Watching the Watch Makers

Happy Friday! Now that the September is over, along with the hectic summer, I am hopeful to get back to the blogs as well as the next novel already in progress (going back to my first novel to revisit characters). Many of my friends, family, and followers know I learned to repair watches during the pandemic. I fix watches for those in need of such assistance. I also buy lots of watches off eBay and give those renewed watches away to my students, many of whom never owned a watch. My boss bought me a display rake for the office.

It is funny and a little scary to watch students figure out how how to use the watches. They are so use to looking at their cell phones that using a mechanical watch just blows their mind! In any event, for those with old watches, Timex started a new program: Rewound (see https://rewound.timex.com/ for details).

Send Timex your old watches and you can get a coupon with which to buy a new watch. The watches you send in do not have to be Timex watches. Through Timex's Rewound program, old watches will get a new life while parts unused will get recycled. For those longing for a classic watch, check out the restored watches that Timex now sells: https://rewound.timex.com/collections/shop-all

Best wishes to all for a nice and fun weekend!

HASBRO: A Vintage Tale

 Hasbro's Electronic Monopoly: A Vintage Tale

Here's a bit of a change. We archaeologists like to investigate and report on old and new technologies. When of my first projects as an undergrad was to study games from the early to mid 20th century. Well, today, I wanted to continue of the track, looking at some vintage games but from a more recent time: the late 20th century. It was in the late 90s that my Dad bought me an electronic, handheld Monopoly game, produced by Hasbro (the device itself having a production year of 1997, if I am reading the tag correctly). Now, as a prehistoric-specialized archaeologist, that's not old, but then again, that's going back a couple decades now (and we are getting close to 3 decades).

Now, the beauty of the game is that it let you play monopoly anytime against 3 computer players of varying skill level. You can choose your opponents (3 out of 5 choices) or select 'instant setup' where 3 random opponents are selected by the device. I mostly play against choices 3, 4 and 5, which are the most difficult opponents: Connie Cashola, Hot Shot, and Greedy Grannie - Grannie being the toughest). It follows the rules of the regular board game and has a list of 'Transactions' you can utilize during your turn. Now, almost 30 years later, the device operates, but a few properties are not functioning. Understandably.

If memory serves, the screen used to light up. As for the sound, which you could turn on and off, it no longer works. Yet, I still can play the game as the actions of other players are spelled out on the screen. As for the instruction manual, it was not too difficult to track down (I found some at Hasbro.com). The bummer is that I did not see this game for sale anymore. Thankfully, eBay sellers provide an outlet to obtain the game. Some are for sale for under $30, but ones in pristine condition are listed for between $60 and higher. Honestly, if I ever need to replace mine again, $30 to $50 is a range I would be willing to pay. That said, it seems to be a hot item on eBay right now.

Hasbro really outdid itself with this game. You can purchase this game on eBay and Etsy. I imagine there are online toy & game vendors that sell it, too. I ended up getting a second one for under $15 a few years back. The game is a lot of fun to pass the time. I am also researching now how playing such a game can help with a person's brain health, especially as we age. I will update as I conclude that research. Cheers to all and a heartfelt thank you to Hasbro for a great electronic game! Please consider remaking it.
 

My Own Solar Grid - The 5 Year Check-in

My Own Renewable Energy System – A Look Back and Forward

July 19, 2025

 

What the Hell was I thinking? I know I have long wanted to do my part for the environment, my hope to leave the planet in a better place for my nieces and nephews. There is also the issue that I long sought to reduce household costs for my family… reducing the need for gas and electricity supplied by utilities, corporations, and… well the hidden entities people fear are out there controlling everything. Now, I am not one for conspiracy theories. I am just very much in favor of creating the energy I use… or at least recovering/restoring the energy I use. There’s an archaeologist’s spiel for where and why I started. 

