Date: July 3rd 2009

Westprint Friday Five July 3, 2009 

Included this week are:

·        12 volt power

·        Track Notes – Canning Stock Route

·        Track Notes – Anne Beadell Highway 

Have you missed any copies? Use this link for archives

To view the range of products from Westprint use this link

www.westprint.com.au

Unless otherwise noted all special prices listed in the

Friday Five are valid for seven days. 

Friday Five (& a few more) 26.06.09 

Books are allocated on a first-come first serve basis. To reserve your copy of any of the following books please email info@westprint.com.au with the title you are interested in. All emails will be answered during the following week, either with details of how to pay, or a ‘sorry, the item has already sold’ email. Where possible, postage on multiple items will be recalculated to offer you the best price.  

We still have a few stocktake special videos on hand. Super Special price $20.00 each including post.   

1. Mount Gambier and District. The historic footage in this compilation dates from a time when film was silent through to the 1980s. Two copies $20.00 each.
2. Namatjira the Painter. Namatjira is one of Australia's best known Aboriginal artists. Two copies $20 each.
3. Across the Cape. Mike & Margie Leyland take us on a journey from Cardwell in far north Queensland to Karumba, winding their way across the bottom of Cape York. Two copies $20 each.
4. Kakadu and Beyond. Kakadu NP through Arnhem Land to Coburg Peninsula. A Leyland Video. Three copies $20 each.
5. Heritage Farming in Australia. Building dams, sowing crops, battling droughts and floods, building haystacks, harvesting, hay-cutting, shearing and droving from the 1930s. One copy $20.
6. Hellfire Pass. Survivors of the Burma-Thailand railway return to honour their mates on Anzac Day 1986. One copy $20.00.
7. Cape York Adventure. Mike & Margie Leyland. Features include the Daintree, Lakefield NP, Mossman Gorge and Thursday Island. One copy $20.

Damaged Stock. The following three books are slightly damaged.

8. Outback Heroes. Evan McHugh. In this book McHugh brings together his favourite ripping yarns from the Australian frontier. Cover slightly damaged. Normally $33.45 including post, this copy only $20.00 including post in Australia.
9. Handbook of Australian Wildlife. A Steve Parish Guide Book. Photos, habitats, distribution maps, food, common and scientific names. The book has been stitch-bound and appears intact but the cover has come unglued. Normally $33.45 including post, this copy only $20.00 including post in Australia.
10. Nowhere People. Henry Reynolds. This book explores the concept of racial purity, eugenics and the threat posed by miscegenation. Award winning author Henry Reynolds also tells for the first time of his own family's search for the truth about his father's ancestry and gives a poignant account of the contemporary predicament facing people of mixed heritage.278pp. Normally $38.45 including post. One copy, cover damaged but book intact $22.00 including post. 

Postage Rates. These items will usually not be found on our website. Orders will be supplied on a ‘first come, first serve’ basis. Westprint normal postage rates are now $8.50 for one book, $11.00 for two books, $13.00 for 3 or more books. Free post applies to orders of more than $150.00. Postage rates apply to Australia only. Airmail postage rates apply to overseas orders. 

Disclaimer.

Please note that the opinions and articles included in the Friday Five are not necessarily those of the Westprint mob. Nor do we endorse products (other than our own) listed in contributed articles.

Friday Forum

Jo’s forum comments in green.  

 Information Wanted – Rabbit Flat

·        We are travelling the Tanami track in about two weeks and will be carrying lots of spare fuel but recently read that Rabbit Flat is now open 7 days per week.  Can anyone confirm that? John

12 Volt Power

The following articles about 12 volt power (to be run over the next three weeks) have been sent by Rodney Champness, author of Outback radio. Many thanks to Rodney for sharing his expertise.

MOBILE LIGHT AND POWER

©Rodney Champness 

TEST EQUIPMENT – HOW TO USE IT AND PRELIMINARY TESTS 

When we travel into more remote areas, we like to take some of our home comforts with us. We have to seriously consider what level of comfort we want and the cost of doing it. At home we are usually connected to mains power, gas, water and sewerage. When we travel, the cost of supplying these facilities escalates considerably. What ever level we decide is adequate for our needs, is going to cost more than the equivalent at home.

