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Forum Index : Microcontroller and PC projects : 458MHz amplified splitter?
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| Warpspeed Guru  Joined: 09/08/2007 Location: AustraliaPosts: 4406 |
If it already exists, it would come under renovations or repair and you don't need to get approval to "fix things up". Property taxes here are ultra low compared to the US, and the whole home ownership and property system a lot less vexatious. On the other hand, on the vehicle scene, Hot Rodders and petrol heads in the US can get just about anything that will move road registered. In Australia its vastly more complicated (and expensive) to get approvals for vehicle modifications, so its we Ausies that greatly envy Americans in that regard. Cheers, Tony. |
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Grogster Admin Group  Joined: 31/12/2012 Location: New ZealandPosts: 9610 |
Same here re cars. If you make ANY change to the car other then just adding a stereo or washing the dirt off it, you have to have it re-certified - about $500 on a good day, so long as they don't find too many things they insist you change - all of which is additional to the huge re-cert fee. It is common here for boy-racers to cut the suspension springs to lower their cars. That is totally illegal, and very dangerous so I certainly am against that. Not that unusual to see those cars with cut springs - the end of where they cut it off just sitting in the lower suspension spring cup - a decent bump or go over a dip in the road at speed..... The perfectly legal lowering kits with the correct smaller springs are usually only a few hundred dollars, but they don't want to spend the money. ....or don't have the money. We've had more then one or two "COPS" type TV program over here where they pull over all those boy-racer cars, and inspect them - most of them fail, and 99% of the suspension mods fail cos of chopped springs. Those cars are "Red stickered" on the spot - you cannot even drive it home. It has to be collected by a truck because it is considered so unsafe for the driver and other road users. Fair enough too where cut springs are concerned. I do recall seeing one program where an inspector was checking a young guy's car, and he HAD used the proper lowering kits, and had also reduced the travel to match, and the inspector was very pleased with that, so there are some who do know how to do it right, and are prepared to spend the money, but they seem few and far between. Oh dear....i'm ranting again......  Smoke makes things work. When the smoke gets out, it stops! |
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| Paul_L Guru Joined: 03/03/2016 Location: United StatesPosts: 769 |
/RANT #1 ON Boy oh boy did I have problems back in 2002 when I bought this house. The building codes and inspectors here are local to the town of East Fishkill, population 2300 people and 860 cows. I found five concrete block columns in the crawl space which were supposed to be supporting a central beam, but they had settled into the mud due to inadequate footings, so there was an air space between the blocks and the beam which was bending under the load. At first they wanted me to hire a structural engineer to specify new footings, pay for a building permit and inspections, and have a contractor replace the piers and footings. I got pissed. I asked them if engineering drawings had been filed and town inspections had been done back in 1976 when the house was built. They said yes. I asked to see the inspection reports and the drawings. They dug around in the files and produced all the old approved engineering drawings and inspection reports. I showed them photographs of the old work which was not done according to the drawings and should never have passed inspection. I pointed out that the inspector who had approved the construction was currently employed as the head of the town building inspection department. I told them that I had hired a lawyer who was going to file criminal charges against this guy for not inspecting the job in 1976, demand that the bogus certificate of occupancy of the house be revoked, demand that the town pay for a hotel room for us, and sue the town for the value of the house. They decided that I didn't need an engineer, a permit, or any further inspections and that I could just fix the problem. I hired a mason who dug up the footings, poured bigger ones, jacked the beam up level, and installed steel lally columns. End of problem. /RANT #1 OFF /RANT #2 ON A few years later I wanted to install my geothermal heat pump. Same story, they wanted engineering drawings, permits, and inspection fees. I got pissed again. I asked them if I needed a permit to dig a hole and fill it back in again .... no .... to bury pipes in the hole and fill it in again .... only if the pipes carried potable water but not for a circulating water heat exchanger .... to hook up a freon heat pump to the buried pipes .... an inspection was needed only for the 240 volt wiring, not for the appliance. I hired a local licensed electrician to run the 240 volt line and get it inspected. /RANT #2 OFF Bureaucrats are the same everywhere and socialism causes them to multiply more quickly! Paul in NY |
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palcal Guru Joined: 12/10/2011 Location: AustraliaPosts: 1993 |
I'll add my short bureaucratic story. I bought a new house in 1972. The council gave us 2 free trees every year when we paid our rates. 40 years later when the tree was hitting power lines coming into the house, I applied to the same council for permission to cut it down. It cost me $80 to cut down the tree that they gave me for free. Paul. PS: good to get off the electronics sometimes and have a bit of a rant. Just noticed this started as a query about an amplified splitter did we digress. "It is better to be ignorant and ask a stupid question than to be plain Stupid and not ask at all" |
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| Grogster Admin Group Joined: 31/12/2012 Location: New ZealandPosts: 9610 |
