in case you wanted to know...

[back alley]

ok, so my car's remote starter died on me and the 'winter start' mode didn't work last night so this morning my car is frozen and will not start.

i'm taking the day off.

joe

 

[peter_n]

ok, so my car's remote starter died on me and the 'winter start' mode didn't work last night so this morning my car is frozen and will not start.

Do engine block heaters sell well in your part of the world? Of course the car needs to be near a household voltage supply but these things work very well. The one for my car costs around $100.

 

[back alley]

every car here has one. we have plug in outlets by the curb if you live in a townhouse complex or walk up apartment.

my car started with a boost just a few minutes ago. i have it running now, warming up.

joe

 

[g0tr00t]

So you all buy battery warmers, engine heaters, etc....to start the car for going to work?

Hmm....I look at it this way. If its too cold for my car to start....its too cold for me 😀

 

[peter_n]

every car here has one. we have plug in outlets by the curb if you live in a townhouse complex or walk up apartment.

Interesting. So how is that paid for? Does the municipality pay for the electricity or is the outlet somehow tied to your account? (Dreaming of free electricity paid for by Joe - I have a lot of electrical cable here. 😉 )

 

[VictorM.]

In Toronto it's +14C (57F), with a little sun now and again. Those temps won't last, they never do in Jan.

 

[back alley]

peter,

it depends. where i live now (renting), the owner pays the bill. most apartments it's tied into your own power bill.

joe

 

[Doug]

I had an electrician add outlet boxes in the carports several years ago, and they're on the building's meter, not billed to those who use the carports... I just figure that in as part of the carport rent. In the parking lot, there's an outlet on the center light standard that people are welcome to plug into. Some parking slots aren't far from the apt doors, which each have an outlet on that apt's meter, so if the resident uses a nearby parking slot, an extension cord to his outlet will serve. I've been a little surprised at how few residents make use of the various outlets, but it does vary from year to year.

 

[peter_n]

Finally we get some sun here in Boston. It must have been 2 weeks since I saw it - but the temperature is dropping fast.

Also Man Utd beat Liverpool 1-0 at Anfield so the weekend has certainly started out well!! 😀

 

[Honu-Hugger]

Engine heaters are standard equipment around here, as well. It's a balmy 7 F here at the moment, but not as bad as it sounds with the sun out -- rarely ever cloudy here and the air is dry, both conditions make it a little more tolerable. Nevertheless, my trhoughts are elsewhere...

Aloha,

D2

 

[back alley]

speaking of block heaters...

the cord attached to my block heater, the one that plugs into the extension cord that plugs into the outlet (still with me?) well that cord snapped like a twig yesterday.
frozen to death...

today we had a balmy high of -18c.

joe

 

[peter_n]

Too bad - how old was it? Does that mean you have to buy a new block heater or just a new power cord?

 

[back alley]

just the cord as it attaches like a plug in to the block heater.
but it's too cold to do it myself just now and i dislike paying someone for something i can do.
apparently the temp is going up to -1c early in the new week.

joe

 

[Doug]

Joe, I'm shivering in sympathy with your cold temps! Even at "only" -10C here, I have a hard time working up any interest in going out there with a camera.

 

[back alley]

tell me about it!
i want to check out my 35/2.8. i took some shots but i think the lens hood i used is too narrow, severe vignetting all round the edges. i hope it's the hood.
and many of the images look too muddy but that could be a number of things. i'd like to blame the lab but the shots i took with the cv 35 are crystal clear. i did under expose a bit on some.
my point anyway is that i would like to go out on a clear day and shoot & see.

joe