So I recently purchased a handfull of these flashlights for various people and had a chance to try them out along with mine to get a feel for a sample N>1. So first off, these things are available from various sellers through Amazon. They are billed as >1000Lumens five mode (Hi, Med, Low, Strobe, SOS) flashlight for use with 18650 rechargeable batteries. So I'll give you the Good, the Bad and the Ugly. They are available for anywhere from $4.50 to $10.00 from various vendors through Amazon.
Good
Well, I have been out of the photolithography engineering for a few years so I no longer have access to fancy light energy sensing equipment so I cannot give you a definite output value but compared to a variety of SureFire, StreamLight and Fenix flashlights, I would say it is very likely to be in the neighborhood of 1000 Lumens. Also, compared to the other flashlights this little bugger has an impressively tight hotspot in the center of the beam. In actuality, the beam was even tighter and brighter than both the Fenix PD31 and PD35.
Bad
Function is through the tail cap switch. you can only cycle through the entire range of settings. So turning it on is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you'll get when you push the button. Also, there is no way to flash move and scan with this light. Once you turn it on and back off you would have to cycle through all the settings again before you can use high again.
In addition if the rechargeable goes you CAN NOT substitute two 123's till you get a recharge.
Ugly
Where to start? How about China. These things are made in China and shipped from China. They arrived wrapped in a single layer of plastic foam. No commercial packaging with instructions or warranty information or anything. There was one slip of paper in the package we'll talk about later. It was in a simple plastic bag with a customs sticker on it that indicated it was a gift. So no duty paid on import. This is slimy unfair competition plain and simple. Back to that piece of paper, it was a letter in Chinenglish from Coco Fed Inc. the seller through Amazon. The letter explained that Amazon charges a 5% surcharge so they can sell quality stuff for less directly to you rather than through Amazon. I find that to be slimy at best and a violation of Amazon vendor agreements at worst.
So there you have the facts. I hope I didn't let too much of my personal feelings creep through. And just so you have a frame of reference I am a bit of a light geek and have a collection of SureFire, Streamlight and Fenix lights that I used for comparison along with a couple more at work.
Sunday, August 11, 2013
Sunday, August 4, 2013
E-10 is EVIL! Especially for emerggency supplies.
So previously this weekend we spent a good portion of time cutting down trees that have died as a result of the drought.
In addition to this latest cutting, chainsaws are a regular part of our emergency supplies. We have more than once had to cut our way out of the neighborhood after a storm.So it is vital that our saws be available at any and all times. Unfortunately a good part of this weekends time was spent tearing into our chainsaws to find the damage done by the E-10 crap that made it into our fuel supply.
Now I'm not going to get too deep into the politics of Ethanol. Other than the fact that us ranchers have to pay more for feed now that the government is subsidizing the purchase of corn for making fuel that is less efficient than good old gasoline. Another government program to make our lives better.
However, if you are mixing and using two cycle fuels or for that matter even storing gasoline as a long term emergency supply, Ethanol IS THE DEVIL! Many small engines do not like ethanol in its fuel. It does all sorts of bad things. The ethanol first and foremost absorbs moisture. It also attacks various materials in the engine. Fuel lines are the first to go. They will turn brown and crack then basically disintegrate. The ethanol will also attack some of the alloys in the carb and even inside the engine. This is all bad news. Even worse now that E-10 is being forced down our throats by more government regulation. Another issue is that over even short periods of time the E-10 mixture can cause a premixed can of two cycle fuel to separate out the oil fuel mix causing all sorts of havoc inside a two stroke engine. As far as storage goes, the ethanol attracts moisture something fierce so you have to worry about getting contaminated fuel over time. There are fuel stabilizers like StaBil that should be a mandatory addition to any stored fuel supply but these will not completely stop the bad things ethanol does. In a supply where a vehicle is fueled up weekly or so this is no big deal but over long term storage will cause issues.
There are multiple additives that you can get such as Mechanic in a Bottle and StaBil to help slow many of the effects of ethanol in gasoline but the absolute best answer all around is just avoiding ethanol to start with. Thanks to our wonderful governments concern with our well being, it is getting harder and harder to find real gasoline. Some states do not even require that umps be marked that you are getting ethanol instead of straight gasoline.
Now we are left having to tear into the various engines in our collection and get repair supplies such as replacement fuel lines that are ethanol resistant and rebuilding our equipment. Something that should not be needed but for getting a load of E-10 into our fuel supply.
