What is a Constant Voltage Transformer – an introduction to the perfect sine wave
August 26, 2020 Night
Good evening! Partly clear in Delmar. ๐ Sixty two degrees. There is a west-northwest breeze at 6 mph. ๐. The dew point is 47 degrees. All things considered, a pretty pleasant evening.
I told myself that I should work outside today โ with the great weather but I was super busy with work so I didn’t go outside except for my morning stroll around the Swift Preserve. And then in the evening, a walk around the Albany Pine Bush. ๐ฒ๐ฒ
Also attended the Save the Pine Bush protest at Guilderland Town Hall ๐๏ธ and held up signs wearing masks. ๐ท Town leaders were so afraid ๐จ of the public and a bunch of senior citizens ๐ต๐ป and television reporters ๐บ they had to enter the back door ๐ช of Town Hall by police escort. ๐ฎ๐ผ Not sure why the town planning board is so afraid of a bunch of elderly ๐ต๐ป seniors with paper signs.
The fight for the Pine Bush seems endless and thankless against the big developers ๐๏ธ but it’s worth it because if you don’t fight in the trenches, who will. Even though the battle is ongoing its worthwhile. While eventually when I own my off-grid property ๐๏ธI’ll probably be non political when I’m in Albany it’s fun to fight the developers the best I can and keep pour wild land wild. ๐ฆ We got good media coverage tonight. ๐ฅ
The walk around the Pine Bush ๐ฆ was really nice but it got dark quickly with some clouds pushing in after sunset ๐. Grass was super high ๐พand I didn’t want to catch Lyme disease๐ท๏ธ again so as soon as I got home I took a shower ๐ฟ because I was wearing shorts while I was walking in in the Pine Bush. ๐ณ
Tonight will have a chance of showers, mainly after 2am. Mostly cloudy ๐ง, with a low of 54 degrees at 2am. Four degrees below normal, which is similar to a typical night around September 9th. Maximum dew point of 50 at 6am. Northwest wind around 6 mph becoming light and variable after midnight. Chance of precipitation is 30%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible. In 2019, we had partly cloudy skies in the evening, which became mostly clear by the early hours of the morning. It got down to 53 degrees. The record low of 41 occurred back in 1969.
Tonight will have a First Quarter ๐ Moon with 64% illuminated. At 9 PM, the moon was in the south-southwest (197ยฐ) at an altitude of 23ยฐ from the horizon, some 231,153 miles away from where you are looking up from the earth. ๐ At the state speed limit of 55 mph, you’ll make it there by February 18th. Buckle up for safety! ๐บ The darkest hour is at 12:58 am, followed by dawn at 5:46 am, and sun starting to rise at 6:15 am in the east-northeast (75ยฐ) and last for 2 minutes and 59 seconds. Sunrise is one minute and 4 seconds later than yesterday. ๐ The golden hour ends at 6:53 am with sun in the east (82ยฐ). Tonight will have 10 hours and 36 minutes of darkness, an increase of 2 minutes and 43 seconds over last night.
Tomorrow will have a chance of showers and thunderstorms before 8am, then showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm between 8am and 2pm, then showers and thunderstorms likely after 2pm. Some of the storms could be severe. Mostly cloudy ๐ฉ, with a high of 74 degrees at 3pm. Five degrees below normal, which is similar to a typical day around September 11th. Maximum dew point of 65 at 2pm. Southeast wind 5 to 7 mph becoming northwest in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 70%. New rainfall amounts between a half and three quarters of an inch possible. A year ago, we had sunny skies in the morning with some clearing in the afternoon. The high last year was 75 degrees. The record high of 97 was set in 1948.
