nature blog – Velox Seeker

Chuwi Hi10X Windows Tablet Powered by a Baseus Battery Pack…

This post isn’t exactly fishing related, but I am toying with the idea of moving my fishing journals and notes over to a digital format and this tablet would work.

I needed a Windows tablet for my Amateur Radio hobby and also because I was looking for something portable for field use. Possibly to do blog posts or edit photos as well. Unfortunately, so many SDR (software defined radio) apps are Windows based and several of my Amateur Radio programs are Windows only. I’m not a programmer so I have to play the game.

This little tablet is surprisingly well built with an aluminum shell and it came with a nice keyboard and stylus. The specs weren’t too bad either…6GB of RAM and a 128GB eMMC drive. Not a Ferarri…but a family sedan has its uses too.

I have a laptop that I use a lot but it is large and also a power hog and I was hoping for something more efficient. Tablets are always a compromise solution since the processors aren’t that great. And true to form, this Chinese tablet threw me a curveball with the included power cable. It’s an AC wall wart that terminates in a USB-C cable outputting 12VDC @ 2Amps. I had never seen a USB-C pushing 12 volts.

Great for home use but useless when out in the field. I don’t like using inverters because it seems ridiculous to go from DC to AC and back to DC voltages. NOT efficient.

So after doing some research I found a thread where people were experimenting with various componentry to get it to charge from a battery pack. They recommended the Baseus 65W 30,000mAH battery and a Voltage Trigger assembly of some sort. It seemed simple enough so I searched on Amazon and ordered one as it was relatively cheap and I can always use another battery pack.

the USB-C port can output 5V, 9V, 12V, 15V and 20V, Nice!

Next up was locating a Voltage Trigger that tells the battery pack to go from the standard 5 volts to whatever voltage is selected via the push button on the board…in my case 12 volts. I always head over to eBay for stuff like this and for good reason. There is an abundance of choices.

Think I paid $6.85 plus shipping for this particular Voltage Trigger. I opted for the USB-A to USB-C version.

And as they say…”the proof is in the pudding”

I connected a UGreen USB-C to USB-C cable from the Baseus battery pack to the Voltage Trigger board. And from the other end I connected a USB-A to USB-C cable to the Chuwi tablet.

A note of caution here! The Voltage Trigger has multiple voltage outputs so you need to select the appropriate one for your device. Otherwise BAD THINGS COULD HAPPEN. The LED is right next to the push button switch and is color coded to correspond with the voltage settings. In my case: Green = 12VDC. And voila! The tablet started to charge.

The best feature of the Baseus battery pack is that the display will show ouputs of 5 volts, 9 volts, 12 volts, 15 volts or 20 volts when you push the button. I cycled through the Voltage Trigger settings (LED colors) BEFORE connecting to my tablet just to make sure I had the correct voltage output.

It works! A bit convoluted but it’s functional. A protective housing for the Voltage Trigger would have been nice and I will probably try to sort that out. But now I am not tethered to the grid and can take it with me everywhere.

Project complete! A relatively cheap and cost-effective way to lighten my load and still have some functionality. It works and does what I needed it to do.

Current Plans for Fishing in 2022…

We’ve been kicking around the idea of fishing in the Southwestern Missouri, Northwestern Arkansas and Northeastern Oklahoma region this year. There are a few rivers that we have been really curious about. Researching the area, it appears that a canoe will be necessary for some of them but that’s fine with me.

Our friends keep telling us to go fish at Noel Missouri for trout but I’m not interested in fishing shoulder to shoulder with a bunch of people. We prefer some solitude when we fish. And at this juncture in our lives…we’re after native smallmouth bass anyway!

Of course, so much will depend on the weather, especially how much rainfall we get this coming Spring. And lets not forget COVID! Heaven help those who try to ignore it and get on with living.

I’ve managed to track down a few fishing reports and poured over several maps so far. It definitely looks promising. Part of our desire to fish new areas stems from the sense of adventure that we like to incorporate into our trips.

We seem to have our fishing gear “dialed in” and are not planning any significant changes this year so it will allow us to focus entirely on destinations. Non-resident annual fishing permits are reasonable for both states at $49.00 each. So approximately $200 and we can fish Missouri and Arkansas for the year. There will definitely be canoe rentals, shuttles, camping fees, fuel, food etc to contend with…but things are already falling into place and we’re excited.

We can’t fast-forward through Winter so we will do the best we can. Hopefully we will be able to squeeze in a couple of recon trips between now and Spring to get a feel for what we will be dealing with.

There’s always a lot of work to do before we ever step into a river!

10,000-8000 year old Atlatl Point…

A while back I did a blog post entitled “An Oasis” where I briefly mentioned finding an atlatl point while roaming around a particular area that we like to visit.

I am well versed in “outdoors skills” or as they call it these days…bushcrafting. I tend to notice things that are out of place within an environment and this was a classic example. But what started it all off was the topography as well as the flora and fauna in the surrounding area. Once you start putting the pieces together, a bigger picture begins to emerge.

