Jump to content

NorthGeorgiaWX

Administrators
 View Profile  See their activity

  • Posts

    34,537

  • Joined

  • Last visited

  • Days Won

    1,499

 Content Type 

Blog Entries posted by NorthGeorgiaWX

  1. NorthGeorgiaWX
    Originally start the post on September 21
    Yea, this isn't inside the house, but it is part of the house. 🙂
    I am in the process of doing a garage makeover at our house. First, you have to understand that I'm a car guy and have been all my life, so I baby our cars, so it's only fitting that I have a nice "bedroom" for the "babies". 🙂 I'm working with Amanda Dame (she's right here in Big Canoe, click to email her) to coordinate all of the work and design. 
    I don't have any real good before pictures of the garage now, but it's not in terrible shape. But I wanted more of a car guys garage, and was originally thinking about something along these lines but I've since changed my way of thinking in terms of the flooring. More about the design in a minute.

     
    Our garage already has an epoxy floor but it is starting to come up in several places and the only way to fix it is to strip the epoxy from the floor and start over, and that is not a cheap thing to do. In order to get epoxy to stick, the concrete has to be meticulously prepared and if not, you have spots where it will lift off the surface, and that is exactly what my floor is doing.


     
    I love the floor, but I don't want to go to the expense and effort to fix it and run the risk of it happening again. I figured the floor was the first place to start in the design because that color would dictate the color palette for the walls and ceiling. I have been looking at interlocking tile floors for a while now, and I thought I had my floor figured out. I wanted that fancy "race" look much like what you see in the image above and something like this image.

     
    Those tiles look like this. 


     
     After thinking about that for a while, I didn't want a tile that "drained". I want a floor. The disadvantage to the self draining tiles is that they have to be vacuumed, you can't sweep them. So any dirt or bug that gets in the garage falls into the holes to the surface underneath. Nope, not for me. So what else is there?
    This was never going to be a true "working" garage. Think of it as a living room for the cars. 🙂 So, along those lines, I've decided on these interlocking tiles (same company) in a smoked oak color.


     
    To give you an idea what the floor looks like with a car sitting on top of it, here's a picture. As you're looking also notice the darker color to the ceiling in the left half of the image. I'm going with a darker color ceiling. 

     
    RaceDeck is the company that makes the flooring.
    Smoked Oak Garage & Display Flooring - RaceDeck
    RACEDECK.COM Everything looks good parked on Smoked Oak display flooring. This RaceDeck flooring offers a vintage reclaimed wood look that will stand out at any car show  
    So now that I have the floor picked out we'll move on to the room colors. That will have to wait until I get the floor sample from RaceDeck, and then we'll sit down with Amanda and talk colors (the sample is on the way). We're looking at using three to four colors in the room. I'm adding wainscoting all around the lower half of the walls, so that will be one color, the wall above that will be a different color, and the ceiling will be some dark color. There may be a thin border color between the wainscoting and upper wall, but not sure yet.
    We've already complete step 1 with the room, as I just had Bruce Jankowski come out and remove the old fluorescent lights and replace those with recessed LED's. What a difference! It's like a showroom in their now! I'll have to go count but there are at least 16 lights total. The run down the sides of both walls as well as between the cars. Plus, I can now dim the lights, so if I want to detail the cars I can turn them up, if I just want to relax the cars I can turn them down. LOL! Yes, the cars must rest. 🤪


     
    I took some pictures at night so you could see how bright the lights are. Click to enlarge. 
       
     
    What you probably notice in the picture are the shelves to the right of the red car. Those are built in so they are going to be ripped out as they are in the way when opening the car doors. So those will all come out and I've decided to replace the tub sink with a small vanity and sink. I'm not going for the industrial look and I want to hide the pipes etc.. 🙂 That needs to be done before the floors go down, so I need to search for something that will work in that spot. I love having a sink out there but don't like the look of the one that is there. 

     
    We have one area in the back of the garage that we need to cover up. I've debated the best way of doing that and considered doors and other things like that, but it's such a large opening (83" wide and 97" tall) that doors would become impractical. 

     
    In my searching I found a company that makes curtains in custom sizes and they have some that are race related. 
    Race car Window Curtains & Drapes | Block Out | Custom Sizes
    WWW.VISIONBEDDING.COM VisionBedding is the home of unique bedroom decor! We have a wide variety of custom bedding and custom home decor to choose from. Shop now at VisionBedding.com!  
    So I've decided to go that route for now. I'll have a custom curtain (1 panel) made to fit the opening. 
    I have other accessories planned, there is a piece of neon (a nice garage HAS to have some neon!) that I'll be ordering (below),

     
    as well as a few other car and garage related clock, signs, etc. 

     
    I'll add more information in the comments as we start the work on the garage. 
  3. NorthGeorgiaWX
    Ever since we were down in the Keys, I've had this desire to get back on the water. My fun on the water started when I was 7 years old and continued through high school. My dad had been a fighter pilot in the Air Force and weather was an important thing to know when flying. So when he put me in charge of keeping track of the weather, I handled that job until I left for college. We went through three boats before I went off to college and missed the rest of the fun, but during the time I was there, we traveled up and down the Cumberland River to Lake Barkley and Kentucky Lake, and brought his third boat down from Holland Michigan, where it was made (Chris Craft), all the way back to Nashville. My love for the water was solidly entrenched in me and despite all of these years being on dry land, it's something that doesn't ever really go away.
    Boat #1 - No Name - 17 foot Chris Craft
    I was probably in the 3nd or 4th grade when this picture was taken. I lived in Paris Tennessee when I was in the 2nd through 4th grade and my dad kept this boat at the Paris Landing Marina on Kentucky Lake. I don't remember a lot about this boat except for the time me and my dad took it out to drain some water out that had accumulated after some rain. To do that you had to get up on plane and then open a plug that was located near the lower rear of the boat. Easy enough. Except that the lake was REALLY rough (the lake is almost two miles across at that point) and I was driving while my dad pulled the plug. I was pretty young to be doing that and I remember that it scared the crap out of me. 🙂 But I did get to spend 2-3 years on Kentucky Lake as a kid, and that was the start to my boating fun.

     
    Boat #2 - BobaRue - 32 foot Burns Craft
    We moved back to Nashville and we had the first boat there for a short time before my dad bought this boat. It was a 32 foot Burns Craft houseboat and he spec'd out everything on the boat. I remember going to the factory and looking at all the boats they were building, and listening to my parents go over all the options etc. It was a boat that I spent a lot of years on. We kept this boat at Old Hickory Marina and ran it up and down the Cumberland River to Lake Barkley and Kentucky Lake. To do that you end up going through several locks, and being a kid, I loved the adventure! 
    The boat was pretty nice. It used twin Mercruiser 302 cubic inch gas engines that made 215 hp each, and the boat would get up and go! It was great traveling around in all kinds of weather, and we even took it out when it was snowing! Awesome experience! My sister and I slept in the forward cabin, and that cabin had the little window that you see on the side of the hull. 



     
    Boat #3 - Moonraker - 41 Foot Chris Craft
    This was a step up from the house boat and was a much more capable boat in rougher water. My dad bought this boat brand new (he had it built) from Chris Craft in Holland Michigan. My dad, the owner of the marina that we were going to keep it at, and myself, flew from Nashville to Michigan to pick it up and sail it back to the home marina. The plan was to bring the boat down lake Michigan to Chicago, and then through the locks to the Chicago Sanitary Ship Canal where we passed directly through downtown Chicago, At some point past Chicago it becomes the Illinois River, so you continue south to the Mississippi River. Head downstream until you get to the Ohio River and hang a left to head toward Paducah Kentucky. At that point you have two choices to get back to Nashville, get on the Tennessee River and go through the locks at Kentucky Dam, or continue a few miles further and get on the Cumberland River and go through the locks at Barkley Dam. Either way will get you back to Nashville since Kentucky Lake and Barkley Lake are connected by a narrow canal. Kentucky Lake is fed by the Tennessee River and Barkley Lake is fed by the Cumberland River.  Once you're on the Cumberland River you pass through the locks at Cheatham Dam before arriving in Nashville. We continued past the downtown area toward Old Hickory Lake where the boat would be docked. The last lock is at Old Hickory Dam where you make a 60 foot rise to get to the lake. 

     
    The trip was fairly uneventful except for the first 3 days. Lake Michigan is always full of surprises and on this trip that was no exception. We headed south toward Chicago from Holland which is on the east side of the lake. After traveling about an hour or so under pretty nice conditions, the weather took a turn for the worse and the waves got larger and larger. They ended up being so large, that when you were in the trough of the wave, you couldn't see over the top of the next wave. Look at the picture above and you can see how high I am off the water and you start to get an idea of what we were facing. The other issue with waves on Lake Michigan is that the wave period is very short meaning not a lot of distance from crest to crest. Combine the short wave period with the wave height, and we ended up getting the props out of the water when we crested the wave peaks. We finally got close enough to find a place to take shelter, and it ended up being the docks for the ore carriers. They allowed us to stay until the lake calmed down, but that took three days. In the meantime, they were not letting any of the ore carriers leave either. 

     
    Once we passed through most of the Chicago area, we stopped to spent the night at a small dock on the Illinois River. At some point someone from the other side of the river started taking pot shots at us using a pellet gun. Chicago is NOT my favorite place and I don't care if I ever see it again. But I will have to do it one more time.... and I will talk about that soon.
     


     
    Boat #4 - Eastwind - 53 Foot Chris Craft 
    I don't know much about this boat as I was off in college and working. I don't think my dad had this one for long, and I don't have many pictures. I believe this was taken before they bought it.

     
    Boat #4 - Silver Cloud - 65 Foot Hatteras 
    I never got to spend much time on this boat either. I was living about 8-9 hours away (they lived in Venice Florida) and was working, so I couldn't come down as often as I would have liked. My parents took this boat on part of the "Great Loop", leaving from Venice Florida and travelled all the way to Maryland and Chesapeake Bay. Unfortunately, I wasn't on that trip but sure would have loved to have been there. All of these boats don't mean a lot to most people, and you probably wonder why I have shared this with you.

