This year is off to a good start.
This year is off to a good start.
This is the first year where I have broken Electronics into Level 1, Level 2, and Level 3. It seems to be working quite well, although new students are dissapointed to discover that they don't get to do the more advanced projects right away.
The students are really doing some excellent work - I think this year will be just great! I have less junior courses, but more seniors; the students I had last year carried on in Electronics this year.
At the end of October I went to the annual Tech Ed Teacher's Conference in BC. It was a great time to catch up with old friends, meet new people, and share projects and ideas with each other. One area of particular interest was a unit on PICs (Programable Integrated Circuits - chips you can prgram to do whatever you want) and STAMPS (easier-to-use PICs - I forgot the acronym). I got so excited that I ordered all the materials to do this in my course.
Two suppliers of significance is Parallax and HVW Technologies. For about $500-$700 you can have all this technology in your hot little hand, and you don't have to learn how to program in hexadecimal, or machine language (my pea-sized brain couldn't take that!).
I took my Motorized Lawnchair along, mainly to show
it off to a colleague who ultimately wasn't able to attend the conference. I did receive a lot of
interest from other teachers, who were pleased with the simplicity, and
inexpensiveness ($100) of the project. I did not present the project at the conference, because
I really don't do anything with it in any of my classes, so I would really be lying. And lying
is wrong!
I have a new design in my head that I must get produced (and documented!!) this year! I want to do more of a Midget Kart design, for even lower centre of gravity, and a seat that really holds you in. I just gotta get off my duff and do it.
...maybe after Christmas =)
And still, the never ending why won't it stop saga of... The Heinous Honda....
Since the racing season is over, I have precious little to reflect upon.
The car still runs, although it really runs rough when it's cold and wet. I got a line on an '87 Civic for parts or for a project. I just have to get a chance to look at it, and make an offer on it. I do need an engine, so even if I can get the car for a core charge, that's cool. Also, although I swore against it, I could always strip the car and rebuild the body (cringe cringe) for a coat of paint and use it (cringe cringe cringe).
I am unsure if the wheels and tires I want for next year will fit under the fenders. Pete Paulsen in California can make me some "ultra light" 14.5 lb circle track rims in a 13x7 size with 5" backspacing. That's the same width and backspacing as my aluminum 15's, but the thing is I want to run a P215/50R13, which is pretty gosh-darn wide. The tire itself may not fit under the fender. Thing is, I don't want to run anything smaller.
At the last event, we had a car get pitched up into the air and roll 1 1/2 times over. The crash was attributed to the driver's side axle shearing off and locking the wheel up, which tossed the car. Incentive for me to replace my one noisy axle. I don't want that to happen to me just yet.
Also, either my driving has really improved in high speed corners, or the tires I have grip pretty decently with some of their tread worn off. I'd like to think it's my driving. The tires I have, have a treadwear rating of 420. This basically means that they will last forever and a day, and stick to pavement like lard. In fact, I've had marbles stick to pavement better than these tires. I'm amazed I did so well this year on such heinous tires.
I've also thought of going up to Super Stock again, but I have to remind myself to get some sticky tires, and see what it's like before I start getting real greedy. H/Stock for me!