Ham_Radio_HF_Mo
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Re: Blown Engine, 8.1l
Good morning, John, WA8YXM; Trust me, sir, I do understand. In the Summer of 2015, the venerable Chevrolet 454 cid "LE8" gasoline engine in the equally venerable Winnebago Elandan WCP31RT announced, in a most impolite way, that it did not like driving for hours through the 108 F. weather in Eastern Oregon and Eastern Washington that day at the end of June. It quit. It turned out that the major cause of the overheating in my engine was the gap between the air conditioner condenser and the front of the engine cooling radiator where the draw of air through the radiator core from the engine cooling fan behind the radiator had pulled up a lot of straw, wheat chaff, leaves, seeds, some feathers, bits of paper, and other stuff that had covered the front of the engine radiator core. That poor thing could not breathe. This unfortunate situation could not be seen until the air conditioner condenser had been unbolted and pulled forward and down to reveal the covered front of the radiator core. Some additional sheet metal paneling has been installed to prevent picking up stuff that will go up onto the radiator core. Also, the automatic transmission fluid that went to the "cool" side of the radiator has been re-routed to its own separate radiator for cooling. It no longer adds to the engine radiator cooling load. A Jasper rebuilt engine was installed in the Winnebago. So far, it has worked quite well. The Jasper engine does come with a six (6) month warranty, but that is all. The Jasper Extended Warranty Plan is not available for engines that are put into motor homes. I guess that means that we really do need to take care of our engines. You know, engine oil changes, air filters, fuel filters, checking things, and all that other stuff you need to do to keep an engine going. John, sometime it might be nice to talk with you about radios in motor homes; how to power them, how to get coaxial cables to the outside of a motor home, how to mount antennas, and identifying all the things in a motor home that can talk to our radios. I was surprised at the replacement LED lights that talked to my radios. The Anritsu MS-2711B portable spectrum analyzer did help in locating a lot of those offenders. And I was really surprised when I learned that the older "RV 12 VDC power converter" actually puts out a full wave rectified pulsating sine wave where the "average" voltage is 13.6 VDC. There is a reason why the instructions for the B-W 6345 "RV 12 VDC power converter" say to "use a true RMS reading voltmeter" for checking the output voltage. The output was not a simple straight level DC voltage that I expected to see, much like what we would see from a battery. Now it has been replaced with a Progressive Dynamics PD-9655 power supply with filtering and voltage regulation, and the batteries are much happier with the 4 stage charging algorithm. The radios are much happier also (no more "AC hum"). And the new LED lights are lasting for months or longer now, instead of just weeks. Enjoy, and 73, John; Ralph, N7KGA Latté Land, Washington and a venerable Winnebago Elandan WCP31RT473Views0likes0CommentsRe: Time for brakes...
Good morning, TaycoTrains; Oh, boy. That question is one that actually has many answers, and the better one will merely be the one that fits your operating conditions in most of the ways it can. There are many friction materials used in our brake pads; organic, metallic, semi-metallic, sintered metallic, ceramic, and a couple of others. Each type has advantages, and some disadvantages. The original soft organic pads normally will have the highest friction rating, but they also wear out fairly rapidly requiring more frequent replacement. They also may not have a very good high temperature characteristic, and they may fade on you when going down a long hill. Usually they do have the feature of a lighter touch on the brake pedal for the resulting braking effect. The metallic pads are much better for high speeds and heavy braking where they dissipate the heat more quickly. This is one reason why racing vehicles often will use them; they may have lower friction but they are consistent over the time period of the race; they have very good "fade" resistance. They do wear the disks or rotors more quickly, and they usually do require a heavier force on the brake pedal. The semi-metallic pads are more of a combination of the organic material with a higher percentage of metallic particles in the organic material to help move the heat away from the pad-to-rotor interface and dissipate it. Aluminum, copper, and brass are fairly common metals used in these. They have friction ratings more like the organic pads, and they are less wearing on the rotors. For my uses, these are the pads that I prefer, but, again, that is only my preference. I do like the ones made in England by the largest friction material maker in the world. The sintered metallic pads are another variant on the combination organic-metallic particle friction material mixture, but the metal particles are heat treated to harden them and make them more wear resistant. This also means that they are harder on the rotors and they do wear the rotors more rapidly. They do have good high temperature characteristics and they will also provide more consistent braking at high temperatures, much like the standard semi-metallic pads, but with the disadvantage of more rapid rotor wear. The ceramic pads have very good high temperature characteristics, but the friction rating is a little lower again. Often they are used in performance and race