"Patrick And Margie Connor" writes: >I'd be interested to know if anyone has experimented with these automobile >radar detectors. It might help to keep you awake on that next long watch. I also had a similar but slightly different idea. I have an old Furuno 4Kw radar, and I figured that I could install it on my car and thereby jam all of the po-lice radars in a 32 mile radius! Sadly in Canada you need to license your radar so I was out of luck. :-/ Scott Welch FirstClass Product Manager www.firstclass.com Those who make no mistakes rarely make anything.

R C Smith Jr writes: >Scott, I think that is the size of 1/2 in Grade 43 ISO chain, not BBB, which >is 17/32 in or .5313 in. If BBB, you should see it stamped in each link. I have long suspected that this is a non-standard chain. I've just had a close look and it is not stamped BBB. The diameter ranges from 0.540 to 0.545. It's only where the weld is that the diameter is greater. Does anybody happen to know where the specs for BBB chain can be found? I had a quick look with Google but could not find anything. If it's like most load-bearing specifications, it will probably specify minimum sizes, not maximum sizes. > >Another check: BBB links are shorter to cut down on kinking in the chain >locker. Inside length of 1/2 BBB is 1.34 in, Grade 40 is longer at 1.59 in. Again, I just measured and the inside length is +/- 1.350. So it's definitely not Grade 40. > >Non sequitur: If above is true, why did you fix work? Well, it looks like I have some sort of non-standard chain, with larger diameter links but still the BBB length. Steven Dubnoff writes: >I would say the big question here is why Ideal mis-designed in the >gypsy in the first place, or, if the gypsy was ok for "standard" >chain, why Ideal did not at least suggest that you measure your chain >before selling you a new part. Well, when I talked to Ideal they told me that this is the gypsy that they had been selling since "before the war", and I don't think they meant the Gulf War or even the Korean War. So I think that my chain is at fault, not the gypsy. On the other hand, I can't see any reason that they don't open up the slot a bit, but that's another discussion. writes: >You mean hundredths don't you? Decimal, tenths, hundredths, thousandths is >the order. Yep, thousandths. >Any idea who made the chain? Nope. It was on the boat when I bought it. >If the chain is "normal" then it >would be Ideal's fault. AT the prices quoted, in hindsight, it would have >been cheaper to replace the chain Well, 400 feet of 1/2 BBB will run me about $3200, so I'm still ahead. And hey, I have a spare gypsy. Scott Welch FirstClass Product Manager www.firstclass.com Those who make no mistakes rarely make anything.

"Chester Brummett" writes: >I am still looking into an upgrade, but was not planning to spend the kind of >money that is asked for the Wave HP. I have been meaning to post some comments on this whole discussion. A bit of background. First, I am in the internet and networking business, so I have more than a passing interest in having a connection onboard (among other things, it lets me pretend that I am at work when I'm actually on the boat). Second, I looked at an rejected the satellite options. Wayyyyy to expensive for my tastes. Third, there is a good WiFi provider in the area I use my boat (http://bbxpress.net/). In past years I have relied on a DSL connection at the dock in conjunction with the occasional open WiFi when I happen to be in a marina, but that was not really enough. So, this year I decided to bite the bullet and put in some form of wireless internet. I first researched the various WiFi solutions, and concluded three things: 1) The hardware is not cheap. $250 to several thousand for a good setup. And the high-powered solutions are not particularly user-friendly. 2) The subscription services are not cheap. BBX is $99/month or $300/year. 4) The coverage is still pretty skimpy. 100 marinas sounds like a lot but there's a lot of water in BC. So I looked around at other solutions, in particular the internet-via-cell solutions. After some research I went with a Sierra Wireless USB EVDO card from Telus (http://www.telusmobility.com/on/business_solutions/sierra_ac595u.shtml). This connects via USB so it would work with the machine I use to run Nobeltec. Cost was $299, but it's available for much less if you sign up for a contract. For a service plan, Telus is offering a $65/month plan with UNLIMITED data for the first three months, which is all I needed for the summer (http://www.telusmobility.com/on/business_solutions/connect_megabyte_rate_plan.shtml). This means that unlike a tethered phone solution, using the data connection does not stop you from having phone conversations. So, for $299 plus $130, or a total cost of $429, the theory was that I should have virtually unlimited internet, with almost total coverage in the areas I boat (http://www.telusmobility.com/pdf/bc.pdf). OK, you are all dying to know, how did it work out? In a word, perfect. Setup was extremely easy (less than 5 minutes). I thought that I might need to place the card outside, but I just plunked it on a windowsill in the pilothouse and left it there. Connection speeds were typically 115 to 250 KBPS, which in practice was perfectly acceptable. And the connection was ALWAYS ON! We used it for everything: manuals, Google Earth, checking weather, the whole nine yards. The fact that it did not interfere with the voice calling meant that I was able to do full online teleconferences, right from the boat, in one case anchored up in Desolation Sound! In 6 weeks of cruising, we only spent 7 nights at dock, and in those 6 weeks we had only a single day when we did not have internet connectivity. And best of all I used Internet Connection Sharing, hooked up an inexpensive wireless router, and the laptops on the boat could then share the same connection. Again, no problems at all. To top it all off, now that I'm done boating for the season, I just cancel the plan (which was month-to-month) and sign up again next summer when I need it. All in all, I am extremely satisfied with the service. I would highly, highly recommend this as an alternative to WiFi. In the US, I see that Sprint offers a very similar deal ($60/month for 5 GB of data and $249 for the card). The only problem I ran into is that for completely stupid technical reasons, it's not possible to run Internet Connection Sharing if you use a Nobeltec radar. No connection, etc. Scott Welch FirstClass Product Manager www.firstclass.com Those who make no mistakes rarely make anything.

