notes | Andy Arthur.org

Good Morning, Happy Frigid Tuesday.

Andy | January 7, 2014

Good Morning. Happy Tuesday. The recent cold spell continues, with a stiff breeze. The spin-masters want you to either believe it’s the fault of climate change or that climate change doesn’t exist, but I think that’s kind of a mistake to over-think it too much. It’s just the coldest time of year in Albany. This week and next week, on average is as cold as the climate gets year around. And it’s not that cold historically speaking. The upside: it’s bright and sunny out.

Really Not a Lot to Talk About. Granted it’s a bit weird to be getting back into the groove, and dealing with the shit I have to deal with at work once again. Then again, I was looking at my last pay-stub from the year, and realized my hard-work pays off at work. It’s kind of nice that I can afford a fairly middle class life, unlike so many of my peers who got caught up in the last recession.

84 Days Until April. I know that’s a long time away, but I do look forward to the warmer weather. Easter is late this year, and that week I hope to spend a portion of it out in the wilderness, doing some camping, probably in the Finger Lakes, although I am flexible. Probably jack up my truck then, although I am always weighing the options and figuring out what I really want to do. It will be fun rolling on 35s …

Started Researching My Summer Road Trip. I am thinking of exploring the national forests in Virginia and West Virginia. I think I want to see Skyline Drive and Blue Parkway, but also spend the bulk of the week in the back-country, doing roadside camping. It looks like I will have to plan to overnight during the trip down there. I am thinking of camping at a state campground near Harrisburg one night, and then on the way back, maybe camping in Allegheny National Forest – even if it is a bit out of the way.

Cold, wintery weather continues I muse about some random parts of life during the bus ride to work.

4 months later… my thoughts on dual battery setup

Andy | July 23, 2012

My dual battery setup works decently on my Silverado pickup truck for producing camp power for use under the truck cap. For the first night at camp, it provides more then enough power at night, including lots of lights, alarm clock, and moderate use of a portable fan, and 90 watt laptop charger.

After the first night, the deep cycle battery starts to wear down. The inverter will show lower and lower voltage, until it starts beeping every 15 seconds, and eventually shuts off at around 11 volts, to protect the battery. Yet, it can be continued to be run, all you have to do is turn on the engine, and let the truck run at idle speed for like 10 minutes, every 1-4 hours, depending on how heavy your electrical load is. I used an average of 1/3 gallon of fuel for every night after the first night parked, without driving.

As the battery is isolated from the starting battery, running the deep cycle down to the point where the inverter shuts it off is not a big deal. Your starting battery is still fully charged, and the deep cycle will after all get recharged as soon as truck restarts, and the inverter prevents you from going below 10.9-11 volts, a point where damage can occur, even with a good deep cycle.

For most moderate lighting demands — let’s say 75-100 watts — enough to run a couple 26 watt florecents, your pretty close to the 4 hours. But when you start adding a laptop charger or fan, and after the third day without the truck moving, you start to drop things down closer to once an hour. Reducing the load when charging, also helps the truck charge faster, as does swapping out the 60 amp fuse between the batteries with a 100 amp fuse, to send any excess amperage to the deep cycle as fast as possible.

The system originally came with a 80 amp fuse, but I cracked that fuse, when I was re-tightening the connections on fuse holders. Apparently, the fuse holder between the deep cycle battery and the starting battery was loose, and on the bumps of dirt roads would become disconnected. While ultimately, I fixed it by retightening the connections, I ended up breaking the 80 amp fuse, and could only get a 60 amp fuse locally. I plan to buy a 100 amp fuse over the internet at some point.

I rarely stay in the same campsite more then one night, at least without driving somewheres in the truck. Even relatively short periods of charging the battery at above idle speed, e.g. driving rapidly increases the rate of charge. It does however use much more fuel to drive the truck then staying idled.

Adirondack Wild Forests I Camped in 2011

Andy | October 25, 2011

This past year, I got up to nine different Adirondack Wild Forests as part of my explorations of the Adirondack Park. Did a lot of hiking, kayaking, and camping. The map below shows the Adirondack Park’s various units.

I camped in Aldrich Pond (1 night), Black River (4), Debar Mountain (3), Ferris Lake (5), Independence River (2), Moose River Plains (3), Taylor Pond (2), Vandwhacker Mountain (1), and Wilcox Lake (4). My preference for certain Wild Forests over others, is not just based on scenic beauty or activities to do, as much as closeness to Albany and compatability with weekend plans.

I saw quite a bit of Adirondack Park for sure.

Aldrich Pond (1 night)

Camped one night on Streeter Lake Road in Aldrich Pond Wild Forest near the hamlet of Oswagatchie. Paddled part of Little River and Streeter Lake.

Black River (4 nights)

Camped two nights at Wolf Lake Landing Road. Paddled around Woodhull Lake, hiked over to Remsen Falls.

Camped two nights at North Lake. Sat down by the lake, enjoyed the moonlight. Explored Atwell and part of South Lake.

Debar Mountain (3 nights)

I camped for two nights at Mountain Pond near Paul Smiths, NY, while visiting the Saint Regis Canoe Area.

Then coming back from North Country, I decided to spend a night at Jones Pond, which is between Rainbow Lake and Paul Smiths.

Ferris Lake (5 nights)

I did two weekend trips up to Ferris Lake Wild Forest. The first was during Memorial Day Weekend, which was pretty wet and rainy for most of the weekend. The second was during the mid-summer on a super oppressive, hot and humid day out. While I explored Edick Roadside Camping, and also Good Luck Lake, both times I roadside camped on Piseco-Powley Road, three nights at PR 9, one night at PR 4, and one night at 11.

Independence River (2 nights)

Camped two nights at Independence River Wild Forest on Smith Road, at field Campsite 1. There are ten campsites on this road, including one with an outhouse. Several of them are located in old logging load pads, that are now mowed as fields for camping. Nothing particularly fancy here.

Moose River Plains (3 nights)

Planned to spend a week at Moose River Plains, brakes failed on third day up there. Still got three days of fall camping in along Cedar River – Limekiln Lake Road. Camped one night at Campsite 24, and two at Campsite 57 this year.

Taylor Pond (2 nights)

Camped up at Union Falls for two nights in the fall, while hiking and exploring several locations in Clinton County and eastern portion of the North Country.

Vandwhacker Mountain (1 nights)

Camped one night at Cheney Pond at the Vanderwhacker Wild Forest.

Wilcox Lake (4 nights)

Camped three nights up off of NY 8 — one at an old Gravel Pit along the East Sacandaga River in April when the snow was still there, two nights at Fox Lair Campsite, and one night at Hope Falls Road, which is off of NY 30, near Northville.