Flaminghotsauce's blog

[flaminghotsauce]

Oh, yeah. I fogot some important bits:

My saitek yoke and throttles are misbehaving. First the yoke:

It has a USB hub on the back that theoretically should be able to have the second throttle quadrant and rudder pedals plugged into it conveniently, but it doesn't work. It needs an external power supply. It's an odd voltage so I have never used it other than to discover it won't work. After a few months of using the yoke, the nice timer/clock on the face of the handle started flickering. It doesn't bother me, but I've read others complaining about it.

Into the yoke is plugged the first throttle quadrand via a round PS/2 style port. The second quad is USB so I have to route it to a computer USB port. The PS/2 jack on the back of the yoke housing is loose, so I began having intermittent throttle difficulties. I had to reach back and gently wiggle and push the plug in better. Two problems so far. Is Saitek experiencing quality issues? Maybe. Then, the throttle axis began experiencing spikes. It would make taxiing nearly impossible. Just to touch the handle would send full-up gas to the engine! It was unflyable. The discussion of the PS/2 port became moot about a month ago when my 7 year-old son found an ink refill kit we had stored. "Oh, cool!" he must have been thinking when he discovered the bottles were squeezable.... There is ink on my wall, window sill, floor around my desk, as well as ink INSIDE the PS/2 throttle assembly. I had to remove it from service. .... ....

Now, I'm down to the USB quadrant, and it's started experiencing spikes. The mixture and prop axis are both spiking. While climbing to cruise in the 185, I could NOT control the mixture. I ultimately gave up and turned on "auto mixture" so I could continue the flight. AFterwards, I did a little searching to see what I could learn about the trim pots in the quadrant, how or even if they could be cleaned. There are some very negative comments regarding the quality of the pots. This is unfortunate, as the build quality of the rest of the system is very good. I'm going to have to disassemble both units and try to clean them out with electronic cleaner. Until then, I might be flying only low and slow with non constant speed prop aircraft at altitudes that don't need leaning, or leave it on auto-mixture.

I love my radio panels too. I wish I could run them. I believe I need to have a bigger power supply in my computer, though. I can only run one at a time. I also read that one must have USB 2.0. I don't think that's my problem though.

Might be some different hardware in my future.

[Tom Goodrick]

I don't keep up with hardware but I suspect USB2 supplies power to external devices. That's what I use on my laptop to run the fan in the "cool base" that sits under the laptop now.

I have had to adjust to using the throttle on the base of my joystick. I have trouble on approaches when I have the joystick on the seat beside me and have to bring the left hand over to make power adjustments.

[louross]

Very interesting. Could you post a photo or two?
lr.

[Tom Goodrick]

If you mean my "cool base" - a term used in Wal-Mart, it is a gently curved plastic plate, about 1/2 inch thick with a 12-blade fan in the center. It has foldout feet on the far side and fixed feet on the side nearest to you for use when placed on hard surfaces. But it is mainly designed for use on a lap to keep cool air moving against the bottom surface of the computer where all the heat sinks are. This area commonly gets closed off by clothing causing the unit to act up in strange ways. The curve in the device also creates a space immediately below the center of the computer so air from the fan can move toward the sides.

I had strange things happen when running FS and TRAINZ. TRAINZ would just shut down the computer. I mentioned the problem to my son Scott who runs an office with several other scientists, all using laptops. He sent me to Wal-Mart for a cheap fix (Best Buy would probably be better.) The unit I got was the cheapest at $20. Its fan is rather weak. It tends to bind a little when placed directly on a fabric surface like a couch or thick carpet. I have lost one fan blade but it still works OK on the remaining 11. The brand is "Belkin".

On the Best buy web site these are known as "cooling pads" and sell for $15 - $60.

www.bestbuy.com/site/Laptop-Accessories/regularCat%3Apcmcat238900050004/pcmcat238900050004.c?id=pcmcat238900050004

[Tom Goodrick]

This cooling base combined with plenty of stupididty on my part contributed to a heart attack last week. It has been very hot here - mid 90's for 16 days - and very dry with poor air quality. After taking my dog out before supper, I took 20 minutes to bring a hose from the back yard and set it on some browning Day Lilies in the front yard. Then I came in and set about resuming my computing. I had stupidly set the computer down on the floor in front of the seat to my right. When I reached to my right I could only get my right hand on the computer to lift it up. Without the base that would be easy. But the extra weight at arms length caused a significant strain.

A very sharp pain shot through my right side and I felt a band closing around my chest making breathing very difficult. I set the computer on my lap and then worked hard at relaxing and easing the pain. It did not ease. That started at 5:30pm and the pain did not ease much until 6:10. My son Craig was in the room all this time and my wife was coming in and out as she prepared supper. I considered asking them to call 911. I did ask my wife to take the computer off my lap as I had lost all interest in computing. But I could not speak loud enough to get her attention. Finally I shut down the computer and took each cord off so I could just set the computer on the seat beside me. The pain was receding but I got up and went to the bathroom to take two Bufferin tablets.

At 6:30 I was able to start eating a very light supper. The event seemed to be over. It has not recurred.

[Ed Burke]

Wow! I would be frightened witless. Good luck Tom, I hope it's over.

