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RE: Does anyone have GPS in their Boat?
Here is a Delorme' site that shows what they have in NOAA charts. http://shop.delorme.com/OA_HTML/DELibeCCtpSctDspRte.jsp?section=10325
These appear to be downloads to the Street Atlas program and will work with the Delorme' BT-20 GPS receiver.
I personally use a Garmin and a Furuno GPS in my boat. Both came with preloaded software. Both are also sounders as well as GPS. The Garmin has a slot for preloaded charts for additional marine use around the world, including photos of harbors, looking down on them, etc.
Always amazed at what money will buy. The Garmin ran me just over $1200 and the Furuno was about the same new but I got it used.
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joe b.
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12/02/09 02:14pm |
Technology Corner
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RE: USB GPS antenae for laptop
There is a difference between a GPS antennae and a GPS receiver/dongle. My laptop requires a GPS receiver/dongle, to connect to allow the Streets and Trips software to work. My Garmin 2720 has all that built in and only needs a GPS antennae to get the signal to where I have the GPS mounted on my truck console. If I had the Garmin GPS on the dash I wouldn't need the antennae, which I have magnetically attached to my drivers side front fender.
I use the GPS receiver that came with my S&T's program. Both Garmin and Delorme' make wireless receivers that can be placed on the hood/fender/dash, to feed data back to the laptop program. I doubt you are seeing any receivers for $5, probably is an antennae.
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joe b.
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12/02/09 04:33am |
Technology Corner
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RE: Will insurance pay for a tow vehicle rental?
Insurance companies are in the business of taking in money, not paying it out. The concept of "fairness" and "right and wrong" often don't enter into the equation in the end decision.
The OP states it was his work truck that was damaged. Was it insured as a commercial vehicle? or as a personal use vehicle, etc.?
Just because the other driver was ticketed, doesn't mean his insurance company is going to automatically decide to pay up.
Last year my youngest daughter, age 29, was in a post office parking lot in Orlando,in my wife's car and was backed into by another driver. This accident/incident was witnessed by an off duty deputy sheriff. I turned it in to our insurance company, they agreed to fix our car post haste but I had to pay the $250 deductible in our policy. Then they would work with the other insurance company to get their money back. They have some process to fight over such issues between insurance companies that avoids courts. The other company never did accept the responsibility for the damage and my company didn't feel it was worth the cost of a legal battle over the cost. So we got our car fixed with no "at fault" increase in our insurance premium but I was out the $250 deductible.
While the other driver "admitted fault" at the scene, later after discussing it with her spouse, the story changed and she denied any fault. Who wants an increase in their policy premium?
Parking lot fender benders can get to be a can of worms, real fast. Even running a stop or yield sign, in a store parking lot is not always a violation of the law. Did the city, county or state put the signs in the parking lot? Or did the business that owns the parking lot put them up? Just because someone puts up a sign, on private property doesn't make it enforceable in the courts. In most areas it is only enforceable if some legal jurisdiction has agreed to accept ownership of the signs, during the building permit process, for example.
As a former law enforcement officer, I hated to get involved in parking lot fender benders. The standard procedure was to check for proof of insurance, valid drivers license and registration. Write a report and let the courts decide all the surrounding factors involved. Unless injuries were involved, most often people were just told to exchange information and turn it in to their insurance companies.
Just the way it is sometimes.
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joe b.
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11/30/09 05:44am |
Tow Vehicles
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RE: Milepost & Alaskan Camping---New Editions?
Normally there isn't much difference from year to year but with so many of the road houses closing, a new one will be nice to have on the trip. The Milepost are fun to read for me so I would recommend getting a 2009 now, be reading and marking it up on places of interest and then order a new 2010 for your trip.
I tend to collect editions of the milepost, 46 at the present time. Believe I have one for every year I have driven the Alaska Hwy, starting in 1962. Twelve round trips to/from Alaska by RV, plus several more trips by car/truck and a few by small aircraft following the highway from the lower 48 north.
The Church and Bell publications, you could go ahead and an obtain, then checking their web sites before leaving to see if any updates are available.
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joe b.
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11/30/09 05:11am |
RVing in Canada and Alaska
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RE: kerosine heaters
There are two types of kerosene heaters, vented and non-vented. I agree that the non-vented ones are not safe and put off an unacceptable smell in a closed space. However the vented kerosene/diesel heaters work very well. Some what costly but the OP didn't mention cost as being a consideration.