I’m only going to discuss the supply of 12 volt power to auxiliary appliances in vehicles and caravans, although the basics of this article apply more widely if you want value for your outlay when travelling.
Any upgrade of a 12 volt system must be tailored to your specific needs. While it will be a little technical in some areas bear with me as I suggest things to look at to improve the effectiveness of your 12 volt power supply.  

Recently in Friday Five a reader was having trouble with the auxiliary battery in his/her vehicle. The vehicle had an auxiliary battery that was charged from the vehicle electrical system and as I understand it the two batteries were connected together by a solenoid or smart solenoid when the vehicle was running. However, from the description of the problem it seems that the solenoid may not have been operating, hence the battery was not being charged. When the battery was called on to power a refrigerator or similar it was found to be flat. 

In the above scenario I suggested that a small digital multimeter valued between $8 and $17 be purchased with a sensible minimum being $10 each. One should be carried in the vehicle so that the voltage of the vehicle and auxiliary battery can be checked. The multimeters in this price range are obtainable from the likes of Altronics, Jaycar, Dick Smith, and some automotive spares stores, as is the heavy duty power cable needed to upgrade 12 volt systems in vehicles and caravans. The multimeters in the photograph came from Dick Smith’s, but the other resellers sell almost identical models with the same ratings, so shop around. 

Many potential users of multimeters will be overawed by the apparent complexity of these devices. Certainly read up the information booklet that comes with the device and gain as much information on their use as you can. Ask other users of these devices how to use it if you are unsure. The use of ohms and amps ranges must be undertaken with caution or the meter can be destroyed. However, the voltage ranges are rarely harmed by mistakes in the testing routines. 

The DC ranges (from batteries, etc) are identified by a symbol consisting of a dash with three dots below it, whilst the AC (our power at home) is identified by » or a single curved line of the same style. The ohms ranges are identified by the symbol W. The symbol V means volts whilst the symbol A means amps (current). Having identified which set of ranges is which, the testing regime can commence. Remember to turn the meter off when the measurements are completed. Before connecting the meter to the system you want to test rotate the control knob to V DC 20 which is the 20 volt DC range of the meter. Connect the probes (red for positive and black for negative (or frame) to the batteries to be tested. Measure the voltage of the two batteries (usually under the bonnet) with the vehicle not running. If the vehicle has been idle overnight with no current drawn the battery voltages should be between 12.5 and 13 volts. When the vehicle is started the voltage on both should rise to around 13.5 volts and then over a period of a few minutes to around 14.2 volts.

 

If the two batteries are connected together by a conventional solenoid the voltage measured on both batteries should be within around 0.2 of a volt of each other with the engine running and the alternator charging. If the voltage on the auxiliary battery does not change when the vehicle battery has risen to around 14 volts and it stays at around 12.5 volts this is an indication that the solenoid is not pulling in due to a fault in the solenoid, a fault in the wiring, a blown fuse (if fitted), the battery terminals being corroded, or the power from the ignition switch not reaching the solenoid to operate it.  

However, if a smart controller is used there will be a delay in bringing the auxiliary battery up to the same voltage of many minutes, or if the battery is well down in charge this could take perhaps an hour. This time will depend on the type of controller in use.

Continued next week.

Trip Notes – CSR 

·        I did the CSR in May this year (just returned to boring Germany). Really good stuff! We prepared the trip with several books, the best one being Canning Stock Route by Eric and Ronele Gard, which does not only give excellent route descriptions, but also very good and detailed background information on the history of the CSR. It is vital to travel well prepared for emergencies. Make sure to have an advanced first aid kit and the knowledge to use it (first aid course highly recommended). The CSR is really remote, and RFDS air strips are very few and a large distance from each other, especially in the northern part of the CSR. I would also highly recommend you carry an Iridium satellite phone for reliable emergency communications.

Capricorn Roadhouse is operating their fuel dump at well 23 again; we ordered two 200 litre drums of diesel and all worked fine. At the fuel dump, diesel was $2.50 per litre, while it was $3.20 at Kunawarritji Community. The last time I fuelled up at Cotton Creek in September last year diesel price there was $4.00 per litre - quite a difference compared to $2.50 per litre at the fuel dump. 

