"He who buys what he does not need, steals from himself." - Unknown
For the last several weeks, I've been reading on and researching "Action Cameras." In the simplest form, these are small battery powered camcorders that have some weather resistance. Elaborate features go up from there.
When I first joined the company I continue to work for, my first office (a desk really) was adjacent to Ron's office. As a Mac user, he was forced to standardize to the windows platform at some point in corporate IT history. This was during the end of the Windows3.1 era and the beginning of Windows95. Being a glutton for punishment, Ron hated the forced 8.3 naming convention of Windows3.1 and installed Windows95 which was not actively supported. This led Ron to be brought into the pilot use of Windows95 - and its own corporate IT support line. With one problem after another, Ron was on the special help line one day for an extended period of time. At some point he was disconnected (which would have brought him to the back of the help-line when he called back) to which he responded by screaming something unintelligible and smashing his phone onto the office floor; he left in a huff. Minutes later he returned, picked up the phone on the desk next to me and calmly asked site services to get him a new phone as his was broken.
On of my time-lapse cameras BROKE recently and the idea of an Action Cam as a replacement seemed appealing. These cameras all have time lapse capabilities as well as being able to mounted outside for weather resistant use. I'd love to time lapse a cross country trip, or film my next motorcycle trip through Lolo.
Being in vogue, Action Cameras are easy to research online as long as one keeps in mind that negative feedback is much more pervasive than positive. Many professional, semi-professional and blog-type reviews are available to compare and contrast Action Cameras. Amazon makes a great platform for getting real world reviews and prices in one place.
"What consumerism really is, at its worst is getting people to buy things that don't actually improve their lives." - Jeff Bezos
The GoPro is the most common camera but is also very expensive (probably due to the copious advertising that accompanies it - it is everywhere). Sony's AS15 gets very good reviews, especially in professional web-site reviews. Being a camera company first, and a manufacturer of helmets cams second, this unit appears to be the best optically, but I'm not sure that is the point for an Action Camera. Both of these cameras require a hard plastic waterproof case to function in a weather resistant environment. The cameras themselves are rather fragile in order to remain lightweight. To paraphrase one review - they seem rather like a turtle outside of the shell.
The Contour Camera and the Drift Ghost get around this by being natively waterproof. The Drift Ghost also has the feature of a preview screen. This brings up an interesting point - most of these Action Cameras do NOT have preview screens. This leads to the potential for a situation where minutes, hours or longer may have poorly aimed images or smudges on the lens. Very likely in a waterproof turtle-shell case. Many of the cameras have started to get around this by offering "features" like streaming to a cell phone. This adds much in the way cost to the camera and complexity, and cost, and cost. So without a preview screen, we're expected to stream our waterproof camera to our more fragile and non-waterproof smart-phone to compose the shot and hope it stays that way I guess. This functionality seems to cost hundreds of dollars. Some cameras come with a preview screen as an add-on option, creating the option of a bulky, more fragile camera that costs even more.
On the subject of cell phones, I need a new one of these as well. I'm perfectly happy with my Motorola Atrix, but I'd like an LTE phone soon. My phone is my internet connection (I'm using it to connect as this is written) and while I may not get an LTE connection at home, I might. There are other times when I know I would have an LTE connection that it would be worth it. However, newer cell phones (at least those available at AT&T) are HUGE. These might be usable as a handset if I had Andre the Giant hands and pockets, but I don't. Phones such as the HTC One and the Samsung Galaxy S4 are around 40% larger than my Atrix in square inches. I'm currently of the belief that there is very limited individual thought in the cell phone industry so it is assumed everyone wants to carry a small TV around in their pocket. I don't need massive octocore processing power in a cell phone either. Remember the Toshiba Libretto?
I'm more interested in the Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini which should be available soon. Or, I've read that a version of the fabled Motorola X-phone may have a smaller version. At this point small and functional would be nice.
“The assumption that everyone else is like you. That you are the world. The disease of consumer capitalism. The complacent solipsism.” - Davis Foster Wallace
I narrowed my camera choices down to two. The Wingman HD looks very promising as it has a native preview screen. I'm not fond that it requires a turtle shell to be water resistant. The price is right at less than $150 but Delkin isn't known as a great camera company, while they do make adequate power strips.
