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Date Posted |
Forum
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RE: Cheap Generator saves lives in Tornado
I have camped in a couple spots where the little HF generator was being used and it wasn't too obnoxious. Not great but I've experienced worse. Last Easter down in Florida a group pulled into the campground and fired up a construction style generator and ran non-stop for the whole 3 day weekend. Another group pulls in and they have a Miller welder/generator. Needless to say it wasn't the most pleasant weekend.
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Tom_M
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05/22/13 06:05am |
General RVing Issues
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RE: Recording OTA broadcasts
Keep in mind that the Magnavox DVR does not do high definition. It records the digital tv signal but only in standard definition. The playback is upconverted to 1080. Also any device that records to a standard DVD does not make a high def disk. A standard DVD that plays in a DVD player is 480.
EchoStar started producing a nice stand-alone HD-TV DVR but gave up on it and sold it to Channel Master. The Channel Master CM-7000PAL seems to be a dead product now also. There may be stock available from a few sources.
I gave up the quest for a stand-alone box and set up a small PC with two HD tuners. The PC runs Windows 7 with Media Center and works very well. You do need an internet connection to receive the program guide. You can use it without the guide but it is a bit cumbersome.
There is free software available called NextPVR. I have tried it but it took a while to get it set up to use my tuners. You don't need an internet connection to get a program guide. It retrieves guide data from the information embedded in the TV signal. It works, but not well. TV stations typically send out guide data only for the next few hours so you usually will not get guide info for the next day.
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Tom_M
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05/20/13 08:57am |
Technology Corner
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RE: Will RG6 improve my RG59 signal on my 5er
The greatest loss will occur at the higher UHF frequencies. Presently the highest channel that is broadcast is channel 51 (real not virtual). The channel 51 frequency is 390 Mhz. The losses for 50ft of cable are as follows:
RG-59 3.2 db
RG-6 2.9 db
RG-11 1.4 db
RG-11 is huge and not practical for use in an RV.
As you can see, the difference between RG-59 and RG-6 is miniscule.
The most likely culprits are:
Loose connectors.
Poorly crimped connectors
Corroded connectors.
Corroded cable.
Damaged cable.
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Tom_M
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05/20/13 06:37am |
Technology Corner
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RE: Black-out Shades
When the strings broke in my Day/Night shades I replaced them with some heavy drapes from IKEA. Simple, cheap, and very effective at blocking the light.
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Tom_M
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05/19/13 05:55am |
General RVing Issues
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RE: 1988 LeSabro
Many LeSharo owners have swapped out the Renault drive train because parts are expensive and difficult or impossible to find.
I spend my winters in south Florida and travel with Charles and Betty Lamb. They are active on the above mentioned forum. They have done many modifications to their LeSharo including a drive train swap with a GM V-6. They have traveled to every state except Arizona, New Mexico, and Hawaii with it.
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Tom_M
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05/19/13 05:43am |
Class B - Camping Van Conversions
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RE: ANTENNA TEK
Some TV stations are VHF so you will need an antenna capable of receiving both VHF and UHF. In Minneapolis we have two stations that reverted back to VHF once the analog broadcasts were shut down.
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Tom_M
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05/18/13 10:30am |
Tech Issues
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RE: Install new crank up where no antenna has gone before??
I mounted my Winegard sideways with no air dam. I've logged about 25,000 miles since installation and have had no problems.
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Tom_M
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05/18/13 10:22am |
Technology Corner
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RE: Digital Multimeters- An RVer's Best Friend
The most useful meter I've found is a clamp-on style ammeter. With a clamp-on meter you don't have to break a circuit to measure current. Most clamp-on meters will only measure AC current so you will have to spend a bit more for one capable of measuring DC. I spent $80 for the one I have. Sears sells a meter for about $60 that looks appealing.
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/31XMdJXwaOL.jpg
Craftsman clamp-on
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Tom_M
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05/18/13 05:14am |
General RVing Issues
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RE: Win8 Tablet--Is It a "PC"?
There are a few tablets that run Windows. The Microsoft Surface Pro has an i5 processor and runs Windows 8 Pro.
The Lenovo Yoga has been highly rated. It can be purchased with up to the i7 processor.
Do a search on Amazon for Windows tablets and you will find others. Be aware that Windows RT will not run standard Windows software.
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Tom_M
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05/16/13 05:02am |
Technology Corner
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RE: Help with inverter wiring
The best option is installing an automatic transfer switch. You can purchase one such as this: Transfer switch.
I initially started out by manually unplugging the inverter prior to running the generator or using shore power until that time I forgot and blew up my inverter. I made my own transfer switch using a relay that I purchased at Grainger.
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Tom_M
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05/02/13 05:50am |
Do It Yourself Modifications and Upgrades (DIY)
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RE: Trouble replacing rear view camera monitor - any ideas?
A B/W camera has no S-video output. I suspect that the 4-pin connector is video and power. The adapter would supply no power to the camera thus no picture.