Something to pay attention to in your emergency supplies and your every day lawn care needs. Word to the wise, avoid ethanol in your fuel at all costs.
In addition to this latest cutting, chainsaws are a regular part of our emergency supplies. We have more than once had to cut our way out of the neighborhood after a storm.So it is vital that our saws be available at any and all times. Unfortunately a good part of this weekends time was spent tearing into our chainsaws to find the damage done by the E-10 crap that made it into our fuel supply.
Now I'm not going to get too deep into the politics of Ethanol. Other than the fact that us ranchers have to pay more for feed now that the government is subsidizing the purchase of corn for making fuel that is less efficient than good old gasoline. Another government program to make our lives better.
However, if you are mixing and using two cycle fuels or for that matter even storing gasoline as a long term emergency supply, Ethanol IS THE DEVIL! Many small engines do not like ethanol in its fuel. It does all sorts of bad things. The ethanol first and foremost absorbs moisture. It also attacks various materials in the engine. Fuel lines are the first to go. They will turn brown and crack then basically disintegrate. The ethanol will also attack some of the alloys in the carb and even inside the engine. This is all bad news. Even worse now that E-10 is being forced down our throats by more government regulation. Another issue is that over even short periods of time the E-10 mixture can cause a premixed can of two cycle fuel to separate out the oil fuel mix causing all sorts of havoc inside a two stroke engine. As far as storage goes, the ethanol attracts moisture something fierce so you have to worry about getting contaminated fuel over time. There are fuel stabilizers like StaBil that should be a mandatory addition to any stored fuel supply but these will not completely stop the bad things ethanol does. In a supply where a vehicle is fueled up weekly or so this is no big deal but over long term storage will cause issues.
There are multiple additives that you can get such as Mechanic in a Bottle and StaBil to help slow many of the effects of ethanol in gasoline but the absolute best answer all around is just avoiding ethanol to start with. Thanks to our wonderful governments concern with our well being, it is getting harder and harder to find real gasoline. Some states do not even require that umps be marked that you are getting ethanol instead of straight gasoline.
Now we are left having to tear into the various engines in our collection and get repair supplies such as replacement fuel lines that are ethanol resistant and rebuilding our equipment. Something that should not be needed but for getting a load of E-10 into our fuel supply.
Something to pay attention to in your emergency supplies and your every day lawn care needs. Word to the wise, avoid ethanol in your fuel at all costs.
Friday, August 2, 2013
I hate trees and E-10 is CRAP
As a result of the drought conditions we have been losing trees around the K- Ranch. Three threatened the house so we spent today dropping trees. So far we have 14 down and probably 5 or 6 more to go. In addition to the ones threatening the house, There are a bunch along the electric line between the house and the road. Last year the electric coop came through and cleared the right of way but what they did was clear cut anything within 15 feet of the wire center line. Unfortunately when the trees are 40 to 50 feet tall, 15 feet of ROW doesn't quite cut it. There are plenty of trees that are tall enough to hit the power lines if they fell. So between cables and the truck we pulled on trees while cutting to make sure they fell away from the power lines and the house. That is a right dead pain in the rear. Plus it would appear the last fuel load I got was E-10 crap. One of the smaller saws worked through teh first tank full a couple weeks ago and has been sitting till this weekend with a full fuel load. This week when I went to start it it really didn't want to fire. After finishing the cutting with the Husky I tore into the smaller saw. I emptied the fuel and out with the fuel came pieces of fuel line and the intake filter/weight. The fuel line is brown and cracking. The Alcohol evidently attacked it. I've heard of this happening with older equipment that was not intended to be run on ethanol crap but I had never seen it first hand. So this is going to take some work to change out fuel lines and clean up the mess made by this fuel abomination.
Thursday, July 18, 2013
Long before Twitter
There was the "Tweet".
So I have spent parts of the last couple months working to convert something like this:
into this:
This would be the instrument panel and cockpit of a T-37 "Tweet". The one on the bottom is located in a lab in the basement of the AeroSpace Engineering Building at work. The only things left original are the seats, left stick, rudder pedals, throttle quadrants and landing gear controls. The right stick has been upgrades to a force sensing side stick and the entire instrument cluster is now two touch screens. This cockpit is surrounded by three projection screens to give the outside view to the pilots and the dash panel is now programmable so it can be configured to match any number of glass cockpit designs. Unfortunately, this cockpit assembly is hard mounted instead of being articulated so there is no motion but it does have surround sound to go with the big screens. I've also had to install electronic feedback from all of the controls, both analog for the various controls and analog from all of the switches into an NI cRIO chassis so the computer can read them into teh flight simulator software.
