Large Scale Central

Megaweapon Hits The Trail

Other Hobbies
#21

Does anyone here have any experience with automotive battery tenders/maintainers? Cris can’t drive anymore but we keep her car as a spare for when mine’s in the shop or something. Anyway, it only gets driven about once a month at best, so I’ve had some problems with the battery dying. I bought a Schumacher charger online, that supposedly could be mounted under the hood and plugged in to an extension cord. But when I got it, the instructions say to leave the hood open during charging. I can’t leave the hood open all the time with the car sitting in the driveway!

Does anyone know of a good maintenance charger that can go under the hood to keep it out of the weather, and doesn’t require leaving the hood open?

#22

Ray, i had a similar problem, years ago.

i just led cables from the battery to an asymetrical plugin at the fender. and the charger with it’s corresponding plug stayed in the garage.

#23

I’ve had a charger on my pick up all nite and closed the hood, since it was raining out at the time, didn’t hurt anything. Just make sure you keep the extension cord visible on the drivers side…so you see it before you get in…(http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-wink.gif)

#24

Ken Brunt said:

I’ve had a charger on my pick up all nite and closed the hood, since it was raining out at the time, didn’t hurt anything. Just make sure you keep the extension cord visible on the drivers side…so you see it before you get in…(http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-wink.gif)

I have a “Remove before flight” streamer that I clip to the steering wheel of the truck if I have the charger on it. Reminds me that something is going on under the hood.

#25

The reason for noting to have the hood open is that when a lead acid battery charges it gives of hydrogen gas. Even though it is a maintainer there will be gas produced when it goes into trickle/charge cycle. If you are parking it outside and you remember to raise the hood to air it out for a minute before starting you shouldn’t have any problems. I did that on my wife’s spare car we kept at her mom’s house.

#26

Ray

I have the same situation, with my wife’s 1994 jeep Cherokee we keep at our vacation cabin to run around the Appalachian mountains with.

I have used this batteryMinder product for 2 years, works very well.

https://www.walmart.com/ip/BatteryMINDer-12106-6-Volt-1-Amp-Battery-Charger/114512332?wmlspartner=wlpa&selectedSellerId=550&adid=22222222227055467206&wmlspartner=wmtlabs&wl0=&wl1=g&wl2=c&wl3=157101621582&wl4=pla-290704179514&wl5=9007939&wl6=&wl7=&wl8=&wl9=pla&wl10=112354493&wl11=online&wl12=114512332&wl13=&veh=sem

Jerry

#27

duh, except the 12V one…

#28

I took Megaweapon out for some serious off-roading…

I got tired of exploring and off-roading in all the usual places, so I decided to go somewhere really remote.
It took some doing, but I finally found a spot that was WAY off the beaten path. Only three or four other
vehicles have ever even been there, and most of the place was completely unspoiled.

It’s pretty desolate, though. Makes Death Valley look like Yosemite. Not a plant in sight, much less any
wildlife. But I had the whole place to myself and could go anywhere I wanted. Here’s a pic…

On the downside, it was a lot colder than it looked, and the atmosphere left something to be desired.

.

#29

Ray,

Is that Mars? (http://largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-surprised.gif)

#30

Joe Zullo said:

Ray,

Is that Mars? (http://largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-surprised.gif)

Yep! :slight_smile:

#31

You made good time getting back!

#32

Gee, I hope you didn’t find…

Nah, I didn’t say anything.

#33

John Caughey said:

You made good time getting back!

Even if it is down hill all the way!

#34

Pick up any Martians while you up there?..(http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-wink.gif)

#35

I saw Matt Damon trying to hitch a ride. Almost picked him up, too. But then I remembered what happened to everyone who got involved with Jason Bourne.

#36

(http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-cool.gif)(http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-smile.gif)(http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-wink.gif)

#37

Ray Dunakin said:

I took Megaweapon out for some serious off-roading…

I got tired of exploring and off-roading in all the usual places, so I decided to go somewhere really remote.
It took some doing, but I finally found a spot that was WAY off the beaten path. Only three or four other
vehicles have ever even been there, and most of the place was completely unspoiled.

It’s pretty desolate, though. Makes Death Valley look like Yosemite. Not a plant in sight, much less any
wildlife. But I had the whole place to myself and could go anywhere I wanted. Here’s a pic…

On the downside, it was a lot colder than it looked, and the atmosphere left something to be desired.

.

Funny

Ray I was Around the Death Valley, Nevada area this weekend and thought of you!

#38

A few days ago I went out to the desert to camp and to try out my new Mavic Pro drone. Had a lot of fun and got some cool pics and video. I’ve finished editing a couple vids and posted them on YouTube. This first one was shot entirely with the Mavic’s “active tracking” feature:

https://youtu.be/Y-AP5vOOsy4

#39

This next video has some more tracking shots, as well as a brief clip from a manual flight, and also some regular, non-drone footage:

.

Enjoy!

#40

Very cool! Looks like some interesting territory, the orroyo especially! When you have the drone follow you, do need someone to manage it or is it entirely autonomous? Does it avoid things?