'The Beast'

Jan was very excited when her new kitchen appliance was delivered this morning.  She has named it 'The Beast'.

It's certainly large and heavy.  I'm told it has the functionality of three conventional appliances being a slow cooker, pressure cooker and air fryer.

Whilst Jan has been having some success with her new toy I've had a failure.

At the furthest point of yesterday's bike ride the controller displayed a fault and I lost the information for speed, distance, gear level and battery charge.  Instead, the display showed an engine fault symbol and an error code 21H.

After cycling home I looked up the definition of code 21H error.  It indicates a fault with the bike speed sensor.  After examining the sensor; which appeared to be OK; my suspicions were confirmed when I removed the new bike stand from the frame and discovered the speed sensor cable was damaged.  It's my fault.

When cycling around Taiwan towing the heavy trailer I realised the side stand wasn't sufficiently strong.  The design of the side stand meant the bike leaned to the stand side and the weight of the trailer then made the combined bike & trailer tip over.  The strain on the stand was so great it eventually broke the leg.  My solution has been to buy a centre stand with two legs.  The bike then stood vertically and the now perpendicular trailer didn't cause the combination to tip.

However when the stand I had ordered online arrived I realised it wouldn't fit.  The issue was the wires from the motor.  They occupied the same space as the stand.  I started cutting, drilling, grinding and filing the stand mounting plate to make room for the wires.

 

I cut the front lip off the stand mounting plate (top right arrow) and made two holes on the top of the leading edge to provide room for the motor cables.

This actually worked!  The problem was some surplus cable from the speed sensor got caught in the leg folding mechanism.

Top arrow shows where the stand mounts to the underside of the frame.  The bottom arrow points to the broken wires.  It's going to take all four of my hands to effect a repair.  One hand to hold one of the wire ends and a second hand to hold the other.  The third hands to hold the soldering iron and the fourth to hold the solder.  Unfortunately I only have two hands (which shake) and one eye.  The latter makes it very hard to judge distances (like joining two small wires).

The solution is quite obvious.  Make a pair of hands!

The bike speed controller is now working.  I've rerouted the cable in an effort to prevent further damage.

Cooking

I am a terrible cook.  There; I've done it and admitted my failing!

My mother was a terrible cook and I believe I inherited this trait from her. 

When I was a young soldier I'd be given my ration packs the day prior to deployment and promptly try to eat as many of them as I could in an effort to carry as little as possible on my back.  Food was just energy!  However I've been very fortunate in marrying a fantastic cook who can create filling and tasty meals from fresh air.

When I make one of my solo outback trips I tend to eat poorly.  The food is either burned or raw.  The exception is when I have my friend Ken as a travelling companion.  He can cook!

I usually cook using the two burner gas hob; although I enjoy cooking over an open fire.  However the result is always the same; poor food.

Several years ago I decided the solution to this problem would be for me to take frozen pre-prepared meals (created by my lovely wife) and reheat them when required.  After some online searching I came upon the "Travel Buddy" 12V oven.  It looked like a solution as I could cook (reheat) on the move and have a meal ready when I stopped for the day.  The Travel Buddy oven is made in Australia.  However was somewhat expensive and I therefore discarded the idea.

Travel Buddy ovens became very popular.  So much that demand outstripped the manufacturer's ability to supply.  My guess is one distributor or retailer took a Travel Buddy to China and asked if they could make something similar.  The result was the Chinese made "Road Chef".  This was actually a better oven and also cheaper.  Other camping and 4WD equipment distributors realised there was an untapped market and went to China.  The Australian distributor and online retailer "KickAss" started selling an oven very similar to the Travel Buddy.  This oven is cheaper than the Road Chef.  The latest iteration has been from the 4WD SupaCentre distributor who supplies budget end camping and 4WD equipment made in China.  Their "Kings" 12V Oven is another copy of the Travel Buddy.  Cheaper again.  Currently they have is at a post Christmas discounted price of $149.   Today I bought one.

I am prepared to buy locally made products.  However the manufacturer of the original Travel Buddy has made the mistake of failing to innovate and continually improve their oven.  The Chinese made ovens are not only better, but cheaper.

