I first heard about Quick-Glo from a segment on Jay Leno’s Garage, where he highlights America products. Quick-Glo was a metal polish that worked like magic on slightly rusted chrome. Of course, once chrome is compromised, it’s never going to be like new again, but Quick-Glo did a shockingly good job of removing light rust, polishing the surface, and then sealing the surface, preventing further rust. I’ve had excellent results with the product, and it’s got a huge following among owners and restorers of classic cars, motorcycles, and even bicycles.
Insta360 blatantly misrepresents the most critical feature of their One X2 camera. There are other major problems with the device, but the misrepresentation is the most egregious.
I bought an Insta360 One X2 to record motorcycle rides. The specifications proudly claim:
Run Time 5.7K@30fps – 80 minutes
This gives the impression that one can record for 80 minutes. One cannot. In fact, the camera will record for only 30 minutes. This would be acceptable if that was the maximum size of a segment, and if it immediately began recording a new segment, but that’s not what happens. Instead, recording stops for an arbitrary amount of time (people report 45 seconds to minutes) before recording begins again.
So, why does it behave in this weird way? Insta360 representatives will give varying nonsensical explanations about needing to flush a buffer (as if it’s not continuously writing) or wanting to reduce the risk of corrupting larger videos, but the reality is that it’s a way to avoid an EU tariff on “video recording devices”. By limiting recordings to 30 minutes, they can claim that the device is merely a camera, not a video recording device.
Additional issues are the absolutely awful wind noise elimination, and, reportedly, security issues.
The noise reduction algorithm will basically prefer wind noise from around 20 mph and up, while also severely muting the sound of the engine. Even when placed behind a motorcycle windshield, enough wind will pass to almost completely mute out your motorcycle engine in favor of the steady whoosh of passing air. It’s wildly inferior to my relatively ancient GoPro Hero 4 Session (released in 2015), and reviews of the Hero 4 Session complained about its sound quality!
Regarding security issues, this Reddit thread details the massive vulnerability in the Insta360 One X2, and comments mention that the mobile app requires permissions that it has no business asking for: https://old.reddit.com/r/Insta360/comments/scsue6/really_cool_insta360_one_x2_hidden_feature/
I need three, five-foot lengths of 7/8″ x 0.065″ 4130 Chromoly tubing, so here’s a price comparison:
Seller
Per Foot
Price
Shipping
Total
Wicks Aircraft and Motorsports
$4.93
$73.95
$51.12
$125.07
Stock Car Steel
$6.54
$98.18
$37.30
$135.48
Aircraft Spruce & Specialty
$7.60
$114.00
$49.74
$163.74
Applied Racing Technology
$7.65 (est)
$114.75 (est)
$51 (est)
$165.75
Online Metals
$10.70
$160.50
$23.60
$184.10
TW Metals
$19.80
$297
$17.42
$314.42
The lines containing “(est)” are estimates because their online stores don’t offer five foot lengths.
Online Metals has the highest per-foot pricing, especially since there’s a custom cut charge for five foot lengths ($10.70/ft vs around $8.33/ft for a standard six-foot length, a 28% increase). However, they’ve also got many more locations (Portland, Seattle, Toledo, Wallingford, Los Angeles, Dallas, and Atlanta), making shipping cheaper and pickup possible.
To calculate the approximate CFM of your air compressor, enter your receiver tank volume, start and end pressures, and the time required to reach the end pressure. This form requires that Javascript is enabled in your browser.
While attempting to rework the custom pluming on an old Harbor Freight compressor, I was having a difficult time figuring out what connectors I needed to order. This guide is, by far, the best explanation of the many types of fluid fittings that are out there:
Motorcycles from around the early 80’s until the mid 2000s generally used shunt-type regulators. Newer bikes tend to use MOSFET regulators. The MOSFET type are more efficient and run much cooler (this video does a good job explaining why). The good news is that virtually any older bike can be upgraded with a newer, MOSFET-type regulator/rectifier.
The units to look for are the Shindengen FH020AA or the FH012AA. From what I can tell, the only difference is that the FH020AA is newer. No FH012AA’s were made after the 2011 earthquake and tsunami in Japan. Both are rated to 50 amps max and 35 amps continuous.
The regulator/rectifier units will always have FH012AA or FH020AA stamped on the bottom, as shown here:
Option 1 – More Money, Less Work
RoadsterCycle is a reputable company that sells brand-new, genuine Shindengen MOSFET regulator/rectifiers, along with a kit containing the correct connectors, wire, and crimp terminals. As of 2020, it’s priced at $142.70 shipped. If you don’t want to do any crimping, they sell a pre-crimped kit for $162.70 shipped.
Option 2 – Less Money, More Work
If you’re competent at wiring and willing to do some work, you can find a used regulator/rectifier on eBay.
The FH020AA is found on:
2013 – 2015 CBR500R (Honda part number 31600-MGZ-J01, according to MegaZip)
2015+ Yamaha FJR1300 (Yamaha part number 1D7-81960-01-00, according to MegaZip)
The FH012AA is found on:
2007 – 2014 Yamaha FJR1300
2006 – 2014 Yamaha R1
Of course, they’re also found on many other makes and models, but those are some common ones I’ve found.
Other Donor Bikes
To find other potential donor bikes, search Megazip for those part numbers. Honda, Yamaha. Be sure to pay attention to the listed year.
Connectors
In addition to the regulator/rectifier itself, you’ll need a pair of Furukawa 3-pin connectors to adapt your older-style wiring. Cycle Terminal sells a connector kit for $15.95.
eBay and AliExpress Fakes
There are numerous sellers of fake Shindengen FH- regulator/rectifier kits. They’re actually old shunt-type technology repackaged to look like like the newer MOSFET Shindengen units. The giveaway is the back side, which will have black potting compound or epoxy on the fakes. The real deal will use a stainless steel plate.
