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The continuing saga of Niksons 1402 IMP sn 129

Nikson

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Happy New Year everyone. This morning dawned bright and sunny in Ellensburg Wa. Let's hope that's a harbinger of the coming year.
We had our New Years party and fireworks at our good fiends cabin last nite with about 40 people from nearby cabins. Lots of snowmobiles and tracked side by sides. I had the only cat. Everything is working perfectly. (For now!)
We had temps of -10° for about 3 days 2 weeks ago which froze and exploded 1 can of root beer (in a full case) and a bottle of beer in the fridge. (It was off with the door open) but that was it. It was 14 inside. I always drain the water system in winter so that was fine. Takes about a day to get everything warmed up. Its 71 inside and 33 out right now.
Life is good!

Looking good,
Happy New Years!!!
 

turbinator62

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I have tried about 3 different external rearview mirror installations on this cat but none have been entirely satisfactory. The primary issue is I need to be able to fold them in so they don't get torn off when I put the cat in the storage container. I currently have mirrors from a Suzuki motorcycle which can be folded down out of the way, but they are too small for the distance from your eyes that the field of view is inadequate. A friend showed me the mirrors he got for his front loader tractor. They are much larger, fully adjustable and can be folded forward out of the way. They come with magnets to stick in the front loader uprights. I took the magnets off (my cat body is aluminum) and made two 1"X 1" spacers to get the mirror a little farther out and will use two 2" stainless screws to attach them. I'll install them and post the results on our next trip over to the cabin.

The mirrors were about $30 on ebay.
 

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Cidertom

Chionophile
GOLD Site Supporter
Not to hijack, I played around with a few different mirrors on my ST, didn't like anyof them so I went with a backup camera mounted on the rear of the cat and a monitor on the dash. Since I trailer, I got a RF camera. it's wired to the running lights. When I'm trailering the monitor goes into the tow rig, and I can see what's behind trailer as I'm backing. I like it as I can look and see what is behind on both sides at once, rather than looking at two mirrors.
 

KickerM

Active member
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Not to hijack, I played around with a few different mirrors on my ST, didn't like anyof them so I went with a backup camera mounted on the rear of the cat and a monitor on the dash. Since I trailer, I got a RF camera. it's wired to the running lights. When I'm trailering the monitor goes into the tow rig, and I can see what's behind trailer as I'm backing. I like it as I can look and see what is behind on both sides at once, rather than looking at two mirrors.
We might need to take this to a new thread….So you have an RF camera on the cat and 2 monitors; one monitor in the cat and another one in your truck? Interested in specs/links?
 

turbinator62

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I do have a backup camera that is hard wired. The monitor is just above the windshield. I think I only paid like 16 bucks for it and it has worked fine for about 6 years now. It is on all the time so it does work like a rearview.
 

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turbinator62

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We finally made it back to the cabin. We hadn't been here since 3 Jan. Just a few traces of snow here and there.
I put the new tractor mirrors on today. They are way better. These mirrors are about 3 times the area of the old motorcycle mirrors so the field of view is much greater. I mounted them on noticeable. To gdt them out past the door frame. They swing 90° forward and back so they are out of the way when I park it in the container.
Unfortunately they are not as streamlined as the old ones and produce a little more drag. Cruise speed dropped to about 5.28 mph from 5.33. Probably not noticeable.
 

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turbinator62

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Now hold on just a goldarn minute. This thing has a power to weight ratio of .012. That's right up there with the Polish Dombrowski -Sedlitz diesel powered cast iron helicopter.

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=http://discaircraft.greyfalcon.us/Major%20Howdy%20Bixby.htm&ved=2ahUKEwjtgvbLqc7-AhXsAjQIHSbUAn8QFnoECBAQAQ&usg=AOvVaw3A9g-yIFjJ_n0K1gQ-t6Gi

Plus it has comfy seats and does a very good job of turning gasoline into heat and noise!
Not to mention my wife thinks it's "cute".
 
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turbinator62

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We haven't been to the cabin for a while because it's TOO DAMN HOT. I have been working on my plane though. The wing is pretty much done. All the parts are made but I have to take it apart, chromate the inside and do the final riveting. This has been an ongoing project from before I got the snowcat. It is scratch built, not a kit. The only things I didn't make are the wheels, tires and brakes, the nuts, bolts, bearings and the engine core. I did make the prop gearbox, prop hub, blades, exhaust, accessory drive and fuel control mods. It is an 80% scale Air Force T6A trainer. I finally got to where I have the time to really work on it. The wing is 27 feet long and 5 feet wide.
 

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