A light that shines in the darkness...

2007-08-09T13:03:00.001+08:00

Posts coming up.....

* Holiday in Aussie
* 9th geocache find - Danys Downunder
*10th geocache find - Mia Dolphins
* 11th geocache find - Salt

2006-12-08T11:18:00.000+08:00

Omelette! My first attempt at trying to cook an omelette by myself using the stove. Haha.

Ingredients:
- 2 eggs
- 4 cherry tomatoes
- 1 slice of ham
- 2 tablespoons of oil
- Pepper

Ingredients:

All prepared to be cooked:

Well it turned out slightly oily and was a bit dry on the inside but luckily it was not burnt. :) Must remember to turn down the fire a little next time.

The finished product:

2006-11-28T15:53:00.000+08:00

My 8th geocache find - From Grammy's Attic, GCXE7V

Decided to attempt this cache today despite the rain the night before and the sky that threatened to rain today. Alighted at the bus-stop near the (already up) MacDonald's Drive-thru. Headed in a straight line towards the trees..... Wait... Something's not right here. Deep 5m into the jungle, I decided that this was not another Private Wars AKA Ex-xiong. Felt like a fool when I walked out.

Anyway I took a short hike up the small hill as I was too lazy to walk over to the staircase.

GZ 1:

Found the first clue quite easily; the coordinates were spot on. Very nice idea of hiding the first clue. You exercise a lot whitewizard? . First clue was easy to retrieve although there were elderly muggles around.

Clue in hiding:

Coordinates of final cache inside clue:

Got the coordinates to the final GZ, and reached there rather quickly.

Path to final cache:

Final GZ:

Saw the velcro tape that Zeng mentioned, but could not see the final cache. Used a flashlight to illuminate the area around it, but could not find it. Just then a muggle decided to call the GZ his home and started to stretch around. Had to watch him for a while but he quickly moved away. (I guess it feels weird having someone watch you do your workout. :) ) Finally retrieved the final geocache!

Around the park I ran, with my GPSr in hand.
In search of grammy's bountiful store, instead I saw grandpa's and ma's galore.
The hanging gardens of the park I ventured, on another great adventure.
Of course I enjoyed myself.
Thought I did not see the ''lizard'',
I still say, ''TFTC The Old White Wizard!''

In: A neck lanyard
Out: USAF keychain

Cache contents:

Posing with cache:

2006-11-16T14:56:00.000+08:00

My 7th geocache find - Emily Rose, GCT7A6.

This was the second cache of the day, first was Santa Klutz. Took the train from Orchard, changed train and alighted at Little India. Took a nice hike to GZ.

Mt Emily Park:

It was quite hot and humid today. Even though I didn't walk much nor hunt a lot for the cache, I was already perspiring in the shade.

GZ:

Cache in hiding:

Found the cache easily as I spotted an object that did not look it could end up that without a human doing so!
Alas! Cache has been muggled! By a fellow geocacher... =.= Cache is intact, along with the ziplock bag used to hold the TB, but the TB Outback Cat is missing! Double-checked the cache hiding area to make sure that I didn't accidentally drop it. Yup. Another earlier geocacher noted that the TB is missing too.

Blowing bubbles on a sunny day:

Anyway, TFTC IndianaJanes!

In: Blue compact binoculars
Out: Silver dolphin statue

Cache contents:

Tribute to Emily Rose:

Posing with cache:

2006-11-10T09:56:00.000+08:00

My 6th geocache find! Santa Klutz, GCRPPD. (Pictures below).

Woke up early this morning to attempt this cache, due to weather forecasts predicting heavy rains in the late morning and afternoon. Got dad to drop me off near GZ and began a short walk to the tree. Like the others, I was barking up the wrong tree initially, but after consulting my GPSr finally got the right tree. GZ was a little damp because it rained the night before, but thankfully there was no mud.

GZ:

Quick insertion and exit at the tree, having seen the clue already. Lots and lots of muggles around, ranging from the garderners to the sweepers (who kept glaring at me suspiciously), to the everyday office workers, and the tourists.

Cache in hiding:

Quickly snapped a few shots, and sat down to read logs. Who would believe that in such an area there were mosquitoes? Yep, there sure was a swarm around.

Had to wait for 2 muggles to look away and for the coast to be clear before darting back to replace the cache.

TFTC Indianajanes! Clue was very helpful.

In: Rubber cake figurine
Out: Hawaiian slipper keychain.

Cache contents:

Picture of me with cache:

2006-08-09T23:12:00.000+08:00

Today marks the 41st birthday of our nation, Singapore! A tiny country which had its humble beginnings as a humble fishing village is now one of the world's leading economies and arguably the best military in South-East Asia. No easy feat for a tiny red dot on the world map eh.

Anyway my family 2 other relatives managed to get hold of tickets to go to watch the National Day Parade 2006 at the National Stadium at Kallang! It's the last NDP that's going to be held there so goodbye to the stadium of memories. It's also my FIRST ever NDP! We left the house at 3pm and the parade started at 6pm. Well, Í took so many pictures so I'll let them do the talking...

Big pile of goodie bags:

Sea of red:

Future of Singapore, flying our flag high:

Target float for ''Red Lions" - parachuters:

Red Lions in the sky trailing coloured smoke:

Red lion breezing in:

Parade at rest:

Guard-of-honour (Navy):

State flag flown by Chinook helicopter flanked by 2 Apache helicopters:

Crimson red sunset (the best I've seen in Singapore!):

Night performance:

Flares out of float:

Lit performers' lamps:

Lit balloon:

Powerful spotlight:

Spotlight beams:

Fireworks!:

"Made in Singapore"

Goodie back contents:

2006-07-06T11:10:00.000+08:00

Pictures of an awesome sunrise. Woke up this morning to a beautiful sunrise. Usually I get to see spectacular sunrises almost daily here in Singapore, but usually these cannot be seen from my window. So looking out of my window and being greeted by an awesome reddish sunrise was really a neat suprise.

It's like seating on God's front porch. (:

At 6.40am:

At 7am:

At 7.57am:

Just a little something to brighten your day!

2006-06-23T11:21:00.000+08:00

My 5th geocache find! Park to Mall, GCWN3M. (Pictures below).

Yeeha! Set off from home around 11.30am to seek this cache. Dark skies, wet roads and weather forecasts predicting wet weather nearly stopped me from proceeding. Took a bus from my house and met one of my former school friends.

Finally reached GZ 1, but not before missing one bus stop and walking back. Damn. Searched for a good 45mins for the microcache but could not find it.

Ground Zone (GZ) 1 - clue ''Have a nice day'':

Saw a few muggles, one couple with girlfriend giving boyfriend a massage...o.0 Was tired and hot, wanted to take a rest the.... I found it! Coordinates were a bit off, probably because the cache owner was using an older model of a GPS then me. Hence the useless wandering around and poking at solid ground. The first cache was actually hidden in one of the metal bench's hole! Man you really need brains for geocaching.... X.X

Bench containing clue 1:

Hole in which cache containing clue 1 was hidden:

Looking at clue, could not really figure out what to do, whether there was a missing piece inside a not. Finally decided to just do as the clue hinted. Punched in the coordinates into my GPS and crossed my fingers.

Cache containing clue 1:

Cache containing clue 1 (opened):

Clue 1:

With the GPS leading the way; took a short walk to final GZ. Found the second part of the hunt! I must say what a unique way of disguising it jughead09! Not sure if this was it but I did not follow GPS to find this. Some 10m away I guess it looked somewhat like the second clue!

Clue 2:

Clue 1&2 joined together!

Reached final GZ,this place was crawling with muggles! Apparently coming here during lunchtime was not a very good idea. Quickly hustled my stuff away to get a few snapshots and to sign log. Headed nearby to have a hearty lunch. Btw S$1 is not enough for the drink! Drinks cost S$1.20 now... Haha.

Final GZ (looks like clue given)!:

Final GZ (another view):

Final cache in hiding:

Nice hiding places and geocache. This cache finally broke my barren curse of 3 consecutive unsuccessful geocaches. Glad to find it. Why aren't more people attempting this one?

TTF! (Third to find)!

Took: S$1 (as a momento)
Left: A seashell

Cache contents:

Picture of me with cache at final GZ:

Park to Mall can be found on the official geocaching website, here's the link to the geocache:
http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.aspx?guid=608ad5d4-24c6-460f-8cd3-197145ad547b

2006-06-14T11:09:00.000+08:00

Holiday in Bangkok, 14-18/6.

