Pitchblende.
The sample and the mined orebody came from the Sue C Pit located in the Athabasca Basin here in Northern Saskatchewan.
There were many seperate lenses of ore composed of fragments of Quartz-cordierite-garnet gneiss supported by pitchblende.
These occurred as very dark bands and easy to distinguish the ore from the waste rock.
I have attached the geological report of the Sue C Pit
It is good reading and loaded with information.
See Minerology starting on page 12. The sample came from the massive type occurance as described on page 15.
http://publications.gov.sk.ca/documents/310/88703-tourignyetal.pdf
@Miningman, do you know what the name of the beautiful, flourescent and radioactive mineral is? I could not track it down definitively.
Links to my Google Maps ---> Sunset Route overview, SoCal metro, Yuma sub, Gila sub, SR east of Tucson, BNSF Northern Transcon and Southern Transcon *** Why you should support Ukraine! ***
Thanks for sharing your trip with us.
York1 John
After 34 days, our sailing trip is over. It was a great one, despite our engine incident. Sleeping tonite on our mooring, driving home tomorrow. Hoping 6-8 auto races that were supposed to record while we were away actually in fact did. Car racing (F1 and IndyCar) is my favorite sport, and in anticipation of watching theses races, I have not looked at any racing news in over a month. (But I did hear about the Dale, Jr. plane crash, and miraculous outcome.) Technology can be great: I can now go back in time and catch up on my races.
Sans TV and movies, you folks have been a great source of entertainment.
Lithonia OperatorIs this just me? Often, here on the phone, on this forum, in the little boxes at the bottom with links to other pages in the thread, I will get these numerals: -1, 0, 1, 2, 3
I think it's called the Page 6 glitch. On the next page, the numbering will go back to normal. It's very aggravating if you are trying to find a posting on the previous page.
It's a software glitch. I get it too. Only seems to do it on page 5.
Overmod - I updated Firefox and now I have the PM problems too. Sigh.
Greetings from Alberta
-an Articulate Malcontent
Is this just me? Often, here on the phone, on this forum, in the little boxes at the bottom with links to other pages in the thread, I will get these numerals:
-1, 0, 1, 2, 3
etc.
Just sometimes, not all the time.
???
You may be right; the rectifier was an OZ-4--and that was about 70 years ago. I used it in a power supply that I built to run an amplifier that I built. I also used a rectifier which had a 5 volt filament, which simply had a slight red glow.
Johnny
DeggestyAnother mention of ozone--did you ever see a rectifier tube that was filled with ozone at work?--a beautiful purple glow inside the tube (no filament, just cathode, plate (anode), and ozone.
I thought that was mercury vapor, not ozone. All the oxygen would have been gettered (in a glass-envelope tube) long before significant power was applied across it, or so I would think.
Fixed mercury-pool rectifiers, like the ones on the original 3000V Lackawanna electrification circa 1928, may have had some air inside the tank to be excited during arc conduction. As the punchline went in a less PC age: "i don't know,,, I never looked."
Paul of Covington Lithonia Operator Please note that in my most recent post there was a brief railroad mention. Here's a railroad related question. Mooring buoys: I know of nowhere around here where they are used, but from what I've read, they're quite common in New England. I read sometime ago that someone got some old locomotive wheels to use as an anchor for a mooring buoy. Have you heard of that, and if so, is it a common practice?
Lithonia Operator Please note that in my most recent post there was a brief railroad mention.
Please note that in my most recent post there was a brief railroad mention.
Here's a railroad related question. Mooring buoys: I know of nowhere around here where they are used, but from what I've read, they're quite common in New England. I read sometime ago that someone got some old locomotive wheels to use as an anchor for a mooring buoy. Have you heard of that, and if so, is it a common practice?
Never heard about that.
_____________
"A stranger's just a friend you ain't met yet." --- Dave Gardner
Flintlock76 riding the "Night Train" sooner than you should! (Railroad reference.)
riding the "Night Train" sooner than you should! (Railroad reference.)
As long as you limit exposure, and don't play with that stuff a-la Louis Slotin, you should be fine. An amazing sight to be sure!
Yikes! Goes without saying, you be careful, or you'll be riding the "Night Train" sooner than you should! (Railroad reference.)
On the other hand, I suppose that third eye in the back of your head comes in handing for making sure your students aren't goofing off!
The rock is NOT under UV light, just normal room lighting. NO it is not safe. I wouldn't recommend licking it! ( Geologists lick rocks all the time), also don't sprinkle on your cereal. It's safe as stored and handled.
It is stored away, wrapped in lead in a lead lined suitcase sealed in a lead lined barrel 30 feet up by an exhaust fan which vents out any radon gas. It is secretly under care by 2 people. The room is massive and is specially built for storage of radioactive core samples with prism stations for continuous monitoring.
We open 'er up once a year to show new students. We give ourselves less than a minute, more like 20 seconds.
It comes from one of our Uranium Mines from years ago.
Except for the third eye I've acquired in the back of my head I'm fine!
There was an in depth discussion on this maybe 2 years ago on String Lining. Also look up Gabon Reactors.
Never cared for Hendrix, thought it was so much noise, but WOW, what kind of rock/mineral is that? Is it under UV light (I suspect it is) or does it always look like that?
And if it always looks like that, is it safe?
Purple Haze
Acting funny and I don't know why
'scuse me while I kiss the sky
York1 Lithonia Operator What places have you been the past several days?
Lithonia Operator
What places have you been the past several days?
Deggesty Another mention of ozone--did you ever see a rectifier tube that was filled with ozone at work?--a beautiful purple glow inside the tube (no filiament, just cathode, plate (anode), and ozone.
Another mention of ozone--did you ever see a rectifier tube that was filled with ozone at work?--a beautiful purple glow inside the tube (no filiament, just cathode, plate (anode), and ozone.
No, but the corona wires inside the copiers I used to work on had a purple glow around them while energized, interesting to see.
The new machines have them pretty well shielded, so the glow isn't as observable as it once was, or not observable at all. Made them harder to diagnose and work on.
Overmod Flintlock76 No biggie. If toner was toxic I'd be dead by now! Toner is just finely divided, fancily formulated black plastic. The SRC used in the coal-burning Eldorados looks just like it, but doesn't fuse like it. A significant example of a hazardous 'chemical' in your business would be ozone from the corona wires. And I'll bet you had a lot of exposure to that without a mask over the years...
Flintlock76 No biggie. If toner was toxic I'd be dead by now!
Toner is just finely divided, fancily formulated black plastic. The SRC used in the coal-burning Eldorados looks just like it, but doesn't fuse like it.
A significant example of a hazardous 'chemical' in your business would be ozone from the corona wires. And I'll bet you had a lot of exposure to that without a mask over the years...
I never worried about ozone. I figured it was protecting me from any loose cosmic rays that may have been floating around the office!
Flintlock76Ever blow your nose and have it come out black?
Unfortunately, dye mixed with plastic pellets in a plastic moulding firm has the same effect. So I had black, red (Milwaukee Electric Tool red), green, etc.
Flintlock76No biggie. If toner was toxic I'd be dead by now!
Lithonia Operator Flintlock76 I shed enough blood working on Japanese copiers over thirty years to qualify for a Purple Heart and a Pacific Theater ribbon! That's not counting the burns... Lord knows, you might have also been breathing toxic chemicals. (I‘m just trying to cheer you up.)
Flintlock76 I shed enough blood working on Japanese copiers over thirty years to qualify for a Purple Heart and a Pacific Theater ribbon! That's not counting the burns...
I shed enough blood working on Japanese copiers over thirty years to qualify for a Purple Heart and a Pacific Theater ribbon!
That's not counting the burns...
Lord knows, you might have also been breathing toxic chemicals.
(I‘m just trying to cheer you up.)
No biggie. If toner was toxic I'd be dead by now!
Ever blow your nose and have it come out black?
The color copier guys usually get a Technicolor effect!
