Archive → March, 2009
Quick hike
Last Sunday, we went for a quick hike in Monsey Glen park. We briefly hiked the tracks like Mechel and I did a few years ago:
More van work
In early March, we did some additional refit work on the van for towing. First, we added a transmission cooler popular with off-road enthusiasts. The ones that drive Hummer H2s. This cooler is rated for a gross vehicle weight of 14,500 pounds, so we have quite a bit of overkill for the van and RV:
I also added a Magnifine inline transmission fluid filter:
With 14,500 pounds of cooling, the transmission fluid would be too viscous in the winter, so I added a bypass valve so that the transmission fluid only enters the new cooler if the transmission fluid goes above 180 degrees:
Finally, we added an inline transmission temperature sensor and gauge:
I mounted the temperature gauge to a punch-out piece in the dash, so it could be easily replaced. It also made it easy to work on, since I can pop out the punch-out and mess with the wires behind the dash. When the transmission fluid is below 70 degrees, it reads “LO”. Below the gauge, you can see the Tekonsha Prodigy brake controller that I earlier installed for towing. It controls the RV’s brakes, so that, when the van’s brake pedal is pressed, the RV brakes activate as well.
Flying!
In college I flew a Kyosho Concept 30 helictopter for a number of years, until I sold it to to buy a plane. What I discovered is that you need a lot of room, and the area I used in Harriman was too small for my limited flying skills.
Anyway, I haven’t flown in years, and in the mean time, miniaturization of electronics, motor technology, and battery technology have come a long way. So much so that a capable R/C helicopter with all that’s needed to fly can be had for about $150.
After a bit of research, I settled on the E-Sky Belt CP. It’s the least expensive collective pitch helicopter with a belt driven tail and a brushless motor.
Here’s a video of me flying last night:
Unfortunately, shortly after the video was taken, a gust of wind took the helicopter quite a bit higher than I wanted to be, and I panicked dropped throttle more than a should have, and hit the ground pretty hard. Hopefully the replacement parts I ordered will arrive early next week.