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billvoss

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Posts posted by billvoss

  1. 2 hours ago, gyork said:

    Years later, I've noted a leaky right lower leg/boot seepage, and can't locate specific (or diffuse?) water entry.

    Assuming your suit has socks, turning the suit inside out, then filling the bottom of the leg with water should let you perform your own at-home water test.  However, if instead of a pin hole, you then find a wide area leaking and bubbling up I would suspect fabric delamination.  Gore-Tex buys us new suits because delamination is not a repairable failure.

    1 hour ago, David M said:

     DWR deficiency can make one think there's a leak.

    DWR "deficiency" is also what makes it possible for me to enjoy wearing a drysuit in July and August.  It feels kind of like wearing a wet long sleeve cotton shirt.  Wearing a drysuit with fresh DWR during July and August is not so pleasant.

  2. 13 hours ago, mhabich said:

    I got an Icon rear-zip drysuit from Kokatat as a warranty replacement. The ribbon zipper pull loop had been cut so it wasn’t a loop. This made it darn near impossible to zip behind my head, so I called to ask for a new pull. They said they cut the loops so we won’t be entangled in debris, and that the pulls come to them as part of the zipper, so they couldn’t send a replacement. 

    @mhabichI love my Icon shoulder-zip drysuits.  I initially could not put it on and take it off by myself, until I learned the trick.

    This YouTube video does a good job of showing the technique.  I do NOT find it necessary to use my teeth, but I do use the rest of the technique shown.  Most importantly using the other hand to create tension.

  3. Dan, Kokatat has been charging for the water tests for quite a long time now.  Though it includes fixing the pinhole leaks.

    Warranty Evaluation, which in my opinion you should ALWAYS add when sending your suit back, is "Free" but if ordered alone requires a return shipping fee ($11.95 this October).  To my amazement, one of my pandemic suits already de-laminated, so I love Gore-Tex!  I also received my replacement suit this week.

    7 hours ago, Joseph Berkovitz said:

    I was doing the periodic service club thing for a while, like David, but I seem to need yearly replacements (is it my skin chemistry?) so it’s become too expensive.  Now I have all the repair stuff at home for gaskets and patches and I’m just doing the testing and repairs myself. 

    Joseph you should easily get more than a year out of a gasket.  My last thick gaskets outlasted the Gore-Tex fabric!  Any chance you are getting a tiny trace of suntan lotion on your gaskets?  That includes putting suntan lotion on your skin, then touching a gasket with that skin.  Any petroleum based product quickly kills latex.   Personally, I wear a neck Buff, and Buff gloves to minimize my chances of getting suntan lotion on my gaskets.  I try to rinse the gaskets after each paddle.  If they don't look shiny, the gaskets also get the 303 Protectant treatment.

    One paddler did tell me they thought newer gaskets are thinner than they used to be, and thus do not last as long.  Personally, I always specify the "Thick" aka "Coast Guard" gaskets these days, and I certainly get multiple years out of them.

  4. I am looking for Pool Sessions this winter!   (Sea Kayak or White Water, any leads welcome.)

    I signed up for the first two sessions with https://www.salemkayak.com/gear-trips-courses/pool-sessions, but I snoozed on signing up for later sessions, and now Kevin's "Practice" offerings are sold out till late March 2023!

    Any leads on other providers, and any update on NSPN Pool sessions would be very welcome.

  5. I've done most of those skills in isolation.  Paddling underwater by itself exhausts my breath control very quickly.  All the head underwater activities would be much harder during a RACE.

    I would still need to try, or to master the following:

    • Switching to a reverse straddle before paddling backwards.
    • The front deck spin, though I've done it much more slowly on the back deck.
    • Spear the hula hoop with the kayak's bow.
    • Upside down pushing feet above the water.
    • The flip re-entry.
    • I have stood up in a kayak, and damaged my skin-on-frame in the process.  However, I'm not sure I could touch the bell.

    Definitely a fun video to watch.

  6. I second Ed's GREASE suggestion.  Once I started putting Waterproof Bicycle Grease on the threads when I installed my Thule Racks each spring, I stopped having significant rust problems on the threads or bolts.

    My newest problem is that one of my NEW, just purchased this spring, Yakima JayLow Kayak Carriers has started dropping rust on my car!  The rust is coming from two press fittings, not a movable part.

    1-IMG_20220802_162743990_HDR.thumb.jpg.3a916331912c2856735ae349efb00b0a.jpg

  7. 53 minutes ago, Jim Snyder said:

    Not that inexpensive....

    The free level 2 chargers are great but unless you can use them overnight, like at a motel, they're not much of a solution. Recently on that trip home from Vermont I thought I was cutting it close so I plugged in for free at an outlet mall about 12 miles from home and ran some errands while eliminating any doubt about making it home.