The Drift Innovations Drift Ghost was the other camera that made the cut. It has a preview screen and is waterproof without a turtle shell. It also has replaceable lenses. Both of these cameras have standard 1/4-20 mounting which allows for lots of options. Unfortunately, the Drift Ghost has all the bells and whistles including cell-phone streaming. Not sure of the benefit of cell-phone streaming when it has a preview screen? And, the cost is commensurate with the bells and whistles of $400. There is also the Drift HD at less than $200, which is "water resistant" without a case. I note it has an "optional" waterproof case.
I had some Amazon Gift Cards ready to purchase and decided to sleep on the decision about which to get.
The decision?
Neither.
I recently read an article on how much money it takes to be happy - a topic I'm always interested in. Predictably, there wasn't an answer; there is enough money in 95+% of American households to make the question moot. My take-away from the article was one nugget which suggested research had shown people who made $50,000 with friends who made $25,000 where happier than people who made $100,000 if their friend's made $200,000. This likely true, if also sad. Very sad.
There is a great liberation in not purchasing. There is no major hole in my life to filled by the purchase of an Action Camera or a new cell phone. At least for now...
Sunday, June 30, 2013
Sunday, June 9, 2013
Replacing XM15 Fixed Stock with a Six Position Telescoping Stock
I bought my Bushmaster semi-automatic magazine-fed rifle around 2001. Since Assault Rifles were illegal during that era of the Clinton Gun Ban, it is not an Assault Rifle (yet?).
I like the rifle. Once an initial bolt tightness was alleviated after a break-in period, the rifle has been rock solid reliable and digests even really cheap low power reloads consistently. I equally enjoy using the rifle for target shooting, hunting coyotes and occasionally plinking.
One thing I did not like about the rifle was the Reno-Era fixed stock. It is a flat-top rifle and I shoot it with both the carry handle sights and a large 10x fixed-power scope. Since the scope is large, fitting eye-relief to both it and the carry handle can be awkward. And, to be perfectly honest, the fixed stock does not look right on a rifle with a carbine-length barrel and Bushmaster Dissipator front end.
Luckily, Bushmaster makes and sells their factory-fit six position stock as a direct replacement. It comes with everything needed for the swap and is a bargain at a bit over 100 clams. I originally tried to buy the stock from a large Midwestern company that sells shooting supplies, but in today's political climate, keeping these in stock was apparently not possible; my purchase was cancelled by the vendor after a considerable back-order dealy. I ended up purchasing it directly from Bushmaster, part number F1000360.
As mentioned, the kit comes with everything needed for the swap, sans instructions. While it isn't needed, an AR15 combo wrench is a handy thing to have.
We start with ensuring the rifle is not loaded and the gun secured in a vice.
I've heard horror stories about how hard the stock can be to get off of a factory Bushmaster rifle. I do not have copious upper body strength and so I was prepared for the worst, ready to use an impact driver if needed (or possibly even cut off the old stock). However, a twist with a large screwdriver easily removed the upper screw on the stock; the factory nylon locking material only marginally resists turning the screw. Once the screw is out, the fixed stock slides off of the existing buffer tube.
The lower receiver can then be removed from the rest of the rifle per factory manual. Once the two halves are separated, the existing buffer can be removed from the buffer tube by pushing down on the buffer retaining plunger and pulling out the buffer. Then push down on the buffer retaining plunger and unscrew the buffer tube. This will be snug, but shouldn't be too tight. An AR15 combo wrench or standard 5/8 wrench is used to remove the buffer tube. Once unscrewed, be careful not to lose the buffer retaining plunger or the rear take-down pin spring.
The rear take down pin detent spring is held on by the fixed stock. In this picture, the spring is put back in place prior to reassembly.
Install the included castle nut on the new buffer tube, then slide the buffer plate on the buffer tube as shown in the picture. With the new stock, the buffer plate holds the take-down pin spring in place.
Install the buffer plunger and hold the plunger down while screwing in the buffer tube until the plunger is appropriately held in place by the cut-out in the tube. This is where buying factory parts is nice as the buffer tube has a small cut-out which perfectly holds the buffer plunger in place while also allowing it to retain the buffer. Some after-market parts may require a bit of fitting.
