QuoteJose Pinto Now everybody is beating VW while they're down, and probably everybody else was rigging the emission tests, and now they will certainly try to do that. For me is just the successful company was caught cheating, and the competition is exploiting the situation. It's not the first time that VW, or others, have been caught cheating. Here's an interesting article. h
Forum: Car Talk

QuoteFerdinandMartin Rowe, a Brit, was Production Class World Rally Champion in 2003, and British Rally Champion a few times. He was hired this year as the driver for the Subaru Canada Factory Team, replacing Patrick Richard (Nathalie's brother) who had to retire due to medical reasons. I've heard Subaru would prefer to have a Canadian driving for them instead and Martin's job is
Forum: Community Forum

I had a very lucky escape with my quadcopter while shooting video of a R/C sailboat. I'm getting more proficient at framing the subject while flying by watching what the camera sees on my monitor. But while videoing the sailboat I was nervous about flying too low and maybe touching the water, and it's hard to judge that gap from my monitor view. So I had to occasionally glance away
Forum: Community Forum

QuoteOve KvamHere is a small video of me launching from a mountain some time during the previous millennium: Cool ! That is very similar to the one my friend had back in University, except his didn't have the fancy streamlined hammock, his had just a harness that left you sitting upright. He built his own first hang glider by himself out of bamboo poles and a sheet of plastic. Amazing h
Forum: Community Forum

The TV episode covering the Oct 2-3rd Pacific Forest Rally was posted online today. Neither we or Simon Dubé could afford to travel out west to this one, or to the Oct 30-31st Rocky Mountain Rally. This BMW (The Gravel Machine Gun) finished 3rd Overall, and Chris Greenhouse wrecked his Neon SRT4.
Forum: Community Forum

QuoteOve KvamI gave up hang gliding as well. I didn't know you that you did hang gliding. I had an opportunity to try a friend's hang glider once during university, on a very small gradual slope barely inches off the ground. But I was completely hooked. Other than skydiving in a wingsuit (which I would never try), hang gliding is pretty much as close as one can get to flying like a b
Forum: Community Forum

The rewards are worth the risks. It's a huge rush and a lot of fun (when things go well). Here's the helmet-cam in-car video from Simon Dubé on the stage where all the wrecks occurred. He was running three cars ahead of us in the order. The two cars between us both crashed out. That's why he sees only two cars off, whereas we saw four off. Note different driving style for F
Forum: Community Forum

QuoteOve Kvam With your background from crash analysis, and seeing these brutal crashes in the rallies you participate in, aren't you afraid it will happen to you? There is always the chance of something unexpected happening. But, life wouldn't be worth living if we were afraid to get out of bed every morning. It's all a question of managing acceptable levels of risk. Even ridin
Forum: Community Forum

QuoteOve Kvam QuoteFerdinand We come to the scene of Martin/Nathalie's crash at 5:10 into our video. Do you actually say "That's them"? I was at a loss for words at the time. A little shocked at how much damage they had done to the car, but relieved to see them both out of the car and okay. I've always been a big fan of Nathalie (and have a secret crush on her). For
Forum: Community Forum

The first car in this video is Antoine l'Estage. He won every Cdn National event this year. First time that's ever been done. The crash happened to the Subaru Canada factory entry driven by Martin Rowe, the only one with any chance of catching l'Estage. Fortunately Martin and co-driver Nathalie Richard were both okay. But they were taken to hospital for checkups just to be s
Forum: Community Forum

QuoteDave_GIt looks like so much fun. The fun is just getting started. The crazy big stages are still to come. Working on those videos now. They take a long time to process.
Forum: Community Forum

QuoteOve Kvam Congratulations with a very good result! Thanks Ove!
Forum: Community Forum

CDNRally.com, covering the Ontario Performance Rally Championship, has just posted their summary of the Ontario Regional portion of the Tall Pines Rally, in which we finished 2nd Overall and 1st in 2WD. http://www.cdnrally.com/news/martin-donnelly-wins-oprc-round-of-tall-pines-clinches-championship.html
Forum: Community Forum

Here's the Highlight Reel from the TV production company covering last weekend's Tall Pines Rally. We didn't make it into the highlight reel (probably a good thing). In the National event we again finished 7th Overall of 31 starters and 2nd Overall in 2WD. In the Ontario Regional portion we were 2nd Overall and 1st 2WD. I've been posting stories and videos (as qu
Forum: Community Forum

QuoteDave_GI need to see if I can find an online source for CRC TV to keep up with stuff like this. I follow the WRC all year, but I like the more local feel of smaller national series. The TV company records each event but they aren't aired until later in the season, starting sometime in the fall. After they've been shown on TV, then they are posted online on their Youtube channel. T
Forum: Community Forum

