HELP PAGE

Main Troubleshooting and Advice Page...

Hi! I'm the Help Symbol, if you see me throughout this site ill give you some handy advice!... Hello! Any items which might interest you - im here to tell you! Hey! Always take note of me! Im the Important Symbol - Take a second read at what im advising!

(C) Copywrited Articles, Pictures and Text...

All text and pictures are copywrited to Ships of CalMac unless otherwise stated with either a (C) symbol o the owners name or text. If you would like to use any images or text from this site please check whether they are copywrited. Use of SoC (Ships of CalMac) material must be credited to this site with a URL. Use of other peoples material are subject to there individual terms which are gained by contacting this site here.

How to print ships profiles from Ships of CalMac...

To print a ships profile from Ships of CalMac you first need to select the ship you want, then click 'File' from the top left hand corner of your browser and then print. It should open a box with options on it, you need to select 'Page Setup' and then 'Landscape' you can then print the profile and it should come out on one page to make into a folder or just keep as is. If you want to save ink, you can either print it out in black and white, or request a just text version of the required ship of the entire fleet (see Shop) Histories can be printed out the same way.

Having Login Problems?

Login problems are 99 percent due to cookies not being allowed on your computer. Setting cookies will vary with different types of browser (what you are using to view this web page is called a browser.) It is IMPERATIVE that your machine can accept cookies. These are tiny files that are placed in a special folder in your machine by websites so that they can keep a record of who you are. They are not dangerous. Ships of CalMac's scripts only set your username, first name and surname (and sometimes your email) but that is all. They are not used to track your movements or do anything else, only to remember you when each page is called. If the script cannot see who you are, it assumes you have not logged in. Look at your browsers options and check that cookies are enabled. If not, turn them on. You can have advanced options with some browsers that let you stipulate what domains (e.g. www.shipsofcalmac.co.uk) you will accept cookies from. Username/Password Difficulties If you are SURE that cookies are enabled but the script still refuses to recognise you, be sure to check you are entering your username and password exactly as you first entered them when you subscribed. A record of your log in details was mailed to your email address when you did this. If you didn't get it, it is possible your email address was entered incorrectly. Contact me at help @ shipsofcalmac.co.uk (remember to rewrite this properly using the '@' symbol, I have left it out so spam robots don't pick it up) and I will amend your records and send you your correct login details

Uploading Pictures & Problems

If you cannot upload a picture (or it doesn't show) there are two main reasons for this. One, you are trying to upload a picture bigger than 140 kbytes. 140 Kbytes is quite adequate for most pictures and below is a rough guide on how to save pictures for uploading Size the picture: A full colour JPG format picture can be sized to around 800 pixels wide using a 50% compression (this might be different depending on the image program you use) and will be under 140 Kbytes There is no magic formula, play around with your program ad experiment, trading quality with size until you get the right balance for you. Check your DPI - There is no need for very high resolution on the internet. If your picture has a DPI greater than 70 it is possibly much bigger in file size than it needs to be. Most program will allow you to change the DPI Sharpness: Pictures that are very sharp or have been sharpened with an image program mean bigger files sizes. Don't sharpen too much. What is meant by file sizes - Some people get very confused about this. A file's physical space that it uses on a hard drive is not always relative to the size you see on the screen. The factors above all come into play. Don't expect a picture to fit just because it looks small! Conversely, don't expect a picture upload to fail because it is big on the screen. Always, always, check the actual filesize before uploading. This can be found by right clicking it and selecting Properties - you will see the size in kilobytes and bytes - one kilobyte - one thousand bytes. If it is under 140 kilobytes (140,000 bytes) it will upload fine. File Types - Another reason uploads fail is that you have not uploaded a JPG file, or if you have, you haven't given it a JPG extension. People with Macs often do this. You have to name the file with a dot jpg extension - so, mypicture has to be mypicture.jpg. Also, don't use the .jpeg extension either, it confuses things no end! Name Your File Wisely! - When naming a file for upload, keep it simple and don't use spaces or symbols (such as apostrophes). The more complicated the name then the greater the chance it will get mucked up further by the upload script. So don't say - this is my picture taken in 19/03/2001!!!!!!!.jpg say - picture_19_03_2001.jpg You also may risk your picture being deleted from the Album. Smaller filenames also means less space being taken up in the database so that more can be added! You squashed my picture! - No I didnae! - Your original picture is always available. The picture you see is a resized version (truly resized, not simply squashed in the browser) to maintain the look of the site and also not to give people big downloads they may not want. When the medium sized picture is clicked, your original, unmolested version is downloaded.

What's Those Symbols Mean?

TSMV Twin Screw Motor Vessel PS Paddle Steamer SS Single Screw Steamer TSS Twin Screw Steamer Tr.SS Triple Screw Steamer MV Motor Vessel DSMV Double Screw Motor Vessel (ie all double-ended craft - the Loch Class ferries.) Quin.SMV ie KING EDWARD Five Propellers PMV Paddle Motor Vessel DEPV Diesel Electric Paddle Vessel Tr.SMV Triple Screw Motor Vessel     DMB David MacBrayne CSP Caledonian Steam Packet CMB Caledonian MacBrayne CalMac Caledonian MacBrayne's affectionate name, known by locals and staff alike SoC Abbreviation of Ships Of CalMac

What's all That Engine Stuff Mean in the Ships Profiles?

What does the abbreviation of 2Oil4SCSA6Cy43/4"x6" mean!? Well, lets take the case of the vessel Countess of Breadalbane. Translates as 2 oil engines, 4-stroke cycle, single acting, 6 cylinders, 43/4" bore x 6"stroke.

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