My Desultory Blog

Posted By RichC on January 9, 2012

Although I’m not at all disappointed with my current single 135W Kyocera solar panel, I don’t want to be wasting amps and not returning them to my battery bank. I was reading an article debating the different controllers regulating charging and began doing some of my own research since I’m thinking about adding an additional panel (2 x 135w).

If indeed I could increase efficiency and minimize loss … perhaps a 3 stage charge control like the one from Blue Sky Energy is a good idea? Thoughts from those already heavily into solar?

12V / 25 amp low cost MPPT charge controller

Patented Maximum Power Point Tracking technology allows Solar Boost 2512i and Solar Boost 2512iX to increase charge current up to 30% or more compared to conventional charge controllers. Don’t waste your money by throwing PV power away! Get the power you paid for with a Solar Boost charge controller.

The low cost Solar Boost 2512i provides an advanced fully automatic 3-stage charge control system to ensure the battery is properly and fully charged, resulting in enhanced battery performance with less maintenance. A partial IPN™ network interface is also included to allow use of the IPN-Remote or IPN-ProRemote displays.

Additional features provided in the Solar Boost 2512iX include automatic or manual equalization, battery temperature sensor input, full IPN network compatibility, and an auxiliary output. The user configurable auxiliary output can serve as either a 25 amp load controller, or as a 2 amp auxiliary battery charger. The load control feature can be used to limit excessive battery discharge in
unattended remote systems, where as the auxiliary battery charge feature is ideal for charging a separate battery such as the engine battery in an RV.

Blue Sky Energy’s advanced Integrated Power Net™, or IPN Network, allows up to 8 IPN capable charge controllers to communicate with each other and operate as a single machine rather than separate charge controllers. The IPN network also allows networked controllers to share an optional battery temperature sensor and remote display. The IPN network does not require a display or other special hardware to operate.

Category: Energy, Sailing, Technology | No Comments »
Tags: blue sky energy, encore, kyocera, power, sailboat, sailing, solar

Posted By RichC on January 8, 2012

In Autoblog’s 2011 VW Jetta TDI longterm update there were a couple less than flattering comments about the VW’s comfort and the manual gearbox. Besides disliking the firm Volkswagen seats, the follow up was that the 2011 TDI had a "much-disliked" and "tricky" gearbox.  Having driven a variety of manual transmission cars and owning two A4 TDIs with 5-speeds, I’m puzzled of the disappointment in the new 6-speed manual. Any thoughts from owners or those who may have test driven 2011 or 2012 manual transmission TDIs?

… the interior seems to be more broken-in, though it isn’t showing any noticeable signs of wear. That said, it still isn’t a very pleasant place to be. I didn’t love it on my cross-country journey a few months ago, and while it’s more comfortable now that more butts have been in the driver’s seat, there simply isn’t anything to rave about.

Fuel economy, however, is as great as ever – I commonly see numbers over 40 mpg. The car’s much-disliked gearbox is still tricky, and we broke a sweat trying not to stall while starting out on some of those steep San Francisco hills (especially when cars were behind us). But with some serious concentration, we managed with minimal problems.

LINK

Category: Automotive, Diesel, Volkswagen | 6 Comments »
Tags: diesel, jetta, tdi, vw

Posted By RichC on January 7, 2012

Category: Misc | 2 Comments »
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Posted By RichC on January 6, 2012

Audi Vail expect to be similar to the Q3 (above)

What are the chances that Audi’s new “Vail” CUV concept expected at the Detroit Auto Show this year will sport a TDI diesel engine like their A3 does here in the U.S. – I’m guessing slim?

Audi will use the Detroit motor show next week to unveil a concept “Vail” version of the compact Q3 SUV for the U.S. market and plans to build a sedan version of the A3 hatchback after the newest model comes to market this year, Chief Executive Officer Rupert Stadler said in an interview.

