Time for a rant about Sky customer services.

I rang the technical help line about 6 weeks ago to ask what would happen if I source my own (second hand) Sky+ box. They were very helpful and advised that I would need:
1. A twin output LNB because Sky+ has two digital decoders
2. To ring them when it is set up so they can pair my viewing card with the new box.

They confirmed that having a Sky+ box and Sky+ functionality (record, pause live tv etc.) would not actually cost me any more since I sourced the equipment myself. They also agreed that I wouldn't need to change my package.

I bought a Sky+ box and quad LNB on ebay a few weeks ago.

So last night, I got the ladder out, replaced my dish single output LNB with the quad version, laid two extra cables and brought them down into my AV cupboard. Fine.

I plugged everything in and got a much better signal strength (on both of the decoders) than before.

The box worked fine (minus recording etc) as it was, but I rang Sky customer services to get the viewing card switched over anyway. The technical person did this, but transferred my to a call center with a very bad line. I could hardly understand the lady I spoke to because of a combination of her English and a very bad line.

It transpired that to have Sky+ recoding enable, on my existing package, would cost a further £10 per month.... yes per month..!!!! I tried to explain the effort I went to to get to where I was (checking first with Sky and then sourcing and installing the equipment myself) to which she replied "... but Sir, if you want the pleasure of having Sky+ you must pay for it...". I got put on hold and after 15 minutes and then gave up.

I have recording enabled just now - because she just assumed that I would pay "for the pleasure" and enabled it!

I rang Sky later for more information and it turns out that with some packages I would get Sky+ functionality enabled for free, but:
1. I don't want to change packages.
2. Because I got a great deal which isn't up until June - I can't change packages.

What a nightmare and to top it all off I'm already in the process of moving over to Sky broadband - that was a big mistake.

I was wondering what mobile phone bluetooth kit to buy for the car when I came across this link:

www.pioneer.co.uk -> DEH-P70BT



It would appear that the latest batch of car radios have bluetooth built in, you can pair your phone with your car radio and use the radio as a bluetooth car (phone) kit :-)

It is also possible to:
1. Sync your contacts with the radio so that the name comes up on screen when you get an in coming call.
2. Stream music (over bluetooth) from a PDA or phone.

The good thing about the Pioneer head unit is that I can buy an adapter to enable the built in steering wheel controls on my BMW.

Some people try a scarecrow - we have Pebo:



This is the veggie patch at the back of our garden - path laid and seeds planted.



The pictures were taken 2 months ago (21/04/2006 19:37) and I think we'll have the first 'crop' in a few weeks.

Remember the Memorial Stone I found in the Garden last year?

I was pointed in the direction of www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk and searched for deaths of Duncan McFee around 1906.

I found it:

Part 1#


Part 2#


Note how the spelling is McFie luckly the website does a soundex search too.

So he was 66, lived in Newington, was in the Army and his father was a Private in the 25th Regiment - I can't read the writing though.

I think his wifes name was one an old title deed for our house, have to look that up. Perhaps try and find the register for her death.

"Year Surname / Maiden Name Forename Sex Age District City/County/MR GROS Data Image Extract
1906 MCPHIE DUNCAN M 66 NEWINGTON EDINBURGH CITY/MIDLOTHIAN 685/05 0304
"

I snapped this frosty photo on the way to work this morning:


It's the 'Meadows Park' in Edinburgh.

Camera: XDAIIi