Once the entire system is up and running I'll have to capture an in cockpit video and post that. Probably one of me flying into a granite cloud somewhere. Or just CFiT.
So I have spent parts of the last couple months working to convert something like this:
This would be the instrument panel and cockpit of a T-37 "Tweet". The one on the bottom is located in a lab in the basement of the AeroSpace Engineering Building at work. The only things left original are the seats, left stick, rudder pedals, throttle quadrants and landing gear controls. The right stick has been upgrades to a force sensing side stick and the entire instrument cluster is now two touch screens. This cockpit is surrounded by three projection screens to give the outside view to the pilots and the dash panel is now programmable so it can be configured to match any number of glass cockpit designs. Unfortunately, this cockpit assembly is hard mounted instead of being articulated so there is no motion but it does have surround sound to go with the big screens. I've also had to install electronic feedback from all of the controls, both analog for the various controls and analog from all of the switches into an NI cRIO chassis so the computer can read them into teh flight simulator software.
Once the entire system is up and running I'll have to capture an in cockpit video and post that. Probably one of me flying into a granite cloud somewhere. Or just CFiT.
Sunday, June 30, 2013
Road Trip
So yesterday, the Mrs and I took a road trip along with a good friend to Mordore on the Colorado to see Much Ado About Nothing at the Alamo Draft House. We met another friend for the show and had a wonderful time. I have to say, I have seen MAaN on stage and screen at least five different versions. This is by far my favorite. It was obvious that this was a labor of love for the actors and not just a job. I highly recommend you go see it. If you have the privilege of being near an Alamo Draft House, go see it there.
We then met up with one of my sisters and brother in law to trade reloading supplies and visit a bit. She had a hang tag for me from one of my other sisters. I'll get a picture of it and post that soon.
Now if only hte housework would have done itself while we were gone.
We then met up with one of my sisters and brother in law to trade reloading supplies and visit a bit. She had a hang tag for me from one of my other sisters. I'll get a picture of it and post that soon.
Now if only hte housework would have done itself while we were gone.
Sunday, May 19, 2013
Take the Star Road
So Peter, Bayou Renaissance Man, Grant has published his first book. Take the Star Road. I just finished reading it and have to say, well done sir! This was definitely a good read and I am very much looking forward to the follow on books.
I won't put up any spoilers but I will say this follows a little bit to the improbable side of a single person having all the breaks and skills all fall into place in a row. Suspend that little bit of disbelief and you're home free. This is a great ride and a very captivating read.
Do yourself a favor and get it and read. You will not be disappointed.
Do yourself a favor and get it and read. You will not be disappointed.
Thursday, April 18, 2013
What are you prepared to do?
We talk all the time about being prepared. Training with your personal defense weapon, doing force on force training to prepare your mind to make the right decision if the time comes. How many of you have trained with a fire extinguisher? How many of you have trained with your first aid kit?
How many of you even have an every day carry first aid kit and fire extinguisher?
Karl Rehn of KRTraining wrote up an article for concealed carry magazine about the Medicine X class put on by Lone Star Medics at the A-Zone range. If you want to get the most bang for your buck in your training, you need to get medical training. When the unexpected happens, are you ready to deal with it? I and others smarter than I have said it repeatedly, the only thing you are guaranteed to have on you when things go wrong is your brain. You may or may not have that fancy schmancy first aid kit with all kinds of bells and whistles. You may just have the clothes on your back. You may have seen it coming or you may have just run a marathon and be out of breath as you gave the race your all. You may have been driving one of the vehicles that just got pancaked and now you need to coagulate your feces and deal with the aftermath, otherwise,someone is going to die and it may be someone you love. You may be in the middle of a major metropolitan area with three major trauma centers just blocks away or you may be on Farm to Market road XXXX halfway between no and where. NOW WHAT?
Not everyone can go to fire school and get multiple runs at a fire pit but there are alternatives. Get fire extinguisher training at work, at community college at your local fire department. Get familiar with your extinguishers and how they operate. Get to know the different types of fires and how best to attack them. Most importantly, just like force on force training getting you head wrapped around making the right decision when things go pear shaped defensively. You need training on what to do when things go non-linear with fire. You do know that you need to be able to get away right? Just as in self defensive shootings, things are not worth losing your life over. You need to be prepared to turn tail and run when you can. Use the fire extinguisher to get out and away. You do know that don't you?
