Tech Net I-J-K

Make your own onboard.  Quick and easy.  Only three ingredients.  Recipe for Five Minute Ice Cream. (Dyad via lifehacker.com)

(more galley tips)

Use zip bags then apply clips to isolate areas of water to make multi cubes. (C_Language)

Reuse 8 oz. yogurt containers with lids to make ice. The lids prevent spillage and evaporation in the freezer. The shape and size of the container makes ice that's perfect for use in a tumbler. (Slow Mocean)

Publix brand yogurt in 6 oz. containers accept Pringles lids for ice-making. Most yogurt manufacturers are no longer using real lids. (Valkyrie)

Publix brand sour cream (small size) comes in containers with plastic tops.  (Valkyrie)

You can use mini plastic storage containers with lids for making ice. These can be found in four-packs at the Dollar Store.

(more galley tips)

706.2
Issue: Meter showing low output; 1 amp on 12 VDC supply.

Suggestions:
Amp meter should show 15-25 A on high power transmit.
Configure for SWR and test on transmit where 1 is okay/good.
Check antenna connections - GTO.
Check mike gain by transmitting on AM.
Check for pin holes on GTO.

710
Issue: When I tune, sometimes the display doesn't show properly.
Comments:
Check the antenna connectors on the tuner.
The display will not come up until tuned. This radio has no built-in memory and needs to be tuned each time.

Query: How to use the tune button?
Comments:
The tune display stays on all the time on this Icom.
If it's not tuned, the tune indicator will be off on Icom 710; 810.
the tuner can be set to auto or manual.

718
Query: Using an SGC tuner. Icom radio. How to manually tune?
Comments:
Manual tuning is not supported without additional hardware.
Use the lowest power possible, and talk or whistle on an unused channel.
After-market adapters between Icom radios and SGC tuners are available.

802
Issue: It's receiving beautifully, but not putting out on transmit.
Suggestions:
Check transmit power.
Push function and TX buttons at the same time to set the transmit power.
Check wiring.
Check power connections to radio.
Check control cable between the radio and the tuner.
Check the tuner control cable fuse inside (or backside) of the radio.

Issue: Breaking up and fading out on high syllables.
Comments:
This problem is recognized by the manufacturer.  Icom will fix this, but the unit needs to be shipped to the company. There's a lengthy turn-around time.
In the meanwhile, cut back on power, using medium or low.

FYI: The 802 is sensitive about tuning. Icom has a hardware fix. Box up the radio and send it to the company and it will be fixed at no cost. (C_Language)
Comment:
Contact the company before sending the radio.

Query: How to unlock the pre-programmed frequencies?
Comment:
Turn off the power, then while simultaneously holding down the "2" "Mode" and "TX" keys, turn on the power again.

Issue: Tuner will not tune.
Suggestions:
Add a few feet of GTO cable between the antenna and tuner.
Check carefully for corroded/shorted GTO cable. Use ceramic hull-throughs.
Test it by removing the tuner fro the radio and use a tuned antenna.

Issue: Runtime error, end of file, runtime error 62, crashes Cruise E-mail.
Suggestions:
May be a corrupted file; reload software. Check to make sure all files have been deleted on uninstall.
May be a corrupted address book. Rename any suspect files, then reinstall the software.
Renaming the file may fix the problem without having to reinstall the software.
Create a batch file to eliminate the ini file. This takes a bit of work.
Removing the corrupted ini files works; the program will generate a new one.
Turn off Cruise E-mail before shutting down the radio because Cruise E-mail will hang otherwise.

Icom online

(also microphones)

Query: Which brand to use? Is Globe a good brand?
Comments:
Globe can be run dry for up to 15 minutes.
Yay: It lasted more than 400 hours.
Nay: It lasted less than 10 hours.
Jabsco is much better; it is 10 bladed.
Volvo brand is good.
Yanmar is still good after six thousand hours.

Depco, a water pump distributer in Clearwater, FL; knowledgeable and can make a solid recommendation based on your equipment. (Nottus, Destiny)
Further Comment:
They carry a good selection of pump parts and gaskets, but don't necessarily offer the best pricing.

