Heron Lake State Park, New Mexico – Day 27

The motorhome is still parked here at Heron Lake State Park about 20 miles south of Chama, New Mexico while I am recovering from my May 27th accident.

My right ribcage area remains slightly swollen and tender to the touch. I’m pleased to report some progress…with the exceptions of a cough or a sneeze, the poppings, with the associated pains, in my chest have finally stopped! I remain taking Ibuprofen, icing my ribcage area 2-3 times a day and wearing an elastic bandage abound my chest. The doctors told me to expect 6-12 weeks for recovery. The accident occurred seven weeks and one day ago today. Can you tell I’m ready for the recovery to be finished?

In yesterday’s Blog entry I showed photos of the moon and clouds demonstrating the low-light capabilities of my new Sony HX200V Camera. Today’s photo’s show the zoom capability. The photos were taken about 5:30 AM from the bedroom window of the motorhome. By opening the window, sliding open the screen and resting the camera on the window sill. I believe the lower right light is the planet Venus and the upper right the planet Jupiter. If I’m wrong, I hope someone more knowledgeable than myself will correct me.

As always you may left click upon an image to see an enlarged view and then click once again to see an even larger view…

This first photo is at the default opening of 25mm…

Stepping up through the zoom range…

Arriving at camera’s maximum 30x optical zoom equivalent to 750 mm…

Finally at 30x optical plus 2x digital zoom equivalent to 1500 mm. As I’ve said in the past, it’s impossible to hand-hold a camera at this long of a focal length. The sharpness has disappeared because a good sturdy tripod is needed here…

Nonetheless, I think this camera has a great zooming capability for a point and shoot camera.

All original material Copyright – Jim Jaillet 2012
For more information about my three books, click this link:
http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/panamaorbust

A Harsh Mid-Day Sun Is…

among the worst of conditions a photographer can face because of the heavy contrast created between the direct sunlight and shadows. It was with that thought in mind that Mary and I headed out on a 1.5 hour walk around our campground. Both of us armed with our new Sony DSC HX5V Digital Cameras…we decided to use the Intelligent Auto Adjustment setting which chooses from eight different scene selection options and automatically chooses the right setting and camera shooing adjustments…and let it do its thing. With only minor touch-up in Picasa 3…here are some of the results…

First a 180 degree panorama of the Olympic-sized pool which in reality is rectangular but ends up distorted in the panorama function…

We wandered around the campground and wooded trails and came away with these photos…

And finally…I caught Mary doing some “creative photography”…

Considering the harsh lighting conditions and minimal thinking on my part…I’m most pleased with yesterday’s test photos.

All original material Copyright – Jim Jaillet 2011
For more information about my three books, click this link:
http://lulu.com/panamaorbust

More Low-Light Test Photos…

In yesterday’s Blog entry I posted six low-light test photos taken with my new Sony DSCHX5V Digital Camera. They were also the very first photos taken with this camera. Last evening at dusk Mary and I took another walk around our campground. Using the Anti-Blur low-light setting will allow us to take photos in museums where flash photography is not allowed. Here are ten more test photos…

This low-light setting on the camera is really interesting. When you take a photo…it actually takes six different photos at different exposure settings and the combines them into one final photo. Amazing technology!

In other news…

My other Sony camera which was sent to Sony for repair was returned to me yesterday. It was then returned by me to Amazon via UPS. The replacement/exchange process is now complete. The new camera seems to be working just fine.

All original material Copyright – Jim Jaillet 2011
For more information about my three books, click this link:
http://lulu.com/panamaorbust

Yesterday Was A Good News Day…

in four different ways.

First…my new Sony Digital Camera…which replaces my factory defective camera sent to Sony for repair…arrived from Amazon in less than 24 hours after I placed the order…with no shipping charges to me. Amazing Amazon.com! I carefully inserted the memory card…took a couple of photos and it seems to be working fine.

