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THE
RVERSCORNER
Newsletter
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March,
2001
Inside this issue:
A short note from a grateful
webmaster:
Thank you all who took the time to e-mail a birthday greeting
and welcome
message to my Dad. You all made his
day!!!
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Inside
this issue:
- Propane Regulator Recall - Thanks for the alert from
Oops - Bad link!
- Three Steps for Positive Goal Setting By: Dr. Donald
E. Wetmore
- From the RVer's Open Forum:
- From the RVer's Corner Inbox:
- E-mail in your Pocket by Peggi McDonald
Joke of the
Day:
Classified Ad Section:
About the RVer's Corner
Newsletter:
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--------------
"MYTH BUSTER!" ---------------
Think your mouse is the best way to
navigate your PC? Then what
are all those mysterious keys on you keyboard?
Learning to use
them will absolutely TRANSFORM your PC experience - and
your
creativity. Your keyboard was designed to achieve more than
your
mouse could ever even hope to attempt. Yet most people are
never shown HOW!
Keyboard MAGIC! by The Newbie Club blows away
the Myths for ever -and opens
up a world you never knew existed!
What an eye-opener! - Oops, no longer available!
***************************************************************************
Propane
Regulator Recall - Thanks for the alert from Oops - Bad link!
Mar
26th 3:32 PM
For Immediate ReleasePropane Regulator Hotline: (877) 673-3278
March 21, 2001 Contact: Ken Giles
Release # 01-112 (301) 504-0580 Ext.
1184
CPSC, Hurricane Products Announce Recall of Propane Regulators
WASHINGTON, D.C. - In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety
Commission (CPSC), Hurricane Products, of Valencia, Calif., is voluntarily
recalling about 20,000 propane regulators. These propane regulators,
manufactured by Chen Fong Enterprise Co. Ltd., of Taiwan, are used to regulate
the flow of propane from
pressurized containers. These regulators can leak
propane, which can result in a fire or explosion. The leak can cause the
appliance flame to be larger than expected, possibly causing burns to nearby
consumers and cause nearby combustibles to catch fire.
Hurricane
Products, the importer and distributor, has received 125 reports of these
regulators leaking propane. There have been no reports of fires or injuries
occurring as a result of these
regulators leaking. The propane regulator is
used primarily with recreational vehicles and in some homes that use propane as
a fuel source for one or more appliances. The regulator has two input valves and
one output valve. "Model 6000" is imprinted on the top of the regulator. The
patent number, "5103861," is imprinted on the bottom of the regulator, as well
as "MADE IN TAIWAN." The date of manufacture also is imprinted on the bottom of
the regulator in a four-digit date code, indicating the month and year
manufactured.
Regulators of "0196," indicating January 1996, through "1099,"
indicating October 1999, are part of this recall.
Recreational vehicle
dealers and LP Gas dealers nationwide sold these propane regulators from June
1996 through October 1999 for about $22. Consumers with recalled regulators
should immediately stop using them by closing the main valve on the propane
container. Consumers should contact the outlet where the regulator was purchased
or call Emerald Isle, which is conducting the recall for
Hurricane Products,
at (877) 673-3278 toll-free between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET Monday through Friday
to get information on receiving a free replacement propane regulator.
These regulators are not the type of regulator typically used with
propane barbecue grills. To see a picture of the recalled product(s) and/or to
establish a link from your web site to this press release on CPSC's web site,
link to the following address:
http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml01/01112.html
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Three
Steps for Positive Goal Setting
By: Dr. Donald E. Wetmore
As I
conduct my Time Management Seminars all over, my
audiences consistently tell
me they want more out of life.
Almost everyone I speak with has a yearning
for improving
several aspects of their lives. They have dreams and
goals
about their future as yet unrealized.
Many come to the end in
life with those visions unrealized,
pictures in their minds
only.
Achieving goals helps us to get the "want to's in our
lives.
Life ought to be more than just achieving the "have to's".
I
offer three important tips to help increase the
probability of achieving your
dreams, getting more of what
you want in your life.
1. Put your goals
into writing. There is something powerful
about writing out what you want,
getting your dream out of
your head and on to a piece of paper. It then seems
more
realizable. It's a stonger affirmation of what you are
working
towards rather than having a vague, wispy notion
floating around in your
head.
