RE: digital tv switch over
the channels are label like 3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 10.1, 10.2, 10.3 the .1 are anilog and the .2 is digital and the .3 is that channels weather or news chanel 24 hours a day.
Close, but not quite. Digital channels have the ".1", ".2" etc (or "-1", "-2" etc) and analog has no suffix. The ".1" is usually the digitial version of the station's main feed. The higher numbers are often weather, but could be whatever the station cares to broadcast.
RE: Towing
and I use a brake buddy as a braking system and would recommend one if there is a chance you will be switching motorhomes, toads in the future, rather than a permanently installed one.
bumpy
And I would recommend the opposite. I think the one time effort of a permanent install is worth it. When trading toads, I would gladly go through the work of un-installing it and putting it in the new toad. The pay back is no work is required every time you hook or unhook - just plugging in the lighting umbilical is all I need to do to activate my braking system. I think lugging a box in and out of the toad every time I hooked or unhooked would get old fast.
I use a Roadmaster BlackHawk 2 All Terrain tow bar, and matching baseplate with removable tabs, and I'm very happy. But my toad is a lot heavier than a Saturn, their Falcon tow bar may be good enough for a Saturn, and be cheaper and lighter.
With the Roadmaster, I like the big release levers, and I like the way the safety and electrical cables run through the tow bar arms, rather than dangling. Makes for a very neat installation. But Blue Ox makes a good system as well, with its own advantages (like a rubber boot covering the arm extension to keep it clean.)
For braking I have a US Gear Unified Tow Brake. When hooking up the lighting (using diodes to drive the stock bulbs) I used a 6 pin cable, and ran the wires for the US Gear brake through that umbiliical. So I only have one cable to plug and unplug and that takes care of everything.
There is no one right answer that works for everyone. (Although there are plenty of options that are just plain wrong and not safe!) Your best bet is to check out the major brands and find what appeals to you and your own priorities. And be prepared that a complete setup is expensive (a previous post mentioned 2 to 3 thousand, which sounds reasonable) -- please don't go cheap and and compromise safety. It might be one of us that is in the oncoming lane when a poorly cobbled setup breaks loose and heads our way.
RE: Need help from electrical guru
The battery voltage readings don’t always seem consistent with the Ah used. By the way, I cross-checked the Link 10 voltage readings with Solar Boost 2000e readings and got similar numbers. I did notice that the higher battery voltage readings seemed to occur after a period of relatively minimal battery usage.
The long answer:
Battery voltage is not an accurate indicator of state of charge. That's why you have the fancy Link 10 meter which monitors amp-hours in and out of the battery to calculate a much more accurate state of charge.
For any given state of charge on a battery:If the battery is under load, the voltage will go down. The higher the load, the more it will dip because of the internal resistance of the battery and because of chemical depletion effects on the plate/electrolyte boundary.If you remove the battery load, the voltage will go back up, but not to where it was before the load. But if you wait long enough, the chemistry will stabilize and voltage will rebound higher.If the battery is being charged (like from your solar panel) the battery voltage will be higher than expected (so that power can be forced back into the battery.)When the charger is turned off, the voltage will drop back down, but not as far as you would expect because there is a surface charge on the battery plates. Over time, that surface charge will wear off and you will get the expected reading.
Battery voltage is only a rough approximation of state of charge, and is only valid when the battery is not under load, and not being charged, and has been sitting for some number of hours in that state.
I may have a few details wrong, and I glossed over some other details. But suffice it to say the voltage will vary depending on loads, and also charging rates.
The short answer:
Don't worry too much about voltage. Trust the Link 10's percent charge indicator.
RE: I got a sense of satisfaction installing my baseplate
Oh yeah, nothing like the satisfaction of a job well done!
I spent a fun long weekend setting up my truck as a dinghy this spring - Roadmaster base plate, US Gear Unified Tow Brake, and diodes for lighting. I could almost reach things behind the bumper while laying on my back, but finally broke down and took the whole front fascia off. That made it a lot easier, and made things go much faster.
