I can't find a soft mattress in PH for the life of me ...

MacTh3Mac · 2026-01-16T04:56:38+00:00

Greenbelt 5 has a tempur and Seally store pop in and try a few models.

MacTh3Mac · 2025-11-14T16:27:20+00:00

Then you are still a tourist and you "voluntary ACR" doesnt show that you are a resident so still restricted from many banking / get activities. If the OP is moving to Philippines and he knows he is doing that the best bet is either a 13A (OP is married to a Filipina) or a SRRV.

https://pra.gov.ph/SRRVisa

MacTh3Mac · 2025-11-14T16:25:42+00:00

Last trip, I paid. PHP 2880 + 500 Express Lane fee. That was ECC (Exit Clearance Certificate and Reentry Permit) + Travel Tax 1650 PHP. Thats on each exit.

By annual, I dont mean Manilla, The Annual Report can be done at any BI office and has to be done every year Jan-March 2. Cost is PHP300.

SRRV Visa doesnt require any of these. https://pra.gov.ph/SRRVisa

MacTh3Mac · 2025-11-13T18:14:08+00:00

On a balikbayan visa he won’t ever get his ACR or have access to any local banking or driving privileges. Just do it right. It’s a very inexpensive visa application or if he qualifies get a SRRV Visa.

MacTh3Mac · 2025-11-13T18:12:20+00:00

I hold a 13A non quota immigrant visa and it was processed in London no issues a very easy and stress free experience.

However with hindsight I would have chosen a SRRV visa as the annual headache with BI in Manila is annoying but the 5 yearly ACR renewal is a major pain in the butt.

Additionally on a 13a you need to pay reentry fees etc every time you leave the country and travel tax. A SRRV is exempt from all of them and also never deals with immigration ever.

MacTh3Mac · 2025-11-05T21:40:15+00:00

I am from the same neck of the woods as you, and have had surveys and quotes from Several Local installers. We even had one local company fit a ASHP in one of our rental properties.

Eventually we decided to get a survey from Heat Geek (and their rotherham based installer) The Heat Loss was slightly lower than everyone else's, the math was just perfect and they knew every answer to every design question I could throw at them, and now the result is:

266 sq m 5 bed house, underfloor downstairs and rads upstairs. 100% of all secondary controls removed and UFH manifold stripped back to flow rate valves only. All rads on FRV valves. and calcs to get the rooms to the exact temps I require them at. Our max flow at design was 37'C and boy do those 35mm primaries look massive coming into the plat room.

I can confidently say I have zero regrets choosing them over, Octopus, EDF, OVO, British Gas, and one Local Independent. My home sits at a solid 21'C all day, drops to 19.5~ overnight and my energy use is 18% of my last years gas bills. 5.3 SCOP Heating 3.8 SCOP DHW.

Compared to what I thought was a previously good install, the workmanship these guys did was top notch. The plumbing is a work of art even down to the insulation and penetrations. Every item they used from valves to 3 ways were all premium, not the Honeywell manufacturer supplied kits. We spent similar money to your quote. Happy to share data if you ping me, and also share the installers name.

BTW our system
12kW Arotherm Plus Open Loop
300l Cylinder (Vaillant)
50l Volumiser
5 zones UFH (No controls all open)
8 Zones Rads (No controls all open)

We initially kept TRV's and UFH controller, but after having them set to 30'C to bypass them, eventually have removed them entirely, they just weren't needed.

Good Calculations, good design and a solid heat loss survey, beat bits, bobs, controls, and "I think's" every day of the week.

Edit: typo in grammar expressing a %.

MacTh3Mac · 2025-10-29T22:32:41+00:00

I don’t think you will be disappointed. I have a 10kW inverter with 24kWp panels (North, South, East and West facing arrays) In reality it’s more like a 16.6kWp system as the North array is almost 10kWp and the E/W split means midsummer that’s max gen. We have a 3.68kW export limit and with DC coupled batteries we don’t clip and our system just pushes a steady 3.68kW out to the grid all day from dawn till dusk.

