In The Kitchen – Grilled Burgundy Tri Tip (Cardiff Crack)

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  In The Kitchen – Grilled Burgundy Tri Tip (Cardiff Crack)

 

  Who doesn’t like a good grilled steak?  I had tried preparing and grilling this once before on my last road trip in Korea.  However, it ended up slightly overcooked.  Though the recipe had potential.  The recipe comes from Seaside Market in Cardiff California.  I decided to give it another go, with great results! If you are looking for a good first indirect heat recipe I highly recommend giving this Burgundy Tri-Trip a try!

 Ingredients:

3 -5 lb Tri-Tip or substitute with a sirloin roast (I used Picahna).  If you plan ahead you can order form https://wildforkfoods.com/  which is where I will try to get mine next time.
2 Cups Pinot Noir
¼ Cup olive oil
½ cup low sodium tamari
2 tsp Maggi sauce
3 tsp Honey
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 Tbl cracked black pepper

Preparation –

Trim the tri-tip of excess fat ( The picahna had a large fat cap. ).
Add all of the marinade ingredients into a zip lock bag with the tri-tip.
Press out as much air as possible.
Seal the plastic bag and place in the refrigerator for a preferably  for 24 hours, a minimum of 3.

 Grilling Directions –

When it is time to grill, set your grill up for indirect heat, and preheat the grill to 250 deg. F.
Place the tri-tip on the indirect heat side, and grill until the internal temperature reaches 120 def F (approx. 1 – 2-hours.).  It took me 1 hour.
Move the tri-tip to the direct heat side, and grill until the you get a nice char, and the internal temp reaches 130 deg F.
Remove the tri-tip from the grill, lightly cover with foil and let rest 15 – 20 minutes. temp should be 135 – 140 deg F for medium rare.

Cut against the grain and serve!

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Restaurant Review (Gainesville) – Cantina Anejo

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Restaurant Review – Cantina Anejo

Great Mexican Food in Gainesville, Florida

  It has been FOREVER since I have done a proper restaurant review. July of 2023 to be exact!  So, what a great time to also get one of those out of the way as well.  After stopping by Depot Park and the Cade Museum I had worked up quite the appetite.

  Where to go to get a bite to eat was the next question.  It had been a while since I have had real good Mexican food, why not look to see what Gainesville has to offer.  A quick search on Apple Maps directed me to Cantina Anejo in the University area.  Finding the restaurant was easy, finding parking was not.  If you go during peak times, be sure to bring some extra patience with you.

  I arrived at 1230 and was immediately able to get a table, they do have a sidewalk bar area where you can get a quick drink or bite to eat.  I chose to get out of the heat inside the dining room.

  I ordered the Queso and Mexican Chorizo to get started and a Carne Asada Burrito.

The food was filling, and very flavorful.  It made me miss San Diego!
The service was quick and professional, and the restaurant is suitable for small or large groups!

I highly recommend Cantina Anejo when you are in Gainesville.

Searchable phone # and Address –

(352) 781-2050
1680 W University Ave – Ste 10
Gainesville, FL 32601

I hope you enjoyed this week’s Brent’s World Blog!

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On The Road Again – The Lubee Bat Conservancy

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On The Road Again – The Lubee Bat Conservancy

*Disclaimer: This is a private blog with content developed solely by myself!  The opinions expressed here belong solely to me and do not reflect the views of the Lubee Bat Conservancy it’s officers, employee’s, or volunteers..  
  The best precaution against rabies, is if you come across a bat in the wild or in your home,do not disturb, touch, or attempt to relocate the bat but to contact appropriate wildlife experts such as your local animal control!  If you have been scratched or bitten by a bat, confine the bat if possible, so it can be captured for the appropriate tests.  Seek medical care immediately, at the very least you may have to get a tetanus booster.

Okay enough from my battorney!  On to the pre-ramble!

  It is with a mix of joy and dread sitting down to write this blog!  Joy because over the last 3 years I have developed such an adoration and interest in not only the most misunderstood mammals but the only mammal capable of powered flight! Fear because I do not feel even after blogging for 14 years that I have the skill to tackle this blog in such a way that it does itself and the Lubee Bat Conservancy justice.  Once everything is said and done, I may have bitten off more than I can chew!

   So, how did I get interested in bats?  One day, I received a panicked call from Mi Jung, while I am used to receiving ‘urgent” or “panicked” calls about a myriad of computer problems that are stopping her from doing things like day trading.  I was not prepared to for the picture of what the actual problem was

.   “OK!!  Yeah, you can panic about that, but there is nothing I can do, go ahead and call the apartment management and let them take care of it.”  Being the kind and emotionally supportive boyfriend I am.  I began looking for plush bats on Amazon as a reminder of this unique experience in Korea.  Mi Jung did not like the bat, and I was constantly told that I am not a child, nobody likes bats, etc.   Betty became a permeant member  of the house, and it became a game of “elf on a shelf” and moving the bat to different locations of the apartment every morning and concocting life stories about the Batoogies..  Such as Betty being lonely and searching on www.batcupid .com and falling in love with Bruce who eventually came to live with us!

  I find it a bit fun that even though the bats were made with the same style and method, subtle differences seem to give each their own personality.  Bruce’s nephew Baxter (Who also happens to be a Battorney), seems shy and bashful.  Betty and Bruce are teaching Baxter to fly.   Baxter doesn’t look too sure of this flying thing.. 

  While ordering more bats, and coming up with new stories for them, I began to learn more and more about real bats the crucial role they play ecologically and that most of what the average person knows about bats is founded in myth, lore, and superstition.

  There is contradictory evidence regarding bats and zoonotic diseases.  For Instance  one veterinary medicine site lists bats as a main cause of rabies infections in the US, along with fox’s, racoons, and skunks.  The CDC, while listing those animals completely omits bats. Though  the article does list them as being a carrier.

  The Bat World Sanctuary www.batworld.org references a study by the University of Calgary that “bats are not as disease ridden as the stigma suggests.” and that only 1/2 of 1% of ALL bats may contract the disease and those that do are not asymptomatic carriers.  Other animals that humans are more likely to come in contact with are a more likely source.

  It is a current belief that bats are the source of the SARS Covid-19 outbreak from a “wet” food market in Wuhan China.  However, this has not been proven with 100% certainty.  While other theories include the virus was already present in the bat population, but had not undergone the mutation to infect humans but was then passed to the Pangolin where the mutation took place and it was a pangolin that infected patient zero. It could have  also being genetically modified during enhancement of function experiments at the Viral Institute of Wuhan and accidently released.

