Last Saturday afternoon, I was at Matunga (C.R.) to buy some things from the market. Since I landed up at Matunga station taking a C.R. train, I thought I might as well eat some South Indian stuff. There was the hopelessness of making a choice from among so many eateries there: Starting from "Ram Ashraya" near the station, "Saraswati", to "Cafe Mysore", "Anand Bhavan", "Cafe Madras" at Maheshwari Udyaan. "Idli House" was out of the question as it would be closed for lunch (what business sense?). Calculating at what seemed to be the speed of light, the mind zeroed in onto "Dahi Rice" at either "Cafe Mysore" or at "Ram Ashraya". But when I came out of the station, of course, there was "A. Rama Nayak's Udipi Shri Krishna Boarding" (hereafter referred to as ARN USKB) (review by Busybee is here) to be considered. How could I have forgotten to consider that? All computational power used up was wasted and I decided to go to the ARN USKB. One of the main driving forces was that I hadn't visited that eatery for many years now.
So up the flight of stairs behind Matunga vegetable market (BMC market) and I arrived on the first floor. Lots of people (well-dressed) waiting in a queue. (Those Gujjus certainly contribute to lot of these ARN's business, I thought.) I went past those people and landed up near the counter...the same boss (Satish Nayak from Idli House seated there). I gave him a Rs. 100 note and he gave me some coupons and Rs. 71. That made the lunch cost equal to Rs. 29. But I could've opted for a bare minimal meal and got only one (main) coupon...I think that would have cost me Rs. 23 or so.
Anyways, I was directed inside the "general" seating hall, ahead of all the people waiting. It wasn't that I used influence...those people waiting were for the "unlimited" section, I guess. The "general" or the "limited" section is for getting only limited food. Sayings by "Sane Guruji" and his photograph were displayed on the walls. I could not understand the relationship between Udipi and "Sane Guruji". Maybe ARN was firmly impressed by Guruji's thoughts and ideals.
After being seated, a "server" came to my table, took one of the coupons, and put down a glass of buttermilk. Then, came a plate with 2 chapatis, 2 mounds of rice, a bowl of sambar, a bowl of kadhi, papad, and 2 vegetable preparations (subji). I finished eating it. Some "servers" keep moving about asking if we would like more of the gravy. I then gave another coupon and took a bowl of curd. Another coupon was for the sweet dish. There were 4 sweet dishes to choose from. I took "aamras". I was done with my lunch. Then, it was time to look around.
Oh I could see people of all kinds...some Gujarati women, some North Indian men, even a Muslim family with women in burqas. I was surprised to see this family. I mean one does not expect people who relish non-vegetarian food to eat at this eatery. Maybe they did not know what they would get, but one second thoughts, no one would come to the eatery on the first floor of a municipal market whose entrance is at the very end of the road (next to the tracks) had they not known about it. Maybe they just felt like eating "plain" food for one lunch.
Of course, there were people from the relatively lower-middle classes. At Rs. 23 for a gentle-on-the-stomach lunch plate, why would anyone want to eat somewhere else?
Saturday, July 28, 2007
A major milestone reached
By the grace of the Supreme Lord, I can now say that I've finished reading the (English) translation of the "Bhagavad Gita - As It Is". For quite some time (years), I was stuck with having read only 3 chapters. Recently I figured out what the problem was and why I wasn't making any progress. I worked around that obstacle (you'll never guess it was so trivial, but the solution involved LaTeX).
The completion of reading the Gita is definitely the most major milestone in my life. That does not say anything about my having understood 100% of it. Also, the workaround involved skipping reading the purports (by HDG ACB SP) in the translation. Hopefully, reading the purports will increase my understanding. Until then, I can claim to have read (the translation of) all the verses.
I have never watched the Mahabharat serial that was telecast on television some years ago. I believe it also covered the conversation in the Bhagavad Gita. I do not know if it covers whatever is there in the Bhagavad Gita. I was surprised to see many questions directly answered in the Bhagavad Gita.
There is one thing that I would like to quote for now:
From BG Chapter 13, Verse 26:
Some other quotes will follow in posts to this blog later.
The next logical step is to read the purports and then the Srimad Bhagavatam.
The completion of reading the Gita is definitely the most major milestone in my life. That does not say anything about my having understood 100% of it. Also, the workaround involved skipping reading the purports (by HDG ACB SP) in the translation. Hopefully, reading the purports will increase my understanding. Until then, I can claim to have read (the translation of) all the verses.
I have never watched the Mahabharat serial that was telecast on television some years ago. I believe it also covered the conversation in the Bhagavad Gita. I do not know if it covers whatever is there in the Bhagavad Gita. I was surprised to see many questions directly answered in the Bhagavad Gita.