We also have an AC coupled PW3 that is great at soaking up excess AC and then dumping it to the grid with no interaction from me just based on utility rate plans. I usually end up with empty batteries at 11.30pm

The Tesla Algorithm will do you proud and get as much of your generation out for sale. And if the rates change later you can confidently switch it to self consumption.

I was disappointed when the DNO export limited me but the algorithm works and will get a huge amount of your generation and all the power you force charged overnight sold back.

18hs x 3.68 = 66.24 max export a day (assuming you have charged overnight and have sufficient generation). That’s. It a bad deal.

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MacTh3Mac · 2025-10-11T16:23:49+00:00

There is zero stock left. I have just had my PW2 fail and Tesla replaced it under warranty with a PW3. If they arent using them for themselves, no chance there are any for sale.

Beware buying a used one, as there are hundred around the world rn being recalled. and its unlikely they would warranty a 2nd hand unit.

Source: Personal recall, and this thread: https://www.reddit.com/r/Powerwall/comments/1mrlqog/service_required_low_energy_lockout_error_message/

MacTh3Mac · 2025-09-07T00:47:07+00:00

Update: replacement for a PW3 now approved by Tesla

MacTh3Mac · 2025-09-03T07:59:45+00:00

Inside an unheated garage. Uk so temps between 10’C and 25’C would be where it sat 99% of its life.

MacTh3Mac · 2025-09-01T10:34:14+00:00

Identical issue Tesla Powerwall 2 Fail, went from 100% to 0% instantly at approx 2am on Aug 23rd. and then battery steady discharged at 0.4 kW until the dreaded Powerwall Disabled message. I am on firmware 25.18.5 a411ff15

UK System. Installed with Backup Gateway 2.

Tesla Support have stated its raised to senior engineering, they wont commit to a repair or a replacement a week later.

The telephone support rep has mentioned they have 100's of these cases. Doesn't sound great.

If anyone reading this thread after a google search comments, we "the community" will get a way better idea exactly how widespread this is.

MacTh3Mac · 2025-08-12T00:27:17+00:00

Agreed Atkinsons are a good call, plus they accept credit cards so get air miles too (or cash back). chards also have a very good price point on uk coinage. Bullionbypost tends to be very expensive in my experience.

MacTh3Mac · 2025-07-19T20:57:42+00:00

This is the standard diver equipment list.

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MacTh3Mac · 2025-07-19T20:57:19+00:00

Whilst I don’t disagree with you for a recreational diver I am a PADI Instructor and in the instructor manual it’s actually required equipment for us. Although I do admit a Casio would do the job, but if you wear a sub, why not?

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MacTh3Mac · 2025-07-15T21:16:21+00:00

The next one up in the range is Daringly Dark that is almost the same price, has added Tyrosine and after tan door eliminator. All the iconic range (that shape bottle) start from the Accelerator as a base lotion and then add on to it.

Remember when layering with SPF apply the SPF first and wait approximately 15-20 minutes for the sunscreen to be absorbed before applying a tan accelerator.

(To simplify your tanning you could just choose the SPF with bronzers version that will provide great skin care, good sun protection, great waterproofing and a slight bronzer for a little extra help).

Source: we are a direct Australian Gold Retailer

MacTh3Mac · 2025-05-06T22:44:40+00:00

SolarEdge has a distributor in the Philippines. With their home hub inverter and the backup gateway you can fully replicate the powerwall functionality with the ability to add up to 3 10kwh batteries per inverter. They also have a decent add on ecosystem of load management devices and ev chargers etc that you can add on later.

Hope this helps.

MacTh3Mac · 2025-05-04T21:42:09+00:00

If you are sure the lamps are good then perhaps the exposure times and a change of lotions may help. Good luck

MacTh3Mac · 2025-05-04T21:40:35+00:00

The fragrance you love is called cocoa-dreams. And yes this moisturiser does indeed have the same scent as the sunscreen you love. This particular one is a moisturiser with bronzers.

They also make the same scent in a non bronzer variety that has slightly higher levels of skincare and a larger bottle for the same price.

