The Features and Advantages of a Battery Fan

[ad_1]

If you enjoy spending time browsing the internet, especially for the latest electronic appliances, you may have come across a little gadget; the handy and portable battery fan. Although you may be interested in owning one of these, information about them can be difficult to find. The purpose of this article is to supply you with all the information you may need on the features of battery fans, and the advantages to you of owning one.

Connectability

You will already have guessed from the name that this fan runs on batteries (usually ‘AA’)! However, they can also be run using the USB connection on your laptop, or even in a conventional way, using mains electricity (a standard 110V outlet). Being able to take one of these fans with you wherever you go is a distinct advantage, as they also function as air conditioners.

Health benefits

These mini air conditioning appliances use the process of evaporation and a powerful fan to cool the air. They have a cellulose cooling filter that should be removed, soaked with water before use and replaced, enabling you to benefit from refreshingly cool air. This cool air has a humidifying effect, and therefore is extremely beneficial for those who suffer from allergic conditions which are exacerbated by dry and dusty air. The humidified air provides essential moisture to the skin, bringing relief to sufferers.

Versatility

As the battery fan is a portable appliance, no fixtures and fittings are needed. Also, the base of the unit ensures stability when used on any flat surface, such as a desk, table or even a bedside cabinet, and this handy cooler has variable speed settings so you can adjust it to suit your needs.

The advantages of owning one of these appliances will soon become apparent. The most obvious is its total mobility; it can be used anywhere. You’ll be delighted to find that it can also save you money! It can even be used in your car; therefore conserving expensive fuel that otherwise would have been used up by your car’s air conditioning. Turn off that large and expensive air conditioning unit in your office and use your new mini system, saving even more money. It’s a really economical way to stay cool.

If you are looking for ways to cut down on expenses and live a ‘greener’ existence, turn off your air conditioners and other expensive appliances and invest in an eco-friendly solution. You will be amazed by how much money you can save every year. Why not have a handy air cooler in every room? Have one in your car and office too!

[ad_2]

Source by Dr. Maulik Vyas

The Advantages of Reconditioned Engines

[ad_1]

Throughout your life you will undoubtedly own numerous vehicles. At some point and time you may find yourself in a position where you have to replace the engine in one. When this eventually happens you will have to decide what type of engine you want to replace the original one with. The two main choices available these days are either a second hand unit or a reconditioned unit.

If you are not planning on keeping the car after it is repaired you may elect for the slightly cheaper option of a second hand engine. Bearing in mind you have no way to tell what the actual mileage of the engine is or the driving habits of the last owner, that lends the second hand option better to a repair and sell scenario as most second hand engines come with a short term warranty if any.

If you plan to keep your vehicle you should seriously consider the benefits of replacing the faulty unit with a reconditioned one. In general a reconditioned engine is virtually brand new inside so in effect it has zero miles on it and it will have the potential of having the longest life span if looked after properly.

A standard reconditioned engine has had quite a bit of work done to them in order to be able to offer a longer warranty and is a smart choice for those who take pride in their vehicles and would like to keep them for as long as possible. At a minimum machine work will have been done to the engine block and cylinder head in order to ensure they have flat mating surfaces, cranks are machined, polished or replaced as necessary new bearing sets will have been installed in both the connecting rods and main journals to ensure optimum oil pressure can be achieved, the pistons will have been fitted with new piston rings to create a positive seal in the cylinder chamber, cylinder heads will have been pressure tested to make sure they do not have any internal cracks, New oil seals will have been fitted to make the unit oil tight after all is reassembled the engine should be fit for purpose and provide a dependable replacement for your faulty unit.

All reconditioned engines should be “broken in” gently. This means that you do not want to hop in a vehicle with a reconditioned engine in it and immediately go out and put your foot to the floor on every occasion. The break in period is very important to the longevity of the new engine. At this time all of the new metal components ( rings and bearings) will slowly wear themselves in to their adjoining parts so all surfaces will mate and work optimally in the future. If the break in period is ignored you can actually shorten the life of the replacement engine and cause conditions where the oil pressure will be too low or the piston rings will not seat properly causing the replacement engine to burn oil.

At the end of the day, if you choose a reconditioned engine as a replacement for your original, it can last you the life of the vehicle if it is taken care of properly.

[ad_2]

Source by Wayne M Adams

Dash Repair – How to Fix a Cracked Padded Dash

[ad_1]

Weather change is here and the cracked padded dashes are rolling in. With every weather change I get the phone calls. “My dash is cracked and what can be done to fix it.”

Due to the exposer to old mother nature, these materials become dried out and crack over time leaving you with a crack in your dash. Left unattended this small crack can and will get larger.

There are measures that can be taken to prevent the dash from getting cracked in the first place. Now I know your dash is already cracked and your wanting to know how to fix it, but this will prevent further cracks and keep your car cooler and looking nicer, and well…. for further reference.

One way to prevent this is to use a sunshade. This will not only protect your automotive dash from the sun but also keep your vehicle cooler keeping the plastic pieces cooler and less likely to warp and then crack.