    Did the outlet mall make money, despite paying for your "free" charge, by inducing you to spend some money while charging?  By your description, I'm guessing they only spent a dollar or two on your "free" electricity.

    Does the outlet mall make more money, averaged over all the transactions from all the EV's that spend time getting a "free" charge, compared to what they would make if they spent the money on some combination of Coupons, Google Ads, TV Ads, Radio Ads, Billboards, and US Postal Fliers instead?

    5 hours ago, billvoss said:

    Level 2 charging is so inexpensive, it can be a cheap form of PR. 

    I'm confident the outlet mall put out a press release when they installed the chargers.  I'm confident that Plug Share sends them some EV customers who would not otherwise stop.  I strongly suspect the decision to offer "free" charging is paying for itself.

  8. DC Fast Charging is like filling up with gas at a highway service plaza, not the frugal choice in most cases.

    DC Fast Charging also suffers from wildly varying regulations in different states. Some states mandate that DC Fast Charging must charge by kilowatt hours, some mandate that they must charge by time, and some even regulate the specific price that must be charged. Some states allow utilities to charge DC Fast Charging sites "demand" surcharges which can significantly push up the site's electricity costs, while some states prohibit the practice, or exempt EV charging from "demand" surcharges.

    The cheapest way to charge is of course "free" charging. Some EV purchases include some complimentary DC Fast Charging. However, most "free" charging is the slower level 2 charging with power levels similar to an electric drier or oven. Usually companies or organizations are providing "Free" charging as an employee and/or customer perk, or to make a "Green" statement. Level 2 charging is so inexpensive, it can be a cheap form of PR.  Similar to the "free shipping"  that Amazon made so popular.

    Fortunately, when FREE is not convenient, most EV owners charge almost exclusively at home. In the past 30 days the only time I have DC Fast charged was the trip from NH to RI and southern MA when I bought my Virgo. That represented just 4% of my charging over those 30 days.

  9. Solved it, with some Button Thread, a Needle, Needle Nose Pliers, and something to cut the thread.

    First thread the needle, and stick it through the end of the shock cord.

    IMG_20220725_172754481_HDR.thumb.jpg.351ea67f764359aa9b0b0a22471f1d2a.jpg

    After pulling it through the shock cord, thread the needle with the loose ends as well.

    IMG_20220725_173020583_HDR.thumb.jpg.f0bd1cfb1b7c365e759bc63533fc037f.jpg

    The needle and thread easily pass through the tether hole in the new hatch cover.

    IMG_20220725_173110261_HDR.thumb.jpg.0184a96ff02364a90cbf71197a4e9d49.jpg

    Need a good grip to pull.  So needle nose pliers pinch the thread, and add a quick wrap for a secure grip.  Then pull while praying you don't damage the hatch cover.

    IMG_20220725_173229004.thumb.jpg.2bf023b1f1799d5b192507de1d05017d.jpg

    Sigh of relief, the shock cord made it through the tether hole without breaking anything,

    IMG_20220725_173247151.thumb.jpg.3f058a55a53e6aed5aa560708ad4db7b.jpg

    Remove the thread, then a simple overhand stopper knot like the factory did the other covers.

    IMG_20220725_173333761.thumb.jpg.b701446db5a24ae8fbcf0ddd26a4b9ce.jpg

    Put away the tools.  Apply some 303 Protectant and the kayak is ready for more fun on the water.

     

  10. @EELStandard Horizon customer support blames "The Tsunami."  Apparently Standard Horizon management didn't think it was worth restoring battery pack production for out of production radios.  That almost kept me from buying another Standard Horizon radio.   Part of the problem is that the old battery pack for the HX850s provided part of the shell and the charging contacts for the old radio, so it was a very radio series specific battery pack.

    However, the new HX890 radio uses a simple rectangular battery (1800 mAh SBR-13LI) which is fully enclosed by the radio's shell, and most importantly somebody in China is selling a "generic" (1100 mAh replacement) on Amazon.  The specifications for their generic replacement are definitely not as good as the Standard Horizon version, but that may improve over time, and the generic costs significantly less.

  11. An update and correction on my lithium rechargeable AAA battery reports earlier in this thread.

    Using my old Standard Horizon HX850S for which I can no longer get a replacement Lithium Ion pack, only the AAA battery tray.  It turns out that with either regular alkaline AAA batteries, or the Pownergy AAA rechargeable batteries that I subsequently purchased, if the radio is set to LO (1 Watt) power, the radio will transmit with fresh batteries.  However, again with either AAA battery choice, if the radio is set to HI or Medium power, the radio crashes instead.  It is very easy to accidentally change this model's transmit power since it is a dedicated button.  However, even the alkaline AAA batteries do not last very long.  Though carrying the radio stored OFF as an additional way of sending out a MAYDAY on an expedition might still make sense.

