Tools and stuff

[MinutemanCO]

I've spent many hours beneath the hood of my diesel truck. The compression on my 7.3 liter is 17.5:1, nothing to play around with. It's a diesel, the compression has to be high by nature - no ignition system. Also, the fuel injection system is actuated by a high pressure oil system that operates at a mere 3,000 psi. I've replaced several components within this system down to, but not including, the high pressure oil pump. I'm here to tell you, at first the process is intimidating, but as you gain knowledge re your engine, things become easier. I haven't required any tools atypical to the ones you have in your collection already, Rick. In retrospect, I also haven't had any catastrophic failures. Knowledge is the key ingredient. Acquire a manual and read up on each component. If your injectors (even one of them) go down, you're screwed - especially out in the Caribbean somewhere. You might keep a stash of injectors and related parts on hand. They (at least for my engine) cost about $200 each.

[American Patriot]

A spare parts collect is one of the things that will build after I get a boat to take us.

We already have a "Master List of Lists". There is a list of tools, galley equipment, clothing and things like that. Bsaically at this time those are actually "inventories" at this point.

We don't know what kind of boat we will have yet, therefore no idea of the engine type, thus no idea of the sort of spare parts we need to added to a spare parts list.

But, we have the "Equipment Spare Parts" on the Master List!

Thanks!

[American Patriot]

Ryan thanks for the link today. I found there is a Harbor Freight across town from me. I might have to go visit it Saturday.

[Malsua]

Harbor Freight is great for weekend warriors and one light use stuff. I bought the motor for my Log Splitter from there. Also bought my Air Compressor and flooring nailer from there. Most stuff is of reasonable quality and will get your through whatever it is you're doing.

[Ryan Ruck]

No problem Rick!

[American Patriot]

Ok... tools...

I asked specifically about "diesel engines" before.

Now I have another tools question. I'm actually just throwing this out because in my "real life" I work on computers, I'm certified in several things, but I'd like outside (non-boat owner) opinions just to get a wider range of ideas.

Computer systems.

I need to do this:

1) Write (notes, stories, articles, web page stuff)

2) Navigation, mapping, tracking locations

3) Organizing. Keeping lists, do logs (ship's logs like maintenance logs, grocery lists, what to buy when I get to town lists).

4) Communications


Let me define a couple of things.

Communications. I will be connecting the radio (HF) to what is basically an external sound card, running a couple of programs that allow me to connect with a distant HF station and collect or dump email to the Internet (without having Wifi capability). This will happen usually on an ocean crossing or in places where we have limited or no internet connectivity.

Navigation. I'll likely use paper charts for most stuff. But if I am planning a crossing somewhere, I'll have a GPS setup, connected to the computer along with a chart plotting program that will help me see where I am "right now".

Writing. Planning on keeping a log of our travels and updating a blog and web page for contact information. I have plans (and have been working with some magazines) to write short travel articles for a small "income". I have some books stuff and deals I've been working on.

Organizing. I could keep a paper note book (and it might be better, but much less organized). I have created a complete log book system that uses Excell and Word (or the equivalent, Open office) to track everything from engine maintenance (when I do the oil changes, get fuels, types of filters used, part numbers for things like water pump impellers, fuel injectors and so on) - to sail inventory, food inventory, physical locations of each and every thing on the boat. We also have communications logs, contact sheets (like an address book) and hardcopies can be made of all this stuff (there's more).

Right now I'm keeping all my "to do" lists on the Kindle Fire (cuz I carry it most places and I don't have an iPad).

Also, we likely will NOT remove this computer from the boat and will "attach it securely" to prevent "easy theft". We are both planning to have portable ipad, netbook or something similar we can carry easily in a back pack and take with us to an internet cafe, or wifi hotspot when those are available.

So --- here's the question:

What suggestions (with links if you have them) or ideas do you all have and would suggest?

Laptop? Ruggedized? Marine? Windows? Mac? Desktop?

And thanks for the input.

[Ryan Ruck]

Since all your tasks are going to be rather basic, you won't be needing a computer with a lot of horsepower.

I'd definitely go with something ruggedized like a Panasonic Toughbook. Good enough for military use!

They've been out a while so you should be able to find one with specs to meet your needs for around or under $500 on eBay.

http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?LH_BI...temCondition=4

More specifically, this looks like a good candidate - http://www.ebay.com/itm/Panasonic-To...item257379a970

[American Patriot]

I'll have to look that over at home. Ebay is verboten here. lol

I have a list of computer specifications I've put into a notepad file so I can compare things.

This list is of the Ship's Electronics I expect to carry on board and has my radio gear, computer gear and assorted smaller items like ipad/kindle/gps etc

Basically, I'm trying to get the list put together and just looking for ideas. Some of the stuff is marked as "Must Have" and most of it is marked "Maybe".

[Malsua]

Whatever you end up with for a laptop, if it doesn't have an SSD, it needs to have one.

