[VAC] Re: winter towing

[Jim Dunmyer <jdunmyer@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Gerald,
 Many of us have a CB radio in our tow vehicle, and Radio Shack has
several such outfits with Weather Radio receiving capability. The
catalog says that those "receive all 7 channels"; one radio even sports
a compass. If you're going to install a CB anyway, it might be a good
idea to look at one of those units.

While typing this, I perused the new 2002 Radio Shack catalog, looking
at P317 for Weather Radios. One looks especially attractive for use in a
trailer *if you have power available*: it has an Indoor/Outdoor
thermometer builtin, with the Outdoor sensor requiring "no wires to
run". They also have several battery-operated Weather Radios on that
page.

I wouldn't be surprised to find AM/FM car stereos available with Weather
Channel capability, although Radio Shack doesn't seem to carry such a
critter. If you're considering an updated radio for your tow vehicle, it
might be wise to check Best Buy, Circuit City, et. al. to see if such
outfits exist. Radio Shack does have home-type AM/FM radios with W.C.
pickup, including one that sets itself from the Atomic Clock. (might not
work inside a metal A/S trailer!)

I had a Radio Shack I/O thermometer in the trailer for over a year and
at least 12,000 miles of towing, and it worked well. Changed it out
recently for a unit that has both Inside and Outside displays
simultaneously, no switching required. It also has Min and Max memories,
so you can see how cold it got last night and how warm the trailer got
during a hot day. 

The little bulb seems to be well-sealed, but the environment in a tow
vehicle would be a bit tougher than the trailer. The good thing is
they're cheap enough (sometimes on sale for as little as 10 bucks) that
you haven't lost much if they do fail. The wire with the Outside sensor
is about 6' long, which might not be enough to route from the dash,
through the firewall, and outside. I suppose if you were careful to
observe polarity and remove the battery before starting, you could
splice in an extension.

This is looking more and more like a "gotta have" gadget. <<grin>>

                                    <<Jim>>