     
    When we were down in Key West and we took that sunset cruise, I walked up to the bow of the boat and stood for a while. The sound of the water, the warm wind, and the feeling of freedom flowed all over me and brought back all of the of memories of being on boats. There is just something magical about it that I can't even describe. 
    A few months ago I discovered a site that was discussing a boat trip called the "Great Loop",  so I started reading about what that was all about. 
    "Loopers cruise the 6,000-mile Great Loop route aboard their own boats completing a circumnavigation of the eastern U.S. and part of Canada via mostly protected inland waterways. The Great Loop route follows the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway, the Chesapeake Bay, and the New York Canals northwards, goes across the Great Lakes, south on the Inland Rivers, and then east Gulf Coast to complete the Loop."
    Here's a basic map of the loop. There are alternate routes in some areas, and lots of places to enjoy side trips along the way. 

     
    The loop has been done in as little as 6 weeks and as long as 12 years, but generally it takes people a year or so to complete the entire route. There is no timeframe for completion. However, there are certain times of the year when you need to be on specific sections of the loop. During the winter, you need to be down south as most of the marinas and facilities are closed on the northern part of the loop. So you do the northern part during the summer and the southern part during the winter. People generally do the loop counterclockwise as that direction keeps you from having to sail upstream against the strongest currents, so you're doing the downhill portion from Chicago to the Gulf in the spring and up the east coast in the fall. Maybe... Weather, side trips, trips back to the house for a little break, all dictate the timing of where you will be at any specific time. 

    Some people take extended side trips off of the main route. For example if you are in Florida during the winter, you might as well head over to the Bahamas to spend a little time there, or around the Tennessee area, I would explore the Cumberland and Tennessee Rivers as far as they go. Once you get up to New York, some people head up to the seaport towns of New England. It's all about what you want out of the trip.
    So.... Amy and I have decided to start looking for a boat so we can participate in this big adventure! There are some size restrictions for boats that want to make the loop, and it all comes down to the draft of the boat, both water draft and air draft. A lot of the time you'll be traveling on the intercoastal waterway as well as some shallow offshore areas and canals. A boat for the loop needs to have 5 feet or less of draft in order to keep from hitting the bottom and/or tearing up props. The out of water height (air draft) is just as important, as there are some fixed bridges that are pretty low, so you generally want a boat that is less than 17 feet high out of water, although there are alternate routes that allow you to go a little higher. Many boats have mast and antennas that fold down for those situations, but it's critical to know the exact height of the boat for this trip. The boat will probably be int he 40-50 foot range.
    Otherwise, get whatever boat you'll feel comfortable in for an extended amount of time. The boat doesn't have to be fast since in most areas you can't go fast anyway.  It needs to have at least 250 mile range since there is a stretch or two with no place to stop for fuel, and with diesel engines that is not a problem. Diesel engines are a must as well as the latest electronics (navigation, radar, radios, beacons, auto pilot). A good solid dinghy is a must as well as bow and stern thrusters, the capability of enclosing the fly bridge and aft deck, walk around beds in the main cabin, cat walks down the side of the boat, as well as other miscellaneous things that I'm sure I'll have to add. I would love to have a Great Harbor 37 or 47, so I may start my search with that in mind. Can't wait to get started!
    I now belong to the Great Loop Association, and they have a ton of resources for making this journey. This site will answer any questions you might have about the loop.
    AGLCA | Homepage
    WWW.GREATLOOP.ORG  
    Here is an article from some loopers about traveling through the "Dismal Swamp" that I thought was pretty cool.
    Great Dismal Swamp – For Many Moons
    MINDFULMARY.ORG We're here! I've been looking forward to this for a long time, having heard about it for decades. We had to time it right to arrive at the southern lock at opening time, since the two locks that book-end the canal open on a schedule. We traveled in a parade of three boats...a Nordic Tug…
  4. NorthGeorgiaWX
    One of the winters that is an analog for the Weatherbell forecast is the winter of 2009-2010. Since you probably don't remember many of the details, I've brought many of them together here for you to read.  My next post will be another analog, 2002-2003. 

    The average temperatures for the December 2009 - February 2010 period were among some of the coldest ever across north and central Georgia.  Each of the four climate sites - Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, Athens Ben Epps Airport, Columbus Metropolitan  Airport, and Macon/Middle Georgia Regional Airport - saw average temperatures among the ten coldest ever recorded.  The average temperatures for Columbus had the 4th coldest average temperature for the winter season, while Macon tied for the 5th coldest, Atlanta was the eighth coldest and Athens tied for the ninth coldest winter season.
     
    Dec - Feb 2009-2010
     

    Dec 2009 Temp Anomalies
     

    Jan 2010 Temp Anomalies
     

    Feb 2010 Temp Anomalies
     

    DJF 500 mb Anomalies Winter 2009-2010

    The total snowfall this season at Atlanta breaks top 5 for total snowfall recorded December through March for the period of record.  As of midnight Wednesday March 3, the total snowfall for the winter season was 5.3 inches which is now the fifth highest since accurate snow records began in 1929. Additionally... the snow on March 2nd marks the third time measurable snow and the tenth time at least a trace of snow or sleet fell at Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport this season. In an average winter season Atlanta typically experiences 4 days of measurable snow and 6 days with a trace or more of snow or sleet.

     
    A few of my own pictures...


     
    January 7th, 2010 - Snow

    On Thursday, January 7th, a cold front pushed across north and central Georgia, with the combination and timing of cold air and moisture bringing wintry precipitation across the area. Light snow began during the late morning hours. Snow fell across the area through the day and into the early hours of Friday January 8th.  The reinforcing cold air behind the front remained across much of the area through the weekend.  North and much of central Georgia's temperatures stayed at or below freezing through Sunday.  The map to the left shows the snowfall amounts across north and central Georgia.

    March 2, 2010  Snow

    An upper level disturbance traversing the western portion of the United States February 28 and March 1, 2010  helped to develop a surface low along the Texas coast on March 1. This surface low pressure system tracked along the Gulf coast and advected moisture ahead of the system into Georgia from both the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean. By Tuesday, March 2, the surface low moved across southern Georgia and the Florida panhandle  and by that afternoon, had moved into the Atlantic Ocean along the Carolina coast. This system brought both rain and snow to the state. Precipitation started as rain and began moving into western Georgia just before midnight on March 2. During the morning hours on March 2 the precipitation continued moving across the state and changed to snow across north Georgia. The snow proceeded to change back to rain during the afternoon and ended across eastern Georgia late in the evening. Snowfall amounts averaged from 2 to 4 inches across north Georgia. However, higher values were reported across northeast Georgia with reports of 9.0 inches in Union county.
     
    February 12th, 2010 Snow

    On Friday, February 12th, precipitation associated with a surface low tracking across the Gulf of Mexico and an upper level short wave tracked across much of north and central Georgia. Light snow began over portions of west Georgia around noontime, then spread eastward through the afternoon before tapering off to flurries by mid evening and dissipating by early Saturday morning.  Snow and slush on the roadways froze overnight leading to hazardous driving conditions late Friday night into Saturday morning.  The map to the left shows the snowfall amounts across north and central Georgia.
     
    National Climatic Data Center - Click here for full review of the Winter of 2009-2010
     
    The purpose of this special report is to provide documentation, data analysis, and a preliminary understanding of large-scale climate patterns and their effects on regional weather events. In climatological terms, the Cold Season lasts from October through March. The 2009/2010 Cold Season for North America was historically active and powerful. Extreme fluctuations in temperature and precipitation in the mid-latitudes during this period can be attributed to a wide variety of rapidly progressing weather systems. The persistent systems were influenced by larger scale patterns. The strong warm phase of the El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) helped to alleviate moderate to exceptional drought across the contiguous United States. Meanwhile, the record-setting negative phase of the Arctic Oscillation produced record cold temperatures in the Deep South. During the October–March period, the contiguous U.S. experienced its eighth wettest such period, while the average temperature was below average (36th coolest). The anomalously cold air, coupled with copious amounts of moisture produced historical snowfall amounts that bested monthly and seasonal records across the country. While the overall drought footprint was at its lowest in the last decade, the moisture surplus caused flooding in the Upper Midwest and New England. High amplitude flow patterns helped the cold arctic air remain entrenched for days and weeks, devastating mild climate crops. The extreme winter of 1977/1978 was similar, as a moderate warm phase of ENSO coincided with a strong negative phase of the Arctic Oscillation. The effects of large-scale climate patterns are often influential on regional weather events and when they are extreme and historic in nature, their local effects are profound and far reaching. 
    The snow cover extent for the contiguous U.S. during the 2009/2010 Cold Season was above average for the season as a whole, but there was significant variation from month to month. The snowy season got off to an early start with several storms impacting the U.S. during October. These storms helped produce the largest average snow extent during any October for the contiguous U.S. in the 42 year satellite record, according to Rutger's University Global Snow Lab. Conversely, November was very quiet with much below average snow cover. The following three months were cold and snowy with the extent being much above average for December (all time snowiest), January (6th snowiest), and February (3rd snowiest). During January, snow and freezing temperatures were reported as far south as central Florida. 



  5. NorthGeorgiaWX

    Status Update

    By NorthGeorgiaWX,


    Car
    It's an addiction, somebody help me!!! 😎
    Several things going on with the cars now, we will start with Amy's car first.
    The new grills and emblems are here, so I'm ready to either find someone to paint the hood and bumper cover or get it wrapped, and I'll be exploring those options next week. The Swift springs are on the way here but the wheels haven't shipped yet. I need to ask James about those but I know he takes his time. Once they ship I'll order the new tires. I'd really like to have the wheels ceramic coated before they go on the car. 
    I have ordered a flex fuel sensor for my car so I can get a Trifecta flex fuel tune. Here is how the fuel ends up when you blend E85 and 93 octane in our cars. The car holds a total of 16 gallons.

