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By Frank
Since 09/09/1996

Pilot Log Version 4.0

  • 12/31/2004
      Wow~ This is already the end of 2004 ... Time DOES flies by fast.

      Quick recap for these couple of days ...

      • Finished a Death Valley/Las Vegas trip, bad weather, light flooding, ok food, great buffet.
      • Got a Casio G-Shock DW-5600BD-2 limited Haaken Edition. Quite rare, made in Japan, blue case and band, red Haaken edition logo when using the EL and the brother of the limited Haaken Edition Wademan.
      • Sold my Casio G-Shock Lungman (DWG-100) cause the pulse sensor is not as easy to use and accurate than I thought, also the lap count doesn't show up in chronograph mode)
      • Sold my Surefire M3, never used it too much due to the size, maybe the funds can be put into better use (for some more toys :D )
      • Got a Surefire P61 high output lamp assembly, serves up 120 lumens for 20 minutes in a G2Z with 2 CR123A. The original P60 low output lamp assembly now rest in the SC1 spare carrier along with 6 CR123A batteries.
  • 12/15/2004
      Final ... my pain-full semester-end-project and finals are over. Now I can concentrate more on my toys. :D

      So, my 4th Seiko Monster (SKX781, Orange Monster) arrived. I would have to say I am so what disappointed cause I am still not getting a perfect example. There is an uneven spot in the polished area. Its not big of a deal, I will live with it. But boy, seems like the new ones I got (at good prices) are factory seconds. And interesting enough, the used ones that I got before, besides wear marks, were better manufactured samples. Anyway, I am happy that I got a Orange Monster in my *collection* again. :)

      Besides the Seiko Orange Monster, I also got a used Casio G-Shock DWG-100 Lungman. It's hardly a good looking watch (lol) but it seems like a good marathon G-Shock. It has a pulse sensor to sense the pulse numbr of the user (not even close to EKG accuracy, but more convenient by just placing your finger tip on it, interesting theory behind how it works though). It also has a 30 lap-recall function. It will remember up to 30 laps from the stopwatch model in the recall model. The only draw back is that it won't show you the lap count in the stopwatch model. Otherwise, it has countdown timer, auto EL, 5 alarms, all the standard issues. Another interesting thing is that the auto EL has 3 user adjustable sensitivity levels, which probably achieved by the photo sensor of the pulse sensor. After I got the watch, I had to tear it down for clean up, obviously it had seen better days from the previous owner.

      Third watch I got recently is a brand new in box Casio G-Shock DW-9800AR Wademan ARTI (American Rescue Team International) edition. They came up in 1999 and they clamin that only 400 of these are made (I doubted). It also comes with a bullet prove kavlar watch band (not that I would shoot at it to find out). But I would have to say its a absolutely beautiful watch! So beautiful that I just want to stare at it instead of the wearing it. One interesting point is that the beep and alarm doesn't seems to be as loud as the other Casio G-Shock that I have. And confirmed my finding from my other G-Shock DW-9800 Wademan, which also has a *weaker* beep & alarm.

      Really, I already have too many watches (and flashlights) ... maybe I should stop ... hehe (yeah right :p )

  • 12/03/2004
      In the process of selling my Surefire M3, I ended up sold my Surefire L2. The L2 was a great light, but I just didn't use it much (compare to the 4 2AA Luxeon flashlight's "cheap NiMH" power, CR123A is expensive), this particular sample from Surefire is not perfect (this is the 2nd time I got unsatisfactory Surefire 5W Luxeon flashlight. The first time was the tint of the beam. This time is the less-than-perfect manufacture of the reflector and bezel. Again, at this price range, MSRP $165, I expect a flashlight thats very close to perfect according to the specification.) Moreover, ever since I got the Nuwai Quantum III, I am more likely to carry the Q-III on my belt than to carry the L2 (Q-III is much smaller). The conclusion is: I can live without the Surefire L2 (and also I can use the $$$$ for another toy :p )

      I received the replacement body of the NL 2AA LuxIII Luxeon flashlight today, that should make the flashlight works perfectly.

      I am still waiting for the Seiko Orange Monster ...

      I updated the toys list, and I found out that I already fulfilled some of the want-to-buy, some of them has changed and some of them I don't even want anymore ... haha :D

  • 12/01/2004
      We arrived at the final month of 2004. Time really flies by quick. Life is just too short to sit there and do nothing. So go and do something about your life! :) And this section of my updates will be achieved soon, and a new section will be up for 2005 ...

      Since 3rd time is NOT the charm, how about a 4th time? The wait begins all over again ... I am talking about me and the Seiko Monsters ... hehe :) I have my 4th Seiko Monster heading my way. I am still going for a Orange Monster (SKX781K) with SS bracelet. I am still keeping my finger crossed that this spiecement will be "THE ONE" ... haha

      I also have a replacement flashlight body sending my way. The NL 2AA LuxIII flashlight that I have has a defect in the tube of the flashlight body that prevent smooth battery loading and unloading. I emailed the selling/maker and he stated that he is kindly sending me a replacement body for the flashlight to make it all good again. Its a good flashlight with good sidespill and cheap power, it might replace my MM+ Q3 LD if things works out (I might just sell the sandwich and keep the optic, since I want the NX-05 for my MM LuxIII for sidespill. And that mini-mag host might becomes my spare parts ... :)

      And my Surefire M3 is up for sale. Its proven to be too much light for me. Its a little too long to put in my Fatboy "men's purse" and i like 2 cells more than 3. If I sold it, then I will get the P61 for my G2Z to fullfill my 100+ lumen needs (105 lumens to be exact :)

  • 11/29/2004
      Ok, the whole defective-Seiko-Orange-Monster fiasco ended with the watch being sold (with a full disclose of the condition of the watch). I ended up losing less money than sending the watch in to Seiko for warranty. Well, I guess I am in the market for another Diver's watch ... again

      In order to cheer me up from that, I had to buy something flashlight. :D So I bought a Nuwai Quantum III. It uses a single CR123A battery, a LuxIII Luxeon LED (white) and a reverse clickie tail switch. It has a small form factor and its great for carrying on the belt next to the cell phone. The beam is bright for such a small package. The tint is a little on the warm side of white but acceptable (just a little better than the NL 2AA LuxIII Luxeon LED flashlight that I have). I didn't like much of the idea of reverse clickie tail switch (which is fully depress until it clicks for the constant on, partly depress in the off position won't have momentary), I perfer "normal" clickie style (which is partly depress for momentary light and fully depress until it clicks for the constant on), but the reverse clicky on the Q-III is smooth and easy to use. And for the clickie style tail switch, I ended up using contant on position anyway. I expect to use this for EDC (Every Day Carry) when I am not carrying a bag.

