wayne77590 Report post Posted February 9, 2021 Richard, My communications with Ring disclosed the same thing and it has to do with the WiFi signal. The recommended, and I added, the Chime Pro. It extends coverage for the ring Ring devices. Not saying it will work within the climate that you have, but worth a try. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
richard5933 Report post Posted February 9, 2021 Thanks Wayne. I already have a really nice mesh WiFi network which provides great coverage to all the areas where the Ring devices are located. They problems with the doorbell are really simple and quite disappointing - the doorbell uses a lithium battery for power. The hard wire option doesn't actually power the unit, instead it merely works to keep the battery charged. As we all know, lithium batteries won't charge below a certain temperature, so having it hard wired really doesn't help in winter here. The battery will discharge quickly, sometimes in less than a day. Can't for the life of me figure out why they can't simply use the hard wired power supply to just run the door bell directly - the battery pack is large enough to house a simple converter. Maybe I'll have to engineer one myself. The problem with the floodcam is purely quality related - when temps drop to a certain point poorly constructed or low quality components can fail. It appears that's what's happened and the very cold temps simply lowered the ability of the camera to transmit and receive the WiFi signal very far. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
erniee Report post Posted February 9, 2021 Carl- Coffee Creek has cabins— Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wildebill308 Report post Posted February 9, 2021 Do you have to pay for the "site" as well as the cabin? Heck I may need one if they don't get to work. Bill Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wayne77590 Report post Posted February 10, 2021 Richard, I understand the dilemma. You would think they would have a battery option for a cold weather selection. You may be on the right track of just wiring a converter with the right voltage to alleviate the problem. I'd be interested in what you do. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
erniee Report post Posted February 10, 2021 I believe you just pay for cabin Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wildebill308 Report post Posted February 10, 2021 2 hours ago, erniee said: I believe you just pay for cabin Yes it made me remember a place I stayed in in FW back in 2000 when I was full timing in my RV. The park had a house in the back and the park owner charged lot rent if you rented the house. That is in addition to the house payment. Bill Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
manholt Report post Posted February 11, 2021 Unless it is in Norway, Sweden or Newfoundland, my wife balks at that idea! Can't say I blame her. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rayin Report post Posted February 11, 2021 (edited) I meant to put this in picture of the day and fat-fingered the topic, enjoy it anyway. Edited February 11, 2021 by rayin Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
erniee Report post Posted February 11, 2021 Sitting here with rain and 40 degrees in Vidalia, Louisiana- waiting till it gets real cold before coming home Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wildebill308 Report post Posted February 11, 2021 1 hour ago, erniee said: Sitting here with rain and 40 degrees in Vidalia, Louisiana- waiting till it gets real cold before coming home Well it is 23 this morning in FW. They are talking measurable snow on Monday. I would check the weather before heading back. Bill Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
richard5933 Report post Posted February 11, 2021 I see there was quite the weather-related mayhem on I35W in Ft. Worth this week. I remember when we moved to Dallas in 1976 from the NY/NJ area. It was almost humorous how unprepared the city was for winter weather, having to use road graders to clear snow. Hope things have gotten better. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
manholt Report post Posted February 12, 2021 Richard...NOT. This morning was proof! What brought you to Dallas? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
richard5933 Report post Posted February 12, 2021 My father's territory had included Texas and the Southwest for years when he worked as a grunt in a stock brokerage house in NY. A firm was opening a new Dallas office and offered him a position - he jumped at the chance. Besides wanting out of NY, he saw a future which included trying to put four kids through college which was much more affordable in Texas. So in the summer of 1976 he came home one day and announced we were moving. And that was that. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wildebill308 Report post Posted February 12, 2021 The problem is not snow but ice. They put down brine but once you get a layer of ice you are done. Most of the time you can't see it esphialy in the dark. Don't make the mistake of thinking I can drive on it because I am use to winter driving. No one can drive on that glare ice. They had some videos on the news https://www.wfaa.com/ Bill Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wayne77590 Report post Posted February 12, 2021 (edited) Richard, I've seen where they put a blade underneath the bed of a dump truck and raise and lower the dump to scrape the road. True story: Heading to Omaha one year in wife's Town Car and on the Kansas Pike. Came to a little rise in the road and there were cars in the median ditch and emergency response was there with all lights blinking. We were traveling at the speed limit and I heard "Whhhhiiiiizzzzz." My wife was driving. I hollered "Get your foot off the break, get your foot off the break, GET YOUR FOOT OFF THE BREAK." Finally she did and we went sailing past the cars in the median. She said, "What happened," and I replied "Black Ice." I really believe that the saving grace was that the TX was in tip top mechanical condition and the trunk of suitcases was evenly distributed. If only one front wheel was tighter in breaking than the other - we would have joined those cars in the median. Funny thing was that she was a smoker at that time and did not smoke in the car. She asked, "Can I pull over and have a cigarette?" Who am I to say no - so she did. They should change the name to "Clear Ice," is the ice color really fits the color of what it is on. "Concrete Ice, Wood Ice," it's just clear ice. Edited February 12, 2021 by wayne77590 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
manholt Report post Posted February 12, 2021 Nomenclature comes from, what it looks like at night. "Black Ice!" Since bridges and overpasses freeze before roads,, it tends to be coldest right before false dawn. Clear ice, makes equally good sense to me! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
richard5933 Report post Posted February 12, 2021 I remember back in the 70s many of the main roads in Dallas were still mounded up quite a few feet higher than the secondary roads. Most of the major streets were still just two lanes, not the six+ lane roads that are there now. When there was ice like you're describing, it was sometimes impossible to get out of our neighborhood since doing so required climbing quite a hill to get up onto the main roads - we were surrounded by Hillcrest, Preston, Belt Line, and Spring Valley in north Dallas, and all of them were like this. After decades of living in NY & NJ, my father thought he was an expert at winter driving. Sure enough, first time out in a winter storm and wouldn't you know he slid right off the road into the ditch trying to cross Preston Road. Guess he was so used to driving with studded snow tires that he didn't think twice about it, ice or no ice. Only this time he didn't have the studded tires any more. There's at least one thing we do differently up here in winter vs. in the south - Either four wheel drive, snow tires, or both. Lots of people try to get by with all-season radials, but like many all-season RVs they're not really good at all 4 seasons. Night and day difference having the proper tires and four wheel drive. My first winter up here I had my old 2wd Ford Ranger - even with a couple hundred pounds of sand in the bed it was horrible. One didn't even make it through the first winter before trading it in for a Jeep. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
manholt Report post Posted February 12, 2021 (edited) None of my Jeeps would have made it yesterday and both have off road tires....our problem in Texas, this don't happen often, about once every 5+ years. So nobody has chains or stud tires, that I know of. Right now, according to UPS & Linda's son, you can't drive to our house in Burnet, due to ice! 1/2 mile walk each way. I lived and worked out of Stavanger, Norway in the 70's and never had more than aggressive snow tires on my 73' Jeep, rest of year was A/T's. My 1972 MB 280SL had street tires, Company car! I don't remember clear or black ice. Edited February 12, 2021 by manholt Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rayin Report post Posted February 13, 2021 (edited) 7 hours ago, manholt said: Nomenclature comes from, what it looks like at night. "Black Ice!" Since bridges and overpasses freeze before roads,, it tends to be coldest right before false dawn. Clear ice, makes equally good sense to me! I nearly lost my DW in Feb. 2016 when she hit a patch of black ice in a curve on a state highway.. The front wheels of her Jeep slid straight ahead until they got onto the crushed stone on the berm. The stone threw her Jeep into a spin, then a large oncoming box truck rear-ended her Jeep. Edited February 13, 2021 by rayin Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
manholt Report post Posted February 13, 2021 OMG. I don't wish that on anyone! Friend or foe....I knew your DW had been in an accident and hope she's doing better now! What's wrapped around the rear axle? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
hermanmullins Report post Posted February 13, 2021 Thank God you still have her with you. 🙏 Herman Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
hermanmullins Report post Posted February 13, 2021 For all that may have been going to the Lone Star Rally at Coffee Creek RV Park in Santo, Texas, I am sorry to say it has been cancelled due to the weather condition expected next week. The temps and snow are predicted to be very bad. Herman Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
erniee Report post Posted February 13, 2021 We drove from Vidalia. Louisiana to mineral Wells yesterday. Thank God for Prevost over the road heat. Nice and warm and no cold spots. we got back just in time to receive email about the rally in santo. Hope there is another rally when the temps get normal Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
hermanmullins Report post Posted February 13, 2021 The next Lone Star Rally is in Marble Falls at Sunset Point April 15-17. There have been limited spaces assigned so if you would like to go you might call Sunset Point and make a reservation now. (830-798-8199) Herman Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