Bloomberg

Category: Automotive, Diesel | No Comments »
Tags: audi, diesel, q3, tdi

Posted By RichC on January 5, 2012

The Kickstarter company Lubricheck, mentioned in May of 2011, has improved their oil analyzer device to include diesel engines. Outstanding … although they aren’t shipping just yet – order link.

We are pleased to report that our software development and testing has been successfully completed! During this process, we found several changes that were required in the hardware as well, including the need to change to a more powerful IC chip. The first test units are now working beautifully, producing highly consistent, repeatable results. We are now poised to build multiple units for field testing. Arrangements have been made to send several of these pre-production units to one of the largest oil testing labs in the US. Here, Lubricheck test results will be compared to the results from sophisticated lab equipment, on dozens of oil samples. We expect that publishing this data will help to convince even the most skeptical reader that the Lubricheck really does do what we claim.

But Wait! There is More!!

A good portion of the delays over the past few weeks have been due to our clandestine efforts to design the standard gasoline model Lubricheck to work on diesel engines, too. We had not mentioned this effort earlier because we were not sure it was possible to do, and we did not want to raise false hopes. We are delighted to report that our test results prove the standard Lubricheck works equally well on gasoline AND diesel engines! This should be very good news to the numerous backers who have passionately urged us to develop a diesel capable unit ASAP. In addition, this new capability will open opportunities for us in the vast market of commercial trucking, where regular, expensive laboratory oil testing is a way of life.

We wish to thank our backers again for the wonderful support and patience they have extended to us! As soon as our circuit changes are implemented, and the bill of materials is updated to reflect our modifications, we will get fresh pricing from our vendors, and begin ordering parts for production. It will take several weeks to get all of these parts ready to go. We will keep you informed on estimated production delivery dates as they become available.

Happy New Year and warmest regards,

The Lubricheck Team

Category: Automotive, Technology, Tools | No Comments »
Tags: analysis, lubricheck, oil, tool

Posted By RichC on January 4, 2012

Not that it matters much, but Gov Mitt Romney and Rep Rick Santorum were the two top vote getters in Iowa on Tuesday night as it took until the wee hours of the morning before a winner could be declared – Romney by 8 votes. The 24.55% vs 24.54% split barely made up the majority of votes in what came down to a four or maybe five horse race in Iowa: Romney, Santorum, Ron Paul, Newt Gingrich and Rick Perry. As the press conferences wrapped up, many believe the GOP is realistically down to the top 4 finishers … and of those one is not electable as a Republican (Paul).

As the campaigns head to New Hampshire where Gov Romney holds a 2 to 1 lead over the nearest competitor, serious campaigners focus on the South Carolina and Florida primaries where most likely the Republican will decide who will run against President Obama.

What is interesting is that the Republican party currently has different candidates. With Romney most see someone with personal morals, convictions and respected business credentials, but a less that conservative political track record. Santorum also has conducted his personal and family life with integrity, but lacks the business and economic resume of Romney. Speaker Gingrich, who many boast as the “smartest man in the room,” slips a notch or two when dissecting his personal life and volumes of lectures, writing and years of political negotiating. Still he is the most formidable campaigner and debater of the bunch … something that many expect may be needed when going up against the billion dollar campaign war-chest the Obama campaign has amassed.

For the pragmatist, I think Romney is the guy … for the ideologue, they may just have to hold their nose or may do what the Republican establishment fear and say home.

Category: News, Politics | 2 Comments »
Tags: gingrich, gop, obama, paul, perry, republican, romney, santorum

Posted By RichC on January 3, 2012

The ultralight-led migration of endangered whooping cranes from Wisconsin to Florida has been halted in Alabama over the failure of a group to comply with federal regulations involving their use of the small aircraft.
More 

Category: Misc | No Comments »
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Posted By RichC on January 2, 2012

It looks like we’ll be getting the first real snow of the season today … and definitely the first for 2012, Happy New Year by the way. I’m spending today at home tackling a few chores like helping my son put his snow tires on the VW GTI; it is not the most behaved vehicle on slippery roads. With Taylor home for his Christmas break it was also time for him to keep me up-to-date with the antics from the UK Top Gear guys … so below is a recent armored vehicle clip that made me smile.