For several years I used a pair of kerosene heaters in our home in Alaska and they worked great. Only draw back was that they did take 120v elec to operate them, the fans, one to exhaust the burnt gases outside and one fan to circulate the heated air inside. The brand was either Monitor by Kerosun or visa versa.
Many of the high end motorhomes use diesel heaters, Aqua Hot and Hydro Hot come to mind. These are vented heaters to the outside.
I have also used kerosene/diesel heaters in boats. Think the brand was Espar (sp)which worked off of 12v as I remember. They too were vented to the outside through a 2 in stainless steel pipe through the cabin roof.
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joe b.
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11/27/09 08:47pm |
Class C Motorhomes
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RE: fishing seasons in Alaska
The web site Alaska Ourdoor Journal has good information on it. On the home page, click on "salmon runs" and it will give the general dates and locations of the different runs in the state for salmon.
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joe b.
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11/27/09 08:16pm |
RVing in Canada and Alaska
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RE: GPS malfunction
Bob, I had the same problem with my 750 and I am trying to remember just what fixed the problem. It was doing it every so often when I first got it.
One thing I did was to "reboot" the GPS. Turn it off by holding the off/on switch to the side for about 20 seconds to turn it off, not just put it to sleep. Then turn it back on and let it reboot.
Second thing I did: go to the bottom of the home screen >tools>settings>language. Make sure the voice selected is one of the TTS voices. (text to speak voices) All of the listed ones are not. For some reason my 750 like to change to a different, non-tts one, at times.
Third: I plugged in my GPS to the computer, went to Garmin's download site and downloaded the latest operating software. I believe this is what made the permanent change as I haven't lost the voice in the last 9 months (14,000 miles of use)
This problem is not all that unusual for this series of Garmin GPS units.
on edit:
I checked the Garmin web site and there is a late, Sept of 2009 update on the software for the 750. Need to bring mine into the house tomorrow and update it via my computer.
https://buy.garmin.com/shop/store/downloadsUpdates.jsp?product=010-00657-20&cID=164&pID=37419
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joe b.
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11/26/09 07:42pm |
Technology Corner
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RE: Silverton or Ouray?
There are about 3 campgrounds in Ouray that are within walking distance to downtown. This would be the 4J + 1 on the river, Timber Ridge, on the north edge of town and River View (the old Polly's CG}, both on the river.
The Amphitheater is too far, in my opinion, to be walking to town and it is a steep uphill from the town to the campground.
I don't enjoy the altitude of Silverton until I have been in the country for a week or so. We lived in Ouray for about 10 years so am somewhat biased toward it. The KOA north of Ouray is nice but about 5 miles from downtown.
The Colorado DOT has announce bridge work south of Ouray on on Hwy 550,Bear Creek bridge. It will be down to one lane next summer (2010) with some delays. The following summer, 2011, they will be removing the bridge in total and the highway will be closed for however long it takes them to replace the old bridge, days to weeks.
I have stayed at the campground in Silverton, just as you come into town off of Hwy 550 and it is fine as well. Can't find any of the campgrounds in town on either of my storage sites.
A couple of photos of downtown Ouray. The east side of Main is about 4 feet higher than the west side. Not much flat ground in town.
http://pic100.picturetrail.com/VOL621/2555455/17325155/268917516.jpg
And one of the recently restored Beaumont Hotel in Ouray.
http://pic100.picturetrail.com/VOL621/2555455/17325155/268917514.jpg
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joe b.
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11/25/09 12:53pm |
RV Parks, National Parks, State Campgrounds & More
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RE: alaska tour saver
There are a couple of the "tour saver" booklet companies in Alaska and are legitimate, from all reports on this forum.
http://www.toursaver.com/ is one of them
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joe b.
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11/24/09 03:29pm |
RVing in Canada and Alaska
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RE: A visit to Algonquin Park in Northern Ontario
Excellent, Thank you Sue.
:B
Now, I wonder did they recruit Rick Mercer to build awareness. & I wonder how many US residents don't understand the joke about Danny Williams, though there are more who do understand today than the day before.
;)
Thanks Sue, that is a great one.
