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What changes toyour camping (gear/ techniques) are youpplanning for this year?

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  • Re: What changes toyour camping (gear/ techniques) are youpplanning for this year?

    Originally posted by James. View Post
    After a bottle of rum it will look just fine.

    Comment


    • Re: What changes toyour camping (gear/ techniques) are youpplanning for this year?

      Which tent is that?

      Comment


      • Re: What changes toyour camping (gear/ techniques) are youpplanning for this year?

        Ordered a 12 volt Bluetooth audio amp for the campsite along with a 1,1.5, or 2 liter (depending on which review you read) pressure cooker (hopefully, to make better pasta at altitude).

        https://www.amazon.com/Bluetooth-Amp...A2B8YUJLML2GI6

        https://www.amazon.com/Prestige-Delu...ressure+cooker


        Enjoy!
        2006 Jeep Rubicon, TJ; 4.11 gears, 31" tires, 4:1 transfer case, lockers in both axles
        For DD & "civilized" camping; 2003 Ford explorer sport, 4wd; ARB & torsen diffs, 4.10 gears, 32" MTs.
        Ground tents work best for me, so far.
        Experience along with properly set up 4WD will get you to & through places (on existing, approved 4WD trails) that 4WD, alone, can't get to.

        Comment


        • Re: What changes toyour camping (gear/ techniques) are youpplanning for this year?

          Originally posted by Happy Joe View Post
          Ordered a 12 volt Bluetooth audio amp for the campsite along with a 1,1.5, or 2 liter (depending on which review you read) pressure cooker (hopefully, to make better pasta at altitude).

          https://www.amazon.com/Bluetooth-Amp...A2B8YUJLML2GI6

          https://www.amazon.com/Prestige-Delu...ressure+cooker


          Enjoy!
          What does the bluetooth amp thing do?
          “I would feel more optimistic about a bright future for man if he spent less time proving that he can outwit Nature and more time tasting her sweetness and respecting her seniority.”
          – E. B. White

          Comment


          • Re: What changes toyour camping (gear/ techniques) are youpplanning for this year?

            Originally posted by James. View Post
            What does the bluetooth amp thing do?
            It lets me cordlessly link to the (50+ hours of) music in my phone (extra memory card) and drive a pair of wired speakers with (allegedly) 20 watts of power per channel... since other folks that I camp with use Bluetooth speakers (normally with short runtimes) we will potentially have the ability (with an app) to run every thing from the same source(s) for surround tunes... and /or run my system off their sources, after their speaker batteries die.

            ...this is a bit of a gamble since it is obviously cheap Chinese junk and it is likely that the specs are untrue; but for 20 bucks its not that much of a loss it doesn't work...
            It should arrive today or tomorrow; will post how/if it works.

            Enjoy!

            Edit; also ordered a Torsen front limited slip differential for the Explorer (not the best but the best that seems to be made) for this Minnie mouse IFS vehicle...
            https://torsen.com/aftermarket-sales/

            Enjoy!
            Last edited by Happy Joe; 05-16-2017, 06:08 AM.
            2006 Jeep Rubicon, TJ; 4.11 gears, 31" tires, 4:1 transfer case, lockers in both axles
            For DD & "civilized" camping; 2003 Ford explorer sport, 4wd; ARB & torsen diffs, 4.10 gears, 32" MTs.
            Ground tents work best for me, so far.
            Experience along with properly set up 4WD will get you to & through places (on existing, approved 4WD trails) that 4WD, alone, can't get to.

            Comment


            • Re: What changes toyour camping (gear/ techniques) are youpplanning for this year?

              Originally posted by Happy Joe View Post
              Ordered a 12 volt Bluetooth audio amp for the campsite.

              https://www.amazon.com/Bluetooth-Amp...A2B8YUJLML2GI6



              Enjoy!
              Received the above amplifier, its about the size of a thick paperback book and considerably lighter in weight.
              After fabricating a power wire to let it run from my 12 volt tent (house) battery I attached a couple old KLH 970a weather resistant patio speakers (4; 2 in series per channel).



              Fired up the amp and turned on the phone then went to the phone's settings and turned on Bluetooth then had it search for devices to connect to... it found the amp easily).
              I went to the phone's music player and started it playing...
              After a bit of time getting the tone controls set and trying out (the incredibly cheap , not very good) remote) I listened for a couple of hours ;
              The highs are piercing/incredibly bright had to turn the treble control down considerably.
              The bass control resulted in quite muddy sound when turned up but was acceptable at moderate boost (after a few beers I doubt that anyone will notice and bar music (country) isn't really noted for high quality sound in any case)....
              This little amp can provide enough sound level to completely fill a 10 x12 room so it will probably be OK camping and does perform a bit better in the midrange than the computer speakers that I was using. It does fall short in bass response (needs a subwoofer) although that is the result of the speaker size/characteristics more than anything else.

