Things you always wanted to know the answer to [Vol. 5]
Discussion
hidetheelephants said:
The children are supposed to help with the harvest. I think we can safely lengthen the academic year.
But since we can't seem to get foreign workers to come and pick our crops, maybe it's time to return to tradition? Come to think of it, my chimney could do with a good clean as well...Speed 3 said:
Teachers
Many years ago the Dutch decided to lengthen the academic year, but rather than increase teachers salaries to account for the extra time they had to work, they gave them an extra weeks leave they can take at any time and the schools arrange cover. they can even carry it over for for a couple of years and take 3 weeks in one go.Every British teacher I know (quite a few as my wife's a teacher) thinks this is a fantastic idea as they'd be able to take some leave outside school holidays.
hidetheelephants said:
Doofus said:
Who decided that the academic year should be so short, what were the reasons for that decision and do those reasons remain valid today?
The children are supposed to help with the harvest. I think we can safely lengthen the academic year.I'm not convinced there's much benefit to increasing the length of the academic year - from my (very brief) spell of work experience as a teacher in a state school bringing in a bouncer would probably be a better idea!
Maybe I was naive having been lucky enough to go to a tiny rural primary and then private secondary but it was genuinely staggering how much time was wasted dealing with badly behaved little s
ts.
Looking back I also think I gained just as much life experience over the holidays as I did in school - there's more to life than just academia.
Maybe I was naive having been lucky enough to go to a tiny rural primary and then private secondary but it was genuinely staggering how much time was wasted dealing with badly behaved little s
ts.Looking back I also think I gained just as much life experience over the holidays as I did in school - there's more to life than just academia.
Blib said:
Is there a light switch.......
......that turns on at dusk throughout the year BUT can automatically turn off at the same time each evening, for instance, 10:30pm?
So, each night it will be on for a different amount of time, without me adjusting it.
Thank you.
Easy enough to implement with a timeclock supplying power to a lamp with an integral light detector or wired via a separate one.......that turns on at dusk throughout the year BUT can automatically turn off at the same time each evening, for instance, 10:30pm?
So, each night it will be on for a different amount of time, without me adjusting it.
Thank you.
Blib said:
Thank you
That could work. However, the outside lights are already hard wired. We like how they look and don't want to change them.
Hence, my requirement for an integrated switch that an electrician can merely wire in to replace the standard on/off arrangement.
I did a google for "electrical wall switch with timer" and found this, which looks idealThat could work. However, the outside lights are already hard wired. We like how they look and don't want to change them.
Hence, my requirement for an integrated switch that an electrician can merely wire in to replace the standard on/off arrangement.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Digital-Controller-Electr...
edit: Obviously you would need an external sensor like hidetheelephants suggested, if your light does not already have a light / movement sensor as part of the existing light.
Edited by Clockwork Cupcake on Tuesday 26th March 17:41
Blib said:
Is there a light switch.......
......that turns on at dusk throughout the year BUT can automatically turn off at the same time each evening, for instance, 10:30pm?
So, each night it will be on for a different amount of time, without me adjusting it.
Thank you.
Any light switch can do that - just put a Philips Hue bulb in, leave it on and schedule it through the app. Dead easy and not too expensive if you avoid the 16 million colour bulbs. ......that turns on at dusk throughout the year BUT can automatically turn off at the same time each evening, for instance, 10:30pm?
So, each night it will be on for a different amount of time, without me adjusting it.
Thank you.
The one in my room comes on at sunset, then goes off at about 1 30 am every morning.
bodhi said:
Any light switch can do that - just put a Philips Hue bulb in, leave it on and schedule it through the app. Dead easy and not too expensive if you avoid the 16 million colour bulbs.
The one in my room comes on at sunset, then goes off at about 1 30 am every morning.
Thanks for that.The one in my room comes on at sunset, then goes off at about 1 30 am every morning.
However, I need one that will turn off at a scheduled time each night.
Rather than one that once one stays on for a set number of hours.
Clockwork Cupcake said:
I did a google for "electrical wall switch with timer" and found this, which looks ideal
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Digital-Controller-Electr...
edit: Obviously you would need an external sensor like hidetheelephants suggested, if your light does not already have a light / movement sensor as part of the existing light.
Thank you.https://www.amazon.co.uk/Digital-Controller-Electr...
edit: Obviously you would need an external sensor like hidetheelephants suggested, if your light does not already have a light / movement sensor as part of the existing light.
Edited by Clockwork Cupcake on Tuesday 26th March 17:41
We have those for other lights in the garden.
