MrKev

not identical, but similar... Just ordered some for myself... due in the morning! Kev

Well done boys on your class win. Kev

You could try making a donation to help with the costs of running of this Forum, and get some stickers, but I think they've run out, 'cos I've been after some for a while!

He wanted desperately to be a good golfer - you could say he had a driving ambition.

You can try holding the key in the unlock position (as far as you can turn it) and tugging the outside handle. The spring in the lock breaks, and this might be enough to overcome the problem to get the door open. The spring is a couple of quid, and changing them is documented on here in the tech archive. HTH, Kev

The PMR handsets (446MHz) have 8 channels allocated to them. In addition, the sets use CTCSS subtones, which allows a certain degree of privacy, or more accurately, you can set them to no hear others - you still share the channel though. CTCSS works by transmitting a low frequency tone on the channel, and in order for the receiver to process this, there is a noticeable delay before the squelch opens on the receiver, and you can hear the person talking to you. VOX works by deciding of there is sufficient speech arriving in the microphone and subsequently enabling the transmitter. There is a short delay for this to happen. As both of these systems running together begin to incur appreciable delays, you end up finding that if you start counting, you generally get to about 3 or 4 before the other person hears you. I can imagine that in challenge events, where I guess a lot of the communication may be short "Go" "Stop" or "Winch In, Billybob" type messages, this could become quite frustrating quite quickly, and all you would end up hearing is the speaker clicking, or the "Billybob" in the last example. Of course, in a busy competition, if there are more than 8 teams using the PMR system, there's a good chance that you'll clash with another team at one time or anther, and the received audio will also be incomprehensible.

1. My memory might be flawed, but I think there are 7 bolts holding the transfer box on - two go from the gearbox facing rearwords, and 5 from the t-box facing forwards (ok, one is a nut onto a stud) 2. I think there were some short, some medium, and some long bolts. I fitted the shortest ones from the gearbox to the transfer box, because as you say, there's 'some workings' going on inside behind. Why they couldn't just use all the same length, I've no idea. Kev

1. I modify and old battery by fitting a plug on the back of the battery so that I can connect external power in 2. I tape velcro to the base of the old battery 3. I attach using said velcro a model helicopter Lithium Polymer battery back and have a cordless drill that seems to perform better that it did on it's original battery. I often run my 18V drill on an 11.1V Lithium Polymer with perfectly satisfactory results, though I generally run it on a 14.8V pack. About 20 quid for a suitable battery pack. Kev

The one I had which had a broken tooth on the input gear sounded a bit like you describe, except it didn't whine when off the power or engine braking. 5mm up / down play? Doesn't sound good. A little rotational backlash, maybe, but none of the one's I've played with in the fortnight had any up/down or side/side play. Kev

Cracking photos there Craig. Love the first one especially.

How about using two relays and wire one up as permanently latching by feeding the contacts back to the coil, and a second one as normally closed, so that when you feed 12V to that, it opens the power to the first relay, thus freeing the latch. Kev

I'm looking to use one of these tools. I downloaded Mapyx (Quo) the other day, but haven't been too impressed so far. I can't get any of maps to install properly, and there's lots of pop up windows which are a bit annoying. Memory Map's interface is a bit cleaner to look at in my opinion, and I can actually get it to work too, which is a bonus. I want something that is nice and easy to use on my netbook when out and about. You're right though, Mapyx looks cheaper, but I'm not sure it actually is... I don't fully understand what they're trying to charge and when just yet.

Stilsons round the shiny bit should do it.

Look on the bright side: It's slightly* easier to drop the box on your defender than it was on my disco, so I'm told, and both your options involve dropping it anyway. As an aside, there's a good post in the tech archive about working on the intermediate shaft o-rings, without removing the box. Might be worth an investigation, as it could save you a days effort, and a few bob maybe. *slightly: It's also slightly easier to get a bowling pin up your nose, that a bowling ball, but neither are exactly a walk in the park.

Hmm, well spotted. Just double checked mine, it says: So I think I'm ok, in fact those words are nice and general in some respects. The grey area on mine is if the off-road event I'm attending (which I've got cover for) happens to be on an airfield... (why they specifically exclude airfields, I've no idea)

PM sent.

I have one for sale that is definitely 1.2, off my disco. Has the newer input gear too.

I note that 'RDS Engineering's website no longer works...

They seem to think that a failed steel wire rope is only a hazard behind the truck for the length of the rope. It's an equal hazard directly away from the truck behind the attachment point if it fails at the fairlead, and subsequently recoils away from the truck, toward the point. Kev

I've got BFG muds and think they're great. I bought them second hand, and promised myself that I'd swap back to road tyres for day to day use and towing, and use the muds only on the needed occasions. Furthermore, it's all very well being 'out' and wishing you had the other tyres on! I haven't been very good at keeping my promise. It's not a very exciting way to spend some time heaving the other set out of the garage and lifting the truck up 4 times plus humping the 20+ stone of mud tyre on steel rim up to the spare wheel carrier. sure if you're a tyre fitter and have a two post lift and plenty of space, no problems, but for me it just seems like grief. Kev

@turbocharger: I agree that a KERR is a more comfortable tow, but an 8m rope doubled over is quite an expensive thing to drag along the tarmac every time the car behind catches up...

My bad - 2720kg is the GVW of the discovery.

I believe the plated kerb weight of the disco 1 is 2720. Not put one on any scales to prove or disprove it though. Kev

A pic top and bottom would be useful. Bound to be a solder in direct replacement.

If reverse if next to 1st gear, it's an LT77. If it's below 5th, it's an R380.