It Works . . .

Yes, the RAM all works now. A new driver for the Wireless Interface Card did the trick. It is actually a Marvell driver, but that's what NetGear uses. They over lay their name on it but it is the Marvell driver. In my case it is version 1.0.0.53.

I formally had version 1.0.0.52. You never know what corrects the problem, it can be BIOS or a driver. In this case it was a driver. But tons of people had trouble with Vista and NetGear compatibility. I was one of them. I have been through three, no four, different drivers. The original one and then three different Marvell drivers. The last one did the trick and now the Dell has its full capacity memory. James Dunn will no longer have memory limitations on his games (I don't know that he did have any but for sure not now). Might make things work faster too.

We have a new monitor coming in - a 23 incher. That ought to max out things - no longer have to scroll across to see what is on the other edge.

Downloading New Drivers

I spent an inordinate amount of time downloading a new driver from my Wireless Interface card. The card is made by NetGear and there is a horrible interface problem with Windows Vista. It seems the card will not work with more than 2 Gigabytes of RAM installed. Dell says that is a NetGear problem.

I disagreed with them and they kicked me off there web forum. But I revisited the Dell forum and noted my original comments are still there and they have seemed to have found a potential fix. Dell was defending their close relationship with Microsoft saying that it was a hardware interface problem. The NetGear folks say they have complied with Microsoft's rquirements and that it is a Vista issue. I wonder if they will continue their close relationship now that they have bought Perot Systems.

I had this kind of a memory problem before when living in Argyle and I was trying to install Windows 98 on my computer. That was back about 1997 or so. Windows 98 would not load. I finally did an Internet search and found an obscure reference to the amount of memory being used. I reached in a removed one of the two sticks of memory and tried to load it again. Bingo, it loaded up and I reinstalled the second stick of memory and all was okay.

Well it seems NetGear and some other companies' wireless interface cards will not work with Vista (even though they did work with Windows XP) when more than 2 Gigabytes of RAM is installed. The forums seem to indicate this fix will not work over the long haul. We will see.

When I bought the computer from Dell, it came with 4 Gigabytes of RAM. I have been operating it with 2 Gigabytes of RAM so that I can have my wireless interface card operate. This limitation is irritating. Vista ought have fixed this problem by now but it seems the arrogance of Microsoft rears it head and denies a fix to a problem (Or is that why Windows 7 is being rushed out the door - do we have another Millennium fiasco?).

I dropped Dell because they have agreed to back load all their computers sold after a certain date to Windows 7. Guess what, my computer was bought just 2 weeks before this cut off date. And no, they will not back date or update for free. So I will have to pay for Windows 7 (and still not know if I have a fix).

I do know this, the new driver is working with the computer using 2 Gigabytes of RAM. That is a good sign. I hate to even think about getting another wireless interface card, it is the principal of the issue. The principal being is that Microsoft ought to fix the problem instead of saying it is the lessor vendors problem.

We will see. . . .

LSU Tigers

The Tigers escaped a loss by a tremendous goal line stand ala 1958 Tigers. A great defense is first then an offense. But the offense is terribly lacking and I believe it is time to cashier Coach Gary Crowton.

Coach Crowton is a has been head coach. He is not a very good offensive coordinator. He loves to use a swing pass and thank God we have not been intercepted. It was the bain of last year's team and he carries forward yet. This year we do have a good quarterback much less prone to throwing interceptions.

He has great running backs and continues to send them through the middle of the line with no success. He has got to use them much smarter. He has yet to do that. What a great waste of talent. There in lies the problem with Coach Crowton, he does not seem to get the job done.

The defense has saved the day. Chad Jones is a real star. He is goig to do well in either baseball or football in the pro's. The other players are doing great, the line backers, and the corners. Coach Chavis has done a great job with the talent on hand. We do not need those goal line stands but we will take them over the other team scoring a TD.

On to Georgia next week.

More Lawn Tractor Issues

I could not get the lawn tractor starter to work even when I jumped it with the Mountaineer car battery. The starter would engage but did not have enough umph to turn the engine over. I figured the starter commutator was in need of cleaning and or the brushes were bad.