Shadow the Cats ownerYou think boats are tough try some of the positions that my companies mechanics have to get into to change parts into on the trucks. I know my husband has a few horror stories about parts in hard to reach locations. The slave cylinders on top of the transmissions are a real treat on all conventional style trucks with a sleeper. The mechanic has to shove his head and chest in between the frame and cab to get to the top of the transmission disconnect the air lines on the slave clyinder causing the truck to loose all air pressure in the system and then replace the parts. It's even better on the newer automated manual transmissions when the ECM of the transmission needs replaced. They are located between the firewall and transmission behind the engine in a space that the only way to get to it is literally drop the entire exhaust and transmission out of the truck to get to 1 bolt that you can not get to any other way. So that means you are pulling the DEF SCR and everything to get to 1 freaking bolt on the transmission ECM that is on it. We normally send those to the dealer to have fun fixing. Or the best one is the air clyinder for the sliding fifth wheels that are located under it. You have to remove the fifth wheel to get to the cylinder and the plate itself weighs over 400 pounds and it is held on by 1 inch thick pins that are held in by roll pins also located under the fifth wheel that is inbetween the drive axles. Oh yeah the fun of working on some of these things.
All one has to do is watch some videos of how various things get built. The 'building block' approach. Various sub-assemblies are constructed - with each part in a easy place for the technician to attach it. Then the sub-assembly gets attached to another sub-assembly or the ultimate product and then the 'easily attached' parts get placed in virtually unreachable locations in the final product.
Never too old to have a happy childhood!
You think boats are tough try some of the positions that my companies mechanics have to get into to change parts into on the trucks. I know my husband has a few horror stories about parts in hard to reach locations. The slave cylinders on top of the transmissions are a real treat on all conventional style trucks with a sleeper. The mechanic has to shove his head and chest in between the frame and cab to get to the top of the transmission disconnect the air lines on the slave clyinder causing the truck to loose all air pressure in the system and then replace the parts. It's even better on the newer automated manual transmissions when the ECM of the transmission needs replaced. They are located between the firewall and transmission behind the engine in a space that the only way to get to it is literally drop the entire exhaust and transmission out of the truck to get to 1 bolt that you can not get to any other way. So that means you are pulling the DEF SCR and everything to get to 1 freaking bolt on the transmission ECM that is on it. We normally send those to the dealer to have fun fixing. Or the best one is the air clyinder for the sliding fifth wheels that are located under it. You have to remove the fifth wheel to get to the cylinder and the plate itself weighs over 400 pounds and it is held on by 1 inch thick pins that are held in by roll pins also located under the fifth wheel that is inbetween the drive axles. Oh yeah the fun of working on some of these things.
Lithonia OperatorWhen you describe that trip down through the locker, it is so real to me. Our Camden mechanic was too big to fit back there, so I had to do some behind-the-engine work while he directed. I have been under there many, many times; and I virtually never emerge without having drawn blood in one or two places. Yes, the three-cylinder engine is nice, much smoother than the 2-cyl Yanmar in our previous boat.
Yes, the three-cylinder engine is nice, much smoother than the 2-cyl Yanmar in our previous boat.
When I started into racing, I was required to get a current Tetnus shot. My think at the time was, for those occasions when I may get injured in a crash.
I shed more blood working on the car than I ever have in any of the on track misfortunes I have encountered over 30 years of racing.
When you describe that trip down through the locker, it is so real to me. Our Camden mechanic was too big to fit back there, so I had to do some behind-the-engine work while he directed. I have been under there many, many times; and I virtually never emerge without having drawn blood in one or two places.
Lithonia Operator Before I had a remote oil filter installed for the boat‘s engine this past winter, I had to remove the alternator to change the oil filter. Sometimes it took me an hour or more (the tight space everything is packed into makes most jobs a bear) to change it. I finally had enough of that.
Before I had a remote oil filter installed for the boat‘s engine this past winter, I had to remove the alternator to change the oil filter. Sometimes it took me an hour or more (the tight space everything is packed into makes most jobs a bear) to change it. I finally had enough of that.
I think one reason sailors seem to have so many problems with their motors is because they are wedged into cramped spaces which make it almost impossible to get to for maintenance. One joke in the owner's manual said I should check the oil in the engine and reverse gear every time I started it. To get to the reverse gear oil, I had to empty the starboard cockpit locker, remove the access panel and climb down and lie on my back with my feet up in the air. Then I could barely reach the plug with a wrench to loosen it, but could not reach it with my fingers. I had to climb out and get back in with my head facing the opposite direction. Now I could reach the plug with my fingers. (It was too close to use the wrench from this position.) Needless to say, I didn't do this too often (more like never).
One more thing about engines--you said you had a three-cylinder, which I understand were pretty smooth-running. Mine was a two-cylinder which ran pretty rough, but on a cold day, when coming back chilled to the bone, when you started the engine, and the cockpit seat started vibrating under you, it was a welcome butt-warmer.
zugmann Overmod But as it turned out, pull a few screws and plastic rivets out of the fender liner and there is is, right above the frame rail, easy to get to when you jackstand it up. Took me no more than a few minutes, at 14 degrees in a snowstorm, with hand tools. Sometimes you have to outguess DFM-ignorant engineers and think outside the box... Actually, it was probably designed for that. From what I read, Saturn took a lot of input from mechanics when designing their cars.
Overmod But as it turned out, pull a few screws and plastic rivets out of the fender liner and there is is, right above the frame rail, easy to get to when you jackstand it up. Took me no more than a few minutes, at 14 degrees in a snowstorm, with hand tools. Sometimes you have to outguess DFM-ignorant engineers and think outside the box...
Actually, it was probably designed for that. From what I read, Saturn took a lot of input from mechanics when designing their cars.
Lady Firestorm had a Saturn, a 2003 model she drove for close to ten years. Good car, and she got a lot of good service out of it.
Until the transmission started to go. Well, $3,000 to fix the tranny, book value on the car was $2,000. Good-bye Saturn.
OvermodLithonia Operator Is “drafting” a fire engine filling it? I believe it's when you're 'sucking up' or drawing water from a source below the level of the engine or pump, as opposed to taking it from a hydrant or other pressure source or from something that gravity-feeds to the pump inlet.
Is “drafting” a fire engine filling it?
I believe it's when you're 'sucking up' or drawing water from a source below the level of the engine or pump, as opposed to taking it from a hydrant or other pressure source or from something that gravity-feeds to the pump inlet.
That's exactly correct.
Taking water from a pressurized source (fire hydrant) can use regular fire hose. Drafting from a "static" water source (pond, swimming pool, lake, river, "port-a-tank", etc.) requires "hard suction" - rather like a drinking straw. It won't collapse when a vacuum is introduced.
When drafting (or drinking through a straw) you're not really "sucking" the liquid in - you're removing the air and atmospheric pressure is pushing it.
Larry Resident Microferroequinologist (at least at my house) Everyone goes home; Safety begins with you My Opinion. Standard Disclaimers Apply. No Expiration Date Come ride the rails with me! There's one thing about humility - the moment you think you've got it, you've lost it...
It's been fun. But it isn't much fun anymore. Signing off for now.
The opinions expressed here represent my own and not those of my employer, any other railroad, company, or person.t fun any
Electroliner 1935 Watching that video on the Bugatti oil change made my issue with my Chevrolet Chevette's design trivial. Loved that little car but when they added air conditioning, they put the compressor right above the distributor and to check the points and/or rotor, one had to get the compressor out of the way. Nothing compared to the Bugatti.
Watching that video on the Bugatti oil change made my issue with my Chevrolet Chevette's design trivial. Loved that little car but when they added air conditioning, they put the compressor right above the distributor and to check the points and/or rotor, one had to get the compressor out of the way. Nothing compared to the Bugatti.
We had a Chevette! Bought it "no-frills," standard transmission, no AC. We lived in New Jersey at the time and you only need AC three months out of the year in Jersey anyway. During the summer we used the "2/55" AC option.
I got 165,000 miles out of that car before some ignoramus ran a stop sign and assassinated it. Too bad, I was going to try for 200,000.
I DID get 200,000+ out of a Cavalier.
Electroliner 1935Loved that little car but when they added air conditioning, they put the compressor right above the distributor and to check the points and/or rotor, one had to get the compressor out of the way.
That would have been '70s, pre-HEI, and with the inflation since then the cost might be comparable. On the other hand, in those days it was relatively easy to slip the belt off and take the bracket bolts out to flip the compressor out of the way on its hoses...
One of my favorite cars was a '91 Saturn (with the dual-cam engine and manual transmission) that I bought as a work car for the wife's business from a hairdresser for $300 when she decided to move. Someone had done lots of aftermarket work on that thing to make it go much faster than anyone would expect, but Lord! was that thing tiny.
