JL

February 26, 2026

A lot has happened since we set out on our first long distance RV trip last week. We spent the first night in a Love’s gas station parking lot, which was like camping in a parking lot (because it was). The next two nights we spent in a state park and private RV campground. Both were nice but closer quarters than we were used to (with our vast experience, haha). The drama started immediately. I set up the jeep as a toad (pulled) vehicle and installed the Blue Rhino barking system. For some reason I could not get the brake to secure. Since the dealer was on our way out of town, we decided to stop and ask what we were doing wrong. It turned out the “problem” was I had set the seat too close to the auto brake. The tech moved the seat back 1/4 inch (0.3 cm) and it worked fine. The next difficulty came as I tried to back the toad (jeep) and found when the transmission is disengaged the wheels lock in reverse. The final drama came on the third day of driving as the brake system kept turning off. I reset the jeep to ACC twice before giving up. When we arrived at our campsite, I found the battery on our jeep JL was completely dead.

When I went online, I found a Jeep JL battery dies in toad mode because the vehicle’s computer systems, especially the LED taillight system, remain active and wake up periodically. This causes a significant parasitic draw. The battery drawdown is compounded as the ignition needs to be left in accessory mode to power the supplemental braking systems. There are four systems that contribute to the drawdown. First is communication with the LED Taillights as the computer constantly checks for connected lights. LED lights have a low resistance which keeps the computer awake and drains the battery. Leaving the ignition in Accessory (ACC) or Run mode keeps electronic components powered by using the battery. Supplemental braking systems (like ours) can draw power from the Jeep battery if not properly set up or if they lack a dedicated charging line (ours does not). Finally, JL’s auxiliary battery system can also cause issues. These drained our battery.

When we disconnected the dead toad at the camp site Melissa and I were both trying to figure out how to get our Jeep JL started the following morning. We had AAA road assistance, so we thought of calling for a jump. We also have Good Sam assistance so we could call them as well. The problem would be waiting for the drivers to arrive to jump the vehicle. Then we thought we could ask the campground hosts for a jump. I always carry cables for situations just like this (from experience). We went to bed dreading the hassle that awaited us in the morning. During the night, I had an epiphany. While the toad may have been drained, the RV was not. I unhooked the toad, turned the RV around, and applied the jump. The jeep fired up and we were ready to go. However, we were still 200 miles (322 km) from our destination. Melissa decided to drive the Jeep to our next destination to maintain the charge and avoid the drawdown.

THOUGHTS: Now that we knew what was causing the problem with our JL, we needed to figure out how to fix it. We could install a 12-volt charge line from the RV to keep the battery charged, install a wiring harness that disconnects the Jeep’s lights from the computer, or install a battery disconnect switch. I asked our RV mechanic if I could do any of these and he said, “probably not” (he knows me too well). You could also just make sure the ignition is off (not in ACC) after setting the transfer case to neutral, but this will not allow the brake system to operate. We decided to Jerry-rig the system by running the engine every time we stopped. “Jerry-rigging” refers to a makeshift, temporary repair, and originates from 18th-century nautical terminology where a “jury mast” was a temporary mast. Bailing wire and duct tape do wonders, but you ultimately need to get things fixed right. That is also true for relationships. Act for all. Change is coming and it starts with you.

Locator

February 11, 2026

Yesterday began as a normal day. I drove into town to visit some friends and then decided to do some shopping. We are preparing for a trip in our RV and I needed dog food. While the little man will eat anything you put in front of him (he loves the crunch of carrots), our big girl is sort of picky about what she eats (no carrots!). The store has a quality brand that is much cheaper than either the pet store we used to shop at or even online. I have also started using their phone app that allows me to scan my purchases and skip the register Since I was picking up several items (the alure of the box store) I placed my phone in the baskets to easily scan my items. When I was done, I swiped the payment, put my phone back in the cart, and proceeded to the exit gate. The woman at the door waved me through and I walked out to the parking lot. That was where the trouble began. I had forgotten where I had parked in the large lot. I walked up and down several rows of cars and did not see my Jeep anywhere (come on, I know you have done this). The vehicle does have a locator attachment geared to my phone, but it was not specific enough to pinpoint other than the right lot.