The best part was I could make custom mounting brackets for the umbilical socket and breakaway switch, so they are completely hidden when not in use. It was time consuming to make these brackets, but well worth the effort. A "professional" installer wouldn't have taken the time to do that, and would've just drilled a hole in the bumper and mounted them up front and visible, resulting in a less than professional appearance.
The couple places I checked wanted well over a thousand dollars to install everything. And if I wanted them to install it the way I did (with the custom brackets) I'll bet it would've doubled the cost, if they were willing to do it at all.
I had fun, saved lots of money on installation costs, and ended up with a better install. Can't beat that! :B
RE: Satellite TV--Dish vs. Direct
Dish offers Atlanta and San Francisco. Does Direct TV offer anything better than these two cities?
I believe DirecTV ofers New York City and Los Angeles as thier East coast and West coast DNS feeds.
RE: Articulating bed
Interesting.
But is there a way to extend it out so it's flat while the slides are in? It doesn't happen often, but there are times (like a quick nap, or impromptu overnight rest stop) where you might want to sleep with the slides in. Possible with this arrangement?
If not, I think I'd rather climb over the bed with the slides in, than lose the bed altogether.
RE: Decision - Dome or dish
To much work for me I find it a PITA to keep my Dish 500 and tripod and set it up (we move alot) HD ain't worth fulling with a 2nd antenna for me.
That's the same situation I'm in. I refuse to carry around a second dish, so I only have the Dish 500 on a ground mount, and I get no HD. (But we are camping, right, and we're supposed to be roughing it!)
This dual dish scenario is exactly the situation that the new Eastern Arc is tageted for. Hopefully, by the time I de-winterize (summerize?) my rig next spring, my local stations will be moved over to the new Eastern Arc birds, and I'll be able to get one of the new Dish 1000.4 dishes, which is the new and improved dish specifically for the Eastern Arc. Then I will be able to have one dish, and get HD while travelling on the East coast.
Besides being able to get HD, there are a couple improvements in the new 1000.4 dish's mount that should make it easier for people who aim the dish a lot (like us RV'rs!) There is a lever to make small adjustments to the azimuth angle (instead of twisting the whole mount on the pole) and a jack screw for making small adjustments to elevation. These two features should make it considerably easier to fine-tune and peak the signal.
To use the new Eastern Arc birds, you need the new dish, you need to have only MPEG-4 receivers (the newer ViP series receivers) and you need the latest purple smart cards that are slowly being sent out to customers. In addition, if you want to get locals, you need to live in one of the markets that are already moved to those birds, or you have to wait until your market is added.
RE: Decision - Dome or dish
What this all means is that for most of the US DirecTV birds are higher in the sky and closer to due south.. In the far west Dish Network gets that honor
It's not that clear cut. Dish is making a lot of changes.
First off, for a while now, Dish has had a bird at 61.5, which is way off over the Atlantic. On the East coast, 129 is so far West, it is very low on the horizon and difficult to see. So a lot of East coast Dish Network customers use the the bird at 61.5 for HD and some local stations.
But 61.5 is so far away from 110 and 119 that it's not possible to have a single dish to get all three, so you end up with two dishes on your house (like I have.) To counter that, Dish is setting up two new birds at 72.7 (South of Boston) and 77 (South of Washington DC), and calling it the "Eastern Arc." Couple those two with 61.5 and you now have three birds that are close enough to get on one dish. This is the wave of the future for East coast Dish Network customers.
So, you really have three groups of satellites:East coast Dish Network - 61.5, 72.7, 77DirecTV customers - Mostly 101, but also 110, 119, and othersWest coast Dish Network - 110, 119, 129
So, it really does depend on where you are, and which satellites you're aiming for. For me on the East coast, the new Dish Network satellites at 77 and 72.7 are at about 40 degrees elevation, 61.5 is at about 38 degrees elevation, and DirecTV at 101 is at about 36 degrees elevation. So, Dish Network satellites can be higher than DirecTV birds, even on the East coast.
Earlier, I was trying to say that there are too many variables to make a blanket statement about who's satellites are higher. I was trying to stay out of arguing the techinical details, but it looks like that isn't going to happen.
