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Road and Track Vintage Review: 1976 Plymouth Arrow GT – Balance Shafts To The Rescue
Mitsubishi's "Silent Shaft" engine was the first modern mass-produced engine to introduce the significant benefits of balance shafts, a feature that has become quite common since. Four cylinder engines were becoming very popular in the 70s, after the energy crisis, and as they got larger, the four cylinder's inherent harmonics became increasingly problematic. The droning and buzzing was a big detriment, especially in more upscale models. The Silent Shaft put those nasty issues to bed, once and for all. Too bad it wasn't adopted more uniformly and quickly.
The Arrow had the 2.0 liter version. But it was the larger 2.6 L that really revolutionized the market. Almost nobody (except GM, with their various large-displacement fours) would have thought of building a modern four that large. 2.0 liters was considered the limit for a relatively smooth four; 2.3 liters if one really worked at it, like Mercedes with their 2.3 four. But the Mitsubishi 2.6 became very popular, and bailed out Chrysler until it had its own balance-shafted 2.5 (as well as a V6).
The Arrow was quite conventional in every other respect, with rear wheel drive, good handling, a slick 5 speed manual, and a mediocre ride due to the firm suspension and limited wheel travel of the crude rear axle suspension. The 2.6 L version eventually found its way into the Arrow's body, and became the legendary Fire Arrow.
Posted August 11, 2016 at 6:28 AM
"Too bad it wasn't adopted more uniformly and quickly."
Were there patents involved?
They mentioned the Chevy Monza's 12.3 cubic foot cargo capacity vs. the Arrow and Celica as though comparing the hatchbacks with the seats down. In that context, how did GM get it that small, were they *trying* to!?!
zwep
I think that Porsche had to get a license from Mitsubishi for the early 80's 944 (or maybe 924)? which had a large 4 cylinder engine…so I would guess you're right, maybe that's why we didn't see more large 4 cylinder cars (although my buddy used to have a 2.4 litre 4 in his Celica, which he jokingly refered to as his "big block 4")
Yes, 12.3 cubic feet would seem pretty small for a hatchback (maybe they were comparing to the Monza Coupe….not sure why they'd do that though)…even with rear wheel drive, which tends to make the rear area more shallow than on a front wheel drive car…R&T's specs for the Arrow look to be 10.0 cubic feet plus 13.9 (guess with the rear seat down). Compare that to my FWD VW Golf, which I think is spec'd close to 18 cubic feet (with the rear seat up)…albeit the Golf isn't a "swoopy" hatchback (i.e. 2 door with very raked backlight).. but it also has a "well" for a full sized spare tire underneath the "trunk", so it's pretty roomy for a small car, though smaller than most wagons.
I liked the style of the Arrow, though it isn't quite as nice as my benchmark, the MK1 Scirocco, it was also a less expensive car, not so much a sports car as a "sporty" subcompact..it was a lot nicer looking that the Datsun 710 I was driving back then…but my very next car was a Scirocco so I "made up for it" rather soon 🙂
944. 924 originally had the VW/Audi engine.
Sometimes the Mitsubishi engines that used belts for the balance shafts (4G63) would still be running, often for a long time as long as the timing belt didn't also get taken out if a balance shaft belt broke. They were interference motors so this would kill the engine if it happened. They would continue to run, although with more vibration. The 4G54 used a chain for the shafts that wouldn't break and take out the T belt.
Sometimes when cars came in for a timing belt change you could see the balance shaft belt had been broken for a long time. I'm sure the owners could notice the smoothness after the belts were replaced.
The long front overhang on this short wheelbase car reminds me of the Mustang II's long overhang and awkward looks.
Yes; Mitsubishi patented their layout in Japan in 1973. Porsche licensed the Mitsubishi design despite a fairly concerted effort to come up with a novel approach.
14 seconds to 60 after springing for the optional 2.0 and the 5 speed. The car was not heavy and the gearing was quite short. Perhaps too short with fifth gear still spinning at 20 mph per thousand rpm. Some of Mitsubishi's horsepower numbers are suspect by me. Were they really matching the early Porsche 924 on horsepower?
With smog and automatics, the Japanese fours had to grow quickly. The Toyota engine in the Corona, Celica, and trucks became very tractor like by the time it got to 2.4 liters. The American big three fours were of course born with the problem. It was a high point for little Mitsubishi being ahead with the solution. We have read here recently how innovative Simca in France was as well. I wonder if Chrysler engineering was at work with their overseas partners.
The the innovative engineering by Simca was just that: by Simca. Chrysler's version of the Horizon was substantially dumbed down (in the suspension), for instance.
I assure you that Chrysler had zero involvement in Mitsubishi's engineering at the time. The were struggling to make their Lean Burn engines run half-way decently and other problems at home. Chrysler's engineering was was not in very good shape at the time. That's why they had to use Mitsu engines.
Well regarding Mitsubishi that simply is not true. If you ordered that Arrow above with an automatic, you got a low torque capacity version of the torqueflight. I know Chrysler engineering had low budgets at that troubled time. There were many competent people there however and it would be quite usual for subsidiaries to be billed for work dome by corporate staff at any big company.
And when was that TF designed? Not in the mid-late 70s.
My point stands: Chrysler was struggling with its engineering workload at the time. They were getting ready to put the Omirizon into production (for which they bought engines from VW).
Your assumption was that Mitsu wasn't capable enough engineering-wise to come up with the balance shafts. My point is that Mitsu was very capable of that and more, like its MCA-Jet stratified charge cylinder head, similar to Honda's CCVC. I can assure you Chrysler didn't help them with that!
And Mitsu came out with turbo engines in '82. I suspect Chrysler's turbo 2.2 that came out a few years later owes more than a bit to that too.
No need to defend Chrysler's engineers; but as I said they were in no position to help Mitsubishi with balance shafts. Chrysler later copied the shafts for their 2.5 L four.
"Mitsu came out with turbo engines in '82"
They actually go farther back than that. The Sirius 4G62T in the Lancer 1800 GSR Turbo and the Astron diesel 4D55 in the Galant Σ 2.3 Turbo D both debuted in 1980.
Mmm…I think Chrysler did not copy Mitsu's balance shaft setup for use in the Chrysler 2.5 (and certain versions of the 2.2). The concept was the same, sure, but balance shafts were not Mitsubishi's original idea, and there was at least one Chrysler patent for the balance shaft setup used in the 2.5 and 2.2.
(It is a risible irony that the Mitsu 2.6 was referred to as the "silent shaft"—or "silent anything"—engine. "Astron" gets closer to the mark by dint of its first syllable. Ugh!)
Daniel is correct that Mitsubishi didn't originate the balance shaft, which dates back at least to 1912. However, in the mid-70s, Mitsubishi patented a specific variety of balance shafts for inline fours. Some of their broader claims didn't survive a reexamination in the late '80s, but the rest did. (The relevant Mitsubishi patent is U.S. 3,995,610A, which, if anybody's curious, explains the math for how the shafts work.)
It's important to recognize that it's possible to independently patent an improvement on an existing invention — which happens all the time — that would still not be sufficiently different to avoid the need to license the original patent. None of this stuff happens in a vacuum.
Daniel: I didn't say that they directly legally-actionably copied the specific details. They copied the idea of using balance shafts, as did everyone else that started adding them after Mitsu used them first.
Or are you suggesting it was pure-as-the-driven-snow coincidence that Chrysler, which had complete access to these engines, decided to start using balance shafts on its own big fours a few years later?
Come on; this kind of pedantic pissing match is highly tedious.
If you are saying that a low capacity RWD auto designed to work with an OHC four was on the shelf at Chrysler for years before the mid 70s, I wish you would source that claim.
904 Torqueflite trans with slant six internals, 340 shift governor weights. All parts-bin stuff!
Simca probably received their torsion bar suspension from their American parent, who had it a decade sooner. As for the engines, the Poissy 4 cylinder was okay for 1961. In 1978 it was an antique. Chrysler's version of the VW-Audi OHC engine and their own 2.2 Trans 4 were both far more advanced than Simca's engines, and the switch to coil springs and struts parallels what pretty much everyone has done since. The French Horizons were reasonably successful cars, but survivors are far more scarce there than they are here. I've no idea why you're championing the idea that Simca's under-powered and obsoletely suspended if crisply styled versions of the Horizon idea were superior to the contemporary and durable versions prepared for our market.
Umm, it's not like Chrysler invented torsion bars. They've been around a long time (think Tatra/VW, among others). Chrysler's US suspension system was really nothing special; it was a classic SLA system like all the other US manufacturers had been using, except for having a torsion bar instead of a coil. There's nothing magical about torsion bars per se. It's really all about the other elements. The US Chrysler system was tuned a bit firmer (until 1966) than GM and Fords, hence their rep for handling a bit better. Firmer coils would have done the same thing. And after 1966, when they softened the torsion bars, Chrysler cars mostly lost any perceived advantage. Read reviews of that time; especially after 1970, GM clearly pulled away from Chrysler in terms of handling quality.
The Simca's suspension was special not because of torsion bars, but because it was a long-travel suspension, like most French cars then. That gave a decidedly smoother ride. It was a more expensive but superior suspension, torsion bars or not. And hardly "obsolete". Chrysler imitated the VW Golf's suspension because it was cheaper and expedient, not because it was better.
I didn't bring the Simca engine into it.
My whole point was that John. C.assumed that Chrysler's engineers must have been behind the balance shafts (not). And he asks if Chrysler's engineers were "at work in their overseas divisions". My point is that Simca was quite capable of designing and building a world-class small car, one that was one of the most influential ever (1100), without any help from Chrysler's engineers.
It's been well acknowledged that the European version of the Horizon had a better ride and handling. But yes, the US version, with its VW engine, was somewhat better suited for the US market by being cheaper to build and having a better powertrain (no thanks to Chrysler, except writing the checks to VW).
BTW, the later versions of the Omnirizon did use the Simca engine as the base engine, and it did the job adequately enough. The reason given for using the VW engine was that at the time Simce didn't have enough capacity for the 300k Chrysler needed. But after the 2.2 came on line, Chrysler switched to the Simca 1.6 as the base engine.
Looking at this car automatically starts the music in my head, of Harry Nillson singing "Me And My Arrow". The song was used by Plymouth in TV ads when these were new.
We have trouble remembering the names of people we met yesterday, but we have no trouble remembering 40 yr-old advert jingles♫
Clearly, the solution is to create singing business cards that repeat your name and/or slogan with a catch mnemonic jingle.
After learning the basics of driving on my Dad's '69 Chevy plow truck, the first car I drove with any regularity on real roads was an '82 Challenger with the 2.6 silent shaft "MCA Jet" engine and 5 speed. That engine really was smooth and quiet, and had a power band that felt seamless as you accelerated. Being a new driver I can recall driving friends' 4 cylinder cars of the time and being less than impressed. After the Challenger was terminally damaged by a friend, who was obviously enjoying his "test spin" a bit too much, I replaced it with a Charger 2.2, which by comparison was very buzzy, vibrated like a lawn tractor and was no match for the refinement of the Mitsu 2.6. Later I owned an '85 Conquest with the fuel injected and turbocharged version of the same engine. Mitsubishi should really have been much more successful than they were in the '80's as they really were putting out some great products. I was always puzzled at their "also ran" status. Nowadays it's hard to even fathom what great stuff they were producing back then. It's been a sad ride for Mitsu in North America.
What always gets me with the balance shafts is how small they are, they look a lot like a camshaft. But the forces do get exponentially bigger as rpm goes up.
A high school friend's girl had one, it had a bit of rust and since he was working in a paint shop at the time he decided to fix it up and paint it.
We didn't hear from him for a few weeks so we went to visit him after hours. He was out in the back of the shop with the sandblaster going, the shell of the Arrow on it's side with a good portion of the floor missing.
That's the first image that comes to mind when I see an Arrow now, and I don't think that car ever got put back together…
When I lived in Memphis a co-worker told of his experience working at a Chrysler dealership as a mechanic. He said there always came a time when the technicians would remove the chains linking the balance shafts, and supposedly there wasn't much difference.
Sport Compact Car did a buildup of a Sentra SE-R and also removed it's balance shafts….no big deal, apparently.
It was done at the factory level by ford with the 3.8L Essex V6. Initially all versions had balance shafts, then for the 1989 Thunderbird and all longitudinal applications thereafter the balance shafts were eliminated.
Kind of a puzzler why they were there in the first place if the decrease in NVH did not justify the cost of the setup. Though more of a puzzler might be how long Ford produced that engine without ever fixing the issues that caused it to pop head gaskets so regularly.
The geometry of the shaking force in a 90-degree V-6 engine is quite a bit different than an inline four, so the configuration of balance shafts — or shaft, as a 90-degree V-6 only uses one whereas an inline four needs two — is different. It's a related concept, but on a practical level, it's apples to oranges.
"supposedly". Typical for a bunch of mechanics. 🙂
And yes, the kind of guys that would do SCC build up of a hi-po engine weren't exactly looking for smoothness, right? Hot rodders and "mechanics" were not the target demo for balance shafts.
I assure you that balance shafts really do work. Manufacturers never like increasing the costs of building an engine without real benefits.
The secondary forces vary with displacement (particularly stroke length). The SR20DE, at 2 liters, is a size where I imagine there are some contentious discussions between the accountants, the engineers, and the product planners. There's a perceptible difference at that displacement, but it's not as dramatic as it would be with the old Mitsubishi 2.6 or the 3.0-liter four in a Porsche 968, and there are cost and power-consumption penalties. It's a tradeoff, as with all things.
Loco Mikado
I had two Dodge Colts('74 & '76) in the early 80's which were the same drivetrain as the Arrow for their respective year. One had a 1600 no balance shafts and the other the 2000 with the balance shafts. Even if you were blind, deaf, dumb and half dead you could tell which engine had the balance shafts. At the same time a friend of mine had a '76 Toyota Celica with a 2.2 engine and you could tell the engine had no balance shafts. As an aside my '69 Corolla 1100 was the smoothest engine of the bunch, it would eagerly wind out to 6-7000 rpm's with no fuss or problems.
Yep. GM performance makes a balance shaft delete that is supposed to yield 10hp. I had a Chrysler turbo 2.5, and it was very smooth. I also had a 3800 with balance shafts, very smooth. Neither of those were revvy, though.
When Chrysler put the 2.5 OHC in the Dakota, there was no room for the balance shafts…so they got pitched. No big deal.
I drove a 2.4-swapped Neon with the shafts removed (won't fit), and it was not an issue. There was a VERY slight vibration at idle, which would probably vanish by bumping the idle speed 50RPM. From just past idle to 7500RPM, no vibration!
Balance shafts in the oil pan are an all-around bad idea.
The SR20DE never had balance shafts. It used a weighted crank.
These were fairly decent cars, but I guess my eyes were the only ones that thought these cars looked like the suspension was over-extended…..like a toy baby buggy. I also thought they looked fragile compared to the Vega and Pinto. But that could have been my Anti-Japanese prejudice making me think that.
Nowadays, my biggest problem with the "regular" Arrow is the white interior.
When I lived in Memphis in the 90s I would see a Fire Arrow fairly regularly on my way home. I always wondered if the Fire Arrow, with it's tall looking stance, had any weird handling traits.
You're not alone, I've never even seen an Arrow in the flesh before, and the first time I ever laid eyes on one was in a picture book, which for all I knew this was an in house effort by Chrysler, so any bias I have is purely aesthetic. They had that same stance the 4×4 Eagles had in the 80s, but without the 4×4, and as someone who isn't nearly as bothered by overhangs as others even I must point out that the front one is HUGE
The stance issue may very well have been due to the 5mph bumper regulations and required height; cars from other markets (Japan, Europe) do not seem affected by this problem:
Aaron65
Now that's more like it! I dig the fender mirrors and the wheels. Actually, for '70s economy cars, I like the Arrow and the Colt, even though they were pretty much extinct here in Michigan by the time I knew what was going on around me.
That's a huge improvement! Nissan and Mitsubishi in particular seemed to be the most ruined Japanese cars due to federalized standards, the marker lights really mar the looks too. Still looks heavy in the middle but the fender mirrors actually help that a lot weirdly.
Yeah, I think cjiguy is right about the bumper height being the big issue, stance-wise.
Big improvement! The add on 5 MPH bumpers really did ruin it's looks.
Never cared for the look of the fender mounted mirrors, but they do eliminate blind spots. Like the fender mount clamp on mirrors used for towing, common in the '60's and '70's when cars and station wagons were commonly used for towing.
The brand relationship between Chrysler and Mitsubishi Motors was certainly a win-win in the early going. Chrysler helped Mitsubishi expand in North America, and Mitsubishi helped improve the Chrysler brand reputation, when they needed it most. Competitively filling out the Chrysler small car lineup until the Omni/Horizon arrived.
Even if their architecture was basic, I thought the Arrow was an attractive, well packaged design. As were all the Mitsu offerings in the late 70s/early 80s.
These should have sold better than they did. They were probably the most appealing cars in their class, at least that could be purchased at a traditional American car showroom. By 1976 the Vega had a horrible reputation and the Pinto was seen as old and dull.
But I think the car's biggest problem was its era. In that era of brand loyalty, Ford and Chevy buyers were not likely to go to a Plymouth showroom and American car buyers (at least the older ones) were probably put off by the Japanese heritage of the car. It is a shame that these did not gain a bigger following.
Truth. The hesitancy to buy Japanese was not limited to "older" buyers, as a matter of fact. My mother, having suffered through a '73 Vega and a '75 Monza 2+2, really wanted a Sapporo in '79, but Dad would have none of it, fearing problems getting parts, and expenses involved in a "foreign" car. It wasn't until '82 that he relented and sanctioned the purchase of a Challenger, despite its heritage. And my parents were in their mid 30's at the time.
