CLCC Tech Day thread (2 Viewers)

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Something a little different...
Once a year, Amateur Radio Operators, or Hams, conduct a worldwide emergency communications drill. This event is called Field Day and this year it occurs on June 24 & 25. Field Day

Historically, Hams have been a significant communications resource during natural and man-made disasters and special events. For example; Hams are the primary communications resource for the Red Cross. Hams provided post-Katrina communications resources to New Orleans public safety operations while their radio infrastructure was down from storm damage. And, Hams provide significant communications resources during the Marine Corps Marathon.

The purpose of Field Day is to practice setting up and operating a radio station(s) at a remote location, rain or shine, using generator, battery or solar power in preparation for a real event. Field Day is also a contest/competition. Points are awarded for the number of stations operating, the number of contacts made (local, national and worldwide) and when special operating modes are used, such as; satellite (Hams have over 30 satellites in orbit), moon bounce (using the moon as a reflector) and communicating with the Hams aboard the Space Station, to name a few. There is a limited station set-up time (stations need to be on the air soon after the disaster) with continuous operations expected for 24 hours from Saturday afternoon until Sunday afternoon.

The Vienna Wireless Society (Ham club) https://viennawireless.net/wp/ does their Field Day at Burke Lake Park. The VWS will have an impressive set up where they will operate numerous stations using a variety of long wire antennas strung through the trees and beam antennas on temporary towers. This year the Virginia Communications Cache Virginia Communications Cache a Virginia Emergency Management Department resource to support public safety communications during an emergency is planning to have a display of vehicles and equipment at the VWS Field Day site on Saturday - unless they are dispatched to a real event. The VWS Field Day site will be on the left just as you enter Burke Lake Park, before the park's guard shack.

What does this have to do with off-roading??? Increasingly, Ham radio is being used by off-roaders because of the coverage and capability benefits and the ability to have wide area communications resources in the event of an emergency when outside of cellular coverage. The volunteer emergency/event organizations (post disaster, search & rescue, Appalachian Trail, etc.) depend on Hams for comms and off-road vehicle volunteers for transportation support. Even the preppers are getting involved with Ham radio in anticipation of the telephone and cellular networks crashing. So there is somewhat of a relationship between the various groups.

So, pack up the kids, go to Burke Lake Park, ride the train and the carousel, feed the ducks, eat an ice cream cone and check out the VWS Field Day site. VWS will have a visitor's site set up so the kids can actually talk on the radio to someone in another part of the country or the world.

The ARRL web site Home will have a Field Day locator page to find Field Day sites in other areas that may be closer to you.

Ed
 
I guess I missed it.

I have brakes and springs to install. .

Anyone up for a long day Saturday or Sunday>??
 
I guess I missed it.

I have brakes and springs to install. .

Anyone up for a long day Saturday or Sunday>??


I finished springs and shocks recently. I would recommend setting aside 2 full days and do the job do the brakes as a seperate task. I had 6 jackstands, 2 jacks and plenty of quality tools and it took me many, many hours to do alone. Mostly because of the 20 years of corrosion holding everything together.

Have you started spraying all of the nuts and bolts that need to come loose for the swap? Mine had plenty of rust and seized hardware that took up to 30 min each (for me at least) to remove going back and forth a couple of threads at a time with a constant stream of penetrating oil as I went.

I reallllyyyy didn't want to break any hardware. Even being careful, I got impatient once and broke the bolt that holds the e-brake cable bracket.

Now I have zip ties doing the job. As much as a PITA that was, it was better than trying to drill out snapped bolts. Everything was reassembled with a generous coat of anti-seize.
 
I think that in our last meeting the 27th of this month was floated. I'm planning to go to this: venueartist/172453/2269634?brand=monsterjam&brand=FELD&camefrom=CFC_FELD_WEBSITE&_ga=2.108713409.2139119452.1516335036-2041426634.1516335

I don't want to miss the tech day, but I'm not sure if it is happening... is it?
 
I'm thinking about rerouting the exhaust on my 450 inside the frame rail, probably using mail order mandrel bends. Does anyone have experience with this?
 
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Stainless Exhaust We run them over the frame like the earlier ones.

Do you think you could use your jigs to make a non-SS exhaust out of aluminized steal for the cheap bastards out there like me? I wonder what the cost delta would be for that.
 
For the August 25th tech day we discussed at last meeting.

I had talked about doing a complete caliper & rotor swap. I've since downgraded my ambitions to just swapping in new pads for the time being. So I'd be looking at less than about an hour. It's simple but not nothing I can do between the condo association rules and the required brake bleeding.
 
For the August 25th tech day we discussed at last meeting.

I had talked about doing a complete caliper & rotor swap. I've since downgraded my ambitions to just swapping in new pads for the time being. So I'd be looking at less than about an hour. It's simple but not nothing I can do between the condo association rules and the required brake bleeding.

You don't want to replace pads without replacing/turning the rotors. And it doesn't take that much longer.
 

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