So I ask again, WHAT ARE YOU PREPARED TO DO? I mean really, what do you have the training and mindset to do to save your life or that of someone you love. Or for that matter, to save the life of someone you have never met.
Are you really prepared? If not, what are ya gonna do about it?
Go get training, be prepared.
How many of you even have an every day carry first aid kit and fire extinguisher?
Karl Rehn of KRTraining wrote up an article for concealed carry magazine about the Medicine X class put on by Lone Star Medics at the A-Zone range. If you want to get the most bang for your buck in your training, you need to get medical training. When the unexpected happens, are you ready to deal with it? I and others smarter than I have said it repeatedly, the only thing you are guaranteed to have on you when things go wrong is your brain. You may or may not have that fancy schmancy first aid kit with all kinds of bells and whistles. You may just have the clothes on your back. You may have seen it coming or you may have just run a marathon and be out of breath as you gave the race your all. You may have been driving one of the vehicles that just got pancaked and now you need to coagulate your feces and deal with the aftermath, otherwise,someone is going to die and it may be someone you love. You may be in the middle of a major metropolitan area with three major trauma centers just blocks away or you may be on Farm to Market road XXXX halfway between no and where. NOW WHAT?
Not everyone can go to fire school and get multiple runs at a fire pit but there are alternatives. Get fire extinguisher training at work, at community college at your local fire department. Get familiar with your extinguishers and how they operate. Get to know the different types of fires and how best to attack them. Most importantly, just like force on force training getting you head wrapped around making the right decision when things go pear shaped defensively. You need training on what to do when things go non-linear with fire. You do know that you need to be able to get away right? Just as in self defensive shootings, things are not worth losing your life over. You need to be prepared to turn tail and run when you can. Use the fire extinguisher to get out and away. You do know that don't you?
So I ask again, WHAT ARE YOU PREPARED TO DO? I mean really, what do you have the training and mindset to do to save your life or that of someone you love. Or for that matter, to save the life of someone you have never met.
Are you really prepared? If not, what are ya gonna do about it?
Go get training, be prepared.
Saturday, April 6, 2013
No more open class
Last month I posted an ad for my IPSC open gun. I don't shoot open class any more and haven't in ages. Add to that times are tough and the end result is selling this guy.
I am sad to be letting ti go but it has only accumulated dust for many years and that I cannot abide. So through channels it is sold and will be going to its new owner Monday.
Now I need to clear out brass. So if anyone is interested in 1000pcs of Brand New Remington 38Super +P brass and something close to that in fired brass, let me know.
Now to list some other stuff on EBay/Craigslist and see what it brings.
Thanks to Suburban Dad Survivalist for prompting me to clear out crap that is just taking up space and put those funds to better use. You know like paying down the mortgage and investing in more practical materials.
Now I need to clear out brass. So if anyone is interested in 1000pcs of Brand New Remington 38Super +P brass and something close to that in fired brass, let me know.
Now to list some other stuff on EBay/Craigslist and see what it brings.
Thanks to Suburban Dad Survivalist for prompting me to clear out crap that is just taking up space and put those funds to better use. You know like paying down the mortgage and investing in more practical materials.
Thursday, March 28, 2013
Long Time Comin
So this finally happened. Been threatening to do it since 1979. Even went to the trouble of learning Morse Code way back then. Never followed through until last weekend. Went in and sat for the test. Didn't want to do it till I could guarantee that I would score 100%. I'm just weird that way.
Wednesday, March 27, 2013
An unlikely Visitor
We don't normally get Coasties in here.
Kinda cool to see a Dauphin stop in.
Then we had a visit from Hawkeye Helicopters this morning. I still hear him out there so they are not going far. Not sure what they are up to.
They took off then turned back around and made a slow low pass over the runway nad are just off the south end of the field.
Then we had a visit from Hawkeye Helicopters this morning. I still hear him out there so they are not going far. Not sure what they are up to.
They took off then turned back around and made a slow low pass over the runway nad are just off the south end of the field.
Tuesday, March 26, 2013
And todays random Aircraft Crash
A Cessna 152 had a nose gear failure on landing this afternoon here at Easterwood Field, College Station TX. Pilot was injured but no update as of yet on their condition.
Friday, March 22, 2013
Thursday, March 21, 2013
Everything's gone blurry...
...since I read this: http://ninetymilesfromtyranny.blogspot.com/2013/03/an-end-and-beginning.html.
H/T Kevin
H/T Kevin
Wednesday, March 13, 2013
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