I also can't resist pointing out the vinyl roof treatment on the subject test car. Good Grief. Vinyl on a hatchback?!? And knowing the shelf life of Japanese vinyl at the time, I can't imagine what that looked like at about 3 years old.
I don't remember ever seeing a GM hatchback, at least nothing smaller than a Nova, with a vinyl roof….but Ford and Chrysler (at least by way of Mitsubishi) had vinyl roofs on cars like the Pinto/Bobcat and a few that were bigger. A vinyl roof on a fastback Mustang in the early 70s? Why not.
Ford actually offered 2 different roof treatments for the Pinto, early cars had full vinyl roofs while later cars (75, and later) had half vinyl roofs (over the front portion of the roof).
THE ugliest small hatchback car I ever saw was a silver Bobcat with a houndstooth sort of check vinyl roof. The houndstooth was silver/black/maroon.
Chevrolet did offer a vinyl roof option in the Vega two-door sedan in the mid-1970s. Whether this option was available on the Vega hatchback, I don't know.
I also think Chrysler did an exceptionally poor job in the early going of marketing their Mitsubishi line. I live in Canada, and used to frequent Chrysler showrooms often. Mitsu marketing material and floor space allocation was limited. And I can't remember seeing TV ads for the Dodge/Plymouth Colt at any time in the mid to late 1970s. Certainly not before the arrival of the Omni/Horizon.
From all that I've seen here, "captive imports" like this, even when not built by former Axis powers, had an inherent incentive handicap: why should salesmen hype an inexpensive import when larger & more profitable domestics are right beside them? Imports were like orphans handed off to reluctant relatives, as in a Victorian novel.
Then poor exchange rates finished them off.
Tomcatt630
Chrysler dealers were was using the 'captives' as 'bait and switch' products.
".. here is a bigger Duster/Valiant/Volare, a real American car…" "Or how about a Cordoba? It's like a Monte Carlo!"
Not in California they weren't. Colts were essential for many Chrysler dealers where imports were hot.
I can assure you that the likelihood of upselling someone interested in a Colt or Arrow into a Cordoba was extremely low. You're projecting your own bias with that comment.
The Dodge Colt and Plymouth Cricket were supposed to be Chrysler Corporation's competitors to the AMC Gremlin, Chevrolet Vega and Ford Pinto. Lynn Townsend specifically refused to develop a Chrysler Corporation subcompact to compete with the Gremlin, Vega and Pinto, and these cars were supposed to be the substitute. This decision would haunt the corporation when the first fuel crunch hit in late 1973.
Subcompacts were increasing in popularity in the early 1970s. I'm not sure that Dodge or Chrysler-Plymouth dealers would have viewed the Colt and Cricket solely as a lure to get buyers into the showroom, where they could be "upsold" a bigger, more profitable vehicle. Chrysler-Plymouth dealers may have balked at ordering Plymouth Crickets because the cars were so lousy, but I doubt that Dodge dealers had the same concerns with the Colt. I never heard many serious complaints about the Dodge Colt, aside from the usual concerns about the rust resistance of Japanese products. After their experience with the Cricket, no doubt Chrysler-Plymouth dealers welcomed the Arrow with open arms.
By the late 1970s, our local Mopar dealer was selling a fair amount of Mitsubishi-sourced vehicles, and I didn't live in California.
Or, alternately, could they have been something to move customers down into? With nothing "homegrown" smaller than the Dart/Valiant/Aspen/Volare, one would think they'd need a price leader for those with tight finances or shaky credit, while keeping them in a new car rather than shopping the used inventory. I can only assume a Cricket/Colt would have been cheaper as well as smaller than a Dart/Valiant.
I wonder if the upsell is a dying tactic in car sales? Granted, I've only shopped new once, but I don't recall any of the three dealerships I visited trying to steer me to a pricier midsize, or an SUV, or even a higher trim level.
It probably depends on whether the customer knows what he or she wants to buy prior to visiting the dealership. The last time I bought a car, I knew exactly what model and trim level I wanted…the sales representative never tried to push me towards anything else. Any haggling was over the final price.
It was the same with my wife when she purchased her last two vehicles.
We once had an opposite problem: while Sienna shopping, all our choices locally were among LEs, as no CE was on hand & we would've had to drive over 2 hrs to see it! So we got unwanted features like alum. wheels, rear-seat audio system, & power doors. At least the latter never failed as we feared it would.
A good point, that. The dealership where I bought the Forte had quite a number of them on the lot, and I don't know if a single one was the low-line LX. And they only had a handful of the top-trim SX. The vast majority was the midlevel EX, which is what I wanted anyway, so as long as I wasn't trying to special order there was probably no reason to try to steer me elsewhere. (They had the exact car I wanted except for its lack of a sunroof, and as that would have added $1000 or so to the price, I was okay with that missing.)
Keep in mind as well that very often the sales incentives (like rebates or low interest financing) didn't apply to the captive imports, which were really only on the showroom floor as "filler" for gaps in the domestic lineup. This was the case for quite a long while, as I can recall shopping in '89 for a Colt and coming "this close" to being sold a Shadow because the rebates and incentives made it a better deal despite its higher sticker price and option levels.
Not sure if a first time entry-level subcompact buyer is going to be heavily influenced by brand loyalty, so much as the best value for their money. Perhaps in Middle America, where American brand loyalty would be remain strongest.
Bill Gillooly
My Father was born in 1934 (and didn't fight in WWII). He used to say "If Japanese cars were so good, why didn't the win the war?" In the 1980's I used to say "Face it Dad, they did. It just took 50 more years than we thought." That from a Father who bought his firs Nissan in 1986 and drives a Honda Odyssey now."
David 'J,
The phrase I remember was, "From those wonderful folks who brought you Pearl Harbor."
suzulight
The largest 4 banger I ever worked with is the 224 cu.in/3.7L Mercury Marine built marine engine. Essentially half a 460 Ford. It does not have balance shafts, but could use them; I will say that a fiberglass hull in the water is, however, a pretty good damping device itself. My sister bought one of the first Dodge Caravans in '84, with the 2.6 Mitsu, and it served her well for 160K before they traded it off.
Beauty is subjective, but I thought the Arrow was one of the better looking small cars at the time. More character than the VW Rabbit, more attractive and modern looking than the concurrent Corolla. And significantly improved over the disappointing B-210 and the uninspired Chevette.
Never thought about it before, but I agree.
Joseph Dennis
twoeightythree
Put me down as a fan of these also. Always thought they had cool looking proportions and that they might be fun to drive.
What is ironic, is the Datsun B-210 would have looked significantly more attractive and quite similar to the Arrow, if it didn't have such a large, slab-sided mid-section. Photoshopped before and after:
I'd say the Omnirizon coupes, O24, TC3, Charger 2.2, had quite a similar profile.
Staxman
This may have been the first engine with balance shafts to sell in large numbers in the U.S., but the Ford Taunus V4 (also used in the Saab 96) had a balance shaft.
StudeDude
The balance shaft 2.0 and 2.6 were not rev happy engines. They made their power fairly low in the RPM ranges for a 4 banger. I never had any issues with any of the 12 or so owned over a 25 year period, though some had issues with the balance shaft bearings, leading to a balance shaft delete kit.
Little did anybody knew nor even assumed that the unassuming Mitsubishi Arrow would be later on replaced by the Mitsubishi Eclipse. This is how the Mitsubishi Arrow's Family Tree appears: 1975 Mitsubishi Colt Galant GTO 2 Door Hardtop Coupe (Top Row Left), 1979 Mitsubishi Lancer Celeste 3 Door Hatchback Coupe (Top Row Right), 1983 Mitsubishi Cordia 3 Door Hatchback (Second Row Left), 1990 Mitsubishi Eclipse 3 Door Hatchback Coupe (Second Row Right), 1995 Mitsubishi Eclipse 3 Door Hatchback Coupe (Third Row Left), 2000 Mitsubishi Eclipse 3 Door Hatchback Coupe (Third Row Right) & 2006 Mitsubishi Eclipse 3 Door Hatchback Coupe (Bottom Row Center).
Bob B.
I thought the Arrow was a nice looking car. Certainly better all around than the Plymouth Cricket it replaced.
Kiwi bryce
Those Mitsu Astron engines with balance shafts were pretty smooth I had a couple of Galant Sigma wagons, one with 2.0L Astron the other with 2.6, both 5 speed manuals they drove well and were reliable, one circumnavigated Australia without breaking down ever, the second one did a stint in NZ without serious problems both were well worn when bought.
Out here Mitsubishi absorbed the remains of Chrysler that brand simply disappeared from the market only reappearing when the Jeep brand resurfaced and the ordinary Neon was foisted upon us, Now we seem to have the full range from Fiatsler, some are good, some are rubbish,you pay your money and take your chance.
Apols KB, the "Galant" sigma was the base model in the GE series. Only 2.6 GE was in the late model GLs with 14inch alloys and auto only. No such thing as a Galant Sigma with a 2.6? Sure you had one?
These were the first of Chrysler's captive imports to be based on Mitsubishi's A7 Lancer platform; the concurrent Dodge Colt continued on with the A11 Galant platform largely until 1978 (not counting the "Mileage Maker" Colt series in 1977). Sales figures of the Arrow always lagged behind the Colt, although I suspect that was in large part due to the Colt being available in three body styles to the Arrow's one. Sales per year break down as such:
1976: 30,430
As usual, in Japan as the Lancer Celeste, sportier performance oriented models were available. They also had vastly superior styling due to the lack of 5mph bumpers:
Agreed about the bumpers, but the US-Spec Arrow had a simpler, much more attractive rear panel than the Lancer Celeste (in any guise).
When the new-for-'81 Plymouth Reliant came out (I was in the First Grade), I noticed the similarity between the rear panels of the two Plymouths and thought (as a kid) how it was a shame the rest of the Reliant couldn't have been as attractive as the Arrow.
I can't help but think the aspect ratio of that photo is skewed
Looking closely at the image, I believe it is a 3D rendering. Not an actual photo.
I highly doubt that, as it's an image from the Japanese catalog of the era (1979). Matt is likely right, and I'm sure its airbrushed as well. Other shots from the same set include two tone silver/blue and black/gold cars, red, and this one here:
Thank you. They both are retouched.
Lincolnman
Great article on a less well known model. My first "new car" was a 76 Arrow 1600 GT. Very well built compared to what else sat in the Plymouth showroom. Had that typical Japanese 70s car "thrum" as it went down the road. With the 5 spd, it was a fun car to drive – not fast by any means but fun.
You still see a few of the Celeste models here in Japan.
I had the the 4G64 2.4L with balance shafts in my Mitsubishi. It was indeed smooth and reasonably refined, as large 4 bangers go. Adequately powerful and I never felt the lack of a 6 cyl.
Could have done without the typical Mitsubishi ticking valve gear though.
A girl I knew had a Fire Arrow, which was sort of a "Trans Am-ized" Arrow. It had a 2.6 with a 5 speed if I recall. Went pretty good by the standards of the day. When she was finished with it it passed through both of her younger brother's hands and was still running when the family sold it, so it must have been a pretty tough car. It was a lot more fun to drive than most of the competition at the time. It did burn a lot of gas for what it was though.
6_Speed_Automatic
I appreciate Mitsubishi and I felt it had a slight advantage in engineering over Toyota in the '80s. I seriously considered a 1990 Galant GS with the DOHC engine (I still have the brochure).
However, they lost their way in the 90's and 00's when the Koreans pushed them aside. Now they have an emission scandal on Kei cars similar to VW.
What a missed opportunity.
This probably doesn't have much to factor into the balance shaft effectiveness debate, but it reminds me of something I once read on how Honda manufactured their engines. It seems that when the engine's pistons are made, they keep them together in lots of four which, apparently, goes a long way to keeping the weight of each piston uniform with the others. This, in turn, results in a more smooth running engine. Domestic manufactures, OTOH, simply throw all the newly made pistons into a box, meaning there's a wide variation in piston weight when installed. The engine will still run, just not nearly as smoothly as a Honda with a 'matched' set of pistons.
Of course, I don't think Honda's four-cylinder engines come anywhere near 2.6L in size, either. Still, if Mitsubishi followed Honda's lead in matching piston weight with the 2.6L counter-balanced engine, it holds the potential to explain the theory that there was a negligible difference in the 2.6L engine's smoothness with the counter-balance shaft.
Balance shafts are one of those items that are a little frustrating because understanding their function requires an unappetizing amount of math (especially if, like me, you were no good at geometry), but without grasping at least the gist of the math, it's easy to get the wrong idea about what they do. The point is to balance, at least partially, certain shaking forces that are an unavoidable result of the reciprocation of the pistons and con rods and which are otherwise unbalanced in a lot of common engine configurations. That shake would be present even if all the tolerances and masses were perfectly blueprinted.
If you're curious, Mark Wan of Autozine.org walks through the mechanics in his Technical School articles, and the Mitsubishi patent I mentioned (U.S. 3,995,610A, Hirokazu Nakamura et al) will tell you a lot more than you probably want to know about the mathematics for four-cylinder engines.
With that in mind, I don't think anyone would imply that the difference for the 2.6-liter Mitsubishi engine was negligible. The balance shafts were helpful on the 2-liter version and the 2.6 was not only bigger displacement, but also had an 8mm longer stroke, which means a shake of greater magnitude.
I think Honda's biggest four to date is the 2.4-liter engine in the Acura TSX, which does indeed have balance shafts. As far as I can recall, all of Honda's fours of 2.2 liters and up have had balance shafts. The smaller ones don't necessarily, although they also need them less.
Here are some decent videos on primary and secondary balance, along with balance shafts.
https://youtu.be/9Bdc9CuBOzc?list=PL30C950600B683799
https://youtu.be/gdHQ8aTfiQQ?list=PL30C950600B683799
https://youtu.be/hwigSbyQ7AI?list=PL30C950600B683799
83 LeBaron
The Silent Shaft is what you got when you bought it new AND when the shaft that drove the oil pump seized up due to lack of lubrication at the rear bearing. When rebuilding such a failed engine, I learned that there was a kit to eliminate the whole silent shaft system. After installation, you couldn't tell any difference in vibration levels.
I myself believe you couldn't tell much of a difference; a 2.6L simply isn't big enough to be a problem, unless the goal is Buick straight 8 velvet smoothness, a complete waste of engineering time with a 4 banger. But when we get bigger like the 3.7L Mercury Marine engine, thats a whole different ball of wax. But balance shafts do work; do you think the cheap screws at GM would have added one to the Chev 4.3L V6 if it didn't?
Compare an old 2.5-liter Iron Duke with a modern 2.4 or 2.5-liter four with balance shafts — or for that matter an early Quad 4 with a 2.3-liter Honda engine of about the same displacement. The difference is not negligible, and I certainly wouldn't call it a waste of engineering.
Also, while a balance shaft for a V-6 performs the same type basic function, the nature and direction of the forces involved is substantially different, so it really is kind of apples and oranges.
That's not a very good comparison. You might as well use the hoary old Trophy 4, 195 cid (3.2L) Pontiac Tempest 'half of a 389 V8' lump of an engine, particularly with a Honda engine, which are already pretty damn smooth (see my above comment on Honda matching internal engine parts). Really, the only valid comparison would be between two Mitsubishi 2.6L engines, one with, and the other without, the balance shafts.
If, in fact, there was actually a rebuild kit for the 2.6L engine that specifically allowed for the deactivation of the shafts, that, alone, would lend credence to the theory that the shafts didn't smooth out the engine all that much.
OTOH, maybe balance shafts on something like the big Pontiac four could have made a much more noticeable difference.
I think there was a limit to what they could do. The balance shafted 2.5 Porsche 944 was much smoother than the related also balance shafted 3.0 968 engine.
The Acura RSX Type-S had about a 200 hp 2 liter engine that was in many ways similar to the 197 hp 2 liter engine in the Honda Civic Si of 2006-2011. The Civic Si's engine had balance shafts while the Acura RSX Type-S's did not. I think the difference was that the Civic could achieve acceptable refinement with stiffer and simpler engine mounts.
I'm a bit disappointed by the performance figures. The 2.6 liter Plymouth Fire Arrow was one of the faster cars tested by the magazines during the era, which makes me wonder if the test Fire Arrows were tweaked. Faster is one thing, but five seconds faster to 60 mph is a testing the bounds of credibility.
C/D tested a five speed 2.6 78 Challenger at 0-60 in the 13s. I really think Dodge was listing horsepower on the captives in gross numbers. When the 2.6 went into the K car the hp number listed was 11hp lower despite retaining the Mitsubishi carb setup.
geozinger
A buddy of mine had a Fire Arrow in the early/mid 1980's, but by that time the engine was smoking a lot. We thought it might be fun to put a SBC in it, but he got bored with it and sold it off.
Another friend had a (1980-81?) Plymouth Sapporo in the mid 1980's. I don't recall the exact circumstances, but something with the balance shafts went bad and due to the wait for parts he ended up buying a rather clean but ancient AMC Hornet sedan to drive. Turns out, he liked the old Hornet so much, once the Sapporo was repaired, he sold it off and kept the Hornet! (Yes, I thought it was strange, too.)
Foe whar it'd worth, I think balance shafts debuted on the Lancaster, a British g marque, in the early 20th Century.
This arrow reminds me of the Alfa Romeo Alfetta GT and the Renault 17
Alfa Romeo Alfetta GT
Posted September 16, 2016 at 1:00 PM
My very first car (this was in 1987) was a 1978 Arrow GT, in burnt orange, no less! I thought it was the absolute best car out there, of course! Five speed, houndstooth interior, faux wood on the dash and that crazy arrow decal on the hood…life could NOT get better. Well, until my best friend (still to this day) bought a 1979 Fire Arrow and promptly blew my 2.0 liter beastie into the weeds with his 2.6.
Next to the 1974 BMW 2002 that I eventually bought (in 1993), the Arrow remains my favorite car. I found another 1978 base Arrow that I bought off of eBay around 2004 (but with an automatic trans) for something like $800. I drove it dutifully for almost a year as DD as it was nearly rust free and ran superbly…until the transmission gave way and I had no place to park or work on an old car in my townhouse community. Broke my heart to see a second Arrow leave my fold and I find myself cruising eBay and Craigslist periodically in search of an elusive Arrow.
SleepyBear
Posted November 28, 2017 at 6:15 AM
Now and then, one rolls out of the barn looking for a new home.