vehicles. They can also be harder on the rotor wear. I did hear of one report of a problem with a ceramic pad that developed a problem while it was hot from braking and was splashed with water, but I have not been able to confirm this rumor nor get any additional details of the conditions under which this was supposed to have happened, so I am not sure how much credence to give this one report. All I can really recommend is going to a good brake shop and talking with some of the older guys there about the different brake material characteristics, and see what recommendation they might offer for your vehicle and the braking conditions that it might see in the way that you drive your vehicle. Driving in the mountains is different from driving on the plains when looking at the way that the brakes are used. For my vehicles, again, I normally use the semi-metallic pads, and I check the pad thickness with a bright flashlight and an inspection mirror to see how the pads are wearing. If you see an angular wear or a varying thickness of the pad material across the pad, there might be a problem with a stuck pad, rust, dirt or mud, or a misalignment of the caliper. The pads should move back and forth in their mounting in the caliper, and the caliper should be able to move on its mount to allow it to center itself over the disk while braking. The main thing is to change the pads before the friction material is worn away and the metal plate part of the pad begins to rub on the rotor surface. That problem will really decrease the time period between rotor replacement. Inspect the pads, or have them inspected, at a regular interval, and at least annually. Brake fluid is another controversial subject. Today, most people seem to be quite happy with the standard DOT-3 or DOT-4 brake fluid, but I still have a preference for the DOT-5 silicone base brake fluid, but it is not easy to find now, and the brake system should be flushed when changing to DOT-5. You might need to carry your own supply of DOT-5 for topping off the brake fluid reservoir if required. I have heard of some people saying that the DOT-5 brake fluid should not be used with Anti-Lock Braking Systems (ABS), but I cannot see myself why this should be. Others may know of why this might possibly be so, but I do not, nor do I have an ABS system on my 1987 vintage motor home. And I really do like the accepted fact that the DOT-5 silicone base brake fluid is not hygroscopic; it does not absorb moisture or water out of the air, as the DOT-3 and DOT-4 glycol base brake fluids will do. This can be important with a vehicle that will sit for much of the year, and any moisture in the brake fluid may settle out and cause rusting and degradation to the inside of the brake lines, calipers, and other parts. Yes, I do have a history of using DOT-5 brake fluid over a multiple year time period with no problems detected yet, other than the higher cost and the additional work when changing to the DOT-5. Enjoy; Ralph Latté Land, Washington543Views0likes0CommentsRe: AMP Draw Issues
Good morning; It is truly impressive to see the range of comments and recommendations for why this fellow's battery seems to drop down after only a few hours with what he has measured as only a 650ma load current While I also have some questions about the test equipment and the measurement technique, BankerRae has been consistent in the value that he has reported, and it is similar to the "OFF" or parasitic current draw for the control systems involved as reported by others. He has also stated that when taken to a battery shop, the subject battery failed the load test, and he has installed a new battery, and now he will be trying the new battery to see how it performs in the circuit. Still, the discussion on the topic does demonstrate that there are many people on the forum with knowledge and experience with the electrical systems for a motor home. This is a valuable resource for the RV community. One suggestion I can offer for long term storage of a motor home is to connect at least a 10 Watt Silicon solar panel to the coach battery system, and leave the solar panel on the front dash behind the windshield with the motor home facing south so that the solar panel is exposed to sunlight. The 10 Watt solar panel will have right about a 625ma output current during the middle part of the day, and that should be enough for most motor homes to keep the battery charged while in storage, but not be too much to over charge the battery. A small "charge controller" {an alternative energy industry phrase for a special purpose voltage regulator) can be added between the solar panel and the battery to alleviate any concerns about overcharging, but with the size solar panel involved in this case, that is not a serious problem. Enjoy; Ralph, Latté Land, Washington336Views0likes0CommentsRe: Hayward, CA to Lynnwood, WA
An update to the subject of an RV park near Lynnwood: It is the Lake Pleasant RV Park near the intersection of SR-527, The Bothell-Everett Highway, and 242nd Street SE. I had the name slightly wrong. It is very close to the King County-Snohomish County line. And I enjoyed driving down the Pacific Coast Highway from San Francisco to Santa Barbara, and after a day in Los Angeles, on down US-101 to San Diego. Yes, it was slow, but the 32 foot 4 inch Winnebago Elandan WCP31RT did it quite well, I thought. I will admit that I was impressed with the price for gasoline in California. And the drive back up I-5 from San Diego was much faster with less shoulder and arm work. Enjoy; Ralph, Latté Land, Washington403Views0likes0CommentsRe: Leader LBO-526 Oscilloscope.