  Even if bats are a disease vector for specific and rare zoonotic illnesses, for the insectivore population of bats, which make of 70% of all bats, each bat can eat up to 1,200 mosquitos every hour and up to 6,000 to 8,000 insects a night!  Mosquitoes are the primary carriers of Malaria which kills upwards of 608,000 people a year, and Japanese Encephalitis which kill anywhere from 30,000 to 50,000 a year!  So, while bats can spread disease they by and large play a bigger role in preventing it.

  Myth: Bats are blind or have terrible eyesight and rely completely on echolocation to find food and make their way in the world.
Well, one of these statements is true, but which one? 

 While bat’s do have smaller eyes as compared to other mammals, they do have sensitive eyes that are capable of seeing in low light!  They do not have sharp color vision because more of the surface area of their retina is made up of cones, vs rods.  It is the rods that give us  color vision, but it is the rods that allow us to see in low light.  Next time you are in a dark room, notice how you are unable to discern color! 

 Around 1000 species of bats use a form of echolocation to hunt for food (both insects and fruit), they will send sounds in the Low Frequency Range (9kHz – 200kHz).    Human hearing range is between 20 Hz – 20kHz).  That most of these sounds mostly occur beyond the range of human hearing is why they are usually referred to as being “ultra sonic” but I am referring to them here in their place in the electromagnetic spectrum and thus low frequency.

  The lower the frequency the larger the object bats will be able to detect, and at a longer range.  Like radio waves, the lower the frequency it takes a larger object to reflect the “signal” as the wavelengths will just move around smaller objects such as insects.  The higher frequency waves travel a shorter distance, are reflected by small objects such as insects and travel faster, so a bat will “see” an object” sooner.

  Bats transmit the signals through their mouth or nose, and receive them through their ears.  An interesting fact that also relates to other manuals including humans, is a muscle in their ears called the Stapedius Muscle that restricts the bones in the middle ear that detect sound from moving when they “speak”. Humans have a similar response when we are speaking or in loud environments. 

Still with me?  We have more myth vs. reality to cover, then we can move on to what I really want to blog about my private tour of the Lubee Bat Conservancy!

Myth: Bat’s are evil creatures, have supernatural powers, and drink human blood!

  The tour guild of the Dark Side Of Seoul Tour quoted an unnamed psychologist saying, “We create ghost stories to voice our darkest fears.”  Chief of those fears is of what happens to our soul after we die, and the battle between good and evil spirits.  Another reason for myth and legend is to give explanation to something that we lack an explanation for.  Interesting is that in the legends in Asia while Vampires exist (Gon Shi) in China and Korea.  They have nothing to do with bats but are their own demon spirit possession that hop on still legs and are more akin to a Zombie. Bats are not evil creatures at all, but a harbinger and sign of luck,and  (unfortunately) fertility  as concoctions using parts of bats, or soups made from bats are use as an aphrodisiac, a cure for infertility, or impotence.

  Western Vampire legends that involve bats were made popular in England by Brom Stroker, and contains elements of early medical / metaphysical science, pharmacology, and Eastern European folk lore!  I was surprise when I read the novel that this may have been one of the earliest medical thrillers (For those of you that like Robin Cook or Michael Creighton.).  Stories of Vampires and Zombie may have started circulating as a way of explaining graves dug up for the purposes of grave robbing either to steal jewelry left on the bodies, or bodies being taken for medical research, which was prevalent at that time.

  While there are bats that feed on the blood of livestock, and very rarely human blood.  Bats feeding on humans is really not a thing! 

Therefore there is no reason that we should be afraid of bats, or want to prophylactically eradicate them as they play a vital role in the ecosystem!

  I had been anxiously awaiting this tour for months!  It almost did not happen for reasons I will not go into here, but Sep 22 Finally arrived.  So after waking up, and a quick shower, it was off to Depot Park to kill a few hours.  I walked around the park for a couple hours taking some selfies and listening to the East Coast Reflector.   Then off we went to the Lubee Bat Conservancy.  It was a nice drive out into the country, and the driveway was easy to find using Apple Maps.

  Here is my first regret as a photographer, as I will have to see if I can get a picture of their main gate when I go back at the end of the month for the Florida Bat Festival.  The large metal gate, and large red sign warning you to not proceed further unless you have a scheduled appointment gave a slight Jurassic Park vibe.  Warning duly noted, but we had a scheduled tour so on we went!  We saw the large red barn that was noted in the directions on our confirmation, labeled The Bat Barn..  There were no signs indicating were we should park, so I just parked behind some cars that were already there and figured I would be asked to move if it was in the wrong spot.

  I grabbed Old Man Bat, as a comic relief photo stand-in.  Rose and Drac were left in the car and to their own devices.  They decided to go on their own *driving tour.  Drac was pretty nervous asking Rose if he thought this was such a good idea (What if they mistake us for escapee’s?!)..  Rose told Drac not to be silly, they know they don’t teach their bats to drive!  

* There is no driving tour, just thought you needed a laugh after the preramble!

There is great and fun artwork by the parking area.

  Once finished with our selfies, we moved on to the Bat Barn, where Old Man Bat started being defiant right off the bat (sigh, yes that was a bad pun.)….  Old man bat takes after me, because when I told him to get down, he replied “I didn’t climb!  I flew!”

  I soon met up with Brittany, my tour guide for the afternoon, and before going into the bat enclosures, I was shown a couple of baby bats and then one of the two Lubee Bat Conservancy Tortoises.  I thought Brittany was pulling my leg when she warned me that we had to enter the tortoises pen quickly and close the gate or the tortoise would try to exit the pen (The tortoise is allowed to roam free when there is not a tour scheduled).  Everyone knows tortoises are slow.. right?  RIGHT?!!!  WRONG….   That tortoise could MOVE!!!  

Notice the worn spots on the tortoise’s shell? 

  These are actually areas that were filed down due to a fungal infection and once the fungus was filed off, normal over the counter Athletes foot cream was applied.  We also checked out it’s burrow which the tortoise uses for shelter from the heat and if in the wild protection from predators.    

They had to be very careful about ants because the tortoise has no ability to fed off the ants once they attack, and they can infest the shell.  I completely emphasized with the poor guy, before I got control of the ants at my house, they made mince meat out of my hands and feet!

Before going inside the enclosure and going over the ground rules for the tour (You will be provided a copy send to your email when your tour is confied).  I could post them here, but to save space I will just emphasize the main one!  There is NO touching the bats in any shape or form!  Oh, and…  There are live webcams in the enclosures so you might be broadcast on the internet.  I had a chuckle over that, because well, I am a blogger and a big supporter of the right to photograph anyone in public, you will also hear me say a lot. “Turn about is fair play..”.  Brittany asked me to pick 3 “enrichments” (These are either off the shelf  or hand made toys to elicit responses that bats in the  wild need in the wild that would otherwise be suppressed in the enclosures..  Such as being able to retrieve nectar out of a flower,.

or have a response to a startling stimulus, as seen here.  I had to pick the measuring cups being a baker!