Well. My family decided to go on a holiday during June. Found cheap tickets on the Swiss Air website for flights to Bangkok, Thailand at S$120 (US$77)! These prices were without the airport tax, but even with that factored in, it was still very reasonable. Immediately grabbed the tickets.

Most Singaporeans go to Bangkok for shopping and eating. Bangkok is well-known as a prime destination for cheap clothing (lots of imitation goods) and also as a food paradise with its good yet cheap food. We stayed at Grand Diamond Hotel and visited these places mainly,with others we saw along the way while walking:

Mah Boon Krong (MBK) shopping centre
Siam Paragon (and that entire stretch of luxury good malls)
Chatuchak Weekend market (a labyrinth of covered shops in a market-like atmosphere)
The night markets
Many other roadside shops that lined this city's roads
Holy Redeemer Church (for mass on sunday)
And many others.....

To go into depth on what we did on our holiday would probably bore you to death because it consisted of only shopping and eating, so I'll let the pictures do the talking. =)

Airport tarmac view:

Airport tarmac view (swiss air tail):

Sign on the bus in poor english:

Busy street at night (as viewed from our hotel):

Grand Diamond Hotel room living room:

Grand Diamond Hotel room kitchen:

Grand Diamond Hotel room toilet (as viewed from door):

Grand Diamond Hotel room sink:

Grand Diamond Hotel room shower area:

Grand Diamond Hotel room beds (viewed from door):

Grand Diamond Hotel room beds (viewed from end of room):

Grand Diamond Hotel room beds (front view):

Side street near Baiyoke Sky Tower 1:

Side street stall selling beaded necklaces:

Side street view of Baiyoke Sky Tower:

Polo shirt with "kiasu" - (scared to lose) logo. it's super big.:

Fire hydrant. My... that thing looks ancient:

''Paw''llywood's walk of fame:

'Over the hedge' movie poster at train station:

'Superman' movie poster at Mah Boon Krong (MBK) centre:

Poster of the Thai King at MBK centre:

Stall at MBK selling nice lights and lamps:

View of Bangkok city from Grand Diamond Hotel room:

View of the Baiyoke Sky Tower (the tallest building around) from our hotel window:

The crowded train station in the day:

View of an eatery from the train station:

View of a rooftop satellite dish from the train station:

The park and river near Chatuchak Weekend market:

Entrance to Chatuchak weekend market:

Puppies for sale at S$12 (US$8):

Getting a lick (free):

Shrimps for sale - food for fishes:

**Video** of the shrimps swimming around:

Batman's dog resting on the floor:

Woman selling weird stuff:

Awww... A thai boy catching forty winks:

Sun setting near our hotel:

Our favourite dinner venue - Maria's restaurant: (We ate the local thai food like green curry and fried chicken, not the western food like pizza they also offered.)

A deserted train station at night:

A sneak shot of me by my sister in the train:

Crowded corrior/shopping level at MBK centre:

MBK centre sign:

Interesting window display of a Louis Vuitton store:

Well being on holiday does not give us an excuse not to attend mass on sunday, so we checked out our map and decided to go to Holy Redeemer Church (HRC). I must say that this church has very interesting architecture, somewhat typical of that of a Buddhist temple. Its the first time I see a church roof shaped like that, and the weird lights above a gold-plated(??) Jesus Christ. Mother Mary is also enshrined. The cross that the altar boys carry are similar to those that we carry here in Singapore, almost identical except for the golden ''rays'' that emit from the cross.

HRC church sign:

HRC roof architecture:

HRC interior:

Gold-plated Jesus statue:

Lights above the gold-plated statue of Jesus:

Mother Mary's shrine:

St. Joseph's statue:

The cross that the altar boys carry:

The entrance to the church:>

Beware of the ''eyes''...:

Wet tarmac view:

A three-engine Finnair plane:

**Video** of a Jetstar Asia plane being towed/pushed out from its parking position to take-off:

2 planes parked side by side:

Swiss Air - our plane back:

Say hi to the pilots in the cockpit:

Check out the plane's engine:

The plane's fuel truck:

Swiss air wing fin with Japan Airline's tail fin:

Swiss air wing fin with Israel Airline's tail fin:

A plane gliding in the final approach to the runway:

The plane gliding in, about to land:

Touchdown! The plane's main landing gear touch the runway:

The plane's nose landing gear touch the runway:

The behind-the-seat monitor shows our slow progress on the taxi-way and the large jumbo jet in front (nice of the pilot to show that):

Big guy vs little man: A big Singapore Airlines jumbo jet faces off with a Cessna:

Big guy wins: Singapore Airlines turns onto the runway:

Look at the queue behind us: Planes lining up to take off:

Our Swiss Air plane turns, showing the lighted ruway:

**VIDEO** of our Swiss Air flight departure from Bangkok International Airport:

The shiny Swiss Air wing catching the sun's rays:

Flying over the South China Sea, off the coast of Malaysia:

A few shots from my GPS (Garmin GPSmap 60Cx). Note: with the new model (from 60 to 60Cx), i don't need to put the unit touching the window to get a reception:

Garmin GPSmap 60Cx map screen:

Garmin GPSmap 60Cx satellite screen, GPS on the armrest:

Garmin GPSmap 60Cx satellite screen, GPS on seat beside my thigh (and still holding a lock!):

Garmin GPSmap 60Cx trip computer screen, note the plane speed and altitude:

The sun mirrored on the Swiss Air wing:

The in-flight food, with the main course:

Swiss Air wing against sun:

Swiss Air wing against dark sky:

Swiss Air wing with a swirly cloud formation:

Swiss Air wing cloud pic:

Clouds brushing past the airplane's wing at high speed:

Swiss air wing with a turquoise sky:

Swiss Air plane banking, showing plane's wing against the beautiful clouds and sky: (Have you been to heaven?):

Spectacular shots of the Swiss Air wing and the sunset as we approach Changi Airport, Singapore:

Passing over a river in Malaysia in the sunset:

Approaching the Singaporean coast at dusk:

**VIDEO** of our landing/approach at Changi International Airport, Singapore in the sunset:

And so ends 4 wonderful days of holiday in Bangkok, lots of stuff bought, and lots of memories to remember!

2006-06-13T11:16:00.000+08:00

Garmin GPSMAP 60Cx Review - my second GPS! After reading what the guys at malsingmaps.com said and burrowing myself in online reviews, I decided to upgrade my GPS to this new model. Sold my Garmin 60C to a fellow malsingmaps.com member at S$450 (US$288), quite a discount from the S$690 (US$436) I paid. Quite excited and pleased with myself for closing a successful deal. :) I wanted to get the new Garmin 60Cx before I left for my holiday in Bangkok, so after failing to receive a confirmation email from an online GPS retailer and having only one day till my holiday, I decided to head down to Perfect Watch Electronics at Sim Lim Square to buy it. Unfortunately the owner whom I bought my Garmin 60C from was not there, so I was forced to purchase it from the 2 ladies inside there, who of course tried to rip me off by giving me ridiculous sky-high prices like S$840 (US$538)????? Spent a great deal of time haggling with her and had to convince her to let me have it at S$730 (US$467). However, mine was the European basemap version with a 64MB micro-SD card. Fired up the device outside the building but it was taking far too long to lock on. So headed home, and at a park nearby got an accuracy of 3m (9ft)!

Garmin 60Cx with topo map, from Garmin:

Some things you should know before you go on to my review...

About GPS:
Basically a system of satellites revolving the earth; 4 satellites give you your exact position in coordinates (lat. & long.) and these signals are received by a GPS receiver which shows your location on a screen. See http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/gps.htm OR http://www.trimble.com/gps/ OR http://www.garmin.com/aboutGPS/ to see how GPS works.

Some true and interesting uses for GPS: http://www.gpsinformation.org/dale/usegps.htm

About SiRF:
An exciting brainchild of engineers at SiRF, the SiRF III chip, was another milestone in Global Positioning System (GPS) history. See it here: http://www.sirf.com/products/gps_chip.html. It promised increased accuracy and ability to capture more than 20 satellites at a go, while maintaining its low power consumption.

My own Garmin GPSMAP60Cx in-depth review (33 pics of it below):

(Please note that the unit casing for the Garmin 60Cx is identical to the Garmin 60C so the review would be similar to my earlier review here at My Garmin 60C review, but with added details and information on the Garmin 60Cx.) Sorry also I cannot do a side-by-side comparison with the Garmin 60C as I had to sell the Garmin 60C before hand in order to finance my Garmin 60Cx buy.

