Time for some Whitlock Pedestal Steering gear maintenance

Posted By on February 4, 2017

Spent a few days aboard Encore by myself this week doing a little (very little) needed maintenance. It’s amazing how "just sitting" is a killer for aging a sailboat! That’s not to say I’m ready to let her go, just that I need to give her Whitlock_Steering_Pedistalmore attention.
Winking smile
One of the projects was to disassemble the Whitlock Constellation 400 (I believe) steering pedestal for cleaning, inspection and lubrication. I didn’t find much information on the "late" Whitlock system that was bought by Lewmar, but since I had Whitlock branded X116 Conduit Lubricant, I used that for the cables and added to the chain for good measure. There is some corrosion on the exterior of the aluminum pedestal itself, but that will have to get some paint when I paint the cockpit — on my list. Also, the "wheel brake" has been broken since we bought the sailboat and does not look like a part that I’m gong to find easily … perhaps adapting or making one is an eventual possibility? For now, it is not necessary with the autopilot and Cape Horn Self Steering gear.

Next go-around, maybe I’ll consider looking at the wheel bearing as they are a bit noisier than I think they should be … not heavily grinding, but not exactly right either.

WhitlockSteeringBearings

TechFriday: Jumpy cursor? Uncheck Enhance pointer precision

Posted By on February 3, 2017

LenovoMouseThe cursor on my new Lenovo Yoga 710 Windows 10 notebook has been driving me crazy. It jumps around the screen when I’m typing and often ends up add or deleting text in previous paragraphs. In an attempt to diagnosis the problem, I’ve fiddled with the trackpad thinking that my palms or thumbs must be touching it. I revisited the setting I used to remap my "out of place" up-arrow key and decided that was not the culprit either. After a bit of reading, and some trial and error, I think its the Enhance precision pointer option.

Try this:

Click the Window Start button
–> type run –> control mouse

Mouse Properties should appear (see screen capture). Then select the Pointer Options tab and UNCHECK the Enhance pointer precision box.
Click "OK" and see if that make a difference. So far so good for me.

EnhancePrecisionPointer

A new larger travel tripod for my Lumix GX8 camera

Posted By on February 2, 2017

The larger "old" tripod that I’ve owned for 40 years and a small pocket tripod that I gave to my son is now unacceptable for my new camera (my bias opinion) …  RichEatingPBJEncore170131so it is time to update with something I don’t mind hauling around. I would have liked a $300+ carbon fiber ultra-light, but that seemed a bit overkill and ridiculous amount of money for an amateur photographer. Instead I opted for a nice middle-of-the-road Slik 43.3" model with a ball head and quick release block. The Slik Sprint Mini II/SBH 100DQ ($69) has surprisingly sturdy legs for such a lightweight tripod and I particularly like the foam grips on the legs and sturdy castings (nice when it is cold out!)

So far so good as I’ve hauled it on the last couple trips. No problem with the airport TSA but it really doesn’t fit comfortably in my new Peak Design bag, even though it is designed with a flap for a tripod. Still I’m going to try and keep it within reach to steady the camera, especially when shooting .mp4 movies.

sliktripod

Apple is sitting pretty again after reporting earnings

Posted By on February 1, 2017

After the stock market closed yesterday, Apple $AAPL reported their fiscal first quarter earning and shocked even the most bullish in the crowd. AppleStockAfterhours170131Their iPhone 7 sales help them deliver record earning, no doubt due to Samsung’s battery issues (Android users switching to Apple iOS). Considering Apple make a lot more than phones, it is amazing to see two-thirds of their sales coming from the iPhone! Still, the growing App Store, Apple Music and Apple Pay appleinchinaare nothing to sneeze at accounting for $7.17 billion, an 18% increase over last year.

Speaking of other products, the Mac sales were up but only by 1% even with their new MacBook Pro. The iPad needs a refresh (coming this year) and first fiscal quarter sales declined 19%. Another concern is declining profit, although still strong. It was down 2.6% to $17.89 billion. But the really shocking number to me is the "hoard of cash" at $246.09 BILLION … and as Apple CEO told CNBC, "Repatriation is front and center. That’s good for the country and Apple."

ApplesHoardOfCash170131

Shares of the company rose 2.5% to $124.39 in after-hours trading.

President Trump and Andrew Jackson – a comparison

Posted By on January 31, 2017

dougweadheadshot2016Is there a comparable president to Donald Trump?

People say President Donald Trump is unique in U.S. history, yet a few who study presidential history say it is not entirely true. Doug Wead, a presidential historian, compares President Trump to Andrew Jackson, as he did shortly after the November 2016 election on "Happening Now" with FoxNew’s Jenna Lee. It is interesting to hear a few stories from the days of President Andrew Jackson and ponder the chaos that ensued after his election. It is worth a listen if you’re wondering "if" the U.S. can survive a Trump presidency, a concern many in the mainstream media and political left (perhaps an oxymoron) seem to be ballyhooing. (video below)

Remembering a couple musicians and the song Drift Away

Posted By on January 30, 2017

This content is restricted.

Engineering chessboard project idea

Posted By on January 29, 2017

ChessPartsEngineeringWorld

Snipping an idea. Perhaps make the board with inset magnets to hold the pieces? Perhaps laminate over a peg board to more easily space Neodymium Magnets that fit in each hole?

