Had A Visitor

How well do you know your wildlife scat (poop)?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Large, black, and full of bird seed is the sure sign of a Black Bear. This was located in a grassy parking area on the right side of the driveway heading up towards the house and was not there a couple of days ago. My little poodle rescue girl found it and "pointed it out to me" by paying too much attention to it. I texted my neighbor that I had something to show him and to stop by on his way home from work. He did and we had a poop viewing party. He was shocked to say the least.

In the 20 years we have lived in the woods, I have never seen a bear on my property, but this is the third sure sign. In 2005 or 2006 my dogs found a similar pile in the woods right behind my house where our fire pit is now. In 2016, we woke up to find an ornamental iron "shepherd's hook" bent flat to the ground, and the suet cake basket at the top crushed, mangled, and empty. My bird feeders are now high up in a tree with a rope and pulley system. But the birds drop seed all over the ground which the squirrels, chipmunks, and ground feeding birds mostly eat. I figure the bear was probably licking it all up.

I have had my Marlin 336 in .30-30 handy since a fox was hanging around near the chicken yard a few days ago. At the time all I had handy was my 9mm G-17. I should have braced myself on the deck railing but I didn't and given the distance firing off-hand, I missed. Twice. Now with a bear in the vicinity the rifle was handy last night when I was in bed. I am on a 24 at the FD so there will be no predator control until tomorrow. My wife certainly won't pick up the slack.

"This is my rifle. There are many like it, but this one is mine."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It is loaded with 150gr Federal soft-point ammo. The ammo is rated for white tail deer and is probably overkill for the fox and a little light for bear. I have the same ammo in 170gr but that is way too heavy for the fox. The scope is a Bushnell Trophy and the rifle is sighted in at 100 yards. 3 shot groups are covered by a Kennedy half-dollar. For the 170gr ammo I just hold high about 2 inches. Well placed shots will be the order of the day. I don't hunt and never have, but I bought this 1971 vintage rifle with the scope mount when I started raising chickens and discovered I did not have a good varmint/predator rifle. $265 plus tax back in 2007 when every gun shop had a well stocked used gun display.

The Heat Is On

The song from 1984 by Glenn Frey of The Eagles for the movie "Beverly Hills Cop" starring Eddie Murphy.

 

 

Yes.... the heaters are now working on "The Beast"!!! It took quite a bit of troubleshooting but everything was testing out fine. I did get stuck and confused at one point but an examination of the complete wiring diagram showed me why the manual was telling me to do the step it was. I made up a jumper cord to connect the contact leads for the heater relay as the instructions said and BINGO! voltage on the pins where it was supposed to be proving good grip and seat heaters. I got to the point where it was either a bad HCU (heater control unit) or main ECM (electronic control module). Knowing either could be an expensive proposition, I made sure the connector for the HCU was freshly cleaned and snapped it in place. I started the bike and turned on the heaters. Still nothing. SHIT! I could not find any documentation anywhere about what the actual signal was from the ECM that tells the HCU to provide heat. Is it ground? Is it full battery voltage? Is it less voltage and if so how much? Or is it some kind of data signal? If you read the first post of this problem, you'll recall that the system does not work above a certain intake temperature and there is no "GO" signal to the HCU to allow heat. I was apprehensive about trying to measure the signal and possibly blowing something up. So I had a thought.... I wonder if the ECM simply needs to be reset? So, I disconnected the ground wire on the battery, turned the key to on and punched the starter button to drain every bit of juice from the whole bike. I then went in the house to get a snack with the ground still off the battery. When I came back out after 15-20 minutes, I reconnected the ground and started the engine. VOILA! Within a couple of minutes the seat and grips started getting warm. I left the bike running long enough for everything to get real toasty. The next thing I needed to do was splice and solder the wire permanently for the left grip. I shut the bike down and did an inline "Western Union" style splice, soldered the wire wraps, and buttoned it all up with heat shrinkable tubing. The Western Union works better for an inline splice whereas a pigtail hangs off one side. The extra wiring was looped and ty-wrapped in place at the base of the handlebar, and a check was made to ensure the extra bit of wire did not interfere with steering. I did one more test of the heaters to make sure it was all working, and it was.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It has been cold the past couple of days so I have limited my time in the garage and today was no different. The plan is to reassemble The Beast on Saturday since I am working tomorrow. Hopefully afterwards, I can take it out for a spin and really give the rejuvenated heater system a workout. 

