Problems come in Three’s

Jan was telling me there was a fashion photo shoot going on beside the lock when we came up yesterday.  Apparently the model was so thin a light gust of wind would have blown her into the canal.   The cameraman asked Jan if he could use Waiouru as a backdrop but I never heard the request and motored off whilst they were still setting up.

Today I walked to the main post office to confirm they accept post restante.  Once that was confirmed I returned to Waiouru and went online ordering the new bow thruster control panel.  Now the satellite dome doesn’t work.  Two of the led bulbs on the controller box are simultaneously flashing.  The fault section in the manual states the coaxial cable between the box and the dome needs to be checked.  I had a surplus length of cable and check the continuity.  There’s nothing wrong with the cable which pleased me because I’m the person who did the wiring!  There’s no voltage from the coaxial cable at the satellite end.  The next step was to check if the controller box output socket was supplying power.  No it wasn’t!  It seems we have a fault in the controller box.   I called the UK distributor who suggested I send them the controller box and the printed circuit board inside the satellite dome.  I had a feeling removing the circuit board from inside the dome would be difficult so I took the dome off the roof and brought it inside (this turned out to be a good decision).

The circuit board was under a metal plate.

This is where I struck a problem.  The very delicate signal cables were attached to a very confined part of the board with a 8mm screwed fitting.  The smallest spanner I have is a 6” adjustable. Removing the cables was like doing keyhole surgery with a jackhammer.

Eventually the board was removed.  The dome was then re-assembled and fitted back on the cabin roof.  Circuit board and the controller box were then carefully packaged before I walked back to the post office where it was placed into the care of Royal Mail.  I now have a few days to look for an 8mm spanner!

So we’ve had two things go wrong.  What will the third be?

Jan here……. it will be divorce