DanZemke

Glenn, I like it too. I bought one this morning at the best price I could find. https://www.ebay.com/itm/Blue-Sea-Systems-9019-65A-240V-AC-3-Pole-Rotary-Switch-New/174053754398?epid=1037666844&hash=item288669861e:g:5Z0AAOSwbqddl9T0

Not in my opinion. But I purchased stuff from them over a decade ago. On the positive side, they provided some interesting information about weight distribution and RV quality ratings. But in retrospect, I didn't actually use any of their information in selecting the RV I bought. Suggest you ask folks on this forum first, and then decide if there are big holes in the information that you wanted were not filled.

IMO, new blood, even with guaranteed issue, trumps a static pool of old folks. No one actually knows how the market will develop. But I plan to change my plan from a Plan F to a Plan G for 2020. In my case, a Plan G HD, seems best for me.

Linda and Kirk, I did a bit more research and I think a Mea Culpa is due. You have it. The description of who will be able to buy a 2020 Plan F is ambiguous for current Medicare, on many websites. But I found some that say anyone currently on Medicare in 2019 will be able to choose a Plan F for 2020. So, from several sources saying you can, versus several ambiguous sources - the "you can sites" seem more probable. It appears that I was wrong. I apologize. However, it's not clear to me why anyone would want to sign up for a Plan F (or Plan F HD) in 2020. Plan G (or Plan G HD) seems to me to be a better option. I am currently on a Plan F and am hoping to change to a Plan G in 2020. Why? Because future younger folks won't be able to sign up for a Plan F. Over time, the risk pool for plan F subscribers will be older. Older folks, in aggregate, have higher medical expenses. I'd rather be in an insurance pool that accepts younger folks. That's why I would like to switch to a Plan G. In my case, a Plan G HD seems best.

Linda, I'm truly not trying to debate with you. But I have a different impression than you seem to have. My impression is that for most folks, the only people who will be eligible for a Plan F plan in 2020 are those who already have a Plan F. "Starting January 1, 2020, Medigap plans sold to new people with Medicare won’t be allowed to cover the Part B deductible. Because of this, Plans C and F will no longer be available to people new to Medicare starting on January 1, 2020. If you already have either of these 2 plans (or the high deductible version of Plan F) or are covered by one of these plans before January 1, 2020, you’ll be able to keep your plan. If you were eligible for Medicare before January 1, 2020, but not yet enrolled, you may be able to buy one of these plans." https://www.medicare.gov/supplements-other-insurance/how-to-compare-medigap-policies

docj, "Like anything having to do with insurance, it's all a matter of how you prefer to handle risk." Good point. You're right.

"I don't know about any rules for going from an advantage plan to a supplement." Linda, There are no Federal rules about moving from an Advantage Plan to a Supplement. The process and rules are very similar to switching to a new RV insurance company. You shop, they offer you a price if they want to, or tell you they are not interested in insuring you.. The broker, or agent (eHealth is a broker) wants to sell you a Supplement because they, and their agents, get a commission. Typically, about 20% of your policy price for several years and then about half that for the remaining years you stay on their policy. They are intermediaries between you and the company that is actually providing the insurance (e.g. United Health Care, Aetna ...). These underwriters set their acceptance rules. If, in their sole opinion, you're not likely to be profitable, they will reject your application. If you are fortunate enough to not have any chronic health problems, you should at least consider a High Deductible Plan (F+ or G+). Why? Because if your actual medical expenses are less than the HD-Plan's deductible, you're likely to save money by going with the HD version. In my particular case, I've saved more than $6K with a high deductible plan F, over a standard Plan F, since, I became eligible for Medicare in 2014. And a critical point - my catastrophic insurance benefits were identical to a non-HD Plan F during that time. Consider widening your shopping net beyond eHealth. I have no experience with them and am not trying to disparage them. But there may be providers that would be good for you and not profitable for them. For example, the lowest cost Plan F HD plan offered by my (prior employer subsidizsed website) was 80% higher than what I was able to find in the open market. The provider I chose has an AM Best rating of A+. I paid an annual fee of $590 for my Plan F-HD in 2018 and 2019.

"Why do you have to disconnect the positive side, with all those little cables? Why not just remove the ground side? One big wire........." Hmmm. At first I thought - why didn't I at least try that? Yeah, there may be connections to the negative grounded frame, instead of the battery, but it's also possible there aren't. So I walked out to my truck to check. Alas, there are also two small white wires connected to the negative side of the battery bank. So removing either side requires a fat cable and a few wires. And the difficulty of adding a heavy duty switch, to either side, is also about the same. BTW, several(6?) years ago, I bought a solar panel and charger and it didn't work for me. The panel was rigid, about 4 foot long and a foot wide. I, and my Volvo are in Connecticut, and my back yard has trees on all sides but does get some full sun. The panel/charger wasn't able to keep my batteries topped up in the winter or summer. I have no doubt a reasonably sized panel would work for folks without trees, especially in locations closer to the equator. But the one I bought didn't work for me.

