My Desultory Blog

Posted By RichC on February 14, 2017

A couple gifts I gave this past Christmas were magnetic Nato Smart Mounts for holding smartphones or even tablets in a car. After buying a first one for our Honda Odyssey minivan as a promo and liking it, I added several more to the next order as gifts.

The final one I kept for my daily driver and I’m finally getting around to the idea of giving up the windshield suction cup mount for my iPhone and added one for myself in the BMW X5 35d. I held off only because there wasn’t a good place to mount it on the left side, a place I’ve always had my phone, and decided I could adapt to it being on the right next to the nav screen. So far it looks like it may be the perfect location (not blocking anything) and the new Lightning cable "wedges" perfectly without stick’em between dash panels for charging when needed (longer drives). Unlike the Mercedes 300D Turbodiesel, I don’t have a bluetooth media adapter installed yet, so if I still need content from the iPhone thru the car radio, a 3.5mm audio plug cable must be used — no biggie as I pay for SiriusXM in the BMW anyway.

Category: Automotive, BMW, Cellphone | 2 Comments »
Tags: audio, carphone, iphone, magnetic, nato mount, smartphone

Posted By RichC on February 13, 2017

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Category: Advice, Cellphone, Music, Photos, Tablet, Technology, Video | 1 Comment »
Tags: 1974, children, dads, harry chapin, mp3, Music, musicmonday, parenting, song, wendy's, youtube

Posted By RichC on February 12, 2017

Posting a few leftover photos from my last trip to the boat. One is a waterproof fitting to bring the solar cable thru Encore‘s deck (eventually a new project) … and a couple more of an early morning sunrise at the dock at Harbortown Marina in Fort Pierce. Really the trip was a quick getaway to escape the cold and do a few maintenance items. Cleaning, above and below the waterline, and to work on an overheating Volvo diesel problem. Nothing major, but I did end up putting a new impeller and thin oil-paper gasket on the raw water pump. I also wire cleaned the water intake thru-hull and that along with purging a little air from the new Vetus strainer may have cured the engine overheating issue (crossing my fingers). 

While I was there, I also helped friends Mark and Dar a little bit with loading a truck for their move up to Georgia. I’m going to really miss having them in Florida … but plan on making as many excuses as I can to see them in their new home in Savannah. They even tease me that I have my own room (although probably decorated with Pittsburgh Steelers ‘garbage!’ Ugh!) It is great to have friends like them.

Category: Archive, Photos, Sailing | No Comments »
Tags: dar, encore, florida, friends, harbortown, jones, mark, sailboat, solar, sunrise

Posted By RichC on February 11, 2017

The BMW X5 35d has been having issues starting when cold which seems likely due to a new Exide FP-AGML5/49 Edge Group L-5/49 Flat Plate AGM battery. I’ve gone great lengths to rule out almost everything other than the battery, and decided it must be a weak cell or defect in the new battery itself. I installed a shunt to see if there was a mysterious drain zapping power when the SUV was sitting, used a load tester to determine if the battery had enough CCAs, yet there wasn’t anything definitive. I used a volt meter to check the resting battery voltage and charging alternator voltage and still was unsure.  Eventually I made the call, and with the help of a tech on the phone, decided it must be the battery.

So after calling the company, CarID.com where I purchased this "higher end" AGM (absorbent glass mat) automotive battery, they authorized a replacement under Exide’s 48 month warranty if I would ship it back. Ugh!  Perhaps I could purchased a new battery and then use the shipping carton to return? Whew, good thing I asked since a replacement is out of stock with no ETA.  So now I wait and keep my jumper pack fully charged and handy.

Speaking of waiting, CarID.com has some great on hold "talker." His chatter gave me all kinds of useless facts like "the average lead pencil has enough lead to write 50,000 words or a single line 34 miles long." Share that at your next social gathering … or better yet …"Racecar spelled backwards is still racecar."

Part Number  — FP-AGM L5/49
DescriptionExide Edge Flat-Plate AGM Battery
Details
Exide Edge Flat-Plate AGM batteries are designed to maximize energy capacity for today’s on-the-go drivers. The Edge’s lasting energy protects against battery failure, helping vehicle batteries stay strong and perform like new longer. Exide Edge flat plate design contains six sets of plates, with glass mat separators, arranged in a straight line inside the battery, like sliced bread. SureLife Graphite Technology retains initial capacity longer for lasting energy capacity
Warranty48 Month Free Replacement Period
CCA 850
CA 1020
RC (25A)160
Ah Capacity (20hr)90
Volts 12
Group Size L5/49/H8
Terminal TypeA
Handle Yes
Length 13 – 7/8 in.
Width 6 – 7/8 in.
Height 7 – 1/2 in.
Weight 59.8 lbs.

Category: Automotive, BMW, Business, Humor, Tidbits | 2 Comments »
Tags: agm, battery, BMW, car, carid.com, exide, replace, return, warranty, x5 35d

Posted By RichC on February 10, 2017

Great how-to YouTube video from ChrisFix on testing your car battery with a simple voltage meter.