    In contrast, my new Standard Horizon HX890's manual says that it will automatically transmit use LO (1 Watt) when the battery tray is used, and says it may use LO or Med if the regular lithium ion battery is low on charge EVEN THOUGH THE SCREEN SHOWS "HI" POWER selected.  I can confirm that with the Pownergy AAA rechargeable lithium-ion batteries the new radio did not crash, and claimed to be transmitting, thought the screen showed "HI" power selected.

    As of now, I plan to just carry the new HX890 radio, though I'm not throwing away the old radio just yet.

  12. 18 hours ago, Jim Snyder said:

    The bottom line is if I can get 3.7 on my 65 Kwh battery my effective round trip range leaving a 10% cushion would be 106 miles. The only place I go commonly that challenges that range is Lane's Cove. Beyond that I need to find some good fast chargers on my routes.

    At first I read your post as meaning you could only drive 106 miles leaving a 10% cushion, and I was shocked. 

    Then I compared the EPA ratings on my Model Y and your Bolt EUV and decided you meant you could drive about 212 miles a day with a kayak on top while still having a comfortable cushion when you got home.  Next I confirmed it when I did the math (65 Kwh - (10% of 65 Kwh)) * 3.7 miles/Kwh = 216.45 miles.

    My June electric bill was charging me $0.202/Kwh.  So that 216.45 mile trip would cost less than $12 in electricity.  I know you have Solar, so you may be spending even less.

    The other wonderful part of charging at home is that every morning you wake to a "full charge" and the EV is ready to do it all again.  I was one of those drivers who liked to keep their fuel tank at least half full, just in case.  I love how I leave the house with a "full tank" every morning these days.

    Personally, so far, only my round trips north of Franconia Notch, and my trip to Bangor have required charging away from home.

    P.S.

    For anyone looking for fast chargers along a route, or contemplating an EV purchase, I definitely recommend https://abetterrouteplanner.com/ and the associated phone app to see when and how long you would need to charge.

  13. My general rule is sell on EBay to get the best price, buy on Craigslist where the fastest response usually wins and bargains are available.  Unfortunately, EBay is less useful for large difficult to ship items.  However, if you want something to go to a "good home" avoid EBay and Craigslist, and instead use some form a friends of friends networking, or more focused board like NSPN,

    Glad you sold your kayak @alcoons  When you last dropped the price I started agonizing over the "deal," though I knew I would curse having purchased too long a kayak to easily store at my home.

  14. 2 hours ago, prudenceb said:

    So what happens if you're in your EV and you're in northern Maine (maybe the wilds of Northern Maine) for a kayaking trip and you didn’t do the best job in the world estimating your kayak-on-the-roof battery degradation…and the car runs out of juice and glides to a silent stop in the middle of nowhere?  What next?  I guess a long tow…assuming your phone is able to get service there to call for one.  Seems most folks I know who have an EV live in a two-car household, where the other vehicle is not an EV.

    Not ready to turn in my one-car household's thus-far trusty Subaru just yet…
     

    First off it is really really difficult to "accidentally" run out of charge.  All modern EVs give you lots and lots of warnings.  When they get really low, they also start informing you that they are doing things like restricting your top speed, or limiting climate control to save energy and increase range.

    In the case of a Tesla, if I am in northern Maine I am also going to be using Tesla's in car navigation.  The navigation system automatically shows my estimated arrival state of charge, and my round trip estimated state of charge.  If I don't have enough charge to reach my destination, the navigation system automatically adds the needed charging stops to my trip unless I turn that feature off.  I have seen on YouTube Tesla cross country drivers say it is easier to drive across the more vacant parts of the country in a Tesla than in an ICE car because the Tesla does all the calculations for them, and they don't have to calculate gas stops where gas stations are sparse.

    However, supposing I didn't use the navigation system, and decided to push on and ignore all those early warnings because I was sleepy and running late.  I'm down to where the low on gas light would turn on with an internal combustion engine car in the wilds of Northern Maine at night.  I don't need to find a dedicated EV charger, an open gas station, or a tow yet.  I just need to find someone willing to let me plug into a standard electrical outlet like I would plug a lamp into.  If they will let me plug in, I could use my so called "granny lead," a low power charger that runs off a standard plug.  Low power chargers are available for all EVs.  Most/all? manufacturers either bundle them as standard equipment, or offer them as an option.  After market models are also available.  The granny lead won't charge me up very fast, maybe 3 or 4 miles of charge an hour.  I might be sleeping in my car that night if I really goofed up, kicking myself for not topping off in Bangor or Ellsworth at a Tesla supercharger.

    By the way, 15 amps of electricity from a standard outlet for an hour is under 2 kWh, so less than 40 cents of electricity.

