The DisFort's Chit Chat Cafe

[jbrostek]

We filed our taxes Feb 1st and have not gotten our refund yet. Earliest our taxes have been filed.

We just filed the 19th, I had to wait for two statements from the refinance process. Friend did our taxes this year for us as the numbers where off by a lot trying to use turbo tax, which had been my go-to for 10 years. Just glad they are done, now waiting on that.

@bama_ed With MLB radio on sirrusXM I can see you not jump to many. I can only think if 1050AM out of NY which was the home of the mets games at least when I live on LI, and 660 WFAN which simulcasts to 106.7 WJFK in VA and covers yankees games.

 

[Sjm9911]

My second covid shot i was sick, really sick for like 3 days. Most people where i work were sick 1 to 5 days with fever chills etc. Only like 10 percent had little to no side effects. Oh well.

Radio stuff i just use pandora now. New truck makes it easy, also they have news on the aps you download now. So i can just ask the truck to play news. Pick a music station with the touch screen. TBH i still dont know how to use the computer thing great. But so far i like the technology better. I had the xm for many years and liked that , but couldn't justify the expense.

 

[mickeyfan0805]

My second covid shot i was sick, really sick for like 3 days. Most people where i work were sick 1 to 5 days with fever chills etc. Only like 10 percent had little to no side effects. Oh well.

Wow - sorry you had this experience. Most of what I've seen/heard has been the opposite, where the major impacts are limited to a small portion. I get my second tomorrow, so we'll see what happens!

 

[jbrostek]

I agree I stream a lot in the car, its so easy with apple radio and the tie in to iheart radio now. However, in my experience you won't always be able to stream, and downloaded playlist work, but I do like have sat radio in the truck for road music or at least options on the road of things we enjoy to listen to.

 

[4077]

For other XM radio folks....
I always call as subscription is about to end (for both of our cars and a radio I bought for my mom) and play the “going to end my subscription unless I can get a good rate” game. It is CRAZY how much the cost is if you let it go to auto renewal rates, but much more reasonable if you call each time. IE: my moms radio would have been over $200 for one year on auto renew, but by calling and saying I want the best promotional rate (and that I will just let it end otherwise), I got $99 for one year this last time around. Similar experience year over year...been doing this for a decade now. Same experience for others?

 

[bama_ed]

For other XM radio folks....
I always call as subscription is about to end (for both of our cars and a radio I bought for my mom) and play the “going to end my subscription unless I can get a good rate” game. It is CRAZY how much the cost is if you let it go to auto renewal rates, but much more reasonable if you call each time. IE: my moms radio would have been over $200 for one year on auto renew, but by calling and saying I want the best promotional rate (and that I will just let it end otherwise), I got $99 for one year this last time around. Similar experience year over year...been doing this for a decade now. Same experience for others?

I've been doing the same thing for years, Jimmy.

My rate for the last several has been $100 per year more/less for the package I have/want. I place the call to disconnect/drop service and then listen to their offer. I had to ask last time around for the $100/yr but they did give it to me. My subscription usually ended in January which is when I did this but the new-to-me YukonXL came with 3 free months so I'll be doing it in April.

Ed

 

[bama_ed]

@bama_ed With MLB radio on sirrusXM I can see you not jump to many. I can only think if 1050AM out of NY which was the home of the mets games at least when I live on LI, and 660 WFAN which simulcasts to 106.7 WJFK in VA and covers yankees games.

I used to rely on SiriusXM for MLB games, jbrostek, but IIRC they only carried the home team's announcers on the car radios (I think if you were streaming a desktop/website link you could get your team's broadcast if they were on the road.) But SiriusXM didn't carry the spring training games which I really enjoy listening to - not for the game itself but for who the guests are on the radio broadcast (former players, front office folks, minor league announcers for the team that have seen the players alot who are trying to make the big team, etc.) and the conversations they have. They have elongated, relaxed conversations over several innings that don't happen during the course of the regular season.

That 5 weeks of spring games alone is worth $20/yr. They sell a tv package for $129 a year so you can watch your team play every game (if you live out of market) but I like to listen while I am doing other things. When people ask me I tell them that I love watching baseball in person (or listening on radio/stream) but watching it on tv is not as compelling to me. I'll watch it but may not pay attention all 9 innings.

Bama Ed

 

[Sjm9911]

I had xm ( then xm serious) on 3 cars , i had a lifetime membership. So it was like 800 bucks years ago and you could transfer it 3x. They dont offer that anymore. Lol.

For vacinations i had the moderna. Dont know if that makes a diffrence or not.

 

[jbrostek]

Yeah SirriusXM is stupid expensive, yet a 5 minute phone call that you'll cancel and poof, 100 bucks for the year. Worth it for 1 car. I remember the lifetime membership, I had one till the canned the transfer ability before I got the last truck.

 

[bama_ed]

 

[bama_ed]

A couple idle thoughts from today:

First, today was lovely and 75F so I took the opportunity to push the Aliner out of the garage, pop it up, and do the ritual cleaning and prep for the start of a camping season. I also installed a new cd/radio in it which also plays standard definition dvd's and has component hookups in back to run to a tv.

I got it from eTrailer.com and it has BlueTooth, aux input, USB plus a remote control.

https://www.etrailer.com/RV-Stereos/Drive/324-000031.html

The stock radio was an absolute cheap piece of

and didn't tune in hardly anything.