I think I’m happy ๐ with the haircut ๐๐ป I gave myself. That sharper trimmer did a nice job although I may want to trim behind my ears ๐๐ป a little closer. I think next time I might also use a slightly longer cutting guard. My sideburns though are growing in quite gray now. ๐ง๐ป
I don’t see myself heading out of town the next two weeks โ๏ธ although I guess depending on how many Zoom Meetings I have coming up I could take a long weekend at some point. I don’t mind using my phone ๐ฑ or the cellular internet on my work laptop but I really need Wi-Fi for Zoom. I guess I could go up to the Spectulator Library. Maybe after the holiday weekend when they crowds filter out from the Adirondack Park. The only concern then is the days are starting to get short and the sun angle is decling which means less solar power.
In four weeks on September 23 the sun will be setting in the west (270ยฐ) at 6:50 pm,๐ which is 48 minutes and 54 seconds earlier then tonight. In 2019 on that day, we had humid, partly sunny, warm weather, rain showers and temperatures between 86 and 66 degrees. Typically, you have temperatures between 69 and 49 degrees. The record high of 97 degrees was set back in 1895.
I joined a group on Facebook about backyard pig raising. ๐ Some people raise some beautiful hogs including here in New York. After finishing up that book ๐ I was reading ๐ I find that Facebook group endlessly fascinating. Maybe because farming and homesteading is so much different than my every day work. That said a pair of hogs and two ton of grain run through them can turn some pretty marginal dirt or bare rock into good soil. ๐ฉ I do wonder about invasive species – while grain isn’t likely to introduce them any time you disturb soil it makes it so much easier for them to take root. Next I think I’ll get a book ๐ about goats. ๐
Looking ahead, Average High is 55 ๐ is in 9 weeks, Day After Election Day ๐ is in 10 weeks, Veterans Day ๐บ๐ธ is in 11 weeks, Thanksgiving ๐ฆ is in 3 months, Earliest Sunset of the Year โ๏ธ is in 15 weeks, Tea Party Day ๐ is in 16 weeks, Festivus ๐ is in 17 weeks, Boxing Day ๐ฅ is in 4 months, Bacon Day ๐ฅ is in 18 weeks, Make Your Dream Come True Day ๐ก is in 20 weeks, Inauguration Day โ is in 21 weeks, 5:30 PM Dusk ๐ is in 5 months, Clean Your Computer Day ๐งน is in 24 weeks and Presidents Day ๐ด is in 25 weeks.
August 25, 2020 Morning
Good morning! Happy Tuesday. Next Tuesday is September ๐. Cloudy and 72 degrees in Delmar, NY. โ There is a southwest breeze at 5 mph. ๐. The dew point is 67 degrees. The skies will clear around 1 pm.
I am glad I ended up getting a new hair trimmer. โ๏ธ The old one was missing the shorter blades and wasn’t cutting smoothly so my hair got long. ๐ The replacement $25 tool did such a great job trimming my hair I just can’t imagine needing to go to the barber shop anytime soon again. Why pay for something you can do yourself. Even with my inexpensive barber it was like $14 a visit when you throw in a generous tip as I did because I felt bad for the old man who cut my hair ๐๐ป. I can keep it a lot shorter now. Hate to replace the old trimmers but I needed a shorter cutting guide and the old one was super dull and cutting very uneven. ๐ I am much happier with the nice short hair that is evenly cut. The nice thing is that I can now do it as regularly as I want to keep it trimmed more near an even length. I’m learning a lot thanks to Coronavirus. ๐พ
Today will have a chance of showers, with thunderstorms also possible after 2pm. Partly sunny ๐ฆ, with a high of 84 degrees at 3pm. Five degrees above normal. Maximum dew point of 69 at 10am. Southwest wind 5 to 10 mph becoming west 12 to 17 mph in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 29 mph. Chance of precipitation is 40%. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms. A year ago, we had partly cloudy skies. The high last year was 77 degrees. The record high of 99 was set in 1947.