Another way to prevent the materials from drying on your dash is to condition them with a good vinyl conditioner-protectant. Now I know I’ve always said to not put the slimy stuff on your interior pieces and parts … But if your vehicle is exposed to the sun on a constant basis, then I would recommend you use a vinyl conditioner. Now I’m not going to say that any old vinyl conditioner will work, because it won’t. Tire shine is not vinyl conditioner! This is probably one of the biggest mistakes made, and I do a lot of repair because of it. Tire shine contains solvents, which as you know from previous articles, it doesn’t mix well with the water based dyes being used on today’s cars. What it does is lifts the dye from the surface, causing it to peel. So no tire shine…What I recommend to my customers is a product made from a leather conditioning producer that I feel from some of the research I’ve done is safe and should work very well, it’s made by Lexol and it’s called Vinylex. Designed by the guys that really know their stuff when it comes to interior conditioning and protecting.

The last and final tip to keeping your automotive interior, including your dash, looking it’s best and lasting longer is window tint. Now in some states you need to be careful with the tinting laws to make sure you don’t get it too dark, plus you need to think of your safety too. I have tint on our family Tahoe and I kinda wish I would have gone a little lighter, at night it’s really hard to see, my Tahoe stays nice and cool, but it’s a pain in the butt at night. I have to roll the window down sometimes just to see. So keep it light and you will be impressed with the results, plus it looks cool.

Now on with the fix for that crack in your dash.

Depending on where the crack is and how big it is will depend on how to fix it and how expensive the repair will be. If the crack is bigger then 2″-3″ and curled up on the edges, the repair will probably not look that great. There is a limit to the size of crack that can be repaired, too big and it probably won’t hold and will look like crap. If the crack is too big, replace the dash pad, don’t try to fix it. Another thing is location, if the crack is up close to the windshield then it’s almost impossible to do a repair without removing the windshield, which can be costly. So with that said you be the judge.

The first thing I do before I start any repair is to mix my color, this insures that at least the color will be right.

Next I inspect the crack in the dash, if the edges are curled up then you will need to trim that off with a razor blade or Xacto knife. The goal here is to get the area as level as you can. Now when doing so cut at a 45 degree angle and don’t bring the ends to a point, what I mean by this is trim all the way around the crack rounding off the ends of the crack, this will insure that the crack will stop and not crack further after your repair.

Of course your next step is prepping the repair area, use your prep solution with a scotch brite pad and clean the area thoroughly. You might need to clean the entire dash depending on where and how large the crack is.

Now it’s time to determine what fix you going to use.

If the crack is smaller then an 1/2″ I usually grab the super glue and do a super glue repair. I do this by spreading the glue in the crack then sanding it smooth with a 240 grit sandpaper, texture with your water based spray grain, then dye.

But there are times when your vinyl repair compound will need to be used, after all this is vinyl. The low cure usually works best because high heat tends to warp the repair area. This is where your patience comes in when doing your repairs. Thin layers of compound work best, curing and dying between coats until the area is level and smooth. You can texture while layering your compound with your grain pads. One little trick I use to help level the repair when using a grain pad is a little rubber squeegee about 3″x5″, it’s what body shops use to squeegee the water off the painted surface when they wet sand. This little thing works great, when you use your hand to imprint your grain into your repair, your hand kinda molds around the area and doesn’t leave a level area but with the rubber squeegee it gives you a little more backing when you go to imprint. Now graining your repair can be tricky, the low cure compound doesn’t grain that well, but if all else fails make sure the repair is level, this is your best hide. If that is achieved then texture with your spray grain.

One last trick up my sleeve is the use of a great product from Urethane Supply Co. This is a two part epoxy like substance that is specifically designed for padded dashes and the name says it all, Padded Dash Filler.

This stuff is the bomb, when it comes to dash repair. Mixes like Bondo and is even applied like bondo, but its flexible. It’s just what the doctor ordered when it comes to dash repair. If the crack is larger then 1″ this is the stuff to use.

Now this product will require you to trim the area and then sand around the area about 1″ to 2″ out with a heavier grit sandpaper like a 180 grit, this gives it something to bite too. Trim down into the foam a little to, so that you make like a little groove for the compound to lay in.

Mix your compound on a small piece of tile, I like using small tile pieces, they clean up easily and are easier to hold when mixing and applying. Now when you get the product they send you the red catalyst, try the blue, it seems to set up a little quicker. The blue you can get at any automotive parts shop. But the red works just as good just takes it a little longer, time is money in my business.

Apply your compound liberally over the repair area, don’t worry about getting your first coat really smooth, all you need is to get it covered, you’ll be sanding it smooth later. Let it set up for a while, depending on the weather will depend on how long this stuff takes. You can speed it up a little with a heat gun but don’t melt it just give it a little boost.

Once hardened start sanding, I usually start with a 180 grit to knock off the big chunks then progressively move my way up to a finer grit like 240 and then to 400.

One coat won’t be sufficient, I promise, this is another layer thing. Sanding between coats. Each coat you apply you will need to make smoother. Again what your trying to achieve is a smooth level repair.

After all is smooth and level, grain with a spray grain then dye.

As far as texture goes, I use two types of spray grain. One is a water based spray grain and the other is Sems Texture Coat. In fact the Sems Texture Coat almost matches the some of the Pontiac dashes to a tee. Now the Sems Texture coat is a solvent based, but I haven’t had a problem with it peeling up against the water based dyes on the dash, so kudos to Sems.

One other trick I have found with the the Sems Texture Coat is after sprayed if you let it flash out a little but not dry completely, you can take your grain pad and imprint your grain into the texture coat, pretty cool huh.

Dash repair is an art and a craft, just like all automotive interior repairs. If the steps are followed right and patience is used in your repairs you success will be good.

