Posted By RichC on June 28, 2012
It was a big news day on Thursday and by now all who were interested in hearing the Supreme Court’s conclusion are no doubt tuning-out the overwhelming amount of news and opinion … that is unless you are celebrating this as a victory. I personally was surprised by the court’s ruling and am now wondering where the power of BIG government ends? What’s next …
Chief Justice Roberts, who ultimately ruled in favor of Obamacare for the most part, determined that congress has the power to “tax” and it didn’t matter if the reason was to force citizens to purchase health insurance or raise revenue; they can choose “taxing” for the purpose of raising revenue (income tax) or controlling behavior (as in sin taxes like tobacco). Unfortunately this interpretation give government even more power that may of us thought … which I suppose could be taken away at the ballot box. November will definitely have clarity for those wanting to limit the reach of our federal government and those wanting to expand it role in social programs.
Steve Moore of the WSJ editorial board had an interesting commentary:
Posted via email from RichC’s posterous
Category: Misc |
1 Comment »
Tags: congress
Posted By RichC on June 28, 2012
It was great to see a couple Volkswagen friends last night for a couple hours, even if we didn’t actually solve any of their problems. We used the computer and Vagcom software to pull codes on a Passat 2.0 turbo and Passat 
TDI to hopefully diagnose the reason for the check engine light, but both were intermittent and the codes readings didn’t point to any particular problem. I did a reset and we’ll see what happens.
The ‘gasser’ Passat also had a nasty squeal that for the life of us couldn’t be pinpointed. I’m hoping to get some feedback if only to eventually find out what was making the noise – we ruled out everything that runs off the belted systems (unless there is something that continues to spin?) and the two radiator cooling fans. I don’t think it is the turbo but am curious as if there is some other electrically powered motor that spins a small flywheel or something???
On a totally different note … I loved this Wyatt Gooden Racing magazine photo.
Category: Automotive, Volkswagen |
No Comments »
Tags: tdi, volkswagen, vw
Posted By RichC on June 27, 2012
A change in schedules had me flying into CVG (Cincinnati-Northern Kentucky Airport) on Tuesday and stuck without a way home. I didn’t park my car this trip and expected that “someone” would be available to pick me up and drive me home – NOPE!
Anyway this gave me an excuse to look for another way home and I decided to try the
TristateAirportTransportation.com taxi service. A quick call to 513-546-3608 put me in touch with someone who efficiently scheduled a pickup upon my flight arrival … I had my doubts. Sure enough, like clockwork a pleasant driver in a Chrysler 300 (not the canned rickshaw photo) was waiting at the passenger pickup as soon as I called. The drive home through downtown traffic and construction was uneventful and I was dropped of to my door for a flat $56 plus tip. Personally I thought this was a little low since the last few taxi rides were about $20 for trips far shorter — less than 15 minutes and about 10 miles. Considering the amount of gas and time for someone to drive down to the airport and back (or airport on or offsite parking charges), I may opt for this service again.
Category: Advice, Local, Travel |
No Comments »
Tags: airport, Business, cincinnati, ohio, service, taxi
Posted By RichC on June 26, 2012
Let’s start with the good news … Encore is safely out of the water, block and safely in the boatyard. Her bottom ablative bottom paint sort of did its job, but was completely used up. A strong power washing took care of the slime and some of the growth and left a few barnacles glued to the hull and prop. Unfortunately the cleaning brought to light blistering … something all too common to aging fiberglass hulls (West System PDF). In Encore’s case, there are many … MANY … all small but too plentiful for the normal DIY West System patching technique. This brings me to my next dilemma –what do I do next?
The right way to go would be to hire a soda blaster and strip the below surface area so as to open all of the blisters so they can dry out (approx $2500). After this “heavy striping of the bottom,” a filler coat can be applied before laying up several barrier coats (four coats according to Joe Valenza at Whiticar Boat Works) … then apply both a hard antifouling bottom paint of one color and an second ablative antifouling coat of another color. Of course even all of this labor intensive work would not be enough since the iron keel needs to be treated differently as it is showing signs of rust (something I knew about). All I know is that the cash register will be ringing if the repair is done the right way.
