Random Chatter

[muzzy1maniac]

Originally Posted by s10blazerman4x4

http://www.therangerstation.com/tech.../CleanMAF.html

Hear read that.


http://www.therangerstation.com/tech_library/index.htm

Then go through that site.

Hell i wish i had these for when i had my dads truck. Some of that would have come in handy. I had a lot of explorer stuff. Im gonna go get that disc out and install and see what we got if that doesnt suffice lol.

Thanks! Nice find. I was actually in this site the other day but never saw the tech articles.

[s10blazerman4x4]

I still didnt get to the repair disc been busy this night but ill get there. I think you should do some mods to it according to that site.

[OverBoardProject]

What a tick off, I just picked up my camara from the repair shop today and went to try it a few min ago and it still has the same problem.
That's after I just spent $115.00 to get it fixxed.

Everything seems to work, but aparantly the shutter doesn't open
It's going back tomorrow, and I hope that they can fix it instantly since I won't be here long.

Yes I can get a new camara for just a few bucks more, but they're poor quality compaired to mine. And until I can afford a top quality one I'll just stick with what I have.

On a side note, it looks like I'm going on a small trip to Canmore Alberta in 2 weeks to visit one of the most wonderful women that I've ever met.
http://www.coldwellbankerbcr.com/?OV...OVMTC=standard
Several of my winter pic's are from there on my web site, and although I don't really care about staying there I'd love to have my friend (Just really good friends) move close to me.

[wolfox]

Alright guys, had a few bucks to burn and tried updating/modding my navigation PC in the truck. Got a hold of Streets and Trips 2006 with a GPS receiver in the kit for $90. Up until now, I have been using S&T 2004 with a Garmin Venture handheld GPS modded to take cigarettelighter current and an active, re-radiating antenna setup. (Really complex stuff to get into with any real detail and not have your heads spinning). The new 2006 version of the software is really neat in two ways - 1) THe map will auto zoom and orient itself relative to your travelling vector and when you approach a turn, increasing map detail. 2) Voice directions while en-route. It's so cool to not to have to glance sideways at a display, taking your eyes off the road. Since the audio is patched in fromthe truck PC into the stereo head (Mostly for MP3 playback) the voice comes up through the speakers when you approach the next part of your route/turn. Verra nice, IMO. If you need to hear directions again, just touch the spacebar on the PC. Or - glance at the screen and in large, bold text at the bottom is your next instruction and turn information in one line. Oh, it also has a nifty "Night map" setting that turns the display into a night-vsion friendly green at lower intensities. Until this feature, I was using a utility called "Dark Adapted" to dim the display and menu bars @ night.

Now, the GPS sensor that comes with it is good if you DO NOT HAVE ANYTHING ELSE to use. It's a 12 channel, parallel reciever with WAAS correction, so it will manage to do diversity/dithering agerages to further lock your position within about 20 feet or so. However, when it looses lock on the WAAS or if you're idling under tree cover at a light and your sattelite lock drops to about 2-3 birds onthe horizon - it thinks you're moving 1-3 MPH in the direction you were last heading in. If the light lasts longer than a minute, it's funny to watch the software plot where you "were going" and then suddenly yoink the position indicater back to where you REALLY are once satellite lock is established again. Turning on route tracks will make this really intriguing to watch.

I do not think, this little rebadged Pharos iGPS 350 "puck" with it's blue glowing Micro$oft logo on top does any channel/satellite averaging. Its internal CPU is just too slow for it. (About 12 Mhz from what I can tell from pulling the clear plastic clamshell apart) It's internal patch antenna NEEDS unobstructed sky to horizon view. However, it's nice not to have to lug a ton of cables and wires into the truck to get the Garmin unit working, the Garmin unit is ROCK stable compared to the puck in the box that came with the software. Where the Garmin can tell me down to within 2 meters (typically) of where I am and you can SEE on the screen in S&T 2004 and 2006 which side you're on, and even which LANE you are travelling in - the Pharos/Microsoft puck will often have you looking like you're travelling down the median or the curb at maximum map magnification. So it works for just plain navigation and the installation is cleaner since it is USB fired, and takes power from the port. One cable, and zero, plug-n-play configuration to get it to work. Switching to the Garmin unit is not tough, I just tell the software to scan Com-1 serial at 4800 baud for a NMEA 2.x device and it picks it right up.

