My Desultory Blog

Posted By RichC on February 1, 2020

I’ve used tape measures for decades both when working in construction (summer job) and for hundreds of home improvement projects .. YET never really knew why the 19.2" on center diamond mark was on tapes.

Most building codes mandate that studs be spaced 16 inches apart, so the tape will help you stay on the right side of the law as you construct (as well as making sure your wall can safely bear the load it needs to).

Joists on the other hand should be 19.2 inches apart. Since plywood often comes in 8-feet sections, you’re in luck. Divide 8 feet (or 96 inches) by 19.2 and you get 5.

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Category: Tools, Video, Woodworking | No Comments »
Tags: building, construction, diamond, marks, on center, studs, tape measure, tools, trades, video

Posted By RichC on January 31, 2020

A wide-angle view of the solar surface from the Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope is the
highest-resolution image of the Sun ever taken, showing details as small as 30 km wide.
Seen here are granules, the tops of giant convection cells. Credit: NSO/NSF/AURA

Whether it is gazing at the millions of stars night sky (the suns of other solar systems) or our own sun (don’t look at it!), the size and grandeur amazes even the less curious among us. The above image is the “deep red light” (a wavelength of 0.789 microns) that details the surface and structures 30 kilometers across. Considering the sun’s size and energy, it certainly seems possible that even capturing just a small amount of the energy being hurdled at earth that there should be enough to easily supply human’s minuscule (by comparison) energy needs. Tinkering with Encore’s solar panels, batteries and charging systems last week had me rethinking what the future holds as alternatives to fossil fuels continue to advance. 

What you’re seeing are the tops of huge towers of convection inside the Sun (called granules). The Sun generates heat deep in its core, and that heat works its way out to the surface.

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Category: Energy, Science, Space | No Comments »
Tags: astronomy, images, power, science, solar, space, sun, tech friday, techfriday, telescope

Posted By RichC on January 30, 2020

Encore has battery power again, Alleluia! After fiddling around with dying and dead batteries on the boat for the past year, I finally broke down and yanked out the 3 deep cycle AGM 105 Amp Hour batteries. I did a little rewiring and strapped down 2 new DEKA-made batteries this past weekend ($253 ea).

The weather upon arrival was not helpful though, as a cold front from the north pushed into Florida and brought rain, damp weather and uncomfortably cold winds. Thankfully it warmed back to 70 degrees and sun by the weekend — of course, it was then time to head home.

Besides attending to the battery, I worked on the alternator and solar panel which are burning fuses? I’m hoping this was all part of the dead and dying battery issue, but we’ll have to see if something else is shorting out? For the time I was on the boat, I unplugged the shore power, let the solar panel do the battery charging and pretended I was Jimmy Buffett’s “Twelve Volt Man.”

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Category: Energy, Music, Personal, Photos, Sailing, Weather | No Comments »
Tags: 12 volts, batteries, encore, florida, jimmy buffett, maintenance, marina, Music, sailboat, weather

Posted By RichC on January 29, 2020

Read an outstanding article in the WSJ this past week as the Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV) continues to spread and take lives. It is currently a China-based virus that likely stems from bats that mutate and spread through other mammals. Efforts are being made in China to prevent spreading within their country, but with travel and aviation, every country is at risk. A chart as of January 27, 2020 highlight the number of cases and deaths.

Since Katelyn worked on SARS detection research when she was pre-Med with NASA Sharp as an intern in New Mexico, the quick detection and hopefully eventual vaccine are at the top of my mind.

Before we panic, let’s put this in perspective with the contagious influenza virus. The vaccine is offered every year yet people are pretty casual about getting it … EVEN though thousands in this country die every year (2017 – 2018 deaths were estimated at 61,000 according to the CDC), so let’s keep this current scary contagion in perspective.

Here are a few points:

How dangerous is the new coronavirus?

It appears to be less deadly than a related pathogen — severe acute respiratory syndrome, or SARS, which erupted in China in 2002 and spread globally in 2003. SARS killed about 10% of the people it infected, while about 3% of the people confirmed to be infected with this new coronavirus have died. Many of those who have died are elderly or have other illnesses such as diabetes. But the new virus may spread from one person to another more easily than SARS, some early disease modeling suggests.

What is a coronavirus?

This new virus belongs to a family of viruses known as coronaviruses. Named for the crown-like spikes on their surfaces, they infect mostly bats, pigs and small mammals. But they mutate easily and can jump from animals to humans, and from one human to another. In recent years, they have become a growing player in infectious-disease outbreaks world-wide. (more…)

Category: Health, News, Travel | No Comments »
Tags: 2019-nCoV, china, coronavirus, disease, katelyn, medical, nasa sharp, virus, wsj, wuhan

Posted By RichC on January 28, 2020

As a German car guy from way back (VW, Mercedes, BMW), there was time I really wanted to also have a Porsche. When I was looking for my first car, it was an economical 914 with a Targa top … but ended up with a 1974 Mercury Capri (probably a smart move). Later in life I though "maybe" we could start looking at older 911s or maybe a newer Boxster? But once again, commonsense prevailed and I bought a Volkswagen Jetta TDI diesel.

Although I’m a bit off topic. This past week an interesting article in Hemmings Daily highlighting the 50 years of flair: 1970 Porsche 911 Options and Accessories brochure.