I own an acre and a half of land that has woodlands and grass areas. As much as I love my riding lawnmower, I wanted to manage my property, which now includes an apple orchard, with renewable energy. Now having lived here for over 21 years, I am happy to say that I have created a system that is solar-based and is sufficient to mow my huge lawn, snow blow my driveway, and power all the other tools I use in and outside of my home. Don’t get me wrong… I still use my gas lawn mower and snow blowers from time to time for when my body is in pain, but I an happy that I have reduced my need for gas and utility-supplied electricity to power my tools and their lithium-ion batteries. That has been my goal for a long time, but I just put things into motion in 2021.

 

The Power Stations

While I have owned lithium-ion battery powered tools for a long time, it was just in 2021 that I purchased my first power station, which is essentially a rechargeable battery the size of a shoebox. I researched brands (while very concerned about prices), and ended up buying a Westinghouse 160s Power Station. In the years that followed, I purchased and tested other brands, which all had significant technological issues and failed before or after a year of average use. Meanwhile, that Westinghouse 160s power station still works as well as it did on day one. Today, I purchased a second Westinghouse 160s power station as I like backups. Cost of 1^st 160s was I believe $129, which I purchased through Lowes. The new one I purchased today from Amazon was $111.

Given the results of testing other companies’ power stations, priced similarly to the 160s, I plan to NEVER buy another brand other than Westinghouse. My recommendation to all is to buy Westinghouse products. Moving on.

 

Solar Panel Choices

So, I reasoned with a power station would need to be recharged. Well, I could plug it into an outlet to recharge, but I would be using (and paying for) electricity from the utility company. Long story short, I opted to get a solar panel to recharge the power station. I initially purchased a 60W solar panel (that folds up nicely). There was my first mistake. While the 60W works well, it takes more time to charge the power station than a 100W solar panel. So, I saved up and purchased a 100W panel and have been very happy with the time saved (the cost was not too much higher). The 60W solar panel cost me just over $92 while the 100W cost $129.99. The 100W was well worth the price. Today, the cost of that same 100W solar panel is $99 and the 60W is $69 (I purchased these on Amazon). Have you noticed the trend in costs for the power stations and solar panels? Moving on.

 

The Tools: Greenworks to the Rescue

My plan was to use the power station to recharge my tool batteries. Once the power station was drained of power, my plan was to use solar energy to recharge it (after which I would keep recharging batteries). My concern here was having too many batteries. I decided to get a variety of tools that used the same batteries so I didn’t need a variety of chargers. I selected Greenworks’ 40V tools. The tools and batteries were reasonably powered and priced, which is why I chose that brand and voltage. Now, so you know, brand name lithium-ion batteries are much more expensive than the generic batteries available online. I have yet to find a generic battery that lasted as long as a Greenworks battery. That said, as a lifelong employee for non-profit organizations, I don’t have a ton of extra cash. Additionally, I wanted to show others that switching to renewable energy resources was truly affordable. So, I purchased one Greenworks tool with a Greenworks 40V (6.0ah) battery. Over the next 3 years, I purchased 3 generic 40V (6.0ah) batteries, the generics lasting about 90% as long as the Greenworks battery but costing significantly less. The generics cost an average of $57 where a new Greenworks battery cost $179 (for a 5.0ah battery).

As I said, the Greenworks battery lasts about 5 minutes longer than the generics (I can run my 40V self-propelled Greenworks lawnmower for 15-20 minutes on one charge whereas the Greenworks battery lasts for 20-25 minutes.

As for tools, I have the following from Greenworks:

·        A self-propelled lawnmower (cost $349.99) – this came with Greenworks 6.0ah 40v battery)

·        A power inverter ($49.99)/ no battery

·        A 12” Chainsaw ($79.99)/ no battery

·        A snow blower ($263)/ no battery

FYI – I live in Buffalo, New York. When the lake effect snow hits, my Greenworks snow blower can handle it as long as you stay on top of the snow (another reason it is nice to have 4 batteries). I use mine for my deck, but have used it for my 80FT driveway when my gas snow blower broke a belt during a storm. For tools, I spent approximately $743.

*** The inverter allows me to turn one of the batteries into an outlet to power tools or a small heater during a power outage.