    With the stock fuel system, 5 gallons of E85 on top of the 11 gallons of 93 roughly equals E30, and that is the maximum "E" level that the stock system can use. BUT... I just found a solution to my problem, and that is this high pressure fuel pump made by AJM Performance that provides 36% more volume of fuel. One problem with these cars when using E85 is that the stock fuel system starts running out of pumping capacity. The car has two fuel pumps, a low pressure pump located in the tank and a high pressure pump located on the engine and driven by one of the exhaust cams. I believe this is the first "OEM" replacement pump that has this kind of additional capacity. The other option to this pump would be to replace it with a VERY expensive xdi pump (which is on the wife's car) and/or by using a fuel cam. A fuel cam is a replacement exhaust cam with a larger fuel pump lobe so that the pumps stroke is longer and moves more fuel. This pump doesn't require me to open the engine which is a tremendous advantage on a car with a warranty. As soon as AJM gets the lines in, I'll get the pump. This pump, flex fuel sensor, and new tune may get me close to 580-600 horsepower on E40-E50.
    https://ajmperformance.com/products/cadillac-ats-v-high-performance-high-pressure-fuel-pump?variant=37756621979844

     
    This is the flex fuel sensor.
    https://dsxtuning.com/collections/flex-fuel-kits/products/lf4-flex-fuel-kit

     
    These are out of stock, but as soon as they're available I'm placing an order. These are already on the wife's car so I have to keep up. 🙂 These are the rear trailing arms and all of these arms help to located the rear suspension precisely, and without any flex in the arms or deflection in the bushings. Compare these to the stock arms and you can see why they are needed. Once you start adding higher power output and increased cornering forces, those OEM arms and bushings start to flex and that makes for unpredictable cornering and not so straight, straight line acceleration. 
    https://zzperformance.com/products/zzp-ats-trailing-arms

     
    I'm taking the car to the Lanier Cadillac dealer on Monday (25th) to have the clunking in the left front fixed. It has to be a strut issue of some type, so we'll see what they say. After that is fixed, I plan on taking the car to Teddy Knisely to have the sensor installed. Hopefully (when they become available) I have the rear suspension pieces installed before the first autocross. 
    We'll worry about the Trifecta tune on the wife's car once we get mine complete (Hers is still faster than mine so it can wait for now 🙂 ) and after we have hers painted/wrapped and the wheels/tires and springs installed. 
  6. NorthGeorgiaWX
    December 18, 1957 
    A tornado swept across Jackson County, Williamson County and Franklin County in southern Illinois killing eleven persons. (David Ludlum) 

    December 18, 1967
    A tornado touched down just outside the southern city limits of Rome in Floyd County. Several houses were damaged, a truck was picked up and left overturned off the road and a car was overturned several times. Two people were injured, one being the driver of the overturned car who suffered only minor injuries. (NWS Atlanta)

    December 18, 1981 
    A heavy lake-effect snow blanketed the southern and southeast shores of Lake Michigan leaving up to 22 inches of snow at Valparaiso IND. (David Ludlum) 

    December 18, 1983 
    Record cold hit the north central states. At Havre, MT, the mercury plunged to a record reading of 34 degrees below zero. (Sandra and TI Richard Sanders - 1987) 

    December 18, 1984 
    A storm over southern California left up to 16 inches of snow in the mountains and upper deserts, with 13 inches reported at Lancaster. Edwards Air Force Base was closed, and Interstate 5 was closed from Castaic to the Tehachapis Mountains. (18th-19th) (The Weather Channel) 

    December 18, 1986 
    A strong winter storm, which developed off the coast of New Jersey and moved out to sea, lashed the northeastern U.S. with high winds, heavy rain, and heavy snow. The storm left snowfall amounts of up to 30 inches in Vermont, 24 inches in Massachusetts, and 20 inches in New Hampshire. The highest rainfall amounts approached four inches in southern New England, where winds gusted to 70 mph. (Storm Data) 

    December 18, 1987 
    A weakening storm moved into the Rocky Mountain Region producing six inches of snow at the Platoro Reservoir in the San Juan Mountains of Colorado. The storm then spread rain and drizzle across the Southern High Plains into the Middle Mississippi Valley, with thunderstorms over Texas. (Storm Data) (The National Weather Summary) 

    December 18, 1988 
    Warm weather prevailed in the central U.S. while cool weather prevailed across the eastern states. Sheridan, WY, with a record warm afternoon high of 68 degrees, was seven degrees warmer than Key West FL. (The National Weather Summary) 

    December 18, 1989 
    A winter storm moving out of the Great Plains Region spread freezing rain, sleet and snow across parts of the southeastern U.S. Freezing rain resulted in 170 auto accidents in the Memphis area during the evening hours. Unseasonably warm weather continued ahead of arctic cold front. Miami FL equaled their record for December with an afternoon high of 87 degrees. (Storm Data) (The National Weather Summary) 

    December 18, 1996
    1 to 3 inches of snow fell across parts of north and central Georgia, mainly between Atlanta and Macon and over to Athens. No major travel problems were encountered because road temperatures were still warm enough to melt most of the snow as it made contact. (NWS Atlanta)

    December 18, 2009 
    A monster snow storm affected the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast regions of the U.S. on December 18th through December 20th. The storm originated in the Gulf of Mexico and moved northward along the Eastern Seaboard, leaving behind heavy snow accumulations from North Carolina to Massachusetts. Impacts from this storm included the closing of major airports, interstate highways, and rail systems. Over 1,200 flights were cancelled at the three major airports in the New York City area, and hundreds of thousands of people lost power due to the storm. Seven people were reported killed across the Mid-Atlantic (source: Reuters). Over two feet of snow accumulation was reported in portions of North Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, New Jersey, and New York. At one point, the storm was over 500 miles in width, and affected 14 states and tens of millions of Americans (Source: AFP). 

    Data courtesy of WeatherForYou         Snow Cover Analysis
                  WPC 72 Hour Snowfall Forecast
             
    View the full article
     
  7. NorthGeorgiaWX

    Video of the Red Car

    By NorthGeorgiaWX,


    Car
    The wife was taking the car out yesterday and I wanted to get the exhaust sound. But it's still a phone so it is what it is. It actually sounds pretty good through the music system that's attached to my TV. You may hear a little "clink" sound as she starts up the hill. We think there is something in between the wheel and tire that is moving around. The guy that is doing the paint work is going to look at it.  As she backs out, you can see that the hood is a little scared up and the front end pitted. He's also going to try to sand the splitter and try to make it look close to new. 
    The exhaust uses the stock rear muffler system, but in front of that it has New Era Performance downpipes with a Vibrant 4” resonator and custom 4” single mid pipe. This is the car with Turbobay turbo's. Wish I had a couple of those snails on my car. 🙂 Maybe she'll let me drive. 😉 
     
  8. NorthGeorgiaWX

    First Autocross

    By NorthGeorgiaWX,


    Car
    Well... I don't think that turned out too bad for the first time out in three years. I haven't seen the final results yet, but the car felt really good and I wasn't as rusty as I thought I was going to be. 🙂

    It was a great day for an autocross with partly cloudy skies and warm temperatures, but as the day went on the clouds filled in and the winds picked up, and we had a few sprinkles for the last heat but nothing to really slow anyone down. There were only 51 entries so everyone got 8 runs (I got 9 because of a rerun due to a timing error). The course was about 0.70 miles long and took about one minute to drive. I really liked the course except for the slaloms as those were brutally tight. 15 paces is not enough between cones, you need 20-25 to maintain some sibilance of speed. There was also a Chicago Box that was equally as brutal and almost required a full stop to navigate. All of that was in stark contrast to the rest of the course which was relatively open and flowed nicely. Those really tight features are not something you see on a well designed autocross course. 
    Today I tried some different traction control settings, tried shifting manually and also letting the trans do it's thing on it's own, so basically a big day of experimenting. I didn't mess with tire pressures much and probably should have, but I was more focused on shaking off the rust and just trying to get a feel for the car. 🙂 I noticed on the way back home, I was down on boost and I suspect I have air in the intercooler which will need to be bled. I'm not sure when it started happening but it is a noticeable loss in power when the boost drops from 18-19 psi to 12-14 psi and you loose 100 whp. I'm not sure how many runs I made with low boost, so I don't know if or how much that may have slowed me down, but I suspect a decent amount.
    I was in the first run group which was the best driving weather, so that was good. 

     
    So here are some of the runs, I missed starting the PDR on runs 2-3-4 so missed those completely. My GoPro died before I could get a video. It locked up so I pulled the battery to kill it. After that, the red charging light comes on but the camera doesn't, so I was very disappointed that I couldn't get any videos from that camera. The in-car camera is only 720p while the GoPro is 1080p. I'll get it figured out before the next event or get a new camera. 
     
    Run 1
     
     
    Run 1 Rerun
     
     
    Run 2 or 3... take your pick
     
     
    Run 6
     
     
    Run 7
     
     
    Run 8
     
     
    Results are posted. I'll take it. I think had I not lost boost midway through I could have dropped another second or so. Next time I'll work on tire pressures and make sure I have the car in something other than Sport 1 mode. 

     
  9. NorthGeorgiaWX
    Good Sunday morning to everyone!
    Looks like Lincoln was brushed with some showers last night, but luckily the heavier stuff stayed to the south.

     
    From the SPC Severe Weather Outlook maps, it appears the severe weather is dancing all around Lincoln, but it's afraid to get any closer, so it waits until Tuesday before making an appearance. 

