------ Forwarded Message From: john <divewell_at_attbi.com> Date: Fri, 06 Dec 2002 12:13:47 -0800 To: <PaddleWise_at_paddlewise.net> Subject: Re: PaddleWise V1 #1905 On 12/6/02 6:32 AM, "PaddleWise" <owner-paddlewise_at_paddlewise.net> wrote: > Date: Thu, 5 Dec 2002 13:58:09 -0500 > From: "Michael Daly" <michaeldaly_at_rogers.com> > >> One set of rechargeable batteries last about a day. > > NiCd or NiMH? The latter are higher in capacity and would last > longer. NiMH, I hear rechargeable alkaline are the real way to go. You know they may last longer, but I wouldn't start the day with partially used batteries. So, that's why I said, "They last about a day." The little meter on the unit can not be that reliable. And, I don't know what the usage curve is, so why risk it? Also...David wrote: Date: Thu, 05 Dec 2002 20:51:17 -0500 From: David Walker <dwalker_at_newwave.net> Subject: [Paddlewise] Ham radio while kayaking I recently became interested again in ham radio and while surfing the internet David Here we are coastal. That means mountains, Ham has some trouble with this. I'm not sure why you want to do this - other than a back-up safety radio. Have you tried your cell phone? (Actually, I don't have one either.) John ------ End of Forwarded Message *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
From: "john" <jrhauer_at_attbi.com> > NiMH, I hear rechargeable alkaline are the real way to go. My experience, and that of several others on sci.geo.satellite-nav, is that rechargeable alkaline (RA) are not worth the time and money. You can't fully discharge an RA battery without ruining it, so you have to monitor it and stop using it at about 50% depth of discharge. This alone makes it less than fully useful. I'm much more impressed with NiMH. > You know they may last longer, but I wouldn't start the day with partially > used batteries. So, that's why I said, "They last about a day." The little > meter on the unit can not be that reliable. And, I don't know what the usage > curve is, so why risk it? You have to have a battery monitor that is set for NiMH and not all GPS units are so constructed. I think that the self-discharge problems are somewhat overstated with NiMH. They certainly discharge about twice as fast as NiCd, but I find that their extra capacity makes up for it. If it has 50% more capacity than NiCd but discharges 30% in a month, you're still ahead. Certainly they aren't as good as alkaline for shelf life, but regular use and occasional topping up (something that has much less effect than topping up NiCd) solves it. I also make sure I always carry spares. That's one reason that all the electronics I use in kayaking (GPS, camera, flashlights etc) are standardized on AA batteries - standard, interchangeable spares. Mike *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
I put the Telkwa up on the rack for the winter today. It wasn't easy. I suppose I could keep the big boat operational all winter, but there are storage issues involved. We had enough snow the night before last that cleaning the van off and driving to work was getting pretty uncomfortable, so the van was starting to demand its winter home. That means the Telkwa and the trailer have to come out of the garage. Since the big T-boat is too long for the storage shed I rent, it goes up on a rack in my parent's garage. That doesn't mean that I won't be paddling. I still have my old Heron, and while the Tornado, which I've paddled some the last couple of winters is all but sold, it's been replaced by a solo canoe. It's always hard to make the decision to go into winter mode. Denial is part of the process; there's always the hope of one more nice weekend somewhere along the way. But this weekend was shot and I'd be gone next weekend -- it didn't look promising, anyway -- so this was a good time. But that didn't mean it's easy to do once the decision is made. The Telkwa had sat on the trailer for almost a month, lonely and unused, the little canoe sitting next to it, a shrimp by comparison. I suppose the big boat's feelings must have been hurt by taking the little boat the last time I was out, right at the first of the month. I got the canoe just because there are some interesting little potholes and swamps around to paddle, and some of them are pretty long, tough carries to launch a boat as big and heavy as my big blue-green favorite, and hard to turn and maneuver her once you get there. So, I felt like I needed to make it up to the big girl, somehow. It had accumulated shop dirt, sand from various beaches in the cockpit; the deck was dusty and dirty, and around the waterline, there was an inch-wide patch of algae and grote that I refer to as the "Lake Hudson stripe" -- the waters aren't the cleanest, and since I clean the boat only once in a while, sometimes it gets a little grubby. I took out all the gear that normally is stored in the cockpit and put most of it into a milk crate so I'll have it when I need it for the odd times I'll get out in the other boats over the next few months. Familiar tools, familiar pieces; some things in the emergency bag need to be thrown out and replaced before spring gets here, but that can wait till some weekend in the winter that I don't have anything better to do. I got the bucket, put in some warm water and soap, and started in with a wash cloth. It's really sort of useless; the deck will get dirty over the winter, from the normal garage dust and dirt, and I'll have to wash it down in the spring when I take it down. But, it makes me feel better to give it a good cleaning before I put it away. The Telkwa and I have been lots of places in the last three years, and over 1500 miles have passed under us. It was a reach to buy this boat, and my wife was less than thrilled at the expense. But, I'm glad Matt Broze gave