Hope this helps in your dash repair adventure. One thing to always keep in mind is to keep your repair as level as possible, this is your best hide.

[ad_2]

Source by Michael N Warren

What Is an AGO Oil Product or Automatic Gas Oil? Finding Authentic AGO Petroleum Supply/Supplier

[ad_1]

A recent survey conducted by this writer on the Internet for a quick, snap shot sense of the subject matter, immediately revealed that there’s a state of relatively scanty knowledge of, or information about, this particular refined petroleum product called the AGO, among international oil dealers and suppliers. In deed, in one rather remarkable instance involving a popular ‘Ask for Answers’ online discussion portal, one reader expressly posited the question, soliciting information from the readers as to what is/was ‘the meaning’ of the petroleum term AGO, among three other refined petroleum products, which he went on to list – DPK, PMS, JET A1. There was just one response – a response that has stood the same for 5 years since. Oddly enough, however, of the 4 oil products that the answerer named, the answerer was exactly accurate in the definition he proffered on three of those. But, on ONLY one of them, the AGO product, the answer given by the answerer was somewhat slightly off, as he gave the definition of the product as meaning ‘Automotive Gas & Oils.’

So, first, we start with this basic question: What is AGO Oil Product, or the Automotive Gas Oil?

What the AGO Oil Product Is

The term AGO, which specifically stands for the Automotive Gas Oil, is the name given to the fuel type that’s used by road vehicles (cars, trucks, buses, vans, and the like) that are powered by DIESEL engines. That is, in a word, it is the diesel vehicle engine fuel. In terms of how the fuel gets to be produced or manufactured, the fuel is the type that, in the distillation and processing of crude oil work, is obtained in the mid-boiling range of that process. Related fuels which are used for non-road applications including off-road diesel engines, such as the Industrial Gas Oils (IGOs), are obtained from the same ‘fraction’ of the crude oil barrel.

Technically speaking, the term Automotive Gas Oil (AGO) is the technical name used by the oil industry in describing this particular fuel. However, in terms of the ordinary consumers in the market, the term ‘automotive diesel fuel,’ or just plain ‘diesel,’ is the more commonly used and more widespread name that the ordinary consumer uses in describing this fuel. Petroleum products are usually grouped into THREE categories: the ‘light distillates’ (LPG, gasoline, naphtha), the ‘middle’ distillates (kerosene, diesel), and the ‘heavy’ distillates and residuum (heavy fuel oil, lubricating oils, wax, asphalt). This classification is based primarily on the way crude oil is distilled and separated into fractions (called distillates and residuum). Within the oil industry, the generic oil industry name that’s used to describe gasoils – which include both AGO and IGO – fall under the ‘Middle Distillates’ category, meaning those kinds of refined oil products whose ‘boiling range’ fall in the MIDDLE, that is, between those whose range fall in the higher levels or in the lower levels. (See the Chart below). As you can readily see in the Chart below, at a Boiling Range of between 520 to 650, the AGO falls right in the middle range of most categories of the refined oil products.

The Market & Primary Uses of the AGO oil Product Among Its Customers

AGO is used in two main types of vehicles: 1) the heavy-duty vehicles, such as trucks and buses, and 2) the light-duty vehicles, such as vans and passenger cars. In most countries, including the USA as well as the developing countries, the heavy-duty vehicles make up the bulk of the market for AGO. In a country such as Japan, there is a significant light-duty vehicle sector, but it is in Europe that the demand for AGO from this sector is highest, with more than one-third coming from the passenger cars and other light vehicles. Customer requirements between the two types of fuel usage differ to some extent. Diesel engines are widely used in heavy-duty vehicles. Such vehicles are frequently operated in fleets and are re-fuelled centrally with the fuel delivered directly from the supplier. In the light-duty vehicle sector, recent advances in engine design now also allow light-duty diesel engines to compete with gasoline engines in terms of the performance standards. Light-duty vehicles are generally re-fuelled through retail outlets. In any case, whether it is in the light-duty sector or in the heavy-duty sector, in both sectors the customer will generally be looking for the fuel that provides economy, power, reliability and environmental acceptability.

Use As Car Fuel

Diesel-powered vehicles, such as AGO-powered vehicles, generally have a better fuel economy than equivalent gasoline engines and produce less greenhouse gas emission. Their greater economy is due to the higher energy per-liter content of diesel fuel and the intrinsic efficiency of the diesel engine. True, petrodiesel’s higher density results in higher greenhouse gas emissions per liter compared to gasoline. However, the modern diesel-engine automobiles have a 20-40% better fuel economy, and this well offsets the higher per-liter emissions of greenhouse gases, while a diesel-powered vehicle emits 10-20 percent less greenhouse gas than comparable gasoline vehicles. Biodiesel-powered diesel engines offer substantially improved emission reductions compared to petrodiesel or gasoline-powered engines, while retaining most of the fuel economy advantages over conventional gasoline-powered automobiles.

How Crude Oil Fractions Are Processed Into Refined Oil Products, Including AGO and Other Products

How do we get to have refined petroleum products, of which a product like AGO is one? Put simply, it is out of the refinery processing (i.e., out of the ‘refining’) of crude oil that many other usable products – products that we generally refer to as refined or finished petroleum products – are produced. Meaning products such as gasoil, gasoline, kerosene, AGO, etc. The process of oil ‘refining’ or processing is a very complex one, and involves both chemical reactions and physical separations. The substance that’s called Crude Oil is composed of thousands of different ‘molecules,’ and according to chemical engineers and molecular experts, it would be nearly impossible to isolate every molecule that exists in crude oil and thereby make finished products from each molecule.