So I removed the starter. That was a task in itself. Access is not the best inside the tractor cowling. But I got it off, along with a ton of greasy dirt and grime. The oil fumes cause the dust to build up and it is a mess. But got the starter off. I cleaned up the starter's case and around the area on the engine. Yuck, that was grimy.

The starter motor itself is held together by two long bolts and the brush assembly is on the bottom. So I carefully removed the two long bolts and took a look. The brushes were plenty good, so I took some WD-40 and squirted each brush assembly - there are four of them. I was not about to take the brush assembly off. The four brushes held against the commutator by springs. I could see springs flying all over the place.

WD-40 is not a lubricant, it is a solvent. Lots of people think it is a lubricant because it sort of oily in nature. It will, when sprayed on, disperse water among other things. So a good shot of WD-40, a fresh dab of grease on the bottom cover plate that centers and holds the commutator in place and screwed it all back together. WD-40 was developed to clean jet engines, sprayed into the engines to remove rust and improve air flow over the stators and rotors - they are all airfoils and thus reduced drag led to improved performance.

Then reassembly. That was a trial. Very close quarters. After an hour of trying I got one of the bolts installed that holds the starter in place against the engine block. I could not get the other bolt going. Finally, I started taking off the cowling, found I could get away with the cowl partially removed and got the bolt started. Put it all back together. One of those jobs that takes three or four hours the first time and 20 minutes the second time around.

I had been charging the battery, so I knew it was up to snuff. I really think giving the brushes a shot of WD-40 and torquing down all the connections made things better. So I gave it a trial and boy did it spin up the engine. Another task done.

I imagine less mechanically inclined people would have (a) bought a new mower or (b) over paid some mechanic to do what I did. They, he mechanics, usually bid them selves out at $50 an hour for labor with a minimum of a half hour. This job probably would be an hour and half, or at least $75.00 plus parts (grease, WD-40 and a less scrupulous mechanic would have just put in a new starter - probably cost a $100.00 for that alone).

I enjoy the work, treat it as a challenge. The reward is to see lawn tractor running again.

USAA Called

USAA called after hours about 6PM. Got the same answer so we begin the long march apart. They were nice but no deal, so I will drop the request to transfer all brokerage funds to Fidelity in the mail in the morning. Enough dealing with amatuers.

Don't have to worry about it any more. It was a nice run but they have become over controled by the MBAs. So we will no longer be loyal nor espouse them as good people. The good will is gone.

We will let the cards fall where they may. Might be in their favor and might not. Certainly will not regarding brokerage busines.

I will delete my web connection with them tonight. What business we will have left can be done by mail or telephone, probably by mail as they sometimes screw up the telephone thing.

Today is the Day . . .

Yes, today is the day. USAA has until dark to reply, but I am not counting on it. Among other things, they are neither timely or prompt in getting in a personal reply. But that will no longer matter soon, it will be a failed relationship. Down the tubes. . . .

As they grow in size and maybe capacity, they will grow without me cheering them on. I will not fret, just let it ride. If their services are reasonable I will keep them, if not, well the dollar counts, doesn't it. Vote with your wallet, that's what I say.

Today and Tomorrow

Time is passing, as it always does, it moves on. And time is running out for my relationship with USAA. I do not place much hope in the future regarding them. The "giant conglomerant" syndrome has taken over what was once a superior operation. To many MBAs have been hired and the complexion of USAA has changed - for the worse.

The 15th is Tuesday and I guess I will punch them off my contacts list since I do not have access to my accounts any more. And I will get my spouse to sign the transfer request and we are done doing stockmarket business with them. We do not have a large account with them but always felt it was a safe way to do business and that we would get trusted service.

Well, they are trust worthy, but since I can no longer make transactions via the Internet, then they are worthless regarding service. So I will just move what's there over to Fidelity and not have to worry about it anymore.

Judie reminded me that on the 15th we will have been in this house for seven years. Maybe by this time next year Armed Forces Insurance or AFBA may be the insurer. Who knows, it will come down to who has the best deal. If it remains USAA so be it, but if it becomes AFI or ABFA then we will change.

More on USAA

Got a call from a nice young lady that wanted to talk, she was from USAA. Started okay, things were nice then she set me off. The same old BS from them, so I ranted at her. She graciously stopped the conversation and said she would send it on to here department head. I said I had already written the President, Major General Robles, we did not need a department supervisor, we need action.

