Point Five Ambo Build

RiderBloke

Observer
I spend winter in Dade City working with Habitat and it's a nice rural area and not far from Tampa or the Gulf Coast. There are some cheaper mobile homes and parks around there.
I have ridden much of the area with the BMW club and there are hills and curves aplenty.
If you like to build for a few weeks for Habitat they have their own RV park with full hookups. It gives you a chance to explore after work and on weekends.
Send me a PM if you're interested.


Sent from my iPhone somewhere on the face of the earth using Tapatalk
 

patoz

Expedition Leader
I came across this today and thought it might be interesting to some of you.


The New Easy Way to Print Topographic Maps for Free

National Geographic just launched a website that lets you find and print a PDF of any U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) quad map across the entire country.
Yes, you could get USGS topographic maps before, but they were in large, cumbersome PDFs that were difficult to find and even harder to print. National Geographic's site gives you a handy GPS map to zone in on your target area. Then you simply select the quad you want.
The National Geographic website gives you five sheets for each quad—one that shows you the position of the entire area and its surroundings, and then four that cut the quad up into quarters for easy printing on standard 8.5 x 11 inch sheets of paper. Nat Geo even added a little design flair to the maps by shading the hillsides to further represent the topography.
See the rest: http://www.popularmechanics.com/adv...site-print-topographic-maps/?src=socialflowFB


Here is the National Geographic site...

FREE!! Printable USGS PDF Quads. A Quick, Easy, and Free way to Download any Quad in the Country

1471028952-fan-pdfquad.jpg


National Geographic has built an easy to use web interface that allows anyone to quickly find any quad in the country for downloading and printing. Each quad has been pre-processed to print on a standard home, letter size printer. These are the same quads that were printed by USGS for decades on giant bus-sized pressed but are now available in multi-page PDFs that can be printed just about anywhere. They are pre-packaged using the standard 7.5 minute, 1:24,000 base but with some twists:

  • Page 1 is an overview map showing the Quad in context
  • Pages 2 through 5 are the standard USGS Quads cut in quarters to fit on standard printers
  • Hillshading has been added to each page of the PDF to help visualize the topography
See the rest: http://www.natgeomaps.com/trail-maps/pdf-quads
 

patoz

Expedition Leader
I live in Pensacola, FL, and as some of you may know, we have a Cat 1 Hurricane with 80 mph winds making landfall shortly, just east of us around the Tallahassee area. It looks like all we will see is some light winds and rain with some minor storm surge.

14199493_10154334520212367_2052020838176065724_n.jpg



However, a friend saw fit to send me this...



Hurricane Preparedness in Florida

We're about to enter the peak of the hurricane season. Any day now, you're going to turn on the TV and see a weather person pointing to some radar blob out in the Atlantic Ocean and making two basic meteorological points:

(1) There is no need to panic.

(2) We could all be killed.

Yes, hurricane season is an exciting time to be in Florida. If you're new to the area, you're probably wondering what you need to do to prepare for the possibility that we'll get hit by "the big one."

Based on our experiences, we recommend that you follow this simple three-step hurricane preparedness plan:

STEP 1. Buy enough food and bottled water to last your family for at least three days.

STEP 2. Put these supplies into your car.

STEP 3. Drive to Nebraska and remain there until Halloween. Unfortunately, statistics show that most people will not follow this sensible plan. Most people will foolishly stay here in Florida. We'll start with one of the most important hurricane preparedness items:


HOMEOWNERS' INSURANCE: If you own a home, you must have hurricane insurance. Fortunately, this insurance is cheap and easy to get, as long as your home meets two basic requirements:

(1) It is reasonably well-built, and

(2) It is located in Nebraska.

Unfortunately, if your home is located in Florida, or any other area that might actually be hit by a hurricane, most insurance companies would prefer not to sell you hurricane insurance, because then they might be required to pay YOU money, and that is certainly not why they got into the insurance business in the first place. So you'll have to scrounge around for an insurance company, which will charge you an annual premium roughly equal to the replacement value of your house. At any moment, this company can drop you like used dental floss.

Since Hurricane George, I have had an estimated 27 different home-insurance companies. This week, I'm covered by the Bob and Big Stan Insurance Company, under a policy which states that, in addition to my premium, Bob and Big Stan are entitled, on demand, to my kidneys.