Consequently, the way chemists and engineers deal with this problem, is simply by them isolating the mixtures (also called ‘fractions’) of molecules according to what is known as the mixture’s “boiling point range.” For example, molecules for the gasoline product might boil within the ‘range’ of from 90 to 400 oF. While the range at which the home heating oil product’s molecular mixes could boil might be from 500 to 650 oF, and so on. For purposes of convenience and simplification, each mixture or fraction is assigned a specific name to identify it.

The following chart illustrates the ‘boiling range’ and name of the petroleum fractions.

Fraction

Boiling Range,oF.

Butanes and lighter

<90

Light straight run gasoline (LSR)

or light naphtha (LN)

90-190

Naphtha or heavy naphtha (HN)

190-380

Kerosene

380-520

Distillate or atmospheric gas oil (AGO)

520-650

Residua

650 +

Vacuum gas oil (VGO)

650-1000

Vacuum Residua

1000 +

In sum, refined products are products that are produced by isolating the mixtures or fractions of molecules that come from the raw crude oil, and combining them, along with those from various refinery processing units. These fractions are ‘blended’ or mixed to satisfy specific properties that are important in allowing the refined product to perform in accordance with the specifications or requirements that are designed by or in an engine, in terms of ease in handling, reducing the undesirable emissions produced when the product is burned, etc

FINDING OR OBTAINING A SUPPLY OF THE AGO

Simply stated, the KEY term and task here is finding an authentic AGO oil product supply or supplier. Or an AGO buyer, as the case may be. Why? This is simply because, today, in the international refined oil products trading market, specially in the so-called “secondary” market, probably the single most fundamental and most difficult common problem which legitimate dealers who seek to find reliable suppliers have, is often NOT so much finding a party who will claim heaven and earth that he/she has the AGO oil product to sell and can supply you the product. Or that he can buy one from you, as the case may be. BUT finding such a party who is actually AUTHENTIC & LEGITIMATE, and can actually DELIVER on the product.

MOST PEOPLE WHO SAY THEY’RE SUPPLIERS OF PRODUCT PROVIDE NO VERIFIED OR VERIFIABLE PROOFS OR SOURCES

A well-established reality and a given today, is that in world oil deals involving trading in the crude oil and refined petroleum products, specially in the so-called international “secondary” market, probably the single most fundamental and most difficult common problem which legitimate buyers frequently confront today, is the problem of the genuineness and authenticity of the supplier of product and his ability to deliver on the sales offer he presents. Refined petroleum products, such as AGO, D2, Mazut, Jet fuel, etc., are certainly not immune or exempt from such endemic problem that seems to plague the entire secondary market oil trade industry, but rather are, in deed, right in the middle of it.

It’s a problem whose central source can simply be summed up in one word – namely, that not unlike most persons or entities who claim via the Internet to be oil or petroleum products suppliers or “sellers,” most who claim to be suppliers of AGO, as well (or of similar refined oil products, such as the diesel gasoil or Russian D2, Mazut, Jet fuels, and the like), either provide NO proofs or evidence at all of that, or provide proofs or evidence that are often absolutely meaningless because they’re unverified and unverifiable. That is, for the serious or credible Internet petroleum buyer involved in the world oil deals and seriously intent on finding duly verifiable authentic AGO oil product supply or supplier, there are generally just NO such supply or suppliers of the product in the so-called “secondary” market.

Most such serious or genuine AGO buyers (or suppliers, as well, as the case may be) seeking to find equally genuine AGO suppliers (or sellers seeking buyers, when applicable) in the international secondary market, find that the problem is particularly acute and compounded by the fact that almost all “sellers” (or suppliers), or their brokers or intermediaries, that one meets on the Internet, are essentially unknown, unestablished dealers who lack any name, reputation or identity, or any known location on the planet, and lack any record or history of past performance in doing the business. In consequence, a serious AGO buyer, for example, is often being asked – and actually being realistically expected – to, in effect, merely take “the word” of some dubious, anonymous, unidentified and apparently unidentifiable, phantom “seller” or “supplier” for it, with no credible supporting evidence provided, and no verification or authentication whatsoever of the Internet seller’s offer or claims.

In sum, he’s being asked – and actually being expected – to risk, or, rather, to gamble away, his hard-earned mini-fortune of some hundreds of millions of dollars merely on such a “word.”! This, it should be added, is being expected of the buyer in a business environment and climate that is patently awash in fraud and a network of notorious scammers worldwide!

WHERE TO BUY AGO OIL PRODUCT, HOW DO YOU FIND THE SUPPLIERS?

Clearly, then, if you are a real buyer of product seriously intent on finding authentic diesel AGO oil product supply or suppliers (or those of any similar refined oil products, such as the diesel gasoil or Russian D2, Mazut, Jet fuels, and the like) – meaning one that is duly verified and verifiable – probably the most critical, vital, even life-or-death task for you, is that you had better be sure to develop, in some way or manner, a skilled and effective strategy for finding, vetting, selecting out and authenticated suppliers that can provide you reliable steady supply of the product, and which will be scam-free, assured, and long-lasting.

