RE: SHOCKING question
Um, the box your hubby uses only for charging his drill is unsafe, as you found out. I would HIGHLY recommend he fix that before anyone else gets shocked, maybe put on the ground by it. Possibly seriously injured.
RE: Screen resolution question
Once you get this problem fixed, I highly recommend springing for an external hard drive and cloning you boot drive to it, and keeping it up to date. Hard drives, even external ones, are so cheap these days, there is no excuse for not doing this. A wise man once noted that there are only two kinds of hard drives on this planet: ones that have crashed and ones that are GOING to crash. With an up-to-date bootable clone external drive, you will never be more than 5 minutes away from back up and running.
RE: New Trailer Life Directory, is it any better?
Actually, what I am talking about are the CDs to load on my laptop. I have an older copy, and am wondering if they have improved to new one before I buy it.
I don't think they are actually being shipped, yet -- the CDs, that is. They are due out by Jan 31, and might be just starting to arrive. I have one on order, I'll let you know. For what it is worth, I have the 2009 version, only getting the 2010 version because they offered a bargain with 30 day return privileges. The 2009 has lots of listings, although it is not entirely complete, and the mapping and routing seems to be at least the equal of Mapquest online. But the interface is klunky. Not surprising, I suppose, in light of it being a Windows-only program. We'll see what the 2010 version is like.
RE: Propane Changeover Cofusion?
All I can add is that for some reason, folks sometimes can't get their heads around certain concepts.
Not to denigrate your bud (or anyone else with the problem over this or that), but my wife is the same way about some things. Very intelligent woman, HS class valedictorian, Summa Cum Laude college grad, but for some reason she can't get her head around the fact our home water supply is from a spring that flows at a rate unrelated to how much water she uses.
RE: Backup
Naturist, I have tried DVD-RW and my computer will not let it happen..I am gonna see about an external harddrive. I have my old computer and if I were savvy enough I would retreive the hard and make my own.But I will go with a store bought one.
What size do you folks recommend that I buy?80----120-160--250--500.
Odd that the computer would balk at DVD-RWs. I've noted that sometimes they need to be "formatted" first and sometimes they need to be erased first. But if your system balks then it balks.
If you are needing "a couple DL DVDs" that would suggest that you are looking at maybe 16 GB of backup space. Keep your eyes open, and BTW, I've noticed that places like Best Buy seem to have hard drives on sale just after Christmas, jan and feb, for some reason. Anyway, I'd get whichever size drive you can find cheapest.
BTW, they have started offering drive docks. I picked one up at Best Buy for $50. It accepts any 2.5 inch (laptop) or 3.5 inch (desktop) SATA internal drive and gives you either an e-SATA or a USB 2.0 interface. The internal drive pops in the top like bread in a toaster. If you price external drives, you'll see you generally pay $40-$50 for the power supply/case and this baby makes it convenient to buy the cheaper internal drives and use them like you might a DVD.
RE: backup camera
Thank you, Cbari, that's the kind of information I need.
I would expect there to be interference sometimes, since this is a low power transmitter on an unlicensed frequency. But it is good to learn both that there is a 25 foot extension cable available AND that the camera tolerates being on constantly. My TT is short enough that I may be able to use just the 15 foot cable it came with, but if that fails, the 25 foot extension should give me the flexibility to put the transmitter just about anywhere, including up in the middle of the front wall of the TT, line of sight to the receiver.
Looking in the RV catalogs and seeing all the fancy systems for this purpose running several hundred bucks and more, the $70 price was a real WOW.
RE: Backup
naturist writes "I thought EVERYONE knew that floppies are utterly unreliable)."
Intersting.. I have used floppies since well the days of 8" types. Floppies are actually as reliable as the PERSON that is handling them.
Even today, I have several applications that REQUIRE floppies in order to do my job. Not very often have to replace a bad floppy disk.
For the record, Writable and rewritable CDs and DVDs actually can and will go bad over time if not properly stored away from HEAT/COLD/UV. The reason for this is extreme temps and add in UV over time damages the reflectivity (or lack of) in the dye layer. So one would think that a CD or DVD is a good choice for making backups, it isn't.