When I went online, I found Locator tags (or Bluetooth trackers) are small battery-powered devices that attach to personal items (keys, wallets, luggage, pets) to track their location. Tracking can be done using smartphone apps via Bluetooth or from wider crowdsourced networks (e.g., Apple Find My, Android’s Find My Device). Leading options are equipped with features like sound alerts, last-known location mapping, and, in some cases, precision finding. AirTags use the extensive Apple network, while Tile relies on the Life360 network, and Samsung trackers use the SmartThings Find network. Certain models (AirTag and SmartTag2) use Ultra-Wideband (UWB) technology to guide you directly to the item with on-screen arrows. Many locator tags can play a loud sound to help locate items and will send alerts if the item is left behind.

Since the locator tag for my app was not specific, I started clicking the “open” button on my car keys to see if the taillights appeared anywhere close. They were not. In desperation, I finally hit the panic button. The alarm went off and indicated the car was in the opposite direction to where I had been searching. I moved toward this section of the lot and hit the alarm again. There was my vehicle, right where I had left it. I stowed on items in the Jeep, put up my cart, and proceeded to my next shopping destination. As I exited that store, I happened to check my pants for my phone. It was not there. I franticly search the car. It was not there. I realized I had left my phone in the basket at the box store. I hurried back and saw the carts had been taken back inside the store. I asked the two young men standing outside if they had seen my phone. They had not but suggested I check at the customer service inside. I approached the service desk and asked if anyone had turned in a phone. The woman asked me what color it was and after handing me the phone asked me to open it (to make sure it was mine). The phone opened and she told me to “have a nice day”. I finally could.

THOUGHTS: After my two mishaps yesterday, I was grateful for having locator apps on my belongings. I use them on my car keys, my luggage, my phone, and my vehicles (sort of), as well as several personal items. I admit I got tags after losing my key fob at the lake while walking the kids. One US$350 mistake more than makes up for the price (4 for US$20) of the locators. While I have yet to again lose anything, my peace of mind is worth the cost. I have even shared the locators with melissa so she can help find things. The irony of losing my phone was I needed a phone to call to track the locator tags. Lucky for me the one who found my phone was a good Samaritan and turned it in. It reminded me to also do the same and gave me hope for humanity. Act for all. Change is coming and it starts with you.

Fall Alert

October 22, 2025

Earlier this week I saw the dogs both laying on their beds asleep and I decided it was time to create some mischief by getting down on their beds between them. While I do rough house with them, it is generally while I am sitting on the edge of my chair. Zena plays by turning back and forth while pressing her side against my legs. She will also use the “power paw” (if you have a dog, you know what this whack is) to get my attention. Loki’s go-to is to turn his back to me and slam his rear into my legs. At times he does this so hard it can begin to hurt. This time I got on the floor and started to roughly play with the two of them. They got all worked up and began to bark and prance around, Zena pushing in with her side and Loki slamming me with his rear. That is when I decided to use his tactics against him. I lowered my head and started head butting him like he did me. I had been doing this for less than a minute when the AI fall alert went off on my watch.

When I went online, I found AI fall alert systems use technologies like radar, cameras, and sensors to detect falls in real-time and can also predict a person’s fall risk. Implementation in the US was envisioned in 1973 by Andrew Dibner, a psychologist on leave from Boston University studying personality in advanced age. Also, in the early 1970’s in Germany, Wilhelm Hormann thought about developing a comprehensive structure for ambulatory and non-ambulatory care for the sick, the elderly, those who live alone, and people with disabilities. These systems are designed to send immediate alerts to caregivers, family, or emergency services. Some can even analyze movement patterns to help prevent future falls. Privacy is often maintained using non-wearable sensors that convert human figures into abstract data. Vision-based alert systems examine real-time video feeds to recognize fall events. Radar and sensor-based systems (like my watch) track changes in height and sudden movement (like when a person falls out of bed or to the floor). When a fall is detected a notice can be sent to the person to confirm or send alerts to pre-determined contacts. The alerts can be sent via text, email, or to a dedicated app. In high-risk environments, the system can immediately contact first responders.