Progress on "The Beast"

My fear has been realized. It was the bane of my existence when I had my 35 year career in telecommunications and I.T. What is it you ask? A system that goes down, with not just one problem causing the outage, but multiple problems, making troubleshooting difficult and sometimes finally resulting in a "shotgun approach".... replacing everything replaceable and getting the system operational again. Usually an expensive proposition.

I received the replacement left heated grip for the first new one I inadvertently broke while installing it. It went on just fine and I metered it afterwards to make sure I still had continuity. 2.4 ohms... perfect! I temporarily wired it in and tested the heaters. No heat. Shit!... time to dig in and do some serious troubleshooting.

The pile of parts removed so far. It will be growing

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The service manual is open to the electrical portion and Chapter 17 - Heaters. There is a long step by step process, but with the bike partially disassembled I could test some individual components and "cheat" a bit. First thing was to check both fuses with a meter and neither one was blown open. Next is the heater system relay. The book says to replace it with a known good one. The one for the horn and turn signals is the same type. I did a double test by using the relays to try and operate both systems. Both relays operated the horn and turn signals, but would not turn the heaters on. The grip heaters are wired in series with the rear seat heater. Because the seat was out, I had access to the connector for the rear seat heater. This allowed me to meter the entire grip heater circuit which proved that the throttle grip heater was good. I then metered the rear seat heater and got the normal 2.4 ohms. I then metered the main seat heater elements and found both of them to be good. The seat heaters use thermistor circuitry to ensure the seats don't "get too hot." In the manual, there is a chart that shows thermistor resistance based on temperature. My super duper Klein True RMS multimeter has a temperature probe. It was about 10 degrees C in the garage yesterday, and the chart said the thermistor should read between 90 and 101 ohms. All 4 thermistors read a perfect 98 ohms. It's gotta be chilly when you work on this system or it will not operate.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The left grip has the Kuryakyn chrome grip cover installed to protect it

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You'll notice the dashboard and speaker grilles are out. I needed to ensure the potentiometers that control the amount of heat desired by way of controlling the voltage output from the heater control unit were connected. They are located below the LCD screen and just above and on both sides of the ignition key. Something I did not check previously. I found out the service department had that out to do the fork seals according to the service procedure. There is one multi pin connector for the pots and the switches that control the display which were all working. This also allowed me to clean dust and debris from behind the speaker grilles that blows in through the fairing.

So, the next thing I need to do is pull the lower trunk half and then the left saddlebag to access the heater control unit and the main cable connector. I will need to connect all the elements and meter right to the connector. It starts with the basics of voltage and ground, and progresses to the other elements. Hopefully it is a simple wiring issue and doesn't turn out to be the main controller unit.

 

Carried In GFDZ's Today

Not once, but twice.

Our local school held their annual Veteran Breakfast and program. I was armed with my Ruger LCP in a pocket holster. Not my preferred firearm for cold weather, but better than nothing and perfect for deep cover. Absolutely no chance of anyone inadvertently catching a glimpse of my firearm or holster. I was deep inside the school, full of students, faculty, and other veterans from town. No one there was EVER in danger, regardless of what panty-peeing hoplophobes or anti-gun tyrants want you to think. But you know who would have been in danger? Anyone wishing to carry out mass murder unopposed.

From there, I went to the Post Office to mail a bunch of first class items. The USPS is closed for the federal holiday but the P.O. Box lobby is open and I used the inside mail drop. It is debatable whether I actually violated the law, since postal carry prohibitions have been declared unconstitutional in the U.S. 5th District. These constitutional rulings cover the 5th District region of Texas, Louisiana, and Mississippi, as well as anyone that was a member of the FPC (Firearms Policy Coalition) and the SAF (Second Amendment Foundation) of which I am a Life Member of the latter when the ruling came down. Those gun rights organizations were plaintiffs in the case, therefore the ruling applies to their members.

GFDZ's will always cease to exist when I am there. 