I picked the mirror because it reminded me of a picture I posed with Pastel.

Or maybe if the bat does not cast a reflection it was our cue to run!

Vanity wins, but also presents an opportunity for another colony mate! While one bat is posing for a photo, another goes in for a quick snack.. mmmm, Mango! 

Pastel shares another similarity to one of the bats we saw who came to the conservatory missing an eye, and has a cataract in the good eye so was actually blind..  I don’t have a photo but Pastel will stand in.  Pastel lost one of her eyes in a freak back scratcher “accident” (Did I mention that Mi Jung did not like the plush bats?).

Another fun interactive activity on the tour is feeding the fruit eating bats, kabobs.  I was a little nervous I would end up poking the poor fella’s because… wellll,  my depth perception SUCKS!!!!  So I would just hold the skewer in front of me, and let them come to the end of the skewar if they wanted it!

  While I make a conscience effort not to propagate any of the myth’s that bats are evil, however  I did comment that seeing some of the smaller bats scurrying along upside down on the top of the enclosures was “unsettling” in the sense that it is just not something you see everyday, and if you got a 100 so of them to do that down a darkened hallway, it would make for a great scene in or horror movie, or stretch the imagination and a darkened space ship. 

*DISCLAIMER!  This photo was shot with a focal length of 200mm,  I did not get this close to the bat in order to get the picture..

Here are the boys just hangin around.

The 70 minute tour went by so quickly!  Getting the pictures together at home I realized there was so much room for improvement, and so many pictures I would have liked to have taken!  Though it does open up more opportunities to go back for some of the other events, such as the Bat Photo Days.  What would I do differently?  What could I do for more creative pictures?  Could I get by with using a prime lens so I could get a wider aperture?  Could I retake the photos that were shot wide open with a narrower aperture so more of the photo is in focus?  Outside of photography I found digging into the cultural, and mythological aspects of bats fascinating.  Enough that I could fill another 3 blogs!

 One thing is certain, if anything in this blog piqued your interest, the Lubee Bat Conservancy is a great place to get your answers!  The tour was educational, Brittany was an awesome tour guide who was extremely knowledgeable and personable.  Who was able to answer questions ranging from anything you wanted to know about the bats, day to day operations, science, and veterinary medicine!  She even put up with my corny bat jokes! 

  To schedule a tour for your school (In person or virtual), or your own VIP tour for a group of up to 10 people, visit the Lubee Bat Conservancy’s website at https://www.lubee.org/ The cost is $250 and is a donation to the Conservancy. 

  Also!  The conservancy will be holding the 20th Annual Florida Bat Festival! 26 Oct 2024!  This is a great opportunity to come on out support our batty friends eat, drink, and be merry!  For more information please go to https://www.lubee.org/flbatfestival

  While I do not make any commision on any tours or activities you arrange with the Lubee Bat Conservancy, if you do make inquiries or schedule a tour or even after reading this blog, please do let them know you found out about them from catracing.org.  I do wish that the effort that goes into creating content gets back to the organisations I blog about to promote good will.

  Thank you for stopping by Bren’ts World!  Please come back again to read new and exciting content!  If you wish to be notified when new content is posted, please consider registering by going to https://www.catracing.org/hendrb/wp-login.php.

Road Trip! – A Weekend in Gainesville

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Road Trip! – A Weekend in Gainesville

  It is amazing that I had not been on a road trip since Jul of 2023!  That is a lot of time staying around one’s home.  I had been planning to visit the Lubee Bat Conservancy for quite a few months since making reservations for a private VIP tour!  This trip almost did not happen.  However, working the numbers in my head while 8 hours of driving round trip was a slog.  It was entirely possible!

  The plan was to drive up on Friday, see some of the local attractions on Saturday then take the Bat Conservancy tour on Sunday then drive home!

Driving Route to Gainesville

  Preparing for the trip.  I wanted to play radio as much as I could while driving, so I mapped out as well as I could which 2 meter and 70cm repeaters I would be passing along the way.  The programming software for the Yaesu FTM-500DR makes that very easy with its online Repeater Book integration.  I simply compared the cities I would be passing next to on Interstate 10 and 75 with what was in Repeater Book. 

Selected them and imported them in a range of open memory slots.

  Here are is a conversation (known as a CUE-SO  “QSO”) I had with John W4CJB a radio amateur near Defuniak Springs on the WF4X repeater using 2 meters FM.  Hearing everyone’s surprise that I was going to tour a bat conservancy always made me chuckle!

  The radio made the trip go by much faster than it would have otherwise.  Before I knew it I was pulling in to the hotel, where it was time to check in, find a place to eat dinner (Which turned out to be the McDonald’s across the street), take a shower and go to bed!

  Saturday dawned bright and early and I had scheduled an experience flight at the Gainesville airport. 

Here is another QSO I had with Kevin, KE4NVI via the East Coast IRLP Reflector on my way to the airport, discussing the Lubee Bat Conservancy and the University Of Florida Bat Houses.

Unfortunately  the airplane had some technical difficulties that precluded me from being able to go up.  I compliment the companies attention to safety and detail and am glad the problem was discovered on the ground rather than in the air.

  So, I had the entire day to kill and ended up at Depot Park and the Cade Museum for Creativity and Invention.  An interactive children’s / science museum named after Dr. James Cade one of the inventors of the sports drink Gatorade.

  They had some interesting exhibits that captured the attention of children and adults alike.

One of my favorite exhibits was this thermal camera exhibit.

Proceeding outside I finally got to lay eyes on an alligator.  Even if I was a captive audience!

I had a lot of fun after finding this hopscotch board laid out on the walking path.

So, I got some walking in, played radio, and got some great pictures!

I then broke for lunch and found a really good Mexican restaurant near the university ( I will post a formal restaurant review after the Bat Conservancy blogs are complete and published..).

  I then became lazy and headed back to the hotel for a quick nap before heading off to the University of Florida Bat Houses.  I had some time, so I set up for some selfies and more ham radio!

  At sunset the bats come out of the houses and begin their search for insects to feed on.  I learned a few things!

  • Bats in bat houses smell! You could definitely tell one was in the air.
  • It was very difficult to capture a clear image of a bag in flight! The low light just would not enable me to use a shutter speed that would enable me to capture a clear image.

After the bat houses, it was back to the hotel, with another dinner from (you guessed it!), McDonald’s and  bed.  Tomorrow was the reason I came to Gainesville, to tour the Lubee Bat Conservancy..