Medical fall alert devices can be a pendant around the neck, a wristband, or a smart watch. Monitors, motion detectors, or radar-based detectors can also be placed in the home. Active systems require the user to take some action to trigger an alarm condition, while passive systems monitor the user and raise an alarm based on an algorithm (a fall or lack of activity). Alert systems can analyze patterns in movement, gait, and activity to identify individuals at higher risk of falling before an incident occurs, allowing for more proactive intervention and personalized prevention plans. A weakness of active devices is that the user must be conscious to trigger the alarm. Both passive and active devices require that the user wear the device. Installed systems can be expensive and difficult to deploy. My watch alert system detected that I had dropped to the floor (loss in height) and then forcibly hit another object (Loki).

THOUGHTS: My watch fall alert was an alarm and (thankfully) asked if I had fallen and needed assistance. This reminded me of the 1989 catchphrase of LifeCall Medical Alert System’s television commercial, “I’ve fallen and I can’t get up!” The unintentional humor in the commercial made it a frequent punchline. My watch had the option of having an SOS sent to EMT services or to decline assistance. This was a timed alert and if I did not respond it would act automatically. The alert surprised me but seemed like a good idea if it was required. I never thought I would be the one who had fallen and could not get up. Human and AI monitoring should be interchangeable to protect those with a possibility of a fall. Act for all. Change is coming and it starts with you.

Barriers

February 04, 2025

After a quick 20-hour travel flight (yesterday) we arrived in Athens, Greece. A tour of Greece and the Greek Isles had been on my bucket list for the last 40 years, so I was excited. After arriving in Athens, we boarded a bus which would take us to the waiting ship where we would spend the next week. The bus chaperone pointed out several points of interest as we ‘whizzed by’ amid rush hour traffic, but the drive was mainly accomplished in silence. As we moved along, I noticed the retainer walls that flanked both sides of the motorway. The noise barriers were made of metal posts that had clear 10-foot (3 m) inserts, not the concrete sound walls I am used to seeing in the US. The other aspect that interested me were the bird silhouettes placed on each panel of the noise barrier.

When I looked online, I found noise barriers (also called a soundwall, noise wall, sound berm, sound barrier, or acoustical barrier) are exterior structures designed to protect inhabitants of sensitive land use areas from noise pollution. Noise barriers are the most effective method of mitigating roadway, railway, and industrial noise sources, other than cessation of the source activity itself. Extensive use of noise barriers began in the US after noise regulations were introduced in the early 1970’s. Several different materials are used for noise barriers, including masonry, earthwork or berms, steel, wood, concrete, plastics, insulating wool, or composites. Walls made of absorptive material mitigate sound differently than hard surfaces. It is also possible to make noise barriers with active materials such as solar photovoltaic panels to generate electricity while reducing traffic noise. Noise barriers can be effective tools for noise pollution abatement, but certain locations and topographies are not suitable for their use. Cost and looks also play a role in the choice of noise barriers. Potential disadvantages of noise barriers can be blocked vision for motorists and rail passengers. While glass elements in the barriers can reduce visual obstruction, they require regular cleaning, provide an expanded target for graffiti, and create a possibility of bird strikes in the clear barriers

These disadvantages were evident in the barriers along the motorway in Athens. Environmental noise barriers are common in Greece to reduce noise being emitted from outdoor installations or sources of traffic/railway noise. Most such projects involve the construction of opaque or transparent noise barriers or even entire enclosures in cases of small/medium-size installations. Each of the clear glass panels along the motorway had a bird silhouette emblazoned on it. It took me a while to figure out why these silhouettes were on the panels. Then I remembered several past blogs where I discussed the problem of bird strikes. The bird figures warned any birds there was a solid surface, or at least another bird they needed to avoid. There were a few sections of barriers that did not contain bird silhouettes. Interestingly, these sections were heavily tagged with graffiti. While such tags are considered an act of vandalism by some, many display an elaborate style and can often be identified through their uniqueness and methods.

Thoughts: The bird silhouettes and graffiti tags on the noise barriers were both a way of making a presence known. The creators of the barriers wanted to make their presence known to keep birds from flying into the walls. The graffiti was an effort by the taggers to let others in the city know they existed, and their presence mattered. The desire to be recognized seems innate to humans. It is even more so as we seek to create respect and unity among us all. Act for all. Change is coming and it starts with you.