Unit packaging:

Garmin 60Cx box front:

Garmin 60Cx box back:

Garmin 60Cx box side:

Garmin 60Cx in cardboard packaging, inside box:

Unit casing and build:
The Garmin 60Cx is really well built! The manufacturer boasts that the unit is ''IPX7'', which means that it is submersible in 1 metre for 30 mins! (Of course I didn't dare challenge/test this). The unit has rubber linings all around it to protect the electronics, even the battery cover has a cute little metal locking "D" ring that can be turned to lock in the air. You can really feel the slight tension of a waterproof seal while locking this latch. I wouldn't worry about carrying this unit in the rain or accidentally dropping it into water, but remember to dry out the battery compartment after contact with water to prevent the battery contacts from rusting. The size of the unit is very good, smaller than I had expected! It fits into my hand nicely, and I am able to punch in coordinates and do most things using 1 hand only. Truly a handheld GPS! The unit is slightly thick/fat. You might want to consider getting the Garmin Legend Cx or Vista Cx if you like a handphone sized outdoor cum automotive Garmin GPS receiver.

Garmin 60Cx with a smooth screen:

Garmin 60Cx back, see the "D" ring:

Garmin 60Cx external antenna connection port, top left under rubber:

Garmin 60Cx USB connection port, bottom left under rubber:

Garmin 60Cx external power connection port, top right, under rubber:

Garmin 60Cx back, with battery latch removed (see the position of the "D" ring:

Garmin 60Cx in hand for size comparison, from Garmin:

Ease of use:
The Garmin 60Cx is a very easy to use GPS navigation device, though you may need to read the menu in order to use other "complicated" functions. Once you familiarize yourself everything becomes a breeze when using the 60Cx. The menu is very user friendly, and the numerous buttons on the unit allow one to easily use the unit.

Garmin 60Cx main menu:

Garmin 60Cx "find"menu:

Garmin 60Cx buttons:

Transfer of maps to GPS receiver (GPSr):
The Garmin 60Cx connects to the PC via USB 2.0, so loading times should be about the same as loading MP3s into a MP3 player. Indeed it took me less than 15 seconds to transfer 10MB of maps into the GPS. I use the programme ''sendmap2.0'' (http://homepage.ntlworld.com/mdipol/img2gps/) to upload the maps to my GPSr. Using the program is quick, efficient and easy. I used ''GPSMAPedit''( http://www.geopainting.com/en/ )view the GPS maps on my PC. Lets me zoom in and out on the map.

In addition, the Garmin 60Cx also has a micro-SD card slot, concealed behind the batteries. I guess is better for some users as they prefer not using cables. The microSD card is soooo tiny! Also, the microSD card allows users to load as many maps as they want into their GPSr, so long as the maps fit in the memory capacity of the microSD card. Mine is the 64MB version, which is more than enough for me to load the 1+MB worth of the Singapore map. Of course, for users in USA and Europe, 64MB may be a bit too little if they want to travel across states/borders. Well anyway microSD cards are not that expensive nowadays.

Garmin 60Cx battery compartment with microSD latch down and locked:

Garmin 60Cx with microSD card removed, showing empty slot:

Garmin 60Cx with microSD card latch up:

Garmin 60Cx microSD card on finger for size comparison:

Garmin 60Cx microSD card with AA battery and ruler:

Satellite acquisition time:
As stated in the introduction, the Garmin 60Cx locked on much more quickly (in maybe half or one-third the time compared to the Garmin 60C.) In most instances, even in my estate surrounded by houses, the Garmin 60Cx surprisingly managed to lock on to all the 10-12 out of the available 12 satellites. The Garmin 60C would take a much agonizing minutes to do so, and even while it had a lock, it was only about 6-9 satellites. Most of the the time when I switch on the Garmin 60Cx, by the time it starts up and gets to the satellite page, it already shows a lock on many satellites with good accuracy and reception. This shows how quickly the Garmin 60Cx can lock on to the satellites. Average time taken to lock is under 15 seconds, most commonly around 10 seconds. And to many GPS users' delight, the Garmin 60Cx can get a lock inside some houses. Mine managed to sustain a lock a few metres from the window and still was registering signals under my garage. However, sometimes even when I get a lock on 3 GPS satellites the Garmin 60Cx does not show me the accuracy and my position in coordinates; it seems like a minimum of 4 satellites is needed to get a location and accuracy reading. Of course time taken for the satellites to lock and the accuracy depends on the position of the satellites in the sky and the number of GPS satellites above the horizon. This can vary at different times, but I get the best accuracy and reception in the daytime, and slightly worse (by 1 or 2m) accuracy at night. Overall, the Garmin 60Cx locks on much quicker than its predecessor. Garmin seems to have almost fulfiled getting the "switch-on-and-immediately-use" wish for its users.

Accuracy & performance(ability to hold lock) in urban areas/ heavy tree cover:
The reception of the Garmin 60Cx is excellent, due to the combination of the Quad-Helix antenna that sticks out of the unit and also the SiRF III chip inside it. The average accuracy I get in urban Singapore is ranges from 4-8m(12-24ft), while being surrounded by buildings 20m(60ft) high. The best accuracy was on an area with no surrounding high rise buildings was 3m(8ft). Although the Garmin 60Cx is claimed to have Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS), some users online have commented that the WAAS feature does not work in the Garmin 60Cx. (Updates later provide improved WAAS usage) But, with the Garmin 60Cx presenting accuracies of 3m (9ft), who needs WAAS? It's pratically a useless feature for me too since we don't have WAAS in Singapore. Sad to say its only available in the US. The Garmin 60Cx does not disappoint its users, it never loses its satellite signal, except in concrete multi-storey carparks or under a complex metal shelter. Even on the roads of green city Singapore (you get 7m(21ft) trees on both sides of the road - not the skinny ones, but the mushroom shaped, leafy, branchy tropical kind eg. rain tree), the Garmin 60Cx still cheerily displays an estimated accuracy ranging from 5m-10m (15ft-30ft). Unlike the Garmin 60C, which, at times loses its reception completely while in heavilly built up areas with buildings up to 20 stories high, the Garmin 60Cx still maintains a good lock but signal bars are maybe at high the maximum height. It also quickly reaquires its lock (loss of reception very seldom happens) once it is out in the open again. Most of the time it maintains a lock, though it may show very low signal bars from the GPS satellites. Under moderate tree cover (defined by me as having openings & breaks in the canopy the size of your two palms outstretched held up against the canopy), the Garmin 60Cx managed to maintain its reception from the GPS satellites with a good accuracy of around 11m (33ft), unlike the Garmin 60C which only locks on to 2 satellites, not giving me real-time positioning. A much needed improvement in the ability of a GPS ability to hold its satellite lock.

Garmin 60Cx external quad-helix antenna (note the small round power button):

Screen details:
The Garmin 60Cx delivers crisp images (though not on par with PDA screen standards) on its 256 colour TFT screen. Colours are really nice to view on the screen. The TFT thingy really helps; it enables me to see and read anything on the screen even in very bright sunlight. I just need to position the screen in the right way. The screen is large enough, though not as large as a PDA's for me to do my usual routing and GPS stuff, but of course if there could be a unit with a larger screen it would be better. I'm a bit disappointed that Garmin did not take the opportunity to upgrade the colour screen to a higher resolution thus enabling better quality images on the screen.

Garmin 60Cx topo map screen, from Garmin:

Garmin 60Cx bluechart map screen, from Garmin:

Routing:
The Garmin 60Cx has the ability to calculate routes, giving you navigation instructions (like when and where to turn), and also re-calculates routes should you go off track, like the Garmin 60C. All you need to do, is to select a destination, and click ''go to''. The GPS then automatically calculates the route to be taken, either by shortest time or shorter distance, up to you to decide. However, the Garmin 60Cx calculates routes more quickly the Garmin 60C. I was able to calculate routes within 4 seconds and the routes really improved the way I navigate the roads. This is due to the faster processor in the Garmin 60Cx. Real-time panning, which is the ability to see the street labels, and Point-of-interest (POIs) real time, as compared to the Garmin 60C where you had to wait a while for it the "refresh" and display the roads before you can start panning the map again. This is done twice as fast.

Garmin 60Cx offtrail navigation to geocache, from Garmin:

Garmin 60Cx highway page routing, from Garmin:

Garmin 60Cx map page, side view routing, from Garmin:

Battery life:
As compared to the Garmin 60C's battery life of 30 hours, the Garmin 60Cx has a much reduced runtime of 18 hours, just a little over half of the original. Since I use alkaline batteries and not rechargeable ones to power the GPS, I find myself changing batteries more often for the Garmin 60Cx. Additionally, the use of the backlight and the warning tones for the routing drains the batteries quite a fair bit.