In the end, the difference in height is usually insignificant as to not really favor one provider over another. There are much bigger differences between them to base a selection decision upon.
RE: Decision - Dome or dish
One thing I've learned is that Direct tv sats are higher in the sky making it easier to get a signal.
I think that depends on where you are. As you move about the country, I believe the relative heights of the satellites will change. Your statement might be true where you are, but it may not hold true everywhere.
A dome will not work for HD programming, at least for DirecTV. You may be able to get some limited HD programming with a dome from Dish Network.
Correct about DirecTV (although there might still be a few old HD channels on the old bands that can still be picked up by a dome.) With Dish, however, all HD channels can be picked up by a dome, there are no limitations there.
I should add I have an in-motion dome on my ride
Which is part of the reason I recommend a dish
I also have an in-motion dome. I also recommend any type of dish over the dome. There are a few people who swear by their domes. Not me. I swear at my dome, not by it.
RE: Grill Blocking for fuel savings
I see a lot of trucks around here with those stainless steel grill covers (full of little holes, slots, etc.). I've seen a lot of them on trucks in the campgrounds too.
I thought they were for winter use but apparently a lot of owners just leave them on year round. Or are they meant to be cosmetic? Either way, it seems that they would work as grill blocks.
Looks like they are called grill inserts.
A sample:
http://www.cabelas.com/prod-1/0025807521506a.shtml
I have something similar on my truck, it's brushed aluminum and is a series of closely spaced slats. I figure it blocks almost 50% of the grill's surface area. I have it on for purely cosmetic reasons, and I leave it on year round. I didn't put it on to speed up winter warm-ups, and I certainly don't expect it to increase my gas mileage.
Most of the time, I don't notice any difference on engine cooling. But then the only thing I tow with my truck is a utility trailer with a couple ATVs on it, which is hardly a strain on the truck. I also don't live in a hot climate.
While I see no effects on the engine temperature gauge, I do notice that in summer when I first start up the truck, and the air conditioner is working overtime to do the initial cool down, that the A/C will blow warm whenever I stop at a light, and will start cooling again when I start moving again. Obviously there is enough restriction in the grill that the condensor is not able to dissipate enough heat. But once the A/C catches up and isn't going full blast anymore, there are no more issues.
While with my usage I don't notice any change in engine temperatures, based on the experiences with the A/C, I would be hesitant to use the grille insert if I were pulling a big travel trailer, especially if I were in a hot climate. That extra strain might be too much for the truck to cope with if it had reduced cooling air flow.
RE: Grill Blocking for fuel savings
18 MPG in a Pinto??? I was getting 26-27 in my 1973 Pinto wagon with the 2L engine. Still have the notebook, so I know those are correct. The authors are close to clueless, if 18 is the best they could do.
I can believe those numbers. The '74 Pinto hatchback I drove for a few years was hard pressed to get much above the mid to high teens for mileage. I don't think it ever went into the 20's. (But I don't still have those notes, so I can't back it up!)
I think the big problem with mine was that it was geared too low. For a little four-banger it was great at launching off the line from a traffic light, but it really started to wheeze and peter out at highway speeds. I also drove it only around town with almost no highway miles, which I'm sure didn't help (especially considering I had quite a lead foot! :R )
Perhaps you had higher gearing on your wagon? Maybe you had a manual tranny instead of my automatic slips-a-lot tranny? If so, those might have made a big difference. Perhaps you also drove it more reasonably rather than flooring it all the time?
While I can believe the numbers in the report, I can also believe your numbers, because I had talked to other Pinto owners at the time, and many of them were getting much better mileage than I.
I didn't think people that owned pintos actually admitted to owning one?:W
Ummm... I didn't actually own it. It was my mother's car.
Yeah, that's it, my mother's car! :B
RE: satelite dish
As an alternative to entering the zip code in your receiver, you can also get the pointing angles by going to http://www.dishpointer.com
This basically gets you a Google Maps page that lets you zoom in on your current location, and place a pointer where you plan on setting the dish. It then draws a line to show the direction you need to point it.