An even stronger tool is to prepare a goal scrapbook.
Nothing
fancy. Get a three-ring binder and fill it with
notebook paper. Then get a
picture of each your goals and
paste them into your new goal scrapbook. You
ca go to the
car dealer and get a brochure of the new car you want.
Visit
a travel agent and pick up brochures of your ideal vacation'
s
destination and add that. Clip a picture of your dream
house out of the
newspaper's real estate section and add
this as well.
Then, each
night, review your goal scrapbook and see a
picture of what will surely be
coming to you. It's like
viewing a crystal ball and seeing your
future.
2. Quantify your goals. Many do not get what they truly
want
in their lives because they are too vague about what they
want. It is
not enough to say, "I want more money" or "I
want to be rich". Instead, if
you write, "I want $10,000",
you now have a clear target to shoot
for.
3. Set a deadline. Did you ever set a New Year's resolution
and
never achieve it? Most people have. And most people fail
to achieve their
dreams because they did not include a
deadline with their goal. Deadlines
move us to action.
When we fail to include a deadline for our goal, when
we
commit to achieving it "as soon as possible", the goal winds
up in our
"as soon as possible" pile of things I will do
another day, which is probably
never. Why? Because we all
too much to do and not enough time to get it all
done. The
items that have deadlines for completion tend to bubble up
in
priority and importance so that we take action and
achieve
them.
Having written out the goal, placed a picture in our
goal
scrapbook, quantified it, and set a deadline, we can now
break that
goal down into its little component pieces so
that achievement becomes
realistic and manageable.
The journey of a thousand miles begins with a
single step.
No goal achievement is a leap across some huge canyon.
Many
are intimidated and driven away from going after what they
really
want in their lives for fear they will have to take a
giant leap across that
canyon and, hey, what if I don't leap
far enough? Disaster.
Let's say
you have a goal to get an additional $10,000 in
savings two years from today.
Make up a picture of your new
bank statement two years from now showing the
additional
$10,000 in your account. The goal is in writing. It
is
quantified and a deadline has been set. Now you can break
that goal
into its little steps for achievement.
To get $10,000 over the next two
years requires getting an
additional $5,000 per year. A year is made up of
twelve
months, so that means you need to get approximately $400 per
month.
A month is made up of four weeks, so that's $100 per
week. And a week is made
of, let's say, five business days.
That's $20 per day. (I have not added in
interest to these
calculations just for simplicity.)
I don't know
about you, but the notion of going out in the
world tomorrow and getting an
extra $20 is a whole lot more
realistic and certainly a whole more doable
than getting
$10,000. Getting the entire $10,000 is the leap across
the
canyon. It scares me. $20 is the single step. That's
something I can
handle. Now the goal seems realistic and is
realizable.
But until you
write out your goal, quantify it, and set a
deadline so that you break it
down to its small steps, it
will forever appear to be too big a stretch and
therefore
unattainable. But every time you follow these three steps
and
break the goal down, you will always find that you have
within your control
what it takes to accomplish that next
step. And once you begin, you are on
your way!
Get your free copy of "The Top Five Time
Management
Mistakes" that outlines the five things you must avoid to
be a
really successful time manager. To get your free copy
now, email your request
for "mistakes" to: ctsem@msn.com
Would you like to receive free Timely
Time Management Tips
on a regular basis to increase your personal
productivity
and get more out of every day? Sign up now for your
free
"TIMELY TIME MANAGEMENT TIPS". Just go
to:
Oops, no longer available - and select
"subscribe". We
welcome you to our list!