The alternator went out in the middle of winter while a crew was out in the country on a call, leaving the car sitting in a bank parking lot. The component was all the way down under all the other auxiliaries, almost in the right lower front corner of the engine bay, under everything else including the smog pump. But as it turned out, pull a few screws and plastic rivets out of the fender liner and there is is, right above the frame rail, easy to get to when you jackstand it up. Took me no more than a few minutes, at 14 degrees in a snowstorm, with hand tools. Sometimes you have to outguess DFM-ignorant engineers and think outside the box...
Seriously, more cars than you might think have 'your' problem with failure of cooling-system prime: when servicing the coolant, you have to physically remove a bleeder and wait for air to purge out of part of the water circulation before the engine won't show signs of overheating. Should any air be sucked in through a leaky connection or hose pinhole, or gas blown out via a puking head gasket, water may be preferentially forced out of the 'bled' portion over a period of time, leading to repeated bleeding, which can be a bore.
BaltACD Lithonia Operator Apparently this had happened. It was blowing 15-18 knots when we left Seven Hundred Acre Island. The initial part, through a narrow passage, was about 15 degrees off of directly windward, so we motor-sailed that part. The seas were pretty big so we heeled and rolled a lot, with the wind off the port bow. The water intake is on the port side of the hull, and apparently at some point the thru-hull came out of the water. The system sucked air in, and an air bubble took up residence in the top of the strainer cylinder. That, combined with the two air leaks (air could get sucked in), meant we lost raw water fllow; but we did not realize it it the time, probably because the engine had gotten so cold overnight, and the fact that shortly afterward, we fell off onto a close reach, and turned off the engine and just sailed. When we got to Camden about an hour later and turned on the engine, it quickly overheated. Was watching 'Drain the Oceans' last night on NatGeo. The story of the English War ship Mary Rose - the first of the ships designed to 'blast the opposition out of the water'. In a fight against the French in 1545 it fired a salvo from one side of the vessel and was manuvering to fire the guns on the other side of the vessel when a gust of wind caught it and heeled it over more than intended - water poured in through the cannon port doors and the vessel capsized. English then learned not to have their cannon so close to the water line.
Lithonia Operator Apparently this had happened. It was blowing 15-18 knots when we left Seven Hundred Acre Island. The initial part, through a narrow passage, was about 15 degrees off of directly windward, so we motor-sailed that part. The seas were pretty big so we heeled and rolled a lot, with the wind off the port bow. The water intake is on the port side of the hull, and apparently at some point the thru-hull came out of the water. The system sucked air in, and an air bubble took up residence in the top of the strainer cylinder. That, combined with the two air leaks (air could get sucked in), meant we lost raw water fllow; but we did not realize it it the time, probably because the engine had gotten so cold overnight, and the fact that shortly afterward, we fell off onto a close reach, and turned off the engine and just sailed. When we got to Camden about an hour later and turned on the engine, it quickly overheated.
Was watching 'Drain the Oceans' last night on NatGeo. The story of the English War ship Mary Rose - the first of the ships designed to 'blast the opposition out of the water'. In a fight against the French in 1545 it fired a salvo from one side of the vessel and was manuvering to fire the guns on the other side of the vessel when a gust of wind caught it and heeled it over more than intended - water poured in through the cannon port doors and the vessel capsized. English then learned not to have their cannon so close to the water line.
Kinda the opposite of our problem.
Lithonia OperatorApparently this had happened. It was blowing 15-18 knots when we left Seven Hundred Acre Island. The initial part, through a narrow passage, was about 15 degrees off of directly windward, so we motor-sailed that part. The seas were pretty big so we heeled and rolled a lot, with the wind off the port bow. The water intake is on the port side of the hull, and apparently at some point the thru-hull came out of the water. The system sucked air in, and an air bubble took up residence in the top of the strainer cylinder. That, combined with the two air leaks (air could get sucked in), meant we lost raw water fllow; but we did not realize it it the time, probably because the engine had gotten so cold overnight, and the fact that shortly afterward, we fell off onto a close reach, and turned off the engine and just sailed. When we got to Camden about an hour later and turned on the engine, it quickly overheated.
Lithonia OperatorIs “drafting” a fire engine filling it?
tree68 Lithonia Operator The system sucked air in, and an air bubble took up residence in the top of the strainer cylinder. It's a problem we often have when drafting with a fire engine. We're usually drawing such volumes that it corrects itself. Nowadays, we use near-transparent suction hose, too, so you can see if it happens.
Lithonia Operator The system sucked air in, and an air bubble took up residence in the top of the strainer cylinder.
It's a problem we often have when drafting with a fire engine. We're usually drawing such volumes that it corrects itself. Nowadays, we use near-transparent suction hose, too, so you can see if it happens.
Lithonia OperatorThe system sucked air in, and an air bubble took up residence in the top of the strainer cylinder.
It turns out there were two places where air could get into the raw water system. Plus, the Groco raw water strainer was mounted too high in the boat, so that its top few inches were not below the water line when the boat is on port tack (for the non-sailors: wind coming from port side).
Apparently this had happened. It was blowing 15-18 knots when we left Seven Hundred Acre Island. The initial part, through a narrow passage, was about 15 degrees off of directly windward, so we motor-sailed that part. The seas were pretty big so we heeled and rolled a lot, with the wind off the port bow. The water intake is on the port side of the hull, and apparently at some point the thru-hull came out of the water. The system sucked air in, and an air bubble took up residence in the top of the strainer cylinder. That, combined with the two air leaks (air could get sucked in), meant we lost raw water fllow; but we did not realize it it the time, probably because the engine had gotten so cold overnight, and the fact that shortly afterward, we fell off onto a close reach, and turned off the engine and just sailed. When we got to Camden about an hour later and turned on the engine, it quickly overheated.
The mechanic eliminated the system’s air leaks, and re-mounted the strainer lower in the boat.
Amazingly, the mechanic gave us his cell number and said if we had issues or questions we could call him any time, 24/7. Lyman Morse in Camden is the classiest marine facility we have ever encountere. So in a week or so on our return trip, we are going to stop in and have them replace our water-lift muffler and its mount, plus do a few other smaller chores. In the past I would have waited to get back to our home yard, but I am really impressed with LM. Lyman Morse has been known mainly as a top-drawer builder of large upscale custom yachts. But recently they bought the Wayfarer marina/yard facility in Camden. Surprisingly their labor rates are slightly below what we are used to.
Glad to hear you're on your way again. What exactly caused the overheat problem?
Fair winds and following seas!
Meanwhile back on the sailboat, all is well. We had a terrific five days in Camden during the repairs, and everything was fixed well by a mechanic who is just a great guy, and wicked thorough.
We are now in Southwest Harbor, adjacent Acadia National Park. The sailing was super today on a crystal clear day. For the last half hour the wind was really honkin! A few white-knuckle moments.
Surely the first oil change is free.. no?
I bet servicing the nightmare box on the T1's cost $21,000 in 1948 dollars.
BaltACDReminds me of 'bikers' going to Bike Week in Daytona - their bikes on trailers behind their motorhomes. Real BIKERS have bugs on their teeth (or at least Love Bugs splattered all over their helmet's visor).
Went to a conference in Myrtle Beach some years ago, coincidentally the same week as their (now defunct, I believe) Bike Week.
At the airport we saw crated bikes being unloaded from aircraft...
21 G's for an oil change on a Bugatti? Mamma mia! `
Looks like I'll be keeping the Hy-yun-dai-yay for a while!
BaltACD Lithonia Operator BaltACD Lithonia Operator The poor guy rafted up to us just found out that his engine (and therefore his boat) is done for the season. He and his wife were supposed to leave on a month-long cruise to Nova Scotia today. Sad. Thought Sailers sailed? Oh, some purists don’t use engines, but most people want to be able to transit on calm days. And maneuver better in tight harbors, etc. Also, Nova Scotia has a 18-20 ft. tidal range. The currents can be fierce. Very few people would go there sans engine. I got into an eddy up there once that spun the boat 30 degrees in the blink of an eye. I try to be safe. W have nothing to prove. Hope you know, I was just yanking your chain!
Lithonia Operator BaltACD Lithonia Operator The poor guy rafted up to us just found out that his engine (and therefore his boat) is done for the season. He and his wife were supposed to leave on a month-long cruise to Nova Scotia today. Sad. Thought Sailers sailed? Oh, some purists don’t use engines, but most people want to be able to transit on calm days. And maneuver better in tight harbors, etc. Also, Nova Scotia has a 18-20 ft. tidal range. The currents can be fierce. Very few people would go there sans engine. I got into an eddy up there once that spun the boat 30 degrees in the blink of an eye. I try to be safe. W have nothing to prove.
