Housekeeping

SpaceNut · 2020-06-28 21:17:08

Well out of the 13 topics that got the dust knocked off from them, I still have 1 to fix...
It will just need to wait until another day.

tahanson43206 · 2020-06-29 07:22:58

For SpaceNut re #126 ... Congratulations on your efforts to bring old topics back to life, and in particular, to bring earlier posters back into view!

Your efforts in finding and restoring topics with pebble reactors led to RobertDyck and Calliban discussing recent work with fission reactors. I was happy to learn of India's success (if I understood RobertDyck's post correctly) in finding a way to use thorium efficiently and effectively. I hope that was also done safely, and that it can be replicated. There is a very serious need for reliable, safe nuclear power to give the burgeoning population of Earth a chance at a decent life. India is a good place for the introduction of such a system, if it is possible.

(th)

tahanson43206 · 2020-06-29 07:30:07

I'm tossing this into Housekeeping. There is no where else to put it.

I have just witnessed an astonishing collaboration between Linux and Microsoft software developers, in which I played a small part by giving them a hot potato to solve. They swatted the problem back and forth over the net (under my anxious eye) until the corrupt partition table I was dealing with suddenly came to life, and I am now writing this report on the once-again-working system.

In case anyone runs across this post in future, the issue was corruption of a hard drive partition table caused by a Windows 7 restore to an empty hard drive. The Linux program Gparted is able to repair damaged partitions, but it doing so it discovered that the Windows 7 restore procedure had created an overlap between the system partition and the main partition. The solution was to reduce the size of the small system partition. That repair was tossed back to Windows 7 Repair, and it completed the clean up.

(th)

tahanson43206 · 2020-06-30 08:34:15

Here's another item that does not seem like a good fit anywhere else in the forum index structure.

Recently I wrote the (US) National Archives to ask if records of the work of Katherine Johnson have been preserved. It may be a while before a reply shows up, if it ever does. In the mean time the National Archives sent a message that included a mention of volunteer opportunities for individuals who might have some time on their hands and a desire to help convert old printed records into computer format.

Here is a part of the message:

And be sure to stop by History Hub, our crowdsourced-community where you can get help with your research, ask questions, and provide answers. Meet other transcribers, share tips and strategies, find new challenges, and get support for your work in our Citizen Archivists group. Get started with our poll: What kinds of records do you like to transcribe?
Image of man and woman examining a large ledger

(th)

Last edited by tahanson43206 (2020-06-30 08:34:39)

tahanson43206 · 2020-07-01 08:04:03

For SpaceNut re new topic (Architecture) at the Index level for Science, Technology and Astronomy

I ran a search for "architecture" before creating the new topic.

That search (assuming FluxBB did it's usual thorough job) revealed a small number of posts containing the word, and none were at the topic level.

My hope is that this new topic will grow to contain content that would be (at least) interesting to serious students, and potentially useful to actual architects entering the field.

The forum already contains a large (if not vast) quantity of design concept discussions, with pro and con battering to strengthen the original ideas.

(th)

SpaceNut · 2020-07-01 16:40:07

I did see but not sure what you are looking for other than to gather what makes a plan....

these are forum spammers or hacking attempts....

I am the new girl by PatCarnarv
Just want to say Hello! by Lakeisha84
Just want to say Hello. by MarylynPlo

SpaceNut · 2020-07-01 17:10:30

From what I remember of my sons 2 laptops that had windows 8.1 the partition were crapped on when windows 10 did its massive upgrades. The drives became toast and if you replaced them plus reloaded the fresh os in the machines they still did not last more than a 6 months before the partition were over written again.
Microsoft is still battling the class action lawsuits from the automatic upgrade even when saying no to it....
Granted the machines were nearly a year old each but its still should have been replaced by them....

kbd512 · 2020-07-01 21:28:17

SpaceNut,

It's funny you should mention that. I have constant problems with my Windows 10 machine as a result of image corruption every time the software is updated / patched. It has something to do with corruption of the log files that Windows 10 uses. The only permanent "fix" is to re-image the machine.