     
     
    All in all... not a bad day forecast. Most of the rain, if it rains, will fall in the evenings, leaving some nice dry concrete to go fast on! 
    Have fun for me! 🙂
  10. NorthGeorgiaWX
    I drove down to Atlanta Motor Speedway yesterday to participate in a SCCA autocross. I've had a 4 year sabbatical from driving and wasn't sure how well everything would come back to me. Instead of driving one of our cars, I decided I'd jump back in the last car I autocrossed and give it a try again. I drove this car for about 6 years before my break and got pretty good in it, managing 4 3rd place finishes at the National Championships. But it's a very difficult car to drive and and I was a little apprehensive getting back in it after an extended layoff. The wheelbase of the car is only 80", so it's very short. Being short, it has a very low polar moment of inertia meaning it doesn't take much to make it spin. Throw in 350 whp/380 ft lbs of torque in a car that weighs 1760 lbs with me in it and you have a really big handful. 

     
    But yesterday didn't go to well, and it wasn't because of me. 🙂 They have made lots of changes to the car. They have totally reworked the suspension, retuned the engine, and removed the electric power steering. All great. BUT... this car relies on a ton of mechanical grip to go fast, and without it, you might as well be driving on ice. 
    Two of us were driving the car yesterday and both us have had a lot of seat time in the car, and we both had issues. Come to find out, we were running on one year old, 40 run Hoosier slicks, that had the grip of a Flintstone rock tire. We both spun the car, Rick doing it twice. We had ZERO traction all day. To top that off, we discovered that the front tires were corded. So we literally had no traction. Keep in mind, to put that power to the ground and corner at 1.8 g's, we run 14" wide Formula Atlantic qualifying rear tires that generate a ton of grip. But once those tires get hard, you might as well be on rocks.
    So... this was my 4th run and I managed to do it correctly. You can hear the blow off valve as I have to lift to keep the back tires from spinning (no... to keep the car from spinning).
     
    If you'd like to see a good spin, I did one not far from the start on my 2nd run. 🙂 This run was a total disaster as I also missed a couple of gates (you don't get a time, it's called a DNF).
     
    It was a fun day, but the car is capable of going much faster, and hopefully I can get back in it soon with some good tires on it.
  11. NorthGeorgiaWX
    Done with appearance items for a while! Thanks to James Renick for many of the items on both the cars. We couldn't be more pleased with how they turned out. 
    There is always more to do though... the fun never stops. 🙂 
    The wife's car now gets:
    Cue update so she can get Android Auto New RE-alignment. Yes, to fix the current one AEM wideband/XDI translator/plugs install Justin Schmidt tune to replace the Trifecta tune I'll have them service the diff/trans/anything else that needs service when it's in for the Cue update... it has 56k miles My car needs:
    Have to replace the Tapout Stage 2 LPFP that is supposedly a DW400... we'll see but I don't think it is.  I have a new XDI LPFP pump waiting to go in. Install Renick CAI and new plugs To the dyno to see how well Justin has done 🙂  After the dyno I see I need more power, we'll install a fuel cam. Not much left to do now! Here is a link to more of the pictures that I took today: 
    ATS-V Appearance Items Done - Google Photos
    PHOTOS.APP.GOO.GL 25 new photos added to shared album




     
  12. NorthGeorgiaWX

    More Updates 02-13-21

    By NorthGeorgiaWX,


    Car
    I finally have a plan... 🙂 My car has been at the Cadillac dealer for three weeks now as they tried to figure out what the clunking noise is in the left front of the car, and it appears that the front sway bar migrated to the left and was touching something and making that noise. I've ordered collars to go on the bar that should arrive Tuesday that will keep it centered with the frame, hopefully that will fix the problem. 
    Next, I have Friday March 5 appointment with Teddy Knisely to install the flex fuel sensor, Aric Miller high pressure fuel pump, AEM wideband sensor, and Deatschwerks DW400 low pressure fuel pump (Stage 2 Tapout) on my car, and he'll also be installing the Swift springs and AEM wideband on the wife's car around that timeframe.
    James Renick said the new wheels for the wife's car are done, so they should ship out the week of February 15th, so I will need to call Gran Turismo East to get some tires and schedule the alignment after the springs go on. After that we'll get the car to the people that will wrap it, get the grills/emblems on it, and make it pretty again. 🙂 
    ZZP told me the rear trailing arms for my car wouldn't be available for another 4-6 weeks, so once those come in I'll get Teddy to install those as well.
    New tunes are all I will need after the items list above are completed. I'm so ready to be done with installs... I want to play now.:-) The end is in sight.
  13. NorthGeorgiaWX

    Siblings

    By NorthGeorgiaWX,


    Car
    01/21/23 - Updated a few sections, mostly the mod section. For more updates and changes see the additional blog posts. 
    Well.... my wife really needed a nicer car as hers was getting old and she has been a Cadillac girl since she had her 2001 Cadillac SLS in Obsession Red. So.... we found one a little newer in the color she likes. 🙂
    This is the newest addition to the family... a 2016 ATS-V sedan. 🙂 Yes, another ATS-V.  

     
    This one is a little special though. It looks pretty unassuming doesn't it? Just your normal Cadillac if you didn't know any better. But if you thought you might like to have a little run against it, you had better come loaded for bear. This car was originally built to be the fastest ATS-V in the country, but that isn't our goal for it now. The times below were done before the turbo's were replaced with a couple that should be good for 700 whp. As it sits right now, and running on E85, this car makes approximately 700 hp at the wheels... and that's a lot more than my car makes. The guy that owned it said he liked to mess with Hellcats and this is a V6. 🙂These next two image are a little old now, there are at least multiple ATS-V's in the 9's so the target keeps moving. These highlighted numbers were recorded before the new turbos and before the next tune I'll throw at it. 


     
    The car has the following modifications:
    Xtreme-DI high pressure fuel pump Xtreme-DI fuel cam ZZP valve springs Deatschwerks DW400 low pressure fuel pump JMS Voltage Increaser for low pressure fuel pump Renick Performance charge pipes with Synapse bypass valves Renick Performance cold air intake GM throttle body from LFX motor Renick Performance vacuum tank  Renick Performance downpipes Vibrant 4” resonator with custom 4” single mid pipe Turbobay turbo's with custom designed inlets ZZP rear trailing arms  Carlyle rear toe bars Renick Performance RP 556 wheels, 19x9.5 and 19x11 Renick Performance Swift springs Michelin PS4S tires, 275/30-19 and 305/30-19 ZZP Flex fuel sensor  Renick Performance carbon fiber mirror covers GM Morello Red carbon fiber interior trim Tuned by Justin Schmidt Sounds like this car will be a good 1/2 and 1/4 mile car. 🙂 A car with the EXACT same mods (including the TurboBay turbo's) running on E70 made this power, so hopefully this is what it's making now. I talked to the guy, they had to tune it down on the street because it is breaking the tires loose at 100 mph. The bump dip in the curve is where they pull out power for the dyno in high gear, apparently the computer doesn't like something at that RPM range on the dyno.


     
    It still handles like mine does, it had the same identical suspension and wheels and tires before I upgraded mine. Actually the tires on this car are the Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tires which I'll be putting I have on my car. I have new wheels ordered so she'll have the exact same wheel/tire setup in a few weeks (changed). I'm considering getting some Yokohama ADVAN Neova AD08 R tires (200 treadwear) to go on my car.  So I'll mount the new front tires on her new wheels and then put those on my car, the my wheels and front tires on her car, and then take the Michelins on my rear wheels and put those on the new rear wheels for her car, and take the new rear tires and put those on my rears. Confused yet? Since I want to autocross this year, I want the 200 treadwear tires on my car. I should wear them out before it gets cold next fall, and I'll put something else on them.
    Once I've had time to play with it, I'll post some more information. 🙂 In the meantime, here are some pictures I took with both (or all three at times) Caddy's. 
    Here's a link to a few more pictures. We will be getting the hood repainted since it got a little sandblasted making high speed runs in Florida. 🙂 
    https://photos.app.goo.gl/b3tentypc9yQE8Wf8



     



  14. NorthGeorgiaWX
    Just got the car back yesterday after taking it for a ceramic paint treatment. Since the car only has 13,000 miles on it and appears to be garage kept for its entire life and was in near perfect condition,  I wanted to protect the surface and make it easier to clean. So after doing a little research, I took the car to a place that's about 1 minute away from the Road Atlanta entrance called ZeroDefects. Chris had the car for three days and went over every exterior square inch. 
    I went with the top of the line ceramic treatment from Gtechniq called Crystal Serum Ultra. There are other ceramic treatments that you can apply yourself, but this particular treatment has to be applied by an accredited dealer. But because of the steps taken to prepare the surface and the addition of this coating, there is a nine year guarantee for the treatment. 
    The entire exterior of the car was treated and that includes all the paint, glass, trim, wheels, and calipers. The surface feels silky smooth and dirt just blows off. When it comes time to wash, generally a rinse with a hose takes what little dust may be on it. And the best part is that brake dust pretty much rinses off, so scrubbing necessary. Once I get me new wheels (they are being made as I type) I will have those treated before the tires are mounted.

    So here are the pictures so far. The pictures don't do it great justice but you get the idea. The reflections are deep, and in the sun it looks like you can put your hands down in the paint. 🙂 It's very awesome. 










     
     
     
     
  15. NorthGeorgiaWX
    Most people that aren't car people have no clue about this car. When you first tell people you own a Cadillac most minds conjure up grandpa's finned Cadillac with a 20 foot hood, but this ain't grandpa's Cadillac anymore. In today's world, Cadillac's are known for innovative performance on par with the best the rest of the world can offer, and this car is no exception. 
    With the introduction of the V Series models, Cadillac stepped up to the world of serious high performance cars. The initial design criteria for the 2012 ATS debut was based on the BMW E46 3 Series. 

    But Cadillac needed to bump up the performance even more, and that's how the V Series got started. The V Series is Cadillac's version of Chevrolet Corvettes. 
     
    This car is a 2017 coupe with 11, 700 miles and these were the production numbers. As you can see, there aren't a lot of these around, especially the coupes. 

