Process Spirituality is a subset of Process Thought, a philosophical framework created by Alfred North Whitehead. Like any good framework, its origin is self-effaced for the betterment of an open-source community.

I want to post a link to a website I discovered. In my unstructured (i.e. non-billable) time, I have strategies to find purpose in my actions. Exploration is a way to discover and it’s as simple as following a thought. The thought can be an idea or simply a step in a direction. In this case, sitting with a coffee and my iPad, I took a journey with a search on the term “worldview.” This is my alternative to filling my aimless moments on the more alluring and addictive scroll and link portals which could also fill my time with important, meaningless information about the state of the world, accomplishments of friends and colleagues, marketing blather, etc.

If you’re like me, there is a blissful pacification in the feeling that the screen provides. It’s not so much the content it contains as it is the potential. The experience is much like an infant with a pacifier, suck, suck, scroll, scroll.

This post is going off the rails already. Initially, I just wanted to post the link with a few pithy comments and be done with it. The voice of this message has different plans. As soon as I decided that the content I discovered was relevant to anyone who may also be interested in a cogent, adaptable framework for A perspective on the meaning of life, my inner chatterbox began to think of ways to provide an introduction. After all, the message has an implicit audience, LinkedIn people. How do I spin my apparent endorsement of the website’s content?

While I like to learn and consider myself open-minded, I have a definite bias regarding the manner in which I develop my thoughts and preferences. I’ve found that it’s much easier to apply “Question Authority” as a bumper sticker than a philosophy of acculturation. As much as I admire the thinkers who have taken the effort to record something for posterity, the messenger is usually not one in the same. The book, blog, video, etc. is taken as a proxy for the knowledge and anyone with an opportunity will gleefully identify as a vessel for that knowledge when they reference the work. It may be harsh to question everyone’s intention, so I’ll just posit that a personal, organic discovery is absent the possible power dynamic of someone professing some gradient of understanding measured by the knowledge of a source of knowledge.

I apologize for the digression. Or maybe not. Otherwise I would have deleted the sentences or paragraph to streamline my post. Without the ability to stay “on task,” it’s turning into cognitive diarrhea. How much time is wasted with clock cycles processing information with no utility or cycling without any input at all? It’s maddening to consider the empty experiences of spectators watching gratuitous, repetitive activities all the while self-aware and unable to change. Media: the dirty laundry or the trainwreck. How many ways are there to stylishly depict a robbery or killing? The endless plots of humanity’s actions, mistakes and redemptions, are grist for the mill. Is this post an accomplishment of much more than a choreography of certain keys typed on a keyboard? Why do these thoughts matter? These aren’t my ideas as much as they are my emotions. At this moment. Snap out of it. Get on with it.

The thought of appropriate content for a LI newsfeed immediately prompts an inner focus group. What do I think about the “news” that my connections have posted? My corollary to TMI is TMA (too much analysis). Analysis paralysis as it is called. Where does this post fit?

It’s not a corporate cheerleader post. I don’t have an association with the website I found. I’m not donning my corporate identity as a member of the business club and culture that provides ($) for me. But what other frame of reference feels as concrete? It’s a fandom world, a coliseum of team supporters cheering, waving their flags. We are #1. All players are eventually traded, retired, wear a different jersey. We are #1. It’s more comfortable to feel an importance by association than struggle for an identity without it.

Is this post positioning me as a thought-leader? Of all the jobs that I find the measure of qualifications somewhat murky, my favorite is the “futurist.” They are the gurus, the Svengalis, the soothsayers that predict what is going to happen. I’ve always wondered how you earn that title. A BS degree in Futurism? Cause and effect studies? The coursework must be great though. (I’ll get the homework to you later.) Do you think futurists have happy marriages? The website I discovered isn’t thought-leading as much as it is thought-provoking. However, in my experience, life is influenced by fundamental equations and questions that haven’t changed much. History repeats itself.

Is LI a social network? As such, what are the parameters of appropriate content? While I don’t see pics touting the configurations of recent meals, I do see posts that are “lifestyle-aware.” This is natural due to the confluence of work and life. It’s a balancing act and the response to these posts depend upon subtle threads. I can’t help myself when I’m being social at business functions. “What do YOU do?” can easily turn to family, hobbies or, my preference, philosophies. It’s a big-picture endeavor. What self-interest is served by the exchange? Exhibitionism is a thing, can attract attention and might even be a successful marketing strategy. Attempting to promote myself, do I focus on capabilities or potential? Still, it might be awkward to speak of your successful Javascript implementation for a highly-trafficked porn site.

I’m beating a dead horse here. Please, don’t inform PETA. I’ve gotten to this point in the post deprecating myself and giving you reasons to have a low expectation of the website I found. I hope you’ll forgive the manner in which I’ve arrived here. The website is actually quite an interesting and profound source. A short description of the journey may now be appropriate.

A worldview is something we all have, but none of us share. As with any search results, the term derives its meaning from the perspective of the searcher. My meta interpretation of the first pages of found references is that the word has spiritual connotations. While links to definitions abound, there was a large percentage of religious sites which contained the word in different contexts. It was amusing that a financial app, satellite, Christian metal band and lightweight, extensible 2D and 3D scene renderer shared the name. That’s the pleasure of exploration, to expand associations and collapse the prejudice of expectations.