Run "chkdsk /x /f /v" (don't include the quotes) from the command line (cmd.exe application)

You'll need to enable administrative access to run this command, but when the machine is next restarted, it should repair the corruption and prevent future crashes until the next software update is pushed from Microsoft. Yes, it's obnoxious, but this seems to work just fine for me.

SpaceNut · 2020-07-03 08:39:01

GW Johnson wrote:

Oops,
Computer seems OK, mostly, except that Microsoft keeps loading shit I never asked for onto it over the internet, screwing it up again. I wish there was some way to turn them and that function off. My slide rule NEVER EVER gave me this much trouble.
GW

RobertDyck wrote:

Microsoft salesmen say support for Windows 7 has ended, but that doesn't mean it doesn't work. It still works. And you can still download all the updates, they're just not writing any more. My laptop still runs Windows 7. That version of Windows allows *YOU* to control when/if updates happen, and you can select which updates to install.

Ya Microsoft is doing that on purpose.. The controls are in the control panel settings for auto update. Of course Microsoft wants to have this always at auto though I would prefer to have the update brought in and manually initiated for install upon my own choice for if the update is safe and problem free.

Depending on the OS version I am sure we could post a how to disable the auto updating feature by our members here.

And its good to see that you and others are safe from this virus thus far and hope that we stay that way.

SpaceNut · 2020-07-03 08:44:03

The clocks are ticking for the outer space advocacy posters for a second post within the 30 day grace before lock out occurs.

tahanson43206 · 2020-07-04 07:27:52

For SpaceNut re #135

Thank you for keeping an eye on the constant flow of spammers and prospective spammers. I realize it is a drain on your time, but the forum looks shipshape thanks to your attention to those details, and many others I'm not aware of.

***
In beginning the review of RobertDyck's Large Colonization ship topic, I ran across an open item ... GW Johnson offered to share his spreadsheet (or specific parts of one) to assist Forum members who might wish to learn how to perform some of the calculations he's been doing for decades.

At the time, no one came up with an idea, but in re-reading GW Johnson's offer today, I realized that Drop Box is a possible solution. Their entry level is free, and the amount of storage they offer at that level is quite generous. I've filled up one (or more accurately, the members of a non-profit group filled it), and I have another that is holding just a small amount of shares, such as some I've posted to NewMars forum.

So! For GW Johnson ... If you are still willing to share the spreadsheet you mentioned in RobertDyck's topic, you can open a free Dropbox account, post the spreadsheet there, and then share the spreadsheet.

You can share the spreadsheet with the public, and that might be a good fit in this situation.

Or you can share a file or a folder full of files with specific people, using their email address as the access key.

If you are interested in this possibility and have a question (or 2 or 3) about the procedure, please ask.

(th)

SpaceNut · 2020-07-04 15:07:50

Spreadsheet is on its way....tahanson43206

tahanson43206 · 2020-07-05 08:41:04

For SpaceNut re #137 ... thank you for forwarding GW Johnson's spreadsheet. I'm planning to study it for a while.

Have you tried running it?

***
The quote below could go into My Hacienda, but I'm holding off for the moment due to updating of the PlotMaster with Calliban's claim for Plot 0037.

The issue at hand here is the growth of air conditioning on Earth ... it will not be a matter of growth on Mars ... Air conditioning will be a constant and perpetual requirement for life on Mars. I liked Calliban's recent description of a human habitat at the bottom of a lake on Mars, where the pressure of the water outside the habitat would equal the pressure of the air inside, thus reducing the need for bulk in the walls. I like the idea of Mars residents becoming aquanauts as an alternative to the default astronaut life. Calliban's scenario deserves serious treatment by one of the many capable science fiction writers alive on Earth at the moment.

https://getpocket.com/explore/item/the- … ket-newtab

Cutting down on air conditioning doesn’t mean leaving modernity behind, but it does require facing up to some of its consequences. “It’s not a matter of going back to the past. But before, people knew how to work with the climate,” says Ken Yeang. “Air conditioning became a way to control it, and it was no longer a concern. No one saw the consequences. People see them now.”
Stephen Buranyi is a writer specializing in science and the environment.
Advertisement
The Guardian

SpaceNut · 2020-07-05 12:44:48

Just banned another 50 user accounts of which in a 2 week period only 2 did post within a topic and of those they have not returned after doing so. Which is leading to there accounts being locked by the ban function which can be reversed if they would chose to continue posting.