How?

Quite oddly enough, the answer to that question is actually not that complicated or complex. For our limited purposes here, suffice it simply to just say, that there is, in fact, such a methodology, tool and strategy for doing just that long in practical use in the industry. Long in practical use by knowledgeable, experienced and trained eyes and experts, and the successful traders, in the business. If you are, yourself, in fact a provable legitimate trader or authentic practitioner of the petroleum trade (assuming you are actually one) operating in the secondary market, and are truly serious about finding and securing authentic and reliable AGO oil product supply or supplier, or about finding and securing a buyer of equivalent caliber for the product, as the case may be, that’s actually readily within your reach. There’s just really one crucial proviso, only – namely, PROVIDING that you’re equipped with the requisite knowledge, skill, training, tool, methodology and practical experience, by which to undertake the whole process of doing so.

To be sure, true, in today’s world oil deals of the international secondary market, including sourcing for AGO product, which is largely an Internet-dominated world, and is for the most part prevalently awash in fake dealers and scammers, finding duly verified authentic petroleum or automotive gas oil product supply, suppliers and sellers of such caliber (or buyers, just as well), is not ordinary or commonplace. Nor is it at all an easy task to attain. It is, however, by no means impracticable, nor are such suppliers non-existent. Far, far from it! Quite to the contrary, such suppliers abound. It’s only that you just have to search around for such suppliers (or the legitimate buyers, as well, as the case may be) more diligently and skillfully and in the right places from the right sources, and know precisely how and where. That requires, unavoidably, supreme industry knowledge, skills set, training, know-how, connections, precious time expenditure, and experience.

FOR A FOLLOW UP

YOU WANT TO FOLLOW UP ON HOW TO FIND AUTHENTIC AGO OIL PRODUCT SUPPLY OR SUPPLIERS, OR EVEN BUYERS, THAT ARE ALREADY VERIFIED, CONFIRMED AND VERIFIABLE AND SCAM-FREE? Please see the link provided in the author’s Resource Box below.

[ad_2]

Source by Benjamin Anosike, PhD

The Different Uses of Farm Tractors

[ad_1]

The field of agriculture has provided us with a lot of things especially on the supply of the food that we consume daily. Aside from the food, it has given us the raw materials in making different kinds of products. Farmers or people who engage in agricultural business could not supply as with what we need without the help of the agricultural tractors. These machines are very useful in farming and that the owner must realize that he can do a lot of tasks with a tractor.

Some may just think that a tractor can only transfer materials from one place to another but this idea is wrong. Different attachments can be placed to farm tractors which make it even more efficient in an agricultural field. There are a lot of ways where a farmer can make use of the tractor that he must have knowledge of so that there is no need to purchase other machines which a tractor can perform the work by itself.

First of all, you can use it to till your own land. By attaching a plow on your agricultural tractors, you can just drive them through your land and cultivate it without too much effort. It can break down large lumps of earth and with the help of this machine you can prepare your land for planting and farming.

Once you have cultivated your land and prepared it for farming, then you can now use a different attachment to your farm tractor. Tractors manufacturers have built an application like the drill or planter so that you can conveniently sow your seeds with the help of this machine. You can just drive through your vast land area and distribute the seeds on where you want them to be. After you have started planting, you can easily pull a sprayer to keep the insects away from your plants.

Furthermore, you can use it as your own vehicle to bring and transfer materials from one place to another. If you have loads of things for your animals for instance, then you can just haul everything in your tractor and drive it to where you want the materials to be.

These are just few of the many uses of a tractor. It is very easy to maneuver and has a lot of uses if you know how to do with it. It can perform multiple tasks with the different applications that you can attach. When you know everything about this, you will surely admit that you have invested your money on very efficient equipment. Moreover, it has also saved your time from manually doing other tasks which farm tractors can do efficiently.

With a very efficient machine like this, all you need to do is make sure that you have followed all the safety precautions on putting different kinds of attachments and you must know what you are doing. You must be able to find out more about its different uses and what you can do to utilize everything that an agricultural tractor can do with your farm.

[ad_2]

Source by Jaimie Max

Florida FR44 Insurance Filing Without a Car

[ad_1]

Whether you received a DUI driving a car or motorcycle, operating a boat or jet ski, or some other vehicle, the requirements to reinstate your license are going to include proof of liability insurance. Even if a DUI was received while riding your bicycle, or as a passenger in a car, which really does happen, the consequences are still the same. Insurance requirements to reinstate license are a minimum of $100,000 per person, $300,000 per accident for Bodily Injury Liability and $50,000 for Property Damage Liability (100/300/50). Unless this type of coverage was in effect, on a valid policy at the time of DUI, a Florida FR44 filing to the Bureau of Financial Responsibility will need to be included in a new policy for insurance.

A new policy does not necessarily mean a new car insurance policy. No matter what you were driving or doing to receive a DUI, you can fulfil insurance requirements for license reinstatement with a variety of policies. Any way you decide to “get around” after a DUI, even if it is walking, liability insurance will be required to get your license reinstated. Because of strict underwriting (qualifying) and increased costs associated with a DUI, many convicted drivers will switch from driving a car to riding a motorcycle, scooter, or public transportation. How much insurance goes up after a DUI depends heavily on the type of policy purchased.

