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Date Posted |
Forum
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RE: Class A Fulltimer freeze concerns
One phrase of caution. Your RV is insulated yes but .. How well.. THe manufactur specifies a "Low temp" limit. for me it's 20 degrees. tonight it's 18 expected. I DO NOT anticipate any issues.. but I also am working on a low-limit extender
A string of old fashing C-9 Christmas tree lamps are under the tank Just now they are Non-Op but I suspect I know why Weather prevents me from fixing just now.
Today Corbin KY. Tomorrow.. Farther south
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wa8yxm
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11/12/19 06:01pm |
Class A Motorhomes
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RE: TV Antenna Question
The antenna in question will work without the net (reflector) but not as well as with it. I'd say assemble it with the net as they are very light and don't have much wind resistance. I have two similar OAT antennas with reflectors. One for use with my camper and one on top of the garage on a 10' pole. Been up there for past 3 years without wind problems.
What I was going to say. plus his expierence
The "Net" (reflector) is part of what "Catches" your signal.
The long dipoles for VHF. Depends on where you are parked.
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wa8yxm
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11/12/19 05:57pm |
Tech Issues
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RE: Hearing problem need wireless mic and ear piece
Not having a handy dandy co-pilot I listen to ham radio when Driving. Generally D-Star REF-030C but another radio is scanning local 70cm/2mtr repeaters Both Analog FM and D-star.
Now the 5100 has the OOMPH to be heard over road/engine/house noise
But ther 51A... uses a Heil HTH-I so I can hear.
Two ham tickets (tech or higher)
A pair of Icom ID-31A's or ID-51A's
A pair of HTH-I (the I stands for Icom by the way)
You good.
They are wired though.. Might add there is a BT option for 'em
Not only that but if you link to hotspots or a local repeater she can talk to you oh. say 5000 miles away like she was sitting beside you.
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wa8yxm
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11/11/19 06:10pm |
Class A Motorhomes
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RE: Dirt
I got rid of abouit 1/3 of my carpet this summer.. another 1/3 is scheduled (Save for the slide out flap) Not sure if I'll do the bedroom
Washable Throw Rugs NICE.. Nailed down carpet NOT NICE (Personal opinion)
Harddood LOVELY
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wa8yxm
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11/11/19 06:03pm |
General RVing Issues
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RE: Profane rudeness in Smoky Mt National Park
Well when it comes to avoiding areas were there may be Jerks in evidence.. DO NOT GET OUT OF BED. SO clearly nobody is suggesting we avoid the area.
Just avoid the jerks and do not respond to them because that's what they want.
And in many states (Michigan is one) Running with the baffles removed on the bike so it's louder is a Traffic Offense. you get at the minimum a ticket, and the trooper does not need a sound meter. There are other ways to determine you are running straight pipes.
Not being a trooper I have never written a ticket.. but I used to share a locker room with several dozen troopers and they have told me how they do it..
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wa8yxm
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11/11/19 04:47am |
Around the Campfire
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RE: How to winterize residential refrigerator??
I would do one of three things.
1 Remove water line (Winterize it as you do rest of RV) and cycle the Ice Maker manually Allowing it to drain back due to gravity. YOu can also disconnect and remove the solenoid and either power it for less than 1 minute and blow it out or take it indoors to the warm spot. (Don't forget where you hid it for the winter)
2: Hook up air and cycle and let it blow out into ice tray
3: Eventually the line from solenoid to ice tray splits and makes a mel of a hess spraying water all over the outside compartment... When that happened to me I pulled the beast and .. Well.. Did not bother replacing it when we re-did the cooling unit.. I use a "Counter top" model now days.
On edit. And glad I am of that counter top unit (it makes up to 26 Pounds of Ice a day) as when the cooling unit failed it was 2.5 wees of no fridge. But I do have a good old poly foam "Colman Cooler" (Ice chest) Genuine coleman brand at that.. And that ICe maker kept it in ice till the fridge was ready to refill.. So the only food I had to throw out..... Should have been tossed long time ago.
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wa8yxm
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11/10/19 03:34pm |
Tech Issues
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RE: Profane rudeness in Smoky Mt National Park
The Rude Jerk(s) as you called Him/Them are criminals. Breaking several laws in what they did, And you SHOULD have buzzed the fuzz so they can be invited to a meeting with one of the area's more distinguished citizens... His honor the judge.. May only be a traffic citation level offense (Straight pipes) or may be worse (Depending on the level of fire hazard you could get jail time for straight pipes.. Yup. no spark arrester.
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wa8yxm
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11/10/19 03:30pm |
Around the Campfire
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RE: Is a fuse a fuse?
Fuse needs to be rated to handle the full voltage of the panel in full sunlight. And for safety I like to double that. So a 24 volt panel would need 48 volt rated fuses (Or at least 36) and DC rated.
The only other thing would be the "inline resistance) of the fuse (The resistance pin to pin not blown) likely too low for your meter to measure but I'm not sure how the "Solar rated" fuses compare to standard automotive/house fuses in this aspect.
And as someone else mentioned... The fuse's "Speed" Fast. slow. standard. ultra fast) That is how quickly it blows if overloaded.
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wa8yxm
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11/10/19 04:17am |
Tech Issues
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RE: Magnetek 3230 power converter problem
I too am guessing that's one of those "Older converters" That someoen mentioned with both filtered battery connected output (The ones on the right) and raw rectified AC (I would never call it DC) on the rest.
FOr this type of converter there is a relay that connects the two when not on shore power..... NOW.... If nothing 12 v is working on shore power odds are the converter portion is toast.
Suggested is a Progressive DYnamics 4600 (Smallest 4600 they make) and replace the "Guts" the thing (the electronics BEHIND the fuse/breaker panel)
That is assuming the guts are behind the breaker panel
If the converter is in a box by itself. Progressive Dynamics 9200 series (Again the smallest 9200)
Randy at Best Converters is your friend.