me a heads-up on this boat -- though it was more money than I wanted to spend, I realized from the first that this was the boat for me. I haven't regretted the decision. I've been with it on four of the Great Lakes -- got to pick up Ontario sometime, just to make it a clean sweep -- and lots of other lakes and rivers. Of course, the Telkwa and I know every inch of our favorite paddling grounds; sometimes we've been out there after work every night after work all week long. Working my way up the hull, I got to the back hatch. I didn't think there was anything in there, but popped the hatch to see, and a musty, mildewy smell assaulted my nose. The back compartment leaks a little, I think through the holes where the rudder cables go through, and I don't know how to fix that. I really should leave the hatch open to dry it out more than I do, but I never think about it in the summer. Now, I assaulted the compartment with a rag and some disinfectant; maybe that'll keep the smell at bay. It'd be a while before I was done, and I wanted the hatch to dry thoroughly, so I left it open while I worked my way up the hull. With all the stuff out, the cockpit seemed barren and empty, but there was dirt and sand and a few dead leaves floating around, so I got the vacuum and cleaned up the worst of it, then went over it good with the washcloth. It'll be clean for the winter, anyway; next summer I can get it messy again. On up the hull. After the lesson with the back hatch, I decided I'd better pop the front hatch, just on general principles. It was dry in there; in fact, there was still a smell of new fiberglass resin, after three years. I remember how the whole boat smelled of it the first time I sat it on the trailer, three years ago next June. What an exciting smell, a smell of newness, of promise, of wonder, making me think of distant horizions that this boat and I could look forward to crossing over. Up at the bow, I washed off the Lake Hudson stripe that curls up the side of the boat. I'm always amused by the Lake Hudson stripe -- there's a little curve where the bow wave rides up, and it shows that the Telkwa spends most of it's time afloat moving, not just sitting around. This boat is built to go places, not just sit tied to a dock, and that curve is sort of a badge of honor to the Telkwa and me, though I doubt anyone else takes notice. I went around, loosened the straps on the canoe, and shoved it to one side, so I could get at the other side of the big T-boat. I only got the canoe a couple months ago, and haven't been out in it much, so it still has to earn my trust, my respect. It seems all right for now, but I haven't pushed it, and don't want to until the water's warm enough that a swim only means a swim. That'll have to wait for spring, too. Finally, I reached the stern of the Telkwa. It was looking better, now. I went back over my work, touching up some spots that I missed. The chore was about over with, now; all I had to do is to let the boat dry out a bit, especially in the stern hatch. Finding the stool, I sat on it and looked at the two boats sitting side by side on the trailer. They're freedom machines, that's what they are. I'm getting older, and don't particularly like it. I decided a few years ago that it's going to be all too soon before I'm not capable of much more than sitting in front of the TV and rotting, so I'd better get out and do things I enjoy while I still can. I already have missed too many things that I would liked to have done in years past, tied down by family, work, responsibilities, and later by aging, and stiffness, and fading health. There comes a point where you can't let it pass by any longer. The Telkwa, and the boats that came before, have opened up a door to me that I hadn't expected. I'm in better shape now than I was five years ago, at least partly as a result of the kayaks, and partly because of an attitude adjustment that came along with them. They have been worth the price. I headed over to the house to have lunch, and when I got back the boat was dry. I put the hatches and the cockpit cover back on, tied the boats down, and towed them over to my parent's garage. A lot of stuff had to get moved to get the Telkwa on the rack, and it's not easy to get it up there by myself, which is why it stays up there for the winter when I get it up there. With the boat up on the rack, I took a chance to look at the bottom. There are a couple of deep scratches on there from hard landings, and the gel coat has been worn at the turn of the bow and the stern. I'd originally planned to run the boat down to a friend before I put it on the rack; he's an expert at fiberglass work, and assures me that the problems are cosmetic and no big deal to fix. But, he's got some problems right now -- his mother and his son have both recently had bad injuries, and he's having to work two jobs to fill in for his mother in the family business, while trying to move into a new house at the same time. Now's not a good time to bother him. It can wait till spring; maybe I can get the big T-boat down a couple weeks early when it gets here. It's sad to look at the Telkwa sitting imprisoned for the winter on the rack, hanging above a car and a snowblower. It's the final admission that winter is here, and that spring is far away. It'll be months before we can get out together again, and spend some time getting a new Lake Hudson stripe on the hull. We've spent a lot of time together the last three years, good, quality time, and we've made a lot of memories, most good, a couple not. It'll be hard to be apart. So, goodbye for the winter, my trusty companion. Spring will come eventually. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Wes Boyd's Kayak Place NEW URL! -- http://www.kayakplace.com Kayaks for Big Guys (And Gals) | Trip Reports | Places To Go | Boats & Gear --------------------------------------------------------------------------- *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