I can guarantee that it's a great time, based on the popularity of this event, with 55 folks attending last year. Looking forward to seeing you there!
Where Meeting: Parking lot of Chick-fil-A, 6732 Mooretown Rd, Williamsburg, VA 23188, (heavens no, we're not eating here) at 10 am. Bring your special valentine or come alone.


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I'm Not Responsible For Linda Ikeji's Pregnancy – Don Jazzy
Music Mogul Don Jazzy (Micheal Ajereh) has denied being the father of his longtime crush and celebrity blogger, Linda Ikeji.
Ikeji revealed her six-month-old baby bump on Sunday with a lengthy emotional post, chronicling her journey and her excitement when she found out she was pregnant.
Ikeji's engagement to her one-time ex-boyfriend was announced in March by her sisters.
Following speculations that Don Jazzy was the father of the baby, after the news of the pregnancy broke, he went on his twitter handle @donjazzy to refute the claim.
He wrote, "It wasn't me"; to which fans sympathised with him for not getting his crush to marry him.
@Lindarome20 tweeted, "Lol bro, take heart; we your loyal fans are patiently waiting for your own wedding, and right in the reception, I will throw *my dear*shaku shaku nice song don babaJ."
@Adebayorh1 wrote, "So @DONJAZZY, on top those crushing on @lindaikeji, you weren't the one..mr man, are you kidding me right now?"
NAN reports that after the announcement of Ikeji's engagement in March, Don jazzy shared a picture of himself being consoled by friends with the caption: (crying emojis) Kai Linda is engaged. It is finished. "
Before the news, Don Jazzy had made several moves and also 'proposed' to her (Linda) on social media and with various posts on his Instagram handle.
One of such was a recent photo of Linda with the caption:"When you're fine you're fine abeg."

