ferretfixer

Well, I thought it might be 'Interesting' (Or not to some!) to follow up on my thoughts. On the 'New' Forum layout. I still do not like it as much as the old Forum appearance. I used to visit the old site daily. I now haven't bothered to come on here again for Months. I still feel it has 'Lost' something.....:( Sorry if any Admin are 'Upset' by my comments. I did not intend that at all. To Me, it just doesn't seem as nice as the orig layout. But that is just Me. However, I am at least being honest about it. That is MY Personal Feeling about it. There may well be others who feel similarly? I am grateful however, that at least some of you admin chaps. Have actually bothered & made an Effort in introducing this new layout. To at least keep the forum going! I TOTALLY support That! Small Potato's I know. but I took the time to at least follow up on my very first Post on This Topic.

Would the commander be Stuart Read by any chance?

As a slight aside on this topic. I know that there were/ are large Microfische reader machines. That as well as obviously reading the fische, could also print off hard copy pages as well. What a superb way of reproducing the content of any manual/ parts list into book/ booklet form. These could then be sold on perhaps?, to recoup the original outlay of one of these magnificent machines!

LOOKS like the standard brown painted steel ammo containers. Which were used with a variety of Ammo Types & calibres. Yes, one of these would have held Two green plastic twin Bomb carriers. For 81mm Mortar Bombs. Making a total of four bombs to each Steel Transit Box.

There you go Admin, It's not just Me that feels like this then. Thank Goodness my observations / experience on the new Forum. Are not just Me! Other's too, have similar feelings on the new layout. It would seem that the MUCH larger spacing between subjects. Is taking up far too much space. & making scrolling etc through. To find a topic you are interested in. Much longer to navigate. I like the close way subjects were stacked on the old layout. It was HUGELY Easier to simply see, AT A GLANCE. EVERYTHING listed, & a LOT easier to pick out what content you wanted to read. Would it be possible to reduce the 'spacing' & condense the subject coulomb. SIMILARLY to the old Format? Just my thoughts, I'm not an IT expert at all! I find I am not alone in not being a child of the computer age!....;) Your hard work HAS been acknowledged, And very well done. But, I feel the layout needs 'tweaking' somewhat? Regards: Mike.

Hello Trevor. Yes I can understand your frustration over some comments. However, I DID point out that I acknowledged the new website had taken a LOT of time And Hard Work to implement I also mentioned that fact that it was for my taste, too 'spaced'. This it would seem has had a similar effect on some other members also. The correct word's would be I guess. Excessive scrolling to get through the myriad of 'content' sections! As another member has pointed out. The condensed Column Format was immensely easier to navigate. As the topics were grouped MUCH closer together. & it was MASSIVELY easier/ FASTER to get through to read what you wanted. Rather than waste time going through a much larger layout. It is obvious others are finding this irksome/ difficult also. By their comments. Please don't feel offended by my thoughts on the forum layout. It was not intended to point the finger so to speak. But rather my own thoughts & experience of the new layout. As stated by another, 'We are all Resistant to change'. But I have to say in my own case, I have found the change 'Difficult' to live with at present. I do not begin to pretend to understand how & what went into the production & implementation of the new 'Layout/Function' of the new Forum. but I have to say. I am nowhere near as interested in it now. Than I used to be Hence my statement, that I do not visit here. Nowhere near as much as I USED to on a daily basis. Usually once a week now.......No offence intended. just MY personal View of it all. Mike.

Well, The new Forum is obviously up & running. I am confident a lot of work went into This project. However, I don't know if it's just Me. But I feel now that the Forum is a little too 'Spaced' Between subjects. The old layout was MUCH quicker to navigate. Due to the Left margin list of topics. Closely spaced on top of each other. Whilst being aware that a new medium was going to be implemented. For technical reasons Beyond my understanding in the computer World. I personally find the new layout MUCH less interesting. & far slower to navigate. As I have such a Busy Life (Don't a LOT of US?) I now visit the forum VERY infrequently now. I am not nit picking on this. And am most grateful for the Moderators Hard work here. But this is how I am finding the new website myself. I feel the Forum has 'Lost' something.......Am I alone in this thinking?

Isopropyl Alcohol is used in these. Usually using a syringe with a needle. Injecting the fluid will push the bubble out. But then you have to seal it again afterwards! IRRC it is plaster of Paris used to seal them?..

Certainly been a gap in my Daily Checks on the computer! I am not a 'child of the computer age' as such. So I'm confident I, like many others. Will have to learn anew, how to navigate this magnificent Facility. The HMVF! I'm sure that due to the time gap of the forum being 'down'. It took a LOT of work to Produce the new setup/ layout. Well done Joris & 'The Team'!