The Cost of Gas 

Earlier today I filled up my tank at $3.19 per gallon. I estimate than over a summer, I spend about $120 on gas to fuel just my riding lawnmower. So, the solar-charged tools I have used the last 5 years save me about $600 in fuel costs. As the inverter ($49.99 is not a tool), my tool costs were just less than $700. Factoring in the 3 generic batteries I purchased, we are booking at $850 in startup costs. So, in another year, I will have saved more in fuel costs more than I spent on the tools. Now, if you factor in the tool usage/ in the fall, Spring and winter months, the savings is greater. In the winter I rely on household electricity to recharge the power station, but for me, electricity is cheaper than gas (and I still do get to use the solar panels in winter).  

 

The One Main Issue and The One Unexpected Bonus

It takes time to charge the power station and the individual lithium-ion batteries. So, while I can sit on the lawn mower and be done with the lawn in just about an hour, once I use the batteries, I need to take time to recharge them and the power station. Of course, with 4 batteries, I can get everything done in one hour. However, I would need a minimum of 4-6 hours to recharge the power station and than additional time to charge the batteries off of the power station. By having the 4 batteries, I am able to maintain things pretty well… usually have a spare battery if needed for some other emergency or yard work.  Now for the benefits.

Sure, no more gas for most power needs. This also means no more oil changes and other routine maintenance outside of eventually having to replace a belt or sharpen the chainsaw blade. That’s all cool. Yet, an added bonus happened, which I had not counted on. During storms, especially snowstorms, I may not be able to get to a gas station for more gas. Or, if a belt breaks or some other part fails on my gas snowblower, I have the battery-powered tools to use. Like I said, I can use the solar panels in winter, just not for as many hours as in the summer. And while the 40V snowblower has only a 20” wide chute (vs the 28” chute on the gas snowblower), it still is easier to take care of the driveway without having to shovel. Additionally, I can use the 40V snowblower on the deck. These were nice surprises.

 

What Happens to the Dean Lithium-ion Batteries

I often encounter naysayers of solar energy and lithium-ion batteries/ tools. They argue that the batteries ultimately end up in the trash. Many believe the lithium-ion batteries are not recyclable. For those who believe the batteries are recyclable, they often don’t believe it is easy to recycle lithium-ion batteries. Today, it took me minutes to find a place to recycle the dead power station I owned for the last year (not \a Westinghouse brand power station). Best Buy offers a recycling service free of charge. I literally drove to Best Buy and walked in the front entrance where an employee pointed to a cart where I could deposit the device, without questions, grief or any cost. That’s it.

Now, as for the processes involved in recycling lithium-ion batteries, I suggest you go on Youtube and check out the videos people have created showing the process. It’s quite fascinating to say the least. I would say that most of the battery can be recycled and reused, yet I know many won’t believe it. Watch the videos and documentaries available on Youtube yourself. For those that watch those videos, you may just find some new businesses and technologies to invest in. Just sayin.

·        I watched a video by https://www.youtube.com/JerryRigEverything today that did a great job of showing the process.

 

In Conclusion

Look, I know many are not fans of lithium-ion batteries and solar panels/power. I have friends and acquaintances who argue it’s all a scam and waste of time/money. I hope my research presented here gives you some new insight into things. For me… I am quite thrilled at the money savings along with the reduced harm my tools are doing to the environment. Take care.

 

 

 

Reputation Management: I Didn't Realize This Was a Thing

 I have now completed multiple trainings in 'Reputation Management'. What is Reputation Management? It is essentially a task of reviewing a company's brand and engaging with stores, clients and potential & past customers to boost a company's reputation. This developing field also focuses a lot on repairing damage from poor reviews.

As an author, I've had a few bad reviews myself. It happens. Most authors (or any individuals that sell products and services) recognize that bad reviews happen. Yet, sometimes, we get bad reviews that are unwarranted. For example, getting a 1 star review in which the reader admits they liked the book but states the 1 star review was for the computer they were reading the book on crashed. How the hell is that the author's fault? Yet, that 1 star review can be incredibly damaging, driving away potential readers who see the "1 star" but fail to read the reasons for the 1 star. Companies deal with this all the time. Hence, we now have Reputation Management specialists looking for and reporting such inappropriate reviews.