SHUTTERS:

Your house should have hurricane shutters on all the windows, all the doors, and -- if it's a major hurricane -- all the toilets.

There are several types of shutters, with advantages and disadvantages: Plywood shutters: The advantage is that, because you make them yourself, they're cheap. The disadvantage is that, because you make them yourself, they will fall off.

Sheet-metal shutters: The advantage is that these work well, once you get them all up. The disadvantage is that once you get them all up, your hands will be useless, bleeding stumps and it will be December.

Roll-down shutters: The advantages are that they're very easy to use, and will definitely protect your house. The disadvantage is that you will have to sell your house to pay for them.

Hurricane-proof windows: These are the newest wrinkle in hurricane protection: They look like ordinary windows, but they can withstand hurricane winds! You can be sure of this, because the salesman says so. He lives in Nebraska.

Hurricane Proofing Your Property: As the hurricane approaches, check your yard for movable objects like barbecue grills, planters, patio furniture, visiting relatives, etc. You should, as a precaution, throw these items into your swimming pool (if you don't have a swimming pool, you should have one built immediately). Otherwise, the hurricane winds will turn these objects into deadly missiles.


EVACUATION ROUTE:

If you live in a low-lying area, you should have an evacuation route planned out. (To determine whether you live in a low-lying area, look at your driver's license; if it says "Florida," you live in a low-lying area).

The purpose of having an evacuation route is to avoid being trapped in your home when a major storm hits. Instead, you will be trapped in a gigantic traffic jam several miles from your home, along with two hundred thousand other evacuees. So, as a bonus, you will not be lonely.


HURRICANE SUPPLIES:

If you don't evacuate, you will need a mess of supplies. Do not buy them now! Florida tradition requires that you wait until the last possible minute, then go to the supermarket and get into vicious fights with strangers over who gets the last can of SPAM.

In addition to food and water, you will need the following supplies: 23 flashlights At least $167 worth of batteries that turn out, when the power goes off, to be the wrong size for the flashlights.

Bleach. (No, I don't know what the bleach is for. NOBODY knows what the bleach is for, but it's traditional, so GET some!)
A 55-gallon drum of underarm deodorant.

A big knife that you can strap to your leg. (This will be useless in a hurricane, but it looks cool.)

A large quantity of raw chicken, to placate the alligators. (Ask anybody who went through Camille; after the hurricane, there WILL be irate alligators.)

$35,000 in cash or diamonds so that, after the hurricane passes, you can buy a generator from a man with no discernible teeth.

Of course these are just basic precautions. As the hurricane draws near, it is vitally important that you keep abreast of the situation by turning on your television and watching TV reporters in rain slickers stand right next to the ocean and tell you over and over how vitally important it is for everybody to stay away from the ocean.

Good luck, and remember: Its great living in Paradise.
 

patoz

Expedition Leader
Hang on Pat!


It's supposed to make landfall about midnight, but there isn't anything happening here right now. Its close enough to shore now that it would have to make a sudden left turn to the West to do us any damage.

However, hurricanes have been known to do stranger things before!
 
Last edited:

rlrenz

Explorer
Here in MN, we don't have many hurricanes - about all we get is a winter storm or two with 50 MPH breezes direct from the arctic circle, and enough snow to cause drifts up to the rooftops.

Nope - no hurricanes here.

Hang on, Pat - Think weighty (heavy) thoughts....
 

patoz

Expedition Leader
Bob, I spent most of the morning studying all of the different forecast and waiting for the 1:00 pm update from the hurricane hunter aircraft, and then made a final decision on what I needed to do as far as preparations.

I scaled it way back from what I said last night and limited it to servicing the 15 KW Home Standby Generator, and the three Honda EU2000i generators. However, all I had to do was run each one for 10 minutes since all fluids and filters were in good shape. Those Honda generators sure do run clean!

We may get some wind early tomorrow morning and during the day, which will invariably cause some power outages here. It seems like every time a good breeze blows, we loose power.
 

rlrenz

Explorer
The Hondas are great little generators. You can't go wrong with one of them versus the Chinese wonders that are always around.

Hang on!

(Literally)
 

patoz

Expedition Leader
I love this paint job, among other things. This looks to be an active duty working ambulance, but I don't know where it operates.