We visited Rudall River NP in September last year. Beautiful scenery. We did the drive to Desert Queens Bath, but gave up on the way to Hanging Rock (a little bit too lonely out there with just one vehicle, but will definitely do this track in the future; quite overgrown from the sides, be prepared to add some scratches to your vehicle if you intend to travel there).

If you got the time to do so, I would recommend an additional loop to Windy Corner and Veever's meteorite crater. From Kunawarritji down the Gary Highway, good camp spot at Whau Whau bore, then Veever's meteorite crater and Windy Corner. Afterwards Talawana Track from Windy Corner back to the CSR. Both Gary Highway and Talawana Track are in quite good condition, except for some washouts and the corrugations, we did this trip last month, spinifex was cut and low except for some 200 metres or so on the Talawana Track. Juergen. Germany. 

Track Notes – Anne Beadell Highway

·        I travelled the Anne Beadell Highway one year ago. Extremely beautiful scenery, in my eyes the most diverse and beautiful of Len’s highways. However, the corrugations, especially in the SA part of the Anne Beadell Highway are legendary. Your trailer would not be the first one to be shaken into pieces along this track (that’s what it actually is, a track) which is quite rough in places, with corrugations all along the way (worst on the SA side) and very narrow in places with strong growth on the sides, look out for your mirrors and be prepared for the possibility to add some scratches to the paint of your vehicle. I would definitely not recommend towing any trailer on the Anne Beadell Highway, but maybe I am just a scary chicken, as I am from Germany. Most Aussies are more adventurous than I am, regarding trailers on outback tracks. Make sure to contact Ilkurlka Roadhouse before you go to make sure that diesel fuel is available. It is the only possibility for refuelling along the way. You must be absolutely self-sufficient along the Anne Beadell Highway, with respect to food, fuel, water, spare parts etc. A good long range communication device is vital. I would recommend hiring an Iridium satellite phone if you don’t have one. Also make sure to carry an advanced first aid kit and know how to use it.  Detailed information can be found on www.exploroz.com in the Treks section. 

Cheers from boring Germany (very hard to return here after doing the Canning Stock Route), Juergen  

Mobile Phone access

·        Telstra Next G mobile phones now work around the Moomba area. The range is about 40km either side of Moomba. Adrian. Lyndhurst Hotel Motel. Caravan and Camping Ground. Open 7 AM 7 Days. PH 08 86757781
Web: http://www.lyndhursthotel.com.au 

Don’t forget the Lyndhurst Hotel Birthday Celebrations.  

Lyndhurst hotel turns 21 on the 9th of July 2009 and celebrations are planned for the 18th July 2009. (See Friday Five 12.6.09 for full story).

Current publican Adrian Kellow invites all past, present and anyone else to join in and celebrate the 21st birthday on 18th July 2009. Planned for the day starting at 12 noon are a modified cricket game, BBQ and music to dance the night away. Special guest will be Rowdy MacDonald along with plenty more past and present patrons.

For more information contact the hotel on 08 86757781

Lake Eyre - Halligan Bay Track

·        For interest – we travelled to Halligan Bay on 21st June – the road is dry, with long stretches of heavily corrugated gravel, and some deep washouts with bulldust (marked with red flags). A slow trip, but most worthwhile as we were able to walk out about 80 metres (wind from the East) to stand in water in Lake Eyre!! Seeing sunrise reflected in the Lake is also awesome. Michael. 

·         Just wanted to let your readers know we still have seats on our August Day trip to Lake Eyre and Birdsville Hotel. The trip starts in Brisbane 6.30am. We take 36 passengers in a Dash 8 and have been getting down to 500 feet over the lake. For further details look at www.travelwest.com.au  Graham and Deb 

Friday Funnies 

·        For those who will be watching The Ashes cricket series.  