Scrap, It can go directly to the power studs on the inverter, and IMO should. You're basically using the solar panel as a trickle charger/maintainer. The low current generated by the panel isn't going to be affected much by a few more feet of wire (especially fat ones). The solar system mfgrs help guy either didn't know what he was talking about or was trying to sell you something.

Wise advice from Moresmoke and RandyA. Better to be safe than sorry. However, if your truck sits for a month or more, without any convenient power source, just disconnecting the ECM may not be sufficient to save your batteries. That is the case with my 2000 Volvo 770. The simplest solution, is to disconnect ALL of the positive wires, including the thick one, from all of your positive battery posts. But over time, you may tire of doing that. I have. A solution, for longer term storage, is a proper switch for the task. Like the starter solenoid, that all of our trucks have. The switch I linked to above, was specifically designed for this task: "Cranking Rating 30 sec 1750A". It's also from a trusted source. It cost a bit less than $100 from Amazon.

On my 2000 Volvo 770, disconnecting all of the small gauge positive wires from the batteries reduces the current draw, but some parasitic draw remains. My truck's stock radio and electric door locks still work when all of the small wires are disconnected. So those components, and I suspect several others, take their power from the battery to starter circuit. I decided not to bother tracing any other loads. My plan is to consolidate all of the positive wires going to my batteries on to a single power post. And run a single wire from it, through a high amperage switch, to the positive post of the battery nearest to the starter. I chose this switch: https://www.bluesea.com/products/3000/HD-Series_Heavy_Duty_On-Off_Battery_Switch

Everyone is concerned about you and hoping things do not get worse. Hopefully, neither your Teton or cars will be totaled. If not, you'll need to dry things out. If I were you, I would order this fan from Amazon today (assuming you don't have something similar). I bought mine 6 years ago when my basement flooded and am still impressed. It moves much more air than propeller type fans and you will have much more control over the direction of the air flow. It's only $66. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001DNGSCM/ref=sspa_dk_detail_7?psc=1&pd_rd_i=B001DNGSCM&pd_rd_w=aU5IM&pf_rd_p=45a72588-80f7-4414-9851-786f6c16d42b&pd_rd_wg=cMSkG&pf_rd_r=RCWG5PS9PEW0YBT9JRCB&pd_rd_r=e80d5c8a-980c-4dd3-ad2f-024a97b4c2ae&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUExMjlGWFNGNzRJQlVVJmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwNzgxMjcwMTIxUjdLTDg4TlIyMSZlbmNyeXB0ZWRBZElkPUEwNjQ5ODYwMlVQMFM0TDlaVUFBQiZ3aWRnZXROYW1lPXNwX2RldGFpbCZhY3Rpb249Y2xpY2tSZWRpcmVjdCZkb05vdExvZ0NsaWNrPXRydWU=

Clarification. They only accept Visa Credit Cards although the accept may debit cards. https://customerservice.costco.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/719/~/what-payment-methods-are-accepted-at-costco%3F

All valid ones, from Costco members.🙂

SWharton, I googled: What types of credit cards does costco accept in the United States ------------------- The first hit was: Search Results Featured snippet from the web Image result for what types of credit cards does costco accept in the United States As of 2019, the only credit cards Costco accepts are Visa network cards. Costco also accepts cash, checks, debit cards/ATM, Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) and Costco Cash Cards. Costco's change to Visa came as a surprise to many, since the retailer had a deal to accept only American Express cards since 1999.Mar 18, 2019 However, that was not directly from Costco, it was from: https://smartasset.com › credit-cards › what-credit-cards-does-costco-accept ------------------------------------------------- This is the first hit I received, that was from Costco (not a 3rd party source): https://customerservice.costco.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/719/~/what-payment-methods-are-accepted-at-costco%3F Costco's current description of in-store payment methods they accept, in the US, appears to differ from your experience.

Thanks! Now I know what he meant about skipping the checkout lines. My post was not meant to debate. It was to clarify statements that were incorrect.