    The total numbers for 2016 through 2019 look like this:

     
    This car was ordered with the following options:
    ENGINE: 3.6L V6 TWIN TURBO SIDI, DOHC, VVT (464 hp [343.3 kW] @ 5850 rpm, 445 lb-ft of torque [603.3 N-m] @ 3500 rpm) (STD) : LF4 TRANSMISSION: 8-SPEED AUTOMATIC : M5U AXLE RATIO: 2.85 RATIO (Included and only available when (M5U) 8-speed automatic transmission is ordered.) : HRD PREFERRED EQUIPMENT GROUP:  includes standard equipment : 1SV WHEEL TYPE: 18" X 9" (45.7 CM X 22.9 CM) FRONT, 18" X 9.5" REAR (45.7 CM X 24.1 CM), ALUMINUM (After Midnight Black Included with (A7A) Carbon Black Package. Not available separately when (A7A) Carbon Black Package is ordered.) : RIL PAINT: PHANTOM GRAY METALLIC (Available at extra charge.) : G7Q SEAT TYPE: RECARO PERFORMANCE includes driver power-adjustable seat back bolster and front passenger power-adjustable seat back bolster (Requires interior color (HG1) Light Platinum with Jet Black seatbacks, (HG2) Jet Black with Saffron inserts or (HG3) Jet Black. Included when (A7A) Carbon Black Package is ordered and requires interior color (HOK) Jet Black or (HOL) Light Platinum with Jet Black accents.) : W2E SEAT TRIM: JET BLACK, LEATHER SEATS W/SUEDED MICROFIBER INSERTS (With low gloss Carbon Fiber interior trim. Included and only available when (A7A) Carbon Black Package is ordered.) : HOK RADIO: CADILLAC CUE INFORMATION AND MEDIA CONTROL SYSTEM WITH EMBEDDED NAVIGATION AM/FM stereo with embedded navigation, 8" diagonal color information display, three USB ports, auxiliary input jack, Natural Voice Recognition, Phone Integration for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto capability for compatible phone, Collection and Teen Driver (Included and only available when (Y26) Cadillac CUE and Navigation is ordered.) : IO6 ADDITIONAL EQUIPMENT: CARBON BLACK PACKAGE includes (W2E) Recaro performance seats, (CFZ) Carbon Fiber Package, (5CS) sueded microfiber shifter, (53S) sueded microfiber steering wheel, (TSA) Black chrome grille and (RIL) 18" x 9" front, 18" x 9.5" rear, After Midnight dark finish alloy wheels (Requires (Y91) Luxury Package, interior color (HOK) Jet Black or (HOL) Light Platinum with Jet Black accents, exterior color (G1W) Crystal White Tricoat, (G7C) Velocity Red, (G7Q) Phantom Gray Metallic or (GBA) Black Raven. Not available with (SJ9) Black chrome V-Series grille, LPO or any other wheels.) : A7A LUXURY PACKAGE includes (Y26) Cadillac CUE and Navigation, (A45) Memory Package, (VV4) OnStar with 4G LTE, (JF5) sport alloy pedals, (UG1) Universal Home Remote and (T4F) high intensity headlamps (Not available with (Y4Q) Track Performance Package.) : Y91 CARBON FIBER PACKAGE (Included with (A7A) Carbon Black Package and (Y4Q) Track Performance Package. Not available with (C43) Base Splitter (No Charge) or (R6G) No Splitter.) : CFZ SAFETY AND SECURITY PACKAGE includes contents of (Y61) Advanced Security Package and (Y65) Driver Awareness Package (Includes (UV6) Head-Up Display. Requires (Y91) Luxury Package. Not available with (Y4Q) Track Performance Package.) : PCW ADVANCED SECURITY PACKAGE includes (UTR) shielded theft-deterrent alarm system with dedicated power source, (UTU) inclination sensor, (N08) locking fuel door, (ULS) locking steering column and (PB4) locking wheel lugs (Included and only available when (PCW) Safety and Security Package is ordered. Requires (Y65) Driver Awareness Package and (Y91) Luxury Package.) : Y61 DRIVER AWARENESS PACKAGE includes Lane Change Alert, (UE4) Following Distance Indicator, (UEU) Forward Collision Alert, (UHX) Lane Keep Assist with Lane Departure Warning, (UFG) Rear Cross-Traffic Alert, (UKC) Side Blind Zone Alert, (TQ5) IntelliBeam headlamps and (CE1) Rainsense intermittent wipers (Included and only available when (PCW) Safety and Security Package is ordered. Requires (UV6) Head-Up Display, (Y61) Advanced Security Package and (Y91) Luxury Package.) : Y65 CADILLAC CUE AND NAVIGATION includes (IO6) Cadillac CUE with Embedded Navigation, (UQS) Bose premium surround sound 10-speaker system (12-speaker system on V-Coupe) and (KI6) 110V power receptacle (Included with (Y91) Luxury Package.) : Y26 MEMORY PACKAGE recalls 2 driver and exit position "presets" for power driver seat, and outside mirrors (Included and only available when (Y91) Luxury Package is ordered.) : A45 CALIPERS, RED BREMBO (Not available with (J6J) Dark Gold Brembo calipers.) : J6F LOCKING FUEL DOOR (Included and only available when (PCW) Safety and Security Package is ordered.) : N08 WHEEL LUGS, LOCKING (Included and only available when (PCW) Safety and Security Package is ordered.) : PB4 SUNROOF, POWER, SLIDING (Requires (Y91) Luxury Package. Not available with (Y4Q) Track Performance Package.) : CF5 HEADLAMPS, INTELLIBEAM (Included and only available when (PCW) Safety and Security Package is ordered.) : TQ5 HEADLAMPS, HIGH INTENSITY DISCHARGE (Included and only available when (Y91) Luxury Package is ordered.) : T4F WIPERS, FRONT INTERMITTENT, RAINSENSE (Included and only available when (PCW) Safety and Security Package is ordered.) : CE1 AUDIO SYSTEM FEATURE, BOSE PREMIUM SURROUND SOUND SPEAKERS (Included and only available when (Y26) Cadillac CUE and Navigation is ordered.) : UQS PERFORMANCE DATA AND VIDEO RECORDER (Requires (Y26) Cadillac CUE and Navigation. Included with (Y4Q) Track Performance Package.) : UQT STEERING WHEEL, SUEDED MICROFIBER (Included with (A7A) Carbon Black Package. Not available separately when (A7A) Carbon Black Package is ordered. Includes (5CS) sueded microfiber shifter.) : 53S STEERING WHEEL MOUNTED PADDLE SHIFT CONTROLS (Included and only available when (M5U) 8-speed automatic transmission is ordered.) : KB7 SHIFTER, SUEDED MICROFIBER (Included and only available when (53S) sueded microfiber steering wheel is ordered.) : 5CS SENSOR, VEHICLE INCLINATION (Included and only available when (PCW) Safety and Security Package is ordered.) : UTU HEAD-UP DISPLAY (Included with (PCW) Safety and Security Package.) : UV6 PEDALS, SPORT ALLOY (Included and only available when (Y91) Luxury Package is ordered.) : JF5 REMOTE START (Included and only available when (M5U) 8-speed automatic transmission is ordered.) : BTV UNIVERSAL HOME REMOTE includes garage door opener, 3-channel programmable (Included and only available when (Y91) Luxury Package is ordered.) : UG1 SHIELDED THEFT-DETERRENT ALARM SYSTEM, WITH DEDICATED POWER SOURCE (Included and only available when (PCW) Safety and Security Package is ordered.) : UTR LOCKING STEERING COLUMN (Included and only available when (PCW) Safety and Security Package is ordered.) : ULS RECEPTACLE, POWER, 110V (Included and only available when (Y26) Cadillac CUE and Navigation is ordered.) : KI6 FOLLOWING DISTANCE INDICATOR (Included and only available when (PCW) Safety and Security Package is ordered.) : UE4 FORWARD COLLISION ALERT (Included and only available when (PCW) Safety and Security Package is ordered.) : UEU LANE KEEP ASSIST WITH LANE DEPARTURE WARNING (Included and only available when (PCW) Safety and Security Package is ordered.) : UHX SIDE BLIND ZONE ALERT (Included and only available when (PCW) Safety and Security Package is ordered.) : UKC REAR CROSS-TRAFFIC ALERT (Included and only available when (PCW) Safety and Security Package is ordered.) : UFG Car people know that you can go online to build and price new cars from just about any manufacturer, and luckily Cadillac has a site for the legacy cars (older cars) where you can go build and price the older cars just like you could do when they were new. So I took all the options on the car and plugged it in and came up with this. And no, thankfully the original owner took the depreciation hit because this is not close to what I paid (the car was listed at $44K with 11, 700 miles).  Goes to show you why you don't want to buy a new car. 😉 












     
    In the next post I'll talk about my planned modifications. 🙂 Of course, what red blooded car guy wouldn't make changes??? 🙂 And I think the changes are going to be awesome. Oh... she has a name now.
    Meet "Grace" 



     
  16. NorthGeorgiaWX
    Mount Jefferson is the one with the snow. That snow doesn't melt until July.
    Incredible. A must do. Ride, don't drive. 

    If you ever get up to the New England states and you travel to New Hampshire, a visit to Mount Washington is something you do not want to miss. On a good day you will get to witness one of the most spectacular views anywhere in the country. Reaching 6288 feet into the New Hampshire sky, Mount Washington is the king of the White Mountains and is one of many peaks in the Presidential Range. If you look it up on Wikipedia, you'd see this...

    "The Presidential Range is notorious for having some of the worst weather on Earth, mainly because of the unpredictability of high wind speeds and whiteout conditions on the higher summits. Because of the poor weather conditions, the Presidential Range is often used for mountaineering training for those who go on to climb some of the world's highest mountains, including K2 and Everest." 

