Errands, oil change, and a baloon launch

Today was run around and get stuff for the upcoming trips.  I needed a way to hook the air compressor up to the city water system in the motorhome, in order to blow out the water for winter.

At the Johnson County Executive Airport

I went to Lowes and started piecing stuff together, until I had a industrial air chuck male, connected to a hose bib male.  I did it in three pieces, but it took a while to get there.  If I plan to connect the 150 psi air compressor to the water system, I HAVE TO REMEMBER, to turn the pressure way back to 30 psi or so, or risk blowing the pipes up.  That  would not be good.

Then in the middle of the night last night, I awoke with the thought that the utility trailer was not going to plug into the round RV light socket on the back of the motorhome.

I know they make converters for such things, but was really surprised to find the converter to the boat style flat four plug right on the wall, in auto parts

at Wally World.  I bought that quickly!

 The heat begins to rise! 

In the process of all this running around, the scooter turned over 1,000 miles, and that required an oil change.  I already had the one liter bottle of oil from the scooter shop, so in the middle of the afternoon I changed it out.

They all climb in

Changing scooter oil is not a big task, as it is one big bolt on the bottom, and the oil runs out.  Into my big butter tub that I had saved a while back for such things.

They're off

Next you have to pull out a bigger plug that has the oil filter screen in it.  You clean that with a rag, and an air hose.   Thats about all there is to it, except pouring in exactly 800 ml of new oil.

The wind brought them right to me

And as I was out test riding the oil change to see if it was all correct, I found these folks preparing to fly their balloon.  By the time it was inflated, they had attracted many on lookers, and some of us had our cameras out.  With the scooter, I was able to ride right out into the field, and get these shots.

Neat Pattern             

 I really didn't notice the swirl of the pattern until it flew right over me.  It was really kind of cool.




Retired Rod

The rest of the radio project!

About every foot there needs to be a wire tie.  Laying on your back on the newly re asphalted street, the top of the frame where the wire loom is fastened to the frame is about 6 inches too far to reach without raising from the pavement.

Well wait a minute, how did we get to the laying under the motorhome part?  I did sort thru the many coax rolls I had in the basement and selected a 100 foot piece that had been used before but still looked new.

I decided that I would go get the motor home and bring it back to the house for this project since I couldn't anticipate what tools I might need.  The neighbors will just have to get over it.

Once back here, I hooked the wire up to the mount on the back ladder and snapped on one of the antennas.  Hooking up the meter, proved that the wire and the antenna were functioning correctly.

Then it was time for the crawling under the center of the rig. I inched my self ever so slowly forward threading the wire thru all the crooks and crannies.  I untangled the mess over and over.

I didn't fit under the rear axle, so I tossed the wire over and crawled out the side.  I went inside and put the slide to the outer most position, and crawled back underneath.  This time there was more room.   I could almost sit up, but the wire loom was on the inside of the frame next to the drive shaft.  I followed it along, placing my wire next to all the others.   I used tie after tie.

Next to the engine, I moved to the outside of the frame to get away from the heat.  The wire is jacketed, and shouldn't be effected, but I went up thru the wheel well just the same, away from the radiator.  The engine is a diesel so there is no spark plug noise to worry about.

I poked the wire thru the fire wall where all the others come into the dash, and put on a connector.

In a few minutes I had a contact with a fellow in Indiana on 40 meters.  Well I guess that means its going to work!  But it was already 5 PM, where did this day go.

I drove the rig back to storage, and returned with the car.  That's when I noticed that crawling on the asphalt street, under a motor home all afternoon, will make you a tad sore.

Grandma had me move the rig about 4:30, since she was taking Delaney back to her house.  Ben and Danielle and the older kids were back, and it was time to return our borrowed grand daughter.  She is a full time job, because she never runs out of steam.  But we sure do!

Retired Rod

Big mess in the garage.

I spent the day cleaning the garage out.  Since I couldn't find two of my antennas that I knew were here somewhere. When I started going thru stuff, the day kind of just went away.

I did find the antennas, as they were right under my nose.  But I couldn't see them for all the other stuff.  And the wire I was looking for was in a tub right on my bench.  Oh my!  Bunches of other stuff was piled on top of wire.

I never did go back out to the RV, since it warmed up to a balmy 87 degrees, I went and rode the scooter.  It was almost too warm, but it won't be long and we will be headed for the freezer.  So I'll get all the scooter time I can for now.

The grand daughter is still here again tonight, so we are busy reading books and working on learning about training pants.  Three is such a responsible age, you have to learn all the stuff of life, like dressing yourself.

Grandma Loyce loves this stuff, I'm a little slower at it.

Tomorrow will be another day to get after the radio in the rig.  We plan to leave for Des Moines on Thursday.  Friday we have to be in Prairie Du Chien for the wedding on Saturday.  We will be staying in a motel up there, so the motorhome will stay in Des Moines.  These plans are not set in too much concrete, but should be about how it plays out.

University of Iowa Football / Another radio project

I am ecstatic tonight!!!!!  My school, The University of Iowa beat Penn State again this year in football.  They were rated number 5, and we were not rated in the top twenty five.  We stopped them from going for a national championship last year, and I was sure they would extract large amounts of revenge this year as the game was in Happy Valley, PA.

I know not all of you are football fans, and won't share my love for the school of my graduation, but for this week, I am overjoyed.  Lets hope coach Joe Paterno can continue his coaching career and has another shot at the Hawkeyes next year.  He's 84 for those that are not up on these things.

Beyond that, we had another calm day here with our grand daughter  and I rode more motor scooter out searching for rear dual tire valve extenders.  I found some but they were the cheaper rubber kind that are not reinforced with stainless webbing.  I give up, and will order from the internet.

This afternoon was another electronics job, as I am assembling a HF station to go in the rig.  I have an older FT 900 Yaesu radio, and the antenna parts on hand to do the job.  Since the antenna is over eight feet long, it will only be mounted when the rig is parked.

Late in the aftenoon, I headed over to storage once again and mounted the antenna bracket on the roof ladder, at the very top.  I thought the wire was in the locker compartments under the floor, but was not able to find it.  Tomorrow I will have to decide which wire I will use from the inventory on hand here at the house.

So yet another communication mode will be added to the rig for the winter.  This is called HF for high frequency. Two meters is Vhf for very high frequency, and Uhf is Ultra high frequency.  Way back in the day, low frequency was used for ship to shore, and was under 500 kilocycles.  Mid band was what is now AM radio, from 500 kc to about 2 megacycles.

So high frequency was considered high in the 1920's, and went up to 30 megacycles.  Oh by the way the cycle was renamed the Hertz in honor of Mr Hertz that discovered all this stuff.   Our modern FM radio is between 88 and 108 mhz in the VHF band.  Vhf is from 30 to about 300 mhz.  Uhf goes from 300 to about a gigahz.  That's a thousand million cycles.  After that its called microwave.  Clear as mud?

Anyway, the HF is really a old fashoned mode on the lower frequencies that our grandfathers used, but it goes a really long way.  We also do the morse code on these bands.  Though it is no longer required to get a license.

I will probably leave the radio loose, and on the floor under the driver's seat, since it is too complicated to run while driving.

So I didn't get this project finished today but tomorrow is another day

Retired Rod