Issue of whether the Garmin 60Cx can ''float'' in water:
According to some forums, the Garmin 60Cx does ''semi-float'', with about half its body sticking out of the water. This is provided you use Lithium batteries. If you are worried about your GPSr sinking like a rock in water or if you use your GPSr around water, get the Garmin 76Cx, which is a handheld unit slightly larger than the Garmin 60Cx but can float.

Garmin's support after buying GPS:
Garmin provides excellent after sales service by providing firmware updates and fixes for your GPS via it's website. With firmware updates it enhances it products and its a major plus when comes to making decisions between buying different brands of GPSrs. However, Garmin has yet to fix the irritating bug that shows the GPS moving around even when stationary, when you are ''logging a track''. Garmin has been quiet with regard to fixing this as seen from the absence of things to fix this bug in its updates.

To sum it all up in a nutshell (changes from the 60Cx to the 60C are in red),

Garmin 60Cx Pros:

Rugged and waterproof
Supreb satellite reception
Acquires satellites rather very quickly
Excellent accuracy starting from 3m (8ft)
Colour TFT screen, of good size
Screen is easy to read even in bright sunlight
Long battery life of 18 hours
Takes common AA batteries + Has routing capability
GPS is powered by the PC/laptop while being attached to it
Comfortable size
Can connect to an external antenna (not needed unless you are the driver and can't hold it)
Compact size, can fit in larger pockets (though a bit fat).
Faster processor
Ability to use microSD memory cards (load as many map as you want so long as it fits into the card!)
Names for POIs are now 14 characters instead of 10

Garmin 60Cx Cons:

Basemap is not detailed. (You have to buy Garmin's Map CDs)
To some the 60C is expensive.
Battery life is shorter than the Garmin 60C (18 hrs vs 30 hrs)

Conclusion: Well I certainly didn't regret my buy, though I could have gotten it at a lower price if I had waited till after my holiday. Once you have started on GPS receivers using the SiRF III chip, it is very difficult to go back to using units that do not have the chip, because you would be amazed how this little chip gives such excellent accuracy and reception in the least desirable locations. I have no qualms about taking this GPS to the sandy desert or on a boat, not to mention in a car, and it would certainly be a companion for my travels.

***UPDATE*** I brought the Garmin 60Cx on my holiday to Bangkok, and even in the heavilly built up areas it still managed to maintain its lock and get me a reading. I also took it on board the plane. In the past, I had to hold the Garmin 60C next to the plane's window (with the antenna touching it) so that it could barely cling on to the few available satellites. Of course after the 2 hr+ ride my wrist would be aching. Surprise, surprise! With the Garmin 60Cx, I didnt need to hold it that close to the plane's window any more. I left it on my armrest and below my thigh, and it still managed hold its satellite lock well! What a relief for my hand. And safe from the prying eyes of the flight stewards and stewaresses. :p

Garmin 60Cx satellite screen, on airplane:

Garmin 60Cx trip computer screen, on airplane:

Garmin 60Cx map screen, on airplane:

Garmin 60Cx on airplane seat armrest:

Garmin 60Cx on airplane seat, beside my thigh:

Other Gamin 60Cx pics, from Garmin:

Garmin 60Cx calander page:

Garmin 60Cx compass page:

The Garmin GPSMAP 60Cx can be found here: http://www.garmin.com/products/gpsmap60cx/

Garmin 60Cx specifications:

GPSMAP 60Cx

Navigation features
Waypoint/icons: 1000 with name and graphic symbol, 10 nearest (automatic), 10 proximity
Routes: 50 reversible routes with up to 250 points each, plus MOB and TracBack modes®
Tracks: 10K point automatic track log; 20 saved tracks 500 points each let you retrace your path in both directions
Trip computer: Current speeed, average speed, resettable max. speed, trip timer and trip distance
Alarms: Anchor drag, approach and arrival, off-course, proximity waypoint, shallow water and deep water
Tables: Built-in celestial tables for best times to fish and hunt, sun and moon rise, set and location
Map datums: More than 100 plus user datum
Position format: Lat/Lon, UTM/UPS, Maidenhead, MGRS, Loran TDs and other grids, including user UTM grid only
GPS Performance
Receiver: 12 channel SiRFstar III™ high-sensitivity GPS receiver (WAAS-enabled) continously tracks and uses up to 12 satellites to compute and update your position
Acquisition times:
Warm: <>

2006-06-03T11:19:00.000+08:00

My 4th geocache find! Magical Moss, GCW3Y3. (Pictures below).

Woke up early this morning, had breakfast (prata) at Peirce Reservoir before being ferried by my father to this one.

Alighting, GPS ready, walked and found the first clue "ODD is RIGHT".

Clue 1: ''ODD is RIGHT'':

Walked past 300m till no sign of anything. Saw this car creeping up behind me... Anxious, I gripped my knife tighter... The car pulled up beside me, and wound down its window. Lo and behold, it was Zeng,another fellow geocacher looking to claim a First-To-Find (FTF)!

He then guided me towards the 2nd clue (8 guardians).

One of the eight ''guardians'':

What a long way off I was! Both of us searched around for the clue. Finally, Zeng found it! I must comment what an interesting way of hiding it. I never expected it to be hidden like that.

Metal tag hidden in one of the holes:

GPS Coordinates written on the hidden metal tag:

Taking the coordinates down, Zeng gave me a ride to the GZ (thankfully its not MacRitchie or Nee Soon Camp) and we began searching.

Ground Zone (GZ):

Moss eh? Searched for a long time, with Zeng advising a newbie like me that I shouldn't stick my hands into leaves without using a stick,lest I get bitten by a snake... After a period of searching, I found it! The cache was actually hidden in one of the moss covered roots of the huge tree and a ring on a moss was the ''door to the cache''. Both of us signed the log, Zeng first.

Cache hiding area:

Cache with ''door'':

Cache exposed:

Nice way to hide a cache. Not many mosquitoes though. Got one on my ankle.

Co-STF(second to find) with Zeng but must admit would not have found it without Zeng's car lift and help.

Picture of Zeng and me:

Took: Light thingy
Left: Cola figurine

Cache contents:

My first multi-cache too! :)

Picture of me at GZ (in perspiration after a long walk and hunt):

Magical Moss can be found on the official geocaching website, here's the link to cache: http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.aspx?guid=f8aceda3-16fb-448f-b604-62a7f16a4537

2006-05-17T23:50:00.000+08:00

Hello! Testing a first post. (Note content were from my previous blog, http://www.web_hosting.bravejournal.com/. This post is the first for this blog!)

Other posts below are new, everything above the ''platy fish gave birth'' entry. Do read!

2006-03-10T15:06:00.000+08:00

Streamlight Propolymer 4AA Luxeon review - It's my first LED flashlight! Decided to get this light after reading about how well this light can throw and reading the review at flashlightreviews.com. I got Iceberg from candlepowerforums.com to ship this light in along with the propolymers he was ordering for his colleagues. The cost of this light was S$36 (US$23) at time of purchase, but factoring in the shipping cost from the US to Singapore and posting charges from iceberg's home to mine, this flashlight has a total cost of S$63 (US40)! I ordered the black version of the 4AA Propolymer Luxeon because I found the yellow version too bright and the black version had the ''tactical'' look. This makes it a bit hard to find at night though. Anyway, the light arrived on Friday, March 10 2006. Too bad I was not at home to get it through registered mail but I so badly wanted to see the light that I cycled down to the post office after lunch to pick up the bubble-foamed envelope containing the light.

My first Luxeon LED flashlight!

(For those of you that do not know, luxeon is a new type of LED bulb, available in 1,3 & 5 watts, that is resistant to shock and is extremely efficient in light output.)

My own Streamlight Propolymer 4AA Luxeon review (26 pictures below):

Product Packaging:

The 4AA Propolymer Luxeon came in a plastic packaging, not a clamshell one, and I had to slice the sides to get the light out. The packaging is still considered to be attractive with information on the light at the back and an eye-catching picture in the front. Coming with the light is an instruction manual, lanyard and 4 Energizer AA batteries used to power the light. Although the light is not packaged in a box like other high-end flashlights, this still does ok.

SL 4AA PP Luxeon package (front):

SL 4AA PP Luxeon package (back):

Flashlight build and body:
''The 4AA Propolymer Luxeon is a high performance, 4AA alkaline powered, Super High Flux Luxeon LED flashlight. This light features a body constructed of a Polymer Engineering resin that is virtually indestructible, shock resistant, non-conductive and light weight. The light case is ''O'' ring sealed and water proof.'' - Streamlight's product description of the light.

