Electracatch WFC8 back-pack for electro-fishing, in for repair.

One of the College's other sections get up to some fishy business. Aquaculture, is the posh name for it. They use the electro-fishing gear for various research works and projects. It allows them to briefly stun and capture fish.

I was shown this bit of kit a few years ago, but yesterday was the first time I'd been asked to investigate a fault in it. No output. Inside there were the dreaded fried electronic odours. Always avoid inhaling such fumes, as there can be some very nasty substances in them.

A black metal box within the back-pack was the main suspect area. "It was very hot," also being a clue. Removing it took an age. Whoever designed and built the thing, didn't do so with maintenance in mind. The whole thing looked like it had been randomly assembled by someone in a shed, "Now where shall we put this bit...?"

Eventually it was removed and opening the black box, a power supply, released much stronger fumes, and revealed numerous charred bits. Some were burnt beyond recognition. So no chance of replacing them without more information.

Internet search time. Took a good while, but eventually found out who'd made the power supply, and the company that had taken them over. The main clues were that they'd been based in Reading a long time ago. There was a phone number, but it pre-dated the telephone number change which prefixed most phone numbers with "01-". After checking I discovered that was in 1995!

The company's no longer in Reading, and has a quite different name, but were most helpful. Hopefully we'll be able to sort the equipment. Then again, after twenty+ years use, perhaps a new one might be in order?!

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Close call on the way home when a large twig I barely noticed was flung up by my front tyre. It caught the mudflap, and went up between the tyre and mudguard, breaking off the two mounts for the stays that stop the mudguard flopping about. The stays then swept around by the tyre, passing the forks, and jamming between them and the brakes.

Fortunately for me, the manufacturer (SKS) had designed in a fail-safe feature which means that the stays will pull out of their attachment to the forks, under heavy load. Had it not been for that, and it working, the front wheel would've locked up instantly. And cycle plus cyclist would've somersaulted onto the path. Damage to both, clothing, gear, and probably the two cameras in the rucksack. Can't have the latter!

It happened in a split second. I was mildly shocked. Took a while to straighten everything out. Had to remove the front wheel to do sort it enough to be able to continue the journey. More repairs required. I'd re-riveted the stays about six months ago. Those new rivets just pulled straight off. Was relieved to find it is repairable, or at least it looks that way.

It brought back memories of something similar happening twenty odd years ago. Top mounting broke on that occasion. No safety feature on those mudguards. Went helmet first into the road on that occasion. Wrecked the helmet and had a sore neck for a couple of weeks. Wouldn't be here today were it not for that helmet. Replaced it with one of the same type, nigh on straight away.

I always wear a cycle helmet...