      I juse finished a 3-days-2-nights ski trip in Mammoth, CA. It was fun and we didn't hit much snow until the day that we are leaving. And I am glad that I can come back in one piece (let me say I am not much of a natural-born skier :p ).

      For the Mammoth ski trip, I worn my Timex 200m shock resistant Ironman 8-lap the whole time. I think the Timex Ironman is small enough to fit under the sleeve, comfortable and light enough to forget about it even when wearing it sleeping. It also served me well with the alarm function and kept me worry-free with the shock resistant. The Timex Ironman served me as well as the Casio G-Shock DW5600 I had last year with me at Mammoth. I still like the overall package of the DW5600 better, but with the lap counter, my collection will always have a place for the Ironman (or the like :D ).

      As for flashlight for the Mammoth trip, I brought along my Inova 24/7, Inova X5, Surefire G2Z, Madmax LuxIII w/Kroll switch and Faren LP on a mini-mag and the Nuwai Quantum III. Since we didn't get out much at night, I only used the Madmax LuxIII. The Faren LP optic reminds me how good it is to have a decent throw outdoors at night. The Kroll makes the light easy to operate with one hand. Though I only used 1 flashlight out of the many that I brought, I guess there can't be too many flashlight ... :D :p

  • 11/11/2004 PM
      I am not really a happy camper right now. :(

      Upon closer inspection, I discovered that my Seiko Orange Monster has some defects in it. I found a "white dot" (either a dust or paint defect) on the second hand (which is black in color so the "white dot" stands out like a sore thumb). And the 4 o'clock luminous indice has some "dirt" (fade black marks) at one of the corners. They are not obvious, but once you know they are there, you will "see them" every time you look at the watch. Man, I hate to have to deal with warranty (luckily the 1 yr international warranty comes in handy now) but seems like I don't have much of a choice.

      Looks like my brand new is going to take a flight to the Seiko service center in NJ. -_-

  • 11/11/2004 early AM
      Too many toys, too little time ... :D Here are the new comers:

      My Surefire M3 has prove that its much more than a flashlight I would probably ever need. :) A little long for putting in the Fatboy "men purse". But its just so bright ... :o

      My Surefire L2 is a great light, 2 stage switch for 15 lumens (over 18 hrs of run time) and 100 lumens (about 50 min of run time). Its bright and white, great flood and wall of light. Its great for medium to close range work. But I wished for a little more throw.

      I have a Seiko Orange Monster (SKX781K) on bracelet again. Great watch, great lume. Real heavy compared to my Citizen MA super tough (stainless steel vs titanium, respectively). This is a brand new watch so I guess it would the most wirst time so that I can break it in.

      Still waiting for my 2 AA LuxIII flashlight with reflector and clickie tail switch to arrive. Hopefully it will perform up to my expectation.

      Maybe I need a Surefire P61 high output lamp assembly (120 lumens with 20 min run time) for my G2Z since I am using my AA NiMH powered light for most of the task anyway.

      That's all for now. :p And updated the toys' list.

  • 11/02/2004
      Uh..Oh.. Another incoming toy. :)

      I just got myself a Surefire M3 CombatLight at a great price. It comes with MN10 (125 lumens) and MN11 (225 lumens) lamp assembly and shock isolated bezel. The one I got is the old style smooth bezel. The new style strike bezel (with the teeth) will set me back some $ but I will wait and see. I think the old style smooth bezel does look better. I will have to get a SC2 spare carrier to go with the extra lamp assmbly when I am carrying the M3 with spare batteries around. And I have to see if I will be needing my G2Z + SC1 any more. If not, I will put them up for sell.

  • 11/01/2004
      Well, there is a brand new Seiko Orange Monster (SKX781K) with SS bracelet coming my way. I am happy that I will be reuniting with the OM again. That will be a brand new watch so I expect a lot of wrist time to break the new watch in, especially for an automatic movement.

      It happens once again, my Citizen titanium Eco Drive Sailhawk is sold and will be sent off to the new owner tomorrow. This is the 2nd time I own the Sailhawk and I still can't fall in love with it. I don't think there will be a 3rd time ... (unless people say 3rd time is the charm. lol )

      Also sold a brand new Bandai Perfect Grade Zaku II MS-06S Model Kit to fund my other "toys". :)

      Of course flashlight is coming next. :) I should have a 2AA 3W Lexon LED w/ reflector flashlight and clicky tail switch coming in soon. I found myself collecting more AA battery powered flashlight than CR123A ones. I am still bias to the cheap NiMH power. Maybe one day, I will get a set of rechargeable CR123A and all my flashlights will be happy. :)

      Toy list updated.

  • 10/23/2004
      Not a good day for me and basketball. Suck to be me ... :(

      On the other hand, Maxpedition Fatboy arrived and it seems to be a nice "purse". :p

  • 10/20/2004
      Nothing much.

      Had an oil change on my Corolla and updated the page a little bit.

      Bought myself a Maxpedition Fatboy. It seems like an very good "Men's Purse". :D

  • 10/15/2004
      My Citizen titanium Eco Drive Sailhawk (JR4010-51L) arrived. Its in great condition minus some scuff on the titanium bracelet from desk surffing. In fact, most of links with scuff marks can be replaced with the brand new extra links and I will never see those scuff marks again. I have re-discovered how fun this little watch is. A lot of neat function and its cool to see the hour, minute and second hands dance with a touch of buttons. :)
  • 10/11/2004
      The modified 1AA Minimag and the BB400 Q2 sandwich has been returned to the seller for the fact that fitment of the tail cap on the 1AA minimag is quite bag, the body was cut down too much that I can screw the tail cap completely on it. And for some reason the Kroll tail switch doesn't work well on it at all. And the BB400 Q2 sandwich has quite a bad tint of green in it. When I compared it with my MM+ Q3 sandwich with ever so slightly blue tint, the BB400 Q2 was VERY green. Hence, none of them are acceptable and I got full refund from the seller.

      What goes around comes around ... sorta. I bought a brand new in box Citizen Eco Drive Titanium Sailhawk at a good price some time ago, sold it for more than I got it for and I was happy. :) Just last week, I came across a slightly used Citizen Eco Drive Titanium Sailhawk at about half the price I sold my brand new one for. It was too good of a deal to pass on ... :p Blah, blah, blah ... To make the story short, it should be arriving before the end of this week. :)

  • 10/06/2004
      Well, it has to come to an end ... (not this web site, I think I will continue to BS for a while :p )

      My 2002 Honda S2000 has gone to its rightful new owner. I can still remember like it was yesterday (though it was almost 3 years ago), the excitment of bringing it home, the way I couldn't believe it was mine, it was sitting in my garage and couldn't stop smiling, the new car smell, the first time bring her to 6k rpm and beyond (and then hit the rev limiter a couple of times. lol), the great feeling of driving top down in perfect summer night (or cold winter night :), the way it accelerates, the way it sounds in VTEC, the way it turns, the quick steering, ... all the fine memories. But its time for me to move on in my life.

