WHY all this complexity?

[Industrial Toys]

I have been in the security business for twenty or so years. I don't own a smart phone, just a dumb one. The first I only got a couple of years ago, finally retiring my good old PAGER!

I go for lunch and leave my phone in the truck. I see young kids with their smart phones laying on the tables by their food. They check them every few minutes. I often wonder if they are Doctors, checking up on a patient status after a morning of risky surgery! Yet they are dressed like a carpenters apprentice. It leaves me puzzled!

I was looking for a carpenter to do some work at a customers. I approached a retired school teacher that a friend of mine used as a jack of all trades kind of guy. In the middle of explaining what I was looking for, his phone rang, and without saying a word he grabbed it and answered it. I walked away and never talked to the guy again!

 

[k0ua]

Oh and has anyone prices new TMC sensors. They are about as much or more than the tire itself.

Don't buy them from the dealer.. BIG ripoff. Buy them from Tirerack.com Much cheaper than OEM.


Well lets see now.. I love my power seat, I wish it was 8 way instead of just 6 way.. The recline function is manual.. I hate that. I love Sirius XM satelite radio. Remote keyless entry, and OnStar can be handy once in a while. The heating and air controls are OK, on my truck, but I do agree twist knobs are easier to operate on the go than the push buttons. Ironically on the 4wd controls they have switched back to a twist know when they used to be push buttons.:laughing:

The blutooth is nice to use the speakerphone function to talk on my cell phone. I love my park assist function. and while I don't have a backup camera on this vehicle I do on the Chrysler, and love it. Long story short, I guess I like most of this stuff. Then again I embraced computers back in the TI-99 days. And got an IBM back when it had an 8088 for a processor.

I programmed and installed phone systems and voicemails for decades.. Yes many of those voice mails I installed are still in use, some even with my voice on the menu's:laughing: YES it is true, you can blame me for some of it! What can I say, I am a techno-nerd, I play with radio's and computers, and heck I even like tractors. I do prefer the more deluxe ones though!

Here is a little something sitting in my "radio shack" it has some buttons and knobs and displays on it.:laughing:

 

[Industrial Toys]

73s from VE3 TFE

Nice Rig. Never seen anything like it. I used to be more involved with VHF/UHF repeaters. We used to pride ourselves on having mobile communications when that was strictly the domain of Police, Fire, military and so forth! Now a nine year old kid has communicators that we could have never dreamed of.

The Internet really killed Ham Radio in my opinion. Although, one day that could change in the blink of an eye!

 

[k0ua]

73s from VE3 TFE

Nice Rig. Never seen anything like it. I used to be more involved with VHF/UHF repeaters. We used to pride ourselves on having mobile communications when that was strictly the domain of Police, Fire, military and so forth! Now a nine year old kid has communicators that we could have never dreamed of.

The Internet really killed Ham Radio in my opinion. Although, one day that could change in the blink of an eye!

It is just an old Icom 756 ProIII. You would never know ham radio was dead by the crowded HF bands on a contest weekend!:laughing:

73 de K0UA

 

[Garandman]

I have a 2013 F150 and its my opinion that the Ford info/nav/radio units are pretty much garbage for anything other than playing the radio.-J

The early Ford Synch was hated by just about everyone.

They introduced a new version called Synch3 for 2015. We ordered a new Transit van with nav but haven't taken delivery yet. It is upgradable via Wifi.

I find the GM system pretty easy.

 

[Garandman]

Well...i'm in my mid-60's and have no issues with my F150's infosystem. Pairing both our phones was easy as can be. I suspect they didnt read the manual.

The term "RTFM" dates back to the first military electronics....B17 pilots assigned to fly B29's thought they were needlessly complex and "new fangled."

But Youtube has many instructional videos and new users might find them easier to grasp. The owner's manual for our Honda Odyssey is nearly 800 pages, and there is a separate one for the nav/radio/video system. The van has five fuseboxes.

 

[Garandman]

I've hd my Sierra since 08, ans still don't know how to use the heating/cooling system. I probably never will! Remember when you had those trianglular vent windows in the front corner? And each front kick panel had a knob you pulled out for the vent. How easy , and effective was that? You could change the heater motor bolted on the the outside of the firewall in minutes. My last three vehicles have been incapable of delivering the kind of hot air to the floor that the simple old vehicles could!

Have to ask what those three vehicles were?

Are you just trolling? We have a Chevy Express van that very likely has the same HVAC system as your truck. There are three knobs in the middle of the dash. The left one is fan speed. The middle one is temp: blue is cold, red is hot. The right hand knob sets the mode, and one of the modes is a pictograph showing an arrow towards the floor. What system did you have that was simpler than that?

 

[JDgreen227]

Have to ask what those three vehicles were?

Are you just trolling? We have a Chevy Express van that very likely has the same HVAC system as your truck. There are three knobs in the middle of the dash. The left one is fan speed. The middle one is temp: blue is cold, red is hot. The right hand knob sets the mode, and one of the modes is a pictograph showing an arrow towards the floor. What system did you have that was simpler than that?

The 2 lever and 1 fan switch system I mentioned in my original post on my '85 Crown Victoria was simpler than the one your Express has and I preferred the controls in my Ford over the 3 knob system my Y2K GMC has.

 

[Utopia Texas]

My 1919 Ford Model T and 1931 Ford Model A have the simplest AC/Heater systems. You sweat your balls off in the Summer and freeze your butt off on the Winter!

 

[Whatswrong]

But at least in Texas the winter will should be only moderately cold ,freeze could be just chill.