FYI: Mud, debris, stirred up sand in water, etc, will accelerate impeller deterioration. (Dyad)
Also look for restrictions which may be the cause of premature deterioration.

FYI: Buy a few extra neoprene impellers as spares. Write down the date of purchase and use older ones first. Store them in a cool place. Very old ones can become brittle. (Salty Paws)

THINGS THAT WORK
Rotate the engine slightly to make sure impeller slips in properly. (Discovery)
Dish soap on an impeller helps to lubricate it. (C_Language)
Use a cable tie to pre-form the new impeller vanes. (Cat Tales)
Make an impeller puller out of a valve stem puller. (Rejoice)

Jabsco brand impeller for the main seawater watermaker.  After 1200 hours it's still in good shape. (Beluga)

Issue: Injectors have a very short life.
Suggestion:
Use fuel additive Stanadyne. (Trumpeter)

Issue: I used SeaFoam, following directions on the can, and had no results at all. No smoke, etc.

Comments:
Engine needs to be in gear rather than idling.
Put product into air intake to clean injectors, valves, rings.

Issue: Injection pump leaks intermittently.
Suggestions:
Replace gaskets.
Try Lubricity Plus.  It's a good additive.
Disassemble and clean injector pump.

Issue: Injector is leaking between injector cylinder head and the gasket. There's no Yanmar dealer nearby.
Comments:
A new gasket can be made from an aluminum can and cut to fit.
Make one out of a penny. Do a little sanding and trimming. Anneal with a quick quench.
Check the rubber seal that's there to block debris.
Check to make sure the gaskets haven't been doubled up from the past.

Query: Can injector testing be done by checking the spray pattern?
Comment:
Stand back! Spray causes blood poisoning and could permanently blind. Use a pro service.

FYI: Clean and service them regularly even if the engine seems fine.
Especially check for looseness. Pros recommend doing this every 900 hours. (Salty Paws)

RECOMMENDED
Diesel Injector Services, Riviera Beach, FL: Thumbs Up. (Salty Paws)

THINGS THAT WORK
To check injectors, loosen one at a time. You'll notice a difference in engine performance if an injector is bad. (Shamal)

Marvel Mystery Oil cleans and lubricates injectors. (St Jude)

SeaFoam is great for cleaning injectors. Works well. Full instructions for use are on the can. (Shamal)

INSECTICIDES

Spectracide Bug Stop is good for spiders and other crawlers. Lasts nine months. Find at Home Depot or Lowes.

Shoofly Screen & Surface Insect Spray. Spray on your screens and it even stops no-see-ums. WallyWorld carries it.
Fite Bite Insect Spray. Spray on screens for mosquitoes and no-see-ums. Can be ordered online.
Cedar Oil Spray. For mosquitoes, gnats and flies. Found in pet stores.

FLEAS
Use a pan of water with detergent in it. Place it under a light bulb. Light attracts them, they burn their feet and fall into the water to drown. (C_Language)

FLIES
Good old fashioned fly tapes work well for assorted houseflies. (Salty Paws)
A small amount of hot sauce applied to your dinner plate, will keep flies off your food. Any brand will work. (Mon Amie)
Plastic bags with water in them can be hung from ceilings to repel flies. See how it works. (Hot Lattetudes)

FRUIT FLIES
In an empty jar, place a few ounces of cider vinegar. Sugar may also be added. Make a cone out of white paper and insert it into the jar. Flies are attracted to the fermentation, but cannot find their way back out through the cone. Works amazingly fast. (Dyad)
Comments:
Cut the top off a plastic drink bottle and invert it back into the bottle. Use vinegar or beer.  Add a bit of dish detergent to break water
surface tension and drown them. (Salty Paws)
Place vinegar in a bowl, then cover it with plastic wrap.  Poke holes in the wrap. (I Wanda)

(also pests)

Issue: On the bottom of the screen, lower left, it reads "a.p.i. mybrowser" and doesn't allow access to internet.
Comments:
Unblock pop-ups, then block them again after a successful log-in.
Use menu options on browser to turn off all extraneous things.
Use Mozilla (Firefox) browser.

best browser
Mozilla (Firefox). It's a reliable and free open source browser. Other  browsers are resource hogs optimized for hardwired cable users.