      I, very likely, would have to sell it sooner or later, and it was a good time to do so. It still had factory warranty, before the winter comes, before next year's register and insurance, the rear tires almost need to be replaced, ... I am sad (no more top down VTEC to 9k rpm) as well as happy (I am moving on with my life). The Honda S2000 will be missed ...

      I got myself a black modified 2AA MiniMag body to make it a 1AA MiniMag. I intend to install my Madmax+ Q3 1W LD with NX-05 to see how well it works. This should be interesting. And I sold my Surefire R60 light assembly since its not exactly designed for the currenty 2xCR123A 6V Surefire light (i.e. my black G2Z). The R60 LA was designed for 6R rechargeable flashlight with about 50 lumen. So I am in the market for either a P60 or P61 LA. I am leaning more towards P61 since it has a 120 lumen output (and sadly 20min of run time) and its good for tactical purposes. I might make the G2Z into a tactical purpose only flashlight and use primarily my MiniMag modules for general purpose.

      I have been keeping my eyes open for a couple of G Shocks and Seiko Divers ... hehe ;)

  • 09/09/2004
      I have my Seiko Orange Monster no more ... :( Off it goes to the new owner. There was moment that I wanted to call of the deal and keep the watch. But its not my time ... I can't believe I had both Black and Orange Monster, like them very much, but ended up letting them go. They will be missed.

      I got rid of the new in pack 2 AA mini mag. It doesn't worth too much, but no point of it sitting here doing nothing. To me, 2 AA mini mag is only good for hosting LED sandwitch now. I am getting used to large flashlight size to lumen output (small size big outout :) ).

      The value of the S2000 part that I sold + the Seiko Orange Monster = the price I got for my Citizen MA. Its funny how things in life are evening out.

  • 09/08/2004
      Watch and flashlight updates again. :)

      I like my Cititzen MA, I like it so much that I have decided to sell my Seiko Orange Monster. But why? Someone might ask. 'Cause I like my Citizen MA so much that its seeing the most wrist time and my Seiko Orange Monster is just sitting there doing nothing (not even running cause its an automatic and needed to be winded :p ). Since the Citizen MA is out of production and its a limited run, it has one piece Duratact titanium (even more scratch resistance than the stainless steel on Seiko Orange Monster?) and Sapphire crystal, it has the 24hr hand telling me the 2nd time zone, 20bar WR, its Eco Drive so its always ready (no need to set the time again after a week of not wearing it, will I ever set it down for a week? hehe) ... The Seiko Orange Monster got orange color dial, no-ordinary diver look, great lume at night, big and heavy, the day of the week is not necessary to me and its never short in supply. After weighting all those, the Orange Monster got to go. (This proves that I am a watch *wear-er*, not *collector*. I don't think my watches to collect dust :p )

      Well, the Madmax LuxIII 3W proves to be a really good tool, so good that I have decided to sell my Inova X0 (which is already SOLD btw). Compare with my Madmax+ 1W LD, The Madmax LuxIII got good throw but less flood, the tint is white and the beam is bright. :) Compare will the Inova X0, the Madmax LuxIII has less flow but more flood, and also the guilt-free cheap 2 AA NiHM power. The Inova X0 is still the kind of throw in my LED collection (or should I say was :p ), but the Madmax LuxIII is more useful in most situation and cheap power just makes it soooooooo much better. :)

      I wanted to use my Surefire G2Z if i can only carry one flashlight. Speaking of my G2Z, I am thinking about selling my 2 cells Surefire system (G2Z) and switch to 3 cells. Since LED technology is catching with the lumen pretty quick, I want to put a bigger gap (in terms of lumen output) between my incandescent and my LED flashlights. I am trying to decide between a C3 HA (may add a M2 shock isolated bezel) or a M3. maybe a 6P with a A19 adaptor (to add 1 cell to a 2 cells system to make it a 3 cells system) to make it switchable from 2 cells and 3 cells system with minimal cost. I like the C3 or 6P + A19 cause they used P series lamp assembly which will fit in the SC1 that I already have. But the M3 seems to be the ultimate 3 cells Surefire 'cause of the bigger shock isolated crenellated bezel and the slightly higher output. Well, time to think ...