Second…after five different phone calls to the Sony Repair Center in Laredo, Texas I finally got an Email with a Fedex tracking number. The un-repaired camera is scheduled to arrived by 4:30 PM today. Once it arrives…I’ll open the package to add the associated components and documents and then tomorrow ship the unit to Amazon…completing the replacement exchange.

Third…my friend/mechanic Mike in Monroe called last evening to tell me that he will have the time to do my Bronco transmission work for me. The transmission leaked some fluid last Friday after it got hot climbing Mt. Constitution on Orcas Island. While it’s not leaking at the moment….I’ve decided that because of the age and mileage on it…to replace all the associated seals. On Monday we will drive about 60 miles south to Monroe so Mike can do the job next week. I’d rather have him do it here…a person who I know and trust…rather than have it breakdown out on the open road and have to deal with an unknown transmission shop.

Fourth…last evening at dusk Mary and I took a walk to test the low-light capabilities of our new camera. Using the Anti-Blur setting…the one we will use in museums that do not allow flash photography…I took the below photos. After I ran them through Picasa…which I do with all my photos…they turned out just fine. If you left click them…they should be viewable in the larger size…

I would not have been able to take theses photos with my old Olympus camera without using a flash…which is a very harsh direct kind on light. The new camera…in this low-light setting…actually takes six shots…all at different exposures in one second…then combines then into one final photo. I’m most pleased with this first test of my new Sony DSC HX5V camera.

All original material Copyright – Jim Jaillet 2011
For more information about my three books, click this link:
http://lulu.com/panamaorbust

Customer Service – Recent Night And Day Experiences

Recently…on August 1st…I wrote my very first rant ever…entitled A Full-Time RVers Perspective On Customer Service.

Here’s the link in case you missed it…

http://otrwjam.wordpress.com/2011/08/01

Since that time I have experienced the WORST CUSTOMER SERVICE OF MY LIFE!

It all revolves around my new Sony Cyber-Shot DSCHX5V Camera…as shown here…

I ordered the camera from Amazon on July 25…received it July 29…and after a short while found the memory card slot to be factory defective…so on August 6…shipped it to the Sony Customer Satisfaction Repair Center in Laredo, Texas. Without going into all the specific details…trust me on this…Sony has the very worst of customer service! Here’s the Sony logo…how appropriate that for other than the words…it’s all black! Also the words…Make.Believe…how appropriate for that’s exactly describes their customer service. Don’t get me wrong…I love Sony products and have bought many over the years. This is the first time that I have had to deal with their so-called customer repair service. Again…just trust me…they do not have a clue what those words mean! I finally demanded that they return the unrepaired camera to me. As you might have already guessed…that’s my recent Night experience.

Now on to the Day experience…Amazon…they are just terrific! I went to their online site…entered my phone number…and WITHIN FIVE SECONDS…my cell phone rang and it was an Amazon customer service representative on the line wanting to know how he could help me. Again…without going into all the details…I ordered a replacement camera…same Sony model. They are not even charging me for the replacement camera…but trusting me to return the defective camera to them. I ordered the camera at 2:00 PM yesterday and it is scheduled to be delivered today. NOW…THAT’S CUSTOMER SERVICE!

Mr. Sony…I hope you get to read this second rant of mine. You make great products…but your customer service stinks! I would have used stronger words…but I’m a gentleman. End of Story!

All original material Copyright – Jim Jaillet 2011
For more information about my three books, click this link:
http://lulu.com/panamaorbust

It’s Been A Busy 58 Days…

since Mary left me to return to CA for two high school graduations, a family reunion and general business associated with her home and rental units. This time apart was part of our agreement when we got together approaching three years ago. She has left me several times…but this has been our longest separation since we’ve been together. I’ll meet her in Burlington this evening when she’ll arrive via the shuttle service from SeaTac Airport.