This area is now part of a lake that finally filled up in 1989. I was roaming this area before that time. I can remember the two natural springs as well as the cliff overhangs and natural shelters that offered protection from the elements. Also, I noticed some of the flora that seemed to me to be a bit out of place. Upon further research it was discovered that some Archaic groups were thought to have cultivated some of these plants.

I am not an archaeologist or paleo-botanist but interestingly enough, I tend to forage on these same plants when outdoors. Why pack a lunch and carry extra weight when I can feed off the land. But back to the topic at hand…I had always thought that this area would make a good seasonal camp for our ancestors. There are two high points nearby that allow hunters to see quite a distance out over the prairie/savannah. An asset that our ancestors would not have overlooked. Coupled with natural shelter and water sources close at hand, it seems like a no-brainer to me. Yet one atlatl point does not confirm this idea but it doesn’t detract from the idea either.

These two were found in close proximity to each other. But I seriously doubt the bone would have survived for as long as the point has been around.

Obviously broken yet interestingly, it appears to have been resharpened.

So, what does any curious outdoorsman do? They seek out the experts for more information.

I spoke to a friend of mine who has a sister that is an archaeologist, or more correctly, a lawyer who helps First Nations tribes repatriate artifacts back into their tribes. Once the picture was sent and information given, I got an email from her stating all of the legal ramifications of picking up said atlatl point. Great! Not what I wanted to hear. However, she was gracious enough to forward my information along to some colleagues in the field who ended up getting me into contact with our State Archaeologists.

I offered to take the archaeologists to the area and briefly explain my thoughts and then see what happens. They were excited, yet due to budget constraints were unable to put anything together. I’m sure they see a lot of atlatl points anyway…so I wasn’t surprised.

But it was interesting to get a report from 4 Professors about this atlatl point. Consensus was that it was from the late Paleo-Indian to early Archaic Indian Period (10-8k rcybp) and was classified as a Dalton point. I was pretty excited, but I’m a nerd! I was curious about their position that “it probably washed down the river so it will be virtually impossible to locate its source.” However, a simple glance at a topographical map will show that this is a very small spring-fed tributary that doesn’t extend too far from where the point was found.

I offered to send it to the University but never received a reply back. I think it belongs in a museum but again, they probably have quite a few already.

In my mind…it confirms my theory that this area has been in use for millenia, and for good reason.

Oklahoma Weather…

Funny how it was almost 65F yesterday but only reached 27F today (at 5am). With the wind it felt a constant 14F all day long. We didn’t get much snow thankfully.

The birds kept me hopping though. When I went out back to bust ice in the horse trough, the birds swarmed in for a drink of water. So I went out front and put a bowl of water out by the birdfeeders for them. Needless to say, it kept freezing up so I repeatedly had to refill it. Since I couldn’t go fishing today…what better way to pass the time than to be at the beck and call of a bunch of birds. It was literally a “for the birds” kind of day.

I have no idea how it happens, but when I put out Cardinal seed, they show up. I never see them until then. The suet was a big hit as well and I’ll need to buy some more soon.

It was kind of nice to watch the snow falling and witnessing Zip’s first ever snow. He loved it and like a little kid, constantly wanted to go out in it and play only to come in when he needed to dry off and warm up. Rinse and repeat ALL day.

For not having any plans today…we sure were busy. Stay warm and we’ll catch you on the next one

The Surgery Went Well…

We were up at 0430 so we could be at the hospital by 0600. I was in the operating room by 0715 and the surgery took about 2 hours. So far everything seems to have been a success, but I will know for sure by tomorrow when the anesthetic fully wears off.

I have to wear this wrap for 14 days and am not looking forward to that at all.

For the procedure, it consisted of an A1 pulley release at the left index finger. An Endoscopic carpal tunnel release and a cubital tunnel release and transposition of the ulnar nerve. And thanks to the “Opioid Crisis” I was given a whopping 10 painkiller tablets. Yeehaw!!!

I’m just hoping for a successful and speedy recovery. Granted, typing with one hand takes me a lot longer lol.

Happy New Year!!!

I haven’t decided if it’s 2022 yet or if it’s still “2020 too.” Time will tell.

Our new dog Zip is growing like a weed and coming along nicely. He’s been a joy to have around and brings his own unique character into our lives.

We’ve been busy getting ready for winter and trying to complete our list of chores. It was great to hang out with family and friends over the holidays and to be able to just relax.

The Chickadees have made their presence known and we have filled the bird feeders at their request. Presently it is 43F and raining but temperatures will drop into the teens tonight. Not sure if everything will ice up but we will find out in the morning.

For a bit of bad news… I will undergo surgery on my left arm next week. I have a severe case of trigger finger and while doing that, the surgeon will fix my carpal tunnel issues and my cubital tunnel problem as well. I am not sure how long the recovery process will take but I wanted to get it corrected before the next fishing season started.

As a side note, I’ve been catching up on the latest Japanese Domestic Market fishing gear and trying to see if there is anything that piques my curiosity. Prices seem to be down a bit due to the exchange rate/economy.

