JdFinley.com

Fulltime RV Living Adventures

Is solar power for you?

The topic of solar power on an RV comes up very regularly. Instead of repeating the same thing over and over, I thought perhaps documenting it might be helpful and consume less of my time. I am most certainly not the sole source of this information – this same information is all over the Internet… [Read More]

Phantom 3 Video Platform

vimeo.com/13813563

I ordered and received a DJI Phantom 3 from “Camera Professionals” via Amazon.com. I am VERY HAPPY and in love.  What an unbelievable piece of engineering! My hat is off to DJI – incredible job boys! I have to first echo several important things that I have read recently. 1. Start with a trainer quadcopter/drone/UAV. … [Read More]

Solar Panel Mounts

Several people have asked for more details, especially photos, of my solar panel mounts. These mounts were originally referenced here during the system installation on my Newmar Dutch Star. I have had zero issues with these panel mounts. The two panels have been mounted with the solar panel mounts as shown below for six months… [Read More]

Solar Power and Clouds

A commonly held belief is that solar panels do not produce electricity when there are clouds nor in anything but direct sunlight. Meaning; the nay-sayers like to tell people that solar doesn’t work unless it is bright sunshine. Perhaps this was true with the early photovoltaic panels but it isn’t true anymore. Maybe a bit… [Read More]

Still more 5 volt USB charging sockets

I am firmly in the “can’t have enough USB charging sockets” camp.  As previously noted (here), I’ve added several throughout my Newmar Dutch Star. The other day, I was sitting staring at the “solar charging light” on my dash.  This light is originally connected to the tiny little solar panel on the roof that barely… [Read More]

Review: BearExtender PC Wifi Booster

There are several wifi booster options available of enhancing your wifi signal range.  Keep in mind I am discussing wifi here and not cellular data. I purchased a Wirie several years ago for my sailboat but that unit is not compatible with my current MS-Windows 8.1 computer (at least I could not make it work)… [Read More]

Aircraft Purchase

When I sold my Vans RV-3, Daisy, all of my friends predicted that I would not be without an aircraft for long. They were right. I have purchased a brand spanking new aircraft and I am back in the air (so to speak).  I lasted nearly four months. This is her. She is a UDI… [Read More]

Stereo Install

JBAM had the original Ford/Mercury six-CD car stereo when we met.  The CD changer did not work and the radio station reception was unbelievably bad.  The sound wasn’t the worst, nor was it the best. I’m not one of those fella’s that’s gotta have loud thumping music blasting all the time.  Nearly the opposite –… [Read More]

Wilson Amplifier

I really enjoy camping off the beaten path with my motorhome. “Off the beaten path” probably means something different to a New York City resident than it does to me, a kid raised on a ranch in Montana.  For me, off the beaten path is where there is nobody else for miles around, typically way… [Read More]

Export Text Messages from Android Phone

The ability to export text messages from an Android phone is not built in. I save a fair number of SMS text messages and recently decided that I probably ought to backup this data. None of these messages are critical but are snippets of info that I’d rather not lose. I started looking for a… [Read More]