The #1 failure component in laptops is the hard drive. An SSD on a pitching boat is no problem whatsoever.

The toughbooks are great, but I suspect that's more than you'll want to spend. Buy a cheap Acer or something and put an SSD in it. You really don't need the impact resistance since you have to strap everything down on a boat anyway.

I would just stick to paper or your table for lists. keeping them in a database or word or something means you'd need to print it out, which means you'd need to have a printer.

As for navigation, there are absolutely fantastic navigation packages that need to run a full computer. You'll need to get a GPS antennae, Garmin makes a good one for about $75, and run it up as high on the mast as you can get. With WAAS enabled on the ocean, you'll get amazing pinpoint resolution as to location.

Comms? Figure out how to get internet.

Finally, I would not get more than 25 miles off shore without a Sat phone. An absolute must.

[Ryan Ruck]

Great idea on the SSD Mal! That would definitely eliminate one big avenue of failure.

Since they are becoming more widespread in use, they are no longer priced in the stratosphere. And with the smaller HD that most of those Toughbooks come with, it would be a good upgrade anyway.

I would mention that I suggested the Toughbook not just for impact resistance but the water/splash resistance. An important feature on a boat!

It's pretty remarkable they can hold up to this...

[American Patriot]

About SSD (I assume you mean solid state drives) aren't most net-books equipped with those? I have a little EEEPC net book and it seems like it has some kind of non-moving hard drive in it. But I don't remember for sure.

Since I don't my boat yet I would say that I don't know for sure what kind of computer will be on it. I'm mostly trying to get ideas.

No Sat phone. Too much money, too much cost for the time to use it, and it's simply not ever going to be budgeted. (But it IS on the list of things to have, if I have the money, IF I have the extra power, and IF I can get them at a reasonable price. If I win the lotto, great, but I haven't). Anyway, a satellite phone is a luxury I just won't have the money for.

We will have to have a printer, there's no way around that.

A lot of countries we will be visiting want "lists". Crew lists, lists of what you have aboard, etc. At least one place (Panama) has about 10 officials you must go through to pass through the country and the canal. Every ONE of them asks for a "crew list". Even if there is one person aboard, that's a list. And they will ask for multiple copies of crew lists for some reason (no one knows why).

To me, a printer is a "must". (And that too, like the sat phone, is on a list of items to have... not necessary MUST have).

[American Patriot]

Water on a keyboard sucks. I actually have the idea I will put a water proof keyboard on the navstation - and the actual computer will be stored in a water proof cabinet.

If the boat fills with water, I've got bigger problems than worrying about a computer!

But the keyboard getting wet can be a bad thing (as I found out when my grand daughter spilled a Coke into my net book and I've been putting it back together about once a week ever since... I still don't have the built in mouse functioning right)

[American Patriot]

Hey Mal, Ryan you guys ever seen anything like this?

http://www.myboatsgear.com/featured_...ile%20wifi.asp

This is some kind of booster rig for wifi. I've not looked into it yet, but your idea of staying near shore for internet is a good idea (unless headed across an ocean or you have to get out say beyond the Gulf Stream to get any southing).

[American Patriot]

By the way... being a ham has it's perks. Commerical wifi stuff is limited to a few milliwatts up to 1watt. Hams are the PRIMARY users of the wifi frequencies and this means I can actually run a wifi transmitter of up to about 200 watts.....

[Malsua]

I know that our marina has wifi and when the tide is down, I have to go on the top of the boat to get connected. I wish I had a long run wifi antennae.

SSD = Solid state disk. All the original ACERs and other netbooks had them. Few do today.

If you don't bother to get one, may god have mercy on your hard drive because mother nature is going to thrash it.

[Ryan Ruck]

No personal experience with that type of amplifier but I have dealt with a number of the type that are externally powered and use a remotely mounted antenna.

One of our customers converted all of their offsite ATMs to cellular and they use the external power/antenna type. They had some issues when they were first deployed but that was largely due to the way the cell routers were configured, not the amp itself. Since then, they have been relatively problem free and they seem to maintain a pretty good signal from what I've seen.

[American Patriot]

If you don't bother to get one, may god have mercy on your hard drive because mother nature is going to thrash it.

SSD? lol

Mal what kind of boat do you have?

I'd think you could just put an extension antenna up (depending on what you have topside).

[American Patriot]

http://www.thewirie.com/

there's another that might help you Mal.

[American Patriot]

Ok, so I see Tigerdirect has a Panasonic Toughbook for around 500. Refurbished.

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applicati...ku=M977-133300

Not sure I like the screen size though - only 13" it looks like.

As far as an SSD goes, you guys know if you have to specify a certain kind for a certain laptop etc?

Mal, you seemed to know about those.

[Malsua]

SSD are only Sata. Any laptop made within the last 2 years should have SATA drives in it.