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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RADIUS () — протокол передачі даних що використовується в комп'ютерних мережах для автентифікації, авторизації та обліку різноманітних сервісів (, AAA). RADIUS був розроблений Livingston Enterprises, Inc. в 1991 році, а потім був перенесений в стандарти IETF ().

RADIUS це клієнт-серверний протокол що працює на прикладному рівні, і може використовувати як транспорт як TCP так і UDP.

Стандарти
RADIUS визначається наступними стандартами (IETF RFC):

Див. також
 Diameter
 TACACS
 TACACS+
 PPP
 EAP
 LDAP
 FreeRADIUS

Джерела

Посилання
 Radius Types
 An Analysis of the RADIUS Authentication Protocol
 Decoding a Sniffer-trace of RADIUS Transaction
 Using Wireshark to debug RADIUS

Акроніми
Протоколи AAA
Інтернет-протоколи
Інформаційна безпека

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


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Krayzie Bone Net Worth
Krayzie Bone is an American rapper who has a net worth of $500 thousand. Krayzie Bone has earned his net worth as a former member of Bone Thugs-n-Harmony an American hip hop group from Cleveland, Ohio who started performing in 1991. Krayzie was born on June 17, 1973 in Cleveland, Ohio; he started his solo career in 1998 with his debut album Thug Mentality 1999. This double disc set featured such well-known artist's as; Bone Thugs-n-Harmony, Mo Thugs, The Marley Brothers, Mariah Carey, Big Pun, Fat Joe, Cuban Link, Gangsta Boo, E-40, 8Ball & MJG, Kurupt, Naughty By Nature, and Snoop Dogg. His second album Thug On Da Line debuted in 2001, however it was not as big of a success as his first album, which was certified platinum by the RIAA. The album went gold and according to Amazon.com it was named one of the best albums of 2001.Bone was featured in the 2006 song "Ridin" by Chamillionaire, this song won the "Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group" at the 49th Annual Grammy Awards. Also in 2006 it won the last Best Rap Video at the MTV Video Music Awards. Bone is a founding member of the Cleveland based record label Mo Thugs Family which is a collection of Cleveland based rap and Hip-Hop musical acts.
SOURCE: celebritynetworth.com
Krayzie Bone Net Worth: $500 Thousand
8Ball & MJGandBig PunCleveland OhioCuban LinkE-40Fat JoeGangsta BooKrayzie BoneKrayzie Bone Net WorthKuruptMariah CareyMarley BrothersNaughty By NatureNet WorthSnoop Dogg
Megan Fox's Home: A Smokin' Hot $3 Million Mansion and a Cooling Career
Forbes 5 Richest Rappers In Hip-Hop 2016 (video)
Birdman Net Worth
Drake Net Worth
Jay Z Net Worth