Mappable Addresses:

DEPOT PARK

874 SE 4th St,
Gainesville, FL 32601

Cade Museum

811 South Main Street
Gainesville, FL 32601

Admission Price –
Youth – 5-7 $10.00
Youth – 0-4 FREE
Adult – $15.00
College Student (ID Required)  – $12.50
Senior – $12.50

University Of Florida Bat Houses

Museum Rd, Gainesville, FL 32611 ( I do not have an exact address, but I was able to search for them by the heading on my GPS.

Thank you for visiting Brent’s World!  I hope you are enjoying our adventure.

Please come back to visit for more exciting content, such as touring the Lubee Bat Conservancy in Gainesville.

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In The Kitchen – Cooking With Sourdough

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In The Kitchen – Cooking With Sourdough

 

  One of my favorite types of bread’s s sourdough.  I love the drier crumb and slightly bitter taste that comes from the lactobacillus.  A lot of people shy away from using sourdough due to the extra time required to start and maintain a good starter, but once you have a system down the care and feeding become second nature.

  What is a sourdough starter?  Sourdough is a maintained culture of both yeast and lactobacillus bacteria.  The yeast feeds off the starches in your flour, and the lactobacillus bacterium feed off the yeast and keep the yeast growth in check.  The lactobacillus is acidic and gives the resulting dough a tangy sour flavor.  This flavor can be distinctive depending on the region.  Some famously so, such as San Francisco.  This is due to the different strains of yeast and lactobacillus.

  There are two ways you can begin a sourdough starter.  You can start growing a yeast culture with the yeast naturally already in your flour and spores in the air.  Or you can use commercial yeast to get your start going,  your starter will over time acquire more and more natural yeast and take on a flavor of its own.  For the purpose of this blog we will use the commercial yeast assisted method. 

  I will also present 2 Sourdough recopies.  One a Sourdough Honey Wheat stand mixer recipie, which is also commercial yeast assisted.  This makes a great start for those baking with a sourdough starter for the first time!

  I will also provide a recipe for Sourdough Pancakes, which has served me well over the years both at home and while camping! 

  So, without further a-do! Let’s roll up our sleeves and get into it!

Sourdough Starter

One of the key ingredients to any sourdough recipe is a starter.  This is a mixture of flour and water that is used as a culture for your leavening yeast and lactobacillus, that gives it its flavor.  This is an easy method of getting a starter going using commercial baker’s yeast.  I have taken it from Nitty Gritty Books Bread Baking by Lou Siebert Pappas.

Ingredients

2 Cups lukewarm water (110f)
1 pkg. active dry yeast (2-1/4 tsp.)
2 Cups all purpose flour
½ tsp. salt.

  In a medium sized crock, or bowl (I use a large plastic ZipLock container) combine the water and yeast.  Let stand until yeast is dissolved.  About 5 minutes.  Mix in the flour and salt. 

  Cover loosely with cheesecloth (Using the ZipLock container I simply cover with the lid loosely in place.) in a warm location (Preferably 80f).  Each day for 4 days add ½ cup lukewarm water and ½ cup flour (You can discard ½ cup starter if needed before adding additional flour/water.).  At the end of 4 – 6 days, you should start to notice the familiar sour smell associated with sourdough.  You can now use to in a recipe or cover tightly and refrigerate.

  To use after refrigeration,, remove from refrigerator the night before, in the morning once the starter has come to room temperature feed with ½ cup flour and ½ cup lukewarm water.  It should be nice and bubbly and ready for use within an hour.  As you use the starter, replace with equal amounts flour / water.  If you use a cup or more, I like to feed the starter over the period of a couple of days, with ½ cup water / ½ cup flour a day.  Then cover and return to the refrigerator. 

  If you will be unable to care and feed the starter for several weeks, consider placing in the freezer!

Yeast Assisted Whole Wheat Sourdough Sandwich Bread

 One of my go to recipes for a delicious Whole Wheat Sourdough Bread uses commercial yeast in conjunction with our sourdough starter for an extra light and fluffy crumb!  This is a great recipe for lunch, picnic, and camping!  This is a great recipie to start with because you do not need to prepare a sponge the night before.  This recipe was also taken from Nitty Gritty Books Bread Baking by Lou Siebert Pappas.

 

  Ingredients

1 pkg active dry year (2 ¼ tsp)
2 cups unsifted whole wheat flour
4 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup each mil and water (Luke warm 125f)
¾ cup Sourdough Starter
¼ cup honey
1 tbs. salt
3 tbs. softened butter
1 tsp baking soda

Baking Instructions

Place the yeast, 1 cup whole wheat flour and 1 cup all-purpose flour in a large mixing bowl or stand mixer.  Heat milk and water to 125 degrees F. Add to dry ingredients and stir until blended.  Add the sourdough starter and mix for 5 minutes.  Cover bowl with plastic film wrap. If using a *stand mixer, remove mixing paddles and cover bowl with plastic film wrap. Leave bowl in a warm place for 90 – 120 minutes. 

* I use a Bosch Universal Mixer.  I use the plasic lids on the mixing bowl, and before placing the smaller center lid, cover the hole with the plastic film, and twist the smaller lid on top of the film.  (Do NOT forget to remove your mixing paddles or dough hook!)

Place honey, butter, and soda in the mixer and replace dough hook.  Mix until blended.  Add the remaining cup of whole wheat flour and 1 cup of all-purpose flour and add the salt.  Slowly add the reaming flour until your dough has reached the desired consistency.  The sides of the bowl should be clean, and the dough should not be sticky.  This should take an additional 10 – 15 minutes.

Turn dough out on a lightly floured bread bord and finish kneading until smooth. 

Place dough in a greased bowl, cover with a damp kitchen towel and allow to rise in a warm place until doubled in size, approx. 90 – 120 minutes.).

Punch down and again turn out on a lightly floured breadboard and knead lightly. Form dough into a ball and cut in half.  Shape each half into a loaf and place into 2 9 x 5in. bread pans.  Cover the pans with the damp kitchen towel and allow to rise until doubled in size, approx. 45 – 60 minutes.

While the bread is rising preheat your oven to 375 degrees F. 

Bake the bread at 375 degrees F for 35 – 40 minutes or until the loaves sound hollow when tapped.

Remove from baking pans and allow to cool before slicing.

Sourdough Pancakes

Let’s switch gears here for a second!  One of my other favorite recipes that uses our sourdough starter is this great recipe for Sourdough Pancakes!  If anyone wants to hazard a guess as to where I got the recipe from, yes..  Nitty Gritty Books Bread Baking by Lou Siebert Pappas!  It really is too bad this book is out of print!  If Nitty Gritty Books is still publishing, perhaps you can write them and ask that they publish it again!  You can find the book on E-Bay and Amazon used if you keep looking!

   This recipe will definitely become a favorite with your family and is great for both home and camping!  A bit of a Brent’s tip here!  If you use it camping, you can separate the recipe (One ZipLock containing the sugar, salt, and soda.  The other bag containing the flour.  I do hope you try these pancakes, you won’t be disappointed!