I am going to pull my hidden active repeating GPS antenna rig down and figure out a way to weatherproof the M$ puck to magnetically mount atop of my rig, running the USB extenstion cable through a door seal and see if this improves things with this charming little device. My USB extention cable, BTW - is a USB Extender with A-type connectors on each end that's been hacked in half. I then use the four pairs inside of a standard Cat-5e Ethernet cable to stretch the distance, the twisted pairs being self-shielding and noise reducing. (You can extend USB 2.0 up to 50 feet like this kids!)

Anyway, I figured I would let you know that the Microsoft Streets & Trips 2k6 software is worth it, especially if you already have a solid GPS rig in your trucks. And even if you do not, the kit that includes the GPS receiver hockey puck in the box is still loads better than nothing and is more than good enough to get you from point a to b in an entertaining manner. For best results, until you can fabricate an external rig:

Place velcro on the back of the GPS reciever and the mating material on a plate of copper, steel or aluminum for a grounding backplane. Place that sandwich on the dash between your windshield wipers - more or less offset to the passenger side so the metal wiper blades do not block the weak signal. Use the suction cup on the wire that adapts the serial output of the puck to USB to hold the works in place and flat on the dash. This should get you a satellite lock on at least 6-8 of the 12 sattelites typically overhead in orbit and get the unit to lock within 40 seconds. This will get it sending accurate enough to drive by data that is halfway decent. I will report back later on how it works in an external enclosure.

TTYL!

[s10blazerman4x4]

http://www.fhmus.com/articles-1276.a...46&idx_id=1276
Kari Byron in FHM this month

Got some links here.
http://www.rollocrab.com/
http://www.crab-northwestern.com/
http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm...endID=79746927
http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm...endid=44564280
Some Deadliest Catch links above. Interesting stuff.

Might be going to somewhere below Atlanta July 2nd. Uncle in new york called tells me someone in his relation is turning 20. He wants someone to go with him for the drive. Will find out this weekend whats up, i hope i can get off because of going to Florida the week of July10th-17th. Gonna get a bus from orlando to blazees.

[wolfox]

Later this day, I made a little project in relation to my post above. The weird, wandering GPS position lock problem has been solved:

http://gentle-wolfox.livejournal.com/31945.html#cutid1

Warnng, not 56k friendly but worth the wait. It was a good project - took about 4 hours off and on to finish up. And - I still have all of my fingers.

[mike1224]

thats great wolfox. definitely something to keep in mind. better than using google local on my cell, or printing out mapquest then trying to find the next page while going down the freeway. im quite out of space. on the roof. i've got a standard cab s-10 w/ a moonroof. that 3 cup height might interfere with the glass.

[wolfox]

I need to post a reference photo, but it's footprint is no larger than a CD-ROM. (About 5.25 inches, maybe less) So anywhere you have enough metal to comfortably place a disc, you can put this puppy down on. I would have gone smaller, but then I would have to do some weird stuff to stick magnets and the GPS down into - your backplane directly beneath the receiver needs to be...errr, well, a plane. Oh, and thanks for the kind words.