  • 09/02/2004
      My Citizen Super Tough Mission Antartica has arrived. Its quite nice and comfortable to wear. The non-OEM Citizen Duratect titanium band matches the watch nicely. The lume is no "Monster" but held up well on its own. Its lighter than my Seiko Orange Monster (what you expect, one piece titanium case and band). And I like the titanium color which matches my dark skin tone. lol :D One thing, the uni-directional bezel is ... strange? It rotates in one direction, which is what it suppose to do. But then, you can press down the rotating bezel, and it will pop back up when you release it? I talked to other Citizen MA owner and they said its normal. But why make it like that? (the thermo expansion of Duratech titanium? Shock isolation?) Anyway, its a great watch to wear.
      I also had a chance to test out my newly acquired Madmax LuxIII 3W mini-mag. It has more throw and bigger hot spot than my Madmax+ 1W. My Madmax+ 1W is geared more towards more flood than spot. My 3 LED modded mini-mag seems to be covering most of my lighting needs. ;) The Madmax LuxIII WO 3W is for throw, the Madmax+ WO Q3 1W is for flood, and my TerraLux MiniStar2 1W is for long-er run time. hehe.
      I got myself a CMG Sonic in silver with white LED new in package. I think its a great gift idea. :) And also I have a new in package mini mag that I need to get rid of ...
  • 08/24/2004
      After some VERRRRRRRRRRRRRY long wait and search ... I've finally located my Citizen Super Tough Eco Drive Mission Antartica with Duratect titanium bracelet, leather band (I'm going to sell it), all paper and box. Citizen is a limited run watch from 1998-2002 that dedicate to Mission Antartica.
      Citizen Super Tough Eco Drive Mission Antartica Spec:
      • Diameter - 42mm (excluding crown)
      • Lug width - 20mm
      • Thickness - 13mm
      • Caliber - Eco Drive solar powered quartz; 6 month power reserve when fully charged; dual time function (GMT hand); quickset date;
      • Dial - Black with highly luminous hands and arabic hour markers
      • Case - one piece Duratect Titanium; 20BAR water resistant
      • Bracelet - non-OEM Citizen Duratech titanium with flip lock and pushbutton clasp
      • Crystal - Sapphire
      The watch I acquired comes with a Duratect Titanium bracelet (though not the original style Duratect titanium bracelet, nice looking and good match with the watch nonetheless). This Citizen MA is going to compete with the Seiko Orange Monster to be my favourite watch. :D But first, let's wait until it shows up at my door step ... :p
      On the flashlight side, I am also expecting a new Madmax module with a Minimag host and a Kroll tail switch to arrive any time soon. This incoming Madmax is a wide open module (probably driving about 700mAh), comes with a LuxIII 3W LS LED and eqipped with a Faren Optic (more spot than flood). So it would be quite different from the Madmax+ that I got. I am expecting about 1 hr of run time on this incoming Madmax and I think I should have about 1.5 hrs of run time on my Madmax+)
      I tried the MiniStar2 one a couple of occation. It does in fact has a yellow-ish tint (not as bad as the green-ish yellow I got from the bad SureFire L4 that I sold) and the beam is ringy when shine to a white wall close up. On the plus side, it is in fact much brighter than the *regular* MiniMag and it should have a 5 hrs of run time (when it reaches 50% of the brightness, and should have much longer run time until the cut off voltage). Since both my Madmax+ and the incoming Madmax are with short-er run time, a long-er run time LED Minimag is not a bad idea. I think I am going to keep it for now. :)
      On the side note of flashlights, I am keeping my eye open for the new Inova T03. Its like a X0 (which is bright for a 1W with good 4 hrs run time on 2 CR123A) with bigger optic, 3W LS LED and a clicky tail switch) ... should be interesting. :)
      On the side note of the side note of flashlights, I almost bought myself a SureFire C3 HA with a P91 (200 lumen) high output lamp assembly. Boy, who wouldn't want a Surefure quality flashlight with hard anodize finish and uses 3 CR123A to provide 60 min of 105 lumen output or 20 min of 200 lumen output ... Well, I guess my budget for the new Citizen MA just kill the Surefire C3 HA deal for me and I don't even have to think about it. (Look at it this way, the Surefire C3 HA will always be available, but a Citizen MA has been discounted and you can't find one when you want to ... haha)
      School started today, no picnic for this semester for sure. Oh well, life is not without challenge ...
  • 08/12/2004
      Well, I still have yet got a chance to test out my MiniStar2 with fresh batteries. But my initial thought is that its still brighter than a regular MiniMag and no bulb to blow, the beam is some what ringy with the stock reflector. The tint is on the green-ish yellow side and its nowhere near the brightness of my Madmax+ Q3. Go figure, 1.5hr vs 5hr run time, the math just don't add up. :p It does run a lot cooler than my Madmax+ Q3.
      I "fixed" my Madmax+ Q3 to be able to use the stock MiniMag tail cap by putting in the correct lens and O-ring, so the "head" switch works now. I also swap the "body" of MiniStar2 and Madmax+ Q3 (now the MiniStar2 is running on a blue MiniMag body and the Madmax+ Q3 is running on a black one. It was the other way around before. Nothing special, just messing with the color. :p )
      Since I like my Ultra G so much, I got myself another one. The new one does comes with a pocket clip and lanyard. And the Hard Anodize seems to be in a darker color. The US government marking and procurement number is of a bigger fonts. Apparently, they comes from the same procurement since they have the same NSN number (or is it just like a part number??). upon initial testing, the new one seems to be not as bright. Some more testing will need to be carried out.
      My old Ultra G has been my EDC for quite some time now. I have dropped it and banged it hard on objects numerous time. It always come back asking for more without any complain. This is one tough little light that I highly recommanded. :)
      And boy, I wished I have time to add photos here ...
      Well, I have taken a Microsoft exam and now I am a Microsoft Certified Professional (MCP). That doesn't mean too much in this real world and I still have a long way to go ... -_-
      I've updated my toys section to reflect my collection of flashlights and watches toys :)
  • 08/04/2004
      Ok. I finally break my flashlight slient ... with a TerraLux MiniStar2 TLE-5 Luxeon replacement bulb and a MiniMag. I am interested in seeing how the MiniStar2 [which uses reflector] compare to my current Madmax+ Q3 WO 1W LD [which uses Nx-05 optic]. The Madmax+ should have no problem out shinning the MiniStar2, I am interested in comparing how the reflector and NX-05.
        MadMax+ Q3 WO 1W LD TerraLux MiniSTAR2 TLE-5
      Run time ~ 1.5 hr ~ 5 hrs
      Brightness 40 lumen 25 lumen
      Optic NX-05 Reflector

