Day: May 24, 2020💾

🗺️ Maps 🖼️ Photos 📽️ Videos

May 24, 2020 Night

Good evening! Mostly clear and 65 degrees at the Mason Lake. There is a south breeze at 5 mph. 🍃. The dew point is 44 degrees. Definitely a pleasant evening now that the black fly are done for the night. 🌃

It was a pleasant day hiking along Old Military Road and Jessup River Road. 🚶 While I could have certainly driven it I sometimes enjoy walking and carefully observing nature. 🐸 That said I was disappointed about the number of interesting birds 🐦 along the road but there were some scenic views. I’ll post pictures later in the week.

In the afternoon I went down to Speculator and got ice and Apple Juice 🍏 and then paddled a mile or two down the Sacandaga River.🚣 Then I went to Speculator Beach and went for a swim 🏊

Tonight will be partly cloudy 🌤, with a low of 50 degrees at 3am. Typical for tonight. South wind around 6 mph. In 2019, we had cloudy skies in the evening, which became mostly clear by the early hours of the morning. It got down to 46 degrees. The record low of 30 occurred back in 1956.

Laying back in the hammock now 😴 but I’ll head to bed in my truck bed shortly as I’m a bit tired from all the time in the sun ☀ and because I’m planning on getting an early start tomorrow. Just pop tart and coffee ☕ tomorrow and taking down camp. I’m going to move to the other campsite where I have better reception for my phone and work laptop – and that resets the 3 nights clock 🕒 for camping without a permit.

Tonight will have a Waxing Crescent 🌒 Moon with 5% illuminated. At 9 PM, the moon was in the west-northwest (290°) at an altitude of 14° from the horizon, some 240,824 miles away from where you are looking up from the earth. 🚀 Pretty little sliver tonight. At the state speed limit of 55 mph, you’ll make it there by November 23rd. Buckle up for safety! 💺 The moon will set in the northwest (304°) at 10:30 pm. The Strawberry 🍓 Moon is on Friday, June 5. The darkest hour is at 12:55 am, followed by dawn at 4:51 am, and sun starting to rise at 5:25 am in the east-northeast (60°) and last for 3 minutes and 24 seconds. Sunrise is 46 seconds earlier than yesterday. 🌄 The golden hour ends at 6:07 am with sun in the east-northeast (67°). Tonight will have 8 hours and 57 minutes of darkness, a decrease of one minute and 43 seconds over last night.

Memorial Day will have a slight chance of showers. Mostly cloudy 🌦, with a high of 71 degrees at 4pm. One degree below normal, which is similar to a typical day around May 22nd. Maximum dew point of 55 at 5pm. South wind 6 to 9 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%. A year ago, we had mostly sunny skies in the morning, remaining cloudy in the afternoon. The high last year was 73 degrees. The record high of 94 was set in 1981.

At times tomorrow I think it will be quite sunny ☀ to help recharge batteries 🔋 and keep the laptop running. I’ll probably stay at least through Tuesday evening at the new campsite but it depends on how hot it is and how much sun. It might nicer working up here then at home in the heat 🔥 but I don’t know that screen tent 🎪 gets hot in the heat. Plus I only have do much clean clothes and food left. 🍲 Remember, my plan originally was to head home on Monday evening.

I’ve started to read a pretty interesting book about welding. 📙 I actually got it out of the library weeks ago but with due dates extended, I put the book aside and forgot about it. But now that I’m up in the woods for a few more days I’ve had time to read it a bit more.

In four weeks on June 21 the sun will be setting in the northwest (304°) at 8:42 pm,🌄 which is 17 minutes and 16 seconds later then tonight. In 2019 on that day, we had rain showers, partly cloudy and temperatures between 78 and 59 degrees. Typically, you have temperatures between 79 and 58 degrees. The record high of 97 degrees was set back in 1938.

Looking ahead, Strawberry Moon 🍓 is in 2 weeks, Fathers Day 👨 is in 3 weeks and Latest Sunset 🌆 is a month away.

Lupine on Overlook Dune

Thematic Map: Troy vs Manhattan - A Size Comparison
Terrain Map: How does the area of Manhattan (rotated) compare to Moose River Plains Camping Area?
Map: Klipnocky Woods - Allegany County State Forest - Primative Camping Opporunties

Walking along the dirt roads

Walked from Perkins Clearing to Sled Harbor to the T for Spruce Lake and then down to the upper crossing on Jessup River. Saw a nutmatch, some ducks, a couple of road kill toads and garter snakes a few live ones. Different walking then driving. Road is rough in places.

May 24, 2020 Morning

Good morning! Happy Sunday. Two weeks to Strawberry Moon. 🍓 Farm stand fresh strawberries are so much better than the frozen ones I eat all winter but they don’t last. Partly sunny and 48 degrees at the Mason Lake. ☀ There is a southeast breeze at 5 mph. 🍃. A pretty nice morning and it seems that the black flies are taking a break to an extent but it’s pretty all things said and done.

Today will be mostly sunny 🌞, with a high of 70 degrees at 4pm. Two degrees below normal, which is similar to a typical day around May 19th. Southeast wind 5 to 8 mph. A year ago, we had mostly sunny skies in the morning, remaining cloudy in the afternoon. The high last year was 70 degrees. The record high of 92 was set in 1964.