Hold the plate against the rear of the receiver and tighten the castle nut against the plate. Use an AR15 wrench to tighten the castle nut securing the new stock, plate and receiver all together. The castle nut needs to be tight, but not threadstripping tight. It does not need locktite, nor does it need to be "staked." Channel Locks or the like can be used to tighten the castle nut, but that is gorilla gunsmithing. The AR15 wrench is really nice here.
The new stock can now be pushed onto the buffer tube by pulling down on the pin that holds the stock in position. To install, it needs to be pulled down farther than can be accomplished with the stock adjustment lever. Once installed, the adjustment lever can be used to slide the stock for and aft.
Push down on the buffer plunger and install the new buffer spring and new buffer. Once released, the buffer plunger should securely hold the buffer and spring in the buffer tube.
The stock is now installed on the existing receiver. This entire operation should be doable within about 30 minutes. It is a good time to clean the rifle since it is apart anyway, stretching the time only marginally.
Finished, the adjustable stock is functional.
And, with a ridiculously large fixed 10x scope (which is almost as long as the barrel), it is ready to make some noise.
I like the rifle. Once an initial bolt tightness was alleviated after a break-in period, the rifle has been rock solid reliable and digests even really cheap low power reloads consistently. I equally enjoy using the rifle for target shooting, hunting coyotes and occasionally plinking.
One thing I did not like about the rifle was the Reno-Era fixed stock. It is a flat-top rifle and I shoot it with both the carry handle sights and a large 10x fixed-power scope. Since the scope is large, fitting eye-relief to both it and the carry handle can be awkward. And, to be perfectly honest, the fixed stock does not look right on a rifle with a carbine-length barrel and Bushmaster Dissipator front end.
Luckily, Bushmaster makes and sells their factory-fit six position stock as a direct replacement. It comes with everything needed for the swap and is a bargain at a bit over 100 clams. I originally tried to buy the stock from a large Midwestern company that sells shooting supplies, but in today's political climate, keeping these in stock was apparently not possible; my purchase was cancelled by the vendor after a considerable back-order dealy. I ended up purchasing it directly from Bushmaster, part number F1000360.
As mentioned, the kit comes with everything needed for the swap, sans instructions. While it isn't needed, an AR15 combo wrench is a handy thing to have.
We start with ensuring the rifle is not loaded and the gun secured in a vice.
I've heard horror stories about how hard the stock can be to get off of a factory Bushmaster rifle. I do not have copious upper body strength and so I was prepared for the worst, ready to use an impact driver if needed (or possibly even cut off the old stock). However, a twist with a large screwdriver easily removed the upper screw on the stock; the factory nylon locking material only marginally resists turning the screw. Once the screw is out, the fixed stock slides off of the existing buffer tube.
The lower receiver can then be removed from the rest of the rifle per factory manual. Once the two halves are separated, the existing buffer can be removed from the buffer tube by pushing down on the buffer retaining plunger and pulling out the buffer. Then push down on the buffer retaining plunger and unscrew the buffer tube. This will be snug, but shouldn't be too tight. An AR15 combo wrench or standard 5/8 wrench is used to remove the buffer tube. Once unscrewed, be careful not to lose the buffer retaining plunger or the rear take-down pin spring.
The rear take down pin detent spring is held on by the fixed stock. In this picture, the spring is put back in place prior to reassembly.
Install the included castle nut on the new buffer tube, then slide the buffer plate on the buffer tube as shown in the picture. With the new stock, the buffer plate holds the take-down pin spring in place.
Install the buffer plunger and hold the plunger down while screwing in the buffer tube until the plunger is appropriately held in place by the cut-out in the tube. This is where buying factory parts is nice as the buffer tube has a small cut-out which perfectly holds the buffer plunger in place while also allowing it to retain the buffer. Some after-market parts may require a bit of fitting.