The major difference between the "Kings" oven and it's competitors is the glass window.  This enables the food to be viewed without having to open the door.  Opening the door results in a loss of heat.  However the glass is also a disadvantage as it allows heat to escape more than the solid doors on its competitors.

  

All the ovens come with two racks; heat to approximately the same maximum temperature (180°C) and have a similar power consumption (12V 10A).  The Travel Buddy is the only oven which requires the purchaser buy an Anderson plug.  The other ovens come with the plug.

The marketing blurb claims a cold pie can be heated in 45 mins and a frozen pie in 90 mins.  They also claim a small roast can be cooked in 3 hours.   I will be conducting some trials on cooking times; maximum temperature and power consumption.

I have previously wired an Anderson plug into the rear cargo compartment of the 4WD.  This is controlled through a Voltage Sensitive Relay (VSR) which will ensure the power is disconnected before the oven flattens the battery.  I have also decided to do some do further modifications before using the oven.  I want to secure the oven firmly in the back of the 4WD.  Notwithstanding this, it must be easily removable.  I also want to encase it to both prevent heat loss (improve efficiency) and reduce the risk of a fire.

Meanwhile, Jan has started investigation silicon food trays.  I will need several.     

Bookshop window dresser with a sense of humour

 

I Remembered

Back when we were fitting out Waiouru at Aldermaston Wharf I wrote in one of the blog posts I'd broken one of the blades on my Leatherman multitool lamenting the loss.  Subsequently I received a comment mentioning the Leatherman comes with a lifetime guarantee and I should be able to get it repaired at no cost.

Well I followed that advice and was sent a replacement Leatherman.

Roll the clock forward to December 2022 when I was using the Leatherman in Taipei to disassemble my bike ready for its return to Perth.  Well one of the screwdriver blades on the Leatherman broke.  The shaft of the flat tip blade sheared on a very stiff screw head.

After arriving back in Perth I remembered the lifetime guarantee and sent the damaged Leatherman to the Australian distributor in Sydney.

Today I received a new Leatherman

    

My old Leatherman wasn't repaired but rather replaced.  One assumes it's cheaper to replace than repair?   I'm very pleased with the service as I frequently use the Leatherman.  

Cleaning

We (me) are now the owners of an ultrasonic cleaner.  I've wanted one for some time and been watching the prices slowly drop.  There are many items I want to clean.  However I need to do some experimenting first and understand how the cleaning operates.

If I place item directly into the cleaner then obviously the cleaner tub will get dirty.  Sonic waves will pass through plastic and I decided I would therefore fill the cleaner with clean potable water.  I would then place an empty plastic container in the water and fill it with the cleaning solution.  Items requiring cleaning would go into the plastic container.  This method should result in the sonic cleaner being kept clean whilst any plastic container can be remove for cleaning or disposal.

I used one of Jan's empty laundry powder containers as my plastic container and partially filled it with petrol as my cleaning agent.

The bike chain and tensioner were then placed into the container before turning the cleaner on for 30 minutes.  The petrol immediately appeared to "fizz" and vibrate.  Very quickly the petrol started to get dark.  This surprised me as I'd only recently cleaned the chain with a rag and toothbrush.

After 30 minutes I removed and inspected the chain before deciding to continue for a further 30 minutes.

The petrol was quite dark after an hour and I stopped the cleaner removing the contents of the plastic container.

  

I'm very impressed with the quality of the cleaning. 

After letting the petrol settle I lowered a magnet on a string into the base of the plastic container.  On removing it the magnet was thickly covered with a fine black grit paste.  No doubt the chain will be happier without this grinding paste wearing away at moving surfaces!

There are a few tools that can now go into the cleaner.

50/50

A mixed start to the day will a postal delivery.  Two of the three items I'd purchased on Aliexpress arrived from China.

When I took the large Canon DSLR camera to Taiwan to be repaired I noticed the rubberised reverse of the shoulder strap had started to perish leaving a sticky black residue on my shirt.  An "official" replacement strap cost in the region of $40-60.  This seemed excessive.  A seller on Aliexpress appeared to be offering a similar strap for $12 so I ordered one.  It arrived today, along with a WIFI SD card adapter I'd also bought.