I suppose its the 'trigger' sensor that's needed.
Blib said:
bodhi said:
Any light switch can do that - just put a Philips Hue bulb in, leave it on and schedule it through the app. Dead easy and not too expensive if you avoid the 16 million colour bulbs.
The one in my room comes on at sunset, then goes off at about 1 30 am every morning.
Thanks for that.The one in my room comes on at sunset, then goes off at about 1 30 am every morning.
However, I need one that will turn off at a scheduled time each night.
Rather than one that once one stays on for a set number of hours.
Well Alexa can do that with the bulb mentioned.
My sitting room lights come in 20 mins before dusk, so varies each day and goes off when I say goodnight to Alexa or midnight whichever happens first.
So task Alexa to switch on the bulb at dusk and off at 2230. Although in mid summer depending where you are, it might only be on for less than an hour.
My sitting room lights come in 20 mins before dusk, so varies each day and goes off when I say goodnight to Alexa or midnight whichever happens first.
So task Alexa to switch on the bulb at dusk and off at 2230. Although in mid summer depending where you are, it might only be on for less than an hour.
RizzoTheRat said:
Speed 3 said:
Teachers
Many years ago the Dutch decided to lengthen the academic year, but rather than increase teachers salaries to account for the extra time they had to work, they gave them an extra weeks leave they can take at any time and the schools arrange cover. they can even carry it over for for a couple of years and take 3 weeks in one go.Every British teacher I know (quite a few as my wife's a teacher) thinks this is a fantastic idea as they'd be able to take some leave outside school holidays.
My simple response wasn't teacher bashing, my wife is also one and I'm a school governor.
Jordie Barretts sock said:
Well Alexa can do that with the bulb mentioned.
My sitting room lights come in 20 mins before dusk, so varies each day and goes off when I say goodnight to Alexa or midnight whichever happens first.
So task Alexa to switch on the bulb at dusk and off at 2230. Although in mid summer depending where you are, it might only be on for less than an hour.
Ah.My sitting room lights come in 20 mins before dusk, so varies each day and goes off when I say goodnight to Alexa or midnight whichever happens first.
So task Alexa to switch on the bulb at dusk and off at 2230. Although in mid summer depending where you are, it might only be on for less than an hour.
Thank you. That would do it. I'll check out Philips Hue bulbs. Hopefully, they'll have warm white!
Blib said:
Ah.
Thank you. That would do it. I'll check out Philips Hue bulbs. Hopefully, they'll have warm white!
Hue is pretty good but quite expensive, they will have any colour temperature you want though. You'll need the bulb, the bridge and the app on your phone, but is easily capable of doing exactly what you want.Thank you. That would do it. I'll check out Philips Hue bulbs. Hopefully, they'll have warm white!
A cheaper option is the Ikea Tradfri system, again you need a bulb, hub and app.
Both Philips and Ikea communicate via Zigbee, which is relatively short range (next room fine, opposite side of the house might struggle), so you need to make sure the hub is in range of the bulb, but they're mesh networks so you can easily add a booster if needed.
If you already have an Alexa or Google equivalent you should be able to do it with a basic wifi smart bulb.
Or you can go down the full smart home rabit hole and have all your lights controllable...
Meross - lots of stuff on amazon. Works via app on a phone or Alexa etc and via the house wifi no need for a separate hub
https://www.meross.com/en-gc
https://www.meross.com/en-gc
RizzoTheRat said:
Hue is pretty good but quite expensive, they will have any colour temperature you want though. You'll need the bulb, the bridge and the app on your phone, but is easily capable of doing exactly what you want.
A cheaper option is the Ikea Tradfri system, again you need a bulb, hub and app.
Both Philips and Ikea communicate via Zigbee, which is relatively short range (next room fine, opposite side of the house might struggle), so you need to make sure the hub is in range of the bulb, but they're mesh networks so you can easily add a booster if needed.
If you already have an Alexa or Google equivalent you should be able to do it with a basic wifi smart bulb.
Or you can go down the full smart home rabit hole and have all your lights controllable...
Newer Hue bulbs also have Bluetooth so can be controlled without the hub (I think)A cheaper option is the Ikea Tradfri system, again you need a bulb, hub and app.
Both Philips and Ikea communicate via Zigbee, which is relatively short range (next room fine, opposite side of the house might struggle), so you need to make sure the hub is in range of the bulb, but they're mesh networks so you can easily add a booster if needed.
If you already have an Alexa or Google equivalent you should be able to do it with a basic wifi smart bulb.
Or you can go down the full smart home rabit hole and have all your lights controllable...
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