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THE AM BULLETIN BOARD => QSO => Topic started by: WA3VJB on August 27, 2011, 01:32:24 PM



Title: All set !
Post by: WA3VJB on August 27, 2011, 01:32:24 PM
Round up the batteries:  Check

Build a place to roll the generator when the time comes: Check

Refrigerator stock:  Check


Title: Re: All set !
Post by: W2PFY on August 27, 2011, 03:23:53 PM
what is that mold just above the water jugs?


Title: Re: All set !
Post by: WA3VJB on August 27, 2011, 04:32:03 PM
Geez, Terry, you could have been nice about it, and instead pointed out the corrosion on that RCA D-cell.

What I want to know is whether we can order out for a pizza pie tonight.


Title: Re: All set !
Post by: The Slab Bacon on August 27, 2011, 04:56:42 PM
Paul, those batteries are older than dirt! ! ! ! !  Nice collection!

Stocking up on provisions  ???  ??? Hmmmmm.......................

Bread, milk, water, generator, Hmmmm................................

How about TP?  ???  ;D  ;D  ;D  ;D


Title: Re: All set !
Post by: W1RKW on August 27, 2011, 05:17:56 PM
did you use your radio shack battery club card?


Title: Re: All set !
Post by: WA3VJB on August 27, 2011, 05:47:19 PM
I did, I did, Bob !

That D-Cell was the last one I got before they changed to the later 1970s logo; I'm sure that's why I kept it.

Same with that Lafayette cell.  Their one store was off the beaten path and they never had much. So I kept their free battery so I could sell it to Pete/CWA someday.

Missing are a Mallory and a Burgess D-Cell. They must have got put in a flashlight along the way.



Title: Re: All set !
Post by: Pete, WA2CWA on August 27, 2011, 06:36:27 PM


Same with that Lafayette cell.  Their one store was off the beaten path and they never had much. So I kept their free battery so I could sell it to Pete/CWA someday.


No need. I still have around here Lafayette labeled batteries (even some rechargeable ones) and tubes.


Title: Re: All set !
Post by: W3SLK on August 27, 2011, 09:06:28 PM
I have a Burgess D-cell. It still shows 1.5 VDC on the Fluke.


Title: Re: All set !
Post by: Steve - K4HX on August 27, 2011, 09:07:15 PM
Put a load on it and see what the VOM says.   ;)


Title: Re: All set !
Post by: WA1GFZ on August 27, 2011, 11:36:58 PM
Hey Bob, We just drove through Colchester and saw they knocked down the state's most expensive gas station.


Title: Re: All set !
Post by: WA3VJB on August 28, 2011, 07:47:09 AM
Power remains out here and throughout most of the area, according to a chart put out by the local utility.

It flashed off/on a few times starting Saturday afternoon, probably as  tree limbs brushed by, but then it went out and stayed out at 9:50pm.  Good time to go to bed anyway, so I didn't crank up the generator.

This morning, anticipating hot coffee, running the well pump, bringing up the water heater,  bringing down the refrigerators, and charging the UPS powering the wi-fi router, etc., it was time.

Success !!  See video.

Happy to see the FiOS internet and TV service are still running. Watching the locals doing liveshots from various flood zones.  None of the neighbors wi-fi are still up, however. Usually I can see a few signals if I'm out in the yard at the driveway.  Guess those little 2Ah gel cells Verizon supplies are all flat overnight.

I had tested out the chimney array for over-the-air TV reception, just in case. When they installed fresh RG-6 with the FiOS, the guy gave me a rather generous spool-end and I used most of it to put a new coax run up to the chimney ant.  Can get nearly all the DC and Baltimore stations here 25 miles to the east with one setting on the rotator.  

I wonder how many people have bothered to maintain their old "over the air" setups between going to some form of cable, plus the changeover from analog.


Title: Re: All set !
Post by: steve_qix on August 28, 2011, 08:16:56 AM
Hi Paul, good preparedness  ;)  Hopefully the ANTs survive!!!!

Question about UPSs..... I have an APC unit that's unbelievably sensitive to FREQUENCY - considers anything over 62.5 Hz or lower than 58Hz an outage.  I have an old military PE-90-something (forget the last number)generator, with a governor and all, but the frequency does drift around a little with load and how "warmed up" the generator actually is.

