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RE: Differential Temps
Have you calibrated your IR thermometer for emisivity? Otherwise the temps don't mean much. Suggest you use it for comparison more than actual temps unless you calibrate to something like flat black spray paint.
found this out on the web:
"What is emissivity, and how is it related to infrared temperature measurements?
Emissivity is defined as the ratio of the energy radiated by an object at a given temperature to the energy emitted by a perfect radiator, or blackbody, at the same temperature. The emissivity of a blackbody is 1.0. All values of emissivity fall between 0.0 and 1.0. Most infrared thermometers have the ability to compensate for different emissivity values, for different materials. In general, the higher the emissivity of an object, the easier it is to obtain an accurate temperature measurement using infrared. Objects with very low emissivities (below 0.2) can be difficult applications. Some polished, shiny metallic surfaces, such as aluminum, are so reflective in the infrared that accurate temperature measurements are not always possible.
Five Ways to Determine Emissivity
There are five ways to determine the emissivity of the material, to ensure accurate temperature measurements:
Heat a sample of the material to a known temperature, using a precise sensor, and measure the temperature using the IR instrument. Then adjust the emissivity value to force the indicator to display the correct temperature.
For relatively low temperatures (up to 500°F), a piece of masking tape, with an emissivity of 0.95, can be measured. Then adjust the emissivity value to force the indicator to display the correct temperature of the material.
For high temperature measurements, a hole (depth of which is at least 6 times the diameter) can be drilled into the object. This hole acts as a blackbody with emissivity of 1.0. Measure the temperature in the hole, then adjust the emissivity to force the indicator to display the correct temperature of the material.
If the material, or a portion of it, can be coated, a dull black paint will have an emissivity of approx. 1.0. Measure the temperature of the paint, then adjust the emissivity to force the indicator to display the correct temperature.
Standardized emissivity values for most materials are available (see pages 114-115). These can be entered into the instrument to estimate the material’s emissivity value."
http://www.omega.com/prodinfo/infraredthermometer.html
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Your Old Dog
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02/18/08 08:17am |
Class A Motorhomes
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RE: Charging 12v batteries
That is the BEST way to do it. Leave the jumper on and USE them that way also.
This of course assumes both batterys are of the same age/condition. Otherwise the newer/stronger battery will waste much of it's energy keeping the battery with the higher internal resistance topped off until they are both eventually dead. I only tie two batterys together if they are both nearly identical in size and age.
If you have one new battery and one that's quite a bit older you would be better off to use the older one as prime and the newer one as your backup. This would get you the most use.
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Your Old Dog
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12/08/07 07:07am |
Travel Trailers
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RE: Generator Theft Protection
Mine is secured to my bumper of the TT and padlock and chain. If they don't have a bolt cutter then the army of ninja warriors will likely figure out how to get it off !! You can't never be too safe right? I just chain to keep honest people from being tempted. We all know if a siren goes off in the middle of the woods but there's no there to hear it............. wait.........that's a different tale ! :D
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Your Old Dog
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12/08/07 07:03am |
Travel Trailers
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RE: Oven temperature
Our MH is in our signature. There isn't a light on the oven to indicate when the oven is preheated to a certain temp. How to determine when it has reached it's preheated temp?
Thanks
I'm really not trying to be a smart a$$, but I've never seen an oven that tells you when its preheated enough. Or maybe I have and just didn't realize what it was...
I use 10 minutes or "wheneverI'mready" to put "whateveitis" in to bake.
Bob
The oven in the house has a light that comes on when the oven has reached the temperature you set it at.
Our oven doesn't have a light. It has three bells that ring to tell you that you can start cooking now.
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Your Old Dog
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11/21/07 06:12am |
Class C Motorhomes
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RE: Great...yet another gadget to want!! :) (Big Easy Fryer)
Those of us on the fence appreciate all the reports of how it went. Glad it's working out. One of these cookers may find it's way to our door over the Christmas Holiday !
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Your Old Dog
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11/21/07 04:07am |
Camp Cooks and Connoisseurs
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RE: towing trailer behind travel trailer
There's tons of speculation on this topic. Try this site for your answer.