If you receive such a review, report it. If you are writing a review... be fair!

Where am I? GPS-ready!

 I took this summer off from excavating, but checking out sites is still on my to-do list. I am now part of a group of volunteers that monitor archaeological sites to make sure they are protected With this new task before me, I am now tooling up for more fieldwork. That means more work on the blog, too!

In the new year, using GPS units will become the norm. To help, I purchased a Garmin Etrx to aid with mapping (mapping being one pof my specialties in the field). The Etrex 10 is the unit I purchased. It is easy to use; I will do more testing in the new year as the weather improves - we've gotten a ton of snow in Buffalo so venturing into the woods has been a challenge. In the new year, expect more tool histories and product experiments, which includes a new Ariens snow blower I purchased as Buffalo snowstorms are quite a thing to manage.

Happy New Year to everyone!

And then... Misadventures with Snow Blowers

So, my Troy-Bilt 28" had some issues. Thankfully, the auger cable arrived quickly and was relatively easy to install. Then, as the next storm hit... the auger belt broke. The woodland creatures nearby learned some new swear words that day. Thankfully, I had two backup auger belts for just such an emergency. That is not an easy replacement to make; it takes a bit of time. During the course of the install of the new belt, I got a chance to inspect the machine's inside. The lid over the bottom is rusting a bit. Be mindful of this One screw hole is already useless so I will need to deal with that soon. In any event, I thought readers would get a kick out of my continued snow blower mishaps. For the record, this is the first time this snow blower needed an auger belt replaced as far as I can remember... and it's getting close to 7-8 years old. Not bad.

Prep for Winter: What I should have done

Welp, I thought I had everything worked out and planned. I had put stabilizer in my snow blower in addition to occasionally running the beast during the Spring, Summer and Fall months. I even had the oil changed and stocked up on gas in preparation for the first lake effect storm of the season here in Buffalo, New York. As part of my prep, I have backup belts for my main snow blower, a Troy-Bilt 2840, and I likewise have extra belts for my battery (Greenworks 14V) and electric/corded (Snow Joe) snow blower. Then, the storms hit... and the snow blower failed midway through the work. The years-old auger cable snapped, and I did not have a backup.

KHAN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Okay, so I turned to my backup snow blowers, which helped me get the job done on my 80 foot driveway. Even more helpful was that my amazing neighbor helped with his snow blower. I did a lot of shoveling, too.

As an archaeologist, I am awesome with a shovel. Of course, I have a heart condition and am now in my 50s so I can't shovel like I used to. The battery and corded electric snow blowers struggle with lake effect snow, so it took a while to get done. From that standpoint, I offer a recommendation. Have backup parts for your snow blowers BEFORE the snow hits, especially if you live in an area that gets heavy amounts of wet snow. Here's a list of things to have:

1) An extra Auger Belt

2) An extra Drive Belt

3) An extra Auger Cable

4) An extra Drive/Transmission Cable

5) A replacement spark plug

6) Extra sheer pins

7) A container of oil rated for your snow blower's needs (and check your oil level routinely throughout the winter)

Look, if a cable or belt breaks during a storm, you need to have those replacements. I spent time
installing a new auger cable after work today. I also purchased another auger cable for backup as well as a drive/transmission cable as a backup... just in case. Better to have and not need than to need and not have. For the record, these parts are usually low-cost (I spent $5 per cable). As for the installing process, I turned to YouTube for guidance, and the repair took about 15 minutes to make. For anyone uncomfortable making such a repair, make sure you have a mechanic on-call. I also recommend everyone who can afford to buy a second snow blower (battery-powered or corded-electric). The great thing about those types of snow blowers is I find they do a great job of snow blowing decks. You can often get refurbished snow blowers on Ebay from factory outlets from major snow blower brands.

From the Past...

I just wanted to share an older electric-corded snow blower by Sunbeam (1958)