GW Johnson · 2020-07-05 16:30:22

Tahanson43206 and Spacenut:

I want to be sure I understand what spreadsheet it is that Tahanson wanted. I believe it to be one of the several I have used to evaluate the performance of rocket vehicles such as Starship. That would be for single-stage operation of Starship from LEO to various destinations, and back.

I use a much different one for the two-stage flight of Starship /Superheavy into LEO, complete with recovery of the Superheavy. And a much different one still for estimating entry dynamics the old 1950's way. And a different one yet again for estimating orbit parameters.

Now I know very little of things like dropbox, but I can send files by email. I just need to know for sure what, and where to send it or them.

GW

tahanson43206 · 2020-07-05 17:07:28

For GW Johnson re #140

SpaceNut sent me your spreadsheet on Mars Landers.

Please allow some time for that one to settle here. I sympathize with your comments about the "mysteries" if information technology. I feel the same way (or close to it) about Rocket Physics, which you have developed to an advanced degree.

Please keep in mind that my intention is to try to find a way to deliver knowledge and skill to the next generation, which is the one that will actually settle Mars.

Your work shows all the signs of having permanent value, if it can be packaged to reach the audience who will benefit.

(th)

SpaceNut · 2020-07-05 17:26:00

This was the one sent to a few of us back in 2018 for Mars landers containing 4 work sheets
Post made from a cellphone as data has been used up until more is added tomorrow.

GW Johnson · 2020-07-09 12:21:02

I have a whole slew of spreadsheets that do a whole slew of different jobs. What do y'all want?

GW

tahanson43206 · 2020-07-11 07:49:55

For GW Johnson re #143

Thank you for your kind (and generous) offer of assistance in learning (and applying) procedures to plan space flights and (by extension) navigation.

SpaceNut and I appear to be the only active members who would like to pursue this, so we will need to clear our respective backlogs of tasks to make room for study of even the lander sheet you've already provided.

If there is someone not already registered as a NewMars member, this is an opportunity to learn from a PhD level instructor, in a supportive environment.

Registration is ridiculously easy, as the constant influx of spammers proves. When you register, please write a post that is tightly focused on ** this ** opportunity.

I would very much like to see serious students interacting with GW Johnson at a level above what I can reach. That would allow readers who are at my level to absorb part of the flow, even if we can't grasp it all.

***
This post is created to note another item from a technical newsletter that arrived recently:

A how-to checklist to troubleshoot thermal fluid system performance
Recognizing the key importance of pressure gauges and other system features
Fluid flow is essential to the performance of any system. Download this whitepaper to learn how to troubleshoot such problems, along with quick tips and a go-to checklist.

This reminder of the need for technical knowledge and attention to operation of vital equipment is close to me right now. A friend owns a Kohler generator, and it stopped performing weekly tests recently. Due to the embarrassment of limited funds, the generator has not received inspection/maintenance by the authorized vendor for five years. When we looked at the control menu, we discovered that the algorithm programmed by the Kohler engineers did not take Leap Year into account, so the master date was one short. I assume this would have been approved by management, because the intention and expectation is that the generators would be inspected and maintained each year.

In relation to Mars .... equipment like that generator is going to be running 24/7 to maintain habitats and productive volumes, and the well being of the population is going to require that at least one person have the necessary knowledge, skill and experience to keep close tabs on each and every piece of hardware, and to perform repairs or adjustments as needed.

(th)

GW Johnson · 2020-07-11 15:03:47

A pretty good guide to how one can rough-size rocket vehicles to orbital mechanics-derived delta-vee values is given over at "exrocketman" as the article dated 23 August 2018, and titled "Back-of-the-Envelope Rocket Propulsion Analysis". All the equations are there. One can do one's own spreadsheets from this. That's where mine came from. The spreadsheets just automate what I used to do by-hand with those same equations.

