If I’m in an area with poor reception how good would it be to hook the phone up to an aerial, some sort of USB plug in aerial. Do these, exist, are they easy to find? Seems not. The only easy solution is to go and buy a car kit for the phone you won’t probably have in a year’s time. Some older phones do have an aerial input, seems though that most of the new phones don’t…
Well the options are limited…
The minimum monthly at Vodafone is approx. $30 per month. Telecom has a $0 per month fee plan with $9 per meg just like the bad old days, but then I have to pay $300 or so for a modem… not an option.
Tomizone could be an option but then I’d have to drive round the city circling endlessly.
Looks like the Blackberry’s mobile internet service is going to be as good as it gets. Why don’t you use the GPRS modem Richard? Well yeah, I suppose but I can guarantee it’s not going to be easy…
Looks like I’m going to have to talk to the wife more while we are away camping…..
Well it’s pretty easy and not that expensive. A $200 600watt converter and 4m of cabling and we’re done. We now have two 240v outlets and it’s all been tested on Ruths monster 17” laptop.
Established the solar power contoller isn’t working and have managed to find some friendly folks who import and can replace. Thankfully the solar panels are working, saving the need to rip them out and replace them with different shaped models and be $1000 and probably more out of pocket.
So, what to do with 240v in the truck. The big stereo would be the choice of boyracers, I eyed up a $150 home entertainment system at DSE, perhaps we’ll stick with phone chargers and a laptop for now. There was a cheap 12v TV there but, nah, not sure. It does pose a good question though, how to get good reception and not look like a dick with a big aerial.
Next project, casual mobile broadband… where I can dip in and out, infrequent use and low data volume, no / low monthly fees.
Mitre 10 Mega, an unbelievable range of all sorts of things you’d never thought you’d need. 240v converters to take that useless old 12v battery to the always useful 240v output. Mobile computing and DVD’s here we come.
And for the more adventurous, solar panels to assist take you off the grid. Building stuff, gardening and tools. Hours of fun to be had.
It is what it is. You can get drinks and stuff, dry sandwiches, and TV. The trip didn’t take too long and I managed to force myself to sleep to avoid getting sick, it was touch and go there for awhile. It was kinda rough, but it didn’t last long. No where to sleep. The tourists seemed happy, lots of Spanish and Nordic types. Wellington was cold and everyone had their coats on. A quick meal and off to Marton we head.
Yum - shame we can’t get these beauties in Auckland - they’d be a regular. Butcher in murchison can be recommended - on asking what his sausages were like he came with “theyre alright”.
Don’t attempt to race to Picton along the Queen Charlotte Road, on a map it looks OK but in reality it’s windy, narrow, and longer than it seems, you get car sick before you get the chance to get sea sick. Some great little places along the way and some great spots for camping. Anyway, made the ferry feeling car sick.
Rain and more rain. Some amazing landscapes as you drive along the coast, lots of tourists wearing khaki cargo pants, and more sandflies. Beech and nikau forests and rocks but not much else. Hoki was weird, Greymouth was better, big even, Westport had some good retro tupperware, but that’s about it. A nice range of town clocks for each of the main towns, at a guess all built around the same time. If you have time a visit and walk round each is a good idea.
Out of dunedin and across the island to nightcaps - not much round here except for ruth’s family and some cows and sheep. A proper map book purchased and a pint and another cheese roll in winton. Rained all day but we didn’t really care. Discussions about Auckland have been civil, Ruth expertly demonstrates her lack of livestock knowledge and her cousin was shocked to find they don’t have cheese rolls in Auckland. Family duties out the way - north we head. Pictured, Cheese Rolls in Winton.
The check in via the new kiosk system with air nz was sweet - not enough help text and who would know you could go through the process once for two people. Reddish brown sky on the way down at the cloud level turned out to be ash etc from Aussie - very weird sun and moon resulted in Dunners. Temp has plummeted 15 degrees Off to the deep south we go … On 08/02/2009, Richard Ram wrote: > updates to tumblr via mobile email… stay tuned. >
updates to tumblr via mobile email… stay tuned.