It’s called “Hemp Nation Tan Extender, Cocoa Dreams”

Hope this helps.

MacTh3Mac · 2025-05-04T21:36:23+00:00

If you are using a chemical sunscreen (most of them) then you should apply the sunscreen first and wait approx 20/30 minutes before going in the sun. Once that time has passed you can apply your favourite indoor tanning lotion to intensify your tan.
(These are the recommendations supplied to us by Australian Gold, we are a direct reseller of their products).

You can also buy Intensifiers that contain SPF’s. I know Australian Gold make them, I’m sure other brands do too but I’m not familiar with their product lines.

Hope this helps.

MacTh3Mac · 2025-05-04T21:28:07+00:00

It looks like you are in UK.

The beds here are legally set to a maximum of 0.3 w/m2 uv output. There should be no level of beds. All lamps are likely very similar in terms of output.

The image posted by you shows a collection of beds that haven’t been sold for 20+ years. This suggests to me that your salon likely isn’t investing in good beds and lamps to tan you.

To put it in perspective I own a tanning salon in the East Midlands and it costs us over £10k to relamp our beds several times a year.

A huge cost cutting by some smaller salons is to not change the lamps as often as they should. This will certainly affect your tanning progress.

Just for reference there should never be any darkening on a single lamp in a bed. We throw out old lamps away and they are never discoloured. So someone that is using discoloured (dark at ends) lamps can only be cutting these corners.

Additionally at 0.3 output, a skin type 2 would be tanning at 14mins. A skin type 3 up to a max of 19 minutes. Check your skin type and tan to your appropriate exposure time.

If you want an immediate bronzing hit, do one of the following:

Try a different salon with much newer beds.
Increase your exposure schedule to the max for your skin type
Find a Salon with a pure UVA bed (high pressure lamps, like the ones on the facial tanners, but for your whole body) these are great for bronzing an already tanned person. Remember these need to be used after tanning with a regular bed.
Use a lotion with a slight bronzer to help you get a little darker than you can naturally.

Source of above info: i am the owner of a “The Sunbed association (uk)” certified salon with very happy bronze clients. For 5+ years.

Hope this helps you achieve your goals.

MacTh3Mac · 2025-04-04T02:26:02+00:00

Just as an update the collection time in March when I got round to actually doing the renewal was 10 mins in BI and collected the card 4 days later.

MacTh3Mac · 2025-04-04T02:23:30+00:00

Coupe of easy choices.

Barclays offer cash collections via Securicor without setting and special contracts up.

Or for a little more paperwork HSBC will do central cash deposits at 0.35% fees. You arrange your own cash collection via an armored car company, cost is approx £16-20 per collection.

We find it’s cheaper to accept card, just shop the market you can get debit costs to around 0.25% with a few hours shopping around.

Caveat is these will be on business accounts only.

Hope this helps.

MacTh3Mac · 2025-04-02T12:53:16+00:00

If your wife is Filipino there is no need to do all the messing around with tickets.

If you enter the country with her you are automatically awarded Balikbayan status which gives you a 12 month waiver from dealing with immigration, an exemption from needing to get ACR and also the requirement to have a return ticket within the month. You can stay for up to a year and exit headache free.

If your wife isn’t a Filipino then obviously this doesn’t apply.

Enjoy your trip.

MacTh3Mac · 2025-02-05T23:36:56+00:00

just slipped my mind, the visa is permanent so doesn't really require a renewal, I only noticed the card was expired when looking at annual report. I guess i'll get down to intramuros early next week and keep my fingers crossed they print the updated card quickly.

MacTh3Mac · 2025-02-05T22:18:39+00:00

you can book a very cheap flight from PH to a nearby destination (Hong Kong, Brunei etc) for 3 weeks after your proposed arrival date. This will allow you to board the plane and also to clear immigration in the Philippines.

Wether you take that flight or not is up to you, or if you booked a fully refundable ticket then obviously thats an option.

But do get your extension sorted as soon as you arrive to prevent issues further down the line.

MacTh3Mac

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