So time is running out. They have until the 15th, if nothing comes by then or no action is taken of opening up the web page, well I will start moving things out of USAA. I used to care and thought the world of them, now I don't care anymore. They were once my "association" now they are just another conglomerate with a different twist. Oh yes, it has some remnants of the old organization but it has evolved to far different organization, the member is no longer supreme, the member is just another sheep to shear. I guess that is what growth does a to organization like USAA, it becomes a many headed hydra. It has become self serving, not a service organization. The MBAs have taken over.

Others seemed to have recognized that change and thought nothing about it. They rolled with the punches and pressed on. I guess I am stuck now with life insurance and a few other things like a mortgage that are not moveable. Trust me, if I could move those assets and/or change those contracts I would. I believe in using one's wallet to make statements. Those things that I can reasonably move, I will. No big thing to USAA, just a flea on the butt of an elephant or even less so.

I think I will check in with Armed Forces Benefit Association. I have life insurance with them, maybe something can be worked out like a transfer. Some how, I don't think that will work out but worth looking into.

"48th"

Yup, today is our 48th anniversary. We start working on 49 tomorrow.

I can not imagine not being married. What a wonderful wife Judie is for sticking by me all these years. Now we have six grandchildren. We have three sons, two married.

life is great, ain't it?

I Was Right

I was right, the new push rod was solid all the way, no swede (or weak spot) in the push rod. In fact it looks just like the other push rod with no swege in the shaft. Took me a while to get things set up. A little difficult getting the push rods just right to work off the cam. But that was really easier than I thought it would be.

The shop said to use .004 clearance, the book showed it to be .003 to .008 inches. So I used the .004 and got it as close as I could. The shop also said reset the clearances after 10 or so hours of operation (makes sense to me). That takes care of a little initial wear or break in so to speak.

Got it started and it felt like it had more power. That's probably because the valves are set closer to where they should be. If the gap is to wide, the timing is a little off. So with them being set correctly, then the engine should produce a bit more power.

It is a little strange, never saw an off set for valves before. But they are a little offset from each other. I guess they had the space and could move the exhaust valve a little farther away from the intake valve. Exhaust valves get hotter and need more cooling area. So by moving away from the intake valve, it gets to use more surface area for cooling. It is not a giant difference but it is noticeable.

Then I had to charge up the battery a bit to get it to start. But it fired up, ran a little funny until it got up to temperature and there after worked like a champ. I then finished cutting the front and most of the back yard (I may catch hell for that, don't know). The engine seemed to run a little slower but with a lot more authority.

So flat tire fixed, throttle readjusted, valves properly gapped and engine oil topped up. Like a new mower, right? Not! But it runs good now.

Will got start it up again and make a couple of passes on the wind row of grass clippings. I call it cutting the cut grass.

A New One On Me . . .

Judie decided to cut the grass Sunday, fired up the lawn tractor and went after it. I had an errand to run and she always wants me to move my car so she can get at the grass on the edge of the dive way, so it was time to move the Mountaineer.

I returned to see the mower parked up next to the garage and one upset wife. It seems as she was cutting, the lawn mower lost power and eventually quit. I quickly figured it was the fuel filter so turned around charged off to Home Depot for a new one. Got and returned.

The old filter had been on since the thing had been manufactured so you can image it was not going to come off easy. I had to take the side of the engine housing off - more tedious work. Got it off and gained access to the fuel line and filter. Got the fuel line off the carburettor and drained the fuel into a catch basin. The fuel flowed easily so that ruled out the blocked filter idea. I replace the filter anyway.

Then I notice the left front tire was flat, it has been giving us problems for awhile. As I was unscrewing the schrader valve out of the valve stem, the valve assembly popped out (and that solved the leak source). So we cleaned up and went to eat. We also visited the Autozone and got new valve stems and valve stem tool.

We got the side panel back on the engine housing, a little fussing but it is properly installed again.

Got home and fixed the flat. Aired up the tire and it is still holding air. So that is fixed for sure. Tried starting the engine after adjusting the throttle set up. Needed that for a long time but it was one of those things that was okay just not super. The engine started up but ran with out authority or power. I was able to drive around the driveway but not engage the lawn mower - not enough power.