SWharton, I'm not trying to argue with you, but the current facts in my locale (Fairfield County, CT) are different than the oness you expressed. Sams annual fee is less. It is here too. Sams had better hours - not here. Both Sams and Costco's general stores open at 10am. Gas opens earlier. Sams has an app you can use and skip the check out lines - I don't understand "skip the check-out lines". If you mean order on-line, Costco has an app for that too. Sams has self-checkout. So does my Costco. However, they just introduced it a few months ago. My closest Home Depot added self-checkout about 2 years ago. Sams has better meat. My guess is that is a personal opinion and others may differ. But my closest Sams is double the distance to Costco, so I don't use them. Costco only takes their card or MC, no visa. That may have been correct a year ago when Costco's Card was an AMEX. Costco's card is now a Visa, and they accept any Visa card, but not MC. Dan

Unfortunately, I don't. I wish I could afford your design expertise, but you're out of my league. I am a proud owner, of one of your ET Hitches.

Hi old goat, That's an intriguing first image. Have you transcended bolts? For me, the most important priorities are safety, time to setup/take down, and price. SmartCar tire chock integration? Looking forward to more insights about your design. And am hoping, they will be available late this year, or early next.

Sorry, I didn't successfuly communicate. I don't think you need RAID drives for your LeCie box or you docking station. There are two primary differences between desktop drives like the Barracuda and RAID drives like the IronWolf. The desktop drives are more agressive at parking their heads than the RAID drives are and the RAID drives are more expensive. Assuming your only going to run your raid box, when it connected to your computer, you don't need a drive optimized for 24x7 operation. The desktop drives are usually less expensive and are actually less subject to damage by jostling them while running. "poorly organized" Shame on you. Most folks have learned, that if your going to store lots of data, it has to be rigorously organized. Unfortunately, I'm not qualified to give advice on this subject 🙂 On that next lens, consider buying a grey market one. The savings can be substantial and the lens are usually identical to those from US Dealers - without a manufacturer's warranty. How many name-brand lenses have you bought that were defective on arrival, or failed without a fault of your own? I shoot with Canon, and have never experienced that. I suspect it's the same for all of the main brands. Of course, you could save even more money by not buying another lens. But where's the fun in that?

Macs began supporting disk drives greater than 2.2 terabytes with OS X 10.5 (Leopard) in Oct of 2007. So assuming your running a much more recent version of the operating system, you should be fine with 4 TB external external USB drives on your mac. But the LaCie box probably runs it's own code for the RAID part. Since they seem to primarily focus on mac customers, they probably would have started supporting larger drives around the same time. So if your RAID box was first released after 2009, 4 TB drives will probably work. But if I were you, I'd do a little more research. Determine what model of LaCie RAID box you have and go to https://www.lacie.com/support/ You may be able to retrieve the original specs/documentation. If that doesn't turn out to be fruitful, there may be a way to ask LaCie a simple and straight forward question. Will my LaCie raid box work with 4TB drives? If that fails, Google may be your friend. Others have probably had the same question and google may be able to find those discussions. Not that you're transitioning to a space constrained environment, consider getting into the habit of downloading pdf files of the documentation for things you may need to refer to in the future, and trash the paper version. Here's a good price ($105) on a good 4 TB drive for raid devices, whether you use it in your raid or not. I have several of them. And BTW, Seagate bought out LaCie a few years ago. https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1345906-REG/seagate_st4000vna08_ironwolf_4tb_3_5_internal.html/?smp=Y&ap=y&lsft=BI%3A514&gclid=Cj0KCQjwxMjnBRCtARIsAGwWnBMBQL30harsAw7EnxdpuV3eVre0R0tycsdshRvpGxSt1OZ20tPoT3kaAuY7EALw_wcB

We seem to be looking at her expressed needs differently. IMO, she was not asking about backups. She was asking for advice on how to store terabytes of old personal photos, that she might occasionally want access too. Perhaps you understood her request differently. Your repeated mantra of it's cheaper to store backups online doesn't appear to apply to her use case. And I'm certain it doesn't apply to mine. Suggestion - let's agree to disagree and move on.

hemsteadc, I think we agree on both counts. Calcium chloride is a salt that consumes moisture and eventually (in a humid environment) morphs into salt water. Salt water is corrosive - not friendly for electronics. Lou's cat litter suggestion specifically said silica gel and warned about calcium chloride. Silica gel is sort of like a sponge. It collects the water until it's saturated, but doesn't turn into a corrosive liquid. Like a sponge, the water needs to be removed before it can collect more water. For sponges, we squeeze the water out. For silica gel, the moisture is usually removed by heating it. I don't know how much the Walmart packets cost, but for me, I suspect building my own equivalents from silica gel cat litter wouldn't be worth my time. Especially since, unlike calcium chloride, silica gel can be conveniently dryed out.

Carlos, Nice rant, but I remain unconvinced. fpmtngal's new approach of keeping her archive drives at her sister's house seems like a good one. Cost effective, good enough and probably more importantly, simple. Some day, maybe we can have a face-to-face conversation. I suspect I would enjoy that. BTW, I'm an IT expert too. Hired on with IBM straight out of grad school and retired from IBM several years ago.