 

New shoulder strap at the bottom and the wifi SD card adapter at the top

The new shoulder strap appears to be as well made as the original.  It's also slightly longer.

Unfortunately not the same success with the wifi SD card adapter.  For several years I have been concerned that the continual removal and insertion of the SD memory card into the camera to transfer photos might eventually result in the camera slot cover or card connections failing.  Whilst in Taiwan I suddenly had a "brainwave" and thought "Maybe I can modify the camera and be able to transfer the files wirelessly?".  Of course most modern cameras have this functionality already built in.  But our 2011 Canon EOS 550D was manufactured prior to this enhancement.  Well my online search revealed my idea was already obsolete.  SD card manufacturers started making cards with inbuilt wifi back in 2014.  Then camera manufacturers started making camera with the functionality.  Any wifi adapter card that would fit our camera had been well superseded and those currently for sale cost around $200. 

More searching on Aliexpress suggested I might be able to buy a wifi adapter (without memory) for $10.  The wifi adapter card arrived today.

I inserted a 64GB micro SD card into the adapter and then inserted the card into the camera.  The wifi adapter is powered by the camera.  The first thing I discovered was the wifi will only connect to an Android or iPhone device.  Next I discovered the wifi in the adapter would disable (or turn off) after a few seconds of power.  Maybe it was because the 64GB micro SD card had too much capacity and in ExFAT format.  I tried a smaller 8GB micro SD card formatted in FAT32.  No luck!  Then I tried using the Samsung Android Tablet instead of the Android phone.  No luck!  I haven't given up on the adapter but I might have wasted $10.

Here is a small tip for motorhome, caravan and narrowboat owners.  Your 'shore-power' lead is an attractive item.  To reduce its attractiveness wrap  different coloured insulation tape around it in several locations to give the impression it's frayed or damaged and not in the best condition.  Any thief is likely to look for a better lead.       

Planning for the sake of it

I spent Christmas at 32,000ft winging my way from Taipei to Hong Kong and then onwards to Perth courtesy of Cathay Pacific.  I had anticipated both flights would be reasonably empty and that proved to be an invalid assumption.  There were few empty seats.  However I must have been lucky as I was in an isle seat with an empty seat between me and the passenger in the window position.  The airline food was OK and the service good.  I would fly with Cathay Pacific again should the opportunity arise.

There were numerous chores around the house waiting for my return.  After several days they were sorted and I then did an oil change on the bike internally geared rear wheel.  I also managed several long bike rides.  Whilst I felt fitter, the high temperature sucked the energy from me.

Whilst completing the scheduled pool clean I noticed the DIY solar pool water heater system wasn't working.  The display on the MPPT solar controller was blank.  My initial reaction was the controller had failed (it was very cheap) and then logic kicked in.  "Look for the simple things first".  Placing the multimeter on the solar panel terminals confirmed the panel was producing power.  However when I placed the multimeter on the 12V battery terminals there was only 6V.  This suggested the "repurposed" battery I'd taken from the local recycling centre might have died.  Then I checked the battery terminal connections.  The positive terminal was very loose.  After tightening it the system sprang back into life!

With daily temperatures hoovering around 24-27C I've been spending time inside.   Whilst sitting at the pc I decided to produce some map traces of cycling routes in Europe.  The first was a trace of the route used by English pilgrims on their way to the Holy Land.  The route goes from Canterbury to France, Belgium, Luxemburg, Germany, Switzerland and down to the bottom of Italy where they then travelled from Brindisi to the Holy Land.  My trace only goes as far as the head of the Rhine in Switzerland.

My second trace follows the Rhine from it's source to its mouth.

It has taken several days to create the trace in Open Street Map as a GPX format file.  The trace was then converted to Google Earth format (kml) using GPSBabel before being imported into Google Maps.

Each route is approximately 1300km.

Jan has been following media comments regarding Harry's book.  Not something that particularly interests me.  Apparently she had read a queue had already formed outside Waterstones based on a rumour Harry would be conducting a booking signing.