There is one thing that I would like to quote for now:
From BG Chapter 13, Verse 26:
Again there are those who, although not conversant in spiritual knowledge, begin to worship the Supreme Person upon hearing about Him from others. Because of their tendency to hear from authorities, they also transcend the path of birth and death.In my case, the "others" mentioned in the verse was a co-worker of mine. He is, of course, an ISKCON devotee. I would like to thank him.
Some other quotes will follow in posts to this blog later.
The next logical step is to read the purports and then the Srimad Bhagavatam.
Thursday, July 05, 2007
Amazing lectures of HDG ACB Srila Prabhupada
Recently I had the chance to hear some lecture recordings of HDG ACB Srila Prabhupada (courtesy Internet streaming and a good mechanism to find these built into Amarok, the KDE media player). Although I have read several books by Srila, I found the lectures to provide much more information. The voice also provides the emotional content - something that is not captured in the books. Srila's rasping voice, a tone that almost seems to reprimand the audience, and the authority with which Srila speaks, made me wanting to listen to more of the lecture recordings.
Most of these are recorded in the 1970s. CDs featuring these lectures are sold in the ISKCON stores. There is also a MP3 library (24 CD set) available containing all these lecture recordings (but I think its a bit too expensive).
Most of these are recorded in the 1970s. CDs featuring these lectures are sold in the ISKCON stores. There is also a MP3 library (24 CD set) available containing all these lecture recordings (but I think its a bit too expensive).
Monday, June 11, 2007
A chance visit to Vinay Health Home
This Saturday evening I ended up at the other end of the city (Girgaon) and to one of the places that I've seldom visited. Of course, as a child, I remember having been there to visit a famous Balaji temple at Phanaswadi.
Eventually, after many years, I came to equate Girgaon with Panshikar and Vinay Health Home (re-reading Busybee's reviews many times about this place may have had something to do with that). Actually, Girgaon could've been a sort of "branch" of Dadar or vice-versa...a kind of "mirror image". Most (important) shops in Dadar (used to) also happen to have a branch in Girgaon. "Vaman Hari Pethe", "Panshikar", "Haribhau Vishwanath Vadyavrinda"...
A sudden interest in buying amateur telescopes made me take a train to Charni Road and then visit a place near the Cawasjee Patel Tank (aka C. P. Tank). This telescope creator (Tejraj) has a small place (within a fourth-floor apartment) that sells telescopes...from small "pen-telescopes" right up to motorized ones (the ones that claim to enable one to see the craters on the moon's surface)...that is, ones that cost from Rs. 300 right up to about Rs. 75k.
Since I passed Vinay Health Home as I went along, I decided I would drop in on my return from the telescope "shop". I was surprised to see that it had undergone changes (the settings were quite different from that mentioned in Busybee's review).
I had Batata Poha and Piyush. I found the poha to be a bit oily, but good enough. Also, the quantity was a bit disappointing. The piyush, however, was one of the tastiest ones I have ever had...even better than the ones that I used to have regularly at Panshikar's in Dadar or at Sapre's in Goregaon. Bill = Rs. 30 (Rs. 15 each for the poha and the piyush).
Satisfied, I returned back by train.
The area itself is very strange. As one enters the Girgaon area on the Dr. Babasaheb Jaykar Road, one can see a strong presence of Maharashtrian people. Half-way along on the way to CP Tank, the composition suddenly changes and one can see many Gujarati people. Some buildings have their names written only in Gujarati.
Eventually, after many years, I came to equate Girgaon with Panshikar and Vinay Health Home (re-reading Busybee's reviews many times about this place may have had something to do with that). Actually, Girgaon could've been a sort of "branch" of Dadar or vice-versa...a kind of "mirror image". Most (important) shops in Dadar (used to) also happen to have a branch in Girgaon. "Vaman Hari Pethe", "Panshikar", "Haribhau Vishwanath Vadyavrinda"...
A sudden interest in buying amateur telescopes made me take a train to Charni Road and then visit a place near the Cawasjee Patel Tank (aka C. P. Tank). This telescope creator (Tejraj) has a small place (within a fourth-floor apartment) that sells telescopes...from small "pen-telescopes" right up to motorized ones (the ones that claim to enable one to see the craters on the moon's surface)...that is, ones that cost from Rs. 300 right up to about Rs. 75k.
Since I passed Vinay Health Home as I went along, I decided I would drop in on my return from the telescope "shop". I was surprised to see that it had undergone changes (the settings were quite different from that mentioned in Busybee's review).
I had Batata Poha and Piyush. I found the poha to be a bit oily, but good enough. Also, the quantity was a bit disappointing. The piyush, however, was one of the tastiest ones I have ever had...even better than the ones that I used to have regularly at Panshikar's in Dadar or at Sapre's in Goregaon. Bill = Rs. 30 (Rs. 15 each for the poha and the piyush).
Satisfied, I returned back by train.