@ Paul_L - Blimy. Good you did some research and it came out in your favour. But if you didn't, you'd have coughed up the money - just cos they said you had to.... @ palcal - You're lucky. Over here we have a thing called "Resource consent" - which is totally different from Building Consent. If you want to cut down a tree on your own property that has been there more then x number of years, you have to apply for Resource consent, which involves getting your neighbours to sign off on your cutting down the tree - and that costs about $800 to get done and process - and they then publish the intention to cut down said tree on their website and if so much as ONE tree-hugger comes along and decides they like that tree - even though it is not on their property, and they might live 20 k's from where it is, they can lodge an objection, and then you can't cut down that tree - on your own property. If you do anyway, you get a whacking great fine. Explain the f-in' logic there!   EDIT: It really DOES work that way. There was a news story lately about a tree planted on the fence-line between two properties about fifty years ago. The tree had grown to a huge size, and was actually now BLOCKING the driveway on one side of it so much so, that it was really tricky for the people living there just to get their car in and out of their drive. Council denied their request to cut down the tree. From what I remember, even the neighbours wanted it gone, but council said it was a "Significant" tree - had been there 50+ years, and that makes it all the more difficult to cut it down. I don't think it was a native tree or anything like that(not that I would care, really, but you can see why they might play that card if it was), just a plain old everyday tree. I think they took the council to the Environmental Court over it, and I think they LOST - significant trees must stay, even if they are totally blocking access. Councils....... ...and yes, we have deviated a little from the topic, but I don't care. I'm very easy with the content of threads that I start.  Smoke makes things work. When the smoke gets out, it stops! |
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CaptainBoing Guru Joined: 07/09/2016 Location: United KingdomPosts: 2170 |
half the reason I love this forum... so much proper wisdom... I reckon we could collectively get to the moon. |
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| lizby Guru Joined: 17/05/2016 Location: United StatesPosts: 3378 |
In general in the U.S., you can cut trees on your property. In one community I lived in, though, there was a city official whom residents called, "The Tree Nazi". A neighbor had a tree on her property with a big limb in bad condition hanging over her house. She applied to have it removed, and was denied. A storm brought it down, damaging her roof. Did the city pay for the repairs--no. The Tree Nazi was subsequently promoted to a position where she didn't interact with the public, and residents could again trim (and cut down) their trees. PicoMite, Armmite F4, SensorKits, MMBasic Hardware, Games, etc. on fruitoftheshed |
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| Grogster Admin Group Joined: 31/12/2012 Location: New ZealandPosts: 9610 |
The whole "You can't cut down that tree on your property, cos we say so" attitude of the councils here has many people hopping mad. The very idea that they can tell you what you can and can't do with trees on your own property is - to many people - insane. PERHAPS if it was a native tree - PERHAPS, but even then I am still on the side of those that want it gone if it is on their property. But a lot of the time, the tree is NOT a native tree, just a plain old tree, and they still say you can't touch it - on your own property. Now, trees that are part of a public park or something - that is where the Resource Consent process could work well, as it would be the will of the people as to weather those trees go or stay, but when it is a tree on your own flippin' property.... Just as a finishing comment to the tree thing here, I must state at this point that most people are aware of how dumb this regulation is, and they just cut down the tree without telling the council they are going to do it - and fair enough, if you ask me. See, the thing is, that in order for the council to fine you or do anything about it, they have to have a case-file about that tree, and if you DON'T talk to them about it first, they don't have a case file, so can't do anything about it themselves. The process IS complaints driven, so if your neighbour complained to the council while you were cutting down said tree, you could still be in hot water. Thankfully, where overgrown trees in residential situations are concerned, MOST neighbours want rid of the bloody thing too, so more often then not, it is never a problem so long as you are on good terms with your neighbours. Trees, trees, trees, rant, rant, rant...... Sorry. Smoke makes things work. When the smoke gets out, it stops! |
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| Alastair Senior Member  Joined: 03/04/2017 Location: AustraliaPosts: 161 |
@G I would suggest taking a few more of the pink pills and a good lie down. Cheers, Alastair |
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| Grogster Admin Group Joined: 31/12/2012 Location: New ZealandPosts: 9610 |
Yes, you're probably right.   Smoke makes things work. When the smoke gets out, it stops! |
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| Paul_L Guru Joined: 03/03/2016 Location: United StatesPosts: 769 |
We've got some native trees which are worth saving, notably the American Elm. Unfortunately the Dutch Elm Disease disagrees. Search Google for central park elms and click on images. Paul in NY |
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TassyJim Guru Joined: 07/08/2011 Location: AustraliaPosts: 6283 |