Dr. Donald E. Wetmore
Professional
Speaker
Productivity Institute
Time Management Seminars
60 Huntington
St., P.O. Box 2126
Shelton, CT 06484
(800) 969-3773 (203) 929-9902 Fax:
(203) 929-8151
Email: ctsem@msn.com
Visit Our Time Management
Supersite:
http://www.balancetime.com
Professional Member-National
Speakers Association
Copyright 2001 You may re-print the above
information in its
entirety in your publication, newsletter, or on
your
webpage. For permission, please email your request for
"reprint" to:
ctsem@msn.com
Dr. Donald E. Wetmore-Professional Speaker
Productivity
Institute-Time Management Seminars
60 Huntington ST. P.O. Box 2126 Shelton,
CT 06484
(203) 929-9902 (800) 969-3773
fax: (203) 929-8151
email:
ctsem@msn.com
Free Time Management Tips Newsletter:
Visit our Supersite:
http://www.balancetime.com
***************************************************************************
From
the RVers Open Forum:
Question:
Is there is a way to test the
limit switch in a furnace? I have an old
Coleman 4030 and once it's out I
want to make sure I find the problem
before I wrestle the beast back into
place.
Answer:
A limit switch is normally closed (test with ohm
meter for continuity).
You would need to heat it in a controlled manner to
determine the
temperature that it opens at. The design limit should be
marked on
the side of it - an "L" followed by the temp rating. (IF it says
"F"
something, then it is a fan switch - which is normally open and
closes at a preset temp.)
***************************************************************************
We
welcome you to participate in the web's best RV
discussion forum.
Join
us today
at:
http://boards.eesite.com/board.cgi?boardset=RVForum
***************************************************************************
From
the RVer's Corner Inbox:
QUESTION:
Les,
Your E-book, "Painless
Winterizing" http://www.rverescorner.com/ebooks/ebooks.html
is just great.
The pictures make it extremely clear, and the text is
very well written. I
haven't performed the procedure
yet, because we don't pick up our new class
A home until
April. But, living in Michigan, there will be many
times we
camp for a weekend and need to winterize before
returning the motorhome to
storage. So, thank you very
much.
An idea for another e-book, for
beginners like me,
would be how to dump and flush the holding
tanks.
ANSWER:
Thanks for the good comments and now that Spring is
here an e-book on DE-winterizing
and water system sanitation is in the
works.
Thanks and Happy Campin'
E-mail your questions to:
mailto:webmasterl (at) rverscorner.com
***************************************************************************
E-mail
in your Pocket by Peggi McDonald
When RVers depend on the Internet,
moving from place to place
can be a real challenge to stay on top of email.
Yes some
parks have a phone hook-up available to connect a laptop but
if
you are moving around with a desktop, a modem hook-up in a
park office is
not much help. Don't despair all is not lost,
thanks to the Sharp TM-20 and
PocketMail service there is now
an economical and convenient answer to
staying in touch. We
have had one of these fantastic units for over a year
and I
can't imagine travelling without our Pocketmail device. The
best
part is this service also works for RVers who are travelling
without their
computer---PocketMail includes an email address,
UserID@pocketmail.com.
However John and I prefer to use our
regular email address, so thanks to
'Mailbox Consolidation'
our Sharp TM-20sends email and copies the original
of a message
that shows up on my computer to my PocketMail
device..
Our 'Sharp-TM 20' miniature (3" x 6"x 1/2") device connects to
PocketMail service with the use of a telephone receiver---no
connection
lines are required. It is so easy to pick-up or
send email with PocketMail.
I simply take my compact device
out of my fanny pack, hold it up to any
telephone receiver,
dial an 800 number (good in Canada and the USA), push
the blue
PocketMail button and wait till the phone quits making weird
noises. When it beeps for the final time, the operator
announces
"transmission successful"; the device then emits an
audible signal to
indicate we have messages. The entire
process takes less than a minute. Turn
the unit on, push the
Inbox button, highlight the message we wish to read
and click
the 'Enter' button. The displayed message opens as an email.
That is all there is to it.
It takes a bit of practice to type the
words on a special
1 1/2-inch by 4-inch screen using a miniature version of
a
computer or typewriter keyboard, but in a few days you will
be amazed
at how fast you can type a message with two to four
fingers. When finished
hit the 'Done' button, your message
moves to the Outbox. Staying in touch by
email while on the
move with the family, the grandkids and computer savvy
friends
has finally become simplified. The central PocketMail server
transmits email to all Internet destinations. On the downside
users
can't open attached files or photos or access Hotmail.com
accounts or surf
the net. However there is no limit to the number
of e-mail that customers
can send or receive, nor are there
restrictions on the amount of phone
check-ins.