GW

SpaceNut · 2020-07-12 21:06:39

closed accounts that have not posted or even attempted to return to visit once they created an account in the last 30 days and older. While we had already banned in that group about a half dozen the remaining 40 did not return. I looked at each account for email address server and most were the typical address with clues such as weird countries that did not go with the address...
During the last 30 days we now have about 150 accounts to monitor for actions if they do not return and actively post.
Even the most recent poster Yoda seems to not be active once more.

tahanson43206 · 2020-07-12 21:13:42

For SpaceNut re #146

Thank you for investing the time (I'm sure) it takes to attend to these pruning tasks.

I regret that Yoda chose to bow out ... I had set up an Azure account, and was looking forward to sharing in the adventure of learning about FluxBB, with a view to trying to see if there might be tweaks we could suggest to management.

It is possible Yoda is not yet an adult. Part of the requirement to obtain an Azure account is to satisfy Microsoft that you are an adult in good standing in the community. Perhaps he will return years from now.

In the meantime, the incessant visits by spammers continue, and your periodic attention keeps their little barnacles from clogging the works.

(th)

tahanson43206 · 2020-07-13 07:06:37

For Calliban re "The Real Mars" ....

"The Real Mars" is a place where engineering principles are set aside in place of artistic sensibilities.

It is like a hostas plant .... delicate and best set in shaded areas

The New Mars forum has a wide variety of members and readers.

(th)

Calliban · 2020-07-13 10:28:37

tahanson43206 wrote:

For Calliban re "The Real Mars" ....
"The Real Mars" is a place where engineering principles are set aside in place of artistic sensibilities.
It is like a hostas plant .... delicate and best set in shaded areas
The New Mars forum has a wide variety of members and readers.
(th)

Got it. The twilight zone :-)

tahanson43206 · 2020-07-14 07:37:45

For GW Johnson ... Congratulations on the Big 70!

You've still got a solid 10 years ahead, and potentially another 10 after that, with a slightly reduced activity level !!!

In those 10 years, it is within the realm of possibility for you to lead (or at least encourage) development of software useful in planning a variety of activities that will become routine in the years ahead ...

Launch to Mars from LEO

"Docking" with Mars (one way or another)

Landing on Mars and returning safely to the non-landing passenger ship

Helping designers of large passenger ships to safely "dock" with Mars without placing passengers and crew at enormous risk by trying cowboy techniques like aerocapture.

There's lots of opportunity ahead!

(th)

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#126 2020-06-28 21:17:08

Re: Housekeeping

#127 2020-06-29 07:22:58

Re: Housekeeping

#128 2020-06-29 07:30:07

Re: Housekeeping

#129 2020-06-30 08:34:15

Re: Housekeeping

#130 2020-07-01 08:04:03

Re: Housekeeping

#131 2020-07-01 16:40:07

Re: Housekeeping

#132 2020-07-01 17:10:30

Re: Housekeeping

#133 2020-07-01 21:28:17

Re: Housekeeping

#134 2020-07-03 08:39:01

Re: Housekeeping

#135 2020-07-03 08:44:03

Re: Housekeeping

#136 2020-07-04 07:27:52

Re: Housekeeping

#137 2020-07-04 15:07:50

Re: Housekeeping

#138 2020-07-05 08:41:04

Re: Housekeeping

#139 2020-07-05 12:44:48

Re: Housekeeping

#140 2020-07-05 16:30:22

Re: Housekeeping

#141 2020-07-05 17:07:28

Re: Housekeeping

#142 2020-07-05 17:26:00

Re: Housekeeping

#143 2020-07-09 12:21:02

Re: Housekeeping

#144 2020-07-11 07:49:55

Re: Housekeeping

#145 2020-07-11 15:03:47

Re: Housekeeping

#146 2020-07-12 21:06:39

Re: Housekeeping

#147 2020-07-12 21:13:42

Re: Housekeeping

#148 2020-07-13 07:06:37

Re: Housekeeping

#149 2020-07-13 10:28:37

Re: Housekeeping

#150 2020-07-14 07:37:45

Re: Housekeeping

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