BaltACD Lithonia Operator The poor guy rafted up to us just found out that his engine (and therefore his boat) is done for the season. He and his wife were supposed to leave on a month-long cruise to Nova Scotia today. Sad. Thought Sailers sailed?
Lithonia Operator The poor guy rafted up to us just found out that his engine (and therefore his boat) is done for the season. He and his wife were supposed to leave on a month-long cruise to Nova Scotia today. Sad.
Thought Sailers sailed?
Oh, some purists don’t use engines, but most people want to be able to transit on calm days. And maneuver better in tight harbors, etc.
Also, Nova Scotia has a 18-20 ft. tidal range. The currents can be fierce. Very few people would go there sans engine. I got into an eddy up there once that spun the boat 30 degrees in the blink of an eye.
I try to be safe. W have nothing to prove.
Hope you know, I was just yanking your chain!
I thought maybe yes, maybe no. Anyway, no problem, man. Zero.
Lithonia OperatorThe poor guy rafted up to us just found out that his engine (and therefore his boat) is done for the season. He and his wife were supposed to leave on a month-long cruise to Nova Scotia today. Sad.
Reminds me of 'bikers' going to Bike Week in Daytona - their bikes on trailers behind their motorhomes. Real BIKERS have bugs on their teeth (or at least Love Bugs splattered all over their helmet's visor).
The poor guy rafted up to us just found out that his engine (and therefore his boat) is done for the season. He and his wife were supposed to leave on a month-long cruise to Nova Scotia today. Sad.
Re:Bugatti -- just like a T1 as fussy and as expensive.
Deggesty tree68 Paul of Covington Lithonia, any news on your motor yet? I've been waiting with baited breath (whatever that means). Actually, it's "bated breath," and simply means you are holding your breath... OTOH, "baited breath" could have some interesting meanings... I'm curious about the outcome on the motor, too... "Baited breath" is what a cat uses to entice mice to come of their holes; the cat eats cheese and then breathes out by the mouse hole. I thought everybody knew that.
tree68 Paul of Covington Lithonia, any news on your motor yet? I've been waiting with baited breath (whatever that means). Actually, it's "bated breath," and simply means you are holding your breath... OTOH, "baited breath" could have some interesting meanings... I'm curious about the outcome on the motor, too...
Paul of Covington Lithonia, any news on your motor yet? I've been waiting with baited breath (whatever that means).
Lithonia, any news on your motor yet? I've been waiting with baited breath (whatever that means).
Actually, it's "bated breath," and simply means you are holding your breath...
OTOH, "baited breath" could have some interesting meanings...
I'm curious about the outcome on the motor, too...
"Baited breath" is what a cat uses to entice mice to come of their holes; the cat eats cheese and then breathes out by the mouse hole. I thought everybody knew that.
Naaah. It’s what people have if they eat pogies. Or worms.
BaltACD Well, you could be taking your Bugatti for a oil change. Everything about it is expensive, right down to the oil change, which can ring you up a staggering $21,000. If you need some explaining on why a Bugatti Veyron oil change costs as much as a brand-new Honda Civic, then you're not alone.Jul 19, 2018 Watch How The $21,000, 27-Hour Oil Change Is Done On A Bugatti ... https://www.topspeed.com/cars/car-news/watch-how-the-21-000-27-hour-oil-change-is-done-on-a-bugatti-veyron-ar181881.html
Well, you could be taking your Bugatti for a oil change. Everything about it is expensive, right down to the oil change, which can ring you up a staggering $21,000. If you need some explaining on why a Bugatti Veyron oil change costs as much as a brand-new Honda Civic, then you're not alone.Jul 19, 2018
Watch How The $21,000, 27-Hour Oil Change Is Done On A Bugatti ...
https://www.topspeed.com/cars/car-news/watch-how-the-21-000-27-hour-oil-change-is-done-on-a-bugatti-veyron-ar181881.html
Holy crow!
Lithonia OperatorWe are going to leave here I’m guessing $1500-$2000 lighter, unfortunately, but the reality is that we have had a total blast here in Camden! The very-upscale classic sailing yacht circuit is racing here now, and you would not BELIEVE the boats we are sharing dock space with. It’s a total trip. When I get home I’ll post some pix, and link you guys; I don’t have the password for my photo-share thing with me.
Maybe we can catch up with NDG's String Lining thread.
Jeez, has this thread taken on a life of it's own or what?
BaltACD tree68 Shadow the Cats owner I can give you the names of a couple more expensive hobbies that my husband has had in the past. Hah! Try amateur radio... Depending upon the class you want to participate in - automobile racing performs a pretty good disappearing act with money. The old saying - Speed costs money, how fast do you want to go! I can only afford to go half fast.
tree68 Shadow the Cats owner I can give you the names of a couple more expensive hobbies that my husband has had in the past. Hah! Try amateur radio...
Shadow the Cats owner I can give you the names of a couple more expensive hobbies that my husband has had in the past.
Hah! Try amateur radio...
Depending upon the class you want to participate in - automobile racing performs a pretty good disappearing act with money. The old saying - Speed costs money, how fast do you want to go! I can only afford to go half fast.
I’m a huge auto racing fan, IndyCar and F1 primarily. The expressions I’ve heard are:
There’s no substitute for cubic dollars.
Wanna make a million bucks in racing? Start with a billion.
BaltACDDepending upon the class you want to participate in - automobile racing performs a pretty good disappearing act with money.
I have some friends who race DIRT. They're pretty grass roots organizations, but a failed tire is still a failed tire and might mean no ice cream for kiddos today...
I can give you the names of a couple more expensive hobbies that my husband has had in the past. Saltwater fish keeping and PC Gaming. I told him he can keep one or the other he kept the games. When your spending more to feed a tank than your household some weeks it gets to be a problem.
Lithonia OperatorI LOVE sailing.
As do I. I really miss keeping the sailfish (14') at my aunt's cottage so I could sail at will (conditions permitting).
My boat needs some work around the centerboard slot, or it would be out on one of the largest protected bays around on a regular basis. Unfortunately, said work requires that I split the hull, and that's a lot of rivets to drill out... It's not like I'm not busy enough already...
I LOVE sailing. If you don’t LOVE sailing/boating, sell that boat and stop the money hemorrhaging as soon as you can!
As you were.
Was it Dennis Conner who said racing was like standing in a cold shower setting $100 bills on fire as fast as you can?
Lithonia Operator Hey Paul. I was born in New Orleans. I had an aunt, uncle, and lots of cousins in Covington. My Uncle’s name was Lee Eddy. He has daughters named Pat and Peggy and Nora, and a son named Lee.
Hey Paul. I was born in New Orleans. I had an aunt, uncle, and lots of cousins in Covington. My Uncle’s name was Lee Eddy. He has daughters named Pat and Peggy and Nora, and a son named Lee.
Well I'll be hornswoggled! This is getting to be like a family reunion!
John, I had gathered from some of your posts that you were from this area, but didn't realize that you were a fellow sailor. As for getting sick, it takes getting used to. I usually feel a little queasy if I go below near the beginning of a trip, but heck, Horatio Hornblower used to get seasick. I don't remember the sizes of the meter class boats, but I think 10-meter would be pretty big--40 or 45 feet? I crewed quite a few times in races, round-the-buoys and offshore, and decided that racing sailors were a little crazy, but it was a great way to learn what a boat could do.
I've lived in this area since 1974, and yes, it has really changed. The refugees come from the big city in waves, the last big migration after Katrina.
Well, back to trains. (As if we were ever there.)
Paul, I sailed several times on Lake Ponchartrain. A friend had a 10 meter sailboat (I think I remember that's what he said, but it's been nearly 40 years ago).
He got me and several others to help in a Southern Yacht Club race, but I was never invited back to help again. I was sick most of the race.
I always envied the sailboat owners who were in the lake watching the fireworks at Ponchartrain Beach amusement park.
I was in Covington two years ago seeing an elderly relative. I could not believe how much the northshore had changed since we left in the early 90s.
Semper VaporoHe also said the two happiest days in the life of a boat owner are the day he bought the boat and the day he sold it.
I've heard that many times, but I did not feel that way when I sold mine. For many years after I quit sailing, I kept the boat, piddling around, doing some repairs and upkeep even though I knew I should sell it. The boat was my friend (I never did think of it as "she"; it was always neutral in gender), and when I finally did sell it, I think it felt something like a divorce. I visited the marina a couple of times afterward. The first time the slip was empty (the new owner lived some distance away.), but the second time there was a boat in it named "So What?" That kicked me out of my mood.
