Things are Look'in UP!

 

  

Looks like its going to be a real nice day! (If the wind doesn't get up.)

Had to fudge some on the lighting picture to give about the actual lighting level in here with just the solar lighting. The camera without the flash was just way too dark. Actually it is lighter than that looks because I can actually read the clock fine and with the lap top screen and the solar lights I can see to type. (Although it isn't easy) I have a small 12 volt florescent light mounted just over the computer screen though so don't need the big light to type with that. Its runs off of the battery bank also.

Almost!

 

With the really crappy (Cold, Cloudy and Windy) weather and the prediction of rain today and tomorrow I've been doing a little Google searching to see if there was another alternative to the monstrosity foam and foil dish I made  to get internet at first and then use the cell phone with. I tried using the tent for a phone booth with that yesterday and never had any luck. I was usually higher up with it sitting on top of the Falcon when it worked so that may be the reason. Anyway I came across a number of different things to do (including soldering tin cans together and adding an antenna inside them. Didn't have but one can that might work and no antenna hardware so that was out. I tried several other ideas and none of them worked. Then I stumbled across one video that told how to make an external antenna. Its supposed to be the correct length though so I need to do some more research to try and find what MHZ my phone uses and the length for that MHZ. I made it about the same length as the one in the video and it did work to an extent. I was able to place a couple of calls, but during the conversations the call dropped. Never the less if I can get this perfected for my phone the little pigtail looking antenna you see sticking up would beat the heck out of the dish. I also found out in my searches where most cell phones have a port on the back of them somewhere for external antenna or boosters so once I found that on mine I was able to make and use the one seen. There should be a small rubber plug on the back of most cell phones and that would be where the external antenna or booster would plug in. As is with the phone sitting where it is I can tell when someone is calling. Of course being able to talk for any length of time is another story until I can get it tweaked.

As for the dish I screwed something up last night while trying to rain proof the WiFi key and could barely get email or get on the net. I did brave the lousy weather earlier just long enough to zero it in and even got it better plus now it should be rain proof. I think I have it about as tweaked in as it can get and I'm happy with it because it is plenty fast.

  

Also decided to go Chinese on my solar lights to make it a little better in here. Haven't figured out exactly which way to do them yet, but I figure I'll use the newest and brightest 8 of them on the sealing like that. I wouldn't be surprised if it lightened it up a bunch in here. I may use some silver tape on the blue board above them about a square foot in area to act as reflectors to make it even lighter.I also wouldn't be surprised to see that I can even see to type on here without another light source. Just use the big light when I need it the most.

And... Last, but not least the old burner is back in here for the cold weather. It can actually be regulated down low enough to keep it from being blazing in 5 minutes! I'll use the other heater for the BIG gun when I need to warm the place up fast. Also it puts out some humidity while burning where the other one seems to just make raw dry heat. (which I figure is causing my nose bleeds?)

Added for OGT

Might make a good solar shower to? Paint the tank black in close it in glass and provide power from batteries. More than enough water for a shower. 

 

What do ya think?

Done & Not Done

 

I've got too much junk in here to show the whole thing because I'm trying to get stuff moved from the tent back in here and straighten up the back storage area so I can build some shelves in there. I could put that storage area to a lot better use with shelves! I'd intended to frame up the walls and sealing with 2x4 studs turned sideways to conserve space in here, but what you see is no frame work at all. I did frame up the false floor and then the blue board is taped to it and then again at the top. There was a half inch rim around the top of the container just perfect for the half inch blue board to fit in so I used that to put the blue board in and then taped it off to the sides of the wall. I cut some old shock poles to the length I needed for trusses to support it in the center from the walls.

As for the welder I'm still out of luck. I picked up some 1/16th inch rods in Odessa and set at 40 AMPs (the lowest setting) it will strike an ARC, but then kicks the breaker on the welder. Now I understand why John uses 30 AMPs on his welder because I think my generator is about the same output. Looks like I'm going to have to save up some $ and buy a small TIG like my brother in law has. It will stick weld beautifully on the same type generator. Those 1/16th inch rods sure go fast though!

