ianj

Me too. I went down the Devolo (z-wave) route and as well as having the boiler and rads controlled I have also controlled a vent fan in my workshop via a Devolo SmartPlug...........but I agree with Andy you can extend these system to cover all manner of alarms, lighting etc etc and there's no reason this can't be into the garage and onto the bikes. Downside you need to be a bit geeky if you want get the most out of them, i.e. to get functionality thats not out of the box you need to write 'rules'. Ian. (yes I'm still around!)

Love the Ferodo van in the background. Ian.

Hi all, So sad to hear about this.............don't the FIM monitor the organization of their events? Beggars belief.......and yes, very sad to see our sport messed up. Ian.

Gotta agree. Ian.

Hi all, The BBC have updated the article heading........now says........"West Yorkshire Police chase off-road biker" My work here is done. Ian.

Hi all, http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-leeds-24273552 Funny looking trials bike..........Oooooh it doesn't half p&ss me off when the media get it wrong. Email sent. Ian.

http://www.trialscentral.com/user_photos/andy/2012/2012_FIM_World_Trial_Championship/Round_2_Australia/Day_1/ Who took these photos?......very impressed. Love the attention to DOF. Ian.

Wouldnae last 5 minutes in Scotland......that bling would be turned into jewellery and on sale doon the Barras before you could say Och Aye The Noo! How do Billy? Ian.

Hi all, I'm sure the FIM make hoops of all shapes and sizes for any prospective WTC event organizer to jump through.....a combination of Euro rubbish and a seemingly unwillingness to adapt to lean times, so therein lies the first problem. Second, and despite the great venue I always thought that Fort William was just that bit too far up the beaten track to attract big numbers in terms of spectators. However, you have to give 10 out of 10 to L&M for taking on the challenge....that's business! Just a few years ago there were huge numbers at Hawkstone........one wonders if we'll ever see the like again, even there! Who do I blame?..............the bloomin' politicians that's who, it all comes back to them and how they are knackering Britain & the rest of Europe. Ian.

I fully enjoyed the trial, the sections were great even better than last year. The weather held off for the most part and to my mind the late in the day drizzle only helped to add a bit of spice into the action. Yes there were the odd complaints floating around, but the trial itself on Sunday more than made up for anything that may have existed. L&M put on a great trial it has to be said, the severity was spot on and I actually thought the 1 or 2 long sections that were iffy at 90secs were a good mix to the norm also. Bou had his work cut out for himself and not surprising he never won, even walking the sections on the sunny/dry Saturday I felt a lot of the rocks etc were slippy. For that, what it was like to ride 2nd lap Sunday heck only knows! And I suppose it's a tale of what-ifs.......what if Doug had been fit he'd likely have made the podium again. Good point made by somebody about turning the weekend into a holiday and seeing Scotland as an excuse to make the long trip north, even Italy's foremost trials photog Mario Candellone who spent a good few days in Scotland, was telling me things about the Battle of Bannochburn that I never knew.....and I'm Scottish! The Saturday fun element of the event clearly displayed in the pic below, Steve Saunders getting "guided" through section 14 by Steve Colley...... Ian.

Ref. Andy's pic.........this is the kind of photo I like as it's thoroughly unusual. Well done! Ian.

Hi, I've used Go-Pro & Contour helmet cams for karting (not to mention in model planes, but thats another story!). Probably prefer the Contour range.......and can be had for £150 on Ebay. As with any camera the quality of the output is all about the lens. You'll be disappointed if you go ultra cheap. Ian.

Awesome video. Back in Tarres's day we all thought he was god on a bike......but Bou and co take it to a new level that we previously thought unheard of.............so begs the question, what will they be doing in another 10 years?................the same but on the front wheel! My opinion, look the to pushbike trials guys for the future. Ian.

...............and a celebration of a fantastic life's achievement. Well done Eric, looking forward to seeing the book. Ian. Addingham Moorside 2003, Eric takes 5 minutes out the sun:- The Mackenzie Trial 2004:-

I remember in the early days of camcorders and the WTC I often saw the whole weekend in B&W...........:-)

Can't wait to see that! One thing I notice when taking pics is that you concentrate so hard sometimes juggling settings on cameras, lenses, getting into position, nudging others that block your position etc etc etc.........................that you actually miss the action! Ian.

