April 27th - Next SubRonLA gathering

[Ralph --- SSBN 598]

While sitting on the dock with 3 boats on patrol, I heard the discussion on when the next SubRonLA would meet.
Some did not want to wait the 2 months for the next gathering.
A few dates where tossed out and it sounded like April 27th was agreed upon.

If I got that wrong, someone will let me know and I will make the necessary changes.

[jefftytoo]

Indeed, Ralph, you beat me to the punch! Next SubRonLA group run at the usual time and place is now officially scheduled for Saturday, April 27. Looking forward to seeing everyone then.

Green board,
JeffP

[Ralph --- SSBN 598]

I had concerns about making this gathering.
I have been trying to get an appointment to see a doctor at the VA.
It is difficult because I have no phone where I live.
I went down to the hospital to try and get in to see the doctor.
Well, it turned out to be the unit doesn't have doctors available on Tuesdays.
There was desk staff so I tried to get an appointment.
After they brought up my records, they told me it had been so long since I was there, I had to go see my GP doctor to get a recommendation for a consult.
So I drove to the other hospital where the GP was located.
Got there to find the doctor was out sick and no one else could sign the consult recommendation.
So I made an appointment to see this doctor in 3 weeks.
Today was that day.
Got there on time and saw the doctor.
As always, the doctor was only interested in saying I high high blood pressure and spent over an hour telling me what I had to do.
I was told when I was young (10 or 11 years old) my blood pressure was always going to be a little high.
This was because of my mother having polio just before I was born.
Anyway.
I get things moving, I listened to the doctor and then got to the reason for being there.
I needed to see the mineralogist again.
Every 7 to 10 years, I have to have wounds opened up because they do not heal and cleaned out on my nose and face.
Doctor finally typed in typed in the recommendation for the consult with the dermatologist doctor.

Finally done here.
But I had to travel over to the other hospital, to pick up BP meds.
My thought was to go see the staff at the dermatologists stuff and try to get in or a least get an appointment date.

Well, this is when I learned that it takes 2 days for the recommendation from doctor #1 to go through the system to reach scheduling.
THis is where it always gets fun.
I am told I will get a call to confirm the appointment.
I ask, " how is that going to happen. I do not have a phone. Are they going to e-mail me?)
"No you have to talk to a live person."
"E-mail is a live person."
Stuff was stumped.
City people just can not grasp living not in the city and where there is no phone service, wire or cell.
Okay, I go to Care services.
There you can set up an account to get appointments on a web site.
I had this but had never used it so I did not remember my password.
What I thought was my password turned out to be my sign in user name.

So, I have been to the hospitals (both of them, 3 times.
I still do not have an appointment to see the correct doctor.
==================
So, the short version of all of this is, I will most likely make it to this coming Saturday's gathering at the pond.
They currently have 3.5 hours on them.
Tx has a backup battery but the boat does not.

All is good.
Still not working on the GATO.
Other things are still having to be done.

[salmon]

Ralph,
Planning on being there next Saturday.
Looking forward to it!
Peace,
Tom

[Ralph --- SSBN 598]

Batteries charged and tools collected.
I am ready.

[Ralph --- SSBN 598]

A quick recall of yesterdays gathering. April 27th.

It turned out to be a small gathering.
7 submarines and 3 surface boats.

Mike's big Type VII was in the water, running so very well.
Mike handed over the controls to Will O who built and setup most of the electronics.
Within minutes, Will O had the boat trimmed and running at periscope depth with no more input.

My Skipjack ran about 2.5" hours holding 2" to 3" of mast out of the water.
Did some static bottoming and hovering. Not a drop of water in the cylinder when the boat was removed from the water.
There was a research yellow boat that was in and out of the water with adjustments being made each time.
Will's boat didn't make in to the water but remain on the bench.
Jeff bought his Large Nautilus out for the first run in the lake.
Once in the water it looked to me like the major part of trimming was completed before getting to the lake.
I did not get a close look until it came out of the water.
It is a beautiful boat.
Having ran for a short time doing what it was suppose to, it all came to a stop.
Will O with his fishing reel and a float on the end rescued Jeff's boat.
A quick check of the boat revealed that the main battery pack was dead.
Will said the battery during final setup showed it might have a bad cell.
The plan is to replace all the batteries before getting in the water again.

Weather was cloud covered, no wind, water was clear.
It was a nice day.

We didn't get to disusing the next gathering.
I am sure Jeff will post it as soon as he sets a date.

Only thing I might do to my Skipjack is see if I can get some of the slop out of the rudder linkage.
When I let go of the controls on the Tx, the boat tends to turn right and even after moving the slide trim, it will then move to the left.
Rudder seems to move around about 3/8".

Jeff had a rudder issue as well and as Will O looked it over, he showed Jeff where the linkage issue might be.
The control rod Z bend going through the rudder control horn was loose.
This control horn is very shot to fit in the rudder of the Nautilus.
Looked to be a 1/4" long at most.

I hope Jeff post some photos of his Nautilus.
It is something to see.

[Waterlogged]

How about May 18th for the next meet?

[Ralph --- SSBN 598]

I seem to have heard this date offered up.
I can be there provided my doctor on the Monday before does his job correctly.

May 18th should be good for me.

[JWLaRue]

If anyone has photos from the 27th FunRun, please let me know as I could use some for the Fox column of the June SCR.

-tnx,
Jeff

[jefftytoo]

Sorry, bud: didn't get any photos last time. Too busy troubleshooting...
JeffP

[Ralph --- SSBN 598]

I do not remember any cameras.
Just a lot of in and out of the water as repairs and trimming was going on.