Ingredients

½ Cup sourdough starter
2 Cups Milk
2 Cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2 eggs
2 tbs sugar
½ tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda

  The night before: Combine starter, milk and flour in a large mixing bowl.  Mix until blended, cover with plastic wrap and let stand in a warm place 8 hours, or overnight.

  The Next morning: Add eggs, sugar, salt, and soda.  Beat until blended.  Pour batter into 3 inch cakes on a lightly greased hot girdle.  Cook until golden brown on both sides.

If you enjoy our content and wish to support Brent’s World, please consider purchasing the following recommended kitchen products!  All proceeds from Associates programs will be used to keep Brent’s world going and towards getting new content.  

BOSCH Universal Mixer Plus – Purchase from Amazon.com
Bob’s Red Mill WHole Wheat Flour (5lbs). – Ships from Amazon.com
Bob’s Red Mill All Purpose Flour (5lbs). – Ships from Amazon.com
Fleischmann’s Active Dry Yeast (4oz Jar). – Ships from Amazon.com

  Thank you for stopping by Brent’s World, for this months edition of “In The Kitchen”. Come back next week for more new and exciting content!

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Technical – It Was DNS! It’s Always DNS

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It was DNS, It’s Always DNS!

What is DNS and how I broke it.

  Last week.  Catracing.org suffered a 24 hour downtime.  This made my WordPress (blog), the phpBB (Forum site, and the Commodore 64 Bulletin Board system running in emulation unable to their users on the internet.  I am fortunate to be able to maintain 98.5% uptime on my self hosted services!  So to me it is a bit deal when something breaks, especially when looking back I am the one who caused the issue! 

  So what happened?  In a nutshell, I broke DNS!.  Through a well intentioned but poorly planned migration from one DNS service provide to another, a simple but catastrophic misunderstanding of a key piece of the top level of DNS, and nor remembering a key password put me at the mercy of waiting on customer support. 

  The ability of being able to come up with a workable plan B prevented me from experiencing an even lengthier downtime.

 

  So let’s take a look at a few things, what is DNS, how did I break it, how did I fix it, and what can I do to prevent or mitigate a similar failure in the future.

How did I break it?

  Upon returning from Korea and becoming an ATT internet customer, SMTP (Port 25) has been blocked both incoming and outgoing.  This is commonly done by internet service providers to combat spam, due to improperly configured email servers.  To get around this and continue running my email server had to subscribe to an SMTP replay service.  One of the other services this company provides is dynamic hostname registration, and providing zone level DNS services, which I have previously been getting from dyndns.org.  I had the bright idea, that if my SMTP relay server will also do dynamic IP and zone level DNS, I can cancel the dyndns services and only pay one company for all 3 services!  Great idea, right?  It would have been, if I had remember all the key processes of DNS name resolution and all of the steps I needed to do to migrate.   

  To compound the problem, I forgot the password to go in and make the changes that would set everything right, but more on that in a second.

What is DNS?

  Let’s take a step back to give a very quick and dirty rundown on what is DNS, you can better understand where my problem lay.  DNS or Domain Name Services is a hierarchical group (A very very large group) of servers that match domain names (google.com, yahoo.com, catracing.org) to their respective ip addresses.  While you and I think in terms of names, computers thing in terms of numbers. A computer really has no idea what google.com is, however it does know it by its Internet Protocol “IP” address 74.125.136.104.   Think of it as a White Pages of the internet.   If you wanted to call Baxter D. Bat, unless you call him all the time, you might not remember that his phone # is (619)555-1212.  So, you took out the phone book, looked up Bat, then found Baxter D, and then had the number you could then call him on the phone.  Keep this analogy of comparing an IP address and a phone number in your head, it will come in handy. 

  For instance, just like a phone number has multiple parts (Area Code)Local Prefix – Subscriber Number.  NOTE:  I am omitting country code for simplicity.  So does a domain name.  Let’s take www.catracing.org for example.  I am going to work this backwards from right to left, because it better feeds in to what I broke, so work with me here.  .org (TLD or Top Level Domain), .catracing (domain), www. (subdomain).

  The Top Level Domain or TLD is the groups IANA breaks down the taxonomy of various internet services.  For instance.

.org = Non Profit Organization
.com = Commercial Organization
.net = Network service provider
.gov = Government Organization.

  In a nutshell, here is what happens when you type www.catracing.org into your web browser and hit return.

  Your IP stack will look to be what the lowest level DNS service is, if you are on a corporate network, and have you own DNS server it will first query this server to ask if it knows who www.catracing.org is.   Most likely it will not, so it will ask the DNS server if it has a forwarder configured.  Let’s say it does, and it is configured for 8.8.8.8 (Googles Name Server).  It goes out and asks the Google Name Server.  Google says, NOPE, so it sends it out to its forwarder, and let’s say it is actually IANA.  It looks in it’s .org TLD, and say’s yup I see catracing.org, and in the domain registration, which was done by name.com, it shows the name server it is registered under is  ns1161.dns.dyn.com.  So the next DNS query is to ns1661.dns.dyn.com.  Do you know who www.catracing.org is?   “Why yes I do, its IP address is 104.57.170.70.  Now the computer knows the ip address, your computer can go there and retrieve the web page.

So,  What happened?

  Now that I have gone over how DNS works, and put the pieces in place that would cause catracing.org to become unavailable for 24 hours, lets go over how it happened.

I painstakingly recreated my DNS zone records on my new service, and used nslookup directed to their servers to make sure everything was resolving correctly.  Which it did.  Calling it good I canceled the service on dyndns.org.

  Several hours later when I was already asleep, catracing.org completely disappeared from the internet!  I did not catch the notification that my blog was unreachable until later in the day.  At first, I thought that the script I wrote to update my ip address did not work, and my IP address had changed.  However while pinging it, I noticed that it wasn’t just the pings to my IP address were coming back unreachable, it was www.catracing.org could not be resolved..   I had forgotten that the top level query, if it needed to do so, would tell whoever was searching for my site, to look on the dyndns.org servers, and I had completely removed my domain records. 

  Okay, no problem, I just need to go update my domain registration with the new DNS servers.  Oh no!  I have not done anything with that account since they spun out of DYNDNS.ORG in 2019!  I don’t remember my password. 

  I know what you are asking yourself, Just ask for a password retrieval..   Simple..  Except…. If you can’t find .catracing.org on the internet.  How will you send the email with the recovery link.  There, right there lay the real crux of the matter!

