Week Twenty-Eight Of Air Conditioning, Foreign Motoring & The Wireless

Once upon a time, I did a review on an in car refrigeration device. It was made by Black & Decker who had exhibited at a car show. Their PR department sent me three products yet never followed up one iota. There was a powered screwdriver, an LED lamp and this is little in car fridge. Like everything except those products made for the serious RV market, they rely upon a small metal electrical doodad, as used inside every computer to keep the processor cool. When electricity is applied to this component, it pulls all the heat to one end and radiates it away. When I called Black & Decker to find out how it was made, it was clear the engineer knew about power tools but not refrigeration. Funny enough, flick a switch to run the electricity through the device backwards and it will heat instead of chill. In both directions the best of these devices are capable of a temperature change of 27°C. So it can chill to 27° below ambient, or heat to the same amount. I think the latter is a recipe for food poisoning and simply an effect of reverse polarity.
Anyway, I ended up writing a profoundly philosophical piece by way of review, (found here: Link) in which I stated that the number of refrigeration circuits in your life was a measure of your civilisation. Think about it. No fridge in your house? Then it is a cave or a tent. No fridge at the office and it’s a bit crap. But the minibar in your hotel room means you are somewhere posh. Likewise, a car with no air conditioning is a bit rubbish but one with a small refrigerator to chill two half bottles of champagne is a bloody Maybach!
The reason for mentioning that and my headline is that BBC local radio in Tyne Tees and West Midlands have been on the phone wanting me to chip in. I think I count as reliable for light and maybe entertaining motoring input. Tyne Tees’ morning producer gave me a call and asked about air conditioning in cars, as one of his colleagues refused to use the aircon in his car because of the fuel cost. I gave him both barrels of the above and he said ‘˜yes’. West Midlands Drivetime producer asked me about driving abroad. I explained that I had plenty of experience in Europe, but only minor experience in America which had left me terrified, despite being the motorist others are scared of around Park Lane and Hyde Park Corner! However, the actual funny thing is what happens when you come home and find yourself as the moron in the wrong place in the junction on your home country roads. After all, you don’t have badge on your car to show you are not from around here so as to elicit some dammed caution from your fellow motorist.
But the big mistake was to brag about it on social media. You may not know this but I have always had a fan page on Facebook! From about a year before I joined myself. The lad who started it has long since handed the page over to me and I do go on there to let those as cares know about any radio or TV work. I merely used my own profile this time. First, I was called to be told that another item had taken off and that I was to be delayed until after the news. That time came and went and they never did call back. Then Tyne Tees called this morning to tell me that my little item was delayed until tomorrow. The moral of this story, has to be about showing off!
If you do have air conditioning in your car, do consider having the gas in the system topped up. The difference is epic.
OK, better get cracking, as ever I have a backlog of work I better get at.
Adam Rayner On Line Editor!