The area itself is very strange. As one enters the Girgaon area on the Dr. Babasaheb Jaykar Road, one can see a strong presence of Maharashtrian people. Half-way along on the way to CP Tank, the composition suddenly changes and one can see many Gujarati people. Some buildings have their names written only in Gujarati.
Monday, June 04, 2007
24032007 KYN DLS: About
The KYN DLS is about 10 to 12 years old and is home to about 64 locos. The largest (diesel?) sheds, as per the DLS employee are the ones at NKJ (New Katni Junction) and Tughlaqabad (TKD).
The WDM2 has a rating of 2600 hp, whereas the WDG3 (Shaktis) are usually 3100 hp.
The WDM2 has a rating of 2600 hp, whereas the WDG3 (Shaktis) are usually 3100 hp.
Friday, May 25, 2007
24032007 KYN DLS: Braking in the WDM2
Many locos these days, explained the DLS employee, have Dual Braking systems (both vacuum as well as air brakes). Vacuum brakes were the older system, where vacuum is used for braking. However, this suffers from the disadvantage that is not easy to detect leaks in the brake pipes. Air braking systems, on the other hand, need to maintain a constant pressure in the pipes. Thus, any leak will be easily detectable due to the sound (hiss) of the leaking air.
There are multiple options for braking. The most common ones, of course, are the A9 and the SA9. These are levers in the WDM2 control stand as shown in the below image (click on it to see a larger view).
As is obvious, the train brake is for stopping the entire train, whereas the loco brake only gets applied to the loco. Applying the loco brakes with an entire train behind it, when in motion, is quite dangerous since it can cause banging and even derailment; the inertia of the coaches behind would result in their banging into the slowed-down loco causing great harm.
When the loco is started up, the brake pressure gauge should show 5 kg / sq.cm. Only then is enough pressure built up throughout the brake pipe (connected across all the coaches) to enable effective braking. The pressure is built up using a compressor. This also means that once the loco is cranked up, the pilot needs to wait until the appropriate brake pressure is built up. Further, if there is a (substantial) leak, the required pressure would fail to build up.
To brake, the pilot simply pulls the appropriate lever (train or loco) one notch at a time. As soon as that is done, the brake pressure falls down (indicated on the gauge).
There are other mechanisms as well: an emergency brake, a full-release, and one in the guard compartment too. However, according to the DLS employee, the other ones are hardly ever used as they can put the entire running train at the risk of an accident. The pilots would rather allow the loco to hit the obstacle (mostly animals, humans, etc.) than put the entire train at risk.
The "full-release" is a small "cap" connected to a vertical pipe in the WDM2 cab. When the brake pressure is built up, the cap would be quite tight and will not come off until one pulls hard at it. Just pull open the cap and a huge amount of air would get releases immediately...in a matter of 10 seconds, the entire loco would halt even if running at a speed of 70 kmph. As per the DLS employee, no one uses this braking mechanism.
The other interesting part was what the employee called the ECP (Emergency Chain Pulling). These days pulling the chain causes no action but the lighting of a small lamp on the control stand. The pilot is thus, made aware of the passenger's request to stop. However, as per rules, the pilot will halt the train only at the next station. That is the rule. The emergency chain in the coaches is thus not connected to the braking system at all!!!
That must be the reason why the train did not halt in this incident that was reported in the newspapers a few days ago. Even though the loco of the train in the incident reported would've been an electric BL (Valsad) WCAM3 or a WCAM2P, one could safely assume that the ECP mechanism is the same across these locos.
Another interesting aspect is the maintaining the pressure when the loco is stopped. As per the DLS employee, when the loco is powered off, the compressor would no longer be working and thus the air braking would not be effective. To overcome this, there is an air reservoir that stores about 130 liters of compressed air (filled up in the shed). This will allow the brake to be in place for at least an hour or two. It is therefore, always recommended to put wheel blocks in place when the train needs to halt for more time. This is done to prevent "rolling off" - a situation where the train simply moves along the rails without power (for example, when on a gradient).
There are multiple options for braking. The most common ones, of course, are the A9 and the SA9. These are levers in the WDM2 control stand as shown in the below image (click on it to see a larger view).
As is obvious, the train brake is for stopping the entire train, whereas the loco brake only gets applied to the loco. Applying the loco brakes with an entire train behind it, when in motion, is quite dangerous since it can cause banging and even derailment; the inertia of the coaches behind would result in their banging into the slowed-down loco causing great harm.
When the loco is started up, the brake pressure gauge should show 5 kg / sq.cm. Only then is enough pressure built up throughout the brake pipe (connected across all the coaches) to enable effective braking. The pressure is built up using a compressor. This also means that once the loco is cranked up, the pilot needs to wait until the appropriate brake pressure is built up. Further, if there is a (substantial) leak, the required pressure would fail to build up.
To brake, the pilot simply pulls the appropriate lever (train or loco) one notch at a time. As soon as that is done, the brake pressure falls down (indicated on the gauge).