Guest House

 

Got the Guest House built today. Of course it will probably be my house if any guest show up and they will sleep in here. Actually its not for guest though, but there's a real possibility it could be used because I have an aunt and older sister that sure do want to come down here for a visit. I needed a place to store all of the stuff in here so I can start building and since I can't pile stuff on the trailer I decided to use the tent I bought when I first came down here with the intent to live in it. I couldn't get most of the stakes very deep because of the rock so used the spare batteries and all the buckets of pig iron / hardware I have here as hold downs. I figure with all the batteries and pig iron there is at least 600 lbs in it to make sure it doesn't go anywhere. It may blow down, but I don't think it will blow away. I pretty well shot the day working on the new dish trying to get it tweaked right and a trip to the Grub Shack for ice, to pickup my mail and then putting up that 20 x 8 monster. Its the same size as this whole container in floor space terms. (nice and roomy since there aren't any partitions in it. Sort of makes me wish there wasn't one in here.)

As for the new dish it will take more tweaking because not only do I need to get it pointed in the right direction to get the best signal I also need to get the up and down attitude right and then the WiFi key mounted at the correct distance from it. I assumed that putting it where the satellite TV pickups were would work, but I had to move it a good bit closer to the dish. I guess that's the difference between having it focused at a satellite thousands of miles away and a WiFi server just several miles away?

 

Fogged in this morning. Everything on the trailer is soaked from dew and it would sure be nice if the sun would burn the crap off so it can dry and I can get started with the building. Not a mountain to be seen anywhere!

Going Home!

 Sorry... No pictures this time. I'm trying to get ready for the return trip and still have a lot to do. I've managed to accomplish a lot while here thanks to the help from family. With me being sick and not feeling much like working on the falcon my brother in law did most of the work of replacing the radiator hose and adding the thermostat so I now have heat in the old bird. Also got the exhaust leaks fixed on both sides rather then the one I thought was the only side leaking. Got a small dish that should improve the internet connection from my cousin, some cooking utensils I bought and was given by my sister, Food from my aunt and some I bought at wally world. Also got my mom's old microwave that had been stored at my sister's house. There is an 8 foot dish I could have for the cell phone hot spot, but just no room on the trailer for it. The generator/battery charger is finished and functional. I hope to get to Lowe's early in the morning to load up on the stuff to finish up the Iron Dungeon along with a good heater and spare propane tank so I will have a backup. The turkey cooker will be moved outside for making my morning coffee and to cook on until the tank is needed for backup heating. Hopefully I'll get back down there early enough to make a showing toward getting the place nice and cozy for tomorrow night. I'm feeling a good bit better after taking antibiotics. If I don't watch out the Iron Dungeon is liable to become a lot closer to a home.

Meet PJ

Meant for a little humor and to solve the problem of those much needed late night trips outdoors here is how I solved that dilemma. Meet PJ. The ladies would probably call theirs PC and I don't mean the computer type. After deciding to use a Jug (as in the J part of PJ) I remembered the movie with Tom Hanks "Castaway" and decided to decorate it like he did his ball. I really don't talk to it yet though.

 

And on another note... I froze my buns off for 4 nights there and never got sick, but come up here where its nice warm and cozy and I get sick. Its about time for me to get back down that way and maybe I can get to feeling better!So far even with feeling really lousy I have gotten the thermostat installed in the falcon so will have heat in it. Tomorrow will be to try and stop the exhaust leak where it will at least limp along quietly. I went to Home Depot Saturday and got one of the sun flower looking propane heaters and didn't open it until today. When I did someone had evidently bought a new one, stuck their old defunct one back in the box and returned it. Worst part is the store must not have checked it when they did. Anyway it took another trip back there today to exchange that. While I was at it I bought a backup propane cylinder so shouldn't have to worry much about running out of propane some cold night. I can also keep the turkey cooker outside where I can brew my coffee on it in the morning and even do some outdoor cooking.

SOUTHWEST TEXAS CLASSIFIEDS

Not Much, Just a Cool Link

Not a lot of news from here other than  the Generator/Charger is squared away now. Outside of that I've come down with something and feel like warmed over death. Its going to be real hard to get anything done.

See if you can figure out what is going on in this slide show. Just watch it and be amazed if you figure it out.

Slide Show