Lithonia Operator Thanks, John. Camden is not a bad place to be stuck. It’s beautiful, has great restaurants, and Wayfarer Marine is top-drawer. They will start work on the engine tomorrow. Not sure what all will be needed, but it’s clear we will be spending a lot of money. Oh well. Boats!!
Thanks, John.
Camden is not a bad place to be stuck. It’s beautiful, has great restaurants, and Wayfarer Marine is top-drawer.
They will start work on the engine tomorrow. Not sure what all will be needed, but it’s clear we will be spending a lot of money.
Oh well. Boats!!
You've got the right sailor's attitude. You are in a beautiful place--relax and enjoy it.
I'm not going to bring up the "hole in the water" line, but as for money and boats, though, a fellow sailor used to call the local marine supply store "that jewelry store."
My son used to sell boats. He said a boat is a hole in the water that you shovel money into.
He also said the two happiest days in the life of a boat owner are the day he bought the boat and the day he sold it.
Semper Vaporo
Pkgs.
LO, glad to hear you avoided any major collisions, or worse -- injuries.
I've enjoyed reading your sailing travelogue.
Paul, we have a pump like that. An Oberdorfer. I have probably exhausted all things I can fix myself now. We have no obstruction between the thru-hull and the raw water pump. The impeller looks great, has lost no vanes, and the rubber part has not detached from the bronze core (I’ve been to that rodeo several times over the years). When I turn the engine’s crankshaft, the water pump’s shaft revolves.
Now I’m going to sniff around the heat exchanger ...
L. O., it's been said about sailing: seemingly endless hours of tedious boredom interrupted by moments of stark terror. I hope the problem is minor.
I don't know if they are still using the same design water pump as they did back in my day but I was always nagged by it in the back of my mind. It was a "rotor" with rubber vanes that rotated in a chamber that had a "bump" on one side that forced the rubber vanes to bend back, sqeezing the water out the exit opening. I never had a problem with it, but it always worried me because I knew a few people that did. One of the vanes breaks off and plugs the exit. I always thought it was a stupid design.
Anyway, good luck!
zugmann We had a mimeograph machine in my high school in the late 90's early 2000s. Yeah, we weren't the most modern school district. You in that video, Firelock?
We had a mimeograph machine in my high school in the late 90's early 2000s. Yeah, we weren't the most modern school district.
You in that video, Firelock?
And the awesome smell of fresh mimeograph copies! There's a scene in the movie Fast Times at Ridgemont High where a teacher passes out a teast and all the students start sniffing the paper.
Thanks to Chris / CopCarSS for my avatar.
Flintlock76 "He just wants to play!" Hey, that's why you go cruisin', right? Meet interesting people and animals and come home with great stories!
"He just wants to play!"
Hey, that's why you go cruisin', right? Meet interesting people and animals and come home with great stories!
Well, we just had one our scariest sailing moments ever. But the humans are fine. The boat? Not sure yet.
So, we had a fantastic sail in 15 knots of wind, with higher gusts, from the Isleboro area over here to Camden. We had one reef in the main, and the staysail; no primary jib (yankee). Exciting passage, and all went well out in the bay. The sailing was so good, I wanted to sail as far as possible up into the harbor before dropping sails. Also, the big waves would have made dropping them out there pretty uncomfortable and a bit more risky for my wife going forward. We scream into Camden harbor.
I start the engine. It’s still blowing hard, as the outer harbor has little protection from a south wind. Camden harbor this time of year is VERY crowded. Boats cheek to jowl on maybe 600-700 moorings in a tight space. Tense enough getting the sails down among the boats, me holding the bow to wind while trying not to move too much. Marilyn did a great job getting the sails down quickly. At pretty much the instant she finished that, the engine’s overheating alarm started screaming. I looked at the gauge, and yes, quite hot. But we HAD to use the engine. I looked around for an empty mooring. Saw one, went towards it. From this point forward, I am worried about how much damage we might be doing to the engine, and whether the issue might make it conk out. The alarm keeps screaming, and will until we get some resolution, just to frazzle our nerves more. We approach the mooring with some Polish name on the ball. Marilyn grabs the pickup buoy. Those suckers are awkward to feed thru the pulpit before you get the actual mooring line. But she gets the line. I put the boat in neutral, and run forward to help. The wind is strong and the line starts to slip from her grasp. I try to help. But it’s too late. We are blown away, and in trying to exit the boat, the pickup buoy gets ripped from the mooring line, never to be seen again.
I run back, put the tranny in forward, and give it some stick. The engine dies. Trust me; this was a low point. So we are now adrift. Sideways, drifting quickly towards dense clump of boats in the strong wind. Alarm keeps screaming because the key is on. I hit the start button; thankfully it starts, but the friggin noise continues, as we are overheated. We head for another mooring. We manage to snag this one on first try.
Stay tuned for an update. We may be looking at dropping some dollars, but the crew is fine, and we handled the emergency pretty well.
Wayfarer Marine towed us to our reserved rental mooring. (There is no anchoring in here.) As a side note, we got the harbormaster involved, and he says the mooring we were on temporarily is some mystery mooring, and shows no sign of being inspected recently!
I have started the troubleshooting. Diagnoses still possible are one that’s cheap and one that ain’t.
I said I want to sail til age 75. Since I aged five years this afternoon, that’s not far off.
I’ll tell the happy story first.
The sleepy boatyard was beyond sleepy, and is in a really beautiful spot. The weather was perfect. we took showers, felt great, and while we did some loads of laundry sat on a deck and read our books. This place was SO quiet. A really great afternoon.
We had finished doing our laundry and were in the dinghy about to shove off. My wife was in the process of uncleating the line, and we were watching a hard dinghy arriving with a man and a large dog. It was cute; as soon as the dinghy was remotely near the dock, that dog was leaning way out, and just itching to jump to the dock. When they got close he uncoiled and sprung, his push-off from the gunwale nearly flipping the dinghy with the man in it. The dog landed on the dock ...
... and in about two seconds jumped into our tiny inflatable dinghy with two adults and three boat-bags of clean laundry. It was a hoot! The owner was mortified, but we laughed our asses off. Wicked friendly dog. He put a dirty paw print on one of my clean items, though.
Lithonia Operator Back to sailing for a minute. Yesterday we had one of the most peaceful relaxing days I can remember. And that was punctuated by a funny incident. Today we had one of those moments of terror. Terror might be a bit strong, but friggin scary. If there is popular demand, I will elaborate. But don’t feel obligated. It’s not about trains, and it’s not about technology.
Back to sailing for a minute. Yesterday we had one of the most peaceful relaxing days I can remember. And that was punctuated by a funny incident.
Today we had one of those moments of terror. Terror might be a bit strong, but friggin scary.
If there is popular demand, I will elaborate. But don’t feel obligated. It’s not about trains, and it’s not about technology.
Consider it demanded (both stories!)
I for one am really enjoying this thread, and I think I can safely say that you have our rapt attention, L-O!
Brian (IA) http://blhanel.rrpicturearchives.net.
When I was a senior in high school, each of the seniors wrote a brief paper on some important (to that person)--and these were copied on a ditto machine so each one of has a copy of the entire collection. Several years later, one of us recopied (probably after retyping it) the entire collection and distributed the better preserved copies to us. I stll have both--from sixty-five years back and more recently (I don't remember just when).
Hell no Zug, I ain't THAT old!
Man, primitive stuff, for lack of a better term, but hey, it worked!
The funny thing is, I used to see a lot of that old equipment, or machines like it, gathering dust in some school storage rooms. I always wondered if there was anyone on staff who knew how to use it. In this day and age, probably not.
York1The teacher could write or type on the front of the master, and the reversed image would be imprinted onto the back of the paper.
Corrections were a bear - you had to turn the master over, scrape off the transfered blue ink, and hope there was enough of it left on the inked sheet to handle the correction - after you ever so carefully (and usually unsuccessfully) tried to re-align the master in the typewriter...
I worked on the school paper in junior high school - which was reproduced using a "spirit duplicator," ie, ditto machine. Assembling the paper for distribution (ie, stacking the pages in order and stapling them) sometimes got us into the school early, before the other students - a real privilege.
I believe the transfer medium was simply alcohol. The ink tranferred onto the master was slowly transfered to the paper, which is why they eventually faded out.