Category: Automotive, Humor, Video, Weather | No Comments »
Tags: snow, top gear

Posted By RichC on January 1, 2012

Hmm … not that I have any of these, but it was interesting to know just what the largest currency denomination was … $100,000, but it was retired as well as other bills  over $100. Seeing that our nation’s debt limit will soon rise yet again, maybe we need to bring back bigger currency denominations?

And you ask … “what made you think of this?”

Lexington man charged with making a fake $1 million bill and trying to spend it

Talk about leaving the store with a big chunk of change.

A Lexington man is accused trying to use a fake $1 million bill to pay for his purchases at a Walmart.

Michael Anthony Fuller, 53, of 3 Parker St., walked into the Walmart on Lowes Boulevard in Lexington on Nov. 17. He shopped for a while, picking up a vacuum cleaner, a microwave oven and other merchandise, totaling $476, an arrest warrant says.

When he got to the register, Fuller gave the cashier the phony bill, saying that it was real.

Store staff called police.

Fuller was later charged with attempting to obtain property by false pretense and uttering a forged instrument, both felonies, court records show.

A warrant says of the fake million-dollar bill: "There is no such thing."

The largest bill in circulation is a $100 bill. In 1969, federal officials discontinued the use of $500, $1,000, $5,000 and $10,000 bills because of lack of public use.

The largest note ever printed was the $100,000 bill, which featured President Woodrow Wilson. The bills, which were not available to the public, were printed from Dec. 18, 1934, through Jan. 9, 1935, and were used for transactions between Federal Reserve banks.

Fuller was being held Friday night in the Davidson County Jail with bond set at $17,500. He is scheduled to appear in court Tuesday.

Lexington police Sgt. Shannon Sharpe said the case is unusual.

"It is kind of strange," Sharpe said.

Category: Misc, News | No Comments »
Tags: bill, currency, money

Posted By RichC on December 31, 2011

In tying up loose ends in closing out the year, one story that made a big impact on technology followers was the death of Steve Jobs. He was an inspirational and creative marketing wizard with oddities all too common with those we associate with the “genius” label … and would have been my pick for person of the year. What I found interesting was that there was a lessor known founder of Apple Computer back in the mid-1970s. Almost everyone knows of the two Steves, Jobs and Wozniak, but very few knew of their other partner, Ronald Wayne (most likely because he sold and left the company within a couple weeks of its inception).

During the formation of one of the world’s most admired companies, Ronald Wayne wrote the founding documents, created the original Apple logo (right), as well as initial manual for their Apple I computer. He was an innovative type in his own right having an interest in electro-mechanical engineering from his youth. His friendship with Jobs  began in their previous employment at Atari and set him up with 10% of the original company. Unfortunately for Mr. Wayne, his age, unfortunate experience and risk tolerance had him concerned with potential legal problems and he chose to sell his share shortly after its founding.

Ron Wayne sold a few of those original documents to a collector in the 1990’s when many thought Apple would go into bankruptcy, but recently some of the documents auctioned off at Sothebys for $1.6 million. Wayne still has a few items tucked away in an envelope such as rejected drawing for the Apple I computer, purchase forms for the Apple II and copies he made of the “million dollar” original documents he sold to a collector. Some would say that was his second “miss” to be a winner with Apple, but who can really predict the future.

In hindsight he wasn’t the only one who could have been a bit smarter and have held onto a piece of Apple … as besides being an early and lifetime Apple user (Macs in the 80s thru present day i-devices), I also held AAPL stock back in the 1990s, but also had Ron Wayne’s “risk tolerance” problem and sold it in those lean years.

Category: Archive, Business, Computer, History, Technology | No Comments »
Tags: aapl, apple, Computer, person of the year, ron wayne, steve jobs, steve wozniak, time