OT Gridwatch - demand slowly ramping up

Even in the 60s I remember the COI film on TV exhorting us to "wear something light at night".

Featured an attractive blonde wearing a raincoat, IIRC.

How meaningful is it to look at Frequency as an indicator that the system is being pushed hard?

Noted the comments about not relying too heavily on the figures.

However the wind output has dropped down to very little (0.98GW) and coal has ramped up to 7.0 GW at the moment.

We certainly aren't in Guardian celebration territory of wind and solar outperforming coal at the moment.

As a slight rephrase of the question, I wonder how close we are to firing up the emergency backup stuff and/or load shedding.

It looks as though we are using the French and Dutch feeds almost flat out at the moment, and only the OCGT to go.

Cheers

Dave R

Common with many motorcycles too. Set the headlamp to create maximum dazzle. On the assumption they are more likely to be seen. Therefore putting the onus on others to avoid them, rather than by driving in a safe way.

I have a mains locked digital LED clock in the bedroom. Usually see it click over to 1 am while hearing the pips on R4. It seems be more 'slow' on a day where you'd expect heavy power consumption.

Not sure what time 'they' use as a starting point to average out the 50Hz over 24 hours, though.

The car park at my local Southern rail station seems to have new LED lighting. There is a footpath running along one side and as I walked along it at about 8PM a few days ago, I'm sure that they either suddenly brightened up or some came on as I passed each column.

I have a Rohan cycling jacket that looks grey in daylight but shines white at night because the entire fabric is coated with scotchlite.

Unfortunately, it makes you sweat because the coating overpowers the Rohan fabric design.

I can understand that. Rohan stuff usually works well, and I wear it most days.

And potentially illegal:

"114 You MUST NOT

use any lights in a way which would dazzle or cause discomfort to other road users, including pedestrians, cyclists and horse riders"

And illegal. ;-)

Cheers, T i m

p.s. And this one winds me up ...

"In stationary queues of traffic, drivers should apply the parking brake and, once the following traffic has stopped, take their foot off the footbrake to deactivate the vehicle brake lights. This will minimise glare to road users behind until the traffic moves again."

Especial when in a std car behind a 4X4 or big SUV etc.

All recent cars have bright front only Daylight Running Lights (DLRs). Many also have auto lights, which if they are anything like the auto mode on my car are a bit eager to come on. The biggest annoyance is them silently switching off in bright daylight fog...

I have, bloody awful. 50% of the time the mount is crap and the lamp bounces about giving blinding flashes of light, 50% of the time the mount is OK but there is no "dip" and the lamp is set such that oncoming drivers are dazzled.

And why do people park up and leave the headlights on? Had a "moment" the other night, straight road then a with gentle right bend, dark night no streetlights. Come round corner onto straight section headlights in distance, go to dip, carry on, on coming headlights start to dazzle, carry on, oncoming lights really starting to dazzle, aiming into the darknes to pass with the lights to my right, serious dazzle, go to main beam just in time to see the white line starting the gentle right bend and the "oncoming" headlights on a car parked off the road, on my side, on main beam. Needed a rather hasty change of direction to pass with them to my left.

Your missing the fact that cyclists think the Highway Code only applies to motorists not all road users, including cyclists.

Yes, but I put it down to change in how people are taught to drive these days. I was taught to use the gears in combination with the brakes to slow down and use the handbrake. These days it appears to be brakes only and hold the vehicle with the foot brake.

I think that debate could run and run. My instructor (40 years ago) used to insist its wasn't a "handbrake" its a "parking" brake. If you are not parked you don't use it (except if absolutely necessary for hill starts).

The other camp argued that if stationary and you got rear ended the foot would inevitably come off the brake and there was no knowing where you might end up. With the parking brake applied you wouldn't go far.

I think both arguments have some value, so I'm not saying which camp I belong to.

I don't think dazzle from brake lights was a thing when I learned to drive. :-)

If I keep my foot hard on the brake pedal, the engine stops and automatically restarts when I lift it off. This is to minimise polution and use less fuel.

Because they are either stupid or inconsiderate?

Yup, lovely. Been there been dazzled by that.

And even if they are dipped beam, they can still be ridiculously bright because they are dipped *into* your eyes. ;-(

I've given many of them full beam, simply to be able to see past them myself.

If I ever pull up on the wrong side of the road at night (and I hardly ever do [1]), the first thing I do is drop to sidelights.

Cheers, T i m

quite meaningful,. It indicates a short term lack of as much supply as one would like.

No, there still a couple of GW available and its not that cold - when it is France reverses and imports

True, sometimes more dazzling than un-dipped headlights

Wonderfull clear night tonight, stars I haven't seen for years.

Just wonder what the opinions are in here on the latest gimmick which is for a single fog (or low mounted) lamp to come on with the corresponding indicator. Are they any use?

On the subject of learning to drive, and to go off at a tangent a bit, if learners must be able to follow sat nav instructions is there a need for a new international road sign DO NOT FOLLOW SAT NAV INSTRUCTIONS One to be placed on each cliff top.