There are a couple of slightly different handle assemblies for these jacks. that do the same job in the end. One has Three square section shafts that fit together londitudily. & are kept together in use by a split pin on a captive chain. The handle is also metal with a short section welded about three inches from one end. In an upright position. This makes it easier to operate rapidly. At the end that goes into the jack squared hole. It is machined in a square shape to fit the jack socket. but the edges are Rounded, to allow up & down movement. Similar to a CV joint in operation. The second pattern, is only two section. But each section is longer than the three section shafts but it will end up when Put together. As the same length. it has a ring welded on one end. & through this ring, is slipped a tapered wooden handle. & that's it really!....

:laugh: I saw my first KRAKA whilst serving in B.A.O.R Germany. It was approx. 1975 in the summer. I was Then a vehicle Mechanic, & was working outside. On Ferret Scout cars in the L.A.D Vehicle park. I heard this throb, throb sound coming towards me from above. & a Chinook Helicopter flew over & landed about 400 Yards away outside our camp. To the rear of this camp was a Bundeswher open training area. To which the public had full access to if they wished. The rear tailgate of the Chinook was lowered down, & three KRAKA's SHOT out the back. One by one! I mean REALLY shot out!.....These fast moving machines made an immediate positive impression on Me then. Which has stayed with Me to this day! A couple of weeks later, I was again working in the vehicle park, when I heard this strange whirring sound! I looked up, & coming down the side of the camps chain-link fencing. Was a Column of KRAKA's! FANTASTIC sight, I have to say! Fully laden with 2 x extra troops on each vehicle. & a load in the rear load cage areas. The whirring noise is a distinctive sound from these, as they are as I said previously. Chain driven to both rear wheels. The chain is typically German over engineered for reliability. 1" Inch wide links!!! FAR more than you need, but it 'Aint gonna snap on you!.... Those memories I carried in the back of my mind. & just like the three Ferret Scout Cars I have owned over the years. I never in a million Sunday's. Ever thought I would own an example of this very interesting little 'Tin Horse'! I couldn't afford one either, as well as locating an example to purchase here in the UK. It was last year, I had a sum of money that was owed to Me. That came to fruition, & put me in a position to be able to afford a KRAKA........ I looked & looked on Ebay Germany. But couldn't afford an example then. At what they were selling for in Auction! :-( However......I put a request out here on the forum, again last year. & a smashing member from Belgium put THREE links up with examples for sale, would you believe?.....Yes, just like buss's, you wait for ages for one to come along. & then THREE turn up at the same time!!! LOL. That was the largest amount of KRAKA's I have ever seen for sale. as they do NOT come up for grabs very often! So I got in contact with the owner of one, obviously at the cheapest price!.....a fair bit of communication passed between us. But as is typical of most German vehicle owners. He was a man of Honour, & helped Me a fair bit with the purchase. You wouldn't believe the amount of paperwork involved on the German side of things (Typical again!) to sell an 'Old timer' vintage vehicle????....But it all came to me in dribs & drabs in the post. Once the funds had been transferred, I had the dilemma of how to collect this vehicle?.......The obvious solution was to hire a trailer, & drive over to Germany. & bring it back myself! However......At such short notice (& would incur extra expense) How could I drive there without making provision for my Wife at the same time? (She is now Severely Disabled, & Wheelchair Bound) it was a non starter that way!...... The Little KRAKA was located in a Town almost touching the Polish Border, it couldn't have been any Dammed further over, could it?......:-( So, I contacted a firm on Facebook, who ran a mini bus weekly. To Poland & back, bringing workers to & from the UK & their respective luggage. A VERY helpful & Friendly English end of things Chap I spoke to. Assured Me that they had also hauled cars to the UK as well. so, we agreed a VERY fair price. Half the price was paid as a deposit & to show good faith. The Kraka arrived at 07.00 Hrs on Saturday Morning last year in August. & BOY, was I excited when we peeled the sheet off of it! The two Polish Guys were most helpful & polite. & showed a keen interest in this unusual vehicle. They even took snaps with us all posing in front of it, on the trailer! :-) I have added a few items of Bundy equipment & a dummy 'load' of various items needed on exercise in the field. My Display, represents 'Battalion 273 of the Bundeswher Fallschirmjager Regiment. Stationed in Iserlohn, North Rhine West Fallia during the 1980's. The same time that I was Stationed there, during that time frame in my Career. This unit was disbanded in 1994 & their camp is now a Museum. For, would you believe. All things connected with the Town Council's Waste disposal & cleaning service/ equipment????? There are on display, Various restored vehicles & equipment for that task. Yes If you are technically minded I suppose. it might be interesting from a collectors point of view. But to Me personally, having sank many a Beer with my German contemporaries in that camp. A very sad & ignominious end, to which was also a wartime German Barracks.....:-(

:laugh: There are a Myriad of this style of sight. All looking pretty much the same at first glance! Obviously, each different sight for each different type of weapon. Was a Different Nomenclature Mark. No.43, No:51 Etc, Etc. you get the idea?... They aren't only any use really, unless you are needing one for your tank armament, or field gun Etc!.... Or you find a rarity, a collector who actually collects this range of 'optic's'!..... I have seen MOST selling for £15 to £45 pounds. dependant on Known rarity. Most wartime examples Are actually common, & turn up at car boot fairs fairly frequently. I hope this guiding info MAY, be of some use to you?