Solar noon ๐ is at 12:58 pm with sun having an altitude of 57.9ยฐ from the due south horizon (-12.9ยฐ vs. 6/21). A six foot person will cast a 3.8 foot shadow today compared to 2.2 feet on the first day of summer. The golden hour ๐ starts at 7:05 pm with the sun in the west (279ยฐ). ๐ธ The sunset is in the west-northwest (285ยฐ) with the sun dropping below the horizon at 7:43 pm after setting for 3 minutes with dusk around 8:10 pm, which is one minute and 37 seconds earlier than yesterday. ๐ At dusk you’ll see the First Quarter ๐ Moon in the south-southwest (201ยฐ) at an altitude of 26ยฐ from the horizon, 229,012 miles away. ๐ The best time to look at the stars is after 8:48 pm. At sunset, look for mostly clear skies ๐ and temperatures around 77 degrees. The dew point will be 60 degrees. Breezy, 16 mph breeze โ from the northwest with gusts up to 26mph. Today will have 13 hours and 27 minutes of daytime, a decrease of 2 minutes and 41 seconds over yesterday.
Today is going to be a pretty hot one. ๐ฐ I have a lot of online meetings today that I’m hoping if the weather ๐ปis nice I’m going to head down to the park ๐ and do the meetings from there in the lawn chair. It was nice doing that yesterday. I just have to make sure my work laptop is well charged ๐ป as I expect to be in meetings all afternoon.
Tonight will be mostly clear ๐, with a low of 54 degrees at 5am. Five degrees below normal, which is similar to a typical night around September 9th. Maximum dew point of 62 at 6pm. Northwest wind 7 to 15 mph. In 2019, we had mostly clear skies in the evening, which became clear by the early hours of the morning. It got down to 52 degrees. The record low of 40 occurred back in 1942.
By evening it should be quite nice ๐ and I might go down to the park to read for a while, noting how early the sun sets this time of year.
On this day in 1950, President Harry Truman orders the U.S. Army to seize control of the nation’s railroads to avert a strike. ๐ So much for the boy from Missouri being a socialist.
Right now, a split verdict on the weekend. ๐ Saturday, showers likely. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 77. Chance of precipitation is 60%. Maximum dew point of 67 at 12pm. Sunday, mostly sunny, with a high near 75. Maximum dew point of 59 at 10am. Typical average high for the weekend is 78 degrees.
I am going to probably stay in town this weekend. ๐ก It doesn’t seem like we are going to have particularly nice weather. The following weekend is Labor Day Weekend and I’m not crazy ๐คช about going out of town that weekend with the crowds. ๐ฉโ๐ฉโ๐งโ๐ง Sunday might be nice for a hike somewhere though.
Looking ahead, there are 4 weeks until Autumn ๐ when the sun will be setting at 6:52 pm with dusk at 7:20 pm. On that day in 2019, we had a real hot day that was mostly sunny skies , shallow fog ๐ซ in the morning and temperatures between 87 and 51 degrees. Typically, the high temperature is 70 degrees. We hit a record high of 95 back in 1895.
Quite a beautiful evening
That said, the sun sets much too early this time of year with September just around the corner.
Thursday August 20, 2020 — Delmar, New YorkOnly a few more evenings reading at the park after work
It's a nice evening but I'm sure it will get dark fairly early. Continuing to read that book about hog farming, hopefully it will be done by darkness.
Thursday August 20, 2020 — Elm Avenue Town ParkKill Knotweed
I hope the next president diverts funding from Homeland Security and FEMA to send National Guardsman out in our communities to destroy JAPANESE KNOTWEED. It’s even invading my neighbors backyard and as an INVADER can easily destroy buildings and roadways – and is nearly impossible to KILL.
Decided to go for a walk after work at Five Rivers ๐ฆ ๐ธ ๐ฆ
Decided to go for a walk after work at Five Rivers ๐ฆ ๐ธ ๐ฆ๐ฆ
Kind of a nice low humidity evening with blue skies and a breeze. Definitely feel like autumn this evening and the sun is setting earlier now that I’m back east. While I do miss the wild country of the Finger Lakes it’s still nice to know there are nice places to walk to close to home and observe nature.
I do wish I had brought my banada as a mask ๐ท but it’s not really proven necessary this evening.