Wes, It is great to read a refreshing real life story like the one about Big T. Sometimes the BS gets deep here and people lose site of what kayaking is all about. It is real life. The technical stuff is good sometimes, but we need a break. Even though I live in an area where I can paddle year round, I have had to put my two homemade wooden kayaks up on the racks for just about the whole summer, due to having to pay the fiddler for the fun I had doing stuff that was wrecking my body when I was younger. I know how you feel about the aging thing. And I understand the feelings you have for Big T. Too many people go through life and miss those feelings. Getting old and realizing that you are past middle age is hard to accept sometimes. But when one has a good boat, some good water and fond memories, it gets a whole lot easier. If I die today, don't morn, I did it my way and had a good time doing it. Ronnie *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
john wrote: > ? > > Also...David wrote: > ...... > Subject: [Paddlewise] Ham radio while kayaking......... > Here we are coastal. That means mountains, Ham has some trouble with this. > I'm not sure why you want to do this - other than a back-up safety radio. Why do I want to do this? Why do folks want to go kayaking ? I can't speak or others . But. I go kayaking for the fun and the challenge and to get out to beautiful places to enjoy the experience. And not as a necessity to feed my family which I take it is what drove the inventors of the kayak. And Amateur radio folks find reasons to operate their portable radio stations from unique locations for the same reasons. And not solely as a means of staying in contact with other folks for safety or other reasons. Lets face it both groups are geeks about their own elements of interest . Kayakers about the water and ham operators about the behavior of electromagnetic waves. :-) Well Ham radio, aka Amateur radio, certainly does not mean mountains or rather it does not require mountains. In fact on some frequencies of operation having an antenna located near the conductive surface of salt water is an enhancement to the propagation of the radio waves in comparison to an antenna above dry ground on a mountain . A high mountain may be useful for vhf or uhf frequencies , where line of sight is needed but for frequencies in the so called hf range of frequencies the height of the antenna above average terrain is the important thing. However a high mountain may be nice simply for a beautiful location from which to operate an amateur radio station. ( see Bear Island link below for areas of the globe reached by radio waves from a seaside location reached by kayak ) While having an amateur radio along could be an additional safety back-up the type of activity I had in mind was more just for the technical challenge. What I had in mind was something more along the lines of the activities sponsored by the ARS ( Adventure Radio Society) or the ARS-EU ( ARS -Europe) . These groups exist to encourage radio operations from unique locations reached by human power. That is to say hiking , biking , canoeing or kayaking etc. Using low power transceivers powered by battery or solar cell for example. Using what is called QRP radio equipment . QRP being a short hand term for low powered transceivers. Less than 5 watts of transmit power. While the ARS and ARS-Eu both have challenges to operate from the mountains such "The Top of the World " or SOTA ( Summits on the Air ) programs . But the point of the mountain location is not for necessity of operating the radio but rather to get folks outside into wilderness areas. But two other promotions by these groups are called "Beyond Top of the World " and " IOTA-ARS style" ( Islands on the Air - with low power transmitters ) . Both of which are to encourage radio operations from islands reached by paddled boat or rather human powered boat. Below is link to a short story about a kayak trip to Bear Island off the N. C. coast by some members of an amateur radio group called the Knightlites. Which is more along the lines of what I was inquiring about as to whether anyone on this group engaged in such activities. http://www.knightlites.org/Knightlite/bear_island_2001.htm Anyway, due to lack of response here . I think rather than search among a group of kayakers for amateur radio operators I'll do better to search among a group of amateur radio operators for some kayakers. But should some one be interested , below are links to the ARS and ARS EU. http://www.natworld.com/ars/pages/ars_info/info_idx.html http://www.qsl.net/ars-eu Regards, David *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
So, the short answer would be "because it's there." No particular utility in that, it's just that you want to ham it up. Something tells me that you might hike a ham rig into a wilderness mountain peak just see far how far you can reach. That's cool. I was just curious. On 12/7/02 2:23 PM, "David Walker" <dwalker_at_newwave.net> wrote: john wrote: >> Here we are coastal. That means mountains, Ham has some trouble with this. >> I'm not sure why you want to do this - other than a back-up safety radio. > > And Amateur > radio folks find reasons to operate their portable radio ..... And not solely > as a means of staying in contact > with other folks for safety or other reasons. Lets face it both groups are > geeks about their own elements of interest . Kayakers about the water and ham > operators about the behavior of electromagnetic waves. :-) *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
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