I especially enjoyed the "strapped in luggage" … no doubt we all know how this car was to be driven!

Things modern 911 drivers take for granted were still extras a half-century ago; can you imagine buying a base 911 today with roll-up windows, steel wheels, non-tinted glass, and no stereo? Of course, sporting types in 1970 would opt for front and rear anti-roll bars, Fuchs forged light alloy wheels, a limited-slip differential, and full (911S-style) instrumentation.

Category: Automotive, Memories, Photos | No Comments »
Tags: accessories, boxer, capri, flatnose, hemmings, luggage, mercury, porsche

Posted By RichC on January 27, 2020

This content is restricted.

Category: Archive, Memories, Music, Personal, Photos, Video | No Comments »
Tags: ada ohio, alan jackson, apartment, college, cyber security, jeff pitts, jerry moody, jimmy buffett, memories, mp3, music monday, musicmonday, photo, roommates

Posted By RichC on January 26, 2020

graphic credit – Enza Financial

There was an excellent podcast on Charles Schwab‘s WashingtonWise Investor (link) last week with Mike Townsend and Dan Stein that summarized the 2020 changes for those planning their retirement – hopefully everybody. Most of the new changes made by Congress last year in the SECURE Act are based on Americans living and working longer than in the past, hence one of the big changes has to do with RMDs (Required Minimum Distributions) from tax differed accounts used by Americans in saving for retirement (IRAs, 401Ks, etc). Oh, if you are wondering about the Washington DC acronym SECURE, it is: Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement.

The big change from my perspective is when we are required to take money out (and begin to pay taxes on) retirement savings that has been put aside pre-tax. Prior to the SECURE Act in 2020, that age as been 70½. Under the new law, you do not have to take distributions until the year you turn 72. The new rule gives more time for your retirement savings to grow before you need to begin drawing it down. That dollar amount come from an IRS published table based on life expectancy and the amount saved. Under the current rules, your first few RMDs are less than 4% of the account value, but they escalate as you get older, getting closer to 7% of the account value by age 85 and close to 9% by age 90.This is important because distributions from traditional retirement plans are taxed as ordinary income, so as the size of your distributions increase, your tax burden may as well.

Probably the other big change is how "inherited" IRAs are handled. Under current law, non-spouse designated beneficiaries can take distributions over their life expectancy, but for many retirement account owners who pass away in 2020 and beyond, beneficiaries will have ‘only’ 10 years to empty the account.

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Category: Financial | No Comments »
Tags: 401k, ira, planning, retirement, rmd, saving, secure act, taxes

Posted By RichC on January 25, 2020

EDIT – A Boeing 777X airliner lifts off for its first flight at Paine Field on January 25, 2020 in Everett, Washington. Getty images – Stephen Brashear

The new Boeing 777X enters the next phase of its rigorous test program. Based on the most successful twin-aisle airplane ever, the Boeing 777, and with advanced technologies from the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, the 777X will be the largest and most fuel efficient twin-engine jet in the world, with an exceptional passenger experience.

LINK

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Category: Aviation, Video | No Comments »
Tags: $BA, 777X, aviation, boeing

Posted By RichC on January 24, 2020

Just your average PSA guys. Just because you use jack stands, doesn’t mean you’re safe. Always throw something else under the car if you’re going to be under it.

My father and I just had a trusty old jack stand fail. Folded right over unexpectedly, luckily he was just rotating tires at the time, so no one was under the car. 2019 Subaru Forester with 6k miles resting on its rotor at front tow hook point. Luckily no damage at all, and thank whatever deity is out there that no one was underneath.

I’ll clarify- these are super old 1.5 ton stands that my father has used for 20 years. Not my first choice, I use HF 3 and 6 ton.

Category: Automotive, Social Media | No Comments »
Tags: aaron peters, facebook, jack stands, psa, social network, subaru

Posted By RichC on January 23, 2020

It has taken years, but I’ve finally decided to move my woodworking bench dogs from the tool tray (see below).

A bench dog is an accessory used on a woodworking workbench to allow clamping of wooden items while being worked or planed.

Ever since building my work table and vices with bench dogs back in the 1980s, I’ve stored the homemade oak and maple “pegs” (dogs) on end in a can or cut off pipe. Unfortunately they stick up too high out of the tool tray or if I put them on their side, they get buried. I thought about eliminated the storage tray, but it is a tradition place to put a few tools off the table’s surface while working on a project and “would” still be nice to have if I used it properly (it is forever a catchall).

The problem with the bench dogs stick up above the table’s surface is that they are in the way when working on projects that extended over the edge of the table. It happen again last weekend when taking apart a few antique Christmas displays inherited from Brenda’s parents, so I had it with moving them. Finally, I took 20 minutes and a few pieces of scrap oak, I added a spot to the side of the table where they are handy, yet below the surface. Now the work table’s surface is flat and clear from any vertical items sticking out of the tool tray … something that should have been done decades ago!

I also left enough room for a small square, but dislike the aluminum adjustable bevel square, so might try to find a simple small antique Brass and Rosewood Try Square … stay tuned (I sort of wish Brenda’s furniture-maker grandfather would have passed one down).

Category: Archive, Personal, Photos, Tools, Woodworking | No Comments »
Tags: bench dogs, clamps, storage, table, tools, try square, woodworking, workbench, workshop