Take two: Finally moving ahead on the kitchen project

Posted By on January 28, 2017

CORBETT-CHINA-adjusted
Designer rendition

Last summer we started to plan for a kitchen remodel as our "builder grade" cabinets and mishmash of appliances were in serious need of replacement. We updated our dishwasher and refrigerator already, but need to finish off the final stages once and for all. I’m currently working with a designer and close to getting the cabinets ordered.

Corbett_KitchenLayout170119 KitchenFromMudRoomDoor

KitchenKnobs170126

I was going to tie everything together when I started the laundry room, but because Brenda wants a gas cooktop instead of our electric, that means a little more construction, etc. So far we’ve "got the plan" and "think" KitchenGranite170126we have the contractor and cabinet company (second go at it) and are now finalizing the granite, knobs, tile and balance of appliances. At this point, we’ll switch to a Bosch two oven set-up and natural gas 5 burner cooktop … along with a Bosch SS hood. We’ve been happy with our under cabinet GE Spacesaver Microwave so will likely stick with that. An addition is trying to design a corner cabinet with the existing cabinet company … which was initially going to be a piece of furniture I wanted to build. Brenda’s point was that she wants to pull the kitchen together by keeping it all the same — and she has good taste. A humorous story usually comes up from our early years when I "regularly" would remodel our houses and thought about putting a bathroom sink and counter in our master bedroom — yup, I have a serious artistic limitation.
Smile 

Our existing kitchen

TechFriday: Still experimenting with computers and relays

Posted By on January 27, 2017

NewCheapRelay170125

After a previous simple $20 relay component test, my friend Jeff and I realized that there were a few shortcomings in using it for a future project — enter the cheaper eBay $3.99 higher powered solid state relay module.  This smallish sized relay component can be wired into a 40 amp circuit and switched with the same low DC voltage from a Arduino, Raspberry Pi or similar gadget.

I quickly wired it to a 110 vac male female plug and attached it to my Pine64’s GPIO breadboard and voilà it works!
On / Off, On / Off … I know, big deal. Smile 

s-l1600

Can the Federal Government find political balance?

Posted By on January 26, 2017

JohnColePoliticalPendulumMy answer: Rarely does the pendulum find the middle.

Neither the fiscal or social policy balancing coming from Washington DC makes much sense to me. There have to be moderates who see validity in each others positions? Rather than the black and white collisions between the liberal Democrats and the conservative Republicans’ points of view, there has to be someone willing to work on the issues that we all want addressed.

Pro-business does not mean anti-environment; Limited government is not a lack of compassion for those struggling to independently take care of themselves in our free market economy.  But where is that balance?

On the social front, I don’t believe the majority who protested the day after President Trumps inauguration are proud that we the United States abort 1 million babies each year … and I personally know most pro-life supporters are not against women receiving quality medical care and being offered compassion and counseling. Isn’t there enough support to at least start somewhere … maybe somewhere neither side will embrace? 

StartingPointToReduceAbortion
How hard would it be to find a starting point?

Those who are pro-business and are running companies are begging for educated employees with the skills they need to grow their business. They will gladly pay what employees are worth based on market forces in educationcapgraphorder to advance and grow their profitable business. Teachers for the most part aren’t in education unless they care about their students and the next generation. We expect that every citizen have the opportunity to get a quality education and not be shuffled thru and expensive and often broken system. The focus should be on teaching young people how to be productive and socially caring citizens, not on compensation, power and their own political ideology. Continuing to fund a failing public school system decade after decade is not working and ALL should recognize we need to look at something different. Maybe that starts with a new Secretary of Education willing to change the status quo? And to the parents and students themselves … you are paying for teachers, schools and colleges — expect more! You’re funding education through your taxes, tuition, etc … so get involved and make yourself heard. A little common-sense at the local level might go a long way in achieving better results. In the end, everyone involved wants the same thing from schools (minus a few union leaders).

Now that we look back on 8 years of a progressive "Hope and Change" Barrack Obama, many in the middle and lower class are feeling left behind. Perhaps a tad better than recession levels, but the "hope" part has faded for many. The promises saw "change" but it has left many seeing a more deeply divided country. Govenment handouts grew, but continued to keep many without prospect and surviving in poverty. Lacking in ambition and education, way too many have turned to crime and drugs — not a great legacy. Those who had EnvironmentEconomypower and means continued to succeed. The connected, innovative and agile business moguls, despite bigger government and the heavy hand of regulation, are the same ones who will succeed in a business friendly, right-leaning President Trump administration. Many just tightened their bootstraps at the expense of employees or adapted to the anti-business environment in the US and focused on producing globally in low cost countries.

I worry the Obama extreme has opened the door for a Trump extreme … where jobs, profits and a soon to be growing economy will trample commonsense environmental protection. There is nothing wrong with responsible environmental stewardship that balances the need for a strong economy … but compromise does not seem to be something either side is willing to work towards. It is as if each, the far left and far right, extreme grabs as much as they can while the pendulum has swung in their favor. Very sad … because we has a nation of primarily good people end up as losers.
Sad smile

Desultory - des-uhl-tawr-ee, -tohr-ee

  1. lacking in consistency, constancy, or visible order, disconnected; fitful: desultory conversation.
  2. digressing from or unconnected with the main subject; random: a desultory remark.
My Desultory Blog