    One thing they tell you right before you get off the train at the top is "don't miss the train going back down",  You don't want to have to hike down this mountain. Even in the summertime, the top of Mt Washington is covered in fog 90% of the time. During the trip up and down the mountain on the cog railway you'll notice all of the stacks of stones known as cairnes (can be seen and talked about in the videos below). Those are used as trail guide markers for the hikers. Since you can hardly see in front of you in the fog, the markers are placed VERY close together to help keep you on the path and not fall off the mountain. As you approach the top of the mountain the Appalachian Trail crosses the tracks, and the hike across Mount Washington and the Presidential Range is considered to be the most difficult hike on the entire Appalachian Trail.  The Presidential Range of the White Mountains   You have three ways to get to the top of Mount Washington, you can walk, you can drive, or you can take the cog railway, and that is the method we took. It's about a 4 hour hike to the top and then another 3-4 back down, so unless you are REAL adventurous and have perfect weather, that is probably out of the question. You can also take your own car to the top by driving on the Mount Washington Auto Road, but a word of caution. This road has no guardrails and if you mess up, there is nothing to stop you and your vehicle from tumbling to the bottom.  I haven't been on it but I hear from others that have that it's terrifying. It's makes it hard to enjoy the views when you have to worry about driving off a cliff. See the video at the very end of this post, then decide. 😉

    So... that leaves the cog railway. THIS is the way to go. This is from their website: Here's a video of the train that took us to the top pulling into the station. They operate multiple trains up and down the mountain during the day and our engine is one of the bio-diesels that they run. The Cog Railway also has a couple of steam locomotives in case you want that old time feel to the ride.  Notice that the engine pushes the passenger car up the mountain instead of pulling. The engine has a cog (it's like a gear) that engages slots in the center of the track and that is how you get pushed up the mountain. The steepest grade is about 38%, so it looks like you're headed off into space at times. If not for the cog, the train would never be able to make it up the mountain.    The passenger car has two sections of seating. The left side of the car (facing forward) has three seats and across the aisle are two more seats. When you make your reservations (and you MUST or you probably won't get a seat and certainly not the best seat) you want to get the front seats on the left because the best views are on that side of the train. 

    The day we went up was about as good as it ever gets on Mount Washington, so the windows were down on the train. Keep in mind, some of the worst and wildest weather in the U.S. occurs on Mount Washington.  Most of the time the mountain is in the clouds with fog and mist. In the winter, that fog and mist become rime ice that covers everything up there.  For nearly sixty-two years Mount Washington held the world record for the fastest wind gust ever recorded on the surface of the Earth: 231 miles per hour, recorded April 12, 1934 by Mount Washington Observatory staff. To learn more about the day that wind speed was recorded, click on this link.  Another item to note, the tree line starts about 5000 feet. Out in the Rockies, that elevation is about 10,000 feet. 

    The maximum temperature ever recorded on the summit is only 72 degrees and the high the day we rode up was about 60 degrees, so it was a relatively warm day on the top. The image below shows the conditions right before we started the ride up (we had a 12:30 pm train). It was an incredibly warm day at the bottom, we had seen temps in the low 80's driving to the mountain so we knew the top shouldn't too bad. Even the winds cooperated that day and stayed at speeds that wouldn't blow you off the mountain like they normally do.  Notice that our visibility was about 80 miles... today it's 1/16 of a mile (see image below). Here's a link to the current data.     The image below is from today, June 14th about the time we left the station. Compared to our visit, it is much colder with no visibility today. Not a great day to go to the top if you want to see a view.  Conditions at 12:26 pm June 14. This is about the time we left. Compare this to how warm it was last Monday the 10th   Mansfield Station
    The elevation at the bottom where you start the ride up is about 1600 feet. It's funny, but Cadillac Mountain in Acadia National Park is 1529 feet high and you think that's tall when you're on top of it, so this being at the bottom helps put things in perspective. 

    The station has a gift shop, a restaurant, and restrooms. If you didn't purchase your ticket online, you get your tickets here.  There are no restrooms on the train so go before you board. 

    It's very cool looking up toward the top of the mountain from the station. You can barely make out the tower on the top, and off in the distance you can see the train tracks going up the side of the mountain.  Now... picture yourself hiking that. 🙂 The top is on the top of the peak in the right of the image. You can see the tracks in the distance to the right of the flag.   I mounted my GoPro on the window using a suction cup mount. Stupid me... I could have mounted the actual camera part of it in the open part of the window, but instead, the whole thing was behind the window. It doesn't seem to hurt the image to much but I'm sure it helped with reducing the wind noise. Granted, the train only moves about 4 MPH, so the wind noise doesn't come from the train movement. 🙂

    Anyway... here are my videos from the front of the train. I should have mounted the camera on the left side window to catch the views, and I was going to on the way down, but someone on the other side of the aisle asked if they could swap seats with us for the return trip. And being the nice person that I am, we swapped, so I didn't have the best view coming back down. And trust me, the left side is spectacular.  The pictures I have just don't do it justice.  The conductor was great and full of information, I was glad I captured his narration on the videos.   It is a ride you'll never forget. I've added a few pictures below, but if you'd like to see them all, you can click on this link.       Keep in mind that during times of bad weather, the train may not go all the way to the top. They will ride halfway and when there is snow, they stop at a newly built platform and everyone can get off the train and hang out at a bonfire and eat s'mores. We were very blessed with our weather and it couldn't have been more perfect. Because the weather on the top is so unpredictable and generally not so good, it makes it very tough to factor in to your plans. You plan for the worst and hope for the best, and in our case, that's the way it worked out, so your visit may or may not go as well. That's Mount Washington.

    Once you're at the top there are several places to explore, and if you're hungry you can grab a bite to eat eat while you're there. And there is even a United State Post Office on the top so you can send mail with a Mount Washington postmark. The Mount Washington Observatory on top is continuously staffed even in the winter time. Research is conducted on new weather instruments and manually taken weather readings occur on schedule 24/7. 

    Not much more to say except you need to add this place to your bucket list. I do recommend the train up, but if you think you may want to drive up, watch this video below. You will be amazed and terrified at the same time. 🙂  
    View the full article
     
  17. NorthGeorgiaWX
    Let the fun begin. 🙂
    It is really hard for me to leave well enough alone, I've always wanted to tweak my cars and make them "mine", so obviously this one will be no different. 🙂
    I have already installed the tune from Trifecta and I love it. Not only do I gain ~120 hp at the wheels, but the transmission is also recalibrated and that is awesome. So 18 lbs of boost gets me 500 rwhp. Would love to see what 20 or 22 gets me. 🙂 
    Today I ordered some Eibach springs for the car. These are actually discontinued but this company "supposedly" has some... we'll see. The springs are slightly stiffer and will lower the car about 1" all the way around. (EDIT: As of 7/20/20 I have my springs). I also have received a set a new sway bars from Renick Performance as well.
    I also ordered some new wheels from Renick Performance today as well but I probably won't see those for 3-4 weeks. They look like this but mine will be gloss black. I'm going from a 18x9" to  19x9.5" (+24mm offset) with a 265/30-ZR19 in the front and 18x9.5" to 19x11" (+43mm offset) with a 305/30-ZR19 in the rear. The tires will be Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S's.
    The wheel wells will be full. 🙂




    I will have Gran Turismo East (Chamblee) supply the tires (two for the rear and two for the front) and I will have them install the springs/wheels/tires and do the alignment all at the same time. 
    (EDIT: 07/30/20 - This has been done)  Next week I'm taking the car to ZeroDefects for a full on Crystal Serum Ultra ceramic treatment. I can't wait to get the paint protected and as glossy as it can get. They do the complete exterior including wheels, brake calipers, trim, and glass. After the treatment, you can pretty much just take a hose and wash the dirt off.
    Can't wait! 
    (After the treatment)

  18. NorthGeorgiaWX

    New Parts Installed

    By NorthGeorgiaWX,


    Car
    The other day I had received my new Renick catless downpipes, so I took the car down to Chequered Flag Automotive to let Chris and Shawn get those installed. While it was there, they spent lots of time tracking down a noise in the left front of the car that appeared after the first autocross. After checking and tightening everything on that side of the car, they disconnected the newly installed sway bar and methodically played with end links etc, The weird part is that the sound appears to be gone now but they never really found anything.
    Each pipe has a resonator in place of the cat (4th image), and there is a H pipe (crossover pipe) that connect the two together. There are all kinds of extra bungs on the pipes in case you need to connect more sensors (wide band O2, etc). 
    I pick up the car in the morning, and when I get back home I have a new tune to install to better take advantage of the lower restriction in the exhaust. It should bump me up another 25 or or so (up to 525 rwhp?) and allow the turbo's to spool a little quicker. EDIT: New tune installed. The car seems to rev a little quicker and the throttle response seems to be a little sharper. And it sounds a WHOLE lot better. 🙂
    Not sure what else I really want to do to this engine right now. I may go ahead and do the Renick cold air intake worth another 20 hp to bump it up to a total of about 540 rwhp? That should be plenty. The car is still under warranty so I don't want to do anywhere close to what's been done to the other car. I will get a Boostane tune which would bump things up again due to the higher octane (102 versus 93), to ~560-570 hp. At that point I'd be good for now. If I need more power in a straight line I'll hop in the other car. 😉 Saw a dyno of another ATS-V with the IDENTICAL setup as our red V and it was making 693 rwhp and 704 ft lbs of torque on E70. Not bad for a 3.6 liter V6. 🙂




     

  19. NorthGeorgiaWX
    Today in Weather History
    for April 27 

    April 27, 1899 
    A tornado struck Kirksville, MO, killing 34 persons and destroying 300 buildings. (David Ludlum) 

    April 27, 1931 
    The temperature at Pahala, located on the main island of Hawaii, soared to 100 degrees to establish a state record. (The Weather Channel) 

    April 27, 1942 
    A destructive tornado swept across Rogers County and Mayes County in Oklahoma. The tornado struck the town of Pryor killing 52 persons and causing two million dollars damage. (David Ludlum) 