 

 

GFDZ = Gun Free Death Zone 

To The Range Today

My wife was out of town at a Christmas Craft Fair at Mohegan Sun, so I just felt like throwing some long range lead today out to 200 yards this afternoon. I only took 30 rounds with me and at that just shot 12 in a little less than 2 hours. Set up and break down took quite a bit of time. My rifle is zeroed to 100 yards. Using my dope card I dialed up the windage and elevation required to get out to 200. The 7.62x54r cartridge shoots a hair flatter than .308 with a 100 yard zero. Out to 200 the .308 drops 3.7 inches but the 7.62x54r drops 3.6

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I got mixed results. I cleaned the bore and then touched off a fouling shot at the 200 yard gong. A previous shooter painted all the plates black, which is hard to see with a black reticle that most scopes have, So I painted a white spot in the middle. My hit is circled.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Next I took aim at this Birchwood-Casey spatter type bullseye target. The first shot was right on the line of the 9-10 ring at about 11 o'clock. The next one was just above it. The third shot was just above the red center at 12 o'clock. A little disappointing to say the least. On the other hand, it's been about 7 months since the last time I did some long range shooting.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I then moved over to this target also made by Birchwood-Casey. The next two shots were at the large center diamond. First shot was left, the second was right. Geez, I am really sucking today! The shot in the upper left small diamond was later in the session and after the next shot.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Just for ha-ha's I took a shot at the thick disk lying on it's side. It too, had been painted black so I rotated it for an unshot surface and sprayed about a 3" diameter spot of white. I had hit this target before and just like then, I put one round dead center where I was aiming. That's when I decided to go back to the target with diamond and aim for the upper left one pretty confident I was gonna punch the center. DAMMIT! off by about an inch. WTF?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I did an internet search on what my problem could be. Basically the response was "aim small, hit small." So I tested that theory with my next 3 shots against some rocks I rounded up a little bigger that my fist. I hit each one with one shot at 200 yards turning them into clouds of dust. Apparently my trouble is all psychological because it certainly isn't my equipment.

This last shot was because I don't like odd numbers and wanted to shoot an even 12. This was at the 75 yard gong without readjusting my scope but holding low on a guesstimate. Centered by windage and just a bit low on elevation.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This rifle performs better than I can make it unless I spend a lot more time at the range with it and make a shit ton more ammo. But knowing that the purpose of this rifle is to engage and destroy "man sized" targets of opportunity from a hidey hole in a case of FAFO, I need to not be so hard on myself. Every one of today's 12 shots would have produced satisfactory results, and unlike the SEAL snipers in the movie "Captain Phillips," I won't be lying prone on the fantail of a pitching naval destroyer while taking aim at an also pitching small craft with bad guys inside.

Well, This Should Be Fun

On Wednesday November 19th, I will be visiting my daughter's Kindergarten classes, reading them this book:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I will read it aloud to them while wearing my firefighting boots and pants. At the end of the story, Fireman Joe gives all the kids plastic fire hats which I will do as well. Afterwards I will demonstrate putting on the rest of my gear including an air pack, and show the kids what we look and sound like if we have to come into their house to rescue them. We tell the kids not to be scared and go run and hide, but to come to us even though we look and sound kinda scary. Afterwards an open Q & A which is always entertaining. My daughter seems to think the questions will be all about the amazing fact that I am her Dad, not about being a fireman.

In October I did my 19th Fire Prevention program at our local school. I have been in charge of it since 2006 when the subject came up and the Chief was looking for someone to run it. I have done it ever since. Sometimes I have a helper to do the gear demonstration, but other times it is just me like it was this year. We currently do Pre-K to second grade, but I have spoken to the school about moving the program up to second to fifth grade. My thought is if we REALLY want to engage the kids in fire prevention, they need to be a little older where fire safety points make sense, and it's not just about seeing a big red fire truck.

DAMMIT!!!

While installing the new grip and following the instructions, the grip got stuck halfway on the handlebar. As I twisted it to get it to move, I heard and felt the telltale "cracking" sounds of the heater mesh breaking. I got it off and checked it with an Ohmmeter. Wide open.... and trashed! FUCK! $226 down the shitter. Prior to removing (and destroying) the old grip I put the Ohmmeter on it to verify it was open, which it was. The new one showed continuity. 