There are other mechanisms as well: an emergency brake, a full-release, and one in the guard compartment too. However, according to the DLS employee, the other ones are hardly ever used as they can put the entire running train at the risk of an accident. The pilots would rather allow the loco to hit the obstacle (mostly animals, humans, etc.) than put the entire train at risk.
The "full-release" is a small "cap" connected to a vertical pipe in the WDM2 cab. When the brake pressure is built up, the cap would be quite tight and will not come off until one pulls hard at it. Just pull open the cap and a huge amount of air would get releases immediately...in a matter of 10 seconds, the entire loco would halt even if running at a speed of 70 kmph. As per the DLS employee, no one uses this braking mechanism.
The other interesting part was what the employee called the ECP (Emergency Chain Pulling). These days pulling the chain causes no action but the lighting of a small lamp on the control stand. The pilot is thus, made aware of the passenger's request to stop. However, as per rules, the pilot will halt the train only at the next station. That is the rule. The emergency chain in the coaches is thus not connected to the braking system at all!!!
That must be the reason why the train did not halt in this incident that was reported in the newspapers a few days ago. Even though the loco of the train in the incident reported would've been an electric BL (Valsad) WCAM3 or a WCAM2P, one could safely assume that the ECP mechanism is the same across these locos.
Another interesting aspect is the maintaining the pressure when the loco is stopped. As per the DLS employee, when the loco is powered off, the compressor would no longer be working and thus the air braking would not be effective. To overcome this, there is an air reservoir that stores about 130 liters of compressed air (filled up in the shed). This will allow the brake to be in place for at least an hour or two. It is therefore, always recommended to put wheel blocks in place when the train needs to halt for more time. This is done to prevent "rolling off" - a situation where the train simply moves along the rails without power (for example, when on a gradient).
Thursday, May 17, 2007
24032007 KYN DLS: Dynamic Braking in the Shakti
Switching to Dynamic Braking in the Shakti is quite simple. The same lever used to control the speed works in the reverse to initiate dynamic braking.
This lever in the photograph, if moved down from the center, notches up the speed (there are 8 notches)...move the same lever up from the center and you have dynamic braking.
The lever in the photograph is in the dynamic braking mode.
This lever in the photograph, if moved down from the center, notches up the speed (there are 8 notches)...move the same lever up from the center and you have dynamic braking.
The lever in the photograph is in the dynamic braking mode.
End of Sem 2...end of an year
By the grace of the Supreme Lord and all the other Gods, Goddesses, saints and gurus, I have managed to pass comfortably semester 2 of the MTech programme.
I got slightly better grades in semester 2 compared to semester 1.
Moving on to the next academic year, there's only one more course to be taken and the MTech Project. Hopefully, that will go off well too.
I got slightly better grades in semester 2 compared to semester 1.
Moving on to the next academic year, there's only one more course to be taken and the MTech Project. Hopefully, that will go off well too.
Back from a trip to the South
Just got back from a trip to the South...the trip was mainly for attending a ceremony in the family. After a gap of many years, I got to travel on long-distance trains. We traveled by Chalukya from DR to DWR (Dharwad - the station code still reflects the old name "Dharwar") and back. From DWR, we traveled to MYS (Mysore) and back. The journeys were quite pleasant...although the trains ran about 0.5 hr to 1 hr behind schedule.
The most disappointing thing about the trip was about having missed the opportunity to visit the UBL (Hubli) diesel loco shed - which is about 0.5 hr from DWR. WDP/Gs roamed freely on this section and it was nice to see so many of them.
The other significant thing about the trip was that the DWR-MYS journey must've had at least 50 W/Ls...so the loco was honking quite frequently.
The Chalukya from DR to YPR was hauled by (surprise!) a micro-processor-controlled Pune WDG3A Shakti.
The most disappointing thing about the trip was about having missed the opportunity to visit the UBL (Hubli) diesel loco shed - which is about 0.5 hr from DWR. WDP/Gs roamed freely on this section and it was nice to see so many of them.
The other significant thing about the trip was that the DWR-MYS journey must've had at least 50 W/Ls...so the loco was honking quite frequently.
The Chalukya from DR to YPR was hauled by (surprise!) a micro-processor-controlled Pune WDG3A Shakti.
Friday, April 20, 2007
24032007 KYN DLS: Shakti
The Shakti (a WDG3A) is said to be the longest diesel loco with the Indian Railways. Its actually a redesign by the DLW Varanasi engineers. On the day we were at the DLS, there was only one Shakti - the microprocessor controlled 13307. From what we were told, there are Shaktis that are not microprocessor controlled.
The Shakti's front-view (a WDM2 peers from inside the shed):
A group of students peer into the heart of the Shakti as the DLS guys explain the working of the generator.
