
To the M6 (aka 'The Preston Bypass') - the UK's first Motorway, opened 50 years ago today!
More info :)
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Tuesday, 2 December 2008
"Water Water" Part 2
A few posts back I mentioned that Ch 5's 'Gadget Show' would be testing PMR radios.
Well . . . I missed the prog. and can't find the results as a 'best buy' on their site, but you can find out the answer to "Is digital better?" here.
According to this site:
The Gadget Show, broadcast on the UK TV station Channel 5, recently compared two PMR446 walkie talkies, the ICOM Digital F4029SDR and the Motorola FM TLKR-T7.
The Gadget Show Wild Challenge took to the Lake District to pit old technology FM analog voice, in the form of the Motorola, against the new ICOM using the Digital PMR446 standard. As might be expected the Digital ICOM proved superior to the FM Motorola.
This particular digital technology uses 4FSK/FDMA modulation and supports both voice and data. It operates with 6.25 kHz channel spacing instead of the 12.5 kHz channels required for FM enabling twice as many channels to be carried in the same spectrum.
Icom IC-F4029SDR Transceiver for Digital PMR 446
http://www.southgatearc.org/news/march2008/digital_pmr_446.htm
PMR Digital Voice - NXDN™
http://www.southgatearc.org/news/october2008/pmr_digital_voice.htm
OFCOM Digital PMR446 Interface Requirement IR2009
http://www.ofcom.org.uk/radiocomms/ifi/tech/interface_req/IR2009.pdf
ETSI PMR
http://www.etsi.org/WebSite/Technologies/PrivateMobileRadio.aspx
CMX7141 Digital PMR Processor
http://www.spectre-online.co.uk/products/wireless/pmr/chip/cmx7141_digital_pmr_processor
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Well . . . I missed the prog. and can't find the results as a 'best buy' on their site, but you can find out the answer to "Is digital better?" here.
According to this site:
The Gadget Show, broadcast on the UK TV station Channel 5, recently compared two PMR446 walkie talkies, the ICOM Digital F4029SDR and the Motorola FM TLKR-T7.
The Gadget Show Wild Challenge took to the Lake District to pit old technology FM analog voice, in the form of the Motorola, against the new ICOM using the Digital PMR446 standard. As might be expected the Digital ICOM proved superior to the FM Motorola.
This particular digital technology uses 4FSK/FDMA modulation and supports both voice and data. It operates with 6.25 kHz channel spacing instead of the 12.5 kHz channels required for FM enabling twice as many channels to be carried in the same spectrum.
Icom IC-F4029SDR Transceiver for Digital PMR 446
http://www.southgatearc.org/news/march2008/digital_pmr_446.htm
PMR Digital Voice - NXDN™
http://www.southgatearc.org/news/october2008/pmr_digital_voice.htm
OFCOM Digital PMR446 Interface Requirement IR2009
http://www.ofcom.org.uk/radiocomms/ifi/tech/interface_req/IR2009.pdf
ETSI PMR
http://www.etsi.org/WebSite/Technologies/PrivateMobileRadio.aspx
CMX7141 Digital PMR Processor
http://www.spectre-online.co.uk/products/wireless/pmr/chip/cmx7141_digital_pmr_processor
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The Good, The Bad, and . . . well . . .
I've given the DSA some stick over the last few months over the MPTC (Multi Purpose Test Centres) and the new motorcycle test.
But fair do's, they done something good about it!
A new DVD, supplied to ATBs (that's organisations authorised to conduct training), and an information pack, about the new test.
It's not a 'training' DVD as such, more an overview to put your mind at rest, but it's worth a watch.
This site - Bedworth Rider Training - suggests you can watch the video via their site. But I can't.
A quick look on Youtube found this.
Now the 'bad'. I'm on the DSA's e-mail alert list. So you'd have thought they'd have proudly announced this great new DVD . . . No.
OK, perhaps they'll have e-mailed details of their latest consultation on motorcycle test fee rises, and making the two-part test 'modular' (ie splitting it in to two parts taken separtely, rather than the on-road immediately after the off-road). But no . .
Oh well . . .
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