Knockoff
Genuine
2024 Update:
I’ve come across some details about additional options. The FH008 and FH012 have the same mounting holes. The FH008 is 35A, while the FH012 is 50A. The FH016 (found on the Kawasaki ZX6) is supposed to be even higher capacity, but I can’t find a specific number.
SH775 – MOSFET series – 35A (14A w/o cooling), 15V max
I wasn’t sure if there’s a lower temperature limit to spraying Rustoleum, but I took a chance. I needed to paint a steel cabinet.
As night was falling, at a temperature of around 34°F, I sprayed Rustoleum Oil-Based (alkyd) enamel, thinned with acetone, using my trusty Harbor Freight HVLP gun. After sitting for a couple of hours, I brought the cabinet into the attached — but poorly insulated — garage. The overnight low was supposedly 14°F, but the garage probably averaged around 30°F for most of the night.
At around 16 hours after spraying, I returned to the garage and found the paint completely dry to the touch. I could make a fingernail mark with enough pressure, but I was able to reassemble everything without marring the finish.
This isn’t to say you’ll get optimal results, but the paint sprayed, covered, and dried as expected. I’ll update this post if I see any signs that adhesion or strength was compromised.
I bought a cheap, Chinese MIG welder and needed some C25 gas. I wanted a cylinder in the 80 – 150 cubic foot range. I checked Airgas first, since they’re less than a mile away. The next day, I stopped at Industrial Welding Supply and was shocked at the price difference:
Airgas
Industrial welding supply
Monthly Rental
$35
$5
Annual Lease
$126 + Hazmat fee
$52, no Hazmat fee
Note: If I remember correctly, the prices for Airgas were for a 125 cubic foot cylinder, and the Industrial Welding Supply prices were for a 130 or 135 cubit foot cylinder.
So, renting a bottle for one year at Airgas would cost a whopping $420 per year, plus fill costs! By comparison, renting at Industrial Welding Supply will be only $60 per year, plus fill costs ($38 to fill with C25). Obviously, I’m going with Industrial Welding Supply. I went with a monthly rental because it only costs an extra $8 per year, and doesn’t require opening a full-blown account. The rental just requires a basic credit check (SSN, drivers license, address, etc.) that took five minutes. The $5 monthly bill is sent out as an actual paper bill, which is a mild annoyance, but somewhat adorably quaint.
Incidentally, on the subject of leases, I was told at Airgas that if I returned a leased bottle after a partial year (e.g. three months), I wouldn’t get any money back. Industrial Welding Supply told me that they pro-rate partial years.
Another minor detail: Airgas mentioned that they only do bottle exchanges (i.e. owner bottles, not rented or leased) up to 80 cu ft, with the odd exception of 150 cu ft. So, they’ll sell you an 80 cu ft bottle, and they’ll sell you a 150 cu ft bottle, but they won’t sell you a 125 cu ft or a 300 cu ft. It’s a weird exception, and may vary by location.
Here are two photos comparing OEM Honda Transalp instrument lights with the Jiawen T10 1.5W SMD 5050 LED instrument lights from DealExtreme (DX.com SKU 394964):
Standard incandescent bulbs.
Both photos were taken at 1/4 second at f/5.6, ISO 800.
The bright spot in the lower (LED) photo is because the Transalp instruments call for one lower-wattage bulb, which I didn’t have on hand.
I’m reproducing a part in carbon fiber, which requires me to make a mold of the existing part. For accuracy and durability of the mold, it’s best if the first layer is sprayed gel coat. Gel coat is normally sprayed with a “cup gun” like the E.S. G100 Cup Gun. At around $175, it’s more than I’d like to spend for my relatively small project, though I’m sure it’s great for professional use.
E.S. G100 Cup Gun, a professional tool for spraying gel coat
Since I already have a couple of the purple Harbor Freight HVLP guns, I wondered if gel coat could be shot with an HVLP gun. My Harbor Freight guns have 1.3 and 1.4mm tips, which are great for shooting paint and primer, but gel coat is extremely thick compared to even a high-build primer. This spray gun website recommends a 2.0mm or larger tip for playing gel coat. It recommends 2.5-3.0mm for “full coverage on boats”, and claims to have guns up to 7.5mm for large molds!
Unfortunately, Harbor Freight doesn’t sell additional tip sizes. It may be possible to find out what gun Harbor Freight copied, go to a local auto body supplier, and look for replacement tips there, but that will almost certainly expensive. Most likely, it’s cheapest just to find a complete, Chinese-made HVLP gun with a tip in the 2.0 – 3.0mm range.
Vaper HVLP gun with 2.3mm tip, from Northern Tool for $39.99 + shipping
I then found this listing for a 2.5mm HVLP gun (eBay seller yescomusa) for $37.90, with free shipping. This appears to be the cheapest option, and it doesn’t require me to swap out any parts when I want to go from shooting paint to shooting gel coat.
Complete HVLP gun on eBay with 2.5mm tip, for $37.99 shipped BEST VALUE
Another option might be the texture spray gun from Harbor Freight, intended for shooting popcorn texture on ceilings. It’s $26.99, and comes with 4mm, 6mm, and 8mm tips. This forum post says it works well.
Harbor Freight Texture Spray Gun, for wall and ceiling texture
Gel Coat Options
TAP Plastics has white or neutral gel coat, without hardener, priced at one pint for $17.25 or one gallon for $89.50.
TAP Plastics Gel Coat, $17.25 per pint, plus catalyst and shipping