  I contacted their support, and they could change my registered email address, provided I can prove who I am, and that I am a living person.  No problem!  Sent what they asked me, however.  The address associated with my domain registration was from 2019, and did not match my address that I had moved from twice and was not on my current ID.  So with the site already being down 24 hours, the easiest way would be to re-open the account with DYNDNS.ORG (Which turned out to only be $5 for a month).  Recreate enough of the zone records (The MX record is really the only one I needed), wait potentially 24 – 48 hours worst case (DYNDNS.ORG) had me available within an hour.  Retrieve the password recovery link, then update the DNS information in my domain registration information.  Which is what I ultimately decided to do.

  It took less than an hour to get at least my domain and MX record reestablished, and searchable again on the internet.  I now have until the middle of September to try migrating my outside DNS.  At least this time I have a plan!  Have access to all of the necessary accounts and have time to have a fall back in case it does not work!  All things I should have thought about and had available to me the first time!

  Had this been at work and a critical piece of the business I supported, it would have been embarrassing at best, a resume updating event at worse, but this is one of the reasons I choose to self host!  So I can learn these kinds of lessons at home, and not in an environment where I am playing “Bet Your Job”!

  I hope you enjoyed this week’s blog, I hope you come back next week for more exciting content!  If you wish to be notified when new content is posted, please consider registering by clicking HERE!

Book Review – Sailing Into Oblivion

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Sailing Into Oblivion

A fast-paced reading adventure

by 

Jerome Rand 

 

  How do you know it has been too long since published a book review? When the last review you did was 4 years ago!  In this case Walk The Wire by David Baldacci (https://www.catracing.org/hendrb/walk-the-wire-an-exciting-new-memory-man-mystery-by-david-baldacci/) .

  My hiatus from writing book reviews is certainly not because I have not been reading.  I try to read as often as I can!  I think the reason stems from not only trying to find an excuse to actually get outside, and there was so many places I wanted to see and blog about in Korea that the book reviews went by the wayside.  The other factor is, book and movie reviews are actually more difficult than the activity blogs, because those pretty much take care of themselves.  We went here, I did this!  This activity was awesome, this one not so much.  Throw some pictures together, and you have a blog!  That is not to say these types of blogs are easy.  They still take a lot of preparation, writing, a solid understanding of photography, and post processing the photos.  I just feel it is less cerebral and less subjectivity then trying to put down into words what I gleaned from a novel, or in this case someone’s factual account of their lives epic journey.

 So now that we have my preramble out of the way!  Let’s get down into the meat and potatoes of a very long over due review of Jerome Rand’s Sailing Into Oblivion.  A true to live story of answering ones calling to sail around the world single handed on a 33 ft boat!

  While my contract was winding down in Korea, I was thinking more and more about wishing I could use the money I saved up working overseas and sail from San Diego, north to San Francisco then west to Hawaii.  After working in the customer service field for over 20 years, I really felt like I needed to take a break and get away from people!  What better way to do that, then being alone with one’s thoughts for a month at a time!  I began to watch more an more YouTube videos of single handed cruisers such as Sam Holmes (https://www.youtube.com/@samholmessailing).  Who not only sailed single handed from Los Angeles to Hawaii, but flew overseas and cruised all over Europe!  One of the books Sam Holmes recommended was Sailing Into Oblivion, an autobiographical account from Jerome Rand, who at 39 sailed a Westsail 33 around the world single handed in 2018!

  The book opens on Mr. Rand just miles from the infamous Cape Horn trying to warm his frozen hands over the boats stove.  We are immediately thrown into the authors world of not only trying to mentally survive a year alone on the vast ocean, but physically survive in one of the most storm tossed seas on the planet!  We are then taken back 7 years in the past when the author completed another journey and life challenge of completing the through hike of the Appalachian trail, when the first whispers of his next life’s journey are being planted.   Moving back and forth from getting closer two and rounding cape horn and the months before leaving Gloucester, Massachusetts in a blur of turning pages, you will find yourself unable to put the book down, unable to rest or wait to see what challenge Mr. Rand will face and overcome next!  From seasickness, running low on food and at times water, food poisoning, to dealing with the sometimes completely opposing spectrum of  weather King Neptune can throw at us mere mortals ranging from being becalmed for days to raging gales and hurricane force winds!

  Sailing Into Oblivion should be quintessential reading for anyone dreaming of long rang cruising, or for those who love a good sea yarn!  It is a story of one mans dream, to sail single handed nonstop around the world and past all 5 capes! 

  Mr. Rand’s narrative style will make you feel like you are right there on the Might Sparrow experiencing the everything the author did.  Make sure you set aside a good chunk of time for Sailing Into Oblivion, because you may just find yourself not able to put this one down!

  Sailing Into Oblivion is available on Amazon in the following formats.  Please consider helping Brent’s World by using the links below.  Proceeds from the Amazon Associates program go towards making new content for you, our readers.

Available for purchase at Amazon.com

Kindle Edition – $9.99
Hardcover – $26.99 
Paperback – $16.99 

If you have read or decide to read Sailing Into Oblivion, please consider returning to let us know in the comments what you thought of the book. 

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On The Road And On The Air – Installing the Yaesu FTM-500DR

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On The Road And On The Air

Installing The FTM-500DR 
Yaesu’s flagship DualBand 2m / 70cm Radio.

  One of the things I was most looking forward to once I got settled was getting settled and installing an new amateur radio station ( looking forward to HF somewhere down the road), but any good amateur loved to talk, whenever and wherever they are.  This includes their automobile!  So looking around at radio’s that would be a good fit I settled on the Yaesu FT-500D.  While I liked the bigger screen of the Yaesu FTM-300DR and the FTM-400DR.  There just are not many places to mount the larger screens these days.  Looking at the pictures online, it looked like the detachable faceplate would fit nicely in the center console cubby of the Bronco Sport below the InfoTainment display. 

  I ended up ordering the radio and most of the accessories from *DX Engineering.  The selection and ordering process online was easy and mostly trouble free, (I ended up reversing the shipping and billing address!), fortunately this was caught by their staff who called and politely set me straight!!  100% A+ service by DX Engineering!

  Here is what I ordered. 

  The Yaesu FTM-500DR a 50W Digital (C4FM) / Analog FM 144m/430Mhz dual band mobile Transceiver. 

  Yaesu Transceiver Mounting Brackets MMB-103 (I ended up not using this! As you will see later.).

DX Engineering RG-8X PL-259 Low-Loss 50-ohm Coax Cable 3FT – (DKE-8XDX003)
* For the MFJ-864 SWR Meter.
 MFJ 864 SWR/Wattmeter
 DX Engineering DXE-281 Communications Speakers. ( I ended up not using this.)
 * Yaesu Seperation Cables CT-132 (See note in blog).
 * Larsen Mobile Antenna Mount NM0MMRPL. (See Notes in blog.).

  So after a couple months of procrastinating, and the radio sitting in the box, I finally set about installing it in my Bronco Sport!