Hold the plate against the rear of the receiver and tighten the castle nut against the plate. Use an AR15 wrench to tighten the castle nut securing the new stock, plate and receiver all together. The castle nut needs to be tight, but not threadstripping tight. It does not need locktite, nor does it need to be "staked." Channel Locks or the like can be used to tighten the castle nut, but that is gorilla gunsmithing. The AR15 wrench is really nice here.
The new stock can now be pushed onto the buffer tube by pulling down on the pin that holds the stock in position. To install, it needs to be pulled down farther than can be accomplished with the stock adjustment lever. Once installed, the adjustment lever can be used to slide the stock for and aft.
Push down on the buffer plunger and install the new buffer spring and new buffer. Once released, the buffer plunger should securely hold the buffer and spring in the buffer tube.
The stock is now installed on the existing receiver. This entire operation should be doable within about 30 minutes. It is a good time to clean the rifle since it is apart anyway, stretching the time only marginally.
Finished, the adjustable stock is functional.
And, with a ridiculously large fixed 10x scope (which is almost as long as the barrel), it is ready to make some noise.
Sunday, June 2, 2013
Stream of Consciousness
Most years develop a personality. 2013 is nearly half over and it seems vaguely flavored so far.
The last few weeks have been unusual.
A few weeks ago I had to go North for a wedding. The wedding went off without a hitch, or with a hitch depending on your point of view.
The motorcycle was the weapon of choice for the trip to and from the wedding - this should be expected this time of year. The trip north was wonderful with almost perfect weather despite forecasts of rain. The nice weather prompted the avoidance of the interstates until they were nearly unavoidable. The motorcycle part of the trip almost made it qualify as an adventure. Almost.
The wedding was for my sister. Because it was family, there were many family members (both close and extended) that I saw there. It was the first time all the siblings were in the same place in over 15 years. It was also the first time I saw my brother in around eight years. When I mentioned this to some people after returning home and to work, the reaction was an assumption that the family doesn't get along. Funny in that we really do. We just all have our own slightly self-absorbed lifestyles; this is not a bad thing.
It was fun to get together with them for a while. There are some interests that intersect in the group of us, but there is no question that our parents raised a group of kids who are independent to a fault. Despite our differences, there are also many similarities. I'm starting to believe some behaviors must have a genetic component. This is something to perseverate about, now and in the future...
Several Uncles and Aunts that I hadn't seen in many years were at the wedding as well. It was good to see them, although I continue to understand more, slowly.
During filial visits, I was surprised how despite our completely different industries, personalities and even job titles, my sister and I had many similar nuances, likes and complaints about work. When I got home, I found out I was getting promoted at work. Since this wasn't something I was actively seeking, I was shocked.
Not being one to look for the spotlight, the announcement was fairly uncomfortable. The broader email announcement later was more tolerable as I heard many congrats from current coworkers as well as former ones I haven't heard from, often in a long time.
It hasn't been a very good week for vehicles. I got a nail in the nearly new rear tire of one of my motorcycles. I tried repairing it twice with Stop-N-Go plugs. I have never had these plugs fail but this leak will not stop. The Stop-N-Go appeared to work initially, but after a few commutes, the tire was back to losing nearly 20psi/day. Given the potential for catastrophic consequences if a motorcycle tire deflates very rapidly while on the road, I think my life is worth enough to buy a new tire. I do want to see what the inside looks like once the punctured tire is unmounted.
One of my other vehicles blew a coolant hose on the road. It was not an expensive fix, just a bit of a pain. Despite nearly perfect weather, the nearest tow truck Allstate Motor Club could send was nearly 90 miles away. I went with Allstate over a decade ago since they were one of the few that provided emergency roadside help for motorcycles. Now that I have roadside assistance from the American Motorcyclist Association, I may not need it. I will look into AAA - both with and without the option of motorcycle coverage as a second alternative. Aside, I was surprise AutoZone rents tools out for free, charging the price of the tool and refunding that amount in total on return; I'm sure this prompts parts purchase at AutoZone, but is an outstanding service to those of us who have not invested in things like coolant system pressure testers.
One of my other cars has a broken plastic engine shield. I really don't know why new cars all seem to have these. We all are not going to drive Ferrari Enzos with clear polycarbonate engine covers, but I miss the concept of engine as art that should be part of car design. Likely it is gone for good and replaced with an ugly plastic shield. Do not pay attention to the man behind the curtain.