Good morning, gentlemen; Boy, was I surprised to see a question here about a user's manual for a Leader 526 dual trace 60Mc oscilloscope. That is not something that I expected to see on an RV or motor home forum. I will admit that there is a lot of Tektronix, General Radio, Hewlett-Packard (before Carly Fiorina), and other stuff around here. It is very encouraging to learn that there are people here on this forum who will recognize what I am talking about if I fall back into my old ways and begin talking about things that travel only in wires or through the air (or is that in the ether?). See, I never know when I might slip up. Enjoy; Ralph, Latté Land, Washington472Views0likes0CommentsRe: Hayward, CA to Lynnwood, WA
Good morning, noonenosthis1; As many others have already written, the drive up I-5 to Washington really is fairly easy with an RV. Any of the other routes to the east, such as US-97 or US-395, will add a few hundred miles to your drive and some more hills. And while I also live in the same region as PaulJ, I cannot recommend US-2 over Steven's Pass at 4000 feet in preference to I-90 over Snoqualmie Pass at 3000 feet for most RV travel. Also US-2 is mainly a two lane road from just west of Wenatchee, Washington to Monroe, Washington, and you will notice the brakes warming up going down the long steep hill on the west side of Steven's Pass. I-90 is a minimum of four (4) lanes across Washington, and it is an Interstate highway with fewer twists and turns. (Well, yes, you do get the benefit of more arm and shoulder exercise driving US-2.) My ~15,000 pound Winnebago Elandan prefers I-90 for an East-West route across Washington. However, the point about US-2 or I-90 is moot if you take the more direct route up I-5, and it is an easy two day drive in an RV. Taking the sea level route up US-101 almost to Aberdeen, Washington, and then going east on US-410/Washington State Route 8 to Olympia to get onto I-5 for the last few miles will yield the least mountain climbing or elevation change, but US-101 will take more time, and the comment about exercise with US-2 also applies to US-101. The nearest RV campground to Lynnwood I believe is the Pleasant Lake RV Park on the east side of SR-527, The Bothell-Everett Highway, south of I-405 and just north of Bothell; about 6 miles driving from Lynnwood. Enjoy; Ralph, Latté Land, Washington404Views0likes0CommentsRe: How to get the top cover off a Coleman Delta TX A/C?
Good morning, Fred; OK. I tried that, and there is not enough clearance to lift the back up and have it swing up and clear the top of the condenser. This cover really is a snug fit. And I have thought of another possibility: There are two flapper doors on the front of the air conditioner that may be positioned mainly by gravity when the exhaust fan is not running. It may be that one (or both) of them are hanging open a bit, and that is what is catching on the edge of the cover. I think that I will try parking the motor home on a hill facing uphill, and see if gravity will swing the flapper doors closed, and provide the needed room to lift off the cover. This is turning out to be an interesting task. Enjoy, and thank you; Ralph Latte Land, Washington149Views0likes0CommentsHow to get the top cover off a Coleman Delta TX A/C?