The Shakti's front-view (a WDM2 peers from inside the shed):
A group of students peer into the heart of the Shakti as the DLS guys explain the working of the generator.
24032007 KYN DLS: Syllabus for the day
We reached KYN DLS a bit later than planned...it took some time to figure out how to get to the DLS. The approach road is quite confusing. We tried going through Shahad and then turned back and headed towards KYN. After asking for directions, we found a way through a very narrow road and then through a railway crossing to the DLS.
The DLS guys were, of course, expecting us. After showing the permission letter, we were let in. We were taken to a meeting room on the first floor from where we could see the activity in the shed. As we waited in the room for the DME (?) (some kind of official designation, I guess...maybe some Deputy Engineer), a board in the room displayed the "syllabus" for the day. The topics to be studied were on the board.
Take a look (note the last column labelled Future - KYN DLS has plans to home WDP4s and WDG4s - all microcontroller based controls).
The DLS guys were, of course, expecting us. After showing the permission letter, we were let in. We were taken to a meeting room on the first floor from where we could see the activity in the shed. As we waited in the room for the DME (?) (some kind of official designation, I guess...maybe some Deputy Engineer), a board in the room displayed the "syllabus" for the day. The topics to be studied were on the board.
Take a look (note the last column labelled Future - KYN DLS has plans to home WDP4s and WDG4s - all microcontroller based controls).
Saturday, April 14, 2007
24032007 KYN DLS: Bogies and Wheel profiles
A common misnomer, explained the DLS employee, is to think that a "bogie" is the coach that is attached to the loco. For example, we say "I have a seat in the bogie 11th from the loco". As per the DLS employee, a bogie does not only represent a coach. A loco also has a bogie. More precisely, all shells including that of the loco or the coaches are mounted on the bogie. Actually, the bogie includes the wheel arrangements and the frame on which the shell is mounted.
The WDM2 has a 3-point mount, whereas Shakti, the WDG3A has a 4-point mount. The WDM2 has a cast bogie, whereas the Shakti has a welded bogie. The Shakti, which is probably the brainchild of some desginers in DLW Varanasi, tried to overcome "limitations" in WDM2 as well as to improve the design of the AlCo WDM2. However, as one DLS employee put it, there is nothing to beat the WDM2 design. The Shakti poses problems non-existent in the WDM2. He was all praise for the WDM2...he even asked us to learn from the WDM2 design. I guess this comparison is similar to what people used to say about Unix (versus DOS, for example).
A closer look at the wheel reveals a tilted profile and fine treads.
The WDM2 has a 3-point mount, whereas Shakti, the WDG3A has a 4-point mount. The WDM2 has a cast bogie, whereas the Shakti has a welded bogie. The Shakti, which is probably the brainchild of some desginers in DLW Varanasi, tried to overcome "limitations" in WDM2 as well as to improve the design of the AlCo WDM2. However, as one DLS employee put it, there is nothing to beat the WDM2 design. The Shakti poses problems non-existent in the WDM2. He was all praise for the WDM2...he even asked us to learn from the WDM2 design. I guess this comparison is similar to what people used to say about Unix (versus DOS, for example).
A closer look at the wheel reveals a tilted profile and fine treads.
24032007 KYN DLS: Cranking the loco
"Cranking the loco" is not as the name suggests a strenuous physical activity. For a WDM2, it is simply pressing a big red switch for a few seconds. In an attempt to make us learn how the braking system works, one DLS employee cranked up the loco.
Two or three people were at work in the pit underneath the WDM2, while we were in or near the cab. After sounding the warning bell twice or thrice, the DLS employee pressed the big switch and the loco came to life.
Notice the 3-tier workplace including the pit. The platform (topmost) at the cab entry level is the place where workers can work on the top part of the loco. Then, there is the middle part for work near the wheels. Finally, at the very bottom, a pit for working under the loco.
Two or three people were at work in the pit underneath the WDM2, while we were in or near the cab. After sounding the warning bell twice or thrice, the DLS employee pressed the big switch and the loco came to life.
Notice the 3-tier workplace including the pit. The platform (topmost) at the cab entry level is the place where workers can work on the top part of the loco. Then, there is the middle part for work near the wheels. Finally, at the very bottom, a pit for working under the loco.
Sunday, March 25, 2007
A visit to KYN Diesel Loco Shed
Studying in IITB has some additional benefits as well. Apart from the fact that I can claim to be a student, one gets to participate in the other activities as well. A trip, of which I also was a part of, was organized by the Technical Club to the Kalyan (KYN) Diesel Loco Shed this Saturday.
It was a half-day trip, well-spent in the loco shed. A lot of knowledge was gained.
The shed staff were particularly welcoming and took great pains to explain in detail the workings of the shed as well as the locos. More about the trip later.
There are also plans afoot to visit the KYN Electric Loco Shed too. But that would probably be much later.
Update:
Other posts related to this visit can be found by clicking this link.