There is always the “wrong way” and the questionable in between way to repair the bottom. I could move the boat to the do-it-yourself area (a charged of course) and just slap new ablative antifouling paint over everything and wait another year. Or I could sand and grind the bottom down myself, attempt to patch multiple 100s of small blisters and repaint the hull knowing this will not solve the problem long term but give me several seasons.
Hmm, something to sleep on and delicately talk with Brenda about in a year we are planning a wedding ($$$) … gulp!
Well at least my task for the weekend was accomplished. Sail and canvas stripped and Encore out of the water for the next few months.
Category: Photos, Sailing |
No Comments »
Tags: antifouling, bottom paint, encore, repair, sailboat
Posted By RichC on June 25, 2012
Encore is out of the water, but not necessarily dry at the moment. No doubt I picked a lousy weekend and Monday morning to schedule for our haul-out. It has been a planned move since my failed attempt in May for coming out of the water for the 2012 hurricane season and much needed bottom work (but that’s another post!)
Category: Sailing, Video |
1 Comment »
Tags: encore, hurricane, sailboat, tropical storm
Posted By RichC on June 25, 2012
Archiving a few Encore “thinkering” photos so as to begin searching for upgrades. The four smaller reading lights are currently halogen and draw too many amps and create too much heat for the boat. I’m hoping to be able to replace them with warm-white LED bulbs as they improve and come down in price. ( LED Wholesale )
I would really prefer to purchase new fixtures from AlpenGlow but that would be costly; I do intend to replace the two lights above the table with one or two though(photo below). They are expensive others who have installed them are happy that they did.
Since our trips have been minimal there hasn’t been a need to run the little Honda EU 2000i generator aboard just yet, but since I’m moving the boat ashore decided to take the little power plant to the storage locker for the season and take a photo for insurance purposes. (besides I’d like to run it a bit too)
Category: Archive, Sailing |
No Comments »
Tags: alpenglow, encore, generator, honda, led, lights, saiboat
Posted By RichC on June 24, 2012
The list of boat related projects continues to grow. Just as I knock a couple off the list, a few more pop up. First the “stop engine” cut-off cable broke and although I can climb to the bilge and manually move the lever to choke of air, it is much more convenient to do it from the helm.
That said, I was able to shorten the existing cable enough to get the old cable to work again, but it began the thinking process regarding the existing engine gear control lever and throttle. It is well pitted and the rubber is cracked. Yes it still works, but then so did the stop lever until I pull on it a little hard. Perhaps it is time to start looking around for replacements (cable too.) A quick Internet search pointed me to Teleflex/Morse controls looks like it might work since I couldn’t find Technoflex control parts on the web.
As for a few other project before putting Encore on the hard, I replaced the Spinlock line clutched that I repaired at home (previous post 1 and post 2). Besides that, a few electrical issue hard me rewiring the fuse that runs to the meter that measure output (it gets a little too hot???) and the manual switch and fuse for the electric bilge pump (and after fiddling down there, looks as if I’ll be doing a little bilge cleaning).
Category: Sailing |
1 Comment »
Tags: control, encore, morse, saiboat, spinlock, technoflex, teleflex
Posted By RichC on June 23, 2012
Since I’m hanging out at the boat this weekend getting Encore prepped for tropical weather/hurricane season, it is rather fitting that the chatter at the marina is about what is brewing in the Gulf of Mexico. A couple neighboring boat have added a couple extra dock lines and removed some canvas. I’ve taken down the sails and intend to remove the bimini … but all that was planned.
I’m not particularly concerned about ‘this particular storm’ except that I’m planning to move a boat with a friend on Monday morning and am wondering where the wind and rain will be?
One forecasting model has the slow-moving system heading west toward Texas by midweek, weather.com reported. A less reliable model has it swinging back east over Florida and then along the mid-Atlantic. A third model has it surging north into Louisiana-Mississippi.
Not the optimum way to store sails below, but doing it alone is challenging. (I’d like to take them to a loft for some re-stitching but need a few references.)