I bought a used engine cover for the car off of Ebay. When it was delivered, the part was cracked - while it definitely wasn't in the picture on Ebay - leading me to believe the real possibility of damage while shipping. I was certainly expecting to chalk up a loss, but the Ebay Seller worked with UPS and we both were quickly refunded our money. Faith is renewed in humanity through the small Ebay Seller.
It is June now, hopefully 2013 will begin to coalesce into something more definite before the year is half over.
The last few weeks have been unusual.
A few weeks ago I had to go North for a wedding. The wedding went off without a hitch, or with a hitch depending on your point of view.
The motorcycle was the weapon of choice for the trip to and from the wedding - this should be expected this time of year. The trip north was wonderful with almost perfect weather despite forecasts of rain. The nice weather prompted the avoidance of the interstates until they were nearly unavoidable. The motorcycle part of the trip almost made it qualify as an adventure. Almost.
The wedding was for my sister. Because it was family, there were many family members (both close and extended) that I saw there. It was the first time all the siblings were in the same place in over 15 years. It was also the first time I saw my brother in around eight years. When I mentioned this to some people after returning home and to work, the reaction was an assumption that the family doesn't get along. Funny in that we really do. We just all have our own slightly self-absorbed lifestyles; this is not a bad thing.
It was fun to get together with them for a while. There are some interests that intersect in the group of us, but there is no question that our parents raised a group of kids who are independent to a fault. Despite our differences, there are also many similarities. I'm starting to believe some behaviors must have a genetic component. This is something to perseverate about, now and in the future...
Several Uncles and Aunts that I hadn't seen in many years were at the wedding as well. It was good to see them, although I continue to understand more, slowly.
During filial visits, I was surprised how despite our completely different industries, personalities and even job titles, my sister and I had many similar nuances, likes and complaints about work. When I got home, I found out I was getting promoted at work. Since this wasn't something I was actively seeking, I was shocked.
Not being one to look for the spotlight, the announcement was fairly uncomfortable. The broader email announcement later was more tolerable as I heard many congrats from current coworkers as well as former ones I haven't heard from, often in a long time.
It hasn't been a very good week for vehicles. I got a nail in the nearly new rear tire of one of my motorcycles. I tried repairing it twice with Stop-N-Go plugs. I have never had these plugs fail but this leak will not stop. The Stop-N-Go appeared to work initially, but after a few commutes, the tire was back to losing nearly 20psi/day. Given the potential for catastrophic consequences if a motorcycle tire deflates very rapidly while on the road, I think my life is worth enough to buy a new tire. I do want to see what the inside looks like once the punctured tire is unmounted.
One of my other vehicles blew a coolant hose on the road. It was not an expensive fix, just a bit of a pain. Despite nearly perfect weather, the nearest tow truck Allstate Motor Club could send was nearly 90 miles away. I went with Allstate over a decade ago since they were one of the few that provided emergency roadside help for motorcycles. Now that I have roadside assistance from the American Motorcyclist Association, I may not need it. I will look into AAA - both with and without the option of motorcycle coverage as a second alternative. Aside, I was surprise AutoZone rents tools out for free, charging the price of the tool and refunding that amount in total on return; I'm sure this prompts parts purchase at AutoZone, but is an outstanding service to those of us who have not invested in things like coolant system pressure testers.
One of my other cars has a broken plastic engine shield. I really don't know why new cars all seem to have these. We all are not going to drive Ferrari Enzos with clear polycarbonate engine covers, but I miss the concept of engine as art that should be part of car design. Likely it is gone for good and replaced with an ugly plastic shield. Do not pay attention to the man behind the curtain.
I bought a used engine cover for the car off of Ebay. When it was delivered, the part was cracked - while it definitely wasn't in the picture on Ebay - leading me to believe the real possibility of damage while shipping. I was certainly expecting to chalk up a loss, but the Ebay Seller worked with UPS and we both were quickly refunded our money. Faith is renewed in humanity through the small Ebay Seller.
It is June now, hopefully 2013 will begin to coalesce into something more definite before the year is half over.
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