      When will I break my watch slient? :p
  • 08/02/2004
      Its quite flashlights and watches quiet lately ... :p
      Couldn't find anything to procure ... hehe
      Good news for my bank account. :)
      But ... its usually quiet before storm. :D
  • 07/27/2004
      The Orange Monster has arrived. The dial is a soft orange color. The dial of the Black Monster is definitely easier to read because of the contrast of dial and the markers, but the orange dial does make the watch stand out and also make it feels more like a diver watch (less tactical). Its under go some testing and see how accurate it is and how easy it is to read tell the time under the sun.
  • 07/22/2004
      Here comes the wait again ... wait can be anxious and can keep one from sleeping or concentrating ...
      Here it comes again. In order to replace my deeply missed Seiko Black Monster automatic diver 200m (SKX779K), I have procured a Seiko Orange Monster automatic diver 200m (SKX781K). They are the same and they are different. Orange and Black Monster has the same features but Orange Monster has an orange dial (hence the name: Orange Monster). I can't wait for it to arrive. I have traded more than a couple of watches lately. I don't get this excitted about an incoming watch too often. (Ok, maybe the Casio G-Shock DW-9800 Wademan ... or maybe the Casio G-Shock G5600 "Tough Viper" ... ok ok, maybe the Seiko Black Monster ... hehe :D ).
      I can't wait until it arrives. :)
      And seems like my flashlights craze is not over. I am trying very very hard to resist buying a Surefire M3 (3 CR123A batteries, 125 & 225 lumen bulb assembly, hard anodize finish + aggressive shock isolated bezel) ... seems like the ultimate personal (really?) flashlight ... I hope somebody bought it before I do (for my wallet's sake :p ) ...
  • 07/19/2004
      I really miss my Seiko Black Monster automatic 200m diver. Now I am looking for a Seiko Diver again ... probably a non-black dial this time.
      I let go of my Casio G-Shock GW-300 atomic solar to welcome the future Seiko Diver
      And I might get a black NATO style nylon band for my Tag Hueuer to give it a different look and feel.
      Boy, my log has been filled with flashlights and watches ...
  • 07/15/2004
      I can't believe I did it again ... -_- After my Casio G-Shock DW-5600 I had to let go of yet another favourite watch of mine: The Seiko SKX779K automatic Diver 200m "Black Monster". I am sad to see it go, but the circumstances calls for selling it to fund new purchase.
      I have my Tag Heuer 1500 on my wrist today, its such an understatement comparing to the seiko black monster with the big bright hands and dial markers. Black monster will be missed ...
      The Casio G-Shock tough solar Frogman (GW-200RB-1JF) "Black Spot" is off to her new owner as well. Its a wondering looking watch and a tough as nail diver 200m, but I just couldn't find a place in my collection for it (I would hate to see her just sitting there not getting much wrist time) and it doesn't seems to fit my wrist too well. (On the side note, my wademan has an excellent fit).
      What should my next watch be ... ?
  • 07/12/2004
      Well, my 3 new Casio G-Shock has all arrived. And things aren't what they seemed ...
      Casio G-Shock GW300CA-1V atomic solar: I am having a tough time trying to get the radio signal for the watch at home. I have tried a couple of places (location/direction) with no luck. Since I am in CA (Western part of US), I will need to place the watch up right facing East (the direction of Colorado). I will continue to try that at home and see if there is a location that will work. I do seems to be able to get radio signal in the parking lot of the office, though quit week. But I have yet have a successful synchronization.
      Casio G-Shock Wademan "Man in Khaki" (DW-9800NKJ-3): I got it at a great price and I got what I paid for. It's not in too bad of a shape but there are some scuff and buff here or there. Beside those, the watch is great! Add tough solar to it and it will be THE WATCH to own. Even without tough solar, its a very attractive package. I really like this watch. I might just get a replacement bezel and watch band later on. I am very happy with this purchase.
      Casio G-Shock Frogman tough solar "Black Spot" (GW-200RB-1JF):For some reason, I am not as excitted about this watch as I expected. I thought I would totally fall in love with this watch, but ... no, that didn't happen. Its a beautiful watch and its the current limited edition Frogman. Its an excellent watch but it arrived at the wrong time ... its being shadowed by the Wademan. But still, this is one heck of a Frogman.
      I sold one of the blue Inova clone 2AA 8 LED flashlight over the weekend. I already got one and doesn't need two of them.
  • 07/07/2004
      I had a wonderful time in Palm Spring over the long weekend holiday of 4th July.
      In just a couple of days, things come and go ...
      My Casio G-Shock tough solar G5600-GH "solar viper" is gone. In return, I have 2 more new watches (besides the "Black Spot" Frogman) coming in. The Casio G-Shock Frogman tough solar "Black Spot" (GW-200RB-1JF) will soon arrive.
      A Casio G-Shock Wademan "Man in Khaki" (DW-9800NKJ-3) will be here by next week. It comes with all the goodies: digital compass, themometer, auto-EL, world time, stop watch, countdown timer, alarm, regular time keeping, titanium back case, rotating bezal. Its a unique and limited G-Shock.
      The other one is quite regular, a Casio G-Shock GW300CA-1V atomic solar. I thought it would be nice to have solar powered G-Shock that will automatically synchronize the time with the Cesium atomic clock at the National Bureau in Colorado.
      Well, I might not have that much free time on my hand after all, just a lighter wallet ...
  • 07/02/2004
      A day after the Casio Triple Sensor is gone, yet another huge watch will arrive soon ... a Casio G-Shock Frogman tough solar "Black Spot" (GW-200RB-1JF). I wanted a Frogman ever since i owned the G-Shock twin sensor (past tense :p ). The "Black Spot" is exactly what I wanted (black case and band, plain letter coloring). I can't wait until it arrives.
      Maybe I finally got time to re-write this site ...
  • 07/01/2004
      Well, my Casio Pro Trek Triple Sensor has finally gone to a good home. Now, I have more room for new watches. :) (literally, unless I am getting another huge watch ... and maybe I will ... haha)
      Well, there are good days and there are bad days. And there are sh!tty days ... And there are VERY sh!tty days ... -_-
  • 06/29/2004
      Say hello to Casio G Shock again! :) I have a Casio G Shock G5600-GH "Solar Viper" coming in. It's a special edition of the tough solar G5600 series with a green LCD screen and black lettering on a black case with rubber watch band. Well, I wanted to wait for my ultimate G Shock that I talked about, but I couldn't resist a special edition G5600 tough solar at a good price. :p As a result, my Casio Pro Trek Triple Sensor PRG-60YT-1AVDR with blue-ish purple titanium band is up for sale. :) And I guess so will my Swatch Automatic (or maybe I should just keep it as a workday beater since it doesn't worth much anyway. And its an automatic. Its addictive. :p ). And my blue Inova clone 2AA 8 LEDs flashlight needs a good home as well. :)
      My Seiko Black Monster got the most wrist time recently.
  • 06/21/2004
      Saying Good bye to the last of my Casio G Shock: DW5700D-8DR
      That's a rare piece since it has full stainless steel metal band and a screw down back case. It's a Japan model since the dail and back case said "WR 20BAR" instead of "WR 200M". It also comes stardard with a stainless steel protector. Its sad to see my last piece of Casio G Shock goes, its a very nice one and served me well ... but I must move on. I am fulfilling my "minimalist" need with my Seiko Black Monster now. And since the black monster is an automatic (it looks so nice too), it begs to be worn everyday. :)
      I haven't given up on Casio G Shock at all. I am just switching my attention to the new technology. :D I am in fact waiting for THE ONE to show up. I want one with tough solar, atomic, auto EL, normal time keeping, stop watch, count down, dual time (or world time) and hoping for a composition band (not rubber, they break too easily), *normal G Shock size* (big is good, but I am looking for something thats comfortable to wear), don't need to be flashy (they can make it looks good without being too flashy) ... that G Shock hasn't be born yet (at the of writing, as far as I know). I know Casio can do it, its just the matter of time and if they want to do it or not.
      Well, I am likely to put the Casio Triple Sensor with black titanium band on the market as well. I don't have any other watch that I want to (or must) get on my mind right now. Maybe thats a good thing ...
      I think I should update the news with picture. I have them. Just that I am too lazy to do it. :p
  • 06/16/2004
      I got a friend in town, so that means sleep less and play more. :)
      Well, I have had my Casio G-Shock D5600-1DR tough solar for less than 2 days and now it's sold brand new. My Casio Triple Sensor PRG-60YT-1AVDR Titanium is still with me, but who knows for how long ... :p
      The Inova Clone LED flashlights from HK/China are cheap little fun toy. I haven't studied the run time of them yet but they host quite some LEDs for the size (8 LEDs for 2 AA, 5 LEDs for 1 AA and 3 LEDs for 1 AAA). They are of decent built (for the price). They're built quality is no where close to Arc or even CMG (heck, Dorcy's are better made than the Inova clones), but so is the price. :) Well, they are cheap and they works (for now). The tint of the LED is actually not too bad.
