Ramblings about technology and sailing
Back 2, originally uploaded by stevemitchell.
Had some extra time today, and went to Matthews Park on Lake Washington to take some photos. Arrived just as the sun was going down and snapped a few. The color was noticeably darker than most of the other photos I've taken, and it seemed to have some more depth to it.
Really need to get a tripod so I can take some night photos next!
Got a replacement Boatsense unit from the manufacturer, and installed it last week. No problems on the swap – took about 10 minutes, and everything tested out correctly. Set up my custom alert messsages and tested each alert by tripping the various sensors. No problems.
Took a while for the manufacturer to respond to my queries to get it repaired, and initially it was quite frustrating getting text messages for things that weren't broken at all hours of the day.
The technology is new, so I know there will be some bugs. Hopefully this will be the last of them for this particular piece of technology!
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Got the new Griffin Autopilot installed and working. Quick picture shown here. Definitely nice for controlling the iPod while driving.
I was able to route the cables under the cup holder (not shown in pic) with no issues.
Line out sounds awesome – no strange noises or otherwise that folks have reported with headphone out. And no messing with volume on iPod.
When the car is shut off, it pauses the iPod, which is nice as well so you can start where you left off. It does not turn off the iPod, or continue charging – at least not in my C30. The 12V socket loses power when the car goes off. Of course, if your 12V socket doesn't turn off, then the iPod would merrily continue playing since it doesn't know any better…
The only annoying thing is response time on the next track button. I'm using mine with an iPhone that functions only as my iPod (long story – I don't use my iPhone as a phone anymore, just for it's iPod abilities), and when I hit the next button just as a new track starts to play, it doesn't register. I end up having to wait a few seconds, and then hit it.
Other than that minor glitch, it's a really easy way to use your iPod without looking at it, provides very clean and clear line-out audio quality, and it charges it as well.
I've ordered a few things for the new C30…
I also searched for a while on iPod adapters – hoping that I might be able to buy the Volvo provided kit and add it on myself. It was pretty obvious after reading some of the posts on c30world.com and viewing the Volvo Install Instructions that I wouldn't be doing this anytime soon. No way am I taking all of that stuff apart!
I found what looks to be a pretty slick alternative – the Griffin Autopilot, which gives you a 12V charger and line-out quality 1/8" output. In addition, you have controls on the top of the 12V plug to manage the iPod. Reading reviews on Apple's Store (I found it there while looking for a 1/8" cable for my iPhone), I found at least one person with a Volvo S40 that bought it and was very happy. The center console, as far as I understand, in my C30 is almost exactly the same.
I ordered one online from Apple.com via overnight delivery (of course!) and will post more details when it gets in.
I've uploaded a few photos to my Flickr account. They can be seen here. I plan to take a bunch more of the interior and other interesting things.
I've also stumbled upon a great forum online called c30world.com. Lots of great information. Will be spending a lot of time there looking around.
More in the next few days!
I have a 2008 Volvo C30 1.0, purchased on February 22nd, 2008 in Seattle, Washington.
Specs:
I have some pictures online as well here.
I've upgraded and added some things, which you can find on my Upgrades page.
I've driven the Volkswagen GTI and the C30, as well as looked at a host of other cars out there that are similar in style, size, price, and looks. After driving the C30, I'm sold. It's rock solid, fast, and very quiet. The cabin is very well designed and laid out, and the car is fun to drive.
Today I drove both an automatic and a manual version of the C30. The first was the automatic the dealership had as their test drive car – some eye popping blue with a swedish flag on the top. The interior also had blue accents everywhere.
It was a blast to drive, but the automatic wasn't for me. I need the manual!
Later in the day, I dropped back in since one that met my criteria had just come off of the truck earlier that day. It was a manual, and in one of the colors I wanted – Chameleon Blue! I drove it only a few blocks, but fell in love with it. I started the purchase process right then.
The next day I went back and finished off the paperwork…
Just got home with my new C30. Finished all of the paperwork this afternoon, and drove it home through the streets of Seattle in rush hour traffic. I was sorry to see my TT go, but this is a much better car, and will serve me well.
More info coming soon including pictures and info.
For a while I've had a knocking noise when at low idle after the engine repower. After a lot of trips to the bilge trying to figure out what's going on, I found that the PSS Dripless Shaft Seal was dripping. This has been ongoing now for 6 weeks or so. The seal is a stainless steel disc attached to the propeller shaft near the transmission, and a matching set of bellows and a carbon disc that pushes up against the steel disc. The stainless steel disc rotates with the prop shaft, while the carbon disk stays still, and is pressed against the steel disc. Water lubricates the carbon disc so that it doesn't heat up, and the whole thing is supposed to provide a dripless solution that is better than a stuffing box because of low maintenance.
During the engine repower, this was not replaced. The shop that did the work realized afterwards that it probably would have been a good idea to do that since we replaced everything else around it. Nevertheless, they have been extremely helpful in solving the issue.
At first, I tried adjusting the tension of the bellows that the carbon disc is attached to - by increasing the pressure, the drip should stop. In the process, I found that the knocking noise at idle was coming from the carbon disc smacking the stainless steel disc. Through a lot of trial and error, I did minimize the drip. It would take years of inattention now for the drip to fill the bilge.
But, the knocking noise was getting worse and worse. In addition, at higher RPMs, the dripless seal was throwing a lot of water around the bilge. Not enough to worry, but an annoying amount.
This last week, Coastal Marine Engine, the folks who did the repower, said they had some new ideas. Originally they had thought the bellows had a spring in it, and it turns out it doesn't. They found this while repowering another boat with a similar design. They found that out of the water, as expected, the hull of the boat changes because there is no water pressure against it. Once putting the boat into the water, the change in hull shape was enough to make the carbon disc on the boat change, and cause the shaft to be closer to the shaft log (hole through the boat that the shaft goes into) than they'd like.
They offered, free of charge, to come out and examine mine to make sure shaft alignment was correct, and to see if the dripless was being affected.
Sure enough, they found that the shaft alignment had changed, and adjusted things. They also examined the dripless seal and found that the bellows were producing less tension than the other boat they worked on recently. They adjusted things as best as they could, and advised me to have the dripless seal replaced during the next haul out.
In my simple testing at the dock, the knocking has almost completely disappeared. The only time it shows up is when the motor is cold and at idle, where it's vibrating the most, and it's transmitting those vibrations down the shaft. Once it's warm, the knocking is gone.
The seal still leaks, and it still knocks a little, but it's not so loud that people look at me when the motor is on. I'll have it replaced sometime this year, and I know that it will get much better as a result.
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