Mimeograph machines that use ink could go until the master died (ink was pushed through the master onto the paper) or the machine ran out of ink. They could get very messy.
We had an early copier at one place I worked that used thermal paper. It could only copy one sheet by feeding it through - no laying a book on top of the glass to copy a page.
For about nine years, in the sixties and early seventies, I prepared the weeklychurch bulletin, using a mimeograph machine to make the copies. Being handpowered, it gave little trouble--but I had to be careful when handling the ink.
Later, when working in Stores in a manufacturing environment, Ihandled defective PC boards, which were used in most of the equipment. Some seldom failed, but others were prone to failure and could be repaired through sending them to either the manufacturer or to another company which specialized in such work. A common fault was (as noted on the form that accompanied the defective board) "needs smoke put back in." Since Stores kept at least one of each such boards in stock, the maintenance techs were usually able to get the tools back into service quickly.
When asked "What's the most important service we provide to our customers?" we copier technicians always replied...
"Cleaning the floors of their copy rooms with our pants!"
Ever see what the kitchen floor looks like when you pull the refridgerator away from the wall? THAT'S what it's like behind most copiers, especially the big ones!
Oh, good Lord...
York1How did Covington fare in the last hurricane?
We got practically nothing from it. The main part of it went west of us, and the feeder band hit the Mississippi-Alabama border with a lot of rain and a few tornadoes. I'm struck by the similarity to Harvey which hit Houston and SW Louisiana while its feeder band hit Mississippi and Alabama.
Paul of CovingtonHey, I always had purple finger tips, too.
Paul, it's almost easy to look back on those days sentimentally, but each of the improvements sure made life easier.
How did Covington fare in the last hurricane?
Don't overlook computer equipment placed in a field railroad enviornment - remember cooling fans run continuously - and they are running all that time in at situation that is about as far from 'clean room' specs as one can get - most of the dust and dirt ingested by the cooling fans then get deposition on the electronics the fans are trying to cool. A lot of dirt when it comes time to fix what broke.
York1Before becoming a principal, I was a middle school teacher who came home each night with purple finger tips.
Hey, I always had purple finger tips, too. We got a big kick out of an advertisement years ago for a tech school promoting computer repair. In one testimonial from a student, he said, "and best of all, I don't get my hands dirty." Working on computers was promoted as a sophisticated, high-falutin' job, but the reality was that we spent maybe 95% of our time on dirty mechanical work on tape drives, printers, card readers and punches, keypunches, etc., and we always had oil, grease, and ink on our hands. Although the printer ribbons were black, for some reason, no matter how much you washed your hands, the purple component in the ink would not wash out, so my fingers were always purple.
Paul of CovingtonAh, yes, if I remember right it was called "Ditto". You wrote the original with a special purple ink (or was it a pencil?), and somehow it got transferred to a gummy surface that transferred it onto other sheets of paper. You wound up with blurry purple copies.
A teacher could use a sheet called, strangely enough, "ditto master". It was a sheet of thin paper attached to an inked sheet, much like carbon paper.
The teacher could write or type on the front of the master, and the reversed image would be imprinted onto the back of the paper.
Perforations allowed the paper to be separated from the inked paper.
There was even a type of ditto master that could be used in a heat transfer machine. It was possible to transfer words from a typed sheet of paper onto a ditto master, thus saving the teacher the time of retyping.
The ditto masters had a limited number of runs. Normally after about 30 copies, the page's ink began to fade.
Before becoming a principal, I was a middle school teacher who came home each night with purple finger tips.
OvermodI grew up with school handouts that were pale purple with That Unforgettable Spirit Duplicator Smell. And had some fun making and cutting the dark wax stencils used to produce those.
Ah, yes, if I remember right it was called "Ditto". You wrote the original with a special purple ink (or was it a pencil?), and somehow it got transferred to a gummy surface that transferred it onto other sheets of paper. You wound up with blurry purple copies.
Flintlock76An older woman standing next to her said "That's because you don't remember what mimeograph was like!"
I grew up with school handouts that were pale purple with That Unforgettable Spirit Duplicator Smell. And had some fun making and cutting the dark wax stencils used to produce those.
Of course, when I was a kid copiers produced white reverse images on a black background, with a strong smell of ozone, and neither the resolution nor the dimensions were at all good. Later, when I should have known better, I made the idiot mistake of thinking copiers made 1:1 images and went through multiple generations of pasteup to reduce offset-master thickness... only to encounter progressive registration errors...
I had the third LaserWriter NT produced. That was my introduction to computer equipment that worked exactly right, and kept working almost forever. In fact the only thing that 'killed' it was that I didn't know Apple (this was in the pre-crApple days) had a shutdown timer on page count, and swapped out the controller for the NTX bought later for the tumor clinic... with more copies on its electronics... karma, I guess.
York, while it's certainly a good thing the kids are learning to be computer-literate and how to get the most out of the things, because it's good for their future, I'm with you in believing doing everything on-line isn't necessarily a good thing.
As has been said, electronics can fail, and when they do they've got to know how to deal with it. Pads and pencils don't fail, and neither does your brain if you're trained to be self-reliant. The "apps" can't do everything.
I don't know if, as yachtsmen, Lithonia-Operator and Paul of Covington can deep-water navigate using a sextant, charts, and a chronometer, but I'll bet it's a sure thing they can handle coasting with a chart and a compass, and not GPS.
Your district sounds a bit unusual. Here in Virginia paper in schools in far from obsolete. In some cases they've gone overboard and used the copiers to effectively "manufacture" their own textbooks! But that's another story.
Funny story. Years back I was working on a cranky copier (it really should have been replaced) when a young woman walked past and said, "Oh, I HATE that thing!" An older woman standing next to her said "That's because you don't remember what mimeograph was like!"
Wayne
Flintlock,
Each time the school copier wore out and we got a new one, the learning curve changed upward dramatically.
In my years, we went from a hand-cranked mimeograph machine, to a motor-driven mimeograph machine, to a copier which basically ... copied.
When I retired, the copier was accessible from any computer or phone anywhere in the building. It copied front and back, sorted, collated, stapled, and served ice cream on the side.
We did restrict teachers from using color too much.
When I retired, the copier was actually getting used less.
Years ago, a teacher would type a paper, print it on a printer attached to her computer, take the page to the copier, print 25 pages, and hand it out to kids.
Now the teacher posts the page, the students read and answer online, and the teacher grades the pages online. No paper used.
Seems like an improvement, but I don't believe it. There are some great studies that seem to indicate learning online is not the answer many thought.
Anyway, you have my appreciation. After the copier was fixed, the teachers were happy. And happy teachers made my life much easier.
Flintlock76It was a bit of a rush to take a dead or grouchy piece of machinery and bring it back to life. And I was OH so popular when I was finished!
We had a mainframe from a well-known computer firm. The tech was telling us one day that he'd taken a vacation that caused him a lot of trouble.
Seems this manufacturer was in the habit of putting several "sub-boards" on one large circuit board. Different portions of the computer used different sub-boards, often to the exclusion of the others in the main board (confused yet?).
So let's say that slots 1, 2, and 3 all used the same main board. Only slot 1 used section A, slot 2 used section B, and slot three used section C.
If section A failed in slot 1, the tech could simply swap it with the board in slot 2, and everything was back on line. As long as the board was never placed in a slot where section A was needed, it had a long and useful life ahead of it.
One computer he maintained had a number of such boards with various failed sections. He knew which was which (I'm presuming he kept notes).
His replacement while on vacation didn't know that. As a result, that tech swapped a couple of boards due to a problem of some sort. This didn't solve the problem, but amplified it, as the swapped boards had bad sections that were needed in the "new" slots.
I think you can see where this is going. The regular tech got it sorted out, but I'm sure there was some muttering...
"...treated like children..."
Paul, I hear 'ya! Same here! The company seemed to be turning into a real-life "Dilbert" comic strip! Makes you wonder just who's running things and how they got into positions of responsibility. Some days I thought a pin-ball had more direction than the company did! Towards the end I (and the other company veterans) would go around muttering "These people make money in spite of themselves!" Sure not like when I started at a locally owned concern.
Like I said, I knew when it was time to go.
BaltACDThe systems were subsequently replaced by Mainframe applications in 1990 and I was out of a job.
And now, how many tech generations later, you have more computing power and data storage in your pocket than even the most powerful mainframes of the day.