      I got the watch-band-pin-pusher-tool and I resized the bracelet of my Seiko Black Monster. The black nylon watch band actually goes well with the black dial of the watch (it really grows on me from wearing it last weekend), but the bracelet simply transform the watch. Its nice and its different. Both are good. Maybe I would get a NATO black nylon band in the future.
  • 06/11/2004
      I got a nylon band for the Seiko Black Monster. Not the greatest band on earth but it works until I size it later on. I am still testing the accuracy and luminious-ness (sp?!) of the markers. I am pretty happy with it so far.
      I was offered a Seiko Orange Samurai with titanium bracelet at a great price. I came very close in purchasing it but I just couldn't justify the extra cost for it for now (along with 2 more new casio on way).
  • 06/09/2004
      New watch on the list: Casio G-Shock G5600-1DR tough solar. :)
  • 06/08/2004
      My Seiko Black Monster 200m Automatic Diver finally arrived. Its big and heavy, just the way I like it. And the luminious hands and markers are bright when loaded up with light. I haven't tested the accuracy of the Seiko 7S26 automatic movement yet. As fas as I have read on the web, it's an automatic movement that's built for tough. So it should provide many years of trouble-free service. (side note: the longest I am keeping a watch is my TAG Heuer 1500 series Quartz 200m. Its about 13 years old and its still working like a charm.)
      My Casio Triple Sensor (Pathfinder) PRG-60YT-1AVDR Titanium and flashlights will be in in a couple of days.
  • 06/07/2004
      The reason for letting some of my watches and flashlights go is ... because some new ones are coming in! :D
      Confirmed new watches:
      1. Seiko SKX779K 200m Diver (Black Monster) on stainless steel bracelet
      2. Casio Triple Sensor (Pathfinder) PRG-60YT-1AVDR with blue-ish purple titanium band
      Confirmed new flashlights:
      1. 2AA, 1AA and 1AAA X5 clone from China/HK
      The Seiko SKX781K 200m Diver (Orange Monster) still looks mighty attractive. But man, I can't have 2 monsters in the house. lol
  • 06/04/2004
      Well, 4 of my flashlights are gone ... one of my brand new Inova 24/7, my Inova X1 and my used Arc AAA (black HA) are sold. And I lost an Inova Microlight.
      I haven't forget 06/04 ...
  • 06/01/2004
      OK, finally, my Citizen Eco-Drive Sailhawk Titanium (JR4010-51L) is sold to the rightful new owner. It's a great looking watch and light weight in Titanium, but it has too much thing that i don't need(yacht racing timer) and too little thing that I do need (only 99 minutes for the count down timer, the crown has to be pull to set functions, all functions hault when the hour and minute hands are moving and it moves slow, etc). I sold it cheap but I get it for cheaper. :D
      And I have finally located a Seiko Black Monster (SKX779K) in great condition and good price. I should have it by next week.
      What's next? Sell the G Shock DW5700D-8DR? Get Titanium Triple Sensor? G Shock Frogman? Seiko or Citizen GMT? Or get the Seiko Orange Monster (SKX781K) to go along with my Black Monster? lol
  • 05/30/2004
    • Corrected some typos, and
    • Updated my flashlights and watches list on 05/22/04 log, and
    • Now that I destoried by basketball shoes in a game yesterday morning, I got to score a pair of new ones, and
    • Still trying to get a Seiko black or orange monster. And a good deal on a Casio Triple Sensor (Pathfinder) PRG-60YT-1AVDR with blue-ish purple titanium band is very tempting :p
  • 05/28/2004
      Well, my final exam was done. Finally only have to work at the office 8+ hrs per day in between 2 offices that are 30 miles apart with horrible traffic ...
      -_-
      My Surefire L4 arrived. To my disappointment, it had a yellow-ish-green tint to it. The tint was pretty obvious when I fired it up, though I believe it would be as bright as all the other L4 out there (65 lumens). Even with the ugly tint, its still so much brighter than my Inova X0 and MM+ Q3 mini-mag, but got out-threw by my G2Z. Even so, I found it unacceptable for Surefire to release a 5W LS with such poor tint color. If I am paying that much for a Surefire, I expect it to have a bright and white beam. (On the other hand, if I am paying $7 for a Dorcy AAA at Walmart, then I can live with the purple tint.) The construction of this L4 with bad tint is still excellent as usual for a Surefire. I ended up selling it within 2 days (less than 2 min of run time for testing) of me owning it for the price that I paid for it + the cost of shipping to the new owner. Until they (Surefire) comes up with a better quality control for LED flash lights, they won't have me running out to buy their LED flashlight any time soon. -_- At least I recovered all of my money from this Surefire L4 with bad tint.
      And lately, I am feeling it for the Seiko SKX779 Automatic 200m Diver (Black Monster 1, 2) and the Seiko SKX781K Automatic 200m Diver (Orange Monster). I want one bad ... :D
      In order to perpare for the coming of new watches :p, my G-Shock DW5600EB-1V has been sold. I really liked the watch and it served me well. Since 2 watches is 1 too many already, I am having waaaay too many watches already. :p In order to get new ones, old ones have to go. I hate to see one of my favour watch ever go, but let's see if G-Shock DW5700D-8DR can take over its place. If they (Casio) ever comes up with a G-Shock DW5600 series with dual time zone, multiple alarms, stop watch, counter timer, EL, screw down back, tough solar, waveceptor and in black color and dark lettering. I will be the first in line to get one. :)
      I updated the flash lights and watches list on the 05/18/04 log to reflect the latest info. :)
  • 05/22/2004
      My Corolla GT-S just recieved yet another oil change. The mechanic recommended some maintenance that needs to be done soon ... more money out of my pocket. :(
      To cheer myself up, I got myself a great deal on a Surefire L4 LumaMax (HA and white 5W LS). It should be arriving next week. More money out of my pocket. :)
      Updated Myself. :-)
      Final exam coming up next week ... -_-
  • 05/18/2004
      My Garmin eTrex Legend is sold to the new happy owner. And I am still liking my Garmin GPS V+ delux. Having automatic routing is great for driver. :)
      Ah~ The maddness~! Here is a list of my flash lights and watches (old and new that worth mentioning :p ).
      (Updated on 07/27/04)
        Flash lights:
        1. SureFire G2Z in black w/ original P60 bulb assembly + R60 bulb assembly + SC1 spare carrier
        2. Inova X0 in black w/ white 1W LS
        3. Inova X5T HA in natural hard anodized w/ white LEDs w/ no markings (special run, not available in the store)
        4. Inova 24/7 in yellow & black (I have 2 laying around)
        5. Inova Microlight in translucent body w/ white LED
        6. Madmax+ Q3 sandwich w/ white 1W low dome LS (adjustable, max out at ~800mAh) with NX-05 optic in a 2AA MagLite body with Kroll tail switch
        7. CMG Infinity Ultra G in OD hard anodized w/ white LED (government contracted run, not available in the store)
        8. Dorcy 1 AA 3 LEDs in silver w/ white LEDs
        9. Dorcy 1 AAA in red w/ white LED
        10. Photon microlight III (newer verison with SOS signal) w/ crystal head and white LED
        11. Inova clones from HK/China (blue 2AA 8 LEDs, silver 2AA 8 LEDs, black 1AA 5 LEDs and black 1AAA 3 LEDs)
        12. And I don't want to keep counts of the AAA, AA and D Maglites & other un-named flashlights ... :p
        Flashlights that I don't own anymore:
        1. SureFire L4 LumaMax in natural HA w/ white 5W LS (SOLD for the money I got it for due to a yellow-ish green tint beam which is unacceptable to me at this price range)
        2. Inova X1 in titanium color w/ white LED (sold)
        3. Inova 24/7 in yellow & black (new & sold)
        4. Inova 24/7 in yellow & black (another new one & sold)
        5. Inova Microlight in translucent body w/ white LED (lost) :(
        6. Arc AAA stardard in black hard anodized w/ white LED (pocket clip & splite ring missing, SOLD)
        7. CMG Sonic in black w/ white LED (gave away as a gift :)
        8. Inova clone from HK/China (blue 2AA 8 LEDs, sold)
        9. mini MagLite black 2 AA (almost zero run time out of the box and sold)
        Watches:
        1. TAG Heuer 1500 series quartz 200m with stainless steel bracelet and black dial
        2. Swatch 2000 Sydney Olympic Special Edition Irony Chronograph, from France :)
        3. Swatch automatic (12 years old! in brown and black, and brown leather band)
        4. Seiko SKX781K Automatic 200m Diver with stainless steel bracelet (a.k.a. Orange Monster)
        5. Casio G-Shock Wademan "Man in Khaki" (DW-9800NKJ-3)
        6. Casio Baby-G BG-800WH-7DR Tough Solar Limited Edition "White Veil" (my GF's :D )
        7. Timex Shock Resistance 200m Ironman 8-lap with nylon band
        8. Casio Field Trainer (need battery, old but not sold)
        9. Timex Ironman 100-lap (out of service :( )
        Watches that I don't own anymore:
        1. Citizen Eco-Drive Sailhawk Titanium (JR4010-51L), "Stars & Stripes America's Cup 2003 Official Watch" (new in box and SOLD)
        2. Seiko SKX779K Automatic 200m Diver with stainless steel bracelet and simple black nylon band (a.k.a. Black Monster, love the monster, sad to have it sold -_- )
        3. Polar S710i Heart Rate Monitor w/ cadence sensor and IR communication pod (SOLD)
        4. Casio Triple Sensor PRG-60YT-1AVDR with black/purple-ish titanium watch band (still new, watch band not even sized, but sold)
        5. Casio G-Shock Frogman tough solar GW-200RB-1JF "Black Spot" special edition with black case, band and white lettering (great watch but sold)
        6. Casio G-Shock GW300CA-1V atomic solar (sold)