A Hobart resident was fined $200,000 for cutting down a couple of listed trees (and the house beside them)HE also covered the neighbours with asbestos dust while doing it. The neighbours told him to stop. The council told him to stop The police told him to stop. The courts told him to pay up. Speaking of foundations, my house sits in loose rocks placed directly on the ground. No footings or any of that fancy modern stuff. It has lasted 110 years so far but any additions I do, have to comply with the new regs. The slop across the lounge room floor isn't too bad... Jim VK7JH MMedit |
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| Grogster Admin Group Joined: 31/12/2012 Location: New ZealandPosts: 9610 |
Did he ever pay it? I wonder sometimes, about the logic of gigantic fines. When you are fined 200k for something like that, he probably just laughed - knowing full well they would never get it out of him. Ultimately self-defeating to issue gigantic fines, if you ask me. It's like people caught downloading a movie in America - they get like 500k per offence, and if they downloaded ten movies, they are gonna be hit with a five million dollar fine - that is never gonna get paid, so why even bother?(rhetorical) I remember reading about someone in USA who had illegally downloaded about 100 movies, and was fined on each one of them, and the total fine was like fifty million dollars or something, and this guy was just you average working joe, so they are never, ever gonna get that amount of cash out of the guy, so what's the point?(rhetorical) Now days, that is not really such an issue with the likes of Netflix offering legitimate streaming services for very little coin. Smoke makes things work. When the smoke gets out, it stops! |
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| BrianP Senior Member Joined: 30/03/2017 Location: AustraliaPosts: 292 |
@Captainboing - yes let's go to the moon! But how do we get back?? (assuming we want to...) No trees on the moon! B |
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| lizby Guru Joined: 17/05/2016 Location: United StatesPosts: 3378 |
My house is 170+ with the same foundation (but the rocks go down about 5 feet). I try to keep the slop down, but the slope also isn't too bad. Big cracks between the floorboards, but they had good 1-inch rough-sawn pine underlayment, so not much falls through or creeps up. PicoMite, Armmite F4, SensorKits, MMBasic Hardware, Games, etc. on fruitoftheshed |
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| Phil23 Guru Joined: 27/03/2016 Location: AustraliaPosts: 1667 |
Sitting on black mud here, that expands & contracts like crazy. Walking thru the place back then involved a few leans & climbs. Even sitting on the new stumps, there are a couple of doors where the top jam can open to almost an inch with the weather change. Even the new foundation don't make it down to rotten rock. Apparently that's about 25' down in this area, according to a well next door. One of the old stumps that came out; looked good above ground level....  Phil. |
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| TassyJim Guru Joined: 07/08/2011 Location: AustraliaPosts: 6283 |
This only just happened so I guess he will go through appeals etc. He paid $400k for the house, planning to demolish to build 4 town houses, knowing it was listed so no-one has any sympathy for him.If he doesn't pay, he will loose the land. I will be glad to slop across my sloping floors today. I have had my first ever stay in hospital and while the room I am in now has a nice view, even rabbits on the lawn like home, I really hope I can convince the quack that I am fit enough to go home. Jim VK7JH MMedit |
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| Grogster Admin Group Joined: 31/12/2012 Location: New ZealandPosts: 9610 |
@ Phil23 - Impressive below-ground stump deterioration going on there! As you said: Looks fine above ground.... @ Jim - Ahhh, well, that changes things a little. Perhaps they WILL get that 200k out of him.  I should really reword my above to something along the lines of: 'No point in issuing gigantic fines to people unless you know they have deep pockets or suitable assets that can be taken off them via the courts.' As for fining Joe Bloggs $50,000,000 for something - that makes no sense to me at all.EDIT: You're in hospital.  I hope nothing serious. Get well soon.  This thread has morphed into a very interesting general discussion. I don't mind. It's all interesting. Keep posting. Smoke makes things work. When the smoke gets out, it stops! |
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| BrianP Senior Member Joined: 30/03/2017 Location: AustraliaPosts: 292 |
We have a "floating" concrete slab here with 2 levels laid on a hillside (clay on gravel). And does it float! Doors binding (or gaps) based on seasonal conditions. The 2 levels "float" at different rates/amounts, which does wonders for the interfaces between the levels. This was the way to go naively back in the 1970s, but I wouldn't do it again. (Hopefully I won't have to...). We are about 110ft. (in the old jargon)above sea level so I guess I don't have to worry too much about global warming Our local council is not as feral as NZ it seems (at the moment) about alterations, trees etc. but there is a distinct leaning towards more power for the bureaucrats. We are located in South Gippsland, Vic. in OZ (the most southerly town in mainland OZ - can almost see Tassie Jim's home country from the top of Wilson's Promontory. I love threads that morph - it provides a refreshing look at the wider world while keeping the base subject alive. Cheers Brian P. |
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| Grogster Admin Group Joined: 31/12/2012 Location: New ZealandPosts: 9610 |
[Quote=Brian]...but there is a distinct leaning towards more power for the bureaucrats.[/Quote] Whatever you do, DON'T let them have it. Once they have any kind of power, they wield it like a axe, and it is exceedingly difficult to get them to relinquish that power once you have let them have it in the first place. The world is over-regulated as it is, IMHO..... Smoke makes things work. When the smoke gets out, it stops! |
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