Baja Adventure: New Toys (1 Viewer)

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pappy

photosynthesizing
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We all like our toys camping. This year I added a few new ones. I sure wish I had more time to play with them.

First up, I bought an Engel Wireless Digital Thermometer. All too often I managed to freeze my eggs on trips. So this kept the cooler honest.

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Next up, the Delorme inReach that saved my bacon when I broke down. It allowed me to send text message via the Iridium Satillete system. Messages were limited to 160 characters. I sent or received over 20 messages when I was down there. They were divided into two different kinds. Preset messages were defined online before I left and were sent to the same select group of people. These were all "I'm OK" messages. The second type of message was free text. This unit linked to my Nexus 7 tablet via Bluetooth which made composing messages easier. There was a third type of message called Quick Text that I didn't use. These were predefined messages that I could send to anybody. They were all stored in the unit itself, as well as the tablet. Both needed to be linked to the inReach website before hand.

The messages included a link to a map that showed my location. It also had GPS coordinates.

The inReach also has a SOS feature in case of a life or death crisis. The unit was $300 to walk in. Originally I had to sign up for a year contract at $10/month, but that changed at the end of March and I was able to convert to their Freedom Plan that lets me pay $15 only for the months I want it. The rest of the time the unit is inactive. The plan includes 10 messages, and anything over that is 50 cents. Plus, Preset messages, the "I'm OK" messages that went to a preselect group, are free and unlimited.

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When I went down to Baja with Mike I took along a 20Watt solar panel to keep the battery charged while I ran the cooler. It was very large and a pain to pack. It didn't break my heart when it blew over and cracked the glass. Plus, I didn't think it worked very well. Last year I bought a 40W Zamp Solar panel that folded in two and fit in a nice case. It did pretty good last year. But, it's a bit big, even folded up. So this year I made my own setup.

I bought a pair of 10Watt panels that measured about 18" x 8". I hinged them together and used the controller from the broken panel to wire it up. Total package was 17.75" x 7.5" x 2.25". I read someplace that since the 20Watt output was so low I probably didn't need the controller. I tried it with both the controller and without, and thought in the end that the controller was unnecessary. It seemed to charge better without. I had it rigged to plug into a 12V socket so I didn't have to lift the hood.

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I run a Garmin GPSMAP 60csx down there to track my routes. Usually it sits on the seat, or falls on the floor, and in general is not easy to read or use on the road. Plus, when on the seat I needed to use a remote antenna. So, this year I bought a RAM mount for it. It mounted solid to the windshield and placed the GPS right in front where I could see it. I wish I had found this sooner.

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I think one of the most important things you had was my number....
 
Pappy - cool stuff - thanks for the review. I am particularly interested in the solar stuff for our camping trips. Any chance you'd want to sell the Zamp solar setup, or you probably want to keep it for a backup?

Sounds like that inReach system was just what you needed, especially given the adventures you encountered this time.
 
I think one of the most important things you had was my number....

Yep. The driveline shop in Phoenix was very busy and were unable to help. They sent me to another shop that fit me in. It was nice having a contact place to start calling.
 
Pappy - cool stuff - thanks for the review. I am particularly interested in the solar stuff for our camping trips. Any chance you'd want to sell the Zamp solar setup, or you probably want to keep it for a backup?

I'm going to hang onto it. I really didn't get to run the 20W through it's paces to make sure it had enough juice to keep the battery topped off. Especially when it's warmer out and the cooler cycles more.
 

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