Albin43SDtr writes: >>During startup, 32 deg. F Minimum and steady >>operating conditions of 175-210 deg. F: SAE viscosity number 40 engine oil Just an FYI for the forum, this is the same oil I need for my 50 year old Detroit Diesel. I use Shell Rotella 40 (It's Rotella T in the US, but make sure you don't get the multiweight). http://tinyurl.com/4en5ut It's not that common in automotive supply locations, but you will find this oil at any truck supply company and also any commercial Shell lubricant dealer. It comes in 5 gallon pails, which I find convenient. Scott Welch FirstClass Product Manager www.firstclass.com "Things turn out best for people who make the best of the way things turn out." - John Wooden

Milt Baker writes: >What is the experience of Nobeltec users on the board with MaxPro? I also upgraded to Max Pro before heading out for the summer in July. I have a Nobeltec radar, so I'm with their software for the long haul. I'm also a software product manager, so I understand the types of tradeoffs required to ship a new release every 12 months. So, should you go to Max? My answer is a firm "yes". While the feature set is essentially the same, I notice that stability is substantially improved. I ran for the whole summer without a single crash. Also, the new charts (which were free with the upgrade) seem to be excellent, at least for my cruising area (Pacific NW). I also experimented around with their new user interface builder, which has a few nice touches but is still a few releases away from being done. One of the few downsides I noticed is that it's no longer possible to use colored 2D bathymetry. The old version allowed you to show a psudo-3D display using different color bands. It was pretty flaky, and pig-slow when you zoomed out, and I'm guessing that's why it was dropped. Finally, my upgrade installer failed, and I had to call tech support. They were very helpful, but the upshot was that I had to do a full reinstall. This wiped out all of my saved routes, etc. You might want to back those up before installing the upgrade. Scott Welch FirstClass Product Manager www.firstclass.com "Things turn out best for people who make the best of the way things turn out." - John Wooden

Brian Shanafelt writes: >Some say it is better to shut off the battery charger after a complete >recharge, then let the battery bank deplete to the % that has been selected >before beginning a new recharge cycle. The batteries should last longer this >way. > >Those that like things to be more ''automatic'' can even put a timer on the >batt charger circuit to shut it off after a set period of time. A couple of comments: Yes, I think that it's a bad idea to leave a large bank on float over the winter. When I rebuilt Island Eagle, I put in four Concorde 8D AGM batteries. Three years later, they would no longer hold a good charge. They were connected to a Xantrex 4024 running in float mode for that entire time (the boat did not leave the dock). I replaced those batteries with AGM L-16s and at the same time started turning off the charger over the winter. I have a friend who looks after the boat and when he sees that the voltage has dropped to about 12.25 volts he switches the charger on for a few hours. The L-16s are 2 years old now and seem perfect. Now, one further bit of information: some chargers (including the Xantrex 4024) have a "Low Battery Transfer" charge mode. This essentially automates what I describe above. Instead of running in a "float" mode, the charger will allow the battery to discharge to a preset level, then it will initiate a full charge cycle. It will then switch off and wait for the voltage to fall to the preset again. This sounds like an excellent mode, but since I am not on the boat in the winter (I'm actually 3000 miles away) and I use the boat all summer, I have not had a chance to try it. However next spring I am going to give it a try. I'm also going to install a voltmeter with a computer interface so I can more easily monitor the charge/discharge cycles. Scott Welch FirstClass Product Manager www.firstclass.com "Things turn out best for people who make the best of the way things turn out." - John Wooden