I remember how thrilled I was to install a 40 megabyte hard drive in my Tandy 1000SX computer, so I didn't have to boot off the 5.25" floppies any more. Nowadays, you can't buy a thumb drive that small.
That computer is still in the attic in the garage. I wonder if it still works...
Paul of Covington Flintlock76 The company and the technology were moving in directions I just couldn't get my head around so it was time to go. You keep ringing bells with me. I said earlier that my occupation was in electronics, but it was actually in computer repair, which in 1965 when I started was electronics, unlike today. We sat with an oscilloscope and sets of logic diagrams and schematics and traced the problem down to descrete components. Talk about technology changing--when I started, our biggest computers had 1 meg of memory: four cabinets about 5 ft tall, 4 ft long and 2ft deep weighing probably over a ton overall. Today, my 11 year old cellphone has a memory chip about 1/4 the size of a postage stamp with 2 gig--2000 times as much. I enjoyed the work; it was a different challenge every day. When I started, we were treated like mature adults, trusted to make decisions and deal with the customers, but thirty years later when I retired, we were treated like children who couldn't do anything without being told. Overall, I enjoyed my thirty years, and I don't think I would have had it any other way. L. O., it seems your thread has been hijacked. Sorry about that.
Flintlock76 The company and the technology were moving in directions I just couldn't get my head around so it was time to go.
You keep ringing bells with me. I said earlier that my occupation was in electronics, but it was actually in computer repair, which in 1965 when I started was electronics, unlike today. We sat with an oscilloscope and sets of logic diagrams and schematics and traced the problem down to descrete components. Talk about technology changing--when I started, our biggest computers had 1 meg of memory: four cabinets about 5 ft tall, 4 ft long and 2ft deep weighing probably over a ton overall. Today, my 11 year old cellphone has a memory chip about 1/4 the size of a postage stamp with 2 gig--2000 times as much. I enjoyed the work; it was a different challenge every day. When I started, we were treated like mature adults, trusted to make decisions and deal with the customers, but thirty years later when I retired, we were treated like children who couldn't do anything without being told. Overall, I enjoyed my thirty years, and I don't think I would have had it any other way.
L. O., it seems your thread has been hijacked. Sorry about that.
When we first got 'mini-computers' at my work location in 1978 the cabinets were the size of a refrigerator, the core memory was 32K bytes and was programmed by the OEM in Assembly and it was loaded on punched paper tape. The disk drives were 10 Megabyte affairs that used a 11 inch platter that seemed to crash about every month or less and they occupied cabinet the size of a two drawer filing cabnet and in total weighed North of 200 Kg. The OEM's Assembly program allowed the creation of a user language to program the desired business functions. The OEM Technicians were on 24 hour call and when necessary would, in addition to replacing a failed board, diagnose the failed board to get to the individual part on the board that caused the failure. Later the 10 MB disk drives were upgraded to 300 MB disk drives and we couldn't believe all the space we now had. The systems were subsequently replaced by Mainframe applications in 1990 and I was out of a job.
Paul of Covington L. O., it seems your thread has been hijacked. Sorry about that.
No problem. The thread improved!
And it was not about trains to begin with.
York, let me tell you something.
It was a bit of a rush to take a dead or grouchy piece of machinery and bring it back to life. And I was OH so popular when I was finished!
Schools? You bet! They were sure glad to see me! Or maybe the rage was worn off by the time I got there?
Anyway, there wasn't a day that went by when I didn't feel like I'd made a difference to someone.
I'm retired now and enjoying it. The company and the technology were moving in directions I just couldn't get my head around so it was time to go. But those thirty years sure went by fast! There were times I was aggrivated, frustrated, discombobulated, ( even I hit problems I couldn't figure out, but so did we all) but I was never bored!
Flintlock76 I spent 30 years repairing copiers, so even though I'm used to electronics I wouldn't trust my life with 'em!
Repairing copiers! You would be the most popular man in the world to my teachers.
When a teacher came to me or the secretary and told us the copier was down, we were expected to get it repaired immediately.
We had the copier repair man on speed dial.
I was always amazed watching someone like you open the complicated machine, figure out the problem, and have it fixed quickly. No one ever complained how much the cost was if the machine worked again.
DeggestyJust think of the navigation--until the chronometer was invented, longitude was determined by estimation. Latitude was much easier to determine, using tables that showed how far north or south the sun was each day of the year.
I read somewhere that it was common practice when making entries in the log to write "toward [destination]".
Paul of Covington Flintlock, you pretty much described my attitude. My first boat was a 21 foot trailerable boat, and just maintaining the tailights and their connections in the wet environment was enough of a nuisance. I often think about the old sailing ships. Besides the fairly large crew, which I know were jammed up in tight quarters up forward, they carried spare sails and spars, along with the sailmaker and carpenter and all their equipment, plus studding sails and spars to be added in light air, and I wonder that they had much room left for cargo. It just occurred to me--at least they had no engine room and no need for fuel, so they gained that space.
Flintlock, you pretty much described my attitude. My first boat was a 21 foot trailerable boat, and just maintaining the tailights and their connections in the wet environment was enough of a nuisance.
I often think about the old sailing ships. Besides the fairly large crew, which I know were jammed up in tight quarters up forward, they carried spare sails and spars, along with the sailmaker and carpenter and all their equipment, plus studding sails and spars to be added in light air, and I wonder that they had much room left for cargo. It just occurred to me--at least they had no engine room and no need for fuel, so they gained that space.
They did carry fuel for the officers and men--the meat traveled in barrels, and was sometimes found to be spoiled when the barrels were opened. Also, water was carried in barrels, and if somehow salt water got into such, it was worthless.
Just think of the navigation--until the chronometer was invented, longitude was determined by estimation. Latitude was much easier to determine, using tables that showed how far north or south the sun was each day of the year.
"My occupation was electronics, so I avoided anything electrical in the boat."
Paul, you sound like me. I spent 30 years repairing copiers, so even though I'm used to electronics I wouldn't trust my life with 'em!
This computer I'm on is just a toy. I wouldn't trust my life with it, either!
Anyway, isn't there a seafarer's maxim, "Don't have anything on the boat you can't fix yourself!"?
Oh, the boatyard is just for laundry, showers, fuel, ice and water. The first two got done today. We’ll go to the dock tomorrow for the rest, on the way to Camden. Camden offers all this, but one can wait a long time in lines in Camden. Gorgeous, but very, very busy there this time of year. We have hot/cold pressurized water on the boat, but rarely pass up a nice long “land shower,“ if we have reason go to a facility anyway. Also, as I’m sure you know, we only have hot water if we have been motoring that day; it runs thru the engine. In Camden we will eat out, and watch the boats and the people. Always a great show there. We will also do a major grocery shopping there.
L. O., you mentioned going to Camden. Back in the eighties, I visited my sister who was living in Portland at the time, and we drove up the coast sightseeing, visiting many harbors. Camden, I think, was one of the most beautiful harbors, looking like a perfect postcard.
Yes, the jib with the boom was considered ideal for single-handing, but I never did like it. It may have been handy for tacking, but when running or broad reaching, it would fly straight up and flail around--a real menace to anyone on the foredeck. We generally have a high percentage of light-air days down here, so everyone uses jennys. I'd take down the jib and lash the boom to a lifeline stanchion when using the jenny, which was almost always. I did like the 100% jib better than the lappers that most boats used, though. I found that the boat would sail itself downwind with the Joshua Slocum method. I could lash the jib amidship (not possible with a lapper), run the main out, lash the tiller centered, and the boat would sail itself downwind. My occupation was in electronics, so I avoided anything electrical on the boat. I used to say that my only electronic navigation aid was the light in the compass. That's why I always praised Carl Alberg--the boat could be trimmed to sail itself on any point.
Anyway, have a good trip. I hope whatever you needed a boatyard for was not too serious, and you are on your way without delay.
Thanks, Flint.
Like I say, we are very fortunate to be able to do this in retirement.
Back to the telephone thing, I just had to call a boatyard, after four futile tries on VHF. This is a boatyard on Seven Hundred Acres Island. So many of these sleepy boat yards have no one monitoring the radio. At least by phone I could leave a message that I am now on their mooring. If they want the cash, they will call me back. These are the kind of places where the secretary/office manager/quartermaster is likely out on the deck of a lobster boat holding the head of a bolt with a wrench while Cousin Hiram (the yard owner) is grunting and swearing down below.
...and that’s on a week day. Today? The only creature we meet might be a dog. Then we’ll have to decide if we trust the dog not to eat the money.
