Same here, although I manage fairly well when shoveling there is something rather disorienting when it comes to managing a snow blower. Now I have some minimal usable vision but the fact is when everything is white like my house, neighbor's house, and both garages it some times gives me vertigo is the closest I can describe it. Before moving here at my dad's house I didn't have that problem as there happened to be plenty of markers I could judge by, bushes trees ETC but here life can get interesting. David Ferrin www.jaws-users.com Life is what happens after you have already made other plans. ----- Original Message ----- From: "RJ" <rjf...@verizon.net> To: <blindhandyman@yahoogroups.com> Sent: Tuesday, January 19, 2010 10:45 AM Subject: Re: [BlindHandyMan] Driveway Alarm
Good luck, I gave up on the snow blowing a while back, went I started into the woods and had to get some one to get me and the blower out. My driveway is only 650 feet. smile ----- Original Message ----- From: Dale Leavens To: blindhandyman@yahoogroups.com Sent: Monday, January 18, 2010 23:06 Subject: Re: [BlindHandyMan] Driveway Alarm I have been considering a snow thrower again however similar concerns to yours and the outrageous cost of a desirable unit put me off. I share my drive with a neighbour, it is 32 feet wide and a little over 85 feet to the road. I can't run a noisy machine 85 feet in a straight line and I worry too about where the snow is actually flying, wouldn't want to throw a chunk of something through a neighbours car window or a passing pedestrian. All that notwithstanding, I had thought of setting a 4 foot length of iron pipe into a bucket of cement, 30 pounds or so, one at each end of the run with a light rope pulled between and use that as a guide. Maybe a little tedious moving the standards at the end of each run but it might require only 12 or 15 repetitions to cover the full 32 foot width. The other problem of course is that most of these machines now require both hands on the clutches to keep the thing in motion which leaves at least one too few for additional guidance. So far this winter we have mostly only had a couple of inches at a time although nearly every day but a big dump and I am going to be in trouble. We used to have a chap with a plough on the front of his truck but that isn't an option this year and my neighbour objects to having a front end loader on the new lock stone pavers. Like Bob, I expect you would need a very loud alarm to hear over the roar of a snow thrower and the ear covering required to keep the ears from freezing. Just why it hasn't become popular to make those engines quieter eludes me. Like those quad bikes and them darn special stinger mufflers they now seem to like on snow mobiles, sound like screaming farts on helium. If I was Han Solo I'd probably pet my wookie ----- Original Message ----- From: Rick Hume To: blindhandyman@yahoogroups.com Sent: Monday, January 18, 2010 11:38 AM Subject: Re: [BlindHandyMan] Driveway Alarm It's funny that you'd mention this, as I have been considering a similar project. When I snow blow the drive way, I am often alerted by the family, that I am no longer in the driveway, but actually in the street. I have been considering setting a couple of treated 4 by 4's at the end of my driveway, one on each side. I know that there are units that make use of a beam, that when it is broken can set off an alarm. I would like the alarms to be mounted on the poles as well, to alert me to the fact that I am near the end of the driveway. Has anyone else done something similar or have any suggestions. Thank you in advance for your contributions. ----- Original Message ----- From: Paul Franklin To: blindhandyman@yahoogroups.com Sent: Monday, January 18, 2010 9:39 AM Subject: Re: [BlindHandyMan] Driveway Alarm Dan's messages on wireless bad thing detectors have got me thinking about other wireless devices that can be used around the home. One such device that I have considered purchasing for a while is something to alert me when someone or something comes up my driveway and into my yard. Has anyone had any experience with any of the commercially available driveway alarms? If so what brand or model do you like or dislike? Are they fairly durable and reliable or do you have to throw them away after 6 months, like so many of the wireless door bells on today's market. Thanks for any info that you might be able to provide. Paul Franklin ----- Original Message ----- From: Dan Rossi To: blindhandyman@yahoogroups.com Sent: Sunday, January 17, 2010 8:28 PM Subject: Re: [BlindHandyMan] multipurpose tool I own a Gerber as well. I like it very much, but I prefer a Swiss Army knife for the size. Although, I stopped carrying those as well, but recently picked up a UtiliKey from ThinkGeek.com it is quite literally the size of any of the other keys on my key ring. It has a vitiously sharp knife, bottle opener, flat head screw driver and philips screw driver. Good enough for slicing open packages, and opening a beer. -- Blue skies. Dan Rossi Carnegie Mellon University. E-Mail: d...@andrew.cmu.edu Tel: (412) 268-9081 __________ Information from ESET Smart Security, version of virus signature database 4782 (20100118) __________ The message was checked by ESET Smart Security. http://www.eset.com __________ Information from ESET Smart Security, version of virus signature database 4783 (20100118) __________ The message was checked by ESET Smart Security. http://www.eset.com [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] ------------------------------------ Send any questions regarding list management to: blindhandyman-ow...@yahoogroups.com To listen to the show archives go to link http://www.acbradio.org/pweb/index.php?module=pagemaster&PAGE_user_op=view_page&PAGE_id=33&MMN_position=47:29 Or ftp://ftp.acbradio.org/acbradio-archives/handyman/ The Pod Cast address for the Blind Handy Man Show is. http://www.acbradio.org/news/xml/podcast.php?pgm=saturday Visit The Blind Handy Man Files Page To Review Contributions From Various List Members At The Following address: http://www.jaws-users.com/JAWS/handyman/ Visit the archives page at the following address http://www.mail-archive.com/blindhandyman@yahoogroups.com/ If you would like to join the JAWS Users List, then visit the following address for more information: http://www.jaws-users.com/ For a complete list of email commands pertaining to the Blind Handy Man list just send a blank message to: blindhandyman-h...@yahoogroups.comyahoo! 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