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Tom_M
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05/01/13 12:35pm |
Technology Corner
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RE: 12V TV DVD Blu Ray combo suggestions
I don't think you'll have much luck finding a TV with built-in Blu-ray. One option is to purchase a portable Blu-ray player that has an HDMI output. You could connect that to a TV that has an HDMI input. Some TVs have a USB port that would allow you to connect a thumb drive or hard drive to them and watch videos. The biggest issue would be ripping a disk to create a video file. This is time consuming and there may be legal issues in circumventing the disk encryption. Some people say that just the act of ripping an encrypted disk is piracy. Others claim that doing it with disks you own is okay. I do it myself, and it is a convenient way of storing my video library.
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Tom_M
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04/21/13 06:37am |
Technology Corner
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RE: ideas needed-tablet + usb camera + screen capture?
Here's a link to software called CaptureFlux: CaptureFlux Page
The software is freeware for personal use. Check the web page for instructions on getting license for company use. You would need a notebook or tablet running Windows to use this.
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Tom_M
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04/18/13 06:11am |
Technology Corner
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RE: PORTABLE SOLAR PANELS
Here's some pictures of my install:
http://i1095.photobucket.com/albums/i468/tomzpix/Solar/TopViewOfPin_zps378b2a4c.jpg
I used some aluminum rectangular tubing that I had laying around to fashion the side brackets. There's a slot at the top that a pin hooks into.
http://i1095.photobucket.com/albums/i468/tomzpix/Solar/OneSideOff_zpse9ad06c8.jpg
Panel lifted off top of bracket.
http://i1095.photobucket.com/albums/i468/tomzpix/Solar/UpperPin_zps3130555e.jpg
The pin is a stainless steel bolt with the head cut off.
http://i1095.photobucket.com/albums/i468/tomzpix/Solar/SideOnePanel_zps19465646.jpg
Each bracket is fastened with 5 stainless steel sheet metal screws into the fiberglass siding. I also used silicone adhesive.
http://i1095.photobucket.com/albums/i468/tomzpix/Solar/LowerPinIn_zpsa75e594b.jpg
The lower pins are an aviation style safety pin that I happened to find a a flea market.
http://i1095.photobucket.com/albums/i468/tomzpix/Solar/LowerPin_zps3765e7ca.jpg
Lower pin.
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Tom_M
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04/08/13 03:37pm |
Tech Issues
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RE: PORTABLE SOLAR PANELS
I've had the 125 watt panel mounted for three years and traveled about 25,000 miles and have had no problems. I added the 80 watt panel last year. Time will tell. There are risks involved no matter what. Panels mounted on the roof are more susceptible to hail damage.
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Tom_M
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04/05/13 07:26pm |
Tech Issues
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RE: PORTABLE SOLAR PANELS
I have two panels, a 125 watt and an 80 watt. I mounted both to the side of my coach. They are mounted so that they can be tilted up or removed and set out in the sun using a 50ft. extension cable.
http://i1095.photobucket.com/albums/i468/tomzpix/SecondPanel.jpg
http://i1095.photobucket.com/albums/i468/tomzpix/SolarPanelTilted_zpse736cb90.jpg
http://i1095.photobucket.com/albums/i468/tomzpix/SolarPanel2.jpg
The 125 watt panel is a bit of a struggle getting it hooked back onto the side of the coach but the 80 watt is much lighter and no problem.
If you start out with an 80 watt panel you could make do without a controller. Periodically check your battery voltage and keep an eye on your fluid levels.
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Tom_M
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04/05/13 06:52pm |
Tech Issues
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RE: Wiring inverter
I have done this but there are risks. I blew up a couple of cheap inverters. The breaker for my outlets is a GFI breaker which has both neutral and hot wires going to it. I assumed that meant both would be switched off when the breaker is off. Not so. Only the hot is switched. You would be okay if you remember to turn the inverter off and unplug it prior to plugging into shore power or running the generator. In my case the REMEMBER part was the issue. Needless to say the smoke got out of my inverters even with the breaker off. Apparently some if not most inverters do not tie neutral to ground.
I have subsequently built up a transfer relay and life is good.
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Tom_M
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04/04/13 05:25am |
Tech Issues
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RE: 12 volt TV
If there is no 120 volt you can purchase a small inverter to convert 12 volt DC to 120 volt AC.
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Tom_M
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03/20/13 10:23am |
Class C Motorhomes
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RE: Creating a Video DVD
If you already have your project edited and made into a single video file such as an AVI there are a couple of free programs that will produce the DVD. One is Simple DVD and the other is DVD Flick. Here are a couple of download links:
Simple DVD
DVD Flick
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Tom_M
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03/16/13 07:22am |
Technology Corner
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RE: tv signal
The Winegard wall plate is available in two flavors, amplified and non-amplified. The Winegard batwing antenna is also available as amplified or non-amplified.
My coach originally had a non-amplified antenna and a wall plate with a amplifier. I replaced the original antenna with a non-amplified Winegard batwing. Reception was good but not great. Rather than add the Wingman I opted to go with the Jack antenna which is amplified. I replaced the wall plate with the Sensar Pro. This configuration has worked well.
Some things that can lead to reception problems are:
Loose connectors.
Corroded connectors.
Corroded coax cable.
Improperly crimped connectors.
Too much amplification.
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Tom_M
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03/12/13 04:28am |
Technology Corner
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