L-O, your trip and your vessel sound glorious! Add the Maine coast and things must be unbeatable!
Enjoy your trip, and your ship, and "...a star to steer her by..."
Paul, yes, tacking is a bit of a chore, particularly if the yankee is large, as ours is. There isn’t much room between the stays for the sail to pass through, as you know. When we are going to tack, we roll up some of the yankee first, then it goes through fine. If we are short-tacking to windward, I just leave the yankee about 35% furled. The staysail, as you know, is on a boom, and takes care of itself; our staysail is not roller-furling, btw. Between the partial yankee and the staysail, we have decent power for beating.
I love the flexibility of the cutter rig. We have three reef points in the main, and with the yankee variably furlable, there are lots of combos. I even put one traditional reef in the staysail. If we had to, we could deal with a ton of wind with triple-reefed main, reefed staysail, and no yankee.
Yes, the CD 31 was built at the end of Cape Dory’s existence, ’82 to ‘85. They built 89 of them. A sweet boat, and rugged.
http://www.capedory.org/specs/cd31.htm
Interestingly, the 32 (they only built 11 of them) has a deck-stepped mast. But the 31 has a keel-stepped mast, like the 33, 36 and larger models.
The 28 and 30 are also excellent boats. On your 28, was your jib on a boom? The boomed jib would be excellent for single-handing. There are lots of CDs up here, and most 28s I see still have the boom and a 100% jib. But some folks have no doubt gone with a bigger genny, and therefore removed the jib boom.
L. O., you are stirring up some memories of some good times. I don't remember there being a Cape Dory 31; it may have been one of their later models before they went out of business. I did deliver a Cape Dory 30 cutter for a friend/dealer once. A beautiful boat, but the cutter rig is a bit of a nuisance to tack. I lived aboard my Cape Dory 28 in Mandeville, La. from 1975 to 1981, and sailed the Gulf Coast to Pensacola during my vacations, almost exclusively single-handed, and praising Carl Alberg the whole time.
Flintlock76 L-O, I'm really curious now, are you sailing or motoring?
L-O, I'm really curious now, are you sailing or motoring?
Today there was very little wind while we were transiting, so we motored. We have been out for nine days so far. The first three days we had good wind, and so we sailed most or all of those days. But since then the conditions have been spotty, so mostly motoring. A couple of days we stayed put, spending two nights in the same spot. The boat is a Cape Dory 31, a twin-headsail sloop. (We have 2 jibs, one behind the other, called a Yankee and a staysail, and frequently we are sailing with both, plus the main.) The boat was built in 1984. We have put our heart and $oul into it, so she’s in really nice shape and has a lot of good features. I am the second owner. This year we had an electric anchor windlass installed, and that is a wonderful new addition! The boat has an inboard 21 hp diesel 3 cyl diesel. It can sleep four, but it’s just me and my wife. For fifteen years our cat sailed with us, but sadly she died last year. This is our third sailboat, and we love it. We eat the vast majority of our meals on board; so far, we’ve eaten out only once, fried clams for me. On Monday we will do our first major re-provisioning, in Camden ME. We will go as far as the Acadia NP area before we turn around and head back to the Portland area. We take it easy, make up the itinerary as we go along. I’ve read two books so far, and just started another, a memoir by a railroad engineer. I carry a guitar and practice that. We rarely transit more than six hours a day. This is our passion, our main outdoor thing, been doing it for over thirty years. One never stops learning, and figuring out little ways to improve the boat. Most days are terrific. Some are tedious. A small handful are terrifying. We have been blessed to be able to do this. I turn 70 in February, and hope to be still sailing when I‘m 75. We sail the Maine coast. Once, with some guy friends as crew, I went offshore, traveling to places in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick.
There are definitely times when we have no cell service, but not as often as you might think. Right now we are off of Isleboro in Penobscot Bay. Lotsa really rich folks live on this island, and, probably, not by coincidence, the cell service here is way better than we have at our home outside of Portland. There are lots of tall cell towers along the coast, whereas tall USCG radio antennas are few and far between.
How do you guys expect me to keep up with Euclid without my phone?
We are in a gorgeous spot, by Warren Island, which is a state park. They have $20 moorings (cheap), and we are in the company of only two other boats in a decent-sized cove. We have to dinghy ashore in the morning to put money in a box; no one works here. More often we anchor, instead of renting moorings; we never rent slips.
We are in sight of the ferry landing from which the state ferry comes and goes; she is the Margaret Chase Smith, and is a large, handsome vessel. I never get tired of watching ships.
Okay, I will eat some lobster, but only because of my loyalty to this forum. ;-)
That is why those advertisements on TV for the digital TV antennas have the demonstration out in the middle of the Gulf of Mexico... sure they work with no obstructions between the transmitter and the TV... but interpose a building or small hill, a water tower (or worse yet, a city water storage tank built-into a hill, which is my problem) and those newfangled antennas are no better than any other antenna for broadcast signals.
As long as there's cell phone towers near the shoreline you're fine. Go over the horizon out of sight of land and there's going to be issues.
If I understand the technology correctly, cell phone communications are microwave based, which are "line-of-sight." As long as there's no obstructions in the way between the user and the cell tower you've got communication.
It's the reason you lose cell phone communication if you go into a heavily-constructed building, cinder block for example, you lose the "bars." Happened to me last weekend, I had to go outside to use the phone. So did a lot of other people.
PS: Lithonia Operator, have some lobster for us while you're up there!
Lithonia OperatorBut now I’m sailing my boat for a month, so I am using my phone.
Paul of Covington Lithonia Operator . But now I’m sailing my boat for a month, so I am using my phone. Why are you using a phone on your boat? When I used to sail, I was happy to have no communication with the outside world. The boat and the sea were my whole world.
Lithonia Operator . But now I’m sailing my boat for a month, so I am using my phone.
Why are you using a phone on your boat? When I used to sail, I was happy to have no communication with the outside world. The boat and the sea were my whole world.
First, a lot of marinas, etc. Are easier to reach by phone than by radio.
Secondly, I do like glance at the news, and to play on some websites.
Also, a phone is just one more tool at my disposal in an emergency. VHF to the Coast Guard can be pretty spotty on the coast of Maine, because of so many islands and points are in the way.
I don’t ever just talk on the phone. Not my thing.
Flintlock76Personally, I only turn my cell phone on when I need it, but if he's got the phone on a boat it's understandable. Pays to have a back-up means of communication. You never know, do you? But I wouldn't live on the thing, know what I mean?
But I wouldn't live on the thing, know what I mean?
Personally, I only turn my cell phone on when I need it, but if he's got the phone on a boat it's understandable. Pays to have a back-up means of communication. You never know, do you?
Lithonia Operator. But now I’m sailing my boat for a month, so I am using my phone.
Standard operating procedure for this sort of situation USED to be to back up the content in the 'stored passwords' section of the browser before 'clearing cookies'.
Also used to be going in and individually clearing/editing cookies instead of just nuking them.
We live in a lazy age where programmers make these actions difficult, probably intentionally. At least they figured out how to suspend cookie 'action' while editing preferences; there were combinations of cookies that would sneakily 'rewrite' deleted cookies if any one were deleted through editing, unless you knew just what to take out and were very quick to confirm changes...
To Kalmbach's credit, they appear to have identified their cookies very well when doing a manual search. I haven't reverse-engineered them to see which ones carry the login information (some of which contains auto-ban identification) but it's relatively easy to go through and edit out anything tied to URLs like cs.trains.com without eliminating all the other stuff.
Why there isn't a temporary disable for stored passwords is nearly as idiotic as Firefox asking you to confirm 'do you want to view your passwords' and then not requiring any security to do it.
That seems to have done the trick.
Unfortunately, now I can’t get on my other favorite discussion site (about auto racing), because, apparently, that log-in data got zapped, and my passwords are at home! Probably just as well, because I waste a lot of time there.
After I wrote the above post, I cleared all the cookies. We’ll see what tomorrow brings.
That's going to be a cookie or privacy setting in the phone browser's preferences. Very similar if you have it set to clear cookies automatically.
Be very careful not to navigate to any version of the forum with 'mobile' in the URL, Those are still 'live', but no longer supported and can have weird interactions with phones newer than it expects.
If it helps any, my phone is still on iOS 9 and I can browse the forums without being signed out for a considerable time. Did the sign-in persistence stop after an upgrade or 'reconfiguration' of some kind?
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