In order to assist people who are not familiar with the game of Cricket, we offer this explanation. Cricket is a game in which there are 2 sides - one out on the field, and the other in. Each man in the side that is in goes out, and when he is out he comes in, then the next man goes out until he's out and then he comes in. When the side that is in is all out, the side that has been out goes in, and the side that was in goes out and tries to get out the side that went in. Sometimes there are men still in and not out when the side that is in is finally out. When both sides have been in and out, including those not out and no longer in - that is the end of the game . . . .

 

·        TOOLS AS EXPLAINED BY AN ENGINEER

DRILL PRESS: A tall upright machine useful for suddenly snatching flat metal bar stock out of your hands so that it smacks you in the chest and flings your beer across the room, denting the freshly-painted vertical stabilizer which you had carefully set in the corner where nothing could get to it. 
WIRE WHEEL: Cleans paint off bolts and then throws them somewhere under the workbench at the speed of light. Also removes fingerprints and hard-earned calluses from fingers in about the time it takes you to say, 'Oh ****' 
ELECTRIC HAND DRILL: Normally used for spinning pop rivets in their holes until you die of old age. 
SKILL SAW: A portable cutting tool used to make studs too short. 
PLIERS: Used to round off bolt heads. Sometimes used in the creation of blood-blisters. 
BELT SANDER: An electric sanding tool commonly used to convert minor touch-up jobs into major refinishing jobs. 
HACKSAW: One of a family of cutting tools built on the Ouija board principle. It transforms human energy into a crooked, unpredictable motion, and the more you attempt to influence its course, the more dismal your future becomes. 
VISE-GRIPS: Generally used after pliers to completely round off bolt heads. If nothing else is available, they can also be used to transfer intense welding heat to the palm of your hand. 
OXYACETYLENE TORCH: Used almost entirely for lighting various flammable objects in your shop on fire. Also handy for igniting the grease inside the wheel hub out of which you want to remove a bearing race. 
TABLE SAW: A large stationary power tool commonly used to launch wood projectiles for testing wall integrity. 
HYDRAULIC FLOOR JACK: Used for lowering an automobile to the ground after you have installed your new brake shoes, trapping the jack handle firmly under the bumper. 
BAND SAW: A large stationary power saw primarily used by most shops to cut good aluminium sheet into smaller pieces that more easily fit into the trash can after you cut on the inside of the line instead of the outside edge. 
TWO-TON ENGINE HOIST: A tool for testing the maximum tensile strength of everything you forgot to disconnect. 
PHILLIPS SCREWDRIVER: Normally used to stab the vacuum seals under lids or for opening old-style paper-and-tin oil cans and splashing oil on your shirt; but can also be used, as the name implies, to strip out Phillips screw heads. 
STRAIGHT SCREWDRIVER: A tool for opening paint cans. Sometimes used to convert common slotted screws into non-removable screws. 
PRY BAR: A tool used to crumple the metal surrounding that clip or bracket you needed to remove in order to replace a 50-cent part. 
HOSE CUTTER: A tool used to make hoses too short. 
HAMMER: Originally employed as a weapon of war, the hammer nowadays is used as a kind of divining rod to locate the most expensive parts adjacent the object we are trying to hit. 
UTILITY KNIFE: Used to open and slice through the contents of cardboard cartons delivered to your front door; works particularly well on contents such as leather seats, vinyl records, liquids in plastic bottles, collector magazines, refund checks, and rubber or plastic parts. Especially useful for slicing work clothes, but only while in use. 
DAMMIT TOOL: Any handy tool that you grab and throw across the garage while yelling 'DAMMIT' at the top of your lungs. It is also, most often, the next tool that you will need.

 

To all of our Faithful Friday Five readers.

Please be aware that there are numerous reasons why your email address may be deleted from our system. One of the main difficulties is that many spam companies also use the program we use for publishing and this means the Friday Five may be rejected as spam. If you do not regularly continue to get the Friday Five please check with Graeme at info@westprint.com.au

New email addresses are constantly and automatically being added to our list. If you do not wish to be part of our Friday Five group then please unsubscribe from the link at the bottom of this newsletter. This takes effect immediately. Westprint apologises for any inconvenience.

 

Cheers for now,

Jo

 

 

 

 

The link below is to UNSUBSCRIBE from this Newsletter only.