Re: Wyoming Trip Report (May-Jun 2025)

On 6/24/2025 4:13 PM, Ted Heise wrote:

On Tue, 24 Jun 2025 15:44:35 -0500,
   sticks <wolverine01@charter.net> wrote:

There has been a place or two (inluding the site with the
problematic power) where the plug in panel didn't have a
cover. Strikes me as suboptimal if it rains.

>
  Also it's probably illegal almost everywhere.  That's it can
  kill you power.

 Oh, I didn't describe it very well.  I was talking about the metal
cover that one swings up to access the outlets, not the metal of
the pedestal itself.

That's illegal too.  Older construction only demands in most locations a cover, possibly a weatherproof one, at least not weatherproof in-use. As long as the breaker is off when you insert your tester or plug, a little moisture won't kill you when you turn it on.  It shouldn't spark because of the solid connection.  It's no different than me plugging in my Power Watchdog and then plugging in my RV cord that hangs down just barely above the ground.  It's gonna get wet if it rains.  Though I wouldn't go over and grab it in the rain, that's just how it's done.
I've put in several exterior outlets at my house and they have all been weatherproof "in-use" type.  I don't recall for sure, but I think that is now code for new construction in my state.
I would say it's pretty bad to have an exterior outlet without any cover at all over it and everything else at the place would then be suspect. You gotta fix things!

   FWIW, I use a Power Watchdog and it works nicely, though I
   did have to cover up the one side as it had a ridiculous
   bright light coming off of it.

>
Is this some device that goes inside the trailer?  If it goes
on the plug in pedestal, it must be *really* bright to be a
bother.

>
  It goes in at the pedestal.  You plug it in and it can be
  connected to from your phone.  Gives a readout of current
  voltages and how much you have used.  As far as the light, it
  was ridiculous that they would think it is OK for it to be as
  bright as it was.  Now I'm very wary of not intruding on other
  people's enjoyment of things, and having this bright a light
  seemed ridiculous...

 Very considerate.  One of the "features" of the camp we stayed at
in western Nebraska (Merritt Reservoir) is stargazing.  Apparently
they went after (and got) some kind of designation...

It's called a "Dark Sky" location.  Very hard to find good ones these days.  You really have to go out into the wilderness to have a chance. Some places in Utah were supposed to be ones, but there was just enough light where we were we couldn't see shit.

https://outdoornebraska.gov/location/merritt-reservoir/
 When I was up to pee in the night (maybe 2:00 am?) I stepped out
the trailer door to have a look.  The view wasn't impressive,
partly because the next trailer had all their external LED lights
on.  <rolls eyes>

People are so weird.  I turn off everything at night.

I tend to be sensitive to light *in* the trailer too, and have
resported to putting black electrical tape over the brighter
indicator lamps that I can't turn off somehow.  The "Magic Fan" on
the ceiling over the bed seems to have a nice thermostat
controlled setting, but it has a *really* bright green LED that
lights uo in that mode.  And if I put tape over it, the remote no
longer works (i.e., the IR receiver must be very near that LED).
So I haven't used it yet during the night.

My wife is crazy about light when she's trying to sleep.  It doesn't bother me that much, but any little light drives her crazy.  In Omaha I ended up parking under a light pole and had to tape a towel over the fan vent.  And like you, we have a ridiculous amount of things that light up in the View.  The worst of all is the solar charging monitor.  All it takes is a hint of light in the morning and the damn things wakes up and starts flashing.  It woke me up several times, which surprised me, but I checked it out and there's no way to turn it off.  So, like you I've got to get serious about covering up some of those LED lights.
--
Darwinism Is Junk Science!!