        7. Casio Casio G-Shock G5600-GH tough solar "Solar Viper" special edition with black case, band, green LCD and black lettering, sold
        8. Casio G-Shock G5600-1DR tough solar, love the look, love the features (add atomic and it'll be a perfect watch that I must have), made in Japan electronics, but why can't they match it with a made in Japan watch band?? (new in box & sold)
        9. Casio G-Shock DW5700D-8DR with stainless steel screw down back & metal band (quite rare, really liked it, but sold)
        10. Casio G-Shock DW5600EB-1V (Loved it but sold for incoming watch)
        11. Casio G-Shock DW6700-1V Twin Sensor (old & Sold)
        12. Casio G-Shock DW6900-1V (new & sold)
      Maybe I should stop now ... Or am I looking at the next item on my to-buy-list ... :D
      Semester is coming to an end, which means projects due and finals coming up. On top of that, crazy boss + crazy work are making sure that I won't be bored at the office ... ever. I will survive ...
      It's almost time for another oil change on my Corolla GT-S.
      I had my last warranty work done on my S2000 at the current Honda dealer. I am hoping that that would be the last time I had to deal with them. For the last couple of visits, they had been nothing but trouble for me. It's time to shop for another Honda dealer for service ...
  • 04/08/2004
      Well, I switched to a *busy* position at work recently. on top of that, the semester is coming to an end and I have plenty of school work due soon. This is going to be a fun time for me ... -_-
  • 03/26/2004
      Did an oil change on my Corolla GT-S, I put a little more than 3000 miles on it in just under 3 months, I have been pulling more miles lately ... :p
      My flashlight craze goes on, I got a really great deal on a new in package Surefire R60 6V bulb assembly (which was designed for the rechargeable 6R flashlight for a little less output and longer run time, was replaced by the current P60 bulb assembly later on when 6R was discontinued) as a spare bulb for my G2Z. I have tested and confirmed that the R60 bulb assembly is a direct replacement for the P60 bulb assembly. In my test, the R60 does seems a little dimmer than the P60. The hot spot seems to be less hot. I also got a black anodized CMG Sonic AAA with white LED which will be coming in soon ...
      I sold my Polar S710i + cadence. Man, that's a fun toy, but I just didn't have enough time to put it to good use. But my Garmin eTrex Legend is still for sale!
      Spring break is coming up next week, as well as a major due date on my team project ... **working hard to do my part**
      I know some javascript on some of the pages are acting funky, I think some day I will just re-do everything and make it simple, that is when I have the time to ... :p
      Life can be tough some time, I just gotta suck it up. -_-
  • 03/17/2004
      I got into the flashlight craze recently. :p And have been reading up at Candle Power Forums on the latest about flashlights and stuff. And in the process, I acquired a couple of flashlights of my own:
      • Surefire G2Z in black -- it's bright rated at 65 lumens with 60 minutes run time. It's powered by two 123a lithium batteries.
        This is my first Surefire product and I am happy with it. It has a Lock Out Tail Cap (LOTC) that locks out the tail switch and avoid accidentally running down the batteries. It's made by Nitrolon polymer which is lighter than the aluminium counterpart Z2.
        My thought is that I would either buy a Nitrolon or a Type III anodized (hard anodized) Surefire. A C2 or a M2 is nice, both are available in Type III anodized. But they cost more and they are a little bigger and heavier as well.
        Compare to other lower priced Surefires', I choose the G2Z over a 6P cause 6P only available in Type II anodized, also it's heavier and without the combat grip (which makes it easier to operate the light with a pistol. lol ). And I don't like the fact that the G2 doesn't have a LOTC. The executive series (e.g. E2) uses a different bulb assembly and it puts out 60 lumens, which is 5 less but have 15 min more in run time.
        I also bought a Surefire SC1spare carrier and some extra batteries.
      • CMG Infiniti Ultra Government -- This single LED flashlight runs off a single AA battery with a step-up circuit built-in. The Infinity Ultra Government are special Infinity Ultra that made for U.S. Government contracts. It's a little brighter than the regular Ultra, and has no CMG or Infinity Ultra markings (but it's engraved with an government contract number). And it doesn't come with a lanyard or a clip as it does with the regular Ultra.
        The finish of flashlights seems to be Type III anodized but have not yet confirmed. An individual test show a 11 hrs run time (vs. a claimed 25 hrs run time for the regular Infinity Ultra). It's a great little flash light that's bright enough for using in a dark room, and it uses cheap and easy to find AA battery. I use my Ultra G quite a lot and I put NiMH rechargeable in it.
        For the single AA battery powered LED light, I also considered the Arc AA, which is a great little light as well. It has Type III anodized finish and everything is well made. One thing I like about the Arc AA is that it can stand on it's tail even with the key ring installed and it has a silver aluminium finish on the reflector area. It might as well be a little brighter than this Ultra G but it almost double the cost of a Ultra G. To me, the cost just doesn't judgistify the added performance (which isn't too much).
      • Photon Micro-Light III -- It's a small keychain LED light powered by two 2016 lithium batteries. I bought the Photon III with the crystal head to have more protection on the LED and still allow side spill on lights.
        It's a really bright little light considering it's size! it is at least as bright as the much bigger CMG Infinity Ultra G that I have, but the Ultra G has more userable side spills.
        It has 2 switches on 1 button. The front part of the button is for a instant on at full brightness. The rear part will allow you to activate or deactivate the selected light mode (when pressed momentarily) and for selecting the 7 different modes (when holded down. the 7 modes are high/medium/low brightness, fast strobe, SOS signal, slow strobe and auto shut off). It has more function than I need and it fits great with the keys. Did I mentioned that it's BRIGHT! Batteries should last for 12 hrs or more. I think it's a great light.
        The other keychain LED light that I would consider is the Inova Microlight. It serves the same purpose as the Photon III but lack the different light modes. It still has the constant on switch which is great to use.
      Well, I don't think I am done with my flashlight craze yet. :p I still want to get:
      • A LED Surefire (something like the new L2 or U2 (sorry, those links are in Chinese, the US Surefire site doesn't have the info at the time of writing).
      • A Surefire P60 bulb assembly (65 lumens for 60 minutes) for the G2Z as a spare.
      • An Arc AAA Premium Edition (better brightness and tin than the regular Arc AAA but more expensive).
      • Some aftermark LED module for AA minimag and 3D MagLites
      • A LED flashlight powered by 123a lithium battery to run down the rest of the juice on the used up 123a lithium batteries from the Surefire G2Z ... :p
      • And who knows what else later on ... :p
      Besides flashlights, I also upgraded my GPS unit to a Garmin GPS V Delux. It's better than my Garmin eTrex Legend by:
      • A little bit bigger screen.
      • Better reception.
      • Auto-routing and it comes with a treet map CD for uploading to the GPS unit
      • A few backlit brightness levels.
      • A little longer run time (claimed, but I think I will end up getting less 'cause of extra power needed for route calculation).
      • Rotateable (vertical or horizontal) screen configuration that works well when putting the GPS unit on the dash of a car.
      • It comes with a 12V power cord, as well as a automobile dash mount (which I don't think I will use, instead, I am getting a beambag mount so that it's more portable).
      Things I don't like about the GPS V compare to the eTrex Legend:
      • It's bigger and heavier.
      • The bigger screen actually has less resolution.
      • Uses 4 batteries instead of 2 on the eTrex Legend.
      For most of the times, the GPS V works well and the auto-routing takes you to where you want to go to. But some of times it will actually include some extra turns and road with the calculated route. And I wished the auto-routing calculation can be faster.
      The screen size and clarity is ok, though I wished for a even bigger screen (without a bigger GPS unit, color is even better :p ). In most situation, I can still manage to see what the instructions and the maps are. And before each turn, the GPS unit will "beep" to let you know an upcoming instruction in on the screen.
      For the street map download, I wished that it would have a USB connection for faster download. For the whole 19MB map download, it takes about 45 minutes (which is very long!). To me, if the same map information has been downloaded to the GPS unit and you are trying to "add" new map information to it (not replace all the maps, just some of them), only the new information will need to be downloaded to the GPS unit. In this case, the download time is a little less. Most of the time, managing the map information on the GPS unit via computer downloads will take about 30 minutes (it's still very long!).
      Overall, I am pretty happy with the GPS V, I am sure there are better ones out there. But at this price, it's a great deal with great functions. Time will tell and more review should come in the future.

