next topic »

[Reply #330 on:]

My car regularly reboots while I am driving

Aye, that's Windows for you!

[Reply #331 on:]

Graynomad, having seen your truck photo makes me want something like that too. I don't think my apartment complex garage is tall enough for your truck. Maybe in the future, when I don't worry about things most people worry about, I can get a large vehicle, mod it to my need, and have an adventure, or just park in the woods.

Seeing your note to Graynomad, it reminds of this article that went around facebook recently, of a company that was wanting to ship specialized kilns to Kenya that would allow the farmers to deal with all of the excess organic debris from their sugarcane crop without burning the stalks and return it as fertilizer.  Hower the cost of making the kiln  1/2 way around the world and the resultant shipping added to the carbon footprint and was rather costly.  So instead they fashioned an off-the-grid factory that fits in a shipping container to allow the Kenyans to make the kilns themselves.  http://gizmodo.com/5942294/the-next-industrial-revolution-starts-in-a-20+foot-shipping-container

Here is what the shop in a box has:

• A CNC table, working envelope 4'x4'x6", capable of running a plasma torch or wood-cutting router.
• Solar panels plus batteries and inverters, adequate to power the shop's computers and hand tools.
• A generator adequate to power the shop while the welders and plasma CNC do production work.
• Transformers, capable of scrubbing irregular grid power so it's safe for use in the shop.
• 2 plasma torches—one for CNC use, one for hand operation. Each can sever metal up to 3/4″ and sustain cutting in any thickness metal from 1/2″ to 22-gauge.
• Full MIG, TIG, and oxyacetylene welders, to join a wide variety of metals.
• Electronics prototyping, focused on through-hole components and arduino microcontrollers.
• Desktop 3D printer.
• A desktop, aluminum-capable CNC router.
• A wide variety of small hand and power tools—everything you'd expect in a well-outfitted garage.
• DVR with 4 cameras, mounted to easily capture and share all details of project builds.
• Computers and software necessary to support the shop.

[Reply #332 on:]

That was some heartwarming news. Something that actually keeps on giving, instead of requiring expensive parts/labour from the "generous" western countries.

The webpage says: "for $50,000, you can buy one directly from the designers" That seems like a steal, I think the price is only valid if resident in non-city regions of Africa.

[Reply #333 on:]

Graynomad, having seen your truck photo makes me want something like that too.

It takes quite a leap of faith to sell everything, but I reckon it's worth it. You have to be the nomadic type though, it's not for everyone. We have almost no mail, get a delivery 3-4 times a year and apart from a couple of vehicle registration stickers we throw it out.

I don't think my apartment complex garage is tall enough for your truck.

You'll need about 3.5m

and have an adventure, or just park in the woods.

We mostly just park in the woods, typically we find a nice spot and sit there for 3-6 weeks then move on. With the exception of a few national parks and a couple of show grounds we haven't paid for accommodation in 10 years. We're self sufficient for ages with food, two months with water and indefinitely for power.

All that said I'm enjoying setting up a bit of a base at present, two shipping containers and our truck, that's more than enough space for two people. I wouldn't know what to do with a house these days.

@MichaelMeissner
I love that. Off-grid is not cheap but it does work. I built Wothahellizat Mk2 at a location with only solar power (and the occasional generator for the 3-phase welding of large parts like chassis mounts etc). It's getting cheaper though, I just bought 4x250W panels for $249 each, that's < $1 a watt, 10x cheaper than my first panels 12 years ago.

______
Rob

[Reply #334 on:]

"for $50,000, you can buy one directly from the designers" That seems like a steal, I think the price is only valid if resident in non-city regions of Africa. smiley-cool

Its not such a steal here,      dont forget that $50,000 here in Africa could buy you a house !  or 10,000 restaurant pizzas !  or 14,000 quaffable bottles of wine.

 but I drool at the inventory of the container, and think the idea is noble.