It was a half-day trip, well-spent in the loco shed. A lot of knowledge was gained.
The shed staff were particularly welcoming and took great pains to explain in detail the workings of the shed as well as the locos. More about the trip later.
There are also plans afoot to visit the KYN Electric Loco Shed too. But that would probably be much later.
Update:
Other posts related to this visit can be found by clicking this link.
Saturday, March 10, 2007
New items @ Jumbo King
Jumbo King, our desi version of McDonald, has introduced some new items. Apart from the staple wada pav, it has now introduced "JKWP (Jumbo King Wada Pav) Cholle (Rs. 10)", "JKWP Ussal" (Rs. 10) and "JKWP Schezwan" (Rs. 12).
When I first saw the boards, I mistakenly thought it was Cholle Pav. It turned out to be Wada Pav + a layer of Cholle spread inside the bread. Although the combination seemed strange, it did taste quite well.
When I first saw the boards, I mistakenly thought it was Cholle Pav. It turned out to be Wada Pav + a layer of Cholle spread inside the bread. Although the combination seemed strange, it did taste quite well.
Tuesday, March 06, 2007
A Lord Vitthal temple in Kerala!!!
This may come as a surprise to many, but here is the image of one that I visited when in Kerala. This one is in a place called "Kayankulam". Notice the black board with Malayalam messages whereas the text in Devnagiri above states the name of the temple.
Its the season of LCD
LCD is the style of the day! No, I don't care about the "current" style, but I just replaced my 3-year old 15-inch CRT monitor with a 15-inch TFT LCD monitor (Samsung 540N). It cost me about Rs. 8.5K (non-Lamington price).
One of the main reasons for buying it was the space saving afforded by the LCD monitor. These things are also supposed to last longer and to consume lesser energy. They are also supposed to be easy on the eyes. Since there is no refresh scan needed, I wonder whether the "black lines" that show up when photographing a CRT monitor will show up with this kind of monitor. Theoretically, it should not, but I will confirm it.
The space created by the smaller monitor can now be filled with the Bose "Companion 2 Series II" multimedia speakers that I've been eyeing for so long. After I have the money, that is.
One of the main reasons for buying it was the space saving afforded by the LCD monitor. These things are also supposed to last longer and to consume lesser energy. They are also supposed to be easy on the eyes. Since there is no refresh scan needed, I wonder whether the "black lines" that show up when photographing a CRT monitor will show up with this kind of monitor. Theoretically, it should not, but I will confirm it.
The space created by the smaller monitor can now be filled with the Bose "Companion 2 Series II" multimedia speakers that I've been eyeing for so long. After I have the money, that is.
Changing my "religion"
No, not that one; the other one. A few visits to "Idli House" has made me forget the other eatery at Matunga I used to frequent. When I did visit "Cafe Mysore", the coffee was off and the sambar was unusually liquid-y.
"Idli House" and "Ram Ashraya" (just opposite to where the Matunga Z-bridge ends) have now replaced visits to "Cafe Mysore" and "Anand Bhavan".
"Idli House" has an unusual policy of closing for lunch (its closed from 13:30 to 16:00).
"Idli House" and "Ram Ashraya" (just opposite to where the Matunga Z-bridge ends) have now replaced visits to "Cafe Mysore" and "Anand Bhavan".
"Idli House" has an unusual policy of closing for lunch (its closed from 13:30 to 16:00).
Friday, February 09, 2007
The BEST "Smart Card"
Update: As of mid-2010, this facility was withdrawn by B.E.S.T. Early 2011, the B.E.S.T. made some significant changes to the smart card system. New readers cum ticket vending machines were introduced with the conductors (these machines are much lighter than the heavy metal ticket boxes they used to carry earlier). So, the below post is now no longer valid.
The B.E.S.T. (Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport) "Smart Card" was introduced about a month ago; it was supposed to offer commuters various benefits including the hassle of finding change to buy tickets during their daily commute. After some inquiries with various people including the pass vendor at a bus depot, I finally bought a one-month bus pass that I thought would help me get the touted "benefits".
For the consumer, the process is simple: Go to a bus depot that offers these "Smart Cards". Decide which route you want to travel on (starting and end points plus the route) and decide the period of validity (weekly, monthly, quarterly). "Route" here does not necessarily mean the bus route number, but in the most usual cases, a route could be referred to with the bus route number(s). The person at the counter (probably a sub-contractor's employee) has an "Intel WebTerminal" with only a keyboard and a monitor with the appropriate network connection. The mouse pad is embedded onto the keyboard. After determining the fare, you are asked to pay the amount. For the monthly fare, it works to slightly more than what you would have paid for a 6-day-week 2-way daily commute. For example, if the regular one-way fare is Rs. 9, then the monthly fare is Rs. 480. Buying a quarterly pass would result in savings. An I-card with the holder's photograph stamped by the BEST (ala Railway Season pass) is supposed to be carried along with the "Smart Card".