  I had a really good idea how I had wanted to do this!  Taking most of my inspiration from the zero drill installation of the Kenwood TMD-700 in my 1998 Ford Ranger. 

  So the first task, was to find a way to run the power cables from the battery through the firewall.  This was accomplished by a rubber through plug to the left of the brake pedal.  I removed the plug and used the tip of a drill bit to push the power leads through (I punched two holes for each of the positive and negative leads, removing the fuse and fuse holders).

  I then ran both leads under the plastic molding under the door back to where the radio mounts under the drivers seat.

  I then attached the positive and negative leads directly to the battery terminals as pictured.  

I then attached the fuse holders and fuses.

As mentioned above, when looking at the Bronco Sport, I had a fairly good idea that I wanted to mount the remote head  in this space in the center console.  However, I ran into a problem where the remote mounting bracket just would not fit!  So that seemed to be a non starter!

  I then looked around online, and found a video of a Bronco Sport mounting the control head of a GMRS radio using a bracket that clipped onto the plastic of the cubby.  The mounting bracket of the radio, as a “tripod” screw in the middle for attaching to it’s bracket and I drilled out the ProClip to accommodate this, however the screw was too short for the bracket!  Going through my camera gear, I found a bold that would fit, but it was too long, and started deforming the Yaesu faceplate bracket.  So this was another no go!

  I then figured I could use some heavy duty Velcro I bought from Amazon to secure the radio to the carpet under the driver’s seat.  This worked well, but I felt the control head stuck out too far, to be ergonomical to read the display while driving.  It just did not feel right!

  So back to square one!

  My next idea was to make a template of the shape of the top of the cubby, and have a custom piece of plywood made at Home Depot, that I could fix the mounting bracket to and then Velcro it into place inside the cubby.  Then then light bulb went off, and I had a moment of epiphany!  While the mounting bracket would not fit in the space, the back of the control head would!  So if I could cut the Velcro to fit along the top and bottom of the control head, there should be enough of a hold to keep the control head in place during vehicle operation, and also while operating the control head!

  So I cut the Velcro to fit the control unit, affixed the other side to the tops and bottom of the cubby, and proceeded to pray!  VIOLA!!  Not only a perfect fit, but the Velcro held the control head in place! 

  Next came the task of fitting the radio under the drivers seat, I was originally concerned there would not be enough space under the seat due to the power seat mechanism and heating, but there was a sunken out area of the floor, that almost perfectly matched the footprint of the radio unit!

  I thought the placement of the radio looked rather nice once the floor mat was put back into place.

  This is the first of two incidents were reading and understand the manual or the specs before undergoing an installation project comes in handy.  I originally plugged the microphone into the port on the radio unit and was concerned that the mic cable was too short, and under a bit of tension when being operated in the driver’s seat!  I made a mental note to order an extension cable for the Microphone.  It was not until I ran and connected the control cable that I realized there was an additional port for the microphone on the control head!  Problem 1 solved by Yaesu!

  Once that was done, it was time to mount the antenna.  I am using the Diamon Super Gainer 7900.  My only mistake was ordering the Larson 3.5 inch UHF mount, which does not have as much holding power to the roof of the vehicle as I would like!  I will be ordering a 4 inch diameter mount before my first road trip next month!

  The 3rd and final logistical challenge was were I was going to mount the external speaker? I had ordered a DX Engineering DXE-281 external speaker, as the audio would probably be too muffled with the radio mounted under my seat.  This was most likely going to be the biggest headache, as stated earlier the goal was to drill no holes!  I was able to get away with this in my Ford Ranger by repurposing a screw in the back of the cab used to hold the plastic molding in place.  I doubted I was going to have such luck in the Bronco Sport!  Added to that, was all of the passenger compartment airbags, and I was in for heck of time. 

  Yaesu came through AGAIN, with a speaker built into the remote control head!  So, this suddenly became a non issue!

  I am very happy with the radio, it has all of the bells and whistles that I expect for a good Dual Band mobile radio, with the added benefit of a *built in GPS, and TNC (Radio modem) for APRS use.   Below is an Automatic Packet Reporting System “APRS” track of me after leaving church.

Screenshot

  As I use the Yaesu FTM-500D on a couple of upcoming road trips, I will be able to provide a more indepth review.  Until then please enjoy more blogs from Brent’s World! 
73 de KF6HDJ!

  If you wish to discuss this, or other blogs from Brent’s World, head on over to our free forums by clicking HERE!

  If you are considering purchasing equipment for a mobile ham radio station, Please consider supporting Brent’s World by ordering through the Amazon Affiliate Program.

  Yaesu FTM-500DR 50W C4FM/FM 144/430MHz Dual Band Digital Mobile Transceiver.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CLSGMLPC/ref=nosim?tag=catracing1-20

Diamond NR7900A Dualband Mobile Antenna (UHF Mount
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01F43HD8Y/ref=nosim?tag=catracing1-20

 Other parts needed, not through affiliate program.
Diamond Antenna Magnet Mount (UHF Mount)
 https://www.dxengineering.com/parts/dmn-k702m

Yaesu SCU-62 (10 Ft Separation Cable)
https://www.dxengineering.com/parts/ysu-scu-62

If you need a longer separation cable (20Ft) order the CT-132).
https://www.dxengineering.com/parts/ysu-ct-132

I hope you enjoyed the latest technical blog on Brent’s World!
Please visit next weekend for more new content.

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In The Kitchen – Finally able to bake bread again!

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In The Kitchen 
Finally able to bake bread again!

   Back in the 80s, when my dad was putting together survival rations at our property in Julian he needed to learn how to bake bread, and for some reason I would always want to help with the processes.  I loved the feel and the process of kneading the bread, watching it rise, and the smell of a fresh baked loaf!  As this was simply a means to an end for my dad, I continued with it through my late teenage years and into adulthood.  The process just relaxed me, and it was a great break from the normal routine. 

   The cost to start making bread does not need to be expensive. You just need to decide if you are going to use a stand mixer, or if you go the bread machine route.   I have done both, including my last 6 months in Gunsan due to our apartment not having an oven.  The stand mixer gives you a lot more flexibility, but you can still use the bread machines dough setting for the specialty bread recipes.

  What you will need to get started.

  A stand mixer with dough hook attachment, KitchenAid and Bosch both make very capable mixers.  I have always used the Bosch Universal Mixer and current use the Bosch Universal Mixer Plus.  You can also use a bread machine, but I do not recommend this route for the beginner.  I feel that it is important to fully understand the process to make better loaves in the bread machine.

  You will also need!

A Teflon spatula
A good set of measuring cups.  I use a 1 cup measuring cup, and a 2 cup measuring cup.
A set of measuring spoons, with at least a Tablespoon, a Teaspoon, ½ and ¼ teaspoon.
2 loaf pans (9x5in)
A large Pyrex or similar bowl to allow the dough to rise.
A kitchen towel.

