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Tom_M

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Everything posted by Tom_M

  1. It's difficult even with the correct tool to get a good crimp on the typical MC4 pin. I would suggest crimping the pin to the wire as best you can, then solder it.
  2. Got an email from Visible yesterday stating: Good news: your data is no longer capped at 5 Mbps. That means unlimited data, now with more speed. It's free to new users for a limited time, but since you're an early access member, you'll be grandfathered in. Meaning you'll enjoy uncapped speeds for no additional fee - for as long as you’re with Visible. It's our way of saying thanks! All you have to do is turn your phone off and then back on to get started. (Mobile hotspot will still be capped at 5 Mbps.) I downloaded a 800MB file using the hotspot and the speed was about 17Mbps. Hopefully the uncapped speed will continue.
  3. The R2 has 16GB of internal storage. You can also add a micro SD card. I have had the plan for 3 weeks and after an initial nightmare with customer support, it is working well. The phone's hotspot will only connect to one device. I have a cheap travel router that I connect to and this allows me to connect to multiple devices. If you have an old android phone, you can trade it in and get the R2 for free.
  4. My 2005 coach that I purchased in 2010 has a Generac with only 150 hours run time. I needed a gasket for the oil filter mount and at the time Camping World was the only distributor. Gasket was priced at $0.65 but shipping was $11.00. Needless to say, I made a gasket out of piece of cardboard. The generator has performed well. Getting parts may be a big issue.
  5. I updated my LG Gram notebook with i7 processor to 1903 on May 22 without a hitch. So far so good. It's always best to do a fresh install, but don't know if I could find all the drivers I needed, so I did a reset which put my PC back to factory fresh condition. Uninstalled all the unneeded crap and did an upgrade.
  6. A better option would be to purchase a converter and add cables to make it portable. To make it future proof, you may consider one that is adjustable and rated for lithium. You can check BestConverter.com which has many choices.
  7. SCVJeff who was a member on RV.NET did an extensive test of the Jack vs. Batwing. Jeff is a TV broadcast engineer and used a spectrum analyzer to compare the two. Here's a link to his test: Test of Jack vs. Batwing
  8. Keep in mind that about 25% of TV stations are broadcasting on the VHF band. As far as I know the Winegard Batwing is the only RV antenna the does well for the VHF. The wide wings of the Batwing is the VHF portion of the antenna.
  9. I have had the opposite experience. I have both a Jack and a Winegard Sensar IV (Batwing). The Jack works poorly for the VHF broadcast band and is about on par with the Batwing for the UHF band. If you have an older Batwing, there is an attachment available called the Wingman that improves the UHF reception.
  10. I purchased curtains and curtain wire from IKEA.
  11. The eBay ad doesn't mention how much the service costs. Other sellers state that service is $100/month.
  12. Fastest Wireless Network 2019 I don't know how valid the test is, but Verizon comes out on top by a pretty good margin.
  13. Your trailer should have a built in converter/charger. You can plug your shore power cord into a generator and charge your battery. I use a 1000 watt Yamaha generator that works well. Make sure to switch your fridge from auto to LP and don't try to use any appliances that draw a lot of current while charging.
  14. Satellite TV may be going away, but satellite internet is on the horizon. Elon Musk's SpaceX is in the process of launching thousands of low orbit satellites.
  15. If you are willing to jump ship there are a couple of reasonable options. Consumer Cellular would cost you $35 plus fees for 5Gb of data. $15 for talk and $20 for data. They use AT&T service. Their customer service is top notch. Your existing AT&T phone can probably be ported over. Verizon has a new service called Visible. They offer truly unlimited data including hotspot for $40 per month with no added fees. They recently added service for Android phones. You can check their website to see if your existing phone is compatible. If not, they have an Android phone for $99. Here's their website: https://www.visible.com/home/
  16. Walmart is now showing "Out of stock". Amazon's price has now gone to $1499.99. Looks like I jumped on board at just the right time.
  17. All good points. I have been using a pair of 6 volt golf cart batteries. I think my biggest issue is not fully charging them on a regular basis. I dry camp and rely on solar for virtually all of my charging so I will be updating my charge controller. I rarely run my generator and am rarely plugged in so my converter is not much of an issue. I most likely will update that at some point. The Renogy battery has built in BMS that monitors each cell. If a single cell's voltage goes above or below parameters, the battery disconnects. It also monitors battery temperature. The BMS will prevent discharging below the cell cutoff voltage. This should allow 100% usage of the 170ah. Well time will tell how this works out. Hopefully a long time.
  18. Amazon has dropped their price to the same as Walmart, so perhaps we'll have a price war. Here's a good video on YouTube comparing options for lithium: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gOqQp2Xjr6U
  19. I ordered one of these Thursday and it is scheduled to arrive at a Walmart April 4. I'm also in Florida and will start my trek back home soon. Will be in the Lake City area mid April. I won't be installing the battery until I get back to Minneapolis.
  20. Walmart is selling a Renogy LiFePO4 170ah for $980.84. https://www.walmart.com/ip/Renogy-Lithium-Iron-Phosphate-Battery-12-Volt-170-Amp-Hour/838476134
  21. Here's a good article on cell boosters: https://www.rvmobileinternet.com/guides/mobile-cellular-boosters/
  22. I use a drip grind and have not noticed any solids in the brewed coffee. I'm sure that how the coffee is ground would make a difference. I buy the already ground coffee, usually Trader Joe's French roast.
  23. Another alternative that i picked up at Target a few days ago: Java Concepts Pour Over It can be used with a Keurig or heat water in a kettle. No filters to mess with and makes coffee in about the same time as the AeroPress.
  24. I caved and purchased an AeroPress. I made coffee in it and in my french press. I couldn't really tell any difference. I repeated the test for a friend. He thought he could detect a slight difference but didn't think that one was better than the other. In my opinion, the only advantages of the AeroPress is quick brew time and easy cleanup. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Tests from a major consumer magazine Oct 2017 Chemex Pour-Over Brewer $46 Coffee brewed in the Chemex earned high marks for complexity, acidity, and overall quality in our taste tests; the filter minimized the presence of solids in the cup. If you like an aromatic, balanced brew with sweet, juicy undertones, this one’s for you. Bodum Chambord 8 Cup French press Coffee Maker $40 Without a paper filter, this coffee holds on to its natural oils, creating a full-bodied taste. The mesh filter holds back most of the grounds, but small, powderlike coffee grounds (called “fines”) can remain in the brew, creating a somewhat viscous cup. AeroPress $30 The AeroPress produced a high-quality brew, with good body and aromatics but just a touch less complexity. The company claims that—unlike a French press—this method leaves “no grit in your cup,” but our tasters found that the coffee sometimes contained a bit of fine coffee silt. Melitta Pour-Over Brewer $10 This brewing method earned high marks. Our tasters found the pour-over coffee had full, juicy flavors that weren’t too aggressive, with a smooth feel and sweet taste. Drip Cuisinart PerfecTemp 14-Cup DCC-3200 $100 Scoring slightly lower than other methods in complexity, smoothness, and overall quality, the drip method is hard to beat on convenience. Our tasters noted a higher astringency, and the fruity, somewhat sweeter notes of the coffee were masked by a sharper acidity.
  25. I use a french press. Pretty much the same process, forcing hot water through the grounds. After breaking 2 glass ones, I opted for a stainless steel version.
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