[Reply #335 on:]

My car regularly reboots while I am driving, I lose power steering, brake servos, engine power, lights, everything. It usually restarts within a minute, but thats enough to kill you if you stall mid junction.

Duane.

At least you have power steering or manual steering when power goes out. My steering wheel is nothing more than a game setup. There is no mechanical connection between the steering wheel and the actual steering. If I lose power, it won't make a difference whether I'm holding the steering wheel or a "steering wheel" in a kid's coin-operated rocking "car". I don't know about the brakes. At least I didn't buy a car that overrides brakes. If you don't mind, what kind of car are you driving (not to start a feud)?

[Reply #336 on:]

My car regularly reboots while I am driving, I lose power steering, brake servos, engine power, lights, everything. It usually restarts within a minute, but thats enough to kill you if you stall mid junction.

Duane.

At least you have power steering or manual steering when power goes out. My steering wheel is nothing more than a game setup. There is no mechanical connection between the steering wheel and the actual steering. If I lose power, it won't make a difference whether I'm holding the steering wheel or a "steering wheel" in a kid's coin-operated rocking "car". I don't know about the brakes. At least I didn't buy a car that overrides brakes. If you don't mind, what kind of car are you driving (not to start a feud)?
 

I'm going to drive my 87 S10 until I die. I have lived through far too many vehicle system failures to trust a system where I don't have at least some control.

[Reply #337 on:]

There is no mechanical connection between the steering wheel and the actual steering.

Madness! Madness, I say! ]

Do tell what make/model this is, so that I can put it on my list of vehicles to avoid -- both buying one in the 1st place, and watching out for them in traffic!

[Reply #338 on:]

There is no mechanical connection between the steering wheel and the actual steering.

Madness! Madness, I say! ]

Do tell what make/model this is, so that I can put it on my list of vehicles to avoid -- both buying one in the 1st place, and watching out for them in traffic!

To prevent feuding over brands, I will say I bought the 2013 model of one of the following, all of which I test drove and thry share the electric steering feature:

Chevy malibu
Nissan altima
Subaru Legacy
Kia optima

The list goes on for newer cars with electric steering. Some have better force feedback than others, but all are electric. No mechanical links. I was wondering why most of these medium price mid size sedans now offer telescopic steering wheels. must be dead easy to make that with electric steering.

[Reply #339 on:]

And to think I always baulked at buying a car with both central locking AND electric windows in case it wouldn't let me out one day

3-4 years ago I swapped my 1984 Landcruiser for a new Suzuki Jimny. The Jimny is nice but even the lowest optioned model has stuff I can't fix. I'm seriously considering going back to an old-model vehicle.

______
Rob

[Reply #340 on:]

I too bought a shipping container...  20+ years ago for $500 like new.  Time for another it's getting rusty!

[Reply #341 on:]

Time for another it's getting rusty!

I just spent $3500, ouch, but  that is a good price for where I am. It's what they call a "new build", meaning that it's only been used once. It's just like new.

It's quite common for them to be left at the destination these days and those destinations are normally the western countries. It's cheaper to build a new one in China than get the old one back.

______
Rob

[Reply #342 on:]

Maybe I should get one to put my car in and pretend its been stolen !

My guess is that the problem with my car is wiring not software, and thats a really big problem because its just not economical to strip out the entire wiring loom to fix the problem so the garage will just keep replacing modules until the problem goes away - most likley through me getting killed.

Duane B

rcarduino.blogspot.com

[Reply #343 on:]

dont forget that $50,000 here in Africa could buy you a house !

heck 50,000$ here in Tennessee can buy you a house with a acre of land (it wont be an awesome house, but its better than the apartment I live in now)

steal? not in my mind

[Reply #344 on:]

Chevy malibu
Nissan altima
Subaru Legacy
Kia optima


I think you've confused electric power steering with steer by wire. None of those cars are steer by wire. As far as I know no one sells a consumer vehicle with steer by wire, yet. It's in some things like forklifts and tractors. It's certainly being worked on.