It seems to work fine, Alan. Now that you are in good health and raring to go, we can wait in anticipation of some cracking 'mobile posts'. They are of course much easier on a high level TGOC route, as the reception can be good if you stand on a trig point and wave your Samsung in the air (not advisable to have the keyboard in the other hand!). Have fun, and a great 2015. Martin and Sue
Hi Martin, Hi Sue :-) Ours is an interesting route this year - especially so for Days 2-4 as we're clambering up and over to a Corbett and then staying moderately high along the lip of the Balmacaan, where they're going to stick the first of the major Balmacaan wind farms. It's a sort of high level trackless edge bimble through some fine swampy stuff - character deforming stuff. We should, however, get a good phone signal as we'll be above Glen Moriston. I shall have to have a gander at the O2 phone reception map for the area, so I can plan where to post stuff from!
Phil & I will have company for this section, as Richard White has agreed to walk it with us. I did the Challenge with Richard in '96 & '98. In fact we applied together for '94, but didn't even make it to the standby list that year.
Excellent, Alan. Sue and I also hope to go through the Balmacaan, but on a less swampy Cannich to Drum route, so I doubt we will see you unless we take our Very Powerful Binoculars!
I'm getting the hang of this mobile blogging again. I now need to find a way to post lots of pictures and all in the right places via the phone, which is currently proving tricky. I WILL get there, eventually. On Day 4 you might be able to spot us as we clamber over the top of Meal Fuar-Mhonaidh on our way to Drum. We'll look out for you Sir, and burn Lord Elpus's boots to make a signal fire.
I like it Alan. Unabated ambition. You'll see my other comment about pictures. Unless you have wifi, you'll struggle with 'lots'. That's my experience after seven years of successful mobile blogging on the TGOC. What you could do is insert a header picture above your main text, and if that 'sends' you could try a second posting with more pictures, though obviously they won't be in the 'right places'. Unless you have remarkably short days, I fear time may be your main enemy, exacerbated by loquacious companions. A concise entry with the best picture may suddenly become a daily challenge in itself if my experience is anything to go by.
That's a fair point about the length of time spent writing blog posts... Most of my evenings on my LEJOG were spent writing blog posts. But then I had to write a paragraph at a time in 'Word', then cut and paste it into an email (the Palm TXI could only do a paragraph at a time for some arcane reason) then repeat it ad-nauseum until the post was finished. It took forever, especially when you accidentally deleted chunks of it because the 'delete' button was too close to the 'copy' button... Wifi back then was an absolute luxury... 99% of all the posts were done over what I think is now called 2G.
Ah yes, the raison d'etre of this blog - your LEJOG - and how could I forget the mobile postings. They were to a large extent what inspired me to start my own blog - intended for our trip to NZ in early 2008, but (like yours) still a continuing indulgence. (Well, yours is occasionally an indulgence but is often a serious campaigning medium - well done on that score.)
Indeed. It may seem odd taking a smartphone and a fold out keyboard, but I just can't type on the tiny little keyboard it offers and I hate prodding it with a single digit and then having to go over and over it to correct all the mistakes.
With a decent keyboard you can rattle off rubbish almost as fast as you can think it up. Much better for my random stream of consciousness blogging style.
Now - I just need a decent desk set-up for my Trailstar... My blow-up sitmat did the trick for my LEJOG, so it will be pressganged into service once again.
When has this blog ever been the purveyor of reason & truth, Sir? It is but stuff and nonsense of the lowest order! There may well be tales of loose wimmin, drinking and debauchery, but folk will just put it all down to an aging idiot's fantasies, so we'll be able to get away with murder, Sir! :-)
Hi. Because of spammers, I moderate all comments, so don't worry if your comment seems to have disappeared; It has been sent to me for approval. As soon as I see it, I'll deal with it straight away. Thank you!
Now trying to post a comment.
ReplyDeleteAnd now trying to respond to a comment.
DeleteWell, this all seems to work nicely!