I had been using a 32" Vizio as my front porch/camping tv (which I had brought to the Fort at the October 2020 DISMeet) but I had passed it on to DD this winter and she has taken COMPLETE ownership of it (I was never going to get it back). So I just picked up a new Vizio that was a little smaller, 24" (better for boxing up and taking camping), but also had the component inputs for the new audio/video system above (the 32" didn't have components anyway).

https://www.bestbuy.com/site/vizio-...-full-hd-smartcast-tv/6374928.p?skuId=6374928

The smaller size is also more manageable to bring inside the Aliner and use if the weather is bad.

I also picked up a single nut for the 12v wire on my YukonXL. I am honestly surprised that I had to wire in both the power for the brake controller and the 12v power blade in the back that goes to the camper. I got the nut as part of the kit when I got the brake controller harness when I was moving it from the Suburban. But I was surprised when the service guy at the trailer place said I wasn't getting any 12v power from my vehicle back through the trailer plug to the camper. Blinkers, brakes, everything else was working but the 12v blade was not charging my camper battery.

So I had to find (at different times) and connect the two red wires on the front of my fuse box shown below.

The right hand wire/stub was today for the 12v. Again, my Suburban was plug-and-play and ready to tow day 1 but this YukonXL needed some work (previous owner apparently never towed with it which is fine with me).

Made up the bed, cleaned out and reorganized the few cabinets/pots/tableware stuff and wiped down/cleaned EVERYTHING (the microwave inside needed some elbow grease applied).

Next is to air up the tires, put a little grease inside the hitch (where it sits on the ball), and stock up the fridge the last night here cuz we's headed to Florida in a matter of days/weeks.

Bama Ed

 

[mickeyfan0805]

...put a little grease inside the hitch (where it sits on the ball)...

Bama Ed

Ok - this makes me feel like such an idiot. I've always greased the ball itself. Putting it in the hitch head itself is so much smarter for so many reasons! Duh!!

 

[bama_ed]

Ok - this makes me feel like such an idiot. I've always greased the ball itself. Putting it in the hitch head itself is so much smarter for so many reasons! Duh!!

Well Marty, I was having problems with parts getting stuck toward the end of the camping season last year.

There's a floating, spring loaded piece (at least mine has one) on the interior that sits down on top of the ball and moves the piece up about a half inch so I can flip the top exterior latch part down at a right angle as it should be while travelling. But it's gotten so dry up in there over the years that the interior piece wouldn't slide/move but was locked in dry as a rock so I had trouble getting the latch to close down.

I mean I got it eventually every time but shouldn't have to get down on my back looking up into the interior with a screw driver trying to scrape it loose hoping it will float/move as it should once contact is made.

Yeah you can use some on the ball for smoother turns left/right or on the interior walls (less is more here) but I'm going to lube up that floating piece at the top itself hoping that will do the trick.

Ed

 

[Sjm9911]

My pup was like that, had to use wd 40 and some spray grease in there. The TT has been so much better. I had a hell of a time getting the pup ball to seat right. Little did i know it was just dry. Nice dvd player ed. You will like it. The smaller tv not so much! Should have gotten a 70" But your are right easier to pack. I need an outside tv. ( so yours is still better then mine.....)

 

[jbrostek]

A friend of mine shared a trick long ago that I still use. I no longer use grease on the hitch ball. I use wurth spray lube for the latching mechanism as it gels up after penetrating. But on the ball itself and even on the 5th wheel plate I use the wax off from a toilet bowl gasket. My current supply came from a replacement toilet, it had the free ring that I never use as they never seem to seal properly, so its wadded up in a zip lock and use it for towing.

I still have never had and outdoor TV, I feel like when the weather's nice I am not inclined to watch TV outside. Those are nighttime or rainy day things to do. It is different with smaller RVs for sure, but I just never felt like I needed a TV even when I was camping out of my race trailer.

 

[4077]

I still have never had and outdoor TV, I feel like when the weather's nice I am not inclined to watch TV outside. Those are nighttime or rainy day things to do. It is different with smaller RVs for sure, but I just never felt like I needed a TV even when I was camping out of my race trailer.

if it is to hang out outside and watch movies and such.... I mostly agree... but when it comes to wanting to keep up with live sports, I like my outdoor TV. I am not NEARLY as invested in sports as Ed, so I can see where he really needs it with his Bama college ball, etc... but I definitely like it for baseball season (which is, after all, camping season up north)...

 

[Teamubr]

An outdoor TV is essential (along with an outside refrigerator for beverages.)

How else do you keep up on the Cardinals game?



j

 

[Stratman50th]

Gator in the lake behind the house. I have ET which sometimes makes for shaky pics.

 

[Sjm9911]

Gator in the lake behind the house. I have ET which sometimes makes for shaky pics.
View attachment 559141

Usally i blame the alligator for the shaky pictures.

 

[bama_ed]

if it is to hang out outside and watch movies and such.... I mostly agree... but when it comes to wanting to keep up with live sports, I like my outdoor TV. I am not NEARLY as invested in sports as Ed, so I can see where he really needs it with his Bama college ball, etc... but I definitely like it for baseball season (which is, after all, camping season up north)...

Taking the tv while camping is a mostly fall event because of college football, Jimmy. Not just Bama games but I'll watch any SEC team. One time at the Fort we went in April and I took it to watch the Masters (I like to watch the 4 majors as much as I can). Baseball, as I said, I like to listen to via radio/stream.

But Jetty Park, spring DISMeets at Gulf State Park, etc. are tv-free. And my fall camping is limited because I attend the eight home games as a Bama season ticket holder. I do like to camp around Christmas-New Years and with bowl games proliferating there is usually a good game on somewhere.

But I'm happy with my radio/stream and my puzzles and a good conversation while leaving the tv at home.

Ed