I am not sure if I will go down to Speculator today to go for a paddle or instead will go for a bird watching hike 🚶 🐦 from Perkins Clearing. I am thinking I could park in the sunny and open area ☀ to charge the battery 🔋 bank and the laptop. 💻

Solar noon 🌞 is at 12:55 pm with sun having an altitude of 67.4° from the due south horizon (-2.6° vs. 6/21). A six foot person will cast a 2.5 foot shadow today compared to 2.2 feet on the first day of summer. The golden hour 🏅 starts at 7:43 pm with the sun in the west-northwest (293°). 📸 The sunset is in the west-northwest (301°) with the sun dropping below the horizon at 8:26 pm after setting for 3 minutes and 24 seconds with dusk around 8:59 pm, which is 58 seconds later than yesterday. 🌇 At dusk you’ll see the Waxing Crescent 🌒 Moon in the west-northwest (290°) at an altitude of 14° from the horizon, 240,824 miles away. 🚀 The best time to look at the stars is after 9:43 pm. At sunset, look for mostly clear skies 🌄 and temperatures around 63 degrees. There will be a south-southeast breeze at 9 mph. Today will have 15 hours and one minute of daytime, an increase of one minute and 44 seconds over yesterday.

Tonight will be partly cloudy 🌤, with a low of 47 degrees at 4am. Three degrees below normal, which is similar to a typical night around May 17th. South wind 7 to 9 mph. In 2019, we had cloudy skies in the evening, which became mostly clear by the early hours of the morning. It got down to 46 degrees. The record low of 30 occurred back in 1956.

I have made no decision on tomorrow ⛺ if I will move to another campsite and work from there or head home after work. I will need to get ice regardless tomorrow in Speculator.

As previously noted, there are 2 weeks until Strawberry Moon 🍓 when the sun will be setting at 8:36 pm with dusk at 9:11 pm. On that day in 2019, we had mostly sunny and temperatures between 82 and 53 degrees. Typically, the high temperature is 76 degrees. We hit a record high of 95 back in 1999.

I should think about getting out to Schoharie County in early June and hit up the farm stands 🍓 and do camping out there one weekend. It would be nice to swim 🏊 out at the park pool but I don’t know if it’s going to open this summer.

Spring time

Terrain Map: Mahanoy Mountain
Map: Tenant Creek Falls Trail
Terrain Map: Buildings Constructed in Capital Region, 2015-2020

Sign and Send a Environmental Impact Comment for Rapp�Road/Costco DEIS to the Guilderland Town�Planner | Guilderland Coalition for Responsible�Growth

Sign and Send a Environmental Impact Comment for Rapp�Road/Costco DEIS to the Guilderland Town�Planner | Guilderland Coalition for Responsible�Growth

Below is a suggested email that you can "Sign and Send" to the Guilderland Town Planner, Ken Kovalchik, to make a comment on the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) regarding the impact on the Albany Pine Bush and the environment in general from the proposed development by Pyramid (Crossgates) on Rapp Road, the Mall Road and Western Avenue.

There are 2 options to "Sign and Send" and with either option you can make any edits you want before sending your email.

The truth is …. 60 Hz Alternating Current Kind of Sucks

The truth is …. 60 Hz Alternating Current Kind of Sucks

Power Lines

In North America, 60 Hz is the standard of alternating current. It was a rather nasty compromise between frequencies, chosen as a “sweet spot” between:

  1. Line losses due to high-frequency currents – The higher the frequency of AC the greater loses due to impedance caused by the voltage and current becoming out of sync due to the induction created by the line (time it takes for the magnetic field to appear and collapse on the wire). It’s not practical to send 400 Hz over any length of wire due to losses.
  2. Size of the transformer needed to step and step down voltage – The higher the frequency of AC, the smaller the transformer needs to be. The magnetic energy in alternating current “exists” in the alternating voltage, so if the voltage is alternating faster, a small transformer can move more power.  Smaller transformers use less copper, they’re cheaper to build, and they’re generally more efficient.
  3. The ability to power light bulbs with minimal smoothing. Incandescent bulbs can be powered directly from 60 Hz alternating current, as it takes more then 1/60th of a second for an incandescent bulb to cool down enough to notice the crossing of zero point. Additionally, with 60 Hz power, a relatively small capacitor can be used to smooth out rectified power to drive an LED light, for fixtures that use a large number of LEDs in series.
  4. The ability to power low-power AC motors. 60 Hz alternating current can and does drive many AC motors, but it does require relatively large motors compared to motors operating at 400 Hz. Not only do 60 Hz alternating current motors require much larger coils then 400 Hz motors, they are less efficient.

Airplanes traditionally use to 400 Hz power, as it saves quite a bit on weight for their electrical motors and transformers. Likewise, traditional automotive alternators generate power in the 400 Hz range, before going through a bridge rectifier and a series of capacitors to smooth out the voltage to direct current. But transferring 400 Hz power, or for that matter boosting and bucking high-current DC can be difficult and prone to electronic failure compared to traditional mains frequency transformers.

But increasingly, we are seeing more uses of high frequency alternating current and direct current, especially in consumer devices. Most modern electronics are powered by switch-mode power supplies, which use high-frequency transformers (as high as 1,000,000 Hz) to safely step down voltage in an isolated fashion. More motors today are driven using inverters, which similarly create a higher-frequency current to provide more power with loss copper and less losses. Controlling the frequency of the current, allows motors to be precisely controlled in their speed, it’s more efficient and accurate then simply chopping off part of the sine wave using thyristor as was done in the olden days to control motor speed.

Map: Tug Hill State Forest (Inman Gulf Area)
Map: New Forge State Forest