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Tag: Taba State Governor Danbaba Suntai
Lawyer Insists Suntai Not Capable To Carry Out Duties
A legal practitioner Abbas Ajiya has said that the governor of Taraba state, Danbaba Suntai is still not capable of discharging the functions of the office of the governor.
Speaking on Channels Television breakfast programme, Sunrise Daily, Mr. Ajiya explained that the governor is unable to talk properly and is not aware of his immediate environment, adding that the governor is "recuperating"
Mr. Ajiya stated that the medical record of the governor of the state should be checked to know if he is fit to perform his duties as the governor of the state "based on what is physically seen, the suspicion is that the governor is not allright".
He suggested that a medical panel should be constituted to examine the governor and his medical record; and added that Mr.Suntai has requested his deputy to carry out the research but to no avail.
Mr. Ajiya mentioned that some citizens of the state have approached the deputy governor to hold a meeting to declare the governor incapacitated and supported by members of the Taraba state Executive Council.
A letter will be transmitted to the speaker of the House of Assembly, to enable the setting up a medical panel that will do a thorough investigation of the true situation of the governor.
Mr. Ajiya stated that some of them went to the Federal High Court Abuja on the matter and was later transferred to the Taraba division of the Federal High Court, adding that the matter is still pending.
Posted on September 16, 2013 Author Channels TelevisionCategories Sunrise DailyTags Abbas Ajiya, Africa, Channels TV, Nigeria, Taba State Governor Danbaba Suntai, Taraba StateLeave a comment on Lawyer Insists Suntai Not Capable To Carry Out Duties
Mark, others to attend Onaiyekan's consecration, visit Suntai
President Goodluck Jonathan is sending an official delegation headed by the President of the Senate, Senator David Mark to represent the Federal Government at the formal consecration of Archbishop John Onaiyekan as a Cardinal of the Catholic Church by Pope Benedict XVI at the Vatican tomorrow.
This was confirmed by a statement signed by the special adviser to the president on Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati.
Other members of the delegation are the Chief of Staff to the President, Mike Oghiadomhe, the Minister of Aviation, Princess Stella Oduah, the Minister of State (FCT), Oloye Olajumoke Akinjide and the Chaplain of the Presidential Villa Chapel, Venerable Obioma Onwuzurumba.
It will be recalled that Archbishop Onaiyekan's elevation to the College of Cardinals was announced by the Vatican on October 24, this year.
President Jonathan has also mandated members of the delegation to stop over in Hanover, Germany on their way back to visit Governor Danbaba Suntai of Taraba State who is receiving treatment there for injuries sustained in a recent plane crash.
The delegation which is scheduled to leave Abuja today is due back on Sunday.
Posted on November 23, 2012 Author Channels TelevisionCategories Current, LocalTags Archbishop John Onaiyekan, Catholic Church, channels television, Channels TV, Federal Government, Mike Oghiadomhe, Nigeria news, Pope Benedict XVI, Princess Stella Oduah, Senator David Mark, Taba State Governor Danbaba Suntai, Venerable Obioma Onwuzurumba2 Comments on Mark, others to attend Onaiyekan's consecration, visit Suntai
FG may fly Suntai abroad for treatment
President Goodluck Jonathan says the federal government has put arrangements in place to fly the governor of Taraba state Alhaji Danbaba Suntai abroad for treatment if it becomes necessary.
Doctor Jonathan was speaking to Muslim faithful who came to pay him the Sallah homage in the Presidential Villa. He said that the governor is stable and that he will first be brought to the National Hospital in Abuja for treatment before any other action will be taken.
The Governor escaped death on Thursday after a plane he was flying crashed in Yola, the Adamawa State capital.
The governor, his aide-de-camp and chief security officer, who were also in the plane that took off from Jalingo, the Taraba State capital, and three others, were seriously injured.
Mr Suntai, who graduated as a pilot from the Aviation College in Zaria last year, was piloting the crashed plane. This would be the second time he is surviving a plane crash
The plane, a Cessna 208, 5N-BMJ, owned by the state government, crashed at about 7.45 pm, near the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) Depot, on the outskirts of Yola.
The governor, who was brought in unconscious, was first taken to Yola Specialist Hospital for treatment, but was later, moved to the better-equipped Federal Medical Centre, Yola.
A statement from the Ministry of Aviation said the aircraft had six persons, including the crew on board when it crashed.
It said the aircraft departed Jalingo for Yola and reported contact with the Yola control tower, but shortly before it landed, the pilot lost contact with the control tower, while efforts to radio the aircraft failed.
Posted on October 26, 2012 October 26, 2012 Author Channels TelevisionCategories HeadlinesTags Adamawa State, channels television.news, Channels TV, Danbaba Suntai, Federal Government, Goodluck Jonathan, News, Nigeria, Nigeria New, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) Depot Yola, Plane crash, Presidential villa, Taba State Governor Danbaba Suntai, Yola International Airport6 Comments on FG may fly Suntai abroad for treatment


please bring an USB drive to class this week and the following.
if you prefer to use your own machine, do standard r-install or r-studio.
Here are the main points from the Ordinations part of the talk!
1. Please provide a brief summary describing how to critically interpret/read your advanced statistical topic when it is used in a scientific paper. Feel free to include a table or figure illustrating the guidelines, assumptions, or approaches to interpreting the reporting of this test in a scientific paper.
2. Please repeat the above process but for a second topic that you did not present.
Basic intro to purpose of statistical test & why you use it.
List assumptions and scope of inference for this test.
Conclude your short note on this advanced statistical topic with a comment on its importance or changes over time. For instance, it is a relatively new technique and we can expect to see it more etc.
Implication or context could also include how it relates to our understanding of the underlying processes we are applying the statistical test to, i.e remind the reader the 'why' you do this test but in a bigger picture way here, for instance, this is an exploratory stat, or one for model building, or for assessing casualty, etc.
Chis has asked me to present on Linear Regression; so, here's the paper that I've found to be useful: Linear Regression.
Watch the 8 min talk (hit the big green button).
We need to do one of these for learning SEM.
General Additive models, similar to GLMs and GLMMs but it mixes general linear models with additive models. Used for non-linear relationships.
They are good for maximizing the prediction of a dependant variable y from various distributions by estimating unspecific, non-parametric functions of the predictor variables.
How is it different from GLMs?
1. distribution of the dependant variable can be non-normal.
2. The dependant variable values are predicated from a linear combination of predictor variables.


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Keep your kitchen clean and your hands dry with this Set of 2 Hanging Country Kitchen Towels. The set comes with one flat and one waffle textured towel. Each has a classic plaid design with a button accent. The fabric-magic closure on top makes the towels easy to hang.


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OnePlus Joins Hands with Epic Games to Introduce 90 FPS Fortnite Experience on OnePlus 8 Series
Bala Yogesh
OnePlus on Tuesday said that the company has entered into a partnership with Epic Games to enable Fortnite to run at 90 FPS on the OnePlus 8 series smartphones. The company said that 90 FPS is the highest frame rate available for Fortnite with the OnePlus 8 series being the first line of smartphones to run the game at that level. According to the company, the OnePlus 8 series enables "smooth, high frame rate gameplay experience" which cannot be matched even by the current generation consoles.
OnePlus Committed to Introduce Major Firsts to the Category
OnePlus said that the efforts to introduce the 90 FPS Fortnite experience on OnePlus 8 series took months of development.
"This partnership, rooted in technological innovation, was driven by both Epic Games and OnePlus' desire to take Fortnite to a higher level on Android," the company said in a forum post. "Together, we have created the best Fortnite experience ever on a smartphone."
The OnePlus 8 series is the latest flagship from the company that is powered by the Snapdragon 865 CPU and Adreno 650 GPU. While the OnePlus 8 has an 90 Hz display, the OnePlus 8 Pro is equipped with an 120 Hz display.
"OnePlus is committed to bringing the best mobile gaming experiences to its users and is continuously taking steps to bring major firsts to the category," the company said in its forum post.
Further, OnePlus said that the users of the OnePlus 7 series and OnePlus 7T series can enjoy Fortnite at 60 FPS which previously was the highest frame rate available for the mobile game.
"We hope these improvements provide you the competitive advantage to become an even better player, while also making the gaming experience more enjoyable," the company said in its forum post.
OnePlus Introduces One Touch Installation of Epic Games App
The company said that its users with OnePlus 6 or newer devices can download Fortnite through "one-touch" installation of Epic Games app available through Game Space.
"To kick off the launch in India, OnePlus users (OnePlus 6 and newer) are now able to download Fortnite via "One-touch" easy installation of the Epic Games app exclusively through Game Space, making it a frictionless process," OnePlus said in its forum post.
Born in India, Yogesh loves to travel and has lived in multiple countries including New Zealand and Canada. His bylines can be found on various newspapers and blogs throughout the world, including Vancouver Sun, Surrey Now-Leader, Daily Hive , Investing News Network and Rach F1.
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Unless you work at VOGUE, there is literally no need to wear heels.
It's that time of year again! The Vogue Talent Content 2016 is upon us. Want to take part? Read the details below. The deadline is the 8th of April, good luck!
Daniel Radcliffe is many things; professional actor, supremo wizard, on-stage nudist. What he is not; a good intern.
Nasty Gal's founder and former CEO Sophia Amoruso let the Hollywood Reporter around her LA Headquarters to see the inner workings of the coveted and controversial label, and we have the photos.
BRB just gonna go dig out my pair of mustard trousers that I regretted buying 3 years ago.
If you want to work in the weird world of fashion and media, you should know who Tavi Gevinson is.
#GirlBoss is becoming a TV show!
An article published yesterday by Variety claims that Sophie Amoruso's book, #GirlBoss, is being made into a new Netflix show.
What are the highest earning jobs in fashion?
The perfect wardrobe, dream apartment, an office with a view. We all have sky high ambitions that keep us going during the third office coffee run of the day.


