Kostverlorenvaart

Since it's fun and propductive to tweak the pre-infusion once the digital module is installed, I frequently find myself trying out a new setting. With the module behind the right side panel, this involves a few steps: 1) switch off machine 2) take off reservoir lid 3) take off top panel 4) take out reservoir 5) take off side panel 6) adjust setting 7) attach side panel 8) attach top panel 9) insert reservoir 10) put on reservoir lid Taking off the reservoir / tank is necessary for me because re-attaching the top panel with the reservoir in place involves precision wriggling which I like to avoid. A downside of this is that frequently removing and re-inserting the reservoir can get dust / grease on the water level sensor and this causes the "i have no water" alarm to go off. Also I find that keeping the reservoir where it is prevents a situation where the pump is gasping with air instead of water, since re-inserting the reservoir opens/closes the connec...

Londinium-R - Digital Pre-infusion Module - easy to switch to low pre-infusion pressure for a smooth sweet extraction of a relatively dark roast.

Extracting a smooth, sweet and floral espresso from a blend roasted light for filter. 20g ground on the etzMAX into the 18g IMS Londinium basket. Flow can be slowed a bit if I dose 21g but the taste is so superb that I won't even bother to go there.

Tried the very light Kenya roast, intended for filter, on the LONDINIUM with the Digital Pre-infusion Module. Used 18.5g in the 18g IMS Londinium basket. This hard bean needed a very fine grind for which my early version of the etzMAX Medium is not specifically designed, so after the first shot I did the grinding on the huge Compak R120 which bites through hard beans without hesitation. (PS inserted 15 December 2018: meanwhile I found out that the etzMAX does handle the load if I grind 20g in the 18g IMS Londinium basket for the same flow characteristics) The resulting shot: good flow, enough of the dark spots on the crema to be a real espresso. Taste: spicy, laurel, none of the dry after taste that usually happened for me with less developed hard 'light roast' beans.

One of the features I was keen to enjoy is the option to 'tame' the modern light roasts, extracting them at higher pre-infusion pressure which enables the group to fill more, and start the extraction with a more compressed spring on the lever as the lever 'catches' at horizontal or even a little below that. I went out and bought a few bags of beans from a roastery that's well known for their very light roasts and tried a first bag, getting a lovely full bodied shot, spicy, with none of the nasty acidity that a low-pressure pre infusion would yield. Before, I would only drink that coffee at the cafe where I got the beans as they have adjusted their machine to compensate well for the light roast. Now I can easily adjust my own system to accommodate that light roast. I will next (today or tomorrow) try the even lighter ones roasted for filter. I had expected to have to grind (much) finer but as it happens, the high pre-infusion pressure and the much higher init...

Tije and I made this clip about the installation of the Londinium digital pre-infusion module . It expands the versatility of the Londinium L-R machine as it allows a flexible and precise adjustment of the pre-infusion pressure up to 6 bar.  Now, dark roasts can be gently extracted at a relatively low pressure, avoiding the 'burnt rubber' taste and on the other extreme of the pressure spectrum, light 'nordic' roasts and even those meant for filter coffee can be extracted as regular espresso.

Egon van Kampen restored a 1950s vintage RACAL RA17 receiver for me, testing all components, replacing a bunch of them, and recalibrating sections in the receiver. Egon van Kampen can be emailed at egonvk@hotmail.com - also thanks to Arno Wies for referring me to Egon! This receiver belonged to a man living on Overtoom, near my home here in Amsterdam NL and after he passed away, his widow and daughter cleared out his radio shack in the attic. At the time, a matching oscilloscope was also available but I did not yet know how unique and special that was... From Fred Osterman 's book Shortwave Receivers Past & Present 4th Edition Communications Receivers 1942--2013 : The Racal is an established name in British communications.The name Racal was derived from the first names of the designers of its first receiver: Sir Raymond Brown and George Calder Cunningham. These former Plessey employees started the company in 1950 as Racal ltd. Racal was the first commercial receiver...