The 4AA Propolymer Luxeon is a medium sized flashlight at 7 inches (17.78cm) but it still fits comfortably into the my hand. The lens is a ''unbreakable polycarbonate lens with scratch resistant coating'', in other words, a hardy plastic lens. There is also an umbrella value to prevent any pressure from building up in the light. The 4AA Propolymer Luxeon has a large head for great throw, and it may cause a bulge in pants. The light is not so pocketable due to its weight: 216g (7.6 ounces) and may swing around in the pocket. At the tail of the light there is a ''clicky'' tactical switch - push gently for momentarily operation, press down for constant operation. The switch is ''rubber booted, and is easily used in one hand. The switch can be heard and felt when pressed. The clicky switch is surrounded by plastic 'fins', thus preventing accidental activation. (While this is good the 4AA Propolymer Luxeon does not have a ''lock-out tailcap'' which allows one to turn the tailcap and thus effectively preventing accidental activation). On a few occasions I have found that the light has accidentally activated in my bag. Beside the switch there is a hole for the ring and lanyard to fit in. The lanyard can be useful at times when one wants to prevent dropping this light. This light however is virtually indestructible due to the combination of a polymer body and a LED bulb. The 'fins' at surrounding the switch allow the light to stand on its end, though it is a bit unstable.

SL 4AA PP Luxeon against measuring tape:

SL 4AA PP Luxeon with my Nokia 6610i:

SL 4AA PP Luxeon body (right top view):

SL 4AA PP Luxeon body (left top view):

Close up of SL 4AA PP Luxeon tail (lanyard hole, clicky switch and raised tabs):

SL 4AA PP Luxeon umbrella value:

Lamp assembly:
The lamp inside the 4AA Luxeon is the largest I have seen, because of the smooth, deep parabolic reflector which enables the light to throw a commendable distance for its size. The lamp assembly is also quite heavy. Embedded in the lamp assembly are 2 little grey hydrogen pellets that are meant to disperse any hydrogen generated by the batteries during operation. Build up of hydrogen gas in the light can cause explosions! Deep down the reflector is a tiny Luxeon I lamp which provides the light for the flashlight.

SL 4AA PP Luxeon smooth, deep reflector:

SL 4AA PP Luxeon lamp assembly top side view:

SL 4AA Pp Luxeon lamp assembly side view (note the 2 small grey hydrogen catalyst pellets):

Lamp/bulb:
The 4AA Propolymer Luxeon's light is generated by a ''10,000 hour Super High-Flux Luxeon Star LED'', or in short a Luxeon I LED (1 watt output). The luxeon LED is very small but the light it produces makes one wonder at how far flashlights have come over the years.

SL 4AA PP Luxeon, Luxeon I LED bulb:

SL 4AA PP Luxeon semi top in light, switched on:

Beam and light quality:
The 4AA Propolymer Luxeon has one of the smallest hotspots I have ever seen. This clearly is the light for throw. Despite having a small hotspot, there is adequate sidespill, good enough to light up the path in front of me to see what lies at my feet. The brightspot is very intense and is not really suitable for doing close tasks unless a beam diffuser is used. Because of its tight beam, the 4AA Propolymer Luxeon has a 'lightsabre' effect, i.e. on dark nights a white beam of light can be seen emerging from the tip of the light some 5m (15ft) into the night sky. On hazy nights this beam shines further and is more distinct. The beam is not typical of a LED, and the 4AA Propolymer Luxeon has quite a white beam, though not sunlight white, but when compared to an ordinary 3mm LED, this light certainly makes the ordinary LED seem really blue.

SL 4AA PP Luxeon @ 30cm (note the 2 sidespills):

SL 4AA PP Luxeon 2 sidespill rings clearly seen:

SL 4AA PP Luxeon @ 1m:

SL 4AA PP Luxeon against wall @ 1m (with broom for size reference):

SL 4AA PP Luxeon against wall @ 2m:

SL 4AA PP Luxeon against wall @ 2m (with broom for size reference):

Throw:
The 4AA Propolymer Luxeon is a throw monster! It easily outhrows any cheap incandescent light that I have seen. This light throws around 50 metres (150 feet) and the light is still visible on objects at 60 metres, though light at that distance is not useful enough to distinguish a man from a dustbin. But I guess that for its size, the 4AA Propolymer Luxeon does amaze me. The small, intense hotspot and beam of light emerging from the tip are signs that this light throws well.

Runtime:
This light is regulated, and provides a constant 4 hours of regulated light at a constant 40 lumens before its output diminishes for another 2 hours and it ceases operation. Many incandescent lights do not feature this; their output decreases almost immediately after being turned on and output decreases. The 4AA Propolymer Luxeon in a great improvement and I sure do enjoy having a constant brightness in usage.

Heat issues:
The lamp assembly is made of mostly metal to draw the heat away, but some people have issues with having a Luxeon LED in a plastic body. Some people have claimed that because the 4AA Propolymer Luxeon is made of a polymer body, and not a metal body, the heat generated by operation of the light is not dispersed but builds up in the light, and may even melt the light. However, I have noticed that the head of the 4AA Propolymer Luxeon tends to get only slightly warm but this is not really noticeable. After running the light for around 5 minutes I unscrewed the head and the lamp assemly felt comfortably warm. I can conclude that heat is not an issue for this light.

Other little noticeable things:
This light does not have the option of having multiple levels of output, which is having the light to shine at different levels of output, like at 10 lumens, 20 lumens and 30 lumens. The 4AA Propolymer Luxeon only has a constant 42 lumens output. As stated above, this makes doing close tasks like reading maps and searching for small objects difficult. While this option would be nice, I guess fitting a beam diffuser over the light's head should do the job, though this would be a bulky option.

There is also a little battery ''rattle'' when I shake the light. Some people may be particular about this and complain that the battery is loose, but the rattle is fine for me. This light is not meant to be mounted on firearms and certainly would not be able to withstand a visit to the firing range.

To sum it all up in a nutshell:

Streamlight Propolymer 4AA Luxeon Pros:
+ Excellent throw and light output (42 lumens)
+ Flawless beam
+ Good and useful spillbeam
+ Regulated output (constant for 4 hours and diminishing 2 hrs thereafter)
+ Has a ''clicky'' tactical button switch (good for 1-handed operation)
+ Impact and corrosion resistant
+ Luxeon I LED bulb & polymer body means this light can last ''forever''
+ Waterproof
+ Runs on common AA batteries
+ Lifetime warranty from Streamlight
+ Cheap at US$23

Streamlight Propolymer 4AA Luxeon Cons:
- A little heavy and bulky (not pocketable)
- Does not have multiple levels of output, only 1 output at 42 lumens
- Small and intense hotspot makes it difficult to do close tasks
- Has a battery '''rattle'' when the flashlight is shaken

Conclusion:
For the price of US$23, this light is certainly worth the buy. It blows away cheap 3mm LEDs and mini mags. It rivals many incandescent lights of its size and puts them to shame. However, I really would have liked 2 levels of output (high & low) so I can use this light for close tasks. This light throws really well and the colour temperature is close enough to that of white light, though not perfect. Many others have bought this flashlight and are satisfied, and even recommend it to others. Likewise, I do the same.

Other Streamlight 4AA Propolymer Luxeon pictures:

Ceiling bounce target in camera flash:

Before ceiling bounce test:

After ceiling bounce test (sorry for blurry image):

SL 4AA PP Luxeon full head-on:

SL 4AA PP Luxeon view of reflector with light on (lens has dust on it, not scratches):

SL 4AA PP Luxeon side view switched on:

SL 4AA PP Luxeon view from below, switched on:

SL 4AA PP Luxeon shining upwards:

Hope that you found this review useful and know a little more about this wonderful flashlight. =)

Specifications of the Streamlight 4AA PP Luxeon:

*Powered by 4 ''AA'' alkaline batteries
*Up to 3,500 peak beam candlepower (42 lumens)
*Waterproof
*Runs up 4 hrs. at full intensity with 2 additional hrs. of declining usable light
*7''
*7.52 oz.
*Features a wrist lanyard connection
*Available in yellow and black

See the Streamlight 4AA Propolymer Luxeon here:

http://www.streamlight.com/product/product.aspx?pid=25#tabs

2006-02-25T19:57:00.000+08:00

ASIAN AEROSPACE 2006! Airshow in Singapore! Pictures and videos below. A380 and F-15 eagle flying display. This is a commentry on the Asian Aerospace 2006.

Brief history of Asian Aerospace (AA): The Asian Aerospace is a bi-yearly event organized in Singapore at the Changi Convention Hall, almost beside Changi Airport. This year, 2006, the organizers somehow announced that this year would be the last Asian Aerospace that would be organized here in Singapore. There are talks of a new aerospace event similar to AA but under a different name of course.