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Home Marine Electronics Apps and Computer Programs DeLorme inReach vs. Iridium Extreme
Safety & Seamanship
DeLorme inReach vs. Iridium Extreme
Testers review the latest in marine satcom electronics.
Published: February 13, 2013 Updated: March 2, 2020
Many love the solitude that sailing offers, but not necessarily the limited (or non-existent) communications that can accompany it. For those sailors, there are numerous portable electronics on the market to make sure you can stay connected off the beaten path, while trying to get away from it all.
Photos by Frank Lanier and courtesy of makers
We began our look at these personal electronics with the January 2013 review of BriarTeks Cerberus Cerberlink and the SPOT Connect. This month, we evaluate another pocket-sized, satellite-based communication option for the cruising sailor, as well as a satellite phone capable of providing worldwide voice communications and a whole lot more.
What We Tested
This second test group comprised two satellite-based communication devices. Yarmouth, Maine-based DeLorme, a longtime leader in innovative mapping and GPS products, provided us with an inReach two-way satellite communications unit to test. Global voice and data communications giant Iridium Communications Inc. of McLean, Va., sent us an Iridium Extreme 9575 sat phone. In the January 2012 issue, we looked at the Iridium Extremes predecessor, the 9555, as well as similar satellite phones for Globalstar and Inmarsat.
While the inReach and the Extreme each have unique features and abilities, they also have some in common: text messaging, tracking, etc. Both also use the Iridium Satellite system-as does the Cerberus-and both use the GEOS International Emergency Response Coordination Center (IERCC) as first responder to an SOS message (as does the SPOT Connect). If youre unfamiliar with GEOS and response center protocols, we recommend checking out our in-depth report on GEOS and its role in search and rescue in the August 2012 issue.
To gauge performance, user-friendliness, and features, testers registered and used the Iridium Extreme and DeLorme inReach during various cruises of the lower Chesapeake Bay and during a weeklong trip to North Carolinas Albemarle Sound.
Our comparison included such things as ease of registration/activation, ease of use, battery life, features, functionality, and price. We put each device through its paces, testing message sending, SOS functions, and tracking.
We also tested both products waterproof claims. The inReach is rated IP68, meaning it can withstand continuous immersion beyond 1 meter, and the Extreme is rated IP65, or capable of withstanding water being sprayed at it from a nozzle. Both claim to meet the 810F military standard for impact resistance, which requires the device to withstand being dropped 26 times from 4 feet onto concrete, and other criteria.
DeLorme inReach
Billed as the worlds first affordable two-way global satellite communication device when paired via Bluetooth with a smart mobile device (phone, digital tablet, etc.), the inReach offers follow-me tracking, find-me locating, SOS alerting with automatic message acknowledgement, and full two-way texting with any cellular or email address when boating beyond the range of cellular networks or VHF radio. According to DeLorme, the Iridium satellite network gives the inReach end-to-end message delivery in less than 60 seconds from anywhere on Earth. (We tried to hit the publisher up for a trip to Tasmania to test this claim-no dice.)
The inReach comes with a clip, lanyard, micro USB cable (for firmware updates), two AA lithium batteries, and a quick-start guide.
Like the SPOT Connect and Cerberus, the inReach uses a free app (DeLorme Earthmate) to interface with mobile devices. The app installs on smartphones or digital tablets and supports free downloads of both NOAA charts and topographic maps.
The inReach is a buoyant, robustly constructed unit that has the highest waterproof rating of the test group, including the SPOT and Cerberus. It features a stubby, fixed antenna; five LED indicator lights (power, tracking, message, signal, SOS); and four control buttons (power, tracking, messages, and SOS).
Setup: Testers found the inReach setup simple and straightforward. To activate the inReach, users must set up an account at explore.
DeLorme.com, where they can choose a service plan and add information about emergency contacts. Once registered and logged into the account, users can add contacts to their address book, customize predefined (i.e. canned) messages, and use the inReach in standalone mode.
The next step is downloading the free DeLorme Earthmate app onto a mobile device. Android users can find it at the Google Play store, while iOS-device owners can download it from the iTunes app store. Once the Earthmate app is downloaded, the inReach is paired to the device (phone, tablet, etc.) via Bluetooth, allowing users to compose messages up to 160 characters on the device and send them directly as email or text messages. Messages can also be posted to Facebook and Twitter as well as the users MapShare page. MapShare is a web-based map that stores your inReach track points and messages so that friends and family (designated by you) can follow your trip.
From explore.DeLorme.com, users can enable and configure their MapShare preferences, allowing visitors to view their location and breadcrumb trail. Here, visitors can also send you messages and ping your GPS position, or you can create password-protected pages to restrict viewing access (perfect for keeping your boss, editor, ex-spouse, beloved Facebook friends, etc. from tracking your every move). After setting up your MapShare account, you can email a link to your friends and family with an explanatory message.
Service plans: DeLorme offers three service plans: the $9.95 per month Safety plan, the $24.95/month Recreational plan, and the $49.95/month Expedition plan. Each plan requires an activation fee of $19.95 and an initial one-year commitment.
In a nutshell, the basic, first-tier Safety plan provides unlimited SOS messages, tracking at 25 cents per message, and up to 10 text messages (send and receive) per month; overage is $1.50 per message. Additional options include a seasonal use plan, although it is more expensive per month and has a four-month minimum. You can switch plans at any time for free, as long as the new plan is of equal or greater value, but downgrading to a cheaper plan costs $24.95 a pop, which seems a little severe in our opinion.
Messaging: Messages up to 160 characters can be composed and addressed on the fly (or by selecting from your phone contacts) and can be posted to FaceBook, Twitter, or your MapShare map. You can also use the inReach Message button to send up to three canned messages that were created on explore.DeLorme.com. (To use this feature when the inReach is not tethered to an Android or iOS device, it helps to have a note or reminder showing you each of these three messages in the order you have set them.) The messages are sent to contacts you designated on explore.DeLorme.com when you created them.
Tracking: The track feature allows users to send their location at selected intervals (from every 10 minutes to four hours) when moving. Once stationary, location is sent every four hours until you move more than 300 feet, at which time, the tracking intervals resume.
Tracking can be initiated via the tethered device or the inReach unit. It can also be initiated from explore.DeLorme.com by anyone who has permission to log into your account.
SOS: When the inReach is used by itself, SOS messages are initiated by pressing the SOS button. Alerts are relayed to the privately run GEOS command center and then to the appropriate emergency responders. When paired with an Android or iOS device, you can also send text messages describing your exact situation. Emergency responders can then try to initiate a two-way conversation with you via the inReach, and if that fails, they will contact your emergency contacts to get further information to assist in the emergency.
Once the SOS is initiated, the inReach increases the tracking interval to once per minute for 10 minutes and then begins to slow the intervals to conserve battery power, ensuring theres enough battery to send position data for days-once every 10 minutes for an hour, then every 15 minutes for eight hours, then once every 30 minutes, etc. The frequency varies based on length of time the SOS was first initiated, whether the user was able to confirm the SOS to GEOS, and whether the user is moving.
Users are able to continue sending text messages to contacts while the inReach is in distress mode; however, SOS messages have priority and will be transmitted first. And if youre the kind who is magnetically drawn to mudflats or river bars, youll be happy to know that DeLorme has partnered with BoatUS to help members contact the BoatUS 24-hour dispatch service using their inReach unit.
The inReachs battery life expectancy in distress mode will vary depending on how frequently the SOS and position messages are being transmitted, but assuming the battery was fully charged when SOS was pushed, the batteries should last 125 hours if Lithium-ion, 75 hours if NiMH, and 72 hours if alkaline.
Concerns: Although the inReach test unit connected with a range of Android and iOS gadgets with no problem, we did have a problem connecting it with one testers Android phone, even though the phone met the required specifications. Battery life has been an issue with the inReach in the past, but operating system upgrades have improved this. Even so, battery life is not as good as the SPOT or Cerberus units we previously tested.
Testers liked that as a standalone device, the inReach can send up to three different canned messages using the units Message button. We also liked that the maps are downloaded (rather than streamed), so they can be used to navigate even when no cell service is available, allowing use of the inReach-smart device combination as a portable backup GPS navigator. Easy, one-handed operation, even with gloves, was another plus.
Bottom line: The inReach is a robust, well-designed unit that brings a lot of features to the table, not the least of which is two-way communication, for a reasonable price: $250.
The name Iridium can be traced to Motorola engineer Bary Bertiger, who came up with the idea of satellite-based phone service back in the 1980s. He envisioned a system consisting of 77 low-earth-orbiting (LEO) satellites, which happens to be the same number of electrons in the element Iridium.
Advertised as the toughest military-grade designed satellite handset ever built, Iridiums 9575 Extreme is a GPS-enabled sat phone that packs a lot of features, yet is still pretty intuitive and easy to use. In fact, this is one piece of cutting-edge technology that your inner geezer can probably relate to easier than your kids.
Although closer in appearance and weight to a mid-90s cellphone than todays smartphones, the slightly tapered shape of the Extreme has a good feel to it. The diamond-shaped, rubberized coating provides a good grip and protective padding in case the handset is dropped.
The Extreme sports a 250-character monochrome display with rudimentary graphics. (Young whippersnappers who want the screen to come to life when they touch it are plumb out of luck.) Such a display may seem tiny by todays smartphone standards, but it works well for what its primarily used for: composing short text and e-mail messages-from anywhere on the planet. (Tell your latt-sipping buddies to try Tweeting from the middle of the Atlantic or the Artic with their androgynous iGadgets!)
The Extreme is GPS enabled, which allows users to send their location with text messages, along with a Google Maps link, providing easy viewing from the Iridium website. SMS messaging is two-way, but typing them up is not as easy as using an iOS or Android device. Another benefit of the Extreme is a big, red SOS button-similar in appearance to the rocket launcher from Austin Powers Shaguar. One push, and the Extreme will alert the rescue service of your choice and help establish two-way communication to assist in their response. GEOS is the default service, but others are available for additional fees.
The Iridium Extreme package includes a number of must-have and nice-to-have accessories: travel charger with international adapters, car charger, USB data cable, hands-free earpiece with microphone, data adaptor plug (similar in shape to the charging cradle), magnetic-mount antenna with a 5-foot cable, leather case, user manual, quick start guide, and a CD with related software.
The charging cradle has a USB port that can connect the Extreme to a laptop, turning it into a data modem. Maximum speeds, per Iridium, are about 13 Kbps (with compression software) and 2.4 Kbps raw throughput. You wont want to download music or videos, but for text messages, checking email, and downloading GRIBs, the speed is sufficient-particularly for those of us who remember dial-up modems.
Setup: The setup for the Extreme is straightforward and painless. Users go online to the GEOS website, www.geosalliance.com/iridium, to set up the account, set preferences, and list emergency contact information. Users can also choose to add Medivac and search-and-rescue insurance coverage to their service plan as part of the registration process.
Service plans: Since Iridium is a wholesaler, pricing for our products and services is determined by the seller and varies dependent upon geographies and value added provided, explained Iridium public relations manager Ashley Eames. Most sellers offer both monthly pricing for airtime and bundled airtime packages for prepaid purchasers. The costs for these vary, but the general rule is that the more minutes you buy, the less you pay per minute. Basic service costs $46.95 per month, plus $1.49 per minute. This is far from cheap, but those who frequent remote areas with no cellphone coverage or who do a lot of international travel will likely find the prices easier to swallow.
Two things users need to keep in mind from a cost perspective: One is that all calls are charged at the global rate, regardless of whether you are calling from Miami to New York or from Boston to Kosrae, Micronesia (great diving there, by the way). The second cost applies to those calling your satellite phone. Depending on charges assessed by landline and wireless carriers, calling a satellite phone can cost anywhere from $3 to $5 per minute. Iridium provides their customers an option to acquire a U.S. number. With that, the caller will incur standard charges to the U.S., while the Iridium subscriber pays roughly $1.50 per minute for a received call.
SOS: Once an SOS is initiated, the Extreme sends an emergency notification (message and call) to GEOS. The message is cross-referenced with the emergency contact information that the user provides during registration, and GEOS coordinates with local rescue agencies. That is the default; however, users can set their account preferences to have the SOS sent to a point of contact other than GEOS. Users also can continue to make calls or send texts while the Extreme is in distress mode.
The distress alerts and position data will continue to transmit every 5 minutes until the user cancels the SOS. Battery life expectancy in distress mode is 26 hours with a fully charged standard battery. However, Iridium plans to introduce an optional high-capacity battery accessory that will nearly double the battery capacity.
Concerns: Smartphone users may find the look and feel of the Extreme clunky-especially with the antenna, which has to be extended during use. Another niggling concern was with charging. Unlike the small plug-in tip found on most sat or cell phones, the Extreme comes with a cradle that attaches to the bottom of the phone. It works well, but it seems like one more item to lose.
According to Eames, the cradle design was necessary to accommodate all the possible uses of the Extreme (charging, connecting to laptop, standing, and laying flat, in a car, on a boat) while meeting the IP65 water-resistance rating and reducing the handset size from previous models. This, she said, would not have been possible with internally mounted connectors. We think that the adapters provide flexibility in use while maintaining a compact, water-resistant design while used in portable mode, she explained. For those that are primarily using the adapter and charger for charging, we recommend keeping the two accessories attached to simplify use.
Battery life (for tracking) is considerably less than the other tracking units weve tested, but that would only be an issue when away from a charging source.
Using the phone as a tracker is a nice additional feature, but it wouldnt be a major selling point for us. The biggest appeal is the Extremes reliable, global voice communications. Any of the other units in our test offer tracking services for much less, but they don't provide global voice coverage. Another thing to consider is that while the phone has an IP65 rating, that goes by the board when opening the little rubber caps to use the power or data adaptor-same goes for the SOS button, should the cap be left open or knocked loose.
Finally, in April 2012, Iridium announced a recall for the Extreme due to problems with the antenna deployment sensor. According to Iridium, the problem was traced to a vendor manufacturing process that has been rectified; new phones do not have this issue, but if purchasing a used unit, ensure that it has been fixed.
Bottom line: While still a considerable expense, sat phones are slowly entering the realm of affordability. For globetrotters, or those who often find themselves off the beaten track and away from cellphone coverage, the Extreme is well-suited to fill the gap. Users should be sure to look for the battery-extending accessory Iridium has in the works.
We found that all of the Satcom devices we tested work as advertised. The biggest dilemma for buyers is matching their wants and needs with their budget. If showing track data is your goal and you can live with one-way communications, the SPOT Connect is a good choice; the unit and basic service plan are the least expensive of the test group. Its our Budget Buy pick.
If two-way communications and tracking are priorities, the choice comes down to the CerberLink and inReach. The inReach has the edge in unit and service pricing, but the CerberLink has a lot of features testers liked, including its alert notification service and the ability to use WiFi when available. Finally, if voice communication tops your wish list, the Extreme is the way to go. Iridium provides the foundation for all of these products, afterall, and the Extreme offers functions the others don't: voice, texting, tethering to your laptop, and even a wireless hotspot when coupled with the Iridium AccessPoint WiFi unit (watch for a future review on this). The Extreme isn't cheap by any means, but it brings a lot to the table.
None of these should be considered replacements for an EPIRB, but they could serve well as backups. Our first choice for an EPIRB backup, of course, would be a personal locator beacon (PLB), which is less expensive and more reliable than most tracking devices. But for a satcom tracking device, the Extreme or inReach would be our top picks for backup safety electronics. Both offer two-way communication, use GEOS, and advertise themselves as emergency response devices-Cerberus specifically does not.
Inreach vs. Iridium Extreme
Basic Plan Comparison
Briartek
RAM Lights for Sailboats


