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Forum
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RE: cooling fan for laptops ?
I have used them on my laptop and DW's laptop.
I got the kind with an external power source so the power drain woulds not increase the heat load on the laptop. The USB hub was also powered and did not use any power from the laptop USB bus.
They work (using SpeedFan you can see the temp drop when they are turned on) but the ones we got had bearings begin to fail in a few months. They would squeal in the mornings when it was chilly in the coach. One of them had a large increase in the voltage it supplied to the USB ports and burned up a wireless mouse dongle.
One pair was made by Targus and the other pair by Belkin I think - but I am not certain of that. They were in the $35 to $40 cost range and I expected better quality.
I would like to have a good quality one if such a thing exists.
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Clay L
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12/18/09 11:47am |
Technology Corner
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RE: Campground Hosting, what's involved and how to....
Are you talking about a volunteer position (no pay)- usually a state or federal park - or a workamping position (with pay) - usually a private RV park but sometimes a state or federal park run by a concessionaire?
We have done the volunteer bit at a state park for the last three years. We have decided that we won't do it anymore. The small percentage of the public that are total anal apertures along with the job requiring more work than we want to perform caused our decision.
However a lot of people do enjoy it.
As to what was involved:
In our case 70% of the host's job was being the on-site eyes of the rangers.
The remaining thirty percent was;
PR - presenting a pleasant smiling face to the public.
Explaining the rules and calling the rangers when people refused to obey the rules.
Pulling a lot of hoses (up to 300 feet) and watering grass and plants everyday.
Picking up litter and cleaning firepits.
Of course that thirty percent required about six hours a day for each of us of actual work and extended to being on duty until 11 o'clock at night or later.
The late night work was because people would try to sneak in or would set up in reserved sites and some would disrupt other campers with various kinds of noise.
Again, many people do enjoy the job. It's just not for us.
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Clay L
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12/18/09 11:07am |
Class A Motorhomes
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RE: Refrigerator Dripping?
Our Norcold refrigerator compartment is self defrosting, but the freezer compartment is not.
We have to defrost it every couple of months in a high humidity area, less in low humidity areas.
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Clay L
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12/16/09 09:18am |
General RVing Issues
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RE: Air leakage from tires
So diesel fuel will diffuse through your fuel tank until you have a complete mix of tank and fuel? Oh wait a minute, you can also reach a state of equilibrium - like with all the fuel on the inside, and all the tank on the outside (could this be a metaphor for air and tire?
The diffusion co-efficient for diesel through is essentially zero.
It is not zero for air through the tire.
You might want to check some of the tire company info on the issue.
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Clay L
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12/15/09 12:08pm |
Tech Issues
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RE: Refrigerator Dripping?
On the end of my drain hose there is a plastic fitting with a small hole to keep the flow down to a rate that will allow the water in the evaporator tray to evaporate. That hole got plugged and to be cleaned. The hose was clear.
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Clay L
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12/15/09 10:55am |
General RVing Issues
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RE: Changing domicile - some questions
You might want to check out the info on this site. HERE
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Clay L
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12/15/09 10:48am |
General RVing Issues
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RE: Diplexer with satellite and TV booster
The 13 to 18 vdc going to the LNB serves two purposes - it provides power to the LNB and also switches the polarization of the signals the LNB receives from the satellite. The signal from the even transponders is transmitted in clockwise circular polarization and the odd transponders in counter-clockwise polarization - or vice-versa, I don't remember for sure.
In any case the satellite receiver switches between the odd and even transponders depending on the channel you select. If that switching voltage does not get to the LNB you won't get all of the available channels.
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Clay L
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12/11/09 10:44am |
Technology Corner
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RE: Checking Tire Pressure
Dually Valves
http://www.borgtiresupply.com/index-dv.htm
I am also going with the Dually Valves. Solid metal - no leaks.
Only cons are they are pricey and you have to dismount the tires to install them - but worth it for the peace of mind as far as I am concerned.
I have been using the flexible extenders but I have had one fail and I have to watch them very carefully.
I will have the Dually Valves installed when I replace the tires next year.
See them HERE
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Clay L
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12/11/09 09:42am |
Class A Motorhomes
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RE: Venetian Blinds vs Day/Night Shades
the day/night roll down shades don't seem to be able to let any air to come thru so you would have to run the air.
They say they have a loose weave day fabric. I am waiting for sample swatches to see what it's like.
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Clay L
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12/10/09 11:32am |
General RVing Issues
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RE: Venetian Blinds vs Day/Night Shades
I had to restring our day night shades about six months after we bought the motor home (new). Then had to do it again in about four months because the holes the grommets are in needed to be deburred. They lasted about 5 years and then had to restring one last summer. We washed the one that was restrung and the other one in the living room and sure got out a lot of dirt.