Towing laws state by state.
edited to add:
Upon further reading that deals with speeds, widths and elec brakes.
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Your Old Dog
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11/20/07 05:50am |
Travel Trailers
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RE: Take my advice, Don't buy a Keystone product(very long)
Can I buy a vowel and a couple paragraph breaks, it's pretty hard to read.
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Your Old Dog
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11/12/07 05:24pm |
Travel Trailers
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RE: Skirting TT for Winter usage
It shouldn't matter to the interior of the trailer if you put a skirt around the trailer or put insulation on the floor. My TT has 4 I beams. It would be a pretty simple matter to put the Styrofoam panels from the inside of one I beam and span over to the other side of the trailer and bend the panel so it slips into the other I beam.
The idea of skirts came along before the popular use of styrofoam sheets but maybe it's an idea that should be up-dated.
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Your Old Dog
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11/09/07 06:50am |
Travel Trailers
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RE: Is it time to go solar on the old RV?
if theres no fuel to be had in the future or hard to get or too expensive you will love having your solar then for battery chargeing.
There will always be fuel. We can buy it from the Chinese and South Americans as they are slant drilling to drain our reserves. We aren't allowed to get it but it's OK if others do.
The problem I have with all these so called solar products is that the manufacturers are realizing extreme profits and I get nothing for it except the "feel good feeling" of single handedly saving the planet for the next volcano. Those wind streamliners for your trailer are about $1,000. My trailer will be scrap long before I ever get my money back in mileage savings as I'd be hard pressed to put more than 24,000 miles a year on it. If "green" energy wasn't so darn expensive I could understand leaving the fossil fuels for the Chinese to pollute the earth instead of us.
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Your Old Dog
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11/09/07 06:33am |
Travel Trailers
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Winterizing and the hot water tank?
I just winterized my Sprinter. This is what I did:
I opened up the water drains under the trailerPut 50 pounds of air pressure to the outside city water input while all spigots were open.Poured a couple cups of RV antifreeze into each trap.Poured several cups of water into the toilet one at a time and flushedThe Grey and Black tanks are empty
Anything special I have to do to the electric hot water tank?
I will disconnect the batteries from the TT and leave a "battery tender" hooked up all winter. Trailers stores at home.
Thanks for any help
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Your Old Dog
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11/09/07 06:29am |
Travel Trailers
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RE: Relocating batteries
My original TT battery was located in a vented box inside a small closet vented to the outside. I eliminated the vented box, and installed two Trojans. They are not in boxes but the vent to the outside is open. In addition, I put a sealer tape around the closet door. They have performed beautifully, not affected any materials of any kind inside the trailer.
I'm please to know you haven't been hurt yet. Don't tell your insurance agent you participated in this thread ! :D
I've always disliked "safety police". There are some folks who are afraid to leave the house in the morning for fear of a meteorite hitting them. But, hydrogen gas is hydrogen gas, not an unwarrented fear. It can and does exploaded violently and requires very little spark, even rug static, to set it off.
I do not consider myself a safety freak. Just a retired tv news guy who has just about seen it all. I filmed people everyday just like you and me. They weren't all idiots doing things they knew were risky. Im sure had the guy known jumping his battery could result in blinding and disfiguring his child, he would not let his kid stand at the fender of the car.
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Your Old Dog
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11/09/07 06:15am |
Travel Trailers
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RE: Relocating batteries
I don't think the gain you get by putting the batteries inside is really worth all the effort. Put a solar panel charger on your system to make up for any small energy you might feel you are loosing due to temperature.
If the batteries are under the bed and get seriously discharged, they are going to make quite a bit of hydrogen gas (same gas as in the Hindenburg). I just don't feel the risk are worth the gains or the "effort" whether they use them in boats or not.
thats just my 2 cents.
Here's another first hand account of a battery explosion. It was Fathers Day about 20 years ago. A dad couldn't get his vehicle started due to a dead battery. He connected the the jumpers cables to a car parked next to his first and then his own dead battery. He had his 10-12 year old watching on as he did so. Well, the dead battery started charging and cooking off hydrogen gas and when he moved the jumper cable the battery exploded blinding the child and dis-figuring him for life. This happened in Western New York. I'm a retired TV news photographer and we carried the story.