Asian Aerospace is popular among locals here in Singapore who, despite paying S$21 (US$13.26) for entry for adults, come with their children and many air cadets from various secondary schools attend this event. All hope to get a snatch of the many available souvenirs, which include nice giant posters of airplanes, the ever popular collar pins of aircraft, pens, caps, plastic bags (with companies logos on them), lanyards (those around the neck) and even air fresherners... The most popular items are the collar pins, posters and caps.
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Decided to attend the event on a saturday, as most people would go on a Sunday which would make it even more crowded and squeezy.

Left the house at 9am in the morning, with dad in tow, after parking the car at the Mass Rapid Station (MRT), took the train all the way to Pasir Ris Interchange, where we joined the queue to wait for the shuttle bus which would take us to the event venue. Met a classmate on the train, a female one, suprisingly also going to the Asian Aerospace. :)

At the bus interchange we queued up patiently for the complementary shuttle bus ride. Boy! We had to squeeze into the bus for a 5 minute ride to the security checkpoint, where they scannedthe belly of the bus for bombs using mirrors and stuff; we had to disembark in the meantime.

Finally reached our drop off point, but not after having to wait for other buses to drop off their loads and make a big circle turnabout.

Gaped at the long queue that awaited us at the entrance (at least 300 people in the queue)... Thank god that the stringent security we went through (like those metal detectors at the airport) was fast and efficient and well-managed, getting through was a breeze of 10 minutes.

Hurriedly snapped a few photos of the Apache Longbow AH-64 helicopters that Singapore just ordered from the USA. Very impressive and it was situated right in front of the main entrance to the exhibition halls, obviously a major crowd. (Pictures of Apache Longbow AH-64 below:

Picture of Apache Longbow AH-64 (head-on):

Picture of Apache Longbow AH-64 (left flank):

Picture of Apache Longbow AH-64 (right flank):

Picture of Apache Longbow Ah-64 (specs board):

Whew! It's hot and sunny in Singapore. Temperatures hit at least 33-34 degrees celsius (91-94 fahrenheit). Just a few minutes out in the sun and I was perspiring heavily!

A laarrgge crowd greeted us as soon as we stepped into the exhibition hall. It's like a rugby match you know. People elbow, bash, push, nudge each other to get along. Not that violent of course but body contact is maximum.

Immediately ran to the Airbus booth, where they were displaying large models of their newest plane, the A380. Snapped a few photographs quickly before the crowd pushed the both of us onwards. Later hanged around this booth and managed to get a few nice posters and souvenirs... (A few pictures of the A380 models below):

Picture of A380 model (head on):

Picture of A380 model (cut-away, side):

Picture of A380 model (seats, zoomed in):

My! The exhibition hall is so large and there are a few of them! Inside one they even had a Super Puma helicopter (a real one) inside the hall and a howitzer! Walked over to Airbus' competitor - Boeing. They too had their newest plane to compete with Airbus' A380, the Boeing 787 Dreamliner! Cool shaped and nice models. Alas, Boeing had no souvenirs to hand out while I was there but managed to pested the American there to give me an A4 sized poster. Not really what I would like, but nevertheless colourful and detailed. (Some photographs of Boeings various civilian and military plane models):

Picture of Boeing 787 Dreamliner model:

Picture of Boeing military aircraft (F-15 Eagle in the foreground):

Walked past a booth from Europe. Saw one exhibitor giving out collar pins to children only. Was hoping to get one but was too shy to do so. Eventually my father asked the guy for one and I got it! Its a shiny golden fighter jet collar pin. (See the pictures of the souvenirs all the way at the bottom).

Spotted Garmin's booth (Garmin is a producer of Global Positioning System {GPS}receivers), but unfortunately it was not manned. Probably open only during the trade days and not the public. Was VERY (I'll say this in bold, italics and underlined) that the US Department of Defence (DoD) booth was not open. At the past Asian Aerospace exhibitions, this booth had many burly soldiers from the Air Force and the Army, who would give out very nice souvenirs like large posters of US Air Force planes, and also a cute DoD collar pin with its crest on it. Rather sad that it was not open while we were there. People would also pose with the soldiers, quite amusing because we asians would end up looking like imps as compared to these over 6ft chunky soldiers. Nevertheless, the soldiers would be sporting and smile and pose while getting photographed.

Moved on again to another hall. Saw the booth for Sheares Marketing, a shop in Singapore that satifies Singaporean's cravings for high-end knives and flashlight from the United States. Some brand include Kershaw, Ka-bar, SOG, Spyderco, Cold Steel, etc. (for knives) and Surefire, Pelican, Streamlight, Princeton Tec, etc. (for flashlights). They had some neat guns including sniper rifles which I tried mounting. Checked out the other cool pistols, batons and security stuff. Took a photo of the Surefire booth and diplay cabinet.

Picture of Surefire booth:

Picture of Surefire diplay cabinet (with A2 aviator, M3, L4, etc,):

Picture of Gladius Ops Torch by Night-Ops (a very, very expensive US brand torch at US$200, but an excellent quality light):

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Walked around other booths, grabbing and collecting whatever leaflets and brochures that I could. Most of them had nice pictures of airplanes and some event had the plane's specs on them. Managed to get a pen and some car stickers from the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF). Saw many missiles on display from China and the many airplane engines that nearly reached to the ceiling.

Looked at my watch and... OMG! It was time for the aerial diplay and we were till indoors, I thought as I head the first fighter jet scream and roar through the thick metal canopy of the exhibition hall.

We headed out and got out just in time, missing 1 flypast, but the plane would make a few more passes. So nothing much missed. Scouted for a good shot to snap a few photographs and videos with my pathetic digital camera with such a small screen. Had to push aside many umbrellas.

This is the order for the airshow:

Hermes 450 - MALE UAV (Israel)
F-16C Falcon - Multirole Fighter (USA)
T-6B - Military Basic Trainer (USA)
PC-21 - Military Basic Trainer (Switzerland)
Heron 1 - MALE UAV (Israel) *PICTURES below*
M-311 - Miltary Basic Trainer (Italy)
F-15C Eagle - Multirole Fighter (USA) *VIDEO below*
A380 - Commercial Airliner (Europe) *VIDEO below*

Here are 2 pictures ( Heron 1 MALE UAV from Isarel). Sorry that they are a bit blur. Camera sucks.

Picture of Israel's Heron 1 MALE UAV (side view):

Picture of Israel's Heron 1 MALE UAV (back view):

Here is a video of USA's F-15C Eagle roaring past the crowd with afterburner's on. (BE SURE TO TURN UO YOUR SPEAKERS!):

Video of F-15C Eagle flypast, afterburners on. (From youtube):

And a video of the newest and largest passenger plane, the Airbus A380!

Video of Airbus A380 flypast, at LOW speed and doing a roll towards the crowd. Woohoohoo! (From youtube):

The airshow was simply dazzling! With the military trainer planes doing acrobatics and pulling 9 G's while doing a sharp turn, fighter jets roaring past and the A380 doing manuevers never seen before, this was a memoriable one for me!

We were hungry and decided to head to the small food area for lunch. As usual, food and drinks were slighly more pricely but affordable. We both had a burger and a nice cup of fresh sugar cane juice with ice to chill out.

After a short lunch, we headed for the static display, or in other words the aircraft on display around the area. We didn't go to see the aircraft on the other side, which required a shuttle bus trip and had such a long queue that I thought would take an hour to clear. However, some of the aircraft there were attractive, which included the B-1B Lancer (Stealth plane), the A380, F-15 & F-16 variants, C-130J, KC-135 Stratotanker.

Did view the aircrafts in the area we were in, and had many helicopters, luxury civilian planes and fighter jet. Managed to get a picture with the pilot of the F-15E plane. :)

Picture of me and the pilot in front of his plane, the F-15E:

Well... All good things have to come to an end. Getting late in the evening and tired after a day's walking, reluctantly left the Asian Aeropace 2006 exhibition, weary but happy.
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My father's friend's company had an exhibition booth at the Asian Aerospace 2006, so I was given some stuff that would normally not be so available to the public. At the end of the exhibition, he managed to grab a giant, more than 1m (3ft) in length poster on styrofoam mount for me! (He had to beg his bosses a bit though). Pictures:

Picture of Lufthansa plane in front of hanger (1m poster mounted on styrofoam):
Picture of Lufthansa A380 model (large 30cm length one):

Picture of Lufthansa collector's item keychain airplane red LED light:
Picture of Lufthansa neck lanyard:

Some additional pictures of the souvenirs and posters I got from the exhibition:

BIG posters:

Picture of CFM engine cutaway breakdown poster:

Picture of A320 side view half body poster:

Picture of A340 side view banking poster:

Picture of A380 poster:

Small posters (A3 size and below):

Picture of pilot's helmet poster:

Picture of A330 breakdown parts poster:

Picture of A330 performing mid-air refuelling for Royal Australian Air Force poster:

My uncle and aunt went a VIPs to the event, so they managed to get me a few souvenirs as VIPs. They were given these items while we public visitors had to walk around the halls to collect them and often camp at exhibitor's booth to wait.