Hi Terry, Thanks for your kind words. Yes indeed, MS is an Evil & indiscriminating Disease!..... I have viewed just about everything there is to see on YouTube. Involving KRAKA's. As you might expect! I know what you mean about the guy 'Thrashing' his example about on there! These Machined do have a very low centre of gravity, & that is probably why He could do what He did with his. Personally, I wouldn't want to drive mine like that! They are just the most enormous fun to drive about on, 'Normally'. They are not fast! Top speed is only about 30 MPH flat out. But although fully equipped to drive on the road. They were primarily designed for cross country use, but fully capable of road use. If you don't mind holding up the traffic behind you! I saw my first KRAKA whilst serving in B.A.O.R Germany. It was approx. 1975 in the summer. I was Then a vehicle Mechanic, & was working outside. On Ferret Scout cars in the L.A.D Vehicle park. I heard this throb, throb sound coming towards me from above. & a Chinook Helicopter flew over & landed about 400 Yards away outside our camp. To the rear of this camp was a Bundeswher open training area. To which the public had full access to if they wished. The rear tailgate of the Chinook was lowered down, & three KRAKA's SHOT out the back. One by one! I mean REALLY shot out!.....These fast moving machines made an immediate positive impression on Me then. Which has stayed with Me to this day! A couple of weeks later, I was again working in the vehicle park, when I heard this strange whirring sound! I looked up, & coming down the side of the camps chain-link fencing. Was a Column of KRAKA's! FANTASTIC sight, I have to say! Fully laden with 2 x extra troops on each vehicle. & a load in the rear load cage areas. The whirring noise is a distinctive sound from these, as they are as I said previously. Chain driven to both rear wheels. The chain is typically German over engineered for reliability. 1" Inch wide links!!! FAR more than you need, but it 'Aint gonna snap on you!.... Those memories I carried in the back of my mind. & just like the three Ferret Scout Cars I have owned over the years. I never in a million Sunday's. Ever thought I would own an example of this very interesting little 'Tin Horse'! I couldn't afford one either, as well as locating an example to purchase here in the UK. It was last year, I had a sum of money that was owed to Me. That came to fruition, & put me in a position to be able to afford a KRAKA........ I looked & looked on Ebay Germany. But couldn't afford an example then. At what they were selling for in Auction! However......I put a request out here on the forum, again last year. & a smashing member from Belgium put THREE links up with examples for sale, would you believe?.....Yes, just like buss's, you wait for ages for one to come along. & then THREE turn up at the same time!!! LOL. That was the largest amount of KRAKA's I have ever seen for sale. as they do NOT come up for grabs very often! So I got in contact with the owner of one, obviously at the cheapest price!.....a fair bit of communication passed between us. But as is typical of most German vehicle owners. He was a man of Honour, & helped Me a fair bit with the purchase. You wouldn't believe the amount of paperwork involved on the German side of things (Typical again!) to sell an 'Old timer' vintage vehicle????....But it all came to me in dribs & drabs in the post. Once the funds had been transferred, I had the dilemma of how to collect this vehicle?.......The obvious solution was to hire a trailer, & drive over to Germany. & bring it back myself! However......At such short notice (& would incur extra expense) How could I drive there without making provision for my Wife at the same time? it was a non starter that way!...... The Little KRAKA was located in a Town almost touching the Polish Border, it couldn't have been any Dammed further over, could it?...... So, I contacted a firm on Facbook, who ran a mini bus weekly. To Poland & back, bringing workers to & from the UK & their respective luggage. A VERY helpful & Friendly English end of things Chap I spoke to. Assured Me that they had also hauled cars to the UK as well. so, we agreed a VERY fair price. Half the price was paid as a deposit & to show good faith. The Kraka arrived at 07.00 Hrs on Saturday Morning last year in August. & BOY, was I excited when we peeled the sheet off of it! The two Polish Guys were most helpful & polite. & showed a keen interest in this unusual vehicle. They even took snaps with us all posing in front of it, on the trailer! I have added a few items of Bundy equipment & a dummy 'load' of various items needed on exercise in the field. As can be seen in the photo's above. My Display, represents 'Battalion 273 of the Bundeswher Fallschirmjager Regiment. Stationed in Iserlohn, North Rhine West Fallia during the 1980's. The same time that I was Stationed there, during that time frame in my Career. This unit was disbanded in 1994 & their camp is now a Museum. For, would you believe. All things connected with the Town Council's Waste disposal & cleaning service/ equipment????? There are on display,Various restored vehicles & equipment for that task. Yes If you are technically minded I suppose. it might be interesting from a collectors point of view. But to Me personally, having sank many a Beer with my German contemporaries in that camp. A very sad & ignominious end, to which was also a wartime German Barracks.....