Category: Sailing, Weather |
1 Comment »
Tags: encore, hurricane, sailboat, storms, tropical, weather
Posted By RichC on June 23, 2012
WSJ graph showing how unemployment has impacted the nation’s mature workforce. This can’t be good since many are only a few short years away from not even being able to work.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702303506404577448751320412974.html
Category: Financial, News, Politics |
No Comments »
Tags:
Posted By RichC on June 23, 2012
Yes, according to a news release from Colombia, Maryland’s New Energy Technologies, Inc. Unfortunately I still think we are faced with the “it is a drop in the bucket” producer of electricity in comparison to what we Americans use … not to mention the cost of windows. Still, it is interesting to explore the advancements in solar power and energy efficiency.
New Energy Technologies Inc. and National Renewable Energy Laboratory Create Improved Process for Technology Capable of Generating Electricity on See-Through Glass
Columbia, MD – June 18, 2012 – New Energy Technologies, Inc., developer of see-through solar cells for generating electricity on glass, today announces an improvement in its manufacturing technique that should lead to higher speed, lower costs and greater durability.
Teaming with the US Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory, New Energy Technologies Inc. (OTCQB: NENE) has developed the use of low-cost materials and a special application technique that could help optimize the movement of electrons within the ultra-thin solar cells. This should increase the amount of electricity produced when New Energy’s see-through SolarWindow™ prototype is exposed to natural or artificial light.
Importantly, the improvement to the technology can be executed at ambient pressure and low temperatures, allowing researchers to avoid the use of materials that must otherwise be deposited using high temperature vacuum deposition. Vacuum deposition is both expensive and time-consuming and, thus, not practical for high speed and large-scale applications. Today’s innovation promotes low processing temperatures, enabling high-speed roll-to-roll (R2R) and sheet-to-sheet (S2S) manufacturing. This large-area, R2R and S2S fabrication capability and improved durability of SolarWindow™ technology are crucial for production of market-ready electricity-generating coatings on see-through glass and plastic.
Previously, New Energy, with assistance from University of South Florida and NREL, developed important improvements to New Energy’s SolarWindow™ technology, capable of generating electricity on see-through glass. These improvements include enhancements that address advancing durability, power performance, and cost-effective manufacturability – all important to the eventual commercial deployment of New Energy’s SolarWindow™ technology.
Today’s announcement marks the latest in a series of technical accomplishments that Company and NREL research teams have recently achieved.
“Over the past few months, our researchers have unveiled a virtually invisible conductive wiring system, which collects and transports electricity on SolarWindow™ prototypes, and have fabricated a large area working module, which is more than 14-times larger than previous organic photovoltaic devices fabricated at NREL,” stated Mr. John A. Conklin, President and CEO of New Energy Technologies, Inc. “Earlier, we developed our first-ever working SolarWindow™ prototype using a faster, rapid scale-up process for applying solution-based coatings.
“Together, these achievements have moved us closer to our manufacturing, scale-up, durability, and power production goals – all important factors to advancing our SolarWindow™ technology towards commercial launch,” Conklin added.
To generate electricity on SolarWindow™ prototypes, researchers creatively layer and arrange unique, ultra-thin see-through solar cells onto glass. Each of these cells is arranged in a network and interconnected by way of a virtually invisible grid-like wiring system.
Within these ultra-thin solar cells, the light-induced movement of electrons generates electricity. When SolarWindow™ prototypes are exposed to light, the light’s energy prompts electron movement through specific physical and chemical mechanisms leading to power generation.
Dr. Scott R. Hammond, Principal Scientist at New Energy Technologies, Inc., believes the discovery announced today could also favorably improve durability and shelf-life of the Company’s future SolarWindow™ products. “NREL scientists have previously published unrelated results that demonstrate dramatic improvements to the operational and shelf-life of unprotected (i.e., non-encapsulated) photovoltaic devices utilizing related materials when subjected to continuous illumination. No doubt, this is a promising and significant advancement.”
Currently under development for eventual commercial deployment in the estimated 85 million commercial buildings and homes in America, SolarWindow™ technology is the subject of ten patent filings and is the world’s first-of-its-kind technology capable of generating electricity on see-through glass windows.
Posted via email from RichC’s posterous
Category: Energy, Misc |
No Comments »
Tags: energy, solar