Hi all, To me the perfect set of sections these days are ones that include the traditional as well as the visual spectacle.......that way the old, new & Tv audiences are catered for. At Fort William L&M got this spot on. Section 15 will be great for Tv me thinks.............Fuji needs an altimeter!!!

I lost the girlfriend all right.......but found a wife! Have done her a deal though.......she gets to go see Michael Buble at Sheffield Arena all expenses paid (my wallet), and I get to go to Fort William with ma pals. Copemech remembers well............it has to be said that back in the day I was guilty of swapping girlfriends for a webzine. Ian.

Hi all, It's been a bloomin long time, 10 years almost..........but I'm back!..........I've dusted off the DSLR and will once again be taking snaps in the role of an official PhotoG at Fort William 2010. Have I missed it?............you bet your life I have! I doubt much has changed though......so am really looking forward to seeing the works Fantics, Beamish's and of course JT on his Zero. Ian.

I noticed the new SSDT site is created using Joomla........gotta love Joomla, my favourite free CMS. There's a plethora of modules, plugins & components available to really build up a great site. Good luck!......and see you in May. Ian.

I'm a lurker these days............but you'll also find me here - http://www.ianjohnston.com Ian.

Gotta admit, my BMW 330D is absolutely CRAP in the snow/ice. Even at tickover and letting the clutch out slowly it will just spin.........so I never stand a chance. These past few days I have been using the wife's "putt putt" (Vauxhaul Corsa) to get to work........job done! Ian.

Hi all, If Jens hadn't won the championship a lot of folks would have called him a rubbish driver given the great car he had. If his wins had come at the end of the year rather than the beginning he'd have been hailed a hero more than he is right now. Jens has been around for years in F1 but never got anywhere......some folks say he's not really championship material, others say it's because he's never had the car. Some say if Hamilton had had mediocre cars for his first couple of years he'd be nowhere. Some say ANY driver in a McLaren or Brawn the passed couple of years would be on top. My point here is that there is arguments for every side, however, at the end of the day Jens won the 2009 championship and whilst there were other more experienced drivers, Rubens in the exact same car, other cars that were better towards the end, luck!.............. At the end of the day Jens won the 2009 championship. It wasn't a 1 race championship, it was 17 rounds over which the highest average lifts the crown. Well done to Jenson...........FANTASTIC! PS. Rumours around that if Jens can't broker a deal with Brawn for 2010 he might be heading to McLaren alongside Hamilton. Wow! Ian.

"Farmer Wu Zhongyuan, 22, sits in his self-made helicopter in Jiuxian county, Henan province, China on August 1, 2009. The local government later halted Wu's plan to fly the helicopter out of safety concerns. The aircraft, powered by a 150cc engine, took Wu two months to build and cost more than 10,000 yuan ($1,460), China Daily reported. (REUTERS/China Daily)" A bit lacking on the bling front possibly!

Hi all, I've always been a bit of a techno-geek........I've designed systems for Oil & Gas, designed software, electronic circuits, and I've had all the electronic toys & gizmo's for the house, car etc. I've got the latest phone, PC (& O.S.), was on the Internet 1995........yadayadayada. However, sometimes........and it seems to be happening more often as I get older, sometimes I "just don't wanna know"!!! Example, I recently bought a bluetooth receiver for my living room AV setup so that I could stream music/radio stations etc from my Iphone directly to my Hifi setup. It works but can be a pain........in the end I ripped it out because I just couldn't be bothered with the hassle of the setup and remembering how to configure it whenever it un-configures itself ("binding" to those who know). I'm of the opinion that all this fickering about has had it's day long enough.............all these technologies should now be well matured. I couldn't care less anymore "how" it does something.......I just think it "should just do it". Bill Gates never learned this lesson IMHO. Ian. [Yes, I surface every few months/years then sink back into the night]