Jim | Live Work Dream

Calculate Satellite Settings with Dishpointer

April 29, 2008January 8, 2008 by Jim

Here is a nifty little widget that would have come in quite handy when our Datastorm F2 GPS unit went bad. Though using it would have required for us to be online already!

Regardless, the Dishpointer satellite alignment calculator is still pretty cool.

We’ve included the Dishpointer Lite widget here for your use. Just select your satellite from the drop down menu and enter your location – city or zip code – in the box. The map and details will automatically update with the required elevation, azimuth and LNB skew for your satellite dish. Drag the map or marker to pinpoint your location.

Pretty cool, eh? If you think so, wait until you check out the full version.

How to Replace the Datastorm F2 UCB

May 26, 2012January 7, 2008 by Jim

Translation: Here’s a little video we made showing how I replaced the Upper Control Board on our Datastorm F2 mobile satellite internet dish after receiving a GPS failure from our D3 controller.

If a picture is worth a 1,000 words this video must be worth at least 1,024. But here’s a few more about the experience anyway. Just to make a short story long …

New Year’s Eve at Earl’s

September 4, 2023January 5, 2008 by Jim

It’s that time of year when everyone asks, “What did you do for New Year’s Eve.” 🙄

I’ve never quite understood what the big deal is about this one night a year when everyone can get away with getting liquored up. In fact, you’re supposed to. But I just consider it amateur night. I don’t need a reason to get drunk.

If you ask me, every day is New Year’s. In fact it was Saturday, January 5th one year ago tonight, as I write this. But never mind me. I’ll tell you what we did anyway. We got liquored up.

Build Your Own Travel Trailer, Cheap!

April 29, 2008January 3, 2008 by Jim

Watch a virtual walkthrough of this simple and affordable DIY travel trailer project. Includes video.

I got Paged Comments to work!

January 1, 2008 by Jim

I know what you’re saying … “oh great, another one of Jim’s geek posts.”

But I also know someone out there is looking for this fix.

I looked for weeks and finally figured out how to make the Paged Comments WordPress plugin play nice with our Guestbook Generator on Jerry’s Site.

I’m dreading my next haircut.

September 4, 2023December 30, 2007 by Jim

Jim dreads his next haircut on the road as a fulltime RVer and remembers Fuckin Lou, who gave him a great trim in Troy, NY.

Rene Rides the 1958 Farmall 230

September 4, 2023December 27, 2007 by Jim

At every county fair we went to this summer, RenÃ© would just have to sit on the tractors. And ever since we saw the antique tractor pull in Corey, PA she has wanted to ride a Farmall.

Well, she finally got her chance on the Quant’s 1958 Farmall 230. As one customer of the farm store said, “Looks like she’s having too much fun to ever get any real work done!” One thing is certain, Craig Morgan’s International Harvester is RenÃ©’s new favorite song.

Christmas RV Epilogue: I finally got my Tryptophan

December 27, 2007 by Jim

Not only big Mexican families can enjoy holiday traditions, you know.

We had our own little taste of a “white” Christmas on the farm too.

On Christmas eve we even had the joy of carolers coming to sing for us at the trailer. Those Quants are one crazy bunch.

Tropical Season’s Greetings, Reggae Style

December 24, 2007 by Jim

Jim and Rene present a Reggae Christmas Medley video with music by Yellowman and others including Breadfruit Roasting on an Open Fire and The Little Drummer Boy on steel drums.

Florida fare ain’t no Tex Mex.

December 21, 2007 by Jim

We haven’t had any good Mexican food since we left California. In fact, we haven’t had any, or even tried looking for it until recently.

The reason? In all the miles we’ve traveled we hadn’t passed through any communities with enough – shall we we say, authentic color – to warrant a dinner out until we reached Florida.

But once we saw an authentic looking Taqueria, a Mercado selling dresses and phone cards, and our first Tecate billboard in over 29, 000 miles, we figured the food was worth a try. While it wasn’t bad, it was nothing to write home about either. But here I am doing just that.

I finally got to see my launch.

March 9, 2023December 20, 2007 by Jim

Jim watches the launch of a United Launch Alliance delta 2 Rocket at Cape Canaveral Air Force Base from the back pasture at White Rabbit Acres.

Avoid bacon and turds for breakfast.

December 20, 2007 by Jim

The morning we left Jetty Park for Vero Beach after discovering the shuttle launch was not going to happen, we decided to pack up quick and beat the crowds to the dump station.

It was early but we still weren’t first in line. Everyone was heading out, except for those just waking to make breakfast.

As we dumped our tanks using our new clear hose adapter, René glanced at the nearby rigs, smelled the air and said, “Yum, Bacon and Turds!”

Why did we get one of those clear dump hose adapters, you ask?

Check Out This Old Time RV Video!

December 15, 2007December 15, 2007 by Jim

An RV TV video features classic 1937 RVs, campers, trailers and travelers.

Traveling Through Time

December 9, 2007 by Jim

We’ve finally made it to White Rabbit Acres organic farm in Vero Beach for our extended workamping stay after spending too much time waiting for the space shuttle to lift off.

We did have fun – and lots of margaritas – with our new friends in Port Canaveral. But our longer than expected stay just proves that time flies like, well … it seems to fly better than the Space Shuttle Atlantis right now anyway.

We didn’t even have time to catch everyone up on our stay in St. Augustine. René wrote about our visit to the Fountain of Youth, but the oldest city in the U.S offers much more history than that small artesian well which now rests some twelve feet below a room of dioramas depicting Ponce de León with his newfound Seminole friends.

[Show as slideshow]

I’m not just talking about the first Ripley’s Believe It Or Not museum, nor the umpteenth Thomas Kinkade Gallery. For starters, the Castillo de San Marcos is much more prominent and majestic. Walking its grounds, I couldn’t help but think of all the bloody battles that took place on the same spot so long ago.

So much for seeing the launch up close…

December 18, 2018December 8, 2007 by Jim

Another launch delay makes Jim and Rene consider leaving Jetty Park in the morning to get to their workamping arrangement in Vero Beach early enough to head back out and see the shuttle head skyward. Includes photos of the sun rise over the beach in St. Augustine.