    Historical note:  When cars first became popular in the US, thanks to rural electrification EVs were more popular in rural communities where gas stations were few and far between.

    Now if you drive a Tesla and like me want to be prepared, besides getting the Tesla Mobile Adapter "granny lead," you would also purchase the Tesla NEMA Adapter Bundle.  While a standard 15 amp 120 outlet only provides a Model Y with 3 or 4 miles of range, if I can find a campground with electric power for RVs, or even just someone with an electric dryer plug I can reach I can charge a lot faster.  Using a 14-50 or 6-50 outlet, the model Y gains about 29 miles of range per hour of charge.

    By the way, if I'm going to northern Maine, I'm probably going to make a reservation at a campground that can promise me a site with a 240 outlet.  Besides letting me charge my EV, it will also let me sleep inside my car running in Tesla's "camp mode."  Camp mode lets me run the climate control all night and sleep at whatever temperature I prefer, having the display show video of a campfire is also an option!

  15. 1 hour ago, Jim Snyder said:

    Can we keep this topic to evs and kayaks though? Also remember, unless you're producing your own electricity or somehow sourcing renewable, you're driving a vehicle or running a chainsaw on nuclear, natural gas, or coal. 

    From an environmental perspective, the most important aspect of EVs is just how incredibly efficient electric motors are compared to internal combustion motors.  My Model Y is rated by the EPA at 122 MPGe.  That totally blows away any comparable internal combustion engine vehicle.  Even if I charged my Tesla with nothing but electricity generated in Coal Fired power plants, studies show it would produce less CO2 than a comparable ICE vehicle over its expected lifetime including manufacturing emissions.

    Fortunately, the New England grid currently produces around half of its electricity from a combination of Nuclear, Hydro, Wind, and Solar, with most of the rest coming from natural gas, and almost nothing coming from Coal.  Even better, the grid is expected to become greener over the expected lifetime of a car purchased this year.

    Beyond that some areas have community solar projects, and most areas have "green energy" plans which buy Renewable Energy Credits to offset the CO2 from any non-green sources they use.  You may also be able to install solar on your own property, and then agonize over whether to swap your totally green energy for totally dirty energy by selling your Renewable Energy Credits.

    Bottom line, Battery Electric Vehicles and Battery Electric Tools currently have fewer CO2 emissions than their internal combustion engine equivalents for anyone connected to the New England power grid.  In many cases, battery electric also means more torque, less vibration, and more reliable as well.

    P.S. @Dan Foster when I next see you on the water, I would be very curious to learn about your automower.

  16. So far the Wednesday Lunch Paddle on 5/11/2022 is the only paddle where my new Tesla Model Y Long Range hauled a kayak on the outside.  The round trip was well within the car's range.  I still had 30% charge when I got home and charged the Tesla as usual.  I did find the modern driver assistance features and the lack of engine vibration made the trip much more tolerable than it would have been in my old CRV.

    My main "issue" had nothing to do with it being an EV.  Changing from the Thule Square bars that I've used forever, to the Tesla wing has proved a pain.  I'm happy with my bow and stern tie downs, but still not entirely satisfied with how my kayak rack fits on the wing bar.

    The other issue is EV specific.  Without the noise from an internal combustion engine to drown it out, the wind noise from carrying a kayak at interstate speeds is more noticeable.  Fortunately turning up the radio volume has made that at most a minor inconvenience.

    The most useful trick I figured out before ordering the Tesla was to use A Better Route Planner to preview my typical long trips with the different vehicles I was considering.  Under advanced settings I specified a lot of battery degradation to simulate carrying a kayak.  I quickly discovered that in New Hampshire charging a Tesla would be easy, while any other brand could be challenging.  I now understand that NH put so many restrictions on their initial solicitation for DC fast charging using the VW settlement money that they received ZERO qualifying proposals.  The second NH proposal garnered 43 qualifying proposals currently being evaluated by the state.  Until some of those proposals are implemented, NH has fair coverage with Tesla DC fast charging sites, but almost no other fast charging north of Manchester.

    I am definitely very happy with my EV purchase.  I cannot imagine wanting to go back to an ICE vehicle in the future.

  17. 3 hours ago, Joseph Berkovitz said:

    I have no idea what the name of Bill’s boat is, it’s the one I’ve always seen him paddling… it has some age on it. I believe a substantial part of the leaving-in-dust action may be due to Bill himself!

    A short kayak with a low wetted surface area has a definite drag advantage when paddling straight into a wind strong enough to make hull speed irrelevant.

    Paddling all out because two stronger paddlers were behind me, and to minimize how long I had to paddle into the wind also helped.

    Using a Greenland Paddle also helps in heavy wind in my opinion.

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