"Todd Mains" writes: >I don't think your biggest problem is that the Coast Guard would stop and >fine you for exchanging a boat ride for beer. I think your biggest worry is >that if there were an accident the survivors or their heirs would make a >case that you were carrying passengers for hire without a license. And the even bigger problem is that your insurance company would drop you like a hot potato. Read your insurance policy, it will be very clear that you are not covered to carry passengers for hire. Scott Welch Product Manager, Open Text Collaboration Solutions Group www.firstclass.com "Things turn out best for people who make the best of the way things turn out." - John Wooden

"Wesley & Patty Eldred" writes: >I am afraid we are continuing to abuse this term. A chock is used to >control the location and lead of a line, an anchor stowed on deck or a boat, >often a small boat, that is out of water. As other listees have noted, this >thread refers to bilge keels. For what it's worth, this may be a regional thing. I live on the east coast and have always known bilge keels as "bilge keels". However my boat (a 60 foot DeFever) is on the west coast, and everybody there, from the surveyor to the guys in the shipyards, refer to the bilge keels a "rolling chocks". In fact, they were even referred to as "skookum rolling chocks", which is how I discovered that "skookum" is not a fancy type of bilge keel but is in fact something that is extra-special heavy duty. Scott Welch Product Manager, Open Text Collaboration Solutions Group www.firstclass.com "Things turn out best for people who make the best of the way things turn out." - John Wooden

Bob McLeran writes: >Does anyone have experience with this handheld unit and what do you >think of it? It's just as easy to make your own. I used a nifty one-piece reversing solenoid I got from Burden Surplus: < http://www.surpluscenter.com/item.asp?UID=2009022313442984&item=11-3169-12&catname= > You can make the handpiece out of a piece of ABS pipe, or use the handpiece from a cheap-o ATV winch. A few other comments: First, I *would not* recommend using foot switches to control the full amperage. The foot switches will leak and fail, and the arcing from controlling a DC motor will be excessive. Use a solenoid, that's what they are for. Plus, it's a pain in the butt standing on the footswich when you are trying to hose off the anchor. Much easier to just hold the control in your hand. I have both a footswitch and a handswitch and use the handswitch 100% of the time. Second, I initially used a 3-pin connector on the handswitch cord so I could disconnect the handswitch and store it. Bad move. The connector corrodes if it's in the weather. A much simpler solution is to hard-wire the handswitch cable inside a deck locker. When you need to use the windlass, just open the locker and pull out the switch. When you are done you put it back. No muss, no fuss, no failing connector to replace every 3 years. Finally, windlasses are dangerous. To prevent the unaware from amateur amputation, I added a keyswitch in the pilothouse. The windlass only runs when the keyswitch is on. That way even if some lubber steps on the footswitch while a 6 year old is playing with the chain, nobody looses their fingers. Get in the habit of leaving the switch off except when you use the windlass. Scott Welch Product Manager, Open Text Collaboration Solutions Group www.firstclass.com "Things turn out best for people who make the best of the way things turn out." - John Wooden

Truelove39@aol.com writes: >Thanks for the reply. I didn't mean to criticize your installation, but >others may be interested if they have something different. Definitely. We all learn from this forum. >We use 2/0 on ourB 12V windlass and wiring, for instance. So in our case, we >might choose the LewmarB reversingB unit for $99.B At $99 the Lewmar is probably a great deal. Scott Welch Product Manager, Open Text Collaboration Solutions Group www.firstclass.com "Things turn out best for people who make the best of the way things turn out." - John Wooden