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GE Lighting places calls for GE Edison Award Competition entries
Professional designers, architects, engineers and consultants have until January 7, 2013 to submit entries for lighting projects completed during the 2012 calendar year.
GE Lighting has announced the opening of the 30th-annual GE Edison Award competition that recognizes the best in professional lighting designs. Lighting designers, architects, engineers and consultants have until January 7 to submit entries, and the winners will be announced at a formal ceremony, held coincident with the Lightfair tradeshow, that's scheduled for April 22, 2013.
Nominated projects must have been completed during the 2012 calendar year. The projects must "employ the significant use of GE lighting products" but can also include product from other vendors. More information and the entry form is available at the GE Edison Award website.
We covered the winners of the 2012 Edison awards in a feature article earlier this year. There were 12 award winners and consistent themes included increased use of daylighting and controls in recognized projects.


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Digital Breakdown: 'Semi-Pro' is semi-funny
May. 31, 2008 12:00 a.m.
Will Ferrell cranks out yet another semi-inspired comedy, again traveling back to the 1970s. But instead of delving into local news, as in "Anchorman," he stumbles, bumbles and fumbles as pro basketball star Jackie Moon, a character who tries to take a loveable bunch of losers to National Basketball Association play. Unlike "Anchorman" or "Talladega Nights," "Semi-Pro's" humor seems forced. It's almost as if Ferrell has lost his snappiness and the desire to take off his clothes and run around naked.
Yet it does have a few laugh-out-loud moments. The unrated DVD edition opens up the comedy; it's more fun than the PG-13 rated theatrical release. The set has a second disc with four featurettes, new interviews with old NBA players and music videos and more. The Blu-ray edition has even more extras. Price: $34.99 to $39.98. Rent or buy: Rent
RESCUE ME — THE COMPLETE FOURTH SEASON
Tommy and the gang at the firehouse are back again battling fires, personal demons and post-9/11 stress. In the fourth season, Tommy faces arson charges and deals with his older daughter running away; folks in the rest of the crew have their own problems, including the fate of Chief Reilly.
"Rescue Me" showcases cool guest stars; season four features Susan Sarandon, Gina Gershon and Jennifer Esposito. The DVD's special features include seven production featurettes, deleted scenes, a blooper reel and minisodes shown on the Internet. Price: $49.95. Rent or buy: Buy
THE EYE — SPECIAL EDITION
Hollywood doesn't need to think up new horror film ideas; it just can continue borrowingfrom the East. Following leads by Sarah Michelle Gellar, Naomi Watts and Kristen Bell, Jessica Alba stars in an Asian horror import in which she can see dead people thanks to a corneal eye transplant that restores her sight, but comes with a special bonus: glimpses of the dead among the living. This movie gets its source material from a 2002 Korean film also called "The Eye."
This version fails to live up to the original; it's packed with half-baked scares, lousy acting and a plotline that's impossible to get behind. The DVD's second disc has four featurettes, deleted scenes, audio commentary, trailers and a digital copy that may be transferred to an iPod or computer. Price: $34.98 $39.99. Rent or buy: Rent
MEET THE SPARTANS UNRATED
Just in case "Date Movie," the four "Scary Movies," "Epic Movie" and about half-dozen other parody films weren't enough, "Meet the Spartans" will help those who need to satisfy their big-budget-movie-spoof fix. This time, "300" is the main focus, but "American Idol," "Dancing With the Stars," "Stomp the Yard," Britney Spears, Lindsay Lohan and "Transformers" are fodder for a faucet of lowbrow gags (many we've heard and seen before). Audio commentary, a gag reel, three behind-the-scenes featurettes and a pop-up trivia game round out the DVD. Price: $29.98 to $39.98. Rent or buy: Rent
WEEDS — SEASON THREE
Showtime is changing "Weeds" completely in the fourth season as a result of what happened at the end of the third season — the town where it takes place was burned down. If you want to begin watching the broadcasts, now's the time to jump on. The intriguing series is about a housewife who's forced to sell pot to make ends meet after her husband dies suddenly. Eight audio commentaries, three featurettes, gag reelbios, trivia and a soundtrack sampler accompany the 15 episodes on three discs. This is one of the few TV shows offered in Blu-ray. Price: $39.98. Rent or buy: Buy
GET SMART — THE COMPLETE SERIES
Unfortunately, this isn't the original series, but the ill-fated, lame remake from 1995, again starring Don Adams and Barbara Feldon. But this one lasted just seven episodes before getting yanked. This updated "Get Smart" wasn't able to recapture the character and humor of the original. But with the new movie of the same name coming out soon, someone figured die-hard fans would be interested in this cheap buy. Price: $19.98. Rent or buy: Buy, if a fan
Other DVDs out Tuesday: "American Crude," "The Onion Movie," "I Love New York — Season Two," "Flavor of Love — Season Three," "Flawless," "Mannix: Season One," "Boarding Gate" and "The Animation Show — Volume 3."
artsentertainmentOther Arts
Review: The girls are back in town
Global dance extravaganza