    April 27, 1987 
    Forty-two cities in the western and south central U.S. reported record high temperatures for the date. The afternoon high of 87 degrees at Olympia WA was an April record, and highs of 92 degrees at Boise ID, 95 degrees at Monroe LA, and 96 degrees at Sacramento CA tied April records. (The National Weather Summary) More than 300 daily temperature records fell by the wayside during a two week long heat wave across thirty-four states in the southern and western U.S. Thirteen cities established records for the month of April. (Sandra and TI Richard Sanders - 1987) 

    April 27, 1988 
    Mount Washington NH reported seven feet of snow in ten days, pushing their snowfall total for the month past the previous record of 89.3 inches set in 1975. (The National Weather Summary) 

    April 27, 1989 
    Thunderstorms produced severe weather from the Lower and Middle Mississippi Valley to Virginia and the Carolinas. Hail up to four and a half inches in diameter caused five million dollars damage around Omaha NE. Thunderstorms spawned eleven tornadoes, and there were 160 other reports of large hail and damaging winds. (The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data) 

    April 27, 1990 
    Thunderstorms produced severe weather in eastern Texas and the Lower Mississippi Valley. Severe thunderstorms spawned thirteen tornadoes in Texas and twelve in Louisiana. A tornado southwest of Coolidge TX injured eight persons and caused more than five million dollars damage. There were also eighty-five reports of large hail and damaging winds, with baseball size hail reported at Mexia TX and Shreveport LA. (The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data) Forty-three cities in the eastern U.S. reported record high temperatures for the date. Records highs included 94 degrees at Charleston WV, 95 degrees at Baltimore MD and 96 degrees at Richmond VA. (The National Weather Summary) 

    April 27, 2011 
    An estimated 305 tornadoes between the 27th and 28th sets a record for the largest outbreak ever recorded, including two EF-5s, four EF-4s and 21 EF-3s. Arkansas through Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, southern Tennessee, Virginia to Pennsylvania and New York were all affected. An estimated 300 died including 210 in Alabama alone. This brought the April total past 600, the most in any month in recorded US weather history. 

    What came to be the largest tornado outbreak ever across the United States spread into north and central Georgia on the 27th and into the early morning hours of the 28th. There were a total of 15 tornadoes during this outbreak in north and central Georgia. Thirteen people lost their lives and a 143 people were injured in north and central Georgia alone. In Catoosa County, an EF-4 tornado took the lives of 8 people near the town of Ringgold and injured 30 people. For more information on this event, view the event summary. (NWS Atlanta)
    I have a page here: http://www.daculaweather.com/4_april_2011_tornadoes.php

    Data courtesy of WeatherForYou              
    View the full article
     
  20. NorthGeorgiaWX

    Engine

    By NorthGeorgiaWX,

    I would love to take the car to a drag strip/autocross for some runs to see how it is currently running before I make any changes to it, but the changes may come first. 🙂 I don't think I've ever owned a car that I haven't made changes to... 
    The changes I am going to be making to this one will consist of power upgrades, suspension/wheels/tires, and a few cosmetic items... just because. This section is about power... makes me what to make Tim Allen sounds. 


     
    From the factory, the car will run 0-60 mph in 3.7 seconds, runs a 1/4 mile at ~12.5 seconds at 115-117 mph, and has a 189 mph top speed. When I'm done with my tinkering it should be 3.1-3.3 seconds 0-60, 11.2-11.5/125 mph 1/4 mile. It should see close to 150 mph in the half mile and I hope to find out at the "Heaven's Landing 1/2 Mile Shootout" in Clayton GA when they have it again.
    There is certainly nothing wrong with the engine, it runs strong and pulls hard, so physically it will remain untouched. Breaking open an engine is not something I like to get into if I can avoid it. But every car needs more power, and this one is no exception, so there will be two changes made to bump things up. 
    Trifecta Computer Tune Borla CAT Back Exhaust The Trifecta reprogramming of the engine computer yields tremendous gains in power and is the single most beneficial power modification you can do to these cars. Besides the power increase, there are additional features that enhance the transmission performance and the different driving modes that are available in the car. 
     
    This is a dyno graph of the stock versus reprogrammed car.

     
    The last power enhancing modification will be the exhaust. Keep in mind this is still a 6 cylinder motor, so not the same sound as a V8. But it could could sound a little better with a little less restriction while making a little more power. I think I'm going to go with the Borla CAT back system that uses 2.75" pipes and 4" tips. 
     
    That's it though. Basically the motor is never opened or really touched at all. 🙂 
  21. NorthGeorgiaWX

    Suspension

    By NorthGeorgiaWX,


    Car
    I'm a handling guy, always have been. I love the curvy roads and will go out of my way to take those every chance I get. I started autocrossing cars back in 1973 and have continued off and on for all these years, and the love of driving has only increased as I've gotten older. And it's not just turns, I also want a car that can stop much faster than it can accelerate. This one does it all.
    In the stock form, this car will pull a steady 1.03 g's on a skidpad, and many people have never even been in a car pulling 1 g much less anything more. But... if it can pull that much stock, it can pull more modified. 🙂 Therefore, since I cannot leave well enough alone, I must do something about this. 😜
    So, I'm keeping it relatively simple. I'm not trying to go crazy with anything I'm doing, since the car already does everything so well, it's all about enhancing. So two suspension changes and new wheels and tires, that's it. Since the car already has shocks better than anything I could buy elsewhere, those are left untouched. That leaves the springs and sway bars. I've looked at multiple spring sources and have narrowed it down to three companies, Renick Performance, Eibach, and Weaponsxmotorsports. I was speaking with a fellow ATS-V owner today (thanks Michael!) and his car uses Eibach springs and exactly the same wheel/tire sizes (his are Forgeline F14's) that I will be using. Take a look at how the spring/wheel/tire combo looks. I'd say perfect, but that's just me.  🙂 


     
    Here's how the stock wheel and tire sizes match up to the new ones that I will be running. I don't have the weight of the new wheels but I believe the front is around 21 lbs. 

     
    Once I decide on the springs I'm going with I'll be good to go. I'm also checking on sway bar sizes. The factory list different bars so it's difficult to judge what I need to get. It appears the front bar is  a hollow 29 mm OD and 4.6 mm wall thickness. The rear is 25.4 mm with a 3.81 mm wall, and both are made from SAE 1020 equivalent material and the bars are heat treated and shot peened. It is hard to get this kind of information about the aftermarket bars, but unless I do, I'm not spending the money to get any. 
    The tires will be Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tires and these are warm weather only tires. Tires make a tremendous difference in handling and the performance varies widely between the various brands. The Michelin's are considered to the among the best if not the best high performance street tire.

     
    As soon as I can get a little more information, I'll update this. The springs are out of stock no matter who you go with... they must all be made in China. 😉 
     
     
  22. NorthGeorgiaWX
    If you were around here back on this date in 1993, you were waking up to one of the greatest storms to ever hit the US, the Storm of The Century. I had never been in a storm like this, so it made for a surreal experience for me, and unfortunately, I took ZERO pictures of the storm itself. I had a heavily wooded back yard, and I remember looking out over the yard while the storm was at its peak. The skies were VERY dark, darker than a normal thunderstorm, I'm guessing because of all of the thick snow that was falling. The winds were howling. I remember thinking this is what I had always dreamed of since I was a kid... when all of a sudden BOOM!!! The sky literally glowed! I'm assuming the eerie glow was because of all the heavy snow that was falling. It wasn't like a regular lightning flash nor was it like a regular clap of thunder. It was muted/muffled for sight and sound. Again... surreal is the only word I can think of that describes that experience. Thunderstorms with snow. I mean really, if you love snow, it doesn't get any better than this. 🙂
    So... .let's take a look at this storm a little closer in case you missed it. 

     
    From the NWS - (https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/news/1993-snow-storm-of-the-century)
     
    Snowfall amounts were tremendous.
    Over the south, Birmingham received more than a foot of snow, the Atlanta airport received 4.5", while the northern suburbs received more than 10". The Atlanta NWS reported "Total snowfall by late evening averaged 18 to 24 inches from Rome to Clayton with near 30 inches from Fannin to Union Counties. Snow drifts up to 10 feet high were reported". I had around 10" at my house in Dacula, but it was hard to measure since the wind blew it around so much.
    Some additional totals from the Wilmington NC NWS office:
     
    Here's the summary from the Atlanta NWS office
     
    The impacts of the storm went far beyond the snow totals, with tornadoes, extreme winds, storm surge, and record cold. All in all, 318 people died as a result of the storm. 
    The development of the storm shows how the perfect setup brought the perfect storm.



     
    James Spann - Part 1
     
    Part 2
     
    Part 3
     
    Part 4
     
     
    Part 5
     
    Here are some additional links to more information about the storm:
    Birmingham NWS - https://www.weather.gov/bmx/winter_stormofthecentury NWS Overview - https://www.weather.gov/media/ilm/Overview_Kocin_Schumacher_Morales_Uccelini.pdf Hourly Automated Surface Maps of the Superstorm of 1993 - http://ww2010.atmos.uiuc.edu/(Gh)/arch/cases/930312/sfc/xcn.rxml Various Still Satellite Images - http://ww2010.atmos.uiuc.edu/(Gh)/arch/cases/930312/sat/vis.rxml NC State Climate Office Storm Summary - http://climate.ncsu.edu/climate/winter/event_details?e=129 NCDC Technical Report - https://www1.ncdc.noaa.gov/pub/data/techrpts/tr9301/tr9301.pdf Water Equivalent vs Rain Gauge Measurements from the March 1993 Blizzard - https://www1.ncdc.noaa.gov/pub/data/techrpts/tr9303/tr9303.pdf Diagnostic Analysis - https://www.atmos.umd.edu/~dalin/huo-zhangyakum-superstorm-m95.pdf National Disaster Survey Report - https://www.weather.gov/media/publications/assessments/Superstorm_March-93.pdf "The 'Storm of the Century' or 'Superstorm' Derecho" - https://www.spc.noaa.gov/misc/AbtDerechos/casepages/mar12-131993page.htm Wilmington NWS Summary - https://www.weather.gov/ilm/Superstorm93
  23. NorthGeorgiaWX

    Design Update - 11/27/21

    By NorthGeorgiaWX,


    Media Room
    As you can see, this has been a slow project, but we're finally getting somewhere. I have more plans and now have a speaker list and screen size.
    This is going to be a 7.2.4 home theater system, and that's really about all you can fit into the room. Again, my primary focus is on music and sound quality so the video part takes a second seat. 🙂 But with a 9 foot wide screen and the correct projector, that's not going to be too bad either. 
    Here's the room. To get your bearings, the top of the image is the outside wall and those red diagonal lines are the windows. The right side of the image is the front of the room and the bottom of the room is open to a hallway. You can start to see some of the challenges with sound management since the room has glass on one side and open on the opposite side. Those speakers you see out in the middle of the room will be in the ceiling and the speakers at the top and bottom (either side of the sitting area) are the left and right surrounds. On the back wall are two rear channel speakers and a subwoofer (actually a dual cone subwoofer, more on the speakers below). 
     

