Random Thought Thread

Mendoman said:
I’m off the grid totally and the lead acid batteries are good for a couple of years, then you can nurse them along for another year. Then you are replacing, in my case, 16 170 pound batteries at a cost of about 5k. Or you can get 8 Lithium batteries around 40 pounds each at a cost of about 20k that have a warranty for 10 years. The Lithium equivalent can be used down to 0% state of charge where the led acid only recommends using 30%-50% of capacity before recharging to 100%. We have an electric Polaris Ranger and those lead batteries lasted about a year and are constantly corroding through wires and require constant maintenance. You’ll be driving and smoke comes up from under the seats from melting lead contacts. To replace them with Lithium batteries is 5-7k.
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That got my attention as I just finished winterizing my Ranger. The idea of a quiet off road vehicle is pretty great.
 
Problem is 1. If you are behind on your car payment they can turn off the ev remotely
2. I forsee this- if you commit a crime, it's easier for the government to track you/disable your vehicle/drive your car to the police station
Far fetched? Already there are shut off devices in some regular cars and I think in some GM cars , police can slow down a stolen car.
And refer to below for the moral quandary
 
beeinak said:
That got my attention as I just finished winterizing my Ranger. The idea of a quiet off road vehicle is pretty great.
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Yes it seems great in theory. And the dogs like to run around behind it so we liked it not having exhaust. But I think it’s not really well executed. The battery bank is pretty exposed to mud/dust/water coming up from underneath the machine and I guess that contributes to the problems with the batteries. Plus they aren’t insulated from temperature changes or moisture. It is nice and quiet though. And it’s pretty capable when the batteries are new.
 
vkp78 said:
Problem is 1. If you are behind on your car payment they can turn off the ev remotely
2. I forsee this- if you commit a crime, it's easier for the government to track you/disable your vehicle/drive your car to the police station
Far fetched? Already there are shut off devices in some regular cars and I think in some GM cars , police can slow down a stolen car.
And refer to below for the moral quandary
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Well you actually pointed out a positive!
I watched an episode of Live On Patrol where OnStar shut down a stolen car for LEO. It was pretty awesome. The OnStar rep was very professional about it, as was the department.
If they could lock the doors and ignite the vehicle remotely for the really bad guys that might deter some criminals. 🤣
 
I was having trouble getting my new iPhone to hook up to Verizon and when I called they wanted to see my screen so they had me hold my wife’s phone up to mine and then they hacked it to hers so they could look through her camera. The guy on the phone was commenting on the view out my window and the dog on my wife’s home screen. It was a little creepy that it was that easy.
 
Mendoman said:
Yes it seems great in theory. And the dogs like to run around behind it so we liked it not having exhaust. But I think it’s not really well executed. The battery bank is pretty exposed to mud/dust/water coming up from underneath the machine and I guess that contributes to the problems with the batteries. Plus they aren’t insulated from temperature changes or moisture. It is nice and quiet though. And it’s pretty capable when the batteries are new.
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Very nice idea for the dogs. Everytime I work on our Ranger for maintenance, I feel like the engineers never actually drive them in places that get dirty or wet.
 
Seeing Richard's beautiful Golok earlier...(I'm envious), inspired me to get out the old Valiant "Survival Golok" and take it to my neighbor's overgrown fenced in yard which he has made available to Kobe for play. (He's the neighbor that watches him when I go to the supermarket and miss Friday sales.)

I think he'll be very surprised that his yard no longer looks like an overgrown Indonesian rain forest when he gets back home in a couple of days. The Golok is a great tool for tree branches, woody vines and lighter fare. The heft makes it fly through the harder stuff.

This is an image from the now defunct site of the golok used. It's the same one that sent me to the ER for 13 stitches when it slipped the sheath two years ago while trying to avoid Skyler (R.I.P.). I think the one in the image is the longer version than the one I have, which is roughly 18" or thereabouts.

Valiant Golok.jpg
 
Nathan the Machinist said:
Just like masks, the whole renewable energy thing became highly politicized with lots of "alternate facts" and spin and tons of misinformation.

And, unfortunately, the party that I most affiliate with is on the wrong side of things. Again. Not to get into politics here, but what a shit show.
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100% staying away from politics or anything my comment was just based off the surface level irony of it which amused me… I can’t pretend to know much of anything and really know just enough to understand I know nothing.
 
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