16th January 2002. 12:18:09.
Well, I’ve updated the afp pages, or at least I will have actually finished uploading the pictures and so on by the time I’ve done this, and hopefully the actual web-pages too. I’ve used PNG’s on one of the pages, blame Peter if you don’t like pngs – who viciously attacked me for my use of JPEGs ;-)
Yes.
[Thinks] he really ought to have a link from my links page. Hrm. Maybe update that in a bit, depends if any work drifts my way. I also need to do some stuff for the shop website, but I want to wait until k’s about to see how she fancies tackling it.
Anyway, so, onto what’s been going on. Well, I’ve also updated the MZ pages – quite dramatically. Hrm, my left hand’s starting to ache in that “oooh, I’m going to really start hurting in a bit” way.
Oh yes, that’s one of the things I was going to ramble about, my bones. They hurt. It’s really beginning to worry me somewhat. Both my knees are hurting, my back’s aching. I’m not sure why, it just seems to be hurting – perhaps it’s lack of exercise, I’ll go out in a bit and see if I can find a sports-shop in Stroud, and get a swimming costume if I can find one.
And some lunch.
I seem to have had this sodding sore throat for a couple of days now. Grrowl.
My bike, as you’ll see if you’ve read my nice shiny MZ rebuild page, is knackered again. The electrics on it have died, fortunately they perked back up with alot of wiggling and prodding so I could get the bike home, then they semi-died one turning before home (the relay was clicking over, but the indicators weren’t flashing). Yet again, they’ve perked back up having been left for a few days – but that’s it for the electrics, they’ve given me grief once too often.
So, it’s goodbye to the Mechanical regulator and every last inch of that bikes wiring. I’ve had enough of fiddling with it and being let down by it. It’s the very last thing that seems to have suffered, but then allowing an insane monkey with a inline-fuse and connector block fetish rewire it (as has clearly happened at some point in the past) never does electrics any good.
But that leads me onto my next bit of ramble.
Actually, that leads me to lunch.
14:23:24
Okay, I’m back from lunch….right. Hrm.
Yes, so, my bike needs rewiring, but not as per the original spec – ‘cos it’s getting an electronic revcounter (well, hopefully, we managed to kill the kit I bought because the stuff we potted it in (B&Q; silicone sealant) contains something conductive – despite not mentioning it), and it’s got electronic ignition, and an electronic regulator. However.
The explanation of how to fit an electronic regulator describes the process for a Lucas NCB403, I think. Anyway, whatever it is Lucas don’t make that part anymore, instead they supply a “compatible” one made by CarGo. Only, just to be confusing, the CarGo one has a different set of connectors on it, which makes things a *little* more complicated.
So I sat down, wiring diagram as it should be, ‘simplified’ wiring diagram from the MZ-Tech website, the instructions for fitting an electronic alternator, a pen and some paper.
The intention being to go from a wiring diagram to a written set of connections. Basically, you know, Alternator DF to Regulator DF to Fusebox 15A to whatever. You get the picture. Anyway, it took me hours to work out which connections were which on the sodding regulator, and then further hours to actually reach any kind of understanding of the circuit diagram.
It was depressing, really, really depressing. Okay, so I’ve not looked at a circuit diagram for years, but still, I shouldn’t be having so much trouble with a very basic circuit.
My brain just doesn’t seem to work anymore, it was like, a few weeks back I was, briefly, on the ball – and I could feel it. I could actually think. It wasn’t like swimming in treacle. I could come up with witty responses to things. My problem solving abilites reappeared. I’d forgotten what it felt like. Even at uni this stuff was clearly coming and going. I mean, I had bursts of being able to think fast and clearly and periods when I couldn’t. But normally sitting there and just battling through stuff slowly would result in my brain kind of firing, like an unreliable car, on a couple of cylinders and then slowly limping fully into life.
But that doesn’t seem to work anymore. However hard I try and force it it just won’t come. It worries me. I hadn’t realised how much I’d lost becuase I hardly ever do anything that involves intelligence, I just vegitate. *sigh*
I seem to struggle with stuff that I can see is simple. Stuff I can see that I can do – but I just don’t seem to be able to grasp it. It’s like as I found myself I lost the rights to being bright. Of course, you have to start to wonder if you were ever bright – did I just work harder at learning than I do now?
Gah.
Oh well.
Anyway. By the way, it’s best if when you’re looking for a shop you look at the actual contents of the shop and don’t just barge past going “no, it wasn’t called that”. Because that leads you to waste an hour in stroud on a trip that should have taken 10 minutes.
Gah.
—
Kate