Picture of cap with collar pins (front)::

Picture of cap with collar pins (zoomed in):

Picture of cap with collar pins (left and right side):

Picture of goodie pouch with freshening things inside:

Call it ''taiko'' (lucky), they also won the lucky draw that had a prize of a CAST IRON model of the A380! They gave this to me. :) A pity it is a bit small with the scale being 1:400.

Several pictures of the A380 model:

That's about all from me about Asian Aerospace. Hope you enjoyed reading this article and viewing the pictures and videos. :)

2006-01-01T22:06:00.000+08:00

My 3rd geocache find! Junia's Oasis, GCRKFV. (Pictures at the end)...

Yeah! Attempted this cache on New Year's Day! 14 year old cousin slept over at my house the previous night, so today in the afternoon we hitched a ride from my dad and attempted this cache! Got him interested into geocaching the day before when he saw the logs and pictures I took at various caches and the stuff I exchanged from there.

Following GPS, we headed towards GZ in the late afternoon and using the clue, we got on our hands and knees and found the cache within 20 seconds!

Muggles were crawling all over the place, not to mention the muggles who were on their way to creating a family. Signed log in the middle of a thunderstorm and had to wait quite a while before the rain stopped. (Ever seen the sun set at 6pm? [Sun in Singapore sets normally around 7pm]).

Took: Tabasco packet & mini tape measurer.
Left: Water purification pills & some coins.

The pictures....:

The cache contents:

Me at with the cache log-book:

A huge spider!

Sorry didn't take any pictures of the cache GZ or the clues cause it was raining and
I didn't want to risk getting my digital camera wet. (It's not waterproof).

2005-12-28T12:34:00.000+08:00

My 2nd geocache find! Blind Man's Bluff, GCPH68. (Pictures at bottom).

Left the house at 0945hrs to find a cache somewhat near to my house, about 3km away. Cycled there of course. Reached ground zone(GZ) about 1010hrs, spotted the clues on the lampost, ''nr11'' and ''circles''. NR11 turned out to be the lampost number while circles refered to the nearby construction for the circle line project, which was a train line construction.

Decided to go in by the other way as it did not look promising from the main road. The grass was up to my ankles, and since it was in the morning, still wet with dew! Wish I had worn track pants on this hunt. Had my shoes damp after that and fearful of the ants and spiders and other crawling insects that were in the grass. Eeeks! Had to hop in and out of the GZ about seven times!

After a long search of about 45 mins and being misled by some logs, finally found the cache by pure luck! Excitedly got the cache to the pavement and sat down to write log and exchange things.

Took: Elfel Tower keychain
Left: Anti-drugs campaign collar pin

Saw a nasty accident on the road while cycling back home, car bonnet smashed up, fire engine and fighters in attendance. Pictures and a short video of all the ''kaypohs'' aka busybodies below.

Blind Man's bluff can be found on the official geocaching website, here's the link to cache: http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.aspx?guid=bfc8ca3f-70f5-4571-aed7-1b7a16013fef

Some pictures of the cache:

Clue 1, NR 11:

Clue 2, circles:

View of GZ from road:

Cache in hiding:

Cache uncovered:

Cache contents:

Posing with the geocache paper:

Nasty accident, car bonnet smashed (front view):

Car bonnet smashed, side view:

Video of the aftermath of the accident - wreckage and all the busybodies watching (from youtube):

2005-12-27T15:03:00.000+08:00

My FIRST geocache find! Red Ant Hill, GCKHC5. (Pictures at bottom)

Armed with my newly bought Garmin GPSMAP60C, I set off in the sweltering heat on bicycle to the nearby Bishan Park, about 2km away from my zone at 1230hrs. With the GPS leading the way, I headed to the ground zone (GZ). All eager and excited to get my 1st cache in the bag, I locked my bicycle to a lamppost before trekking up a small hill. (Actually only 15m[45ft] away).

Searched the area for the cache, climbed up the overhead bridge to get a better look. Met an ''ah mah''(old lady) with bags of food from the wet market. Gave me a rather cold stare. Alas, could see nothing of course. Read the logs again, went down the hill into thick vegetation, with ants, spiders and thick-leaved plants before deciding that I was heading in the wrong direction. Started to move up the hill again when, aha! Remembered a clue and checked under the bridge. Found the cache!

I hurriedly whisked the geocache away from the GZ and sat down on the concrete bench to check out what exactly a geocache looked like and contained. Was amazed at the number of things inside the cache and read some of the logs. So...this is what a geocache was. Snapped a few photographs, sealed back the cache and returned it back to is hiding place. Clocked in 30 minutes.

Contrary to what I had imagined, this cache had red ants only on the railings of the overhead bridge, but the actual site had some red ants. But I've seen worse than that.

Quite proud of myself to have accomplished a successful geocache find. Cycled home quickly, the now forbidding sky threatening to deposit its load...

Took: Nice smelling, heart shaped swissotel bath soap.
Left: Oreo biscuit (SEALED packet of three) and a singtel magnet.

''Red Ant Hill'' geocache can be found on the official geocaching website, here'sthe link: http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.aspx?guid=adadda74-1884-4530-920c-012e5d92eea8

And of course. The pictures:

The ground zone, with view of the cache hideout:

Another view of the cache area, with small downslope with leafy plants in background:

Close up on cache in hiding area:

Items in the cache:

Items in the cache (close up):

Travel bug in cache (front):

Travel bug in cache (back):

Leaflet attached to travel bug (front):

Leaflet attached to travel bug (back):

Posing with the cache:

The ''local resident''?

2005-11-19T21:53:00.000+08:00

Garmin GPSMAP60C Review - my first GPS!! It's a Garmin GPS! Though I slept at 1am last night I couldn't sleep late through the day. Woke up around 7+am, was used to waking up at 6.40am to get to school on time for my GCE O Level exams. Decided to go to Sim Lim Square (Singapore's mega-electronics mall) to buy my GPS (Global Positioning System) receiver. Took the MRT down and walked 500m to it. Saw many caucasians(about 30 today) buying cameras and testing stuff. Finally found the shop and went to enquire. Got quite a good deal: S$100 off the price tag! Cost me about S$690 (US$436) Went home, downloaded the maps from malsingmaps.com and had a good time fiddling with the device. Got about 10m accuracy that day, quite a good result.

My first GPS receiver!

My own Garmin GPSMAP60C review (20 pics at bottom):

Unit casing and build:
The Garmin 60C is really well built! The manufacturer boasts that the unit is ''IPX7'', which means that it is submersible in 1 metre for 30 mins! (Of course I didn't dare challenge/test this). The unit has rubber linings all around it to protect the electronics, even the battery cover has a cute little metal locking D ring that can be turned to lock in the air. You can really feel the slight tension of a waterproof seal while locking this latch. I wouldn't worry about carrying this unit in the rain or accidentally dropping it into water, but remember to dry out the battery compartment after contact with water to prevent the battery contacts from rusting.

The size of the unit is very good, smaller than I had expected! It fits into my hand nicely, and I am able to punch in coordinates and do most things using 1 hand only. Truly a handheld GPS! The unit is slightly thick/fat. You might want to consider getting the Garmin Legend C or Vista C if you like a handphone sized outdoor cum automotive Garmin GPS receiver.

Transfer of maps to GPS receiver (GPSr):
This unit connects to the PC via USB 2.0, so loading times should be about the same as loading MP3s into a MP3 player. Indeed it took me less than 15 seconds to transfer 10MB of maps into the GPSr. I use the programme ''sendmap2.0'' (http://homepage.ntlworld.com/mdipol/img2gps/) to upload the maps to my GPSr. Using the program is quick, efficient and easy. I used ''GPSMAPedit''( http://www.geopainting.com/en/ )view the GPS maps on my PC. Lets me zoom in and out on the map.