Edit: You could place the receiver either on a bed rail, or in the bed, centered. Remember that you want at least a 45 degree angle on the open sky overhead. Run the extension USB cable in through your back window if roof installation proves to be a hassle. Or, skip the all-in-one pack from Microsoft, and get just plain old Streets & Trips installed on your laptop/Mini ATX. Without the reciever unit, it's a fast $40. You can then augment a GPS designed from the start with a remote, actively amplified antenna. It would be the same size as the "puck" I have, but be weatherproof. They are very similar in shape and size as Sirrus or XM radio antennas. (They also utilize an active, LNA like configuration to pipe the signal into your vehicle over a single coax wire) Power and amplified signal pass on the same coax cable to a remote reciever installed under the dash. With many that have USB or Serial hookups, adding the PC is a breeze, as is running a dedicated head, like many of the Garmin GPSMap 2xx Or Street Pilot series. But those heads start at $700 for a touch-screen B&W model. Color easily takes on 2 C-notes more and do not add one jot of enhanced features - just color. There are also many OEM type solutions out there where one can pick up for a fraction of the cost of a finished unit, a simple GPS receiver, no package, no nothing. Supply it with appropriate power after hiding the module anywhere you have open sky above it. (Many built-in vehicle navigation systems use these, even GM in thier OnStar products that have GPS utilize a bare-bones, no package GPS module stuffed into the side of a body control module - serial data being converted into overhead console and in-dash interfaces) It dumps a standard NMEA 2.x output via serial. You may have to fabricate your own harness, but you save a ton of cash this way. Once it has power and decent vehicle body location; it will lock and track satellites and blow the data down a serial link that Streets & Trips, PDA's, MapPoint, Garmin, Megelan, Open Source mapping utilities under Linux - even Pharos' Mini pocket PC versions of products can ALL read. Serial is serial, and NMEA is NMEA. Anything that can use those two technologies together will get you a whip-ass rig running in no time flat. The ultimate however - is what is called DGPS. DGPS is an enhancement that utilizes another antenna/reciever to listen for real-time error and jitter correction transmited from ground bases within our atmosphere on the satellites just above your head. Agregating this data stream into the normal WAAS enabled reciever simultaneously allows for *autonavigation* of vehicles, like automated fish-finders and autopilots you find on marine vessels. The correction/dithering data is just THAT GOOD. It's even BETTER if you're in the military! Civilian units will not have the super secret, ultra good positioning of the big boys, with good rason. (You see, they still continue to purposely add a little bump here and there on the order of 1.5 yards that the civilian units recieve to prevent super-acurate mapping information that *cough*-*cough* civilians might exploit for *caff* delivering nasty packages in cruise missiles... You didn't hear that from me however. Pick up your complimentary tin-foil hat to the right as you leave, thanks.) And the really KEEN part is - *every* Garmin hand-held eTrex series reciever supports this. *licks lips and starts jonesing on another project* With a little over a meter of dead-on accuracy, this lends itself to some experimenting, but that's for wide open fields and sunny, still days. Read: Model Helicpter Auto-navigation and A.I. guidance. Okay, enough rambling out of me, I am off to bed. Goodnight, and enjoy everyone.

[s10blazerman4x4]

http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/meast/...awi/index.html


HELL YES FINALLY DELIVERING SOME JUSTICE

[s10blazerman4x4]

Ok the following is a post i put on a diff board but since i know blazee and overboard patrol here maybe you can give me an answer. I have been fighting antifreeze blowing out my overflow for about a month now. Did this today.

Ok i did a test about 30 mins ago. Went down added coolant to compensate for what was purged. Turned car on let idle, temp reached 180 then rose to 220 here is what i wanted to see. If car got to 220 the fan should have kicked on. It did not so i gave it a little gas to see if maybe reving the motor had any impact on fan, no the temp climbed to about 230 no fan turning on. Both rad hoses are hot. So does this mean coolant temp sensor faulty not allowing fan to turn on thus coolant reaching boiling point and leaving the overflow?

[OverBoardProject]

You guessed it, it's most likely either the temp sensor or the fan motor it's self.

The motors easy to test, just unplug it and run a jumper wire to it. You'll probably also need to run a jumper to the ground.