Good morning; How do you remove the plastic cover off a Coleman Type 6769 Delta TX roof mounted air conditioner? I have removed the acorn nuts off the studs and lifted it up about two inches, but then it seems to hit something at the front, and there is not enough clearance at the back to allow me to swing the cover up over the condenser to remove the cover. Is there some special process or maneuver to get the cover to come off? The light beige colored plastic top part seems to be glued to the brown lower part, so I cannot lift that off to see what is happening underneath. Enjoy, and thank you; Ralph Latte Land, Washington747Views0likes2CommentsRe: Battery Question
Good morning, Stardalo; Please keep in mind that the two battery systems are for different service conditions. The engine starting battery needs to supply a very high current to turn the engine starter, and then it is quickly recharged by the alternator with the now running engine. The coach or house batteries will need to supply a much more modest amount of current, but for a much longer time and they probably will be drained down to a lower level than the starting battery, and they will need to wait until they are able to be recharged. For that application, the "deep cycle" type battery is probably a better choice than the common flooded cell type battery often found used in engine starting service. You can find the two types in both flooded cell and non-spillable electrolyte form (such as the AGM type), and the main difference in the lead acid chemistry batteries will be the thickness of and the alloys used in making the plates and the separators. If you have the choices, getting the batteries designed for those specific services, and maintaining them, and properly charging them, will provide the longest service life in each category. And, whenever possible, use distilled water when bringing the level of a flooded cell back up to the indicated upper level when the battery has been recharged. Then charge it for a little while longer to help mix the distilled water with the existing electrolyte. 15 minutes to one-half hour is fine; no more than an additional hour. While distilled water is always preferred, if you find that the separators are starting to show above the fluid level in the battery, use the cleanest drinking water you have to get the fluid level back above the separators. Do not let the electrolyte level go down to where the plates are exposed to the oxygen in the air. While you certainly can recharge just about any lead-acid type battery with the common simple external battery charger, they do seem to be happier with a "smart charger" with the charging algorithm selected for the specific battery type. With the simple battery charger, you just need to monitor how the battery is coming along with the charging process, and turn it off when the battery is back up to full charge, usually as indicated by the more rapid production of gas bubbles in the electrolyte, and/or reaching a specific battery voltage, such as perhaps 13.8 VDC, or 14.2 VDC, or 14.4 VDC for a nominal "12 volt" battery. Check what the maker suggests for a charged battery voltage level. This is a place where having a good 3.5 digit or 4 digit digital voltmeter can be useful. Enjoy; Ralph Latte Land, Washington278Views0likes0CommentsRe: Cb radio/ ham operator
Good morning, "d-n-17;" I am also numbered among the radio users. Currently, they consist of a 40 channel CB radio, a Kenwood TS-480SAT with the VGS-1 Speech Synthesizer Chip feeding a Hi-Q 5/80 screwdriver type antenna on 80 Meters through 15 Meters, a Radio Shack HTX-100 with a 98 inch whip for 10 Meters (the Hi-Q 5/80 will not tune up to 10 Meters without changing the top whip), both for mobile HF operation, and an Icom 2 Meter/70 Centimeter dual band mobile. Then back in the dining area or main operating area, is another TS-480SAT, another VHF/UHF dual band mobile, a marine VHF FM radio, an air craft VHF AM radio, and a business band VHF FM radio for SAR. The driver's area Icom dual band VHF/UHF radio probably will be replaced with a Kenwood Dual band with APRS capability. The CB radio antenna is a 5 foot long "ham stick like" helically wound antenna mounted to the left of the windshield about 18 inches below the roof line. The main ham HF antenna when parked is a 27 foot long Hustler-Newtronics 6BTV that goes on the 2 inch square tube receiver in the back. There is also another coaxial cable up on the roof for attaching an NVIS dipole down on 40, 60, or 80 Meters. Most of the VHF/UHF antennas are mounted on the plastic air conditioner and vent covers on the roof so that I do not need to drill any holes in the roof. The coaxial cables go inside mainly by passing down through the refrigerator condenser heat exchange air shaft. The 1987 Winnebago Elandan has been extensively modified by changes and additions in the wiring, and I did a lot of rewiring in the engine area to clean up the wiring and make up the proper length cables to help things work better and physically fit better. Yes, it actually is a mobile communications station, and I can sleep in it too. And I do recommend the Kenwood TS-480 with the VGS-1 Speech Synthesizer as a mobile radio. That radio will tell you what button you have pushed, what parameter you are about to adjust, and by how much you have changed it. You do not need to look at that radio while driving. So, yes, there are some of us out here who are "radio active." And I do agree that the CB radio is not like what it was back in the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s. It is much quieter now. But then, 2 Meters is not the same as it was back in that time period either. Often when driving, I do not hear anything on 146.52 Mc. Enjoy, and 73; Ralph, N7KGA Latte Land, Washington421Views0likes0Comments
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