A external USB HD is your best friend for backup, plug in, backup and unplug. As long as the HD is not dropped your data will be there for you to retreave. HDs can fail, but if the drive is not spinning or mishandled it will be a better chance that it will still have your data backup.
gdetrailer is right about all media being as reliable as the person handling them. Floppies, particularly the 8 and 5 inch varieties, are particularly vulnerable to dust, spilled coffee, heat, and stray magnets. But keep 'em clean and away from magnets, they should work well for years. It's just that for some reason, most people have trouble with those things.
CDs and DVDs are vulnerable to UV, heat, oxidation, and scratches, but not magnets, and less so dust, and water/coffee not at all. Again, keep 'em in the dark, cool, and under a dry nitrogen atmosphere, they should last for decades.
The point of all of this, of course, is that having only one copy of stuff is what will get you into trouble faster and deeper than anything else. At the very least, there's accidental deletion to worry about.
So do backups, folks, and multiple backups at that. One day, sooner or later, you'll be very, very glad you did.
RE: backup camera
thanks all for the comments. I am concerned the monitor may not like being on full time, less concerned about the camera on that score. This one does claim to be suitable for watching videos, so perhaps it is sturdier that RCmans' that only lasted a couple months.
I'll let 'chall know what kind of range I can get out of it. I was hoping for 20-30 feet, but who knows.
RE: Backup
T-bone my friend, external hard drives are so cheap right now, I'd go buy one. And I have to tell you that NOTHING is more expensive than losing everything because your hard drive crashed. And it WILL crash one day, THAT is guaranteed.
I had a laptop in the shop for repairs a few years ago, and there was some sweet young thing there with this floppy disk that was her only copy of her college Senior Paper, due three days hence, and the floppy disk had crapped out on her. The guy at the repair place tried every piece of software he knew to try and that disk was toast. Her ONLY backup was a week old copy on her roomies hard drive. Saddest thing I think I've ever seen, a grown woman crying because she trusted that floppy disk (and I thought EVERYONE knew that floppies are utterly unreliable).
If you have a DVD burner, do be aware that they make DVD-RW and DVD+RW disks which are a bit more expensive than single use disks, but might work for you. Your burner can do the RW's, although you probably have to do an erase on 'em before you can reuse. Buy two or even better three, and rotate them. But whatever you do, do NOT blow off making backups of your stuff. Nobody wants to hear you crying the blues because your only copies of those photos of the grandbabies and your Quicken files and your favorite web site bookmarks are all GONE. Take this as a word of encouragement from a friend, 'k?
backup camera
I was ambling through Sam's Club yesterday and came across a "wireless backup camera" for $70. The display claimed it was for SUVs, and RVs, and since one of my fears is what lies behind the travel trailer, where I can't see ANYTHING, I sprang for it.
Getting into the package, I see that the camera is supposed to attach to the license plate and is wired with a 15 foot cable to a transmitter unit, that then has to be wired to the backup light so that it draws power from that circuit and turns on/off with that circuit, and obviously the transmitter should be as close to the driver/receiver unit as possible, which makes sense.
The receiver is a 7 inch color LCD that has an input jack for video, so doubles as a screen for watching videos from some other source. Not sure how useful that might be.
In any case, I will have to see how much range the transmitter has. My TT is 21 feet, and I tow with a Jeep Libby, which is short, so I should be able to get the transmitter within, oh, 15 to 20 feet of the receiver, if I can find an appropriate spot in the trailer's wiring. I'm not sure whether the camera is capable of handling being on constantly or not, since it annoys me having that giant blind spot back there while on the road, and it certainly would be easier to just tap into 12 volts continuous, with a switch for off while parked.
But the price was low enough to allow some experimentation here. And I'll contact the manufacturer to get an opinion on the continuous bit.
Anybody out there find these things useful?
RE: Trailer Life Trip Planner
I bought the 2009 version of the CD, even though it only runs under Windows, which I can do on my Mac, although I find that OS to be a pain to use. The TL directory has a beautiful user interface, circa 1984, and it does not list some campgrounds I've found. I used it on a 7,000+ mile trip from the east coast to the Seattle, to LA, and back to east coast last summer, and found it more helpful than a paper copy of Woodall's.