Insurance coverage and underwriting requirements, other than the FR44 requirements, varies for different policy types. For example; Florida No-Fault law requires PIP insurance coverage for cars and trucks, while exempting vehicles with less than four wheels. A policy without a vehicle at all, called a non-owners policy, also does not include PIP and the varied policy types can be used to submit a Florida FR44 filing. Since PIP benefits extend to relatives and household residents, companies scrutinize them to determine eligibility and rate calculation. Policies that are exempt from Florida No-Fault avoids the underwriting hassle and inflated expense associated with PIP altogether.

On a car insurance policy with FR44 filing there can be no excluded drivers and the premium must be paid in full because they can not be canceled. Here again, different rulings for different policy types can be a real “life saver” for the convicted driver. Being able to exclude a youthful operator or spouse from a policy, or being able to make payments, can be the difference between affording a policy and cashing in your 401K.

A policyholder accustomed to maintaining Florida minimum liability requirements of 10/20/10 experiences “sticker shock” when they find out they need to elevate their liability ten times to 100/300/50. For many people a driver license is not just a privilege but a necessity, like those who need a valid license to keep their job. Simply doing without insurance after a DUI is not a choice for them and a typical car insurance policy with FR44 may be unaffordable. Thankfully they have alternatives for buying insurance without a car to file their FR44 and receive a reinstated license.

[ad_2]

Source by Clifford J Schimek

Alternative Energy Sources For Future Cars

[ad_1]

A threefold understanding would emphasize the importance of alternative energy resources in the near future

  • The reasons behind why the mentality towards the use of alternative energy resources will change, over the next half century.
  • How this change (i.e. the use of alternative energy) will affect car technology.
  • The various types of alternative energy resources that are available, or currently under research, especially for use in cars

The alternative energy advantage is the fact that they are renewable! We will never go short on supplies of renewable energy. For instance, solar energy – the sun will always be there! – the quantity of solar electricity intercepted by the Earth each 60 second is greater than the energy quantity that the entire human race uses in fossil fuels each year.

Wind energy – the wind will always exist – The power in the winds that blow across the US annually produces more than 16 billion GJ of electricity. Tidal energy – the moon will always be here and so will its forces that cause tidal waves. Hydroelectric energy – water energy will always be available unless there is an extreme change in rain patterns or droughts. Another advantage is that renewable energy is green; hence they don’t exude CO2, which is indeed the biggest provider to global temperature rises, into the atmosphere.

Bio-fuels are carbon neutral as manufacturing them depletes about as much CO2 as expending them produces. Considering these renewable energy advantages, it is apt for producing simple and inexpensive resources of energy. Non-renewable resources (for e.g. carbon-based fuels) are restricted – their supplies will eventually run out in the long run. Non-renewable resources like petroleum release CO2 into the surrounding atmosphere. These are inadequate sources of fuel that are speedily rarefying as the energy crisis is bearing down on us, continuously. Thus, we can firmly agree that the alternative resources are the Future and will provide for a Better Future.

What is the “future car”? A future car is a vehicle that runs on alternative fuels. “Alternative fuels” are fuels that are not made from petroleum. The types of alternative energy resources:

o           Alcohols – ethanol and methanol.

o           Compressed natural gas (CNG)

o           Electricity – stored in batteries.

o           Liquefied natural gas (LNG)

o           Liquefied petroleum gas (LPG)

o           Liquids made from coal – gasoline and diesel fuel that doesn’t come from petroleum.

o           Biodiesel – a lot like diesel fuel, but made from plant oil or animal fat. 

According to the experts, hydrogen-powered cars will be the next BIG change in our mode of transport. Theoretically it can be extracted from a wide variety of sources. The most common sources are Water; Natural gas (methane); Coal (via coal gasification); and Bio-mass (vegetation such as wood chips and agricultural waste).The processes for extracting hydrogen from these sources are diverse, predominantly in the case of water. To get hydrogen gas out of water, electrolysis is used-that is, electricity is used to extract the hydrogen molecules out of the water. From natural gas, a “reforming” process is used. For fossil fuels or biomass, the substrates are power-plant fuels themselves, which use them for generating both electric power and hydrogen.

The significance is plain and clear: we need an uncontaminated, renewable electric-generation technology. For now, the problem at hand is of discovering alternative energy solutions to power our vehicles. The mission is huge, but without doubt, it is attainable.

[ad_2]

Source by Gregoire R. Anaya

How to Calculate Window Tint Visible Light Transmission (VLT)

[ad_1]

Window tinting films are measured in visible light transmission levels (or VLT). This means that when we discuss a particular film, be it for fitting to a car or any other application, we normally refer to it with it’s VLT value. VLT is measured in percentage ( % ), so if you hear about a tint product being referred to as a percentage, it is the VLT that defines that percentage value.

For example, a tinting film referred to as Charcoal 5% is a charcoal coloured tint with a VLT of 5% and likewise a film referred to as green 50% is a green coloured tint film with a VLT of 50%. But what does the number actually mean?

Well, in simple terms the VLT value is the percentage of visible light that will be allowed to travel through the window tinting film from the exterior face side of the film to the interior side. This means that a 5% film will only allow 5% light travel through and a 70% film will allow 70% light to travel. In effect, this means that lower VLT films will appear darker. For instance, it is normally 5% tints that we will see on limousines for privacy.

