Where Birds, Squirrels and Humans Meet

For over a decade we have supported the winter feeding of birds. Right now we have a hexagon shaped feeder that holds over a gallon of sun flower seed. blue birds, red headed work peckers, cardinals, finches and a few other bird species love to visit. Our back yard is like an air field. Birds first line up in the back woods and wait for a clear approach. They approach the feeder, avoiding mid air collisions, and land on the ledge for a seed extravaganza.

And along with any free food outlet come the squirrels. Through the years we have experimented with different squirrel defense fortifications, or maginot lines, designed to keep the squirrels out of the bird feeder. I have come to learn that squirrels are very creative. They use persistent experimentation to find ways to reach the feeder. Some historical data- Over the past four years the squirrels have learned to jump eight inches higher. Second, a twelve inch disc that provides a protective squirrel collar no longer works. The squirrels now jump from the railing to the pole, shimmy up to the collar and do a wrap around maneuver to get up to the feeder.

So today I added a sixteen inch collar that goes on top of the twelve inch barrier.  Three hours since placement the squirrels efforts to reach the feeder have been subverted; my victory for the day.

p.s. the squirrels do not go hungry. At the deck level they feed on the seeds dropped by the birds at the feeder.

Sherlock Ohms- The Electrically Challenged Sailboat

Voltaire experimented with frogs legs to demonstrate that nerves passed electrical currents causing a kick. Ohms law states the relationship between voltage, resistance and current. Design News relates problems that engineers face and how they approach finding a solution. They call this segment "Sherlock Ohms". It's in this blog because a) the problem happened on a sailboat and b) It is the nature of people to look at a system and identify how to analyze and improve it based on laws.

Here is the data: The Case of the Electrically Challenged Sailboat by Bob Humphreys
Over history, boat manufacturers, repairers and owners have used many inappropriate materials to conduct electricity. Finding those materials is often a challenge.
This particular one involved a 39′ sailboat made by a world renowned manufacturer. The retired owner was having difficulty starting the diesel engine in certain circumstances and was beginning to wonder if his choice for a retirement boat was a mistake.
This boat had two large 8D gel-cell batteries, a 150A 12V alternator and an aftermarket voltage regulator adjusted to prevent overcharging of the batteries. The batteries were connected to the engine through a ‘1, 2, both, off’ battery switch and when the engine was cold, it would not start using only one battery. When the battery switch had both batteries selected the engine would start without difficulty and the observed difference between single and dual battery cranking was a slight drop in cranking RPM.
The boat was two years old, and since new the starter had been rebuilt once and replaced, the positive cable from the battery switch to the starter had been replaced with one of significantly greater cross section, all with no change. My yard was storing this boat in anticipation of a sale in the spring because the owner just couldn’t rely on the engine.

This is also a great example as it shows how other people tried to identify and solve the problem. Philosophers state that that a problem can only be addressed from a consciousness (or understanding) that is larger than the original problem. The sleuth demonstrated that.

Click here for to find the solution:

And with this the case is closed.

Rumi says it perfectly

Today's Panhala poem is by Rumi.  On A Day When the Wind is Perfect
and my favorite section reminds me of going out for a sail-

On a day when the wind is perfect

the sail just needs to open

and the love starts.

Answer- the Electrically Challenged Sailboat

This post spoke about the Sherlock Ohms solving the electrical problem of the sailboat.
It is from this Dec 2010 Design News Article written by Bob Humphries.

Here is the answer to the problem on the sailboat:
"During the winter decommissioning I went head-first into a locker to examine the back of the engine and found the ground stud on the engine bell-housing was hot enough to raise a blister on my hand. The engine manufacturer had installed a stainless steel 3/8 x 16 1″ long stud to use as a grounding point for the multiple grounds from the various electrical loads. The stud was threaded into the engine block and a nut was used to tighten the bell-housing, then the ground wires were placed on the protruding stud.
The resistance of this bolt caused a significant voltage drop which severely limited the voltage to the starter. I installed a #00 ground wire direct to the bell-housing next to the starter itself and ran the ground wire to a copper buss bar mounted on a nearby bulkhead and connected all grounds to the buss bar.
The owner removed the boat from the market and enjoyed it for many years. Stainless steel is a wonderful material for fastening in the marine environment and works well for clamping two things together but should never be used as a current carrying component."

The River Flows

Today I flow with ease and grace. I move as the water flows through the river. Bending and maneuvering through every apparent obstacle while making my way to the destination. More photos of Montana and the Yellowstone River.