This weekend coming up is the 2014 Rally of the Tall Pines in Bancroft, Ontario. It's always a tough event. "Winter roads with summer ditches." It'll probably be icy roads again with no snowbanks high enough to catch mistakes. Here's the TV coverage of last year's 2013 Tall Pines Rally. It was our best finish ever (due mostly to the high rate of attrition). W
Forum: Community Forum

QuoteJose PintoI gather you have two Engine management computers, both with same symptoms, they work for a while then start misfiring. Try swapping back just for the sake of science. We threw the original one away because it had an aftermarket chip in it. The new one (a used OEM computer) is working perfectly at the moment. QuoteJose PintoCheck the simple stuff for yourself first, vacuum lea
Forum: Technical Forum

QuoteOve Kvam What are the three last digits in the part number of your engine computer? I think the 17X is a lot better than the 15X. The latter often fails pretty much like you describe here. I think it is possible to fix them by replacing the big output transistors for the ignition, but I don't remember exactly how or where. I don't have the number handy at the moment. I really do
Forum: Technical Forum

My 1990 325i had a mysterious engine misfire. When first started in the mornings it would sometimes stumble badly, barely idle, missing on several cylinders. It seemed to clear up after the engine warmed up, but then would start stumbling again when stuck in stop-and-go rush hour traffic. Even when running at highway speed, sometimes it would suddenly lose power and the check-engine light woul
Forum: Technical Forum

Manifold vacuum is highest at closed throttle, lowest at wide open throttle. The pressure regulator, via the vacuum line, responds to alter the fuel pressure as required. less fuel pressure at idle, higher fuel pressure at open throttle. My 1990 325i had similar symptoms, occasionally running way too rich, stumbling and belching black smoke. That was diagnosed as a faulty fuel pressure regul
Forum: Technical Forum

QuoteArcheo-peteriX I noticed you pulled the copter up abruptly a couple of times just before hitting som tree tops(well it looked close) ;-) Due to the wide-angle lens on the GoPro, it was actually even closer than it looked! Freakin' trees. I can fly by watching the video display on my monitor, but then I can't see anything that's out of camera view. It's okay as long a
Forum: Community Forum

Here's my latest video, from last weekend's Lanark Highlands Forest Rally. We weren't competing because Martin is in the middle of rebuilding the car and it wasn't ready in time. So I got to fly my helicopter instead. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r5l__gRRQvk
Forum: Community Forum

Quotejaffargot an amazing flight time of 25 minutes... I did not use the GPS mode at all - after seeing so many people complain on youtube that theirs flew away by itself The larger battery capacity of the Phantom2 gives you a lot longer flying time, compared to my old Phantom1 which will only fly for 6 or 7 minutes per battery when loaded down with camera, gimbal, video transmitter, etc.
Forum: Community Forum

QuotejaffarI have to admit, flying is a VERY difficult business if you're not on-board. First time I rotated it, I totally panicked and lost it. That was very brave of you to fly it first time indoors in such a small room. It really is much easier to fly in GPS mode, outdoors. In GPS mode, if you get out of shape, you can just release the sticks, centred, and the Phantom will stop and ho
Forum: Community Forum

Quotejaffar Wait, GPS lock ? So I can't fly it indoors ? You can use ATTI mode or Manual mode indoors.
Forum: Community Forum

QuotejaffarI just ordered my phantom 2 + stabilizer kit, should arrive in 1-2 weeks Any advice for not destroying it really fast ? I've never played with flying toys, except for some very cheap infrared helicopters, that I was crashing constantly. The Phantom is MUCH easier to fly than those cheap toys. Be sure to download and READ the manual. Do that now while you're waiting for
Forum: Community Forum

QuoteJose Pinto Some crazy driving, there are times when the cars look like completely out of control. That main loop of the track has been watered down to form a solid ice base. It is verrrrrry slippery compared to all the other bits which are just compacted snow. I don't know the guy in the blue MX5 Miata, but the other drivers in the red Audi and the Subaru Wagon are actually some of
Forum: Community Forum

Fooling around on the Motorsport Club of Ottawa winter driving school track. At first I flew high enough to ensure the Phantom always cleared the power lines and lamp posts. Then I got a little braver and almost smacked into the track at 7:30. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=prDhi0iYa74
Forum: Community Forum

Quotejaffar Can the gimbal be controlled from the Phantom remote, too ? Yes. You can remotely pitch the camera up or down. QuoteDo you also have remote video ? Please give more details I have the Fatshark Predator2 FPV goggle kit, but pipe the output from the goggles to a monitor on a tripod instead. I don't like wearing the goggles because I feel too locked into that view. If I hav
Forum: Community Forum

Hi Jaffar. It's an original Phantom-1, with a GoPro 3 Black, and Zenmuse H3-2D gimbal.
Forum: Community Forum