14364864_353906298281267_2586066838214557800_n.jpg
 

rlrenz

Explorer
In many cases, those amazing ambulance graphics are an applied vinyl film instead of paint. I found a manufacturer just a few miles from me who prints them - The Grafix Shoppe (http://www.grafixshoppe.com/product/public-safety-graphics/ambulance-graphics). They started about 25 years ago specializing in police graphics.

I am halfway thinking about seeing what a vinyl overlay would cost for my buggy (cheaper than paint? Cost more than paint?). Once the stock market (and my 401K) recover from this election season, I might see what one would cost, but here's a photo from their web site:

Ambulance Header.jpg

Nice!
 

rossvtaylor

Adventurer
It's too grainy zooming in, to tell what the department name is. But it looks just like one here in Flagstaff, operated by Guardian (our local and excellent EMS service). The monster ambo they have is used for PR and events. Apparently it's a bear to drive, though!
 

tgreening

Expedition Leader
In many cases, those amazing ambulance graphics are an applied vinyl film instead of paint. I found a manufacturer just a few miles from me who prints them - The Grafix Shoppe (http://www.grafixshoppe.com/product/public-safety-graphics/ambulance-graphics). They started about 25 years ago specializing in police graphics.

I am halfway thinking about seeing what a vinyl overlay would cost for my buggy (cheaper than paint? Cost more than paint?). Once the stock market (and my 401K) recover from this election season, I might see what one would cost, but here's a photo from their web site:

View attachment 368062

Nice!

Do you remember that orange stripe thingy I had on my Ambo for a minute? Local graphics places around here wanted $800+ to reproduce that stripe with vinyl.


Pat: Those hurricane graphics got me all excited for a minute. I figured I could show them to the wife as a negative for moving to coastal Florida, but then I remembered she's from south coastal Japan, where they average about 30 of those a year. Doesn't slow those people down one bit. Those salary men just lean into the wind and keep right on marching to the train station. Funny and impressive all in one.
 

patoz

Expedition Leader
Do you remember that orange stripe thingy I had on my Ambo for a minute? Local graphics places around here wanted $800+ to reproduce that stripe with vinyl.


Pat: Those hurricane graphics got me all excited for a minute. I figured I could show them to the wife as a negative for moving to coastal Florida, but then I remembered she's from south coastal Japan, where they average about 30 of those a year. Doesn't slow those people down one bit. Those salary men just lean into the wind and keep right on marching to the train station. Funny and impressive all in one.


Tom, I was thinking about having a graphic or wrap designed that would fit mine and cover all of the gouged places where the junkyard apes scrapped the County EMS lettering off of the body. I would need to fill the spots first, but that would still be easier and cheaper than painting them.

As far as the hurricane situation goes...I hope you packed some Maxtrax mats, a raincoat, and your rubber ducky, for ExPo East because right now it looks like Matthew is going to be sitting just off the NC/SC coast Saturday!

From the NOAA NWS National Hurricane Center.

Direct hurricane impacts are possible in Florida later this week. Tropical storm and/or hurricane watches could be issued sometime tonight or early tomorrow for portions of the Florida peninsula and the Florida Keys. Tropical storm or hurricane conditions could affect portions of Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina later this week or this weekend, even if the center of Matthew remains offshore.

14479537_1175083072557171_6535621079980363575_n.jpg


https://www.facebook.com/NWSNHC/pos...if_t=notify_me_page&notif_id=1475452703225203


14462780_10154428173437367_4705833734714681578_n.png



https://www.facebook.com/mikesweath...88134562366/10154428173437367/?type=3&theater
 

patoz

Expedition Leader
Matthew the Monster... Well, it is almost Halloween!

Matthew the Monster...

Everybody is calling Matthew a monster!

This is a picture posted on Facebook around 7:30 am this morning. The picture is of Matt Devitt's Weather forecast, so what do you think?

Matt Devitt WINK Weat
Like This Page · 7 hrs

SKULL OF HURRICANE MATTHEW

I can confirm this satellite image of Matthew's landfall is REAL and not photoshopped. Captured this morning during my weathercast. Freaky!

"LIKE" Matt Devitt WINK Weather for more pics!
Pic: Jennifer Morgani Creolaher

Like This Page · 7 hrs · Edited ·

14520390_1128339207249877_4256179816933008511_n.jpg
https://www.facebook.com/3310592536...059253644547/1128339207249877/?type=3&theater


Well, it is almost Halloween! But to everyone traveling to and attending ExPo East, be safe out there!
 

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