Also, since it’s winter, this is the time of year I tend to play with my amateur radio gear and do a lot of shortwave radio listening via my SDR’s (software defined radios). Needless to say, I’m sure some of my blog posts will be a “mish-mash” of various things.

Stay safe out there and here’s to a better year hopefully. Cheers!

Readers…Meet Zip!

This morning we drove out to our daughter and son-in-laws ranch to pick up the puppy. We decided to name him Zip after the Heeler in the movie “Last of the Dogmen” starring Tom Berenger.

The morning started off chilly and 32F but had warmed up to 37F when we arrived. I’m not going to lie…we were excited to pick Zip up. That is literally all we talked about the entire week prior.

Poor little guy got a little car sick on the ride to his new home.

ZZZzzz! Trying out his new bed. He was OUT!

We plan on socializing him for a few months, potty training and basic commands as well. Introducing him to all of the other animals will be fun and interesting. He will be a good fit to our homelife and property. We look forward to many, many years with him.

Putting up Birdhouses…

I have wanted to put up birdhouses around our property for a few years now. I bought two of the Audubon birdhouses and covered them with several coats of polyurethane over the weekend. I even used silicone to seal the top seam to prevent water from seeping inside.

I will start with two and see how it goes. I decided to hang them early so they will be ready for spring so that they are available for any “new arrivals.” It doesn’t show up in the picture but they are both within line of sight of the bird feeders and suet blocks. And unlike my neighbors, we tend to leave the dead standing trees in place to provide more habitat opportunities, so the birds have plenty to choose from.

Currently, the temperatures have varied wildly from 24F all the way up to 78F so I’m trying to get as much done before winter fully arrives. Thanks for reading and have a great day!

Is a puppy in my future?

Our daughter got married yesterday so the wife and I arrived early to help out with anything that needed to be done. As we went around to the back of the house we heard a cacophony of noise coming from a dog run. As we peeked inside there was my daughters dog named Maisie with her litter of 7 puppies.

I have never “picked” a dog, quite the opposite. To date, every dog I have had has picked me. And this little guy walked right up to the fence and started pawing my fingers. I reached in and picked him up to give him a good look. I put him down and he followed me all over the yard. His temperament seemed pretty even and we seemed to get along well. The litter will be fully weaned around Christmas time so I may pop back over and take him home.

Obviously, the wife has some input into whether I can get the puppy so I will keep my fingers crossed. I have always wanted a Heeler pup, so we will see how things play out.

Leather Sheaths…

For a long time I have wanted a leather belt sheath for my Swiss Army Alox Farmer knife. I was perusing the Etsy site when I ran across a vendor by the name of WideRiverChe and decided to order sheaths for my Farmer as well as my Leatherman Wave. This particular seller is based in the Ukraine so it takes awhile to receive via regular mail. I can promise you that it is worth the wait. These 2 sheaths are well made and fit like a glove as well as looking nice.

I am not selling anything but if anyone is interested in these sheaths or various others that WideRiverChe makes, check his site out on Etsy.

Our Elders…the Missing Link?

I was speaking to a friend the other day and he was lamenting the fact that he feels abandoned by his parents. For reference, this guy has a family, has his own home and is doing well. His parents sold everything and moved to Florida unannounced. Personally, I don’t have a problem with their decision per se, but what baffled me is that his folks just disconnected from the family. They want to just enjoy their remaining days and cannot be bothered with anything else.

My point to this blog post is that traditionally we have looked to our elders for wisdom and guidance. If they just disconnect, we lose that. We know they have had rough times in their lives and can give us perspective on said occurrences. Especially now, in these seemingly tumultuous times…we NEED them.

Personally, I have heard the excuses. “I’m too old” or “I’m tired” or “nobody wants to hear what we have to say.” Yet, I think we need to hear their perspective and the wisdom they can share. I know it seems like the current culture wants the adults to sit down and shut up, but we know better. We were taught to respect our elders and should continue to do so. 80 years of life experience is valuable and should be shared to any and all who are struggling. Seriously…would you take marriage advice from someone married twice in 10 years or someone who has been married for 60 years?

The buzzwords of discrimination ( OK Boomer ), inclusivity ( they created the problem ) and diversity ( they’re too old to be relevant ) seem farcical when compared to the actual dialogue going on in todays society. The fact is that we are ALL guilty to some extent and we ALL need some guidance and wisdom.

So the message to our Elders is that we need you and value your experience and to please share what you can. You are still valuable, have purpose and are appreciated.

Happy Holidays and remember your Elders…

Making the Change…

For a long time I have been hoping for a better option to replace the lead bullets I have been using for hunting. Recently, CCI released their Meateater .22 Copper polymer bullets which are lead free. I finally managed to purchase two boxes and plan on using them exclusively from this point forward. I plan to see whether they manufacture similar rounds for other calibers as well.

Currently I am using a CZ 457 .22LR for small game hunting. I absolutely love everything about this rifle, especially the accuracy. You definitely get what you pay for here.