Darn....

[TC Chris]

My neighbors down the alley had put out some antique-ish furniture for garbage day and the garbage guys had left it. This a.m. I noted a big black square box sitting on one of the chairs. Tonight I checked it out and it was an AR subwoofer. Tonight's project was replacing the winter markers on my boat mooring out in Grand Traverse Bay with the summer mooring float, so I figured it would be safe there for a couple more hours and I could nab it in the dark. So off I went with the dinghy in the back of the truck and did the mooring thing successfully. And when I drove back into the alley. Somebody else had snagged it. Boo. Not that I really need more orphan electronics....

Chris Campbell

[electra225]

We can't save them all, Chris, as hard as we may try. You have certainly rescued your share, as have most of us on this forum. It seems like you have to strike while the iron's hot in most situations like the one you shared. If you delay, the item disappears, then you are left to wonder its fate......

[TC Chris]

Well, now I can un-darn my post. As I rode the bike up the alley on the way home this evening, I saw a black box back on the chair. Yup, the sub was returned.

That probably means that somebody snagged it and it did not work. Never mind; I can either fix it or use another amp. I paused a moment to decide whether I would wait until after dark, but that did not work out so well last time, did it? So it's sitting by my shop door. The speaker is intact (surround not failed). And if the amp has really blown up, there are some good gold-plated speaker terminals, and a couple knobs, and a heat sink, and a switch, and a fuse holder, and a speaker (unless the voice coil has burned up). We're all scroungers, right?

Chris Campbell

[Dr. Radio]

Chris,

I guess that means you were "meant" to get it.

I took your story as a lesson.

This evening I rescued something my neighbor put out for the garbage. It's a little work table with fold down "wing" ends and a (frozen) mechanism to "unlock" by lowering the wheels to roll around.

It will need a resto..... but tomorrow is garbage day so there wasn't a lot of time to think on it.

[TC Chris]

The same alley collection that contained the sub also has an old steel-wheeled mechanic's creeper that's now on legs as a table (???). I may snag that too. None of my cars are creep-able, even the truck, but it might be useful for bottom work on the boat.

Chris Campbell

[Firedome]

Glad you could rescue it! A sub is nice to fill in those low bass notes in systems otherwise lacking.

Last time we put out a "winter stick" aka "sully stick" winter mooring marker some ice fisherman stole it over the winter. It was brand new and cost 80 bucks, so we went without one last winter, meaning that we'll (our son actually lol) have to do a bit of diving to pick up the mooring chain attached to the mushroom and attach the big ball for the summer.
We have 2 moorings, one closer inshore for when water is deeper, but this year it's only 4' deep there so it'll be easier to find, water level is way down this dry spring, sometimes it's 6' there. Got some work done on the boat this last week, she's ready to launch in June. Luckily aluminum pontoons need little maintenance. Lots of space on her too, we had 8 birthday party kids + 4 adults on her last summer for one fun voyage.

[TC Chris]

I always use two winter floats: one on the surface, one below but not too far down. That way if the surface one disappears--carried away by the ice, sliced by an iceboat runner, victim of a power boat prop, etc.--i can snag the lower one with a hook. Before doing that, the winter float disappeared once and had to drag a grapple hook to catch the chain. My surface float is a black antifreeze jug, on the theory that the black device will warm in the sun in the spring and maybe melt itself a little hole in the ice. That way when the ice moves in the spring, the float ducks under. The theory, at least. No ice this past winter.

Chris Campbell