To use it, one needs to simply board the bus and give the Card to the conductor, instead of buying a ticket. Technically, the destination must also be stated. The conductor has a clumsy card reader with which the conductor can check if the Card is valid (date wise) as well as whether it is valid on the route of the bus.
This last point had me thinking: I thought the card reader would have some complex "graph-based" implementation; Prof. Abhiram Ranade of CSE, IITB and his "Mumbai Navigator" did ring a bell. I thought the logic might compare the route (points) on the Card with the route of the bus that the reader is used in and it would tell if the pass is valid on the route or not.
It turns out that the reader is rather dumb, heck, even the "Smart Card" seems to be dumb. The Card seems to be nothing more than a storage area where certain information (the expiry date, the source and destination, as well as the I-card number) is stored. The reader simply reads this information and displays it on its screen. In addition, there is a green LED that glows to show whether the card is not past its expiry date (a red one probably glows to show it has expired...there's one more LED that has the label "Concession").
That's where the fun begins: it is now up to the conductor, I guess, whether to consider whether the Card is valid on the route of the bus or not. Given the complexity of the various bus routes, it seems strange as to how the conductor could make a guess. For example, if I have a bus pass from Powai to Vashi, does it mean I can go to Airoli. (There is at least one bus that goes from Powai via Airoli as well as the normal way via Ghatkopar). I have not tried this out, but I'm sure there might be conductors that object. For example, suppose with the Powai to Vashi Smart Card, I travel from Bhandup to Sonapur on a bus that goes from Sion to Mulund. How on earth would the conductor know that there is a route that exists that takes passengers from Powai to Vashi via Bhandup, Sonapur and Airoli. On one occasion, I even had a bus conductor ask me if the Card was valid for that route!.
The only benefits that I have gotten so far are the ability to use it on a wide variety of buses on the same route and unlimited number of commutes on the route.
There are some disadvantages with this:
The Smart Card proudly proclaims "Mumbai BEST / Mumbai Suburban Railways". I wonder what that "Railways" part is for; it might be for the upcoming Metro Rail. With the Smart Card looking real dumb, I wonder how long would take a hacker (well, "cracker" for purists) to fake the details on the Card.
Update (2007-December-15):
For some reason, this post is getting read a lot. I thought I must update this to put in some more information. Here are some more points regarding this "Smart Card":
Information on how to use the "SmartCard" for suburban railway travel is in this post.
The B.E.S.T. (Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport) "Smart Card" was introduced about a month ago; it was supposed to offer commuters various benefits including the hassle of finding change to buy tickets during their daily commute. After some inquiries with various people including the pass vendor at a bus depot, I finally bought a one-month bus pass that I thought would help me get the touted "benefits".
For the consumer, the process is simple: Go to a bus depot that offers these "Smart Cards". Decide which route you want to travel on (starting and end points plus the route) and decide the period of validity (weekly, monthly, quarterly). "Route" here does not necessarily mean the bus route number, but in the most usual cases, a route could be referred to with the bus route number(s). The person at the counter (probably a sub-contractor's employee) has an "Intel WebTerminal" with only a keyboard and a monitor with the appropriate network connection. The mouse pad is embedded onto the keyboard. After determining the fare, you are asked to pay the amount. For the monthly fare, it works to slightly more than what you would have paid for a 6-day-week 2-way daily commute. For example, if the regular one-way fare is Rs. 9, then the monthly fare is Rs. 480. Buying a quarterly pass would result in savings. An I-card with the holder's photograph stamped by the BEST (ala Railway Season pass) is supposed to be carried along with the "Smart Card".
To use it, one needs to simply board the bus and give the Card to the conductor, instead of buying a ticket. Technically, the destination must also be stated. The conductor has a clumsy card reader with which the conductor can check if the Card is valid (date wise) as well as whether it is valid on the route of the bus.
This last point had me thinking: I thought the card reader would have some complex "graph-based" implementation; Prof. Abhiram Ranade of CSE, IITB and his "Mumbai Navigator" did ring a bell. I thought the logic might compare the route (points) on the Card with the route of the bus that the reader is used in and it would tell if the pass is valid on the route or not.
It turns out that the reader is rather dumb, heck, even the "Smart Card" seems to be dumb. The Card seems to be nothing more than a storage area where certain information (the expiry date, the source and destination, as well as the I-card number) is stored. The reader simply reads this information and displays it on its screen. In addition, there is a green LED that glows to show whether the card is not past its expiry date (a red one probably glows to show it has expired...there's one more LED that has the label "Concession").