In the time she’s been gone…I’ve stayed plenty busy. I’m an ex-engineer and tend to do a lot of research before I undertake a project or commit to major financial expenditures. Here are some of the things that have kept me busy since Mary has been away…

Despite his working a 60 hour work-week at his place of employment in Monroe…I got my friend and cracker-jack mechanic Mike to put in 12 hours of preventative maintenance on my Ford Bronco II. I was his assistant and gofer. In this photo he is replacing brake pads and hoses as well as greasing the front wheel bearings…

Through friends of Mike I managed to meet a professional body man who put in 12 hours cleaning up the Bronco II very nicely…

I combined and upgraded Mary and my memberships in Thousand Trails RV Resorts into an elite Membership…

Upgraded our motorhome modem and router to Verizon 4G speed…

Bought a new Sony Digital camera…

Bought a new Sony Vaio computer…

Replaced a defective rear view camera on the motorhome…

And got video-interviewed by RVTravel.com…

So…I’ve not been bored while Mary was away. All of these above activities will hopefully contribute to a lot of many more enjoyable days and miles on the road!

All original material Copyright – Jim Jaillet 2011
For more information about my three books, click this link:
http://lulu.com/panamaorbust

My New Sony Camera Has Gone To Texas…

without me! It left yesterday via the U.S. Mail to The Sony Repair Service Center in Laredo. Nice town…we’ve been there! Although I wouldn’t want to be there this time of the year…yesterday it was 104 degrees! Almost right out of the box I encountered a memory card slot problem. Very disappointing for a Sony Product.

I really like the new camera and I’m hoping it will not be in Texas very long.

All original material Copyright – Jim Jaillet 2011
For more information about my three books, click this link:
http://lulu.com/panamaorbust

A Different Kind Of Camera…

A few Blog entries back I identified that I had just bought a new Sony Cyber-Shot DSC 4X5V Digital Camera. This story is about a different kind of Sony Camera…part of a Rear View Camera System on our motorhome

You may also remember prior to that… I identified that while on my way to my current camping site at Thousand Trails Mount Vernon RV Resort in Bow, Washington…that the rear view camera on the motorhome quit working.

When you  drive a big square box on wheels you have restricted ability to see what’s going on behind you as you go down the road. What you can see in your rear view mirrors is all you can see. Our towed Ford Bronco II cannot be seen when driving in a straight line. The answer to that problem is a rear view camera system. It provides me with a great deal of comfort that I can see that all is okay with the Bronco while driving down the highway.

Some motorhomes come factory equipped with this type of camera system…ours did not. So when we bought the motorhome in 2009 I decided I really preferred to see what’s going on behind me…and decided to install an after-market rear view camera system. In the below photo…the little black thing above the center red running light above the word Fleetwood…that’s the camera that sends a live video signal to a 7 inch monitor in the drivers area. That’s the unit that quit working.

Here’s a closer view. The camera allows me to see the towed Ford Bronco II as well as vehicles approaching from the rear. It also is a great visual aid when backing into a camping spot. It helps me avoid backing into the picnic table, trees, etc…a most helpful use!

After contacting the vendor…4UCam.com about my problem…they evaluated that the camera was the most likely culprit. So that meant I had to get up there and check all the electrical connections to ensure they were all secure…

Once satisfied that all the electrical connections were fine…the next step was to check that the infrared LED was lit. Nope…it wasn’t. That confirmed the camera was not working. Even though the camera was out of warranty…the 4UCam.com made me a fair deal for a replacement camera. It showed up a few day later. Once it did I made a very interesting discovery. In the below photo you can see the old camera on the left and the new one on the right. If you look carefully…you can see what I discovered. The new one has a rubber sealant applied over the four screws and where the back plate attaches to the main body. The old unit somehow made it out of the factory without any rubber sealant.

How was I supposed to know that? I remember looking at the unit when I received it in 2009…remembering the vendor’s claim that it was weather-resistant. I guessed they must have installed a rubber gasket inside the unit. Wrong! 2-3 months back I grew suspicious when the camera developed condensation on the inside of the protective glass and I could not see anything in the monitor despite knowing that the camera was operational. So…up on the roof I went. I carefully opened the unit and cleaned/dried the condensation. All was well once again…or so I thought…until the camera quit during a hard rain on my way here…which brings me back to the beginning of this story.