These compact units are worth their weight in gold. Even
though
John and I depend on the Internet to manage the RoadLinks portion
of our web page as well as to keep in contact with family and
friends---
thanks to our Pocketmail we now only need to 'search'
for a 'modem' (phone
hook-up) to connect my computer 2-3 times
per week.
We check
PocketMail messages several times a day. I spend many
hours at the computer
but thanks to this outstanding device John
is now involved in our day-to-day
email contact. He usually picks
up and sends the messages, gets to read them
first as well as
answer a few. It is wonderful to see so many snowbirds,
RVers
and truckers effortlessly 'staying in email contact' with those
dear to them while they are many miles from home. A man stopped
to talk
to me in Laughlin, Nevada at the restaurant the other day
while I was
composing messages after lunch. He uses his PocketMail
device to stay in
business contact with his American Company while
he is in Europe. As we
travel the highways I compose messages for
the Outbox and when we stop for a
break John or I go to a pay phone
to send them as well as pick up new ones.
This compact device aligns with the receiver of pay phones, cordless
phones, all landlines and most analogue cell phones; especially those
with the voice flip up receiver. Transmission is usually accessible
inside buildings, in underground facilities, on busy streets and
anywhere there is a telephone. Occasionally 'dialing in' will interrupt
when a line is not clear, but redialing or using another phone generally
completes the transmission. If the phone is very noisy or the area is
surrounded with loud clatter, simply cover the voice part of the device
with a t-shirt and the transmission becomes trouble free. The best part
of these fantastic devices is no cables or telephone jacks or adapters
are needed to connect. The PocketMail service can block or filter messages
from specific senders, domain names or messages displaying particular words.
This multi-functional accessory is also an organizer, a scheduler, an
address book, an anniversary record and a memo pad plus it can send or
receive an inexpensive FAX. The screen displays 40 characters by 8 lines
with a choice of three font sizes, plus a backlight button enhances poor
light situations. The SharpTM-20 is a valuable accessory for all RVers
but it is especially beneficial for those who do not carry a laptop on
board.
It also makes a great gift for friends and family who are not yet
'on-line';
PocketMail encourages an easy transformation to staying in touch
through
cyberspace without long distance costs.
NOTE: Technology is
constantly changing and a new style unit called the
Audiovox PM-32 will hit
the market in a few months to replace the Sharp
TM-20. The PM-32 will
operate similar to the TM-20, cost will be the same,
but this newer version
will also work with digital cell phones and provide
information services.
Unfortunately the organizer will not be a part of
the new PM-32
To
those of us who are dependent on the wonders of the Internet nothing
compares with a fast convenient ISP in the comfort of our home (or RV).
However that is not always a possibility when we travel to laid back
destinations. This winter we moved every week or two. Frequently trying
to find modem connections became a colossal challenge. However thanks to
PocketMail we were always in email contact. If the full-length message
is longer than 4000 characters (approximately two full pages), PocketMail
removes non-pertinent information to reduce the size. Customers who
routinely receive numerous e-mail messages can re-program the TM-20 so
only subject headings are displayed. To view a particular message,
highlight the heading, click the spacebar and dial in again, the entire
message is now ready for action.
For computer users, PC
synchronization is available for the Sharp TM-20
and the Audiovox PM-32 to
assist in composing email plus it allows the
transfer and back up of
pocketmail info to your computer. PocketScience
Inc, the parent company,
also markets the 'Back-Flip' that snaps on the
back of Palm Computing
devices to provide wireless email along with
numerous valuable
features.
The Sharp TM-20 is available in the USA at stationary supply
stores such
as Staples, Office Max and Office Place plus many RVers also
sell them---
list price is $119.00 (US$). They are also available on line at
www.pocketmail.com. Unfortunately this unit is not sold in Canada.
Service plans range from $12.95 to $14.95 US$ monthly or annual rates
from $139.00 to $149.00 US$. By the way the patient tech support
personnel at PocketMail are second to none. For more info call 925 454
5066.
With the birth of PocketMail, a remarkably simple, affordable,
portable,
and easy way to stay connected worldwide became a reality. Do you
have
e-mail access in your pocket?
Peggi is the author of SPIRIT OF
THE OPEN ROAD, the essential guide for all RVers.