The nice thing is you don't need to worry about a compass, you just point the dish at the landmark on the photo.
The bad news is you need a (fast) Internet connection.
RE: Securing Items
As stated by others "Nothing" is 100% thief proof but you have to make it as tough as possible...Most crooks are lazy and will pass on "tough" for and go to an "easy mark".
Precisely. Whether we know it or not, mostly what we're trying to do is make it difficult enough that the scum passes us by and looks for easier pickings.
It's kind of like the old joke about bears -- you don't have to outrun the bear, you just have to outrun the slower guy.
RE: Electrical service for large class A...220 or 110?
I know nothing about electricity, it scares me. But I do know that we plugged into a 220 (after an oil field friend made some modifications) and fried 3 televisions, 3 stereos, the micro/convection oven and the cargo freezer. It was a very expensive lesson.
Just a thought.
My guess from your post is that you have a 30 amp rig, which is very different from a 50 amp rig.
30 amp RV service is 120 volts ONLY. But it is possible to plug a 30 amp RV into an old 240 volt 3 pin electric dryer socket, and doing so will cause big problems.
50 amp RV service is a combination of 120 and 240 volt circuits. It is the same as the current style 240 volt 4 pin electric dryer socket. There are no issues with plugging a 50 amp RV into a properly wired 120/240 volt socket, that's the way it's supposed to work.
30 amp and 50 amp RV services are very different -- it's much more than just adding 20 amps.
RE: Digital TV Coming
Will my digital converter box work with our roof antenna?
Yes, it should work.
Nothing in life is certain, but it's very unlikely that you will have a problem.
RE: Home built HD antenna beats the snot out of my BatWIng
With this antenna I have no problems even with the fact that this antenna is very directional. I have the antenna pointed basically due north ... %snip% ... while receiving all the ... %snip ... antennas to the south of my location
While this style of antenna is rather dirctional, without a reflector grid behind it, there should be no difference between the "front" and "back" of the antenna. Where the directionality comes in would be to the sides. So, with the antenna pointed North, I would expect equally good reception to the South, but less reception to the East or West. How much less, I don't know.
This is a UHF antenna. What about the VHF freqs (2-13)????And before you get arguments on that statement, let me back it up for you VHF DTV Stations
Thanks for the link! While it's true that most digitial stations will be in the UHF band, there will still be a few in the VHF band, as documented on that list.
While it doesn't help others, I'm quite pleased to see this list -- I'm interested in a cheap antenna for home use (for the spare bedroom TVs in the house not hooked up to the satellite) and this list just confirms that none of my stations will be in VHF, so I can use one of these cheap antennas. Cool!
RE: Brakes Smoking
I know that the "under-dash" connector pinouts changed in 2003, at least on Silverados. (And I suspect on all GM tow vehicles)
So if you moved it by just unplugging from one vehicle and plugging into the newer one, that could well be the issue.
This is my guess as well. Between the 2002 and 2003 model years, GM swapped a couple of the wires on the harness between the truck and the brake controller. This affects all full size GM trucks (Silverado, Sierra, Suburban, Yukon, Tahoe, Avalanche, Escalade...)
My understanding is that the brown and light blue wires are swapped on the connector that plugs into the block down by the driver's left foot. Because of this, the dash illumuniation and brake switch signals are swapped. Use the wrong cable version and stepping on the brake will do nothing, but turning on the headlights (actually, just the parking lights) will activate the trailer brakes. Scary!
It should be easy to verify: if you step on the brake pedal and get no contoller reaction, but then turn on your lights and do get a controller reaction, then this is your problem.
Others have had success unplugging the harness from under the dash, releasing the contacts for the brown and light blue wires from the connector shell, swapping the positions of the wires, and inserting the contacts back in the shell. I've not tried it, so I can't say if it works or not, so use this information at your own risk.
If you simply moved the controller and harness from your '02, this is likely your problem. Once you get that fixed, you should probably service your trailer brakes and make sure you didn't fry them.
RE: How to prepare my 1/2 ton for towing
You can usually find the information under or around the sink on a sticker.
And many times on the trailer tongue or on the frame near the tounge.
