I'm always on the lookout for useful stuff to take with me in the RV. Usually, it has to have some legitimate purpose, be light weight and easy to store. Well, sometimes I just think something is neat and it earns a place on board. I've see these little dispensers many times over the years, but really just couldn't figure out what I could use them for. They are billed as condiment dispenser. Well, yeah. You COULD use them for Mustard, Ketchup and...and...well the clear one seems to want to be filled with mayonnaise..but maybe something else? Honey? I'm not sure. I AM sure they are really neat.
The main problem? They are tiny. Depending on how much of a particular condiment you use...that may be just fine. Or you will be eternally refilling them. Of course if they made them in MUCH larger sizes...hey...THAT would be a great product! I really like that you can squeeze them and dispense the right amount. No flipping upside-down and shaking to get it to the nozzle. The accordion folds work to push the liquid up and out. Pretty slick. NASA used something similar on early space flights before the advent of freeze dried pre-packaged foods, everything was in a tube or squeeze container.
Come to think of it...why couldn't we use these for things OTHER than condiments. They are cheap enough (.99 for 3) to be disposable. How about accurate glue application? I really like multi-tasking gadgets. Obviously, you could fill them with water and spray unsuspecting people...normally I prefer the tried and true "flower in the label" squirter for that. When it's 90 degrees plus outside, these jokes are VERY practical! I was pleasantly surprised at the distance one could spray a nice stream of water. Beats any Old style water pistol hands down! Not those new fangled super soakers though....they are the nuclear weapons of pranksters everywhere!
I really liked the even flow and amount that is dispenses with a simple squeeze. You can also draw with them (think icing). Smiley faces in ketchup on your burger, why not? Sometimes the lighter side is just what the doctor ordered. I've sent an e-mail to the company in hopes they manufacture larger versions. Let's see...bigger container equals more, ahem....ammunition! Maybe it's the recent heat wave here in the North East....but I am feeling more mischievous than usual.....
Be Seeing You...Down The Road,
Rich "The Wanderman"
www.thewanderman.com
Wednesday, August 26, 2015
Wednesday, August 19, 2015
Is It Possible To Save HALF An Avocado?
Fridge With A View |
After reading the instructions....open container, put in avocado half, snap on lid. I decided to take a photo every 2 hours until the avocado turned nasty and gross. Of course, I figured that it would be less than an hour, so this seemed like an easy way to chronicle the failure. One problem with that philosophy...I got to an hour and the avocado was still perfect! No kidding, it looked freshly cut, no brown spots, no discolorations at all. It was almost 90 degrees in my kitchen during this test, so I really thought it wouldn't work at all. Instead...I was at the 1.5 hour mark and everything was still good.
4 Hours In |
Well Over 24 Hours! |
This goes to prove that I can still be surprised by an inexpensive product that works as advertised. If only more things worked that way! So often am I disappointed with a product I am testing. This simple thing restores some of my faith. Try it -- you'll like it!
Be Seeing You...Down The Road,
Rich "The Wanderman"
www.thewanderman.com
[Editor: Yes, they have them at Amazon, if you don't have a liquidator store nearby and just have to have one of these nifty gadgets.]
Wednesday, August 12, 2015
RV Endoscopy - Say What?!? - See Into Places You Normally Can't!
My RV is small, very small. Very often I have to make repairs in places I cannot see and touch at the same time. This is often a problem in ANY size RV (and other repairs too!) Sometimes, in order to figure out what to fix, you have to see inside somewhere that is impossible with your own eyes. I found a really inexpensive solution that is available now, is way cool and is multitasking. The USB Endoscope.This one was an online Auction site find. Yes, it's from China so expect a few weeks for it to arrive, but well worth the wait! Build quality is excellent! Read on for details!
What the heck is an Endoscope, you may ask? It's a camera and light on the end of a long flexible tube that can be inserted into places you can't get your eyes. Most often used in the medical field (yes, I know what you're thinking!) but recently has come into use as a mechanics tool. They are available in MANY lengths from a few inches all the way up to several hundred feet. The longest ones are used for sewer and pipe repair. The ones I found go up to 20 meters (about 60 feet) I purchased the 7 meter one (about 21 feet.)
It simply plugs into your computers USB port. It will also work with several variations of the Android operating system provided you have a full size USB port on your device. Once installed the USB port supplies power to the camera and 6 tiny white LED lamps at one end of the tube. You can adjust the brightness of the LEDs from a small knurled knob/disk on the side of the USB plug. While the resolution of the camera isn't great (640x480 VGA) It is more than sufficient to see what's wrong in a place you otherwise could not access. Well not without major dis-assembly of your RV! A picture is worth a thousand words. Once you can see what's wrong you can easily figure out how to fix it.
Having a dimmable set of LEDs at one end is really helpful in controlling how the picture looks. You can get a very detailed view inside the smallest places. By adjusting the brightness, it will make the objects much clearer. And wow, does this thing get BRIGHT! So bright it was hard to look at directly. Of course, you can turn it off as well, but I have no idea when you wouldn't want/need a light while using it. It requires no batteries at all since it gets its power from the USB port. Most Windows computers will NOT require a special driver, but Android will require an APP (Search for "USB Camera" on the PLAY Store)
The only thing I'd love to be able to do is "steer" the camera head...there are MUCH more expensive Endoscopes that allow for this, but on a budget, this one works fine. You could always bend a wire coat hanger to direct it inside a small space. Not a perfect solution, But at only $10.33 with free shipping for the 7M version, how could you go wrong! The limit to this camera's usefulness is your imagination. Just remember, don't use it for evil!
Be Seeing You...Down The Road,
Rich "The Wanderman"
www.thewanderman.com
[Editor: Here's a link to USB endoscopes at Amazon.com.]
What the heck is an Endoscope, you may ask? It's a camera and light on the end of a long flexible tube that can be inserted into places you can't get your eyes. Most often used in the medical field (yes, I know what you're thinking!) but recently has come into use as a mechanics tool. They are available in MANY lengths from a few inches all the way up to several hundred feet. The longest ones are used for sewer and pipe repair. The ones I found go up to 20 meters (about 60 feet) I purchased the 7 meter one (about 21 feet.)
Camera Display On My Android Tablet/Dock |
Having a dimmable set of LEDs at one end is really helpful in controlling how the picture looks. You can get a very detailed view inside the smallest places. By adjusting the brightness, it will make the objects much clearer. And wow, does this thing get BRIGHT! So bright it was hard to look at directly. Of course, you can turn it off as well, but I have no idea when you wouldn't want/need a light while using it. It requires no batteries at all since it gets its power from the USB port. Most Windows computers will NOT require a special driver, but Android will require an APP (Search for "USB Camera" on the PLAY Store)
The only thing I'd love to be able to do is "steer" the camera head...there are MUCH more expensive Endoscopes that allow for this, but on a budget, this one works fine. You could always bend a wire coat hanger to direct it inside a small space. Not a perfect solution, But at only $10.33 with free shipping for the 7M version, how could you go wrong! The limit to this camera's usefulness is your imagination. Just remember, don't use it for evil!
Be Seeing You...Down The Road,
Rich "The Wanderman"
www.thewanderman.com
[Editor: Here's a link to USB endoscopes at Amazon.com.]
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