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Post by ET on Apr 29, 2011 18:47:04 GMT -5
There are days and then comes a day of utter frustration where everything goes wrong.
My buddy with a range membership wanted to get out today to play with his 300-Winchester Mag and said I would join him.
It wasn’t a great day with cloudy overcast and misty rain. Okay no chrono readings but was looking forward to get some traces anyway.
To make a long story short the battery pack just died as I was getting ready to take my first shot. I couldn’t believe what just happened. That pack was recharged a few days earlier and should have been fine for a while.
Well this pack is now in the freezer to try and wipe any short term memory and will see if there is still a battery pack available for this older model labtop to have as a backup.
All I can say is there will be a slight delay before I get any traces generated.
Ed
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Post by youp50 on Apr 29, 2011 19:06:51 GMT -5
Sorry to hear of your trouble, Ed. However, being frustrated by equipment at the range far exceeds 6 days, 10 hours and little chance for range time or fishing time. It will come together for you.
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Post by Savage Shooter on Apr 29, 2011 19:39:26 GMT -5
There are days and then comes a day of utter frustration where everything goes wrong. My buddy with a range membership wanted to get out today to play with his 300-Winchester Mag and said I would join him. It wasn’t a great day with cloudy overcast and misty rain. Okay no chrono readings but was looking forward to get some traces anyway. To make a long story short the battery pack just died as I was getting ready to take my first shot. I couldn’t believe what just happened. That pack was recharged a few days earlier and should have been fine for a while. Well this pack is now in the freezer to try and wipe any short term memory and will see if there is still a battery pack available for this older model labtop to have as a backup. All I can say is there will be a slight delay before I get any traces generated. Ed laptop batteries can be a pain,,,,,,I bought a ac inverter to plug into the cigarette lighter on the truck or alligator adapter to run straight off the truck battery. I use this one.... www.bestbuy.com/site/CyberPower+-+AC+Mobile+Power+Adapter/9355707.p?id=1218090322222&skuId=9355707&st=ac%20adapter&cp=1&lp=10 |
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Post by Richard on Apr 29, 2011 20:37:48 GMT -5
ET.........sorry to hear about your problem  I know you don't get to the range that much and then to have battery problems  I think Savage Shooter has the right idea. Even if you can't get your vehicle close to the shooting area, you might consider bringing a car or lawn mower battery to plug the inverter into. Probably a good deep cycle marine battery would work. Does your PT run off of six double A's? I found Jon's unit lasted around eight range sessions with Energizers. The laptop batteries  ! Also, under battery power, the laptop wanted to shut down when not used for so many minutes and this screwed up traces..........at least for me Thats when I started plugging it in to the AC at our range. Richard |
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Post by ET on Apr 29, 2011 21:50:17 GMT -5
Youp50
Know what you mean as I came off of 19-straight days on a temporary job not long ago.
I was looking forward to using this lull time to get some productive range time. Thought I had all the bases covered but missed one important one.
Savage Shooter
Thanks for that suggestion as an alternative for a power source.
Richard
This is an HP labtop with no alternative other than an AC power source or their designed battery pack.
Wish I had a setup at the range that your club has, end of problem.
The only good point of today is having a trial run for setup and seeing what needs to be adjusted. I found I don’t need to disconnect any cables for reloading. Also building a little accessory for a more organized workstation.
Just need to find a viable solution for one hurdle to get rolling.
Mind you the weather here has been the pits with rain and damaging winds. Lost power for 24-hrs and for one evening just sat around a candle light watching the shadows flicker on the wall hoping power would come back on to catch the weather and news. Then there’s using the bathroom facilities by candlelight that I won’t get into. ;D
Ed
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Post by Richard on Apr 30, 2011 12:57:51 GMT -5
ET..........when you use the "inverter" along with the battery or your car, it converts the 12V DC to 110 AC!
Richard
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Post by Jon on Apr 30, 2011 14:30:01 GMT -5
I wish I was half as lucky as Richard is. I not only some times bribe people to take me to the range. Which I like but it only has 100yrd. and the closest power is atleast a 1/4 mile away. So I really am paying attention to what people are bring forwards to allow for people that are not lucky enough to have ac power. Keep up the info. Thank you
Jon
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Post by mike3132 on Apr 30, 2011 14:57:35 GMT -5
LOL, Kind of reminds me of a battery powered hunting sights......works every time until you are actually on a hunt with no spare.
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Post by ET on Apr 30, 2011 21:22:32 GMT -5
Richard
Your thoughtfulness is appreciated but am well aware what an inverter is.
Currently my vehicle battery is 6-years old and was showing some weakness this past winter so I’m not jumping at using an inverter with it for now. Also my friend and I take turns driving and don’t want to impose on him of asking to attach an inverter to his vehicle.
Even after the freezer treatment my battery won’t hold a charge for longer than 20-minutes so I’m going to a computer shop Monday morning to see if a battery replacement is available. If not then see what a refurbished labtop with a second battery sells for. At this point all I can do is weigh my options for my best path forward.