The dead battery is supposed to get hooked up first and then the good one. Even so, it's recommended the ground cables not be connected at battery ground but anywhere else on the motor. This removes one more potential spark source from the vicinity of the battery.
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Your Old Dog
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11/09/07 06:00am |
Travel Trailers
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Is it time to go solar on the old RV?
With gas prices going higher and higher, gas for the generator is starting to become problematical !!
Maybe it's time to do enough solar panels on the roof to stay comfortable in the TT. Any one else considering this move?
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Your Old Dog
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11/07/07 10:44am |
Travel Trailers
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RE: Great...yet another gadget to want!! :) (Big Easy Fryer)
This is what I cook our Turkey in while camping.
The ham also.
Works great I love.
I cook boston butts,roast.Most anything.
It stay's in the camper.
Sam's 39$
cooker
http://graphics.samsclub.com/images/products/0004889474373_LG.jpg height=400 width=600
wal-mart has one for 29$ white
Actually we use one of those at home to free up the gas oven for all the side dishes! Sure makes those big holiday meals much simpler to accomplish! (I'm speaking for the wife here !!)
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Your Old Dog
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11/07/07 09:34am |
Camp Cooks and Connoisseurs
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RE: Is it DUMB to finance a TT at 7.5% interest for 20 years?
Not if you borrow from your 401K plan and pay the interest back to yourself.
I would prefer to think of the cost of the trailer like the cost of a car and finance for 5 years if they will let you (assuming the same 7.5% rate)
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Your Old Dog
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11/07/07 04:57am |
Travel Trailers
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RE: Great...yet another gadget to want!! :) (Big Easy Fryer)
Anybody actually cooked a turkey in one? I'm interested but would like some endorsements from other than their web site!! It almost looks to easy and that has me skeptical.
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Your Old Dog
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11/05/07 05:54am |
Camp Cooks and Connoisseurs
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RE: Skirting TT for Winter usage
Can't help you with the skirt issue.
You didn't mention what your experiance was with a camper but at the risk of telling you something you may already know......
You know when you have a sewer hook up to not leave open the black water tank as you will have pooh problems !! When it starts to get full just go outside and release the gate till it empties. Then, if you were wise enough not to keep your grey water tank open, you can open it now and it will fluch everything down the drain and leave you set up for another few days. If you left everything open you would have problems and you are right, freezing would be a big issue.
good luck on the new job.
ray.......
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Your Old Dog
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11/04/07 01:20pm |
Travel Trailers
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RE: LCD Television-Will it freeze?
Thanks for the thread! Just saved me $1,000 bucks :D
I had the bucks so bought me a sony 26" LCD Bravia hidef for the trailer. It would have ruined my day had it froze up on me.
thanks again...
AFTERTHOUGHT: If LCD's freeze, why do they put them in half the mini-vans that are made today? Are they different units then the home type?
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Your Old Dog
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11/02/07 05:08am |
Travel Trailers
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RE: Ford built-in Brake Controller
Yes 2005. Ours came with the controller.
The wiring is good enough for me. I don't want a truck where the manufacturer put in the controller unit as I don't trust them to put in a decent unit. Same with the factory provided GPS Units as most are extremely basic compared to after-market units.
I went with Prodigy because at the time we acquired it, this forum said the results withit were the best. That may have changed by now?
It's a feature I won't need from them nor want to pay what they will ask for it.
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Your Old Dog
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11/01/07 05:04am |
Tow Vehicles
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RE: Direct TV Signal Problems..Uggg !
I am having the sme problem but my wife came up with our solution. we unplug the tv and reciever and wait 20 seconds and plug all back in and it goes through a install proceedure and all is well again. don't no why but it works fo us
I've had the same problem and Dakota Ted's suggestion worked for me everytime. Just remember, it takes the system awhile to find all the channels, maybe 10 minutes.
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Your Old Dog
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10/30/07 05:25am |
Technology Corner
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