Recent content by Jager

Great review! Look forward to your comparison of bed vs trailer transport of big, heavy bikes like the GSA (one of the bikes I own).

Hunting and fishing in remote areas is one of my use cases, as well. And for that, EV's still have some challenges. People like to say that the Supercharger network is good enough that range doesn't matter. And that's true, as long as you stay near the interstate network. But leave that...

A better question might be when will battery tech improve to the point where a 500-mile pack can be implemented without the egregious cost and weight penalties such a pack exacts today. A big part of the delay in the Cybertruck was because the the 4680 cell energy density anticipated at the CT...

Based on what you've described, I'd suspect you're probably getting RFI from your HF rig itself. Better grounding and/or a different antenna topology might help alleviate that. Extraneous RF is more typically a problem in the HF world than VHF/UHF. And there'll be an uptick in those issues as...

Glad you're enjoying your install. But I'd caution about reading too much into WSPR reports - while those reports are great for comparing one antenna against another, they're far too weak to be representative of actual HF contact potential, especially on SSB phone. What kind of problems were...

There's a difference between being able to afford something and not seeing the value proposition in a premium markup. Being able to do something, and doing it, are two different things. Some of us refuse, on principle, to pay above MSRP for a vehicle (as many other things). Which is not at...

Battery technology will continue to improve. Higher energy density, ability to accept higher C-rates without harm, and greater longterm pack health are pretty much all givens. And at some point the Lithium-chemistry technology that the entire EV industry turns upon today will give way to...

Given that Tesla is having to actually invent various manufacturing processes for the Cybertruck, one might imagine that this ramp is somewhat unique. Some of what they learned with previous ramps might be a bit helpful. But, broadly, I suspect even senior Tesla management is unsure how...

Lithium chemistry batteries will not charge at or below 0C/32F. A vehicle BMS will constrain charge rates as those temps are approached. So, yeah, EV's benefit from a little more planning when it gets cold. Tesla's have negligible pack cooling from airflow while driving. But the battery pack...

Most of us here are rooting for the Cybertruck, or we wouldn't be here. But the constant need to rationalize whatever choice we've made - like that's the one, pure truth and anyone making a different choice is an idiot - gets a little tiresome.

The chart posted by @BayouCityBob illuminates the central issue at the heart of most of the Cybertruck range and charging woes today. There's much to be said about that, the long and short being that the 4680 has been a very challenged project for Tesla. A high energy, low cost, dry process...

Like @bang21 said, very likely not needed, at least in the context of an ICE pickup with its very high weight-forward bias. That said, throwing some additional weight in the bed of the Cybertruck is likely to improve traction in snowy conditions, simply because you're increasing traction over...

I certainly don't expect a watertight bed in the Cybertruck. The tonneau cover moves within a channel, after all. And it folds. Making it absolutely waterproof would be challenging. But it certainly needs to be significantly water resistant. Beyond the obvious use case of carrying gear -...

Out of Spec does range tests as well as anyone and we should applaud their efforts. I wish Tesla would loan them both an AWD and a CB for a month. The problem is that cars are "rated" for range using an EPA test suite that is in no way remotely akin to what Kyle and company do. And so when a...