Preparedness for when

[Deleted User]

siegemode wrote: »

I think now we are heading into the Autumn and cooler weather I'm thinking power cuts

I wouldn't be at all surprised if we get power outages, over winter, and not just because of weather/cable and line failures, but also from industrial action and/or insufficient capacity to meet demand.

I understand our cousins across the pond get "Brownouts" because of the latter.

GreyQueen

Bedsit_Bob wrote: »

At my school, school dinners weren't a meal, they were a punishment.

Yeah, it was excellent training for some really duff culinary experiences in adult life. Every detail of those meal times it etched in memory; the grey uncooked pastry was particularly note-worthy. _pale_

Got cream-crackered allotmenteering but managed to add another pkt of t.p. and another tube of puree into the preps. Have also scored majorly on YS bargains this aft so am a happy bunny.

I'm thinking powercuts are probable, too. Have stashed the parents' with two boxes of candles and got my leg pulled royally. S'OK; they can think me a nut-job now, but they may have cause to thank me later. I can live with the teasing. Just wish they'd run a stock-cupboard and stash some water....

Hard_Up_Hester

I loved school dinners, mind you they were usually my only meal of the day & hunger is a great seasoning, lol.

[Deleted User]

I'm tempted to get a laptop (doesn't need to be top of the range), a car adapter, and a jump starter pack, so I can stay online, during a power cut.

[Deleted User]

Managed a NSD today, but only because (a) I didn't leave the house, and (b) I'm pretty much boracic.

siegemode

Bedsit_Bob wrote: »

I'm tempted to get a laptop (doesn't need to be top of the range), a car adapter, and a jump starter pack, so I can stay online, during a power cut.

I got this one back in June and it's brilliant for working, surfing and has a good set of speakers and a great screen. Can't fault it and it's small and compact. Great battery life too. hth

http://www.johnlewis.com/hp-pavilion-dm1-4401-netbook-amd-e2-1-7ghz-4gb-ram-750gb-11-6-black/p231820457

[Deleted User]

What sort of battery life are we talking about?

I ask because, if I'm going to be running it off a jumper pack, the lower the power consumption, the longer the jumper pack will last.

siegemode

Up to 9 hours

siegemode

Originally I got an Acer but it didn't seem very solid and the fan made a strange noise within days so I took it back and swapped it for the HP which was originally 350 but they price matched argos (which was a lower spec but same model no.) Then gave me 20 % off as I had the display model. Still got a 2 yr warranty though. JL have only just got them back in since end may. It has Beats speakers and has hdmi . hth

[Deleted User]

It did cross my mind, to use a leisure battery to run a laptop, instead of a jumper pack, as leisure batteries have large (in some cases massive) capacities.

Two things put me off.

1. The price. :eek:

2. You can't easily pop a leisure battery into the foot well, and charge it from the lighter socket, on the way to and from work.

Given a laptop draws around 1.5 to 2 amps, I reckon the 17Ah battery, fitted to most reasonably priced jumper packs, will keep me online, for the few hours between coming home from work, and going to bed.