I would like to get a UPS that's not so frequency sensitive (or maybe not sensitive to frequency at all!).  Any suggestions?  I talked with APC tech support - the "feature" in the UPS I have is hard-coded, and can't be adjusted or bypassed.

Regards,

Steve


Title: Re: All set !
Post by: WA3VJB on August 28, 2011, 08:22:22 AM
What's the storm doing at Townsend?  You got AC mains ?

APC is the best UPS around, Steve, except maybe the float kind.  I've got four of them running off the generator right now.

There's a recessed button on the back of each of them, marked something like "sensitivity," and it's a three-stage step-through. The green LED should be at its minimum for least sensitive.

I had the same problem -- the genset frequency varies as I control the voltage down or up, and it is only a coincidence when the voltage, load and throttle setting all line up to anything near 60 cps.

SO, putting that step button on minimum sensitivity allows the UPS to switch over to the AC, and to further boost or attenuate the incoming voltage if needed, automatically.



Title: Re: All set !
Post by: WA3VJB on August 28, 2011, 09:13:22 AM
9am -- Irene now deemed a Tropical Storm.


TROPICAL STORM IRENE TROPICAL CYCLONE UPDATE

NWS NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL       AL092011

900 AM EDT SUN AUG 28 2011

 

...CENTER OF IRENE MOVES OVER NEW YORK CITY...

 

REPORTS FROM AN AIR FORCE HURRICANE HUNTER AIRCRAFT AND NATIONAL

WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATE THAT THE CENTER OF IRENE

MOVED OVER NEW YORK CITY AROUND 900 AM EDT...1300 UTC.  IRENE HAS

WEAKENED TO A TROPICAL STORM AND THE ESTIMATED INTENSITY AT

LANDFALL WAS 65 MPH...100 KM/H.

 

SUMMARY OF 900 AM EDT...1300 UTC...INFORMATION

--------------------------------------------------

LOCATION...40.7N 74.0W

ABOUT 0 MI...0 KM N OF NEW YORK CITY

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS...65 MPH...100 KM/H

PRESENT MOVEMENT...NNE OR 20 DEGREES AT 26 MPH...43 KM/H

MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE...965 MB...28.50 INCHES


Title: Re: All set !
Post by: WA3VJB on August 28, 2011, 09:22:12 AM
The Storm Damage Assessment Team has fanned out and conducted a thorough search of the premises.



Title: Re: All set !
Post by: Ralph W3GL on August 28, 2011, 11:33:37 AM
Steve...

95  -  95  -  95  -  PE95...

Part of the WWll  SCR 2/399   ::) ::)


Title: Re: All set !
Post by: steve_qix on August 29, 2011, 06:08:20 AM
Steve...

95  -  95  -  95  -  PE95...

Part of the WWll  SCR 2/399   ::) ::)


Yup, that's it!  A PE-95  An oldie, but still works!


Title: Re: All set !
Post by: KB2WIG on August 29, 2011, 10:54:21 AM
Lost 2 bottles of wine;  both Reislings.

The pink sunset was nice.


klc


Title: Re: All set !
Post by: W2VW on August 30, 2011, 09:27:52 AM
Thanks for bringing this up Steve. I was about to scrap my UPS which is used to keep the BehRINGer gear from puking it's program. The generator gives it indigestion.

Hi Paul, good preparedness  ;)  Hopefully the ANTs survive!!!!

Question about UPSs..... I have an APC unit that's unbelievably sensitive to FREQUENCY - considers anything over 62.5 Hz or lower than 58Hz an outage.  I have an old military PE-90-something (forget the last number)generator, with a governor and all, but the frequency does drift around a little with load and how "warmed up" the generator actually is.

I would like to get a UPS that's not so frequency sensitive (or maybe not sensitive to frequency at all!).  Any suggestions?  I talked with APC tech support - the "feature" in the UPS I have is hard-coded, and can't be adjusted or bypassed.

Regards,

Steve
AMfone - Dedicated to Amplitude Modulation on the Amateur Radio Bands