So, fitting a 5% tint to a window will allow 5% light to travel through the glass from outside to inside, right? NO! Because we need to take into consideration the actual VLT of the window before the tint is even installed. There is no such thing as a piece of glass, no matter how clear it appears, with a VLT of 100%. This is because glass naturally filters out a little bit of visible light.

Lets look at car window tinting as this is one area where we speak of VLT often due to the fact that many countries have laws in place limiting how dark car windows should be tinted. Most modern cars come from factory with windows reading a VLT somewhere between 72% and 78%, depending on manufacturer, model and country. Say, our example car’s windows read at 72% and we add a 50% window tinting film, what is the new and final VLT of our car’s windows after installation?

The sum is very simple: V1 x V2 = V3 (Where V1 is the original VLT of the glass before tinting, V2 is the VLT of the window tinting film and V3 is the final VLT value of the glass with tint film applied).

Our car’s windows original VLT = 72% and the tint = 50 %, thus V1 = 72 and V2 = 50

The sum is 72 x 0.50 giving us 36, which we will express as a percentage. So a window with an original VLT of 72% will then have a VLT of 36% after application of a 50% film.

[ad_2]

Source by David Grice

How Not To Get RIPPED OFF Selling Your Gold Jewelry

[ad_1]

Read this before you sell your gold!

In this difficult economy, more and more people are selling their gold jewelry for cash. Have you seen the people standing out on street corners, spinning their “WE BUY YOUR GOLD” signs, beckoning you to their stores or booths?

There are a few things you need to know BEFORE you sell your broken and unwanted gold chains, earrings, bracelets, watches and rings. Below is the chart which shows how gold prices have skyrocketed in just one year:

What is your gold worth today?

So how do you calculate the price per gram weight on gold? It’s a little complicated. When your gold is purchased, it is then sent to a refiner. The refiner has a lot of overhead expenses, such as pricey equipment for environmental restrictions (alloys can contain very harmful agents), acids, labor, etc. plus there are impurities also. Your 14K gold may not be exactly 14K gold. Unless it states “14K P” on the hallmark of your jewelry, it probably is a tad less than 14K. The “P” means Plumb, or exactly 14K. The refinery will typically charge a 12 to 15% fee for refining down your gold or silver.

Here are equations that we use and will typically work as the NET per gram price, after refining fees: 10K gold: spot price X.0119 = price per gram 14K gold: spot price X.0168 = price per gram 18K gold: spot price X.0220 = price per gram 22K gold: spot price X.02745 = price per gram

You can easily find the current price of gold (spot price) on the Internet. Today gold is about $ 1500 per ounce. That means 14K will be worth: 1500 X.0168 = $ 25.20 per gram to the person that buys your gold. A good price for you to get today for 14K gold would be $17.00 per gram.

What you need to know:

1. If your jewelry has a gemstone(s) in it, chances are you will be giving it to the gold buyer. Almost all of these buyers are interested in ONE THING – the metal. Some of them don’t have a clue about colored gemstones. They usually know about diamonds, but very few know anything about colored gemstones. Some of these buyers will pay you their gold per gram rate for the gemstone, especially if it’s small to medium size. It’s easier for them just to weigh the entire piece of jewelry and pay you – besides, they’re usually making a lot of money on the transaction, and can afford to do it this way. It may not be a good deal for you however. For example… let’s say you have a 14K gold ring with a small blue gemstone in it. The gold buyer will weigh the ring and give you the price based upon the total gram weight of the ring, including the gemstone. That might great for you if that blue stone is quartz or topaz (less expensive colored gemstones), but what if it’s Apatite, Zircon, Aquamarine, Spinel, Blue Diamond, Sapphire, Paraiba or Indicolite Tourmaline,… etc.? Any of these gemstones are very valuable, and it probably would be a good idea to remove the gemstone and either reset it in a setting that you will wear or sell it. When you are talking about gemstones, the weight is measured in Carats. The conversion from Carats to Grams (what your gold is measured in) is: 5 Carats = 1 Gram. So, let’s say you have a 5 carat Paraiba Tourmaline and you choose to leave it in the setting. You will get a price of $15. per gram, so this Paraiba is worth $15. (1 gram). A little checking on the Internet will tell you that Paraiba can be worth upwards of $5,000 per Carat, or $25,000. (This is an extreme example, as Paraiba Tourmaline is copper-bearing and VERY rare, but it illustrates the point).

2. Let’s say you want to have a gold buying party. All of your friends come to the party with their gold jewelry that they don’t wear anymore and want that extra cash that their jewelry might bring. Did you do any price comparisons? There are a lot of people that put on these parties and make a fortune – on your jewelry. Do your homework! ASK THE IMPORTANT QUESTION – HOW MUCH WILL THEY PAY PER GRAM FOR Silver, 10K, 14K, 18K, 22K and PLATINUM jewelry. It’s much better to use an established, local resource for this party. Ask about security. How many people will be there from the buyer’s business?

3. As of this week, gold is at an all-time high, with the price for 14K to be at about $ 25. per gram. That means an HONEST Gold Buyer will purchase your 14K gold jewelry for about $15. per gram. That’s a good price. Some of the people that are putting on gold buying parties in your home, or in their stores are paying $9. or $10. per gram – that’s a ripoff! Just ask them how much they pay per gram, and comparison shop. This could save you hundreds of dollars!

4. What about Gold Filled, Gold Plated and Silver Jewelry? That is valuable too… same applies – ask the gold buyer what they will pay per gram, and price shop – it’s worth your time.