Possibly one day next year Terry. Mine is preserved up & sheeted over for the winter now. Also time is in VERY Short supply for Me! As I am a Fulltime carer for my Wife, who is now severely disabled. The W&PR Show is my 'Holiday/ Respite' each year. As I have to put Her in Respite Care for 2 weeks then. Boy, do I make the most of that show/ Time!..... There are a number of video's of KRAKAs on youtube. One in particular shows German Bundeswehr Para's Folding The KRAKA. As well as explaining what heavy weapons were carried/ mounted on some of them. (In German Language) The question remains unanswered. Are there ANY other KRAKA owners here in the UK?..........

:embarrassed: They only built 640 of them Terry. & they don't come up for sale too often sadly. I got mine from Germany, where they were manufactured originally. BMW 900 M/C engine, the same as in the Isetta Bubble Car. Chain driven to each Rear wheel. Easy to work on, as the rear cargo decking lifts off. & you can get to Everything! From what I can gather, as well as my own Kraka. There are possibly only one or two Other's in the UK. But I cannot state that as a certainty. Hence my original post on another thread. Wanting to contact/ link up with fellow Owners in the UK. This is my own Kraka at W&PR Show this July, 2017.

OK Niels, Many Thanks.

Yes Robin, I have added some content to that thread also.

KRAKA = Kraftkarren. (Strong Carrier) Used by Bundeswher Para units only. The Photo on the original post is an early version. Later a large storage box was added to each side. I have owned many Ex Mil Vehicles including Armour. But I have to say, this vehicle is one of best I have owned. Just for the fun factor of driving it! Are there ANY other UK owners here on the forum?...

Yes indeed! A pair of tyres!...

Erstwhile Forum Members! Do any other Members on here in the UK. Own a faun Kraka? I would like to get in touch with any owners, as this vehicle is quite scarce in Private Ownership in the UK. Ta muchly! or should that Be: Ich, Sie bedank! LOL

It's been a long time now HB. So I couldn't state with any accuracy, a reply to your question. Sorry. A lot of laws have been repealed/ discontinued, in a trawl to 'Tidy up' outdated laws of old. Most land is privately owned of course. & some areas do indeed have public right of way access footpaths. BUT, straying FROM those footpaths can be classed as trespassing. A Map of any particular piece of land, lodged & at the land registry offices. Would give clarification as to the paths & official boundaries I would say. You would have to do some in depth research to get clarification. On the 'Right to roam' Law (If it still exists in that form?) I would advise, prior to embarking on crossing any land that does not belong to you. Just my thoughts

Definition of a Road: ' A road/ highway. That is maintained wholly, or partly. At PUBLIC Expense'. Definition of a Public Place: 'A Place where the Public have access. By Payment, or otherwise'. As taught to Me a few years ago. When I was a serving Police officer, in a secondary career..... It COULD be argued I suppose. That a roped off area is NOT a 'Public Place' as such. As it is clearly Defined as a no entry feature. Due to it being roped off. I have found though, that this does not Stop some people from using your area as a 'cut-through' on foot. To where they wish to go at times!..... I haven't check my Mil Veh Insurance Policy lately. But seem to recall on at least one I had. It also mentioned 'Off Road Cover'. Which I took to cover my vehicle at shows on grassed fields?..... Now taking the two quotes above. This will no doubt add to comments on this thread? Not meant to Stir things up at all. But food for thought, Yes?....

Looking for an example of your common or Garden. US T-19 or T-19D Microphone. I don't mind either. The type used with the GRC-9 Radio's. If it's cheap enough, & non working That would also do! It's only for a prop with a GRC, so as long as complete, that's fine. Thanks in advance Guys! Mike :tup::

Yes indeed, the Caps' Combat DPM were only worn in my time in Basic training on the final Exercise. At unit level they were rarely worn, except when 'Playing' Enemy for Training Purposes. I have often seen them worn in Barracks, by the odd individual. When they have 'lost' their issue beret. This was done until a replacement could be obtained & PAYED FOR. By the unfortunate persons concerned! you HAD to wear headgear to salute/ Pay compliments to officers you see. The only People authorised NOT to wear any headgear were prisoners being 'Beasted'/ Marched around camp. Or when outside doing PT / Running/ Sport. They are still issued today, though as pointed out by another poster. In MTP material. I believe the same 'scorn'/ Looked down on attitude. Still prevails towards; 'Caps, Combat MTP. Today!...:-D