  Common ingredients.

Bakers Yeast (I use Fleischmann’s, other people swear by Red Star)
White Flour ( I use All Purpose, other’s recommend ONLY using enriched bread flour).
Whole Wheat flour (If making wheat bread). 
Sugar
Salt (You can NOT leave out the salt.  This is needed to keep the yeast growth in check).
Butter (Some recipes call for vegetable or olive oil).
*Milk (Some recipes, especially bread machine recipes) only call for water.  I find milk makes for a better texture.  The reason bread machine recipes do not use milk is in the event that you are using the delayed baking feature and they do not want the milk to spoil.  In most bread machine recipes if you are baking right away, you can modify it by using half milk and half water.    For instance, if it calls for a cup and a half of water.  Use 1 and ¼ cup water and 1 and ¼ cup milk.

Bread making tips.

  Warm all your liquid ingredients.  Placing your water and milk in the microwave for about 40 seconds is adequate to warm your liquids to a temperature suitable for the yeast to do its thing.  A yeast thermometer is a good device to have (Especially when just starting out), but testing with your finger is also acceptable (As long as your hands are clean!).  You want the temperature to be between 105- and 115-degrees f. 

  If you are baking during the colder months, place a pan of hot water in the bottom of your oven.  This creates a great place for the bread to rise!

  You can do most of your kneading in the mixer!  However, much time your recipe calls for the dough to be kneaded by hand, you can go ahead and knead it in the mixer.  I would mix for a minute or 2 and check the consistency and add a little bit of flour as needed (No pun intended!), for the first 10 minutes of the kneading process, then take it out of the mixer and knead the last 5 minutes by hand.

 There are plenty of bread recipes online for you to try, though you might also want to try one of the classics.  The recipe book my dad bough and that I still use is called The Bread Book (The Complete Book On Making Bread) by Lou Seibert Pappas.  The book has gone out of print but you can still find it used on Amazon and eBay.

Click here for a recipe for Honey Wheat Sandwich Bread.

Here I am making the above recipe!

  I hope you try your hand a bread baking!  If you used this blog to get started in the wonderful hobby or are a seasoned baker and used the recipes found here, please leave a comment, or visit our forums!

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Support Brent’s World!  Good content costs money…  If you wish to support Brent’s World, please consider purchasing the recommended equipment in this blog by using the links attached…

BOSCH Universal Plus Kitchen Mixer (Wire Whips, Dough Hook & NutriMill Dough Hook Extender Bundle).

This Old Radio – Replacing Memory Battery on the HTX – 202 & HTX – 404

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This Old Radio

Replacing memory battery in the RadioShack HTX-202 and HTX-404 Transceivers.

  One of my goals when coming back to the United States was to finally upgrade my Amateur “Ham” Radio License to Amateur Extra class.  I have been wanting to upgrade my license from a General Class license since the late 1990s.  I just could not get the advanced math in the radio theory down. 

   With the help of Gary Wise’s (W4EEY) Amateur Extra License YouTube classes I was able to get the theory down enough to go take and pass the exam in February 2024! 

  Now that I was a certified Extra Class Ham Radio operator, I figured it was time to actually do some Extra Class activities, such as fixing some older radio equipment.  I have 2 old Radio Shack 2 meter, and 70cm (440MHz handheld transceivers.).  I like these radios because they actually look like radios, and are almost indestructible!  However, being so old, their mercury button type batteries that hold memory settings have long gone the way of the dodo, and produced an Er1  1 message on power-up.

  Using the instructions on Craig LaBarge’s (WB3GCK) blog, I ordered the parts and a new soldering station on Amazon and set aside the time to replace the batteries in my radios. 

Soldering Station
Button Battery  Holder 
4 pack of CR2032 3 Volt Button type batteries
CRAFTSMAN  Precision Screwdriver Set
  • Support Brent’s World.  If you purchase from Amazon using these links, proceeds will be used to support the blog and new content!

So, let’s get down to business!

First I remove the Belt Clip from the back of the radio using the no.1 (2.5′) Phillips head screwdriver from the CRAFTSMAN precision screwdriver set.(2 of my radios did not have these attached, as I used them in a radio holder on a utility belt.).

Next I remove the 4 screws, latch and battery rail from the bottom of the radio Also using the 1 (2.5′) Phillips head screwdriver, Pay close attention to how the plastic latch assembly sits on the radio.

Once this is done, it is time to remove the 5 screws holding the back of the radio on, use the No.0 (1.5″) Phillips head screwdriver, and carefully remove the screws.  If the smaller #0 driver feels too loose in the heads of the 4 corner screws you can use the larger #1, but not on the center screw which is smaller. (The screws are very soft, and you might not be able to find replacements!). Once the screws have been removed, lift the back off the radio.

Carefully life the top circuit board out of the lower casing, and set it beside the radio.  Be careful as it is still attached by a ribbon cable.

You can see the mercury battery used to store the memory settings.

We will now heat up our soldering iron (I set the temperature to 670F), You need to be careful not to get things too hot! 
When the tip is hot enough to melt the solder, desolder the negative lead on the left side of the battery. (It is just soldered to the aluminum shielding seen in the picture.).

Next cut the positive RED wire as close as you can to the metal lead and remove the battery (It is secured to the metal shielding using a foam adhesive.)

This is what it will look like when removed.  I used rubbing alchohol to remove as much of the adhesive that might be left on the shielding as possible.

We will now place the button battery holder into the radio. Bend down the negative terminal of the battery holder so it naturally makes good contact to the shielding.  Using tape or double sided tape, secure the battery holder to the metal shielding inside the radio.  Then solder the negative terminal to the shielding making sure it makes good contact.  Now strip the insulation off the red positive wire and solder it to the positive terminal of the battery holder.  NOTE: I used electrical tape to tape the ribbon cable to the side of the radio out of the way, as I did not want to damage it soldering the negative lead of the battery cable onto the shielding.

Place the battery into the battery holder.

Remove the electrical tape holding the ribbon cable to the side of the radio (If used).

Carefully reassemble the radio, once reassembled, attach the battery back, and hold down the function, and D on the keypad while powering on the radio to clear the Err 2 message.  Turn off the radio, and power on again.  If everything is working as it should.  You will no longer receive the Err 2 message!  (NOTE: Yes, I am using the 12v 600ma wall adapter to power the radio enough to test for the Err 1 message.  There is not enough current to tx using the wall adapter, so do NOT try to TX, doing so may damage the radio!”

I hope you enjoyed this weeks blog!  Please be sure to come back next week for more exciting content.  If you wish to be notified when new content is posted, please consider registering, by clicking here.