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wa8yxm
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11/09/19 05:10am |
Tech Issues
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RE: Tow Vehicle Battery and Alternator
The alternator provides the charging. the battery only would charge another partially and then only if it's way too dead so it's the alternator
And the wires that need to be upgraded
The DC/DC converter is a good idea too.
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wa8yxm
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11/06/19 04:54am |
Tech Issues
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RE: Array Disconnect Switching Question-Mixed Arrays
Simplest is 3 switches. but with 3 arrays and 3 controllers (one per array) the lovely thing about a DC system is .. They will work it out automatically.
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wa8yxm
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11/05/19 03:54pm |
Tech Issues
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RE: Replacing 12-volt batteries with 6-volt
It is not the capacity so much as the voltage drop. The more cells the lower the voltage drop.
First half true. Second half.... Well... NOt necessarily.
Not all cells are equal.. NOw the numbers I'm going to use are not accurate but they are "Example"
Assume you have a battery with a total cell surface area of 1 Square Foot.. draw 100 amps and there will be a specific voltage drop.
In theory you parallel with an identical battery the voltage drop gets cut in half.
But what happens if you build a battery with a plate surface of FOUR square feet.. Yup. 1/4 the voltage drop.
The GC-2 Cells are bigger than say a Group 27.. So less drop.
HOWEVER There is crop at the cable/battery connection. which is Why I get in there and clean 'em from time to time.
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wa8yxm
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11/05/19 03:52pm |
Tech Issues
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RE: no hot water electric or LP
Since I do not have a Surburan this is part conjecture but as I recall it's really two entierly seperate systems in one box.
The 120 volt system consists of the breaker back at your power distribution panel, wire to the water heater A pair of thermostats (primary and hi-temp) Switch and heat element. it has NOTHING to do with the Propane system
Which has a control board. two more T-Stats, and all the gas valves and ignition stuff.
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wa8yxm
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11/05/19 03:49pm |
Tech Issues
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RE: RVs and California's Planned Power Outages
if the state law is 18" and the power company trims to 18'. well. that complies.
But stupid and poorly and even TYPOed laws (note the difference between inches and feet in the opening sentence is the SHIFT key). Abound in every state or government from here to there and back again EVERY government. And for that matter Religions as well. Typos happen. that is a fact.
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wa8yxm
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11/05/19 05:04am |
Class A Motorhomes
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RE: what is it
Well two good guesses up there
1: OTA antenna amplifier.. If you do not have either a matrix switch (Box of many buttons) with a POWER button. or a wall plate with teh 12 volt outlet, antenna connection, switch and light. or a Sensar Pro. that's a good chance.
2: Satellite antenna (rooftop dome) you will have a Dome up there.
The lack of "Winegard" on the switch suggests a dome.
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wa8yxm
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11/05/19 05:02am |
Class A Motorhomes
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RE: Buyer Beware: Reserve America / Active Advantage
I am wondering if you should notify the proper attorney General. Not that I think Floridia's will do anything. But I am thinking that just signing you up without a check box or other affirmative action by you is a form of FRAUD and thus Criminal.
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wa8yxm
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11/05/19 04:59am |
General RVing Issues
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RE: Penske has deal to buy Indy racetrac,
That family has often "Owned" the track.. but not the title to it.
I suspect he will continue the tradition. One of the better deals I think.
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wa8yxm
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11/05/19 04:56am |
Around the Campfire
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RE: Lightning Protection
If you get hit by lighting, Its not going to make much difference either way.
This is a fact. There is some thought that a metal cage about you might offer SOME protection but frankly the EMP is going to mess you up some.
Oh and I have many times heard about the rubber tires on a car. ... I usually have to pick myself up off the floor (And recover my breath) before I reply to those messages.. Why was I on the floor having breathing trouble breathing.. LAUGHING of course. I mean a bolt of lightning that jumps a mile high air gap is not going to even notice a few inches of rubber.
Still in a lightning storm I want to be indoors.. WHY. IT's likely raining out there. And last Thursday I got to play in the dang near freezing rain (Ok perhaps 40 F) and I was not really dressed for it..
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wa8yxm
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11/04/19 04:27pm |
Class A Motorhomes
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RE: Replacing 12-volt batteries with 6-volt
SO that you know. with large inverters Xantrex suggests at leat one pair GC-2 per kilowatt of inverter.. Now when my GC-2s were new one pair would cook my lunch in the 1100 watt microwave with the 2KW inverter but they suggest one pair per KW.
And when you do the "how much power" math. for inverters assume 10 volts from the battery.. not dead on but by the time you factor in conversion loss (About 10 percent) and line loss.. Darn close.
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wa8yxm
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11/04/19 04:20pm |
Tech Issues
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RE: Electric side entry step problem
The problem is likely the door switch coupled with the override switch either beign OFF or the fuse blown.
But.. to manually retract KWIKEE steps (may apply to other brands)
Pull the motor plug to insure they do not bite you
From underneath look at the assembley there is a box the motor attaches to (Transmiossion) with an arm. the arm connects (Eventually) to another thing that pushes the steps out or pulls 'em in using a common clevis type pin with a cotter key.. Put somthing under the steps so they don't come back and bite you (Some leveling blovcks or even a kitchen pan)
Pull cotter key, drive pin out.
Steps should now "Swing" Free (Why you bloked 'em)
Push 'em into the retracted posiotion and bungee in place for the drive to fix it shop. Use a step box of some kind to get in and out (Attach a light weight rope to step box so you can pull it up and in once inside the RV.
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wa8yxm
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11/04/19 05:25am |
Class A Motorhomes
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