[Tom Goodrick]

The main reason I did not call the doctor or visit the hospital right after this was my experience about two years ago. (It was 5 years ago that I had my first "silent heart attack" that led to the triple bypass operation.) Two years ago I felt bad after walking for "my health" in the afternoon. The next day I still felt bad so I went to my family doctor who took an EKG and sent me to the hospital. I had taken my wife along so she could drive me to the hospital and save an ambulance trip. My cardiologist gave me another EKG and then lined me up for several more tests. He wanted to check me into the hospital. He attached the word STAT to all the test orders so we ent to several different rooms on different floors where people were waiting for tests and and we got in ahead of them. They resented it.

I found out that an early blood check had shown both the heart attack enzyme and one that indicates a pulmonary embolism. You don't normally survive both of those. I finished with the last test (a cat scan of my upper torso) at 5:15 as they were closing the labs. One nurse said that blood test must have given a false indication or I would be dead. There may have been someone following us around ready to pick up the body in a hurry. I actually felt pretty good. The day was mainly a waste of time. I was allowed to go home after I promised to phone in BP data every day for two weeks.

This time the chest pain was extreme and unmistakable. But I knew if I could see and hear and try to make small adjustments in my position I was still alive.

[flaminghotsauce]

Tom, be careful down there!

[louross]

I suuppose there is medication for that and you're taking it? You've had blood tests for lipids? Are you overweight?
lr.

[Tom Goodrick]

Yes I take 16 pills a day, 3 for cholesterol, 1 for BP, 1 for pulse limit, one thins the blood and others prescribed for general health. 2 control diabetes. One calms the stomach so the other pills don't make me sick. There was a recent change in the one for pulse (atenalol) that may have upset things a bit. That's always a worry even when the change is supposed to be for the better. My blood gets tested every 3 months.

[flaminghotsauce]

My intuition is good.

We had yet another line of storms come through a couple of days ago. I was drop dead tired as I crawled into bed and, loving storms and the lightning and such, I was too tired to care. I told my wife not to wake me unless the tornado sirens went off.

The tornado sirens went off. We had to go to the basement dragging sleepy headed kids with us. No tornado though, but it's only the second time in 15 years the sirens have gone off.

Then yesterday, I almost grabbed my camera to take along on my mail route, but in a mental discussion with myself about how to keep it dust-free, I decided to leave it home. Once I got to K89, there were two Cessna jets on the ramp! A CJ1 and a Mustang.

And no camera

I was surprised at the Mustang. Looking at pics in Flight magazines, it looks smaller. These jets were pretty much the same size. But I am always surprised how tight they are on the inside.

[flaminghotsauce]

A Rural Mail Carrier has what's called , a Rural Carrier Associate (RCA) or as we call 'em, a sub, to carry the route should we be lucky enough to have a day off. I have a big enough route I get a two day weekend every week (some only get one day always).

As it turns out, I went full-time a year and a half ago when one of our full-time carriers passed away suddenly. Her name was Linda, and I counted her among my friends. She had recently lost her husband who also carried mail out of a different office in another town. She had a daughter, Lynette, who signed up for one of the RCA positions after her mom died. Lynette became MY sub, and subsequently began working on the same route her mom worked for years.

Lynette passed away suddenly Tuesday afternoon. She had a little boy who just turned three years old on the 4th of July. Lynette was only 28. She had a pulmonary embolism and had no idea. She thought she had a cold that she couldn't shake. I spoke with her on the phone last Saturday morning while she was working for me, and she seemed down.
She wasn't complaining about her "cold" but the mail volume was quite heavy for Saturday. I assumed she was just bummed that she wouldn't have a normal, easy Saturday. The visitation and funeral are Saturday morning and I can't go because ... I'm working. She left her sunglasses on the desk, so I have placed them with a photo of her up on top of my mail case.

I was fond of her, like a surrogate dad would be. I had planned to surprise her with a small gathering, bringing a meal and maybe some adult beverages, and all my children for her little guy to play with. I didn't get the chance.

It's one of those sad, sad moments that makes a person realize just how precious life is. Missed opportunities to tell people how much you appreciate them are kind of haunting.

[Bill Von Sennet]

That is a sad story Flaming.

I'm sorry for your loss.

It reminds me, that even though we have planned for our future, we should live as though today is our last.

[flaminghotsauce]

The 9/11 airshow at KIRK is going on right now, and I don't get to go. We're kind of strapped from the Festival in town last week that featured a carnival for the first time in 20-30 years. It was a blast and I spent too much money.

Luckily, we got to see the B52 flyover from our house, and we can hear small aircrafties flying about just beyond our tree line. My neighbor the photographer is there, doing what he does. I'll get to see the A10 warthogs and stuff later tonight. I'll see if I can grab some pics and post or link 'em.

[louross]

Wow! Maybe he'll get and you can post a photo of the B52. Wish I could get a good one for FS- Tinmouseor Dreamfleet Quality. I'd even go for a HJG one.
Back in 1967, no it was 68, I was flying a Cessna from Dalhart, TX up to Trinidad, CO, maybe 4500 agl or there abouts, over very northern central NM, and saw something "move" below about 12 oclock. Then it took a number of seconds to see it again, and it was a B52 on a run down close to the surface. It weas painte camafloge (sp)- greyish-green colors. An amazing site.
lr.