We have decided to go with the MCD Inovations day-night roll down shades and will order them in a month or so. Really pricy but appear to be very high quality and easy to clean..
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Clay L
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12/10/09 10:37am |
General RVing Issues
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RE: CO detector going off.
Many of them have a sticker on the side with a "Replace by" date. Five years is often the claimed lifetime.
Mine stated beeping every few seconds last year just about on the 5 year mark and had to be replaced.
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Clay L
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12/10/09 10:19am |
Class A Motorhomes
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RE: water softener
Well (Bonita Lake Resort) in Bonita Spring Fl, is a very nice park people here are great. Want to thank everyone that told me about this place.
New ? need to get a water softener any info on type or what to look for when I look.
I did a fair amount of research and bought the Mark8000 HERE.
My research also indicated that the "magnetic" water softeners are a scam.
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Clay L
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12/06/09 10:31am |
Class A Motorhomes
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RE: Black tank sensor cleaning
They have something that works. There are several brands on monitor panels that work quite well, and use a variety of sensor methods other than probes through the walls of the tanks.
But these sytems are MUCH more expensive, and that's the reason the RV builders usually don't use them (but you may see them on the high-end coaches.)
For what it's worth - Winnebago went standard with the TrueLevel non-contact system in 2005 for their Class As. Don't know about the Class Cs.
I had it installed at the factory on my 2004 and when the tank walls get really gunked up it will still read fuller than it should.
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Clay L
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12/04/09 10:00am |
General RVing Issues
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RE: Verizon Aircard ????
my memory says there is a proxy 'program' i use to use when on dialup, that lowered the quality of image to reduce data size and speed up the page loading,
i used it for a few months then went back to normal surfing, i don't remember the name, try a search using the words ( proxy speed page load )
Didn't the old "Venturi" software that used to ship with the Verizon Mobile Office package have that feature?
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Clay L
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11/29/09 09:43am |
Technology Corner
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RE: Windows Supersite, and Paul Thurrott
Good site.
I am waiting for my free Win7 upgrade from HP.
My Grandson (senior at CO School of Mines) was with us for Thanksgiving and he showed me a couple of the tips shown on the site. Having an engineering major he is exposed to a lot of info us old f*rts aren't exposed to, but there is a lot there he doesn't know.
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Clay L
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11/29/09 09:39am |
Technology Corner
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RE: Wireless printer with WIFI
I know about wireless printers being available,what I don't understand is what sends the signal to the printer. At home I have a Router set up by my cable company. In the motor home I will be relying on the park WIFI signal. Will my HP lap top do this?
The wireless print server I mentioned above receives the print info from the laptop. The server connects to the printer via a USB cable.
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Clay L
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11/27/09 02:14pm |
Technology Corner
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RE: Wireless printer with WIFI
You can buy a wireless print server that your printer plugs into. That's what we use.
The one we got is made by HP (HP2101 HP Wireless G Print Server). It costs about $60 as I recall and works with a lot of printers and a number of All-In-Ones. It plugs into the USB port on the printer.
you can see it here HERE
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Clay L
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11/27/09 09:54am |
Technology Corner
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RE: Workhorse aie filter
I saved this from some posts 4 years or so ago:
FRAM CA3914
WIX 46144
AC Delco A917C
NAPA 6144 or 26144
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Clay L
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11/25/09 08:39am |
Class A Motorhomes
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RE: without elevation sensor???
Mine ate batteries so I installed a very small toggle switch to turn the battery on and off.
Ahhhh...now that is a most excellent idea! Thanks!
I picked up a LM7809 - 3-Terminal 1A Positive Voltage Regulator at Radio Shack along with a couple of capacitors and built a simple regulator on a piece of perf board. I installed it in the elevation sensor display box. I ran 12 vdc from the Winegard amplifier wall plate to the box.
It's been working great for four years or so.
I like the switch idea also - it's simpler than what I did.
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Clay L
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11/23/09 10:14am |
Class A Motorhomes
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RE: Shower Drain
This ZIP-IT is what I use, however the drain cleaning products won't harm your plumbing.
It's a real good idea to drain the waste tank right afterward though so the stuff isn't in long term contact with the drain valve and seats.
I like the zip-it better then what I use. It look much easier since you can throw it away rather then clean te nasty thing I have.
vanman250
You can discard it but I have been cleaning mine for a couple of years. I just take a paper towel and wipe the strip from the bottom up to the handle and then rinse it off.
You do have to be careful though - those barbs are sharp so you can't forget and wipe down instead of up!
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Clay L
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11/21/09 04:12pm |
General RVing Issues
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