PRIVACY
Adblock Plus a free plug-in for Firefox.  "Annoyed by adverts? Troubled by tracking?  Bothered by banners?  Install Adblock Plus now to regain control of the internet and change the way that you view the web." (Salty Paws)

TrackMeNot a free plug-in for Firefox. "Protects privacy in web-search. By issuing randomized queries to popular search-engines, including Google, Bing, and Baidu, TrackMeNot obfuscates users' search data profiles." (Salty Paws)

Better Privacy a free plug-in for Firefox. It keeps cookies private and makes the computer work faster too. A discussion about Local Shared Objects (LSOs) aka Flash Cookies: Privacy Concerns. (Salty Paws)

Yahoo uses "Web Beacons" to track and record every website you visit. (Have a look at their privacy statement.) About half way down the page, in the section on cookies, you'll see a link that says Web Beacons. Click on that phrase, or just get there directly with this link.
That will bring you to a paragraph titled "Outside the Yahoo Network." 
Look hard and you'll see a tiny "Opt out" in tiny magenta text. Click it and you're exempted.
Do not click the Cancel Opt-Out button afterwards.

(also computers,  software,  wifi)

Issue: New microwave doesn't work with my Hart modified sine wave inverter.
Comments:
Tappan 800 watt microwave works just fine.  Find one at a second hand store. (Salty Paws)
Find an old microwave that's heavy, because it will have a transformer in it. (C_Language)
Sharp brand 800 watt works well. (Cat Tales)
It's a problems with the digital interface.
Contact a large RV outlet to find a microwave that's compatible.

Issue: 110 amplifier buzzes on the inverter.
Comments:
Check the ground wire.  Is it solidly connected.
Use an isolated transformer.

Issue: Xantrex brand 1000 watt inverter turns on and off at random. Cannot trace the problem.
Comment:
It's most likely a configuration problem.  Recheck the configuration settings through the control panel. (Salienda)

Things that work
Belkin 300 watt inverter. Has low radio frequency interference, and can be used for anything less than 300 watts. (Abraxis).

Issue: Jumping mouse with GPS.
Comment:
Boot up first, then activate the GPS. (Reflection)

Issue: Jumping mouse on Nobeltec.
Suggestions:
XP bootfile fix: right click "my computer" and go to: properties > advance > startup/recovery > edit. Add the following line (case sensitive):
NoSerialMouse
Or go to hardware device manager > pointer device. Disable ballpoint mouse.

go here first
Rick (Naked Lady), wrote instructions for Correcting Uncontrollable Cursor Behavior. Please read this article first.

More online at:
PCmaritime > Leisure > Support
#131976 at the Microsoft Knowledge base.
and Waterwayradio > Tech Corner

Mexican Key Lime Juicer; a small-scale juicer built to work with key limes. Inexpensive at Gourmet Sleuth. (St Jude)
.

Query: Does anyone have any info about KISS-SSB? 
Comments:
The KISS system is a set of pre-cut copper wire radials to be used as half of a dipole antenna (counterpoise). kiss-ssb.com/about.
Read the KISS thread on the Cruiser's Forum.
You can make your own. Forum Discussion.
A handy calculator for radial lengths, if you decide to make your own.
Make your own with inexpensive speaker wire. Instructions on Cruiser's Forum.

Query: Would adding KISS to the existing ground plane make it work better?
Comment:
No. They work in two different ways.

Kiss SSB Grounding System is self-contained and recommended by Icom.
(Barefootin)

Something I learned from a friend with a GB trawler. He was installing his SSB and had a dilemma about how to get a satisfactory ground plane when his tuner was located up in the fly bridge close to the antenna. He bought the KISS system and spoke with the supplier who said the KISS did not have to lie against the hull but could be laid out under the dash on the fly bridge, thus eliminating the need to put anything in the bilge. (Barefootin)

(also single sideband)