      By the way, my Garmin eTrex Legend and Polar S710i HRM + cadence sensor are for sale! Email me you are interested. :p

  • 01/21/2004
      Just performed the S2000's 15k miles service at dealer. The car is running great. I think I need to shop for a new dealer service department (I want to keep the car serviced at the dealer until the factory warranty expired) since the current one I am using always make a mess with the oil change, they got engine oil everywhere, dirty finger prints even inside the car, they break stuff (engine oil cap, but was replaced), they put things back together wrong (put the oil dip stick back the wrong way), they BS about parts not available ... I can go on and on. I don't know why I put up with them for so long.
      There's something wrong with the Javascript on some of the pages. I simply don't have time to either debug it or rewrite it. So I am thinking of rewriting the whole site using simple HTML ... (this is already the I-don't-even-remember-how-many-times I said I want to rewrite the whole site :p )
      Tomorrow (01/22/2004 Pacific Time)is Chinese New Year ... Happy Chinese New Year! :) It's the year of Monkey. :p
  • 01/13/2004
      I've just got an oil change on my '90 Corolla GT-S. 124,873 miles on the odometer and the motor is still going strong. And of course, I give it good rev-exercise all the times. :D The sychros on the transaxel is pretty much worn out, so I have to rev-match for almost all the shifts. Good exercise on my part. :)
      I like the idea of having a log on My S2000 so much that I am going to create a log for my Corolla GT-S as well. :)
  • 01/08/2004
      Happy New Year! :p (a little late but still wish you a happy new year :)
      School gave me a surprising result. The good news is -- the difficult one is over for now. :p
      Life is busy but good. :)
      Updated a little My S2000 ...
"Year 2003 and before" achieve
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