Category: Automotive, How-To, Video | No Comments »
Tags: auto, batteries, cars, chrisfix, maintenance, testing, youtube

Posted By RichC on February 10, 2017

This was going to be a normal Tech Friday post, but instead it will marry the automotive technology leader Tesla with a bit of news on their higher-volume / lower priced Model 3 sedan due out this summer. The company stated that all was on schedule for meeting their targeted July production date and they announced the California production facility will be shutting down for a week in order to prepare for the new Model 3.

Currently there are 370,000 customers with deposits on the new model and I’m sure all are anxious to see if Tesla can meet CEO Elon Musk’s aggressive target date.

Tesla said the "brief, planned" pause would allow the company to add capacity to the existing paint shop to prepare it for the Model 3, and other general maintenance.

"This will allow Tesla to begin Model 3 production later this year as planned and enable us to start the ramp towards 500,000 vehicles annually in 2018," said a Tesla spokesman.

He added that the pause was not expected to have a material impact on first-quarter production or delivery figures, as the company had added production days to compensate.

Separately, sources told Reuters that the luxury electric carmaker planned to begin test-building the Model 3 on Feb. 20.

Category: Automotive, Business, Energy, Environment, Technology | No Comments »
Tags: july 2017, model 3, production, tech friday, techfriday, tesla

Posted By RichC on February 9, 2017

My answer to "how comfortable?" – is that "I don’t really know"… because I haven’t been in one yet. But, I suspect after flying small airplanes like the Cessna 152 that someone who is 6’1" and 195 lbs like me should be "ok" for all but the longest trips.

Here’s what the Elio blog has to say:

There’s no denying that our vehicle is unique. Because of our unique configuration and styling a common question is “Will I fit?” In the vast majority of cases the answer is “Not only will you fit, but you’ll fit comfortably!” At our tour events, we constantly get approached by all types of folks who are adamant that they will not fit. All we need to do is open the door for them and let them see for themselves and they are universally impressed. Tall, short, skinny, big, small – no matter the shape or size, just about everyone fits in the Elio!

The Elio is designed to accommodate, in terms of size, everyone between the 5th percentiles female to the 95th percentile male (which is roughly a 6’1’’, 200 pound person.) Even a gentleman in the 95th percentile has 3.5 inches of front seat head clearance! In case you haven’t made it to a tour event, here are some measurements in case you are still skeptical.

Category: Automotive | 2 Comments »
Tags: cars, cessna, comfort, elio, motors, size, small, vehicle

Posted By RichC on February 8, 2017

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Category: Music, Politics | 2 Comments »
Tags: folk, message, mp3, Music, nicki bluhm, Politics, youtube

Posted By RichC on February 7, 2017

It is hard to remember exactly where each rail, cleat and fitting is on the aft deck of Encore, so this post is to archive a couple photos as a way to remember. It probalby won’t help much as it is still hare to tell where there is space and where there is not. In the back of my mind, I’m still planning for davits, grill, generator, new solar panels and possibly deck storage? Of highest priority is a place to store our Zodiac rolled up with out hauling it below. The new generator cage is ready to be mounted but I not quite ready to drill holes in the deck with out a "master plan." I still would like a davit system or arch?

Tried seaming two photos without much luck

Category: Archive, Photos, Sailing | No Comments »
Tags: aft, archive, davits, dinghy, generator, Photos, sailboat, stern, zodiac

Posted By RichC on February 6, 2017

This past weekend while killing a few minutes, I had an enjoyable conversation with a nice young man about 2017 Superbowl LI. After finding out I always lived in Ohio, he introduced himself as Mike and ask how I liked growing up in the mid west, saying that he grew up on the east coast. His family was from Rhode Island … and in my eyes pretty much guaranteeing he would be a Patriots fan? He stressed to me he was a die-hard Red Sox fan (we were both disgusted over the Reds, but excitement for the Indians), but a mediocre Patriots fan. I reflected on Ohio being a great place to live, work and raise a family; he concurred after just a few years in Columbus … but said now he was moving to Atlanta. I was positive about Atlanta hinting that we have family in Alpharetta (North of Atlanta) who think it is great. He reflected on how much he and his family have enjoyed Columbus and were going into the new move by renting their home rather than selling it … thinking they "might eventual move back to Ohio when he retires." (Hm … slightly confused … I thought he said he was only 33?)

He asked me a bit more about my work as we began talking about our kids, mentioning they wanted their two kids to finish out their year of grade school. We  eventually turned  our conversation back to his dilemma of who to root for in the Superbowl — Pat or Falcons — finally mentioning his boss owns the Falcons and the new Atlanta MLS team who he works/plays for. We laughed and agreed it was probably best to root for the Falcons and not mention his fondness for the Patriots.

I slowly put a few more pieces together realizing he was Michael Parkhurst, a MLS soccer player and the the Columbus Crew team captain for the last 3 years. He was fresh off a trade sending him to the new expansion team – Atlanta United. The move and change was going to be a challenge, but as he said, all the players were in the same boat — they were all new.

I could tell the change and move was still tough, but he said this was the busy time of year for him preparing for the upcoming season and that he was focused on working … as we laughed about our unfinished home projects (kitchen for me, bathroom for him). We wished each other well and I joked that he was a great ambassador for soccer and may have converted one more anti-soccer American over. "One person at a time, " he replied with a smile.

Category: Human Interest, Sports | No Comments »
Tags: atlanta united, columbus crew, falcons, mls, parkhurst, patriots, soccer, superbowl