     
     
    Here's a side view (left) looking toward the windows. They will have a motorized blackout shade that we can control remotely. There are actually 5 treys in the ceiling. There is one large one and four other ones inside. There will be LED lights that will make the treys look like they are floating below the ceiling. 
    The right image is the front of the room. It shows the three front channel speakers and the other dual cone subwoofer. Everything is hidden, you won't see any speakers or anything else. The projector screen is 9 feet across but the height will be determined on whether I go with 16:9 or 2.35 aspect ratio, and I still haven't decided on that, nor has the projector been picked out. If I go with 2.35 the shelf on top stays, if I go 16:9 it has to go. 
    The side view looking out the windows (the three windows have shades over them) is on the left, with the front of the room to the right. The right side image is looking at the front of the room.

     
    I finally have a speaker list! YEA!!!
    Front Channel - All three speakers for the front channel will be identical, and I'll be using the Wisdom Audio Sage Cinema Line 2 speakers. The center speaker will be behind the screen while the other two to the sides. I will need a total of 6 channels of amplification to power these speakers as each speaker needs two dedicated channels.
    SAGE CINEMA LINE 2 - Wisdom Audio
    WWW.WISDOMAUDIO.COM Targeting high-performance media rooms and private cinemas, The Sage Cinema Series models are dedicated to hidden installations behind projection screens and fabric walls. The Line 2 features the award-winning Sage 24” Planar Magnetic Drivers, and six long linear excursion, high-output woofers. The Line 2 delivers a new level in...

     
     
    Surrounds and ceiling speakers - There are two side surrounds, two rear surrounds, and four ceiling speakers, and they will all be the Wisdom Audio Sage Cinema Point 2 V2 speakers. I like the idea of keeping the same speakers for all the surrounds and ceiling. I will need 8 channels of amplification to power these.
    SAGE CINEMA POINT 2 V2 - Wisdom Audio
    WWW.WISDOMAUDIO.COM The Sage C20i offers the ultimate high-end audiophile loudspeaker in a slim and stylish design that fully integrates into any home. Perfectly suited for home theater and media rooms, C20i produces the highest level of sonic refinement and performance available from an in-wall speaker. The Sage C20i includes a large planar magnetic driver – and...
     
     
    Subwoofers - There will be two subwoofers in the room, one in the front and one in the rear. Each cabinet contains two 15" cones and a 4000 watt amp, so a total of 8000 watts of bass power. We will be crossing over to the subs at 80 hz. 
    SubMersive F2+ & F2-Slave Subwoofer – Seaton Sound, Inc
    SEATONSOUND.NET  
    Ours will be hidden so we'll just get the plain black version. They do make prettier versions though. 🙂 They also make other models of subwoofers.

     
    Main Processor - Of course the main processor was decided right up front, and that is the Trinnov Altitude 16. Hands down the best processor in the world. Plus I am thrilled to have the best calibrator in the world coming to calibrate the room. His name is Adam Pelz and he's the expert when it comes to managing the Trinnov Processor, and he's worked extensively with Wisdom Audio Speakers. To give you an idea of his demand, he's in Bahrain right now doing a calibration. 🙂 
    Trinnov | 20-Channel Reference Immersive Sound AV Processor
    WWW.TRINNOV.COM The Altitude16 builds on the success of the Altitude32 and Trinnov's exclusive platform with 20-channel immersive sound decoding and best-in-class Room Correcti

     
    Amplifiers - It will come down to one (or both) amp series in their line. I will need 11 channels of ~500 watts each, so 5,500 watts of power. That doesn't include the subwoofers. 

    AT54X Series - Amplifier Technologies Inc.
    ATI-AMP.COM These amps come with 1 to 4 channels of amplification, each channel making 500 watts of power. This was going to be the amp I was going to use and may still be. I would need three of these.

    But... these are an option I am seriously considering. 
    Signature Series 6000 - Amplifier Technologies Inc.
    ATI-AMP.COM
    These come with 1 to 7 channels of amplification. It makes slightly less power (450 watts) into 4 ohms (which is the impedance of all the speakers) than the other amp, but these are sonically better amps. I could get away with two of the 7 channel amps. I need to talk to Adam and Shawn to see if this power output would work ok with the main speakers, and make sure I can achieve the required sound levels.


     
    Time to start ordering equipment!

     
    Projector
    Last but not least, we've settled on the JVC DLA-NZ9 projector. Since we have a bright room, I needed a projector that could give decent light without always closing the blackout shades, and this new JVC projector fits the bill.


  24. NorthGeorgiaWX

    Design Update - 03/09/22

    By NorthGeorgiaWX,


    Media Room
    After all of this time, they are finally making progress on the room design! I finally have some detailed drawings and they are now working on the as-built plans. 
    This image shows the placement of the speakers in relation to the seating position and screen. The magenta speakers are ceiling, and the aqua color speakers are in-wall. It would be nice to have a larger room, but I have to make do with the space I have. 
    Fortunately, the ceiling, side and rear speakers will be the Wisdom Sage Cinema Point 2 v2's since the Planar Magnetic Driver module can be rotated 90 degrees and tilted 22.5 degrees, providing any seat in the room the clarity for vertical, horizontal, DOLBY ATMOS®, DTS:X®, and AURO-3D® installations. I have no place to put the left/right side speakers, so those will be in the ceiling as well, and the Trinnov processor will aid in focusing the sound where it should be. 
    There are four ceiling speakers, two side speakers, and two rear speakers, for a total of (8) Point 2 V2's and (8) channels of amplification.

     
    Here's a side view looking toward the wall with the windows. The windows will have motorized blackout shades. 

     
    Looking toward the front wall. The two speaker cabinet is a custom Seaton Sound Submersive F2+ dual 15" sub. It has two 15" drivers with a 4000 watt amp and there will be another one of these (a slave version that runs off of the amp for the front sub) in the rear, so basically 4000 watts across four 15" drivers. Each of these sub cabinets supposedly act like like 18" subs. The three front speakers are the Wisdom Sage Cinema Line 2 speakers. Each of those speakers has two 24" planar magnetic drivers and six long linear excursion, high-output woofers, and each speaker requires two channels of amplification, so the front three speakers require a total of 6 channels of amplification, for a grand total of 14 channels. Not sure which amps will be used just yet. 
    The projector screen is acoustically transparent, but I'm still waiting on the final equipment list, so not sure of the screen brand yet. 

     
    Looking toward the rear wall. You can see the same sub that was in the front is also on this back wall. The projector box can be seen near the top of the ceiling.

     
    I hope to get the as-built soon and get started on this. It's been more than a year in the works. 
  25. NorthGeorgiaWX
    Good Saturday morning to everyone! Decided to use the new blog site instead of the old one, so it may look a little different here today!
    But first, a reminder that I have a page that is devoted to the weather at Lincoln, so anytime you like to see what's going on there, use this link to check it out. 
    http://www.daculaweather.com/4_track_lincoln.php
    The bullseye for the severe weather keeps shifting around and luckily, Lincoln isn't in the worst of it. But even if it's not the worst, it's still the plains, and any big storm there can create significant issues. For the latest thoughts from the Omaha NWS office, here's a portion of their AFD, the highlights are mine.
    http://www.daculaweather.com/4_afd_all.php
     
    Here's the latest Severe Weather Outlook from the Storm Prediction Center for today
    SPC Day 1 Outlook - http://www.daculaweather.com/4_spc_day1_outlook.php | http://www.daculaweather.com/4_spc_graphical.php

     
    There is a frontal boundary running across Lincoln right now, separating the cooler, drier air to the north (upper 40's to mid 50's) from the warm moist air to the south (mid 60's right now), but there could be some light showers moving through the flow. So of course, being Lincoln... you get a little of both. 🙂 
     
    Temps and Dew Points - You can see that Lincoln is pretty much on the line, maybe a little on the warmer side right now.
    http://www.daculaweather.com/4_spc_meso_analysis_14.php

     
    Radar view from the Omaha NWS office - The dark line that you see passing through Lincoln represents the pressure, and the line just south of Lincoln represents 0.8" precipitable water values. The NWS is expecting those to rise to 1.5"-1.7" later today, indicating that the stationary boundary will shift northward.

     
    Again, it will probably be a good idea to try to keep everything secure up front, so in case bad weather rolls in you don't have to scramble to gather everything up. It will all depend on where that boundary shifts, further north the greater chance for rain, further south will mean cooler and drier. 
    Lincoln Forecast - http://www.daculaweather.com/4_track_lincoln.php

     
    I'll be watching it for you today, hope everyone goes fast with no cones! 🙂 And hey... at least it isn't 100 degrees! 

Various Links

These are links to various pages on my Daculaweather.com site

NWS Links

×
×
  • Create New...