Satellite acquisition time:
Time taken for satellites to lock on was horrible indoors, over an hour in the house beside the window with not even a satellite locked. Probably due to the high rise buildings that surround my house. It was a much different story when in the open.Walked about 100m(300ft) from my house and the unit took roughly 1 minute (cold start) got a decent lock, 12m(36ft)! Quite overjoyed as this was my first time getting a position fix using my new GPS receiver. Later timings to get a position fix ranged from 15 seconds to 45 seconds, depending on location and postion of satellites in the sky and the number of GPS satellites above the horizon. I must comment that the time taken to fix is quite short, but I long for a GPS receiver that can, when powered on, immediately get a fix and be ready to navigate. Overall, the Garmin 60C locks pretty quickly.

Accuracy & performance(ability to hold lock) in urban areas/ heavy tree cover:
The average accuracy I get in urban Singapore is ranges from 9-14m(27-42ft), while being surrounded by buildings 20m(60ft) high. The best accuracy was on an elevated field with no surrounding high rise buildings was 7m(21ft). This remains my best accuracy as there is no WAAS in Singapore, sad to say it is only for the US.

The 60C, once having a position fix, rarely loses its satellite lock, except in tunnels, passing under concrete structures, or even on the roads of green city Singapore (you get 7m(21ft) trees on both sides of the road - not the skinny ones, but the mushroom shaped, leafy, branchy tropical kind eg. rain tree). At times with in heavilly built up areas with buildings up to 20 stories high, like Orchard Road and Toa Payoh, the GPSr loses its reception completely. It's hard to get another satellite fix. Under moderate tree cover (defined by me as having openings & breaks in the canopy the size of your two palms outstretched held up against the canopy), the 60C managed only to lock on to 2 satellites, not giving me real-time positioning. This is however a much improvement over older units which are confirmed not to received the slightest hint of a lock under trees.

Screen details:
The 60C delivers crisp images (though not on par with PDA screen standards) on its 256 colour TFT screen. Colours are really nice to view on the screen. The TFT thingy really helps; it enables me to see and read anything on the screen even in very bright sunlight. I just need to postion the screen in the right way. The screen is large enough, though not as large as a PDA's for me to do my usual routing and GPS stuff, but of course if there could be a unit with a larger screen it would be better.

Routing:
The 60C has routing capabilites, I was able to calculate routes within 4 seconds and the routes really improved the way I navigate the roads.

Battery life:
The 60C is an huge improvement over older units (I know I have been ranting about this, sorry), Garmin has improved the battery life on the newer models and the 60C has an advertised run time of 30hrs, typical use. I can testify to this, but must certainly add that using too much of the backlight causes the battery to drain after a while. Even then, I rarely have to change the batteries.

Issue of whether the 60C can ''float'' in water:
According to some forums, the 60C does ''semi-float'', with about half its body sticking out of the water. This is provided you use Lithium batteries. If you are worried about your GPSr sinking like a rock in water or use your GPSr around water, get the Garmin 76C, which is a handheld unit slightly larger than the 60C and can float.

Garmin's support after buying GPS:
Garmin provides excellent after sales service by providing firmware updates and fixes for your GPS via it's website. With firmware updates it enhances it products and its a major plus when comes to making decisions between buying different brands of GPSrs.

To sum it all up in a nutshell:

60C Pros:
+ Rugged and waterproof
+ Good satellite reception
+ Acquires satellites rather quickly
+ Colour screen, of good size
+ Screen is easy to read even in bright sunlight
+ Extended and longer battery life (about 30 hours).
+ Takes common AA batteries
+ Has routing capability
+ Comfortable size
+ Can connect to an external antenna
+ Compact size, can fit in larger pockets.
+ Faster processor

60C Cons:
- Does not have expandable memory (eg. SD/flash card) option
- Does not charge when connected to PC (if you are using Rechargable batteries)
- Basemap is not detailed. (You have to buy Garmin's Map CDs)
- To some the 60C is expensive.

Conclusion:
In all, the Garmin GPSMAP60C is a good deal, the best bang for the buck! The little unit boasts a nice colour screen and good satellite reception, on top of a whole lot of other things. Though I wish that when panning the map, streets and other details could be viewed real-time without waiting for the screen to reload. Hopefully there will be a better unit next time. I do not regret getting this for myself, though it may have been a bit painful on my wallet...($$$)... This unit has surpassed my expectations and has impressed me. I too recommend you to get this baby for yourself. You won't regret it. It's my first Garmin, and will certainly not be my last.

Pictures of Garmin 60C:

From Garmin:

My pictures of my GPS(Garmin GPSMAP60C):

Garmin 60C in box (front) :

Garmin 60C in box (back):

Garmin 60C in box (side):

Garmin 60C with screen protector (front):

Garmin 60C antenna close up (power button beside it):

Garmin 60C buttons (front):

Garmin 60C (back):

Garmin 60C (back with battery latch removed):

Garmin 60C MCX external antenna port (top left under weather cover on back):

Garmin 60C USB connection port (middle left below MCX port):

Garmin 60C external power connection port (top right):

Garmin 60C satellite screen:

Garmin 60C menu screen:

Garmin 60C trip computer screen:

Garmin 60C compass screen:

Garmin 60C "find" screen:

Garmin 60C map screen:

I hope I gave you an insight as to what the Garmin 60C is like. Hope that you enjoyed reading this review! The GPSMAP 60C - an excellent GPS, a work of art from Garmin, enjoyed by me and users around the world. A truly handheld Garmin GPS satellite navigation system that can be used as both an outdoor GPS and an automotive GPS. Great for geocaching too! A recommended geocaching GPS receiver.

Overall very, very happy with my buy. Got what I paid for. And some more the unit was smaller, lighter, and less bulkier than I expected. Took a walk around my estate and got the best 7m accuracy.

Got wishes and congratulations from the guys at the forum at malsingmaps.com...

About GPS satellite navigation: There are 27 GPS satellites obiting the Earth (24 operational & 3 spare), with at least 8-12 satellites hovering from one end of your horizon to the other(I normally get 12 though). 3 satellites calculate your position on the earth in terms of latitude and longitude. The 4th satellite provides your altitide. Your GPS receiver receives the data and shows it on a screen.

How GPS works: http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/gps.htm OR http://www.trimble.com/gps/

A GPS receiver can be used to mark a point, then allows you to track wherever you want and return to the point by telling the GPS to "track back"'. For more information about GPS, see this: http://www.garmin.com/

And btw for those who want to know why the heck I bought this and what a GPS receiver can be used for, check out this link on some funny(but true) ideas for using GPS: http://www.gpsinformation.org/dale/usegps.htm

Happy GPSing. :)

2005-11-15T23:16:00.000+08:00

Platy fish gave birth! Last night while feeding the platy fishes I switched off the water pump. Noticed something small moving near a lava stone (size of a brick and with similar shape). To my surprise it was a platy fry! Only about 1/2 a cm, or 1/4 of an inch, this small thing was swimming among the much bigger platy fish that were 10 times its size. Obviously oblivious to the threat that it could be eaten up. Quickly filling a small bucket with water, my father and I scooped this small fry out. Saw a few more fries and scooped them out. Lifted a rock and discovered a few hiding underneath. Some others were hiding under the pump and aquarium lights... In all last night caught about 10 platy fries- probably the product of one of the fat pregnant platy fish that have been swimming around.

This morning however I noticed a few more and too and took them out.

Total number of platy fries: 15

Pictures/photographs of platy fries: (I apologize for the minority blur pictures due to the bad macro function on my Panasonic Lumix camera).

Picture of Platy fish gave birth - new fries[top view]:

Picture of another view of the platy fries swimming in the water (with a clear view of a platy fry on surface of water) [top view]:

Picture of yet another view of the platy fries in the container [top view]:

Picture of another top view on the fries, this time with original lighting without flashlight on:

Picture of 1 platy fry, zoomed in for detail:

Picture /Snapshot of platy fries (head on) with torchlight against them. They really are that small! [Side view].

Lastly, the last photograph/picture of the platy fries silhoutted against the bright torchlight.

Feeding the fish/what the feed platy fry:

I read on the internet that frozen brine shrimp is good for the platy fries, however I didn't want to go out and buy more food for the platies so what I did was, using the fatter end of a chopstick, grinded and pounded the food flakes meant for the adult platies. Gave a bit to the platy fries, and though they thought it was a foreign object, they later ate it. I remembered to change the water to prevent the water from becoming polluted which may result in the fries' death.

Taking care of platy fries:

I heard that the platy species is a very hardy species, and would survive even in drains, very much like guppies. I change the water of the platy fries twice a day, once after feeding and in the morning.

Hope this batch of platy fries will survive. :) (Heard that fry mortality rate is high)...

*A light that shines in the darkness*...

A light that shines in the darkness...