Check out
http://www.rverscorner.com/spirit.html for details as well as McDonalds
comprehensive webpage http://www.rvliving.net
NEW !!! Download
Peggi's first e-book "RV Tips, Hints, and More" for
free!
http://www.rvliving.net/ebookcont.htm
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Joke
of the Day:
A woman asks her husband, "If I died, would you
remarry?"
He replies, "I suppose it's possible, in time."
So she asks,
"Would you take my pictures down and replace them with hers?"
"I guess I
might," he answers.
She's getting a bit indignant now. "And would you let her
wear my clothes
and jewelry?"
He says, "Well, you wouldn't be needing them
any more, would you?"
Angrily she exclaims, "So I suppose you'd let her use
my golf clubs, too!"
"Oh, certainly not!" he replies. "She's
left-handed!"
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CLASSIFIED
ADS
***************************************************************************
The
Dummy's Guide to Buying a Pre-Loved RV - by Les Doll
In the market for a
pre-owned recreational vehicle?
Not sure what to inspect or how to inspect
it?
The Dummy's Guide is written for you, by an RV Tech
and RV damage
estimator. Free
Download!
http://www.rverscorner.com/dummyltr.html
***************************************************************************
The
Dummy's Guide to RV Maintenance - by Les Doll
This is the introductory
version.
Read the free sections and if you want more, buy the password
to
the rest of the manual!
Download it
here!
http://www.rverscorner.com/article/maintenance.html
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You
only use your mouse for everything, because you've never been shown a
better
way! 'Keyboard Magic' from The Newbie Club will open your eyes
so
wide, they'll start to water - and it's only $9.95! Read about
it now at
- Oops, no longer available!
***************************************************************************
SPIRIT
OF THE OPEN ROAD by Peggi McDonald is a 'must have'
for all RVers, both
novice and experienced travelers.
Although written from a Canadian point of
view it is 95%
generic and a valuable guide to RVers from all countries.
For complete details -
http://www.rverscorner.com/spirit.html
***************************************************************************
"At
Last the Mysteries of your PC and
the Internet Explained, and the
Magic
Revealed--in Plain English!"
"Does Computerish Sound Like
Gibberish?
Think The Internet Is Just For Experts?"
"Welcome To The
Newbie
Club"
- Oops, no longer available!
***************************************************************************
Free
RV E-Books
Note: these e-books will work only with Windows98+ and
Internet Explorer v4+. You don't have to use IE as your
main browser - it
just needs to be on your hard drive.
Sorry Mac and WebTV users.
You
can download and read these off-line, send them to
your friends or post them
on your website as long as
they are not changed in any way.
The RVers
Corner E-Book
Library
http://www.rverscorner.com/ebooks/ebooks.html
Information on
how I create these
e-books:
http://www.rverscorner.com/ebooks/howto-ebooks.html
***************************************************************************
!!!
HAPPY CAMPIN' !!!
Les Doll - RV Technician
My advice is free and
worth only what you gain from it!
E-mail address
webmasterl (at) rverscorner.com
The RVers Corner -
http://www.rverscorner.com/
Visit the RV'ers Open
Forum:
http://boards.eesite.com/board.cgi?boardset=RVForum
The RVers
Corner Newsletter is a monthly newsletter dedicated
to enhancing the RV
experience - you are being sent this
newsletter as a result of subscribing to
the RV Corner
mailing list.
If you wish to unsubscribe, please see the
instructions
at the end of this newsletter.
We value each one of our
subscribers, and you may be
assured that we will protect your privacy.
We do not share our mailing list with anyone.
Our group is now over 1900
subscribers -
thanks for your continuing support!
Les
Doll
E-mail to webmasterl (at) rverscorner.com
Meet the webmaster at:
http://www.rverscorner.com/bio.html
***************************************************************************
Back
issues are now available at
http://www.rverscorner.com/newsltr.html
***************************************************************************
We
hope that this newsletter will prove valuable to you
and we strive to bring
fresh, new content with every issue.
If you wish to contribute an article or
relate a tip that
you have learned, please e-mail
me.
webmasterl (at) rverscorner.com
***************************************************************************
Many
thanks to all
contributors!
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