I note that the 2009 version is now on clearance sale, and the 2010 version can be ordered pre-publication, for projected delivery by 1/31/2010. It SAYS all new, but I note still Windows only.
It is a good value, and works as advertised, although I'd like 'em to update the user interface.
RE: Dumb question
heating oil and diesel fuel are the same except for the dye they put in diesel fuel, and if your buddy gets pulled over by DOT he is going to jail and getting one hell of a fine. Heating oil can only be used on offroad farm equipment
If you mixed half diesel and half heating oil, would they be able to tell?
Yes, they would. The red dye is very strong, and to top it off, the test for it is by spectrophotometer, so they can pick it up if you put a couple gallons in a full tank of diesel several tankfuls ago. Into the bargain, the fine is indeed in the thousands. It is just not worth it. If you get caught, and they do check various places, from time to time, you'll pay a lot more than you could have possibly saved on your fuel. They make sure of that.
RE: Towing question
No need to be surprised that the dealer would give you bogus info. They are all in full sales mode, so will tell you anything to get you to buy.
I agree with folks above, the weight is over, but the main problem will be the frontal area, which makes it act like a giant parachute. You won't like it.
RE: Nervous wife
So, San Bernardino is home, is it? Just 2-1/2 months ago, I towed my TT from Santa Monica through San Bernardino on the way to the South Rim of the Grand Canyon. I chose to stop for a couple days up in Pahrump, NV so I could spend a couple days poking around Death Valley without the trailer in tow. Then took a couple days to drive down to GC. Lovely trip. Enjoyed the heck out of myself. No worries.
If you take care of the tire situation, should be no big deal. Pay attention to snow advisories in the mountains, and you shouldn't have any trouble at all with the heat, which was my main worry. It's not like you are going to the moon.
RE: Frying Pan into the Fire? - HELP
I, too, can recommend Open Office. Except for the very few who need 100% compatibility with others, such as in an office or publishing environment, most everybody else will find more than enough joy with OO. And I very highly recommend folks save things to a PDF if they are planning to send a file to anybody else.
I got a 50th birthday party invitation from a friend last year sent to one and all as a Word document attached to email. It was only when I saw the print out on her refrigerator that I realized that she had gone to a great deal of trouble to use fancy fonts in it and make it beautiful -- and that since Word does not save fonts with documents, she's probably the only one in the world who ever saw her beautiful party invitation she'd spent so much time creating.
RE: slow computer--my fault
You are talking about low voltage equipment here, USB power is all of 5 volts. That does not jump dirty/corroded contacts, dust, etc. at all well, so it is quite likely that removing/replacing your cable can make a dramatic difference.
RE: Wi-Fi Amplifier
A few years ago I stumbled across several web sites detailing how to use a Pringles can to make a highly directional wifi antenna. The one that really caught my eye involved a guy in California who lived on the wrong side of the valley. On the other side, 12 miles away, DSL was available and affordable. On his side, "there are no plans to offer" any sort of broadband "in the foreseeable future."
So he used a powerful telescope to pick out several houses across the valley, some 12 miles away, drove over and got one of the homeowners to agree to let him pay for DSL for the household in exchange for letting him put an antenna up. Using a Pringles can on either side of the valley, he was able to make a connections via 802.11b across 12 miles.
Google it, and realize that to make such a thing work for you, you only need point your Pringles can at the campground's router, and I'm sure they'll tell you exactly where it is if you ask.
RE: Daylight viewable Netbook or Laptop
Re the glossy screens: you should know there are people making matte films to put over the glossy screen, that actually do a very good job of controlling glare.
RE: Discolored Shower
auto body orbital buffer with that cleaner for removing haze in your paint job before you wax? and yes, I'd apply the wax after the buffing, too. if it worked that is.
RE: Thanksgiving camping...where you going?
major bummer, J2. And I'll just bet that more hours for you doesn't mean any more money.
We're planning on going to Avalon near Paw Paw WVa