Danny Million$ is an interesting politician. For those not familiar with him.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Danny_Williams_(politician)
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joe b.
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11/24/09 06:06am |
RVing in Canada and Alaska
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RE: ok ok....once more...busted.....
GW, are you sure these "inspectors" weren't employees of Canadian Tire? I am curious as to how they define a "snow tire?" From what I read, the days of running the metal studded tires is past and some places no longer even allow them on the roads. Or they limit the months they can be used. Many of the tires I see for 4 wheel drive vehicles are labeled, M & S, (mud and snow)but the aggressive tread design looks like it would be slicker, than a pair of ice skates, on ice.
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joe b.
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11/23/09 05:41am |
RVing in Canada and Alaska
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RE: Fairbanks Camping
Chena Marina RV Park is no longer available to overnite travelers. It became "seasonal" only, sometime back. If you want to spend the entire summer in that area it would be worth considering at $880 a month. http://www.chenarvpark.com/
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joe b.
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11/23/09 05:35am |
RVing in Canada and Alaska
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RE: Alcan is 67 Today
I was born the year it was opened to the public, 1942. First drove it in 1962, as a 20 year old ranch kid from Oklahoma. Been doing the drive every few years since. Ended up, living up there, in rural Alaska for over 25 years. Lots of good and a few not so good, memories of those trips. LOL
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joe b.
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11/21/09 11:54am |
General RVing Issues
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RE: Fairbanks Camping
Rivers Edge is in the west part of town, on the Chena River. We were there last summer and noticed the maintenance, much of it anyway, was being deferred till later. We have stayed there numerous times over the years and were sorry to see the owners letting it get run down. Still not a bad place to stay, somewhat crowded sites, but a handy location in town. Others enjoy staying at the Santa Clause RV park in North Pole, a dozen miles to the east of Fairbanks. Then others like to stay at the County fair grounds, others like to pavement camp at Pioneer Land (formerly AlaskaLand) There is also a city(?) run place on the Chena just east (up stream) of Rivers Edge where University Ave crosses the river. Never stayed there as it looked like more of a picnic spot and we enjoy having full hook ups. The domestic water at Rivers Edge was terrible in smell and taste. Not at all unusual for wells close to an Interior river but either they weren't running their filtering system or it was broken, as was the car wash, etc. Heavy iron in the water. Enough to show up in white clothes when run through their laundry facilities.
We will give Rivers Edge another try on the next trip as it still works out best for us if we want to be in town.
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joe b.
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11/21/09 10:04am |
RVing in Canada and Alaska
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RE: Alaska 2010
Since the rules on what food products can be brought into Canada and Alaska varies by the week, it seems, check their web sites just prior to leaving. As a general rule, frozen foods are not as restricted as are fresh products. I have never had much of a problem with food but I only travel with a couple of days worth at a time, different than your situation being there all summer. Fresh meats, fruits and veggies seem to make the "prohibited" list the most often. The last couple of trips we have made, 2006 and 2009, there were zero questions asked of us about food. A couple of standard ones about the amount of tobacco, alcohol and "do your have any firearms?) Frozen fish doesn't seem to be a problem most of the time. Some years they will allow hard boiled eggs, but not fresh eggs as an example. Cooked foods are easier to bring in than fresh.
Lot of verbiage to just say, check with the official version shortly before leaving home. Some where on this forum is the URL site addresses for both the US and Canadian rules as they apply at the present time.
Here is an official info source for Canada with some phone numbers if you need additional information. http://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/publications/pub/bsf5082-eng.html#s2x23
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joe b.
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11/20/09 07:21am |
RVing in Canada and Alaska
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RE: Alaska 2010
Mid April will still be before breakup in much of the north country. Not too many campgrounds will be open as of yet, lakes will still be frozen and you may encounter snow along the way. Just be willing to sit out any storms that blow in for a day or so. The northern road crews are well experienced at keeping the roads open and have the equipment to do it.
Once you get to Skagway, there are three campgrounds in town. I am thinking that Garden City RV is the only one with full hookups. Pullen Creek (city owned and operated) has water/elec with a dump station as does Skagway Mountain View RV. Several of the businesses in town, keep trailers, etc. at Garden City for employees to rent. All three tend to pack people in as the sites are small. Garden City did have some long pull th roughs that they blocked in the middle and made two back ins. Pullen Creek is very scenic, if you like to see all the goings on at the harbor, i.e. cruise ships and passengers coming and going, ferry arrivals/departures, lot to see.