If it spins you just eliminated the fan. Plug it back in. Next unplug the temp sensor and run a jumper from 1 terminal to the next. You'll probably need your ignition switch turned on for this.
If the fan starts spinning it's your problem.

If not it's wiring or the fuse (which I already assume that you checked)
You can use a test light to see if you have power getting to the switch.

Just looking at Rock Auto there's also a fan relay (a very good idea) wich might have packed it in as well.

I don't have any access to any books here and I'm just starting to pack so that's the best that I can help you at the moment.

Good luck with it Shawn

[s10blazerman4x4]

Can Paper Clip Jump it? I have a test light and probally will go do it if it stops raining. If it is the fan motor what will probably happen is that fan will get removed the taurus fan which has more CFM or the 16" universal fan which also has more CFM will go in. Regardless that temp sensor getting replaced. I nearly burned hand on thermostat housing cap and rad hoses so i know coolant is a circulating.


EDIT RAN SOME TESTS at 6:44PM TONIGHT

How i jumped fan. Paper Clip in A and B like you would to see codes because it puts computer in limp mode fan turns on. Ran the test light on the pins on the sensor nothing and the key was switched to on. So if no power at coolant sensor that tells me no work correct.

[s10blazerman4x4]

Ok this goes back to me asking about wiring the CB to the fuse box. I found out last night from looking at various off road jeep pages that they sell fuse taps and that is how the jeep guys wire there CBs so when they are out on the trail there is no interference because if you have it 12volt power plug all the interference from wipers brakes gas etc interferes with your signal etc/ Well i bought a 6 pack of these blade fuse taps at Autozone for 1.99. Had no idea what i was doing. Found that i have 3 open fuse slots. I put the fuse tap over the fuse and into the where the fuse must go and it fit so i go ok. Ran a power wire 16 gauge to match what the power wire on CB was to the fuse panel. Here i crimped the supplied connector for the fuse tap onto the power wire then onto the tap. Then i looped the tap over the fuse and inserted it. Then i ran 14 gauge ground wire per CB wire and went looking for solid ground.Ash tray no. Cigarette lighter holy crap was that a great place to ground. I had signal on every channel around 3-9 and one channel was in green 30+. I could not ground it there as i run radar and it would have looked not so good. So i decided per some Jeep pages to ground it to the seat holding bolt. NOw from my experience in swapping seats i knew it was a 13MM deep socket undid the bolt took the 14 gauge ground inserted into biggest loop connector i could find crimped, taped, tightened bolt down. Signal is impressive, even with the 10 crappy wal mart antenna i got good signal from 1-21 and i even recieve some channels from 22-40. I found myself actually turning off the AN which is noise cancellation to hear it. I ran the power wire back above Sirius tuner and through the fuse box cover handle. Hear in morning i have to see if i can crimp the connector the tap as it is a bit loose for my liking, but signal does not waver or power of signal. I still want to throw a couple wire clips up on the power wire so it is a little more out of the way. Overall the process took about an hour for someone like myself who is still learning to wire in cars and what not. I ran the car to test for interference from the car ABSOLUTELY NONE you can not tell the CB cost .50cents or the antenna cost 10 bucks it is that quiet on most channels and when i apply the brakes no cutting out. All i have to do is turn the CB from off to on and it turns on. In morning ill snap some pics before i head to Pocono and when i get back from qualifying tommorow ill post up what it looks like and all that great stuff.

[blazee]

You'll get a lot better performance with a better antenna. I'm using a wilson 1000, it works real nice. The CB is just a Cobra. It's been tweaked to put out about 35 watts instead of the 4 that factory CBs come with. I've also got a PA speaker in the grill so I can yell at people to get the F*** out of the way. If you get serious about CBs, get a Galaxy. They're the best IMO. Not only can they be tweaked to get a lot of power out of them, but they also have a lot of cool features like side bands and echo.

Here's a pic of mine mounted on the roll bar:

[s10blazerman4x4]

i likey. Im looking into antennas. Too sunburnt and tired to type.