              Overall I would rate this as acceptable for a low quality cheap/disposable amp purchased for camping...
              I would not expect to use the remote for much, it seems to be IR and doesn't work well.
              I did notice that picking up the box seemed to confuse the Bluetooth indicating that perhaps the circuitry is not particularly stable, however the indoor range on the Bluetooth is at least 20 feet for this particular unit so I cant really complain.
              I didn't try the FM radio features.
              It seems to have the ability to use either a memory card or thumbnail drive but the abysmal instructions are unclear and I did not attempt to use these features.
              As noted in the amazon reviews the front panel lightshow LEDs are quite obnoxious and I will either tape over them or fill their holes with black RTV silicon.

              So far it performs well enough that I will likely buy another when (not if) this one dies...

              Note; if attempting to use this amp with a 12 volt wall wart (plug in power supply) be certain that the wall wart/power supply is rated to supply at least 50 watts at 12 volts; insufficient power will almost certainly result in clipping and probably blown speakers and/or damage to the amp.

              Enjoy!

              Edit;I was curious so I measured the average(more or less) current draw of the amp in use; at normal(for me) personal listening levels it draws on the order of .25 to .3 amps or so.
              At higher (party) levels it draws upon the order of .5 or .6 amps.

              ...still need to figure out a portable 12 volt subwoofer (low level of priority)... the above will work, at least for this summer.

              Enjoy!
              Last edited by Happy Joe; 05-18-2017, 07:06 AM.
              2006 Jeep Rubicon, TJ; 4.11 gears, 31" tires, 4:1 transfer case, lockers in both axles
              For DD & "civilized" camping; 2003 Ford explorer sport, 4wd; ARB & torsen diffs, 4.10 gears, 32" MTs.
              Ground tents work best for me, so far.
              Experience along with properly set up 4WD will get you to & through places (on existing, approved 4WD trails) that 4WD, alone, can't get to.

              Comment


              • Re: What changes toyour camping (gear/ techniques) are youpplanning for this year?





                Been absent from the forums for a bit and see some old faces and some new ones too. Hello to all and I hope I find each of you doing well. We added a new camper trailer to our collection so when the whole mob comes along we have space for everyone.
                Best wishes,
                The Wanderin' Whitlows

                Comment


                • Re: What changes toyour camping (gear/ techniques) are youpplanning for this year?

                  Well, Memorial day weekend is history, along with the weekend after, I thought that I would give some up data on how well some of my changes worked;
                  The pelican cooler worked great still has ice in it 5 days later


                  The stainless cold food pan/tray added to the cooler...
                  http://www.campingforums.com/forum/s...n-30-Qt-cooler
                  worked well but was too small; I will make up a second one for the other side of the cooler.

                  The sailor's mirror (mostly for shaving).. was too heavy for the tent wall to support ... needs a re-think.
                  http://www.campingforums.com/forum/s...Sailors-mirror

                  The wall hanging worked well... to relieve the institutional grey walls/make the tent interior more interesting... Need more, but it is a bit of a hassle to put up.
                  Rohan banner... (more compact than the Celtic Dragon...)

                  The alcohol fireplace to temporarily/intermittently (for a couple of hours) heat the tent (while getting up, going to bed and for social time when it rains/snows/sleets/etc.).
                  http://www.campingforums.com/forum/s...ers)&highlight=
                  ....sorta worked, turns out that the lack of oxygen at altitude (~10k feet) reduces the heat (estimated by 1/3) and extends the runtime so while it takes the edge off the cold it is not as effective as hoped.

                  The 12 volt Bluetooth audio amp for the campsite.
                  (several posts above)
                  ....worked fairly well (fine for moderate level/in tent use but its 40 watt output is not going to achieve concert level sound in the outback) ... I need to make up a subwoofer....

                  The small table, as expected is a bit too short, but otherwise worked well.
                  http://www.campingforums.com/forum/s...-a-small-table



                  The Thetford porta potti worked very well, however I should have gotten the next size bigger (will try ordering a bigger holding tank as a spare part).

                  Next trip;
                  Will try reducing the bulk by not taking the extra foam mattress pad.
                  Need to replace the camera with a rechargeable lithium powered model (The old one will not function on rechargeable batteries (thus explaining the lack of pics from this last trip)...

                  Hopefully the Ford explorer parts (ARB locker and gears) will arrive soon.

                  You win some.. and loose some...
                  ...evolution happens...

                  Enjoy!
                  Last edited by Happy Joe; 06-05-2017, 11:42 AM.
                  2006 Jeep Rubicon, TJ; 4.11 gears, 31" tires, 4:1 transfer case, lockers in both axles
                  For DD & "civilized" camping; 2003 Ford explorer sport, 4wd; ARB & torsen diffs, 4.10 gears, 32" MTs.
                  Ground tents work best for me, so far.
                  Experience along with properly set up 4WD will get you to & through places (on existing, approved 4WD trails) that 4WD, alone, can't get to.

                  Comment

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