Well I thought I paid enough to play but guess I have to pay a little more one way or another.
Ed
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Post by Jon on Apr 30, 2011 23:28:34 GMT -5
Ed. You brought something to mind at least for me. I'm thinking about a relatively light and inexpensive package using a garden tractor battery and an inverter. I just don't know how stable the power would be without a charging system? It seems that when ever you think all the bases are covered some times Murphy's head pops up and just has to throw a wrench into it. I hadn't even thought about the fact that some of the battery powered things shut down if at rest for a certain amount of time. Of coarse that is some times what makes project like this interesting and also rewarding when you do find the answer.
Jon
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Post by deadon on May 1, 2011 3:54:32 GMT -5
Ed. You brought something to mind at least for me. I'm thinking about a relatively light and inexpensive package using a garden tractor battery and an inverter. I just don't know how stable the power would be without a charging system? It seems that when ever you think all the bases are covered some times Murphy's head pops up and just has to throw a wrench into it. I hadn't even thought about the fact that some of the battery powered things shut down if at rest for a certain amount of time. Of coarse that is some times what makes project like this interesting and also rewarding when you do find the answer. Jon Jon, A deep cycle trolling motor battery might be even better as they are made to be used a long time before recharging. J2M, Rusty |
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Post by Jon on May 1, 2011 5:12:01 GMT -5
Rusty. A good thought. I'll have to look into that. I was thinking of the weight and portability. Thanks for the suggestion.
Jon
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Post by ET on May 1, 2011 6:55:21 GMT -5
Jon
You also bring up a good point about recharging a loose battery after certain amount of usage. A battery charging unit or a spare battery I don’t have at the moment.
If I were to run an extension cord from my vehicle to my shooting station it would have to cross the walkway behind the firing line. Guys at the range like to meander along to chat or see what some one is up to. If someone were to trip over the cord then all hell would break loose.
Currently I have a 30-minute drive to the range and about 30-min setup time if the range is not occupied. This is just a little labor of love before the main event. But I would also like not to add more equipment hauling around if possible.
Ideally having a labtop with a good battery and a spare battery pack that provides about 2-1/2hrs would be all I need per session. This would easily provide me with 3-4 sets of traces to evaluate and plan ahead for my next set.
Again I need to collect and weigh all my options before proceeding and have every intention on proceeding as soon as possible. Sometimes getting started with anything is the hard part but once rolling all is well.
Ed
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Post by joe21a on May 1, 2011 9:28:16 GMT -5
If your going to purchase a battery just for this use I would suggest a AGM battery no spill or holes eaten into stuff. They also take vibration better, $ is a little more.
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Post by Richard on May 1, 2011 18:54:57 GMT -5
Jon/Deadon............an excerpt from my above post:
"Probably a good deep cycle marine battery would work. "
This is what I was trying to convey to ET. It might be just as cheap to go this route with an inexpensive inverter. You then also have spare battery should you auto battery gives out ;D
Richard
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Post by 816372dave on May 1, 2011 21:05:10 GMT -5
We use a marine battery and a solar charger on our pond bound pontoon boat and the solar charger keeps it charged all summer.as for portability you could make it all portable by building a battery box with a couple wheels hand truck or luggage handle style and a mount for the solar panel and inverter necessity is the mother of invention hope you come up with something good luck Dave
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Post by ET on May 2, 2011 12:32:35 GMT -5
First off I want to thank everyone that supplied helpful suggestions for a path forward.
Today was a day full of surprises. Got a call from a previous employer who has work for the next month or so on a rush job for nuclear components. The bad news here it will be a 7-day workweek ranging from 9-10hrs a day so no pressure testing for about 4-weeks.
Now for my laptop and power problem that issue is in progress of being resolved with a reconditioned IBM laptop. The deal has been made and am just waiting to get a DVD/CD RW installed on Wednesday. Then it will be tested by playing a DVD and see how the battery stands up to continuous use. Under normal usage the battery pack should last 4-hrs as I understand it. The unit is 1-year old and appears almost like new.
Now another feature is the resiliency to say a splash of water on the laptop. So if I get caught when it starts raining it won’t be a worry/panic situation. Also instead of the standard 3-month warranty I got an agreement for 6-months in writing.
Another deciding factor is my desktop is over 10-years old and has shown signs of possible pending problems in the near future. Should it go down I will have a readily available backup. The laptop is also wireless so I can move it anywhere in the house.
After a good period of finagling the price was $299.00 and after doing a comparison on line I feel I got a good deal.
For me today was a good day except for the setback of starting pressure tests.
Can’t win them all but least I feel I am winning. ;D
Ed
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Post by Jon on May 2, 2011 14:47:28 GMT -5
Et keep up the good work.
Jon
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I know you don't get to the range that much and then to have battery problems 
I think Savage Shooter has the right idea. Even if you can't get your vehicle close to the shooting area, you might consider bringing a car or lawn mower battery to plug the inverter into. Probably a good deep cycle marine battery would work. Does your PT run off of six double A's? I found Jon's unit lasted around eight range sessions with Energizers. The laptop batteries 