This AM got up, ate breakfast, sacrificed my flying and went to work on the tractor. I removed the over head valve cover. That thing was caked with oil soaked dirt and it took me 20 minutes of washing to get the grime off. Tip - use Dawn Pot Power Dissolver, good stuff. Cleaned up the tooth brush I was using along with the dregs of the grime.

When I got the valve cover off, something fell out. I clean up the valve cover first then when back and recovered the piece. The photo above shows it was about an inch of the push rod for the exhaust valve. Sheared off at the swege point where the stainless steel push rod was necked down. I am sure that was done so that the end caps could be pressed in to the end of the rod. The end caps are hardened steel that either ride on the cam or push the rocker arm to move the valve.

I had removed the valve cover because it sounded like it need adjustment of the valves. Turns out the only adjustment is to grind down the ends of the valve stems. But the problem was evident with the piece of push rod. Amazing that it ran but it did just not opening the exhaust valve enough to develop any power.

I was able to track down the part number from a Briggs & Stratton web page. No parts places open today - Labor Day. And I bet the new part has an improved design. It will take me about 15 minutes to fix the engine but . . .

Oh, well, that's why I am retired, right?

USAA

We have been United Services Automobile Association (USAA) members since 1963 but it seems to me that we are increasingly having issues with them. USAA has our life insurance, car insurance (their reason for existence), house mortgage, banking accounts, credit cards, homeowners insurance and a brokerage account.

A few weeks ago they sent me a message saying I would get an important message from them. Well a couple of weeks passed and I just figured that was some kind of phishing trip by someone. And then out of the blue I got the USAA web page block that said I had to "sign up for the web page and agree to their conditions . . ." Among the conditions was a requirement to receive all documents via electronic delivery. I have in the past instructed USAA electronic documents were unacceptable, we require paper documents like bank statements, prospecti, brokerage accounts, reissued insurance policies, etc. I mean, why should I foot the bill to print out these documents, they are obligated to do that job, not me.

Well, I refused to agree to their "new" coercive requirements. And that has resulted in a blocked web page. I can no longer access USAA by the Internet, very frustrating. I wrote to the president of USAA and said why after years of use, I had to "sign up to use the web page." So far the response has been slow, I did get a phone call Monday from USAA saying they were looking into my letter. On that same day, I mailed a ultimatum to their brokerage people that they had to respond with in 15 days or I would transfer the brokerage account to Fidelity. I told the fellow calling me that I had mailed the letter that day. He said, "He would be on the look out for the letter." Good.

I told him that it was directed to their Financial Advisors. He said that he would retrieve the letter. I was civil and I was pointed in my responses. This was not what a 46 year member expected from USAA. And that I had checked with other members and they were not targeted for this "sign up" action. Perhaps it is only a matter of time all members will get that same treatment.

I have been concerned for some time that USAA internal security processes were overboard and paranoid in nature. I can understand that if I had trouble signing in to our accounts, that a challenge question is in order. But not at USAA, you get them out of the blue. I could understand it if I were using a new computer or someone else's computer, but that was not the case. This is overboard and not required.

USAA said that it was necessary to have an ID, a password and pin code to get into their accounts (I do not know of any institution requiring three codes to get in to one's accounts). USAA claims it is federal regulations that require it. Fidelity is certainly a very large banking, insurance, mutual funds and brokerage house. No such tertiary pen required by Fidelity, and no out of the blue challenge questions. It is clear that USAA is going beyond the norm and it is both unnecessary and irritating. It is though it is USAA's assets they are protecting, not ours. Well, they are our assets not theirs.

So it has become difficult for me to deal with USAA. I am in the process of getting a quote for homeowners insurance from Armed Forces Insurance, a similar military oriented company. And they also offer car insurance too. My current dealings with USAA are by USPS or telephone. It certainly costs them more money and is less efficient than the Internet but it is their choice.

I can not roll out of the mortgage or the life insurance policies but I certainly can close my homeowners and auto insurance accounts. And that would trigger a pay out of the Subscribers Savings Account, a euphemism for retaining profits to bank roll the association. In other words, getting liability insurance from another source would cost USAA money.

We'll see what the executive assistant comes up with, what the reply will be. But I fear the security gurus are in charge, not the managers. Humm....