While Mountain View did advertise in the 2008 Milepost, I don't see an add for them in the 2009. Don't know if that means anything or not.
In the summer time, Skagweigans, live for the cruise ships. They can berth about 5 of them at a time discharging between 5,000 to 10,000 people a day. Some days are lighter loads. Skagway is one of those towns that remind me of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde between summer and winter when the cruise ships cease to arrive.
The OP may want to ask one of the moderators to move this post to the Alaska/Canada for better response.
Here is a 2004 photo of Skagway.
http://pic100.picturetrail.com/VOL621/2555455/6558577/84416149.jpg
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joe b.
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11/20/09 04:52am |
RVing in Canada and Alaska
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RE: Halibut in Alaska
http://www.scenicviewrv.com/index.html
It is in Ninilchik
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joe b.
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11/19/09 06:54pm |
RVing in Canada and Alaska
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RE: Ya gotta love printer mfrs!
I currently have 4 printers connected to our home wireless system, using the desktop as the server. We keep one laser for heavy duty printing, one 4 X 6 Canon photo ink jet printer, one HP and one Lexmark ink jets for color work and/or printing checks, envelopes, etc. Did have a color laser but the cost to replace the 4 cartridges was $280 for the heavy duty ones. Found we didn't do enough color to justify that machine so replaced it with a black and white laser Canon, all in one. With it, I refill the cartridges once, myself for about $5 a time. Anytime we need something in color we send it to either the HP or the Lexmark printer.
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joe b.
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11/17/09 12:15pm |
Technology Corner
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RE: Would like to read about your trip to Alaska
For a time budget, I figure on 10 driving days from Florida to Fairbanks. Then add any side trips or stop overs to that figure. Works out for us to be just about two weeks each way, + or -. This will vary for each traveler, depending on age, health, enjoyment of driving, previous trips along the route, etc. We tend to spend a couple of days in Whitehorse, both directions. But out of our dozen round trips to/from Alaska we have only side tripped to Atlin 2 or 3 times. We don't go to Dawson Town every trip either. One of those places we love but don't go there often.
It is about 4,500 miles from here in Florida to Fairbanks and I don't find it at all a problem to make 450 to 500 miles a day. But I am an early riser, out of bed by 5 AM and on the road by 6 if I am solo and by 7 if my wife is with me. We can easily make 300 miles by noon and still do whatever stops we wish to do. For a first or second time traveler, it is going to take longer to make the trip. Much of the northern route, though beautiful, is the same today as it was yesterday and the same as it will be tomorrow. LOL The northern boreal forest doesn't change a great deal.
Our days vary in mileage made, from here to Dawson Creek we may run some over 500 mile days, from DC on to Burwash Landing we may run 400 miles a day and then from there north due to the frost damage to the road, we may drop down to 300 mile days or less. I normally schedule one day a week to not travel and take care of "needs", grocery shopping, vehicle maintenance, laundry, buying propane, etc. I schedule my being in places with good WiFi/Internet connections on the days I need to pay bills, etc.
With my wife still wage working, we tend to be gone about 2 months on the trips. If she flies home from Alaska, I tend to stay another month or so before I head back south.
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joe b.
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11/17/09 05:33am |
RVing in Canada and Alaska
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RE: Would like to read about your trip to Alaska
There really is no "wrong" way to take a trip to northern Canada or Alaska. Whether a person drives, flys and rents, takes the ferry, a cruise ship, goes alone or with a caravan or others, the end result is a great trip for most. Not everyone has the flexibility to enjoy the challenges you will find on the trip. Don't understand what some travelers are searching for and don't find in the north country, but 99.99% of the visitors have the trip of a lifetime. One that many start repeating on a regular basis.
It is important to remind yourself why you are going, to have fun, so relax, roll with any differences you may find, slow down, take lots of photos and soak it in as best as you can.
When you are standing outside your rig, looking at the mud on it, being swarmed by bitting bugs, just remember, thousands of people would give a great deal to be standing in your shoes at that very moment. LOL
Me included. LOL
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joe b.
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11/16/09 03:52pm |
RVing in Canada and Alaska
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