I spent some time to try and source a new one from a different vendor, but the eBay seller in Japan I bought the first one from is still the cheapest for OEM. I checked with Manchester Honda because sometimes the dealer is actually cheaper (I have run into this with Toyota). Nope. Just for the left grip they quoted me $302 plus tax. I looked into some aftermarket grips made by Show Chrome that are supposed to be plug and play with the Goldwing system, but the ones I need are out of stock everywhere. If I had gotten those I would then return the Kuryakyn ISO Grips because the Show Chrome version has ISO grips built in.

I felt like an idiot ordering the same item from the same seller, but the deed is done. I did a test with the one I broke and it seems that coating everything with Windex makes it slide on easily, and once the Windex dries no glue will be necessary. I work tomorrow and then have the following 6 days off. I'll tackle it again then. I had the last one straight from Japan in just a few days.

 Excuse me while I go outside and scream at the sky. 😮

Working On "The Beast" Today

I am finally.... FINALLY going to work on the heaters on my bike, affectionately known as "The Beast." 

My 2008 Honda GL1800 HPNA Goldwing 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

They have been out way too long making cold weather riding not as pleasant as it can be. I have ridden when it was below 20 out, wearing cold weather gear, and with the heaters on finding myself quite comfortable. Rather than troubleshoot the entire system, I took a chance on buying a new heated left grip, which is what normally goes bad. $226 on eBay for a brand new OEM unit straight from the Land of The Rising Sun. What happens is the heater mesh inside breaks from people using too much torque on that grip to get the bike on the center stand, instead of mostly using the seat handle. I believe it broke in summer of 2020 when I had my bike in for service, but I can't prove it. But it all worked prior. The exterior of my original grip looks rough and was rotated way out of position putting strain on the power cable. Unfortunately the Honda heater system is way over-engineered and when one component goes out, the whole system goes out. The troubleshooting procedure is about 8 pages in the service manual, and also requires disassembly of the trunk and left saddlebag, because that's where the heater control box is and the main wiring connector. So dumb. Anyway, I am just going to install the new heated left grip and give it a try. Part of the engineering of this nightmare has to do with the operation if it is above a certain outside temperature and the air intake reporting, toggling ON/OFF from the main ECM. So if YOU happen to be chilly and want heat, you won't get it if the system says it is too warm out. I don't recall what the cutoff is... 62F? 64F? Most heated grip and seat systems are simply heater elements with a rheostat in series connected through a fuse to the battery that you can turn on and as high as you want at will. Simple. Not this. There are also thermistors on the seat heaters so they shut off if they get "too hot." 🙄

I have these Kuryakyn ISO Grips on order from Wingstuff. They are clamshell type covers that go right over the OEM grips. My old riding buddy had them on his Goldwing and he loved them. The heat transfer is superb. I want them to protect the grip heaters from future damage. $161.99 with no sales tax (Ha Ha fuck you Kommiecticut!) and free shipping.

 

OMG!!! She Was Hot AF

Whom you may ask? Why the gorgeous and super sweet 19 year old Irish redhead "Sexy Kitty" I had as a patient in my ambulance on Halloween night. She had been traveling through town on the interstate to an out of state Halloween party and began having an asthma attack while driving. She got off the highway to seek medical attention, however she instead found herself traveling on a dark state road in the middle of nowhere. She finally stopped on the side of the road and called 911. When I approached her car to talk to her.... HOLY SHIT!! look what she's wearing. Black stiletto ankle boots, fishnet stockings, a tiny black short skirt, sporting a bare midriff, a small black top with spaghetti straps, and of course... the cat ears on her head and a round black spot on the tip of her nose. I won't go into the details of her physical attributes, but it suffices to say she was a well put together young woman. She was very sweet and outgoing and so nice to me as well. She had tried to use her rescue inhaler but found no relief. Thankfully, she was not in acute respiratory distress. When she exited her car I got to see her from head to toe. OMG... so smokin' hot! I wished I was 20 and single because I would have done my damnedest to date her. Alas, I am married and old enough to be her Grandpa, so I was just the charming old man that took care of her until the paramedic got on board and then I assisted the paramedic. We got her to the hospital and turned her over to the ER and wished her well.

I just returned from another call with that same paramedic, and told her I will remember that call until I die. She didn't get why.

 Uh.... maybe because I'm a guy?