4UCam has been just really terrific about this situation. When I emailed them about the lack of sealant problem they were most apologetic indicating that they did not manufacture the unit…but they would refund the money I paid them for the replacement unit while they took up the matter with their supplier.

If you are in the market for a vehicle camera system…you cannot go wrong with looking at http://www.4Ucam.com …they have great customer service and are willing to stand behind their products. Most unusual in today’s money-greedy business world. As part of their apologies to me…they are willing to offer a $10 credit refund…simply by mentioning my name…Jim Jaillet…when you purchase a new full camera system.

Other than this minor problem…which was not the fault of 4UCam.com…I’ve been most happy with this camera system and their customer service. They are definitely a Good-Guy Company!

In yesterday’s Blog entry I discussed that it helps to be technically minded when being an RVer. This story is a perfect illustration. The two hours I spent evaluating and replacing the unit would have cost us $250…plus the mark-up on the replacement unit price.

Instead of giving that money to a technician to do the job…we get to put that money in the gas tank…a much more agreeable use for that money!

All original material Copyright – Jim Jaillet 2011
For more information about my three books, click this link:
http://lulu.com/panamaorbust

First Test Video On New Camera…

Yesterday it was time to do a video test run on my new Sony Cyber-Shot DSC 4X5V Camera. The four-minute test includes everything from bright sunshine to quite dark and I also give you a brief tour of our motorhome while doing so. Be sure your speakers are turned up.

If the video does not work, click this link…
http://youtu.be/lw9JFsNGIkg

As I indicate in the video…this camera has an amazing five different levels of video. In this test…I use the lowest level because it is the one recommended for emails and websites…which most likely is going to the primary use for me. As far as I’m concerned…it passed the test just fine.

All original material Copyright – Jim Jaillet 2011
For more information about my three books, click this link:
http://lulu.com/panamaorbust

My New Camera Arrives…

Well…kinda-sorta…after being notified on my computer by the package tracking system…I actually drove about five miles to the small post office in Bow, Washington about 3:00 PM yesterday to pick it up…rather than wait for the delivery today.

First impressions are that it’s definitely smaller and lighter than my Olympus Stylus 800 which it is replacing. It has a real nice “feel” to it. Very quiet and the menus are very intuitive…I was able to wander through the menus without needing to refer to the 60 page Instruction Manual or the 160 page Handbook.

After a brief acquaintance with the camera…it was time to go to work. If you are a regular follower of my Blog…you know I HATE Microsoft and avoid it whenever possible…like the plague. 2-3 years ago…whenever Windows XP Service Pack 3 came out I tried to download it and it thoroughly screwed up my computer. I was two days uninstalling it and getting the computer to work again. After that I shut off the Microsoft Automatic Updates and have been quite happy since…thank you very much.

However…this new camera requires Service Pack 3 and so it was with some trepidation that I turned on the Microsoft Automatic Updates and began the downloading of 72 updates before it would let me get to Service Pack 3 to download it. In addition I also had to download the associated Sony software. Four hours later…it appears everything downloaded without any interfacing problems. I even managed to turned on my computer this morning and it actually worked…so far…without any problems…I say…keeping my fingers crossed as I type…which is actually a little difficult to do. 

Other than having to go into Burlington today for a couple of things…one of which is to return the wrong spare battery for the camera that I mistakenly ordered…the better portion of this day will be spent getting acquainted further with the new camera and its associated software. After six years with my Olympus…it appears I’ve got to learn some new ways of doing things. Who says you can’t teach an old dog new tricks?…especially if he has no choice to learn these new tricks to go in a forward direction. Wooff!

All original material Copyright – Jim Jaillet 2011
For more information about my three books, click this link:
http://lulu.com/panamaorbust