That's where the fun begins: it is now up to the conductor, I guess, whether to consider whether the Card is valid on the route of the bus or not. Given the complexity of the various bus routes, it seems strange as to how the conductor could make a guess. For example, if I have a bus pass from Powai to Vashi, does it mean I can go to Airoli. (There is at least one bus that goes from Powai via Airoli as well as the normal way via Ghatkopar). I have not tried this out, but I'm sure there might be conductors that object. For example, suppose with the Powai to Vashi Smart Card, I travel from Bhandup to Sonapur on a bus that goes from Sion to Mulund. How on earth would the conductor know that there is a route that exists that takes passengers from Powai to Vashi via Bhandup, Sonapur and Airoli. On one occasion, I even had a bus conductor ask me if the Card was valid for that route!.
The only benefits that I have gotten so far are the ability to use it on a wide variety of buses on the same route and unlimited number of commutes on the route.
There are some disadvantages with this:
- I used to rely on the BEST conductors to give me change (ATMs just dispense in multiples of 100s and the BEST conductors - especially those on the night buses - usually oblige passengers). Of course, I could still stick a Rs. 100 note and ask the conductor to give me change, but my collection of coins / notes seem exhausted just when I need them.
- The reader is too clumsy to use and it takes the conductor anywhere between 10 to 15 seconds to check the Card. That is too much of time - in crowded buses, conductors usually don't bother to check the Card at all.
- The ticket collectors have no way to identify where a passenger with a Card got in; the physical ticket used to have a punch to indicate where a passenger boarded the bus.
The Smart Card proudly proclaims "Mumbai BEST / Mumbai Suburban Railways". I wonder what that "Railways" part is for; it might be for the upcoming Metro Rail. With the Smart Card looking real dumb, I wonder how long would take a hacker (well, "cracker" for purists) to fake the details on the Card.
Update (2007-December-15):
For some reason, this post is getting read a lot. I thought I must update this to put in some more information. Here are some more points regarding this "Smart Card":
- For about Rs. 800 a month, one can load the "card" with an "all-route travel" option. With this, the commuter can travel anywhere, any number of times using any B.E.S.T. bus (except for the air-conditioned ones).
- There was news a few weeks back that the B.E.S.T. Smart Card could be used to buy tickets from the newly installed "Ticket Vending Machines" on the Mumbai suburban railways. The railways have come out with their own version of the "smart card", but it works differently than the B.E.S.T. one. The B.E.S.T. general manager had announced that they were "trying to integrate" the usage of the B.E.S.T. card on the railway system, but I have not heard anything after that.
- It finally happened...but it took one year. One conductor declared that my pass was not valid on a (section of a particular route). I asked him what took them so long to find out; after all, I'd been travelling on that route for nearly an year! Anyways, to avoid all controversies there after, I've changed my bus pass for an all-suburban route validity. More information about this is in this post.
Information on how to use the "SmartCard" for suburban railway travel is in this post.
Monday, January 01, 2007
Does their opinion count?
Recently I attended a discussion by a panel of "eminent Mumbaikars"; the topic was related to the future of Mumbai and how it was positioned currently. While most panel members expressed happiness that Mumbai was now better than it was in the previous decade, a few (actually, only one) panel members disagreed. Those who disagreed were from the "anti-Bihari / anti-UP illegal migrants" camp.
A little while later I got fed up of the discussion and walked away. I wondered later why we attach so much importance to these people's opinions. No doubt they are highly educated and well connected and all. But I wondered if their opinion should really matter. After all, these people hardly travel on the bus/train. They have hardly wandered out of their cars and out of their cosy castles. They would never have walked on the roads (try walking around Andheri station) and would never have taken a Virar fast from Dadar (and got off at Mira Road). They would never dare to walk alone in the dead of the night on the streets of Mumbai.
Yet these very people were talking about how life in Mumbai has become safer, how conditions have now improved, etc. Of course, if by "conditions", they meant "malls and brands", definitely things have improved. And by "safe", if they meant travelling in a car at night zooming over the flyovers, things have improved.
And the funny part was that the others (commoners) were listening. It should really have been the other way around! The commoners should have been talking and they (the people who could influence the authorities) should have been listening.
A little while later I got fed up of the discussion and walked away. I wondered later why we attach so much importance to these people's opinions. No doubt they are highly educated and well connected and all. But I wondered if their opinion should really matter. After all, these people hardly travel on the bus/train. They have hardly wandered out of their cars and out of their cosy castles. They would never have walked on the roads (try walking around Andheri station) and would never have taken a Virar fast from Dadar (and got off at Mira Road). They would never dare to walk alone in the dead of the night on the streets of Mumbai.
Yet these very people were talking about how life in Mumbai has become safer, how conditions have now improved, etc. Of course, if by "conditions", they meant "malls and brands", definitely things have improved. And by "safe", if they meant travelling in a car at night zooming over the flyovers, things have improved.
And the funny part was that the others (commoners) were listening. It should really have been the other way around! The commoners should have been talking and they (the people who could influence the authorities) should have been listening.
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