5. Do not ever – I repeat – ever mail in your gold jewelry to anyone for conversion to cash. They can rip you off any number of ways, i.e., underestimate the gram weight in their favor, etc. Once they have your jewelry, it’s out of your control.

6. Be VERY wary of the new gold buying shops that are popping up everywhere. You will fare much better at an established store that has been there for many years. Whether it’s a pawn shop or a jewelry store, I would give them your business. If their per gram price is less than their competition, I would give them the opportunity to match the price. These gold buying shops that pop up are typically a satellite store of a large business far away, are there for a short time and will severely hurt your long-time trusted local businesses.

7. Recently, there was a gold buying set up at a local Holiday Inn. They did a LOT of advertising, and there were a lot of people who brought their unwanted gold and silver to sell. I was SHOCKED at how people didn’t even realize that they were getting ripped off, and didn’t ask what they would be paid per gram. It turned out to be $ 5.00/gram. One woman had 63 grams of 14K gold (most people had more gold for sale). Because she didn’t realize she was being ripped off, she was thrilled with $315.00 she was paid. She didn’t realize that a fair price for her broken and unwanted jewelry should have been $1,008.00.

8. The current trend right now is Antique Jewelry. If you have really nice piece of Antique Jewelry, and you can’t keep it, get it appraised by a reputable Jeweler – but don’t tell them that you want to sell it (they may quote you a very low appraisal and try to buy it themselves). You might want to try eBay. You will only get wholesale pricing on the jewelry, but it will be better than the scrap prices offered.

9. Remember – the buying and selling of jewelry can be a lot like the car business. They talk “deals”, and some of them employ the same selling tactics. If you are looking to purchase some new jewelry, treat your unwanted jewelry like a used car trade-in. Get the appraisal on the jewelry first, including the gram weight, then negotiate on the new purchase.

In summary:

• always ask what the buyer is willing to pay per gram, 10K, 14K, 18K, 22K, Silver and Platinum

• shop and compare prices

• never mail your gold for cash

• try to do business with a local merchant (Pawn Broker or Jewelry Store). If they offer less per gram, give them the opportunity to match the price from the pop-up gold buyer

• only use a reputable LOCAL source if you are planning to have a gold buying party; be security conscious and shop for the best price per gram

• determine what the gemstones are in the unwanted jewelry before selling it… if they are worth anything, remove them

[ad_2]

Source by Mariel Baker

Commodity Trading – Advantages and Disadvantages

[ad_1]

What Is Commodity Trading?

Commodity futures markets allow commercial producers and commercial consumers to offset the risk of adverse future price movements in the commodities that they are selling or buying.

In order to work a futures contract must be standardised. They must have a standard size and grade, expire on a certain date and have a preset tick size. For example, corn futures trading at the Chicago Board of Trade are for 5000 bushels with a minimum tick size of 1/4cent/bushel ($12.50/contract).

A farmer may have a field of corn and in order to hedge against the possibility of corn prices dropping before the harvest he might sell corn futures. He has locked in the current price, if corn prices fall he makes a profit from the futures contracts to offset the loss on the actual corn. On the other hand, a consumer such as Kellogg may buy corn futures in order to protect against a rise in the cost of corn.

In order to facilitate a liquid market so that producers and consumers can freely buy and sell contracts , exchanges encourage speculators. The speculators objective is to make a profit from taking on the risk of price fluctuation that the commercial users do not want. The rewards for speculators can be very large precisely because there is a substantial risk of loss.

Advantages of commodity trading

Leverage. Commodity futures operate on margin, meaning that to take a position only a fraction of the total value needs to be available in cash in the trading account.

Commission Costs. It is a lot cheaper to buy/sell one futures contract than to buy/sell the underlying instrument. For example, one full size S&P500 contract is currently worth in excess off $250,000 and could be bought/sold for as little as $20. The expense of buying/selling $250,000 could be $2,500+.

Liquidity. The involvement of speculators means that futures contracts are reasonably liquid. However, how liquid depends on the actual contract being traded. Electronically traded contracts, such as the e-mini’s tend to be the most liquid whereas the pit traded commodities like corn, orange juice etc are not so readily available to the retail trader and are more expensive to trade in terms of commission and spread.

Ability to go short. Futures contracts can be sold as easily as they are bought enabling a speculator to profit from falling markets as well as rising ones. There is no ‘uptick rule’ for example like there is with stocks.

No ‘Time Decay’. Options suffer from time decay because the closer they come to expiry the less time there is for the option to come into the money. Commodity futures do not suffer from this as they are not anticipating a particular strike price at expiry.

Disadvantages of commodity trading

Leverage. Can be a double edged sword. Low margin requirements can encourage poor money management, leading to excessive risk taking. Not only are profits enhanced but so are losses!

Speed of trading. Traditionally commodities are pit traded and in order to trade a speculator would need to contact a broker by telephone to place the order who then transmits that order to the pit to be executed. Once the trade is filled the pit trader informs the broker who then then informs his client. This can take some take and the risk of slippage occurring can be high. Online futures trading can help to reduce this time by providing the client with a direct link to an electronic exchange.

You might find a truck of corn on your doorstep! Actually, most futures contracts are not deliverable and are cash settled at expiry. However some, like corn, are deliverable although you will get plenty of warning and opportunity to close out a position before the truck turns up.

[ad_2]

Source by Tim Wreford