ReplyDeleteIt seems to work fine, Alan. Now that you are in good health and raring to go, we can wait in anticipation of some cracking 'mobile posts'. They are of course much easier on a high level TGOC route, as the reception can be good if you stand on a trig point and wave your Samsung in the air (not advisable to have the keyboard in the other hand!).
ReplyDeleteHave fun, and a great 2015.
Martin and Sue
Hi Martin, Hi Sue
Delete:-)
Ours is an interesting route this year - especially so for Days 2-4 as we're clambering up and over to a Corbett and then staying moderately high along the lip of the Balmacaan, where they're going to stick the first of the major Balmacaan wind farms. It's a sort of high level trackless edge bimble through some fine swampy stuff - character deforming stuff. We should, however, get a good phone signal as we'll be above Glen Moriston.
I shall have to have a gander at the O2 phone reception map for the area, so I can plan where to post stuff from!
Phil & I will have company for this section, as Richard White has agreed to walk it with us. I did the Challenge with Richard in '96 & '98. In fact we applied together for '94, but didn't even make it to the standby list that year.
Excellent, Alan. Sue and I also hope to go through the Balmacaan, but on a less swampy Cannich to Drum route, so I doubt we will see you unless we take our Very Powerful Binoculars!
DeleteI'm getting the hang of this mobile blogging again.
DeleteI now need to find a way to post lots of pictures and all in the right places via the phone, which is currently proving tricky.
I WILL get there, eventually.
On Day 4 you might be able to spot us as we clamber over the top of Meal Fuar-Mhonaidh on our way to Drum. We'll look out for you Sir, and burn Lord Elpus's boots to make a signal fire.
I like it Alan. Unabated ambition. You'll see my other comment about pictures. Unless you have wifi, you'll struggle with 'lots'. That's my experience after seven years of successful mobile blogging on the TGOC. What you could do is insert a header picture above your main text, and if that 'sends' you could try a second posting with more pictures, though obviously they won't be in the 'right places'. Unless you have remarkably short days, I fear time may be your main enemy, exacerbated by loquacious companions. A concise entry with the best picture may suddenly become a daily challenge in itself if my experience is anything to go by.
DeleteThat's a fair point about the length of time spent writing blog posts... Most of my evenings on my LEJOG were spent writing blog posts. But then I had to write a paragraph at a time in 'Word', then cut and paste it into an email (the Palm TXI could only do a paragraph at a time for some arcane reason) then repeat it ad-nauseum until the post was finished. It took forever, especially when you accidentally deleted chunks of it because the 'delete' button was too close to the 'copy' button...
DeleteWifi back then was an absolute luxury... 99% of all the posts were done over what I think is now called 2G.
Ah yes, the raison d'etre of this blog - your LEJOG - and how could I forget the mobile postings. They were to a large extent what inspired me to start my own blog - intended for our trip to NZ in early 2008, but (like yours) still a continuing indulgence. (Well, yours is occasionally an indulgence but is often a serious campaigning medium - well done on that score.)
DeleteJolly well done sir! A fine piece of kit that.
ReplyDeleteIndeed. It may seem odd taking a smartphone and a fold out keyboard, but I just can't type on the tiny little keyboard it offers and I hate prodding it with a single digit and then having to go over and over it to correct all the mistakes.
DeleteWith a decent keyboard you can rattle off rubbish almost as fast as you can think it up. Much better for my random stream of consciousness blogging style.
Now - I just need a decent desk set-up for my Trailstar... My blow-up sitmat did the trick for my LEJOG, so it will be pressganged into service once again.
You won't be reporting everything en route will you? Not unedited and unexpurgated surely? A deep feeling of unease has settled over Elpus Hall.
DeleteWhen has this blog ever been the purveyor of reason & truth, Sir?
DeleteIt is but stuff and nonsense of the lowest order!
There may well be tales of loose wimmin, drinking and debauchery, but folk will just put it all down to an aging idiot's fantasies, so we'll be able to get away with murder, Sir!
:-)