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THESE GUYS ARE CRIME FIGHTERS?
The more I look in to the International Chamber of Commerce, the more impressed I get. Basically an organization devoted to promoting business ties across borders, the organization has plenty of oars in the water.
For example, I came across this article where the ICC is warning businesses about a scam. Companies are being fleeced by hucksters who present "4081" documents that (they claim) insure against loss. Then the criminals take the up front money and disappear.
When the word got out about the 4081 scam, the hucksters just made up a new bogus document and called it the "4082". They must be finding dopes somewhere who'll be impressed or else the criminals wouldn't bother.
Amusing as that is, the ICC is trying to stop serious violent crime as well. They're the best source for news about modern piracy I've found, although Pravda is interested in it as well (although they usually claim the United States are the pirates).
Anyway, back to the ICC. They've formed an anti-pirate assault force (which has yet to see any action), as well as tried to keep shipping companies abreast of pirate activity. Reports now indicate that something is having an effect on the way the pirates operate. Attacks have been on the rise, with the pirates now steailing the entire ship. Yet, even though more of the attackers are armed, there's fewer injuries and death. This indicates to me that the small fry have been eliminated and some big organization is calling the shots, trying to keep the mayhem down so there's less pressure to hunt the pirates down and bring them to justice.
Hmmm. I notice that about half of all of the attacks are occurring at one country. Just a word to the wise if you're planning on taking a cruise somewhere.
OLD WORLD CRIMINALS
If you're interested in historical pirates, then this site is a pretty good resource.
Get the kids together and go through some of the pictures with them. Better have a supply of toy weapons on hand if you do, though. They'll probably want to play at being pirates after.
So I see this article from Wired. Some microelectronics firm named Nanovia claims to have the answer to tracing guns. They insert a plug in the chamber of a gun with tiny raised letters or numbers. When the gun is fired the expanding brass presses against the raised marks and is stamped with the serial number. Nanovia says that this is a much more reliable method than ballistic fingerprinting.
Yeah, it is. But what about the whole issue of gun registration? To trace the gun back to where it came from you'd still have to set up a registry of firearms, which has been used as a prelude to gun confiscation. Doesn't address that one little bit.
Another problem is how easy it is to defeat the system. If I wanted to I could use a file and buff the serial numbers off in about three minutes (20 if I had to drive to the hardware store and buy a file). The guys at Nanovia (who, after all, are hoping to sell the system and make a profit) claim that it would ruin the gun to try, an incredibly stupid and asinine thing to say. Do they think that all gun owners are idiots?
Last point. Most guns used in crimes are stolen. Why would a criminal even bother to file off the serial number from a stolen gun? So he leaves evidence at the scene so the gun can be traced back to the poor schmuck that used to own it. So what? This is a bad thing for him how, exactly? Instead of just murder (or attempted murder if his aim is bad) he also gets charged with receiving stolen property? Sadie bar the door! We'll have the crooks on the run with this one!
Idiotic as the whole thing is, I'm just waiting for it to be touted by the anti-gunners as the greatest crime fighting tool to come along since public police forces.
JANE'S ROUNDUP
Jane's Defence has come out with their latest on line edition.
Passing the Gas
The Russian authorities have revealed the composition of the gas used to incapicitate the Chechyn terrorists. Previous speculation that the gas was some sort of nerve agent were wrong. Still, nerve agent or no nerve agent, the vast majority of the hostages are still ill from the gas, and all but two of the 177 dead hostages were killed by the gas. Considering the terrorists were wearing explosive belts and had rigged the theater with explosives, one does have to wonder what would have happened if a more conventional approach to freeing the hostages was used.
Flying Infantry Vehicles
The U.S. has unveiled prototypes of new infantry vehicles. As this article explains, the main need was for a battlefield-survivable vehicle that could be transported by a C-130 cargo plane. The two new vehicles would come in two variants: wheeled for use where roads are prevalent and tracked for rougher terrain (the tracked vehicles cost more to operate, so wheeled types are favored whereever possible). The questions we REALLY want answered haven't been addressed yet, and no one knows what kinds of weapons the military will eventually equip the vehicles with.
That's a Really Big Bullet
Back in 1993, under much controversy, the concept of a kinetic energy missile was started. Basically it's just a big, solid metal spearhead attached to the front of a rocket motor. No fancy guidance systems or exploding warheads are included. Fire them at the tanks or bunkers where the bad guys are hiding and trust in weight and speed to make a hole and create havoc (just like a bullet from a gun). Back in August defense contractor Raytheon announced the first test of the system. With almost unprecedented speed it seems that the system is now ready for deployment. I'm certain that many people at the Pentagon are interested to see how these bad boys work under actual combat conditions.
Just Like "Top Gun"
It would seem that the Red Flag air combat training program at Nellis Air Force Base is being stepped up and intensified. Although air superiority missions and dogfighting consitituted the majority of the missions, a surprisingly large number of non-fighters were there to hone their skills.
There Isn't a Word for "Sanctions" in Their Language
It would appear that Yugoslavia has been supplying arms to Iraq over the past decade in clear violation of U.N. sanctions. If the amount sold to Iraq is significant, and if the weapons pose serious problems for U.S. troops in the coming invasion, I don't think Yugoslavia will be on my Christmas card list.
Jane's Defence has an analysis of the recent hostage rescue in Russia. There's some speculation concerning the type of gas used to render the terrorists helpless (sorry, you have to pay big money to get the whole article).
Considering what little the outside world knows of the effects, it's very possible that one of the components was some sort of deadly nerve agent such as sarin. There's very few compounds that would have been as effective in such a short period of time. This would account for both the high mortality rate among the hostages and the reluctance of the Russian gov to discuss what was used.
Still, this is just speculation. Unless the Russians actually tell the world what they used the truth will probably never be known.
WISDOM FROM THE PROS
"Jack Dunphy" is the nom de plume of a L.A. cop who writes for the National Review Online. His latest column has some thoughts about the Beltway Assassins. He discusses how difficult and delicate the job of convicting the guilty will be.
"Some cops and prosecutors may view this case as an opportunity to have their tickets punched on the road to promotion, but this is not a job for climbers seeking to see themselves on television. This is a job for the old pros, those who know how to put a case together and bring it before a jury."
Sound wisdom. But it would appear that Mr. Dunphy has had some bad experiences with upper management.
"Every cop knows that the higher one goes in the organization the less one is likely to know about police work. I have learned through bitter experience that the suits know almost nothing about the case law regarding search and seizure, and even less about the nuts and bolts of evidence collection."
Hmmmmm, I think I made essentially the same arguement about profilers.
SHOOTIN' LONG, REDUX
In response to this post, a friend of mine, one of the best pistol shots I've ever met, asks "Hey, what's with this revolver stuff?" Kathryn thinks that favoring revolvers chambered for .357 Magnum for both long range shootin' and close up self-defense doesn't tell the whole story. She's right.
Kat suggests the Glock 31C, which is chambered for the .357 SIG cartridge. Comparing the .357 SIG with the .357 Magnum cartridge will show that the Magnum has an edge over the SIG when using standard loads, but that edge disappears when one uses high velocity defense ammo.
Besides quicker reload times, the Glock has an advantage over the revolver when it comes to weight. Look over the .357 Magnum revolvers with 4" barrels on this website. You'll see that they weigh about as much unloaded as a Glock with a full 10 round magazine. Another bonus is that the Glock 31C is compensated, which would certainly help with muzzle flip.
I always suggest that at least one full reload is carried, and two is even better. Two reloads for a revolver equals 18 rounds (6 in the gun, 12 on the belt). Two extra 10 round magazines equals 31 rounds (20 on the belt, 10 in the gun's magazine, and one chambered). If you're a police officer you can get 15 or 17 round magazines. Nothing like having 52 rounds at hand.
It wouldn't be hard to track a rifle-wielding felon's car with that many holes in it.
PROFILING THE PROFILERS
So the Beltway Assasins are caught, and the evidence against them are so strong that the states are lining up to see who will get to prosecute them. Hard to imagine that just a week ago there was rampant speculation as to the who and why.
A few of the blogs out there (and some respected mainstream media outlets) have pointedly mentioned that the profilers were dead wrong.
Robert K. Ressler is the FBI agent who started the whole profiling thing, as well as coining the phrase "serial killer". He has always maintained that profiling is nothing more than a tool that allows the police to focus on the most likely leads. As I've pointed out before, the police never have enough resources to do everything. By focusing on the things that have the best odds of producing results, valuable time may be saved.
Notice the language used in the paragraph above. "Most likely". "..best odds...". I said that deliberately. When it comes to a case where there are no obvious links to the victims it's always a crap shoot. The lead investigators make choices, sometimes the wrong ones. In desperate times, with no solid information to go on, profiling just allows them to bet where the payoff has come in most often.
Unfortunately Hollywood has presented profiling as being some sort of Houdini act. The grim agent looks around the crime scene and walks out into the crowd and points. "There he is!"
Doesn't work that way. In fact, I can't think of a single case where profiling did anything like that (though there might very well be cases I haven't heard about). Every case I ever heard about was solved with good police work, the dull and boring nuts-and-bolts of the criminal justice system. But that doesn't pull in the TV ratings, so the news shows always have some "expert" going on and spouting off about stuff that may or may not be true. That's what the viewers want, and it advances the career of the "expert". With that kind of combination I don't see this going away any time soon.
When I was working for the police, the consensus around HQ was that profiling was a good way to keep the media and the public off of the department's back while the real work went on out of sight. It probably wouldn't do any harm as long as the investigators didn't pay too much attention to it, and it might just do some good some day.


You may have seen Capt Mike on HGTV when he was on the pilot for "Beachfront Bargain Hunters" here on Clearwater Beach but for the past 17 years, Capt Mike has been involved in several aspects of real estate. Throughout those years he has found a passion for buyers and sellers treasuring every time he helps find the perfect place for his client. Mike takes his Realtor title very seriously and dedicates himself to being fully informed on professional and industry standards as well as market trends, even taking time to attain education on home inspections so he can better represent his clients and make the most of their time. His ability to put himself in his clients' shoes allows him to find the right property without adding stress to his buyers. Mike's integrity, honesty, listening skills and organic approach to Real Estate set him apart from the rest.