Finally, on page 10 of my search results, I found a link to “Process Worldview – Open Horizons” https://www.openhorizons.org/process-worldview.html (your search results may vary). It’s an art to glean search results to find something relevant, especially when you aren’t sure of what you’re looking for. However, every moment of every day we find things that arrive in our conscious awareness. Sometimes, thoughts are responses to a deliberate search. At other times, thoughts are serendipitous, without any prompt. This post could have been inspired by a different search result and circumstances. There is no reason these words must exist. But at this point, if you’ve read this far, you may be wondering how I will conclude.

The site indicated above was “found” for the following reasons. The state of my mind and available technology at the peculiar moment I took action yielded the results which were of a content, context and format that allowed me to connect with the ideas of Process Thought. While there is some overlap of the attitudes and concepts with my existing thoughts, there are also new points of reference and a new stream from a similar source. The philosophy aims to unify scientific, aesthetic, moral, and religious wisdom. As such, it is flexible and inclusive to allow assimilation of diverse perspectives and truths. It has appeal across belief systems: single religious affiliates, multiple religious affiliates, spiritually interested nones, theists, non-theists, non-dual mystics and gentle non-believers.

My (re)connection with these ideas at the particular moment allowed me to find fresh inspiration. The ideas are manifest with a value proposition that finds relevance where there is a receptive attitude. The non-denominational and non-dogmatic spirit of the teachings provides a humanistic path toward value and meaning in life. I think the aspirational goals are compatible with a conscientious capitalism.

Final thoughts. The age of criticism has done its work and now is the time for construction. Decision is one of the primary expressions of the ultimate reality of the universe. How shallow, puny and imperfect are efforts to sound the depths in the nature of things. All schemes and philosophies are finite and fallible. Indeterminacy is as real as determinacy. There are many ways of knowing the world — verbal, mathematical, aesthetic, empathic, bodily, and practical — education should foster creativity and compassion as well as literacy.

Carnegie Mellon University: A VentureBridge Too Far

It’s leap day 2016. Last month, my son and I jumped out of a plane and lived to tell about it. With the help of instructors at Skydive Hollister, we accomplished tandem skydives from 11,000 feet.

We all graduate in steps. Our lives are full of milestones. We set a goal with personal and profound meaning. The event was a graduation — the fulfillment of a promise. Some things I learned. . .

Trust Your Partner

Life has its freefalls. As I was falling toward the ground, suspended in space and time, I had the feeling the ground was approaching, but the difference in perspective at one mile and at a half-mile isn’t that noticeable. I’d given my trust to my competent instructor. I was along for the ride. At the end of it all, the instructor taught me to trust. Wishing to remain alive, he also had ‘skin in the game.’

The biggest thing that assuaged my fear of the jump was recognizing that I wasn’t alone. Someone else had his life on the line with me. This mutual liability went far to give me the confidence that the technical details were monitored and handled competently. The skydiving experience is meant to be safe and fun. There have been countless innovations and refinements to its execution over the years. Points of failure have been recorded, studied and reduced.

Trust Your Equipment

If you don’t trust your equipment, why are you using it? Unless you live in a cave, you use the technologies and services of others. There are assumptions and risks to using any equipment. I noticed Skydive Hollister made competent choices in the facility, staffing and processes. By extension, I felt that the unseen and unknown were also given similar care and attention to detail. One of the rites of passage to taking a freefall is completing a multi-page legal document that essentially signs your life away. The document releases all equipment manufacturers and operators from death caused by a failure. The choice to skydive is voluntary and the diver assumes all risks.

The nature of the contract was not hidden. Skydive Hollister had a comfortable waiting room to ponder and complete the document. A looping video displayed a representative of Uninsured United Parachute Technologies emphasizing the voluntary decision that participants were making. The message was simple: you could die performing the activity.

 Trust Physics

The terminal velocity of a person in freefall is about 120 MPH. Normally a person will not fall faster than this due to air resistance acting on a human body. This speed is not painful to endure, even in street clothes. Loose jewelry and hats cannot be worn. No text messages from the plane. . .leave your cell phone in the car.

Because of the tandem configuration, two bodies fall faster than one. Without a small trailing parachute, the tandem jumpers would fall at a painful 190+ MPH. The physics of the act of skydiving are basic calculations of friction and fluid dynamics. The tomes of study and experimentation provide the framework to understand and control the freefall. What a thought: to control the lethality of a deadly act.

Much of your trust in the experienced staff is that they understand the physics of the activity. There are many aspects that contribute to a safe flight, including the calm confidence of the instructors. The team bravado contributes to a necessary psychological safety that places risk at the back of the mind.

Trust God and Spirit

It’s one thing to give into circumstances beyond your control. It’s another thing to perform a voluntary act giving in to a higher power. Not that transcendence was a goal, but it was included in the package. What heights are you attempting to reach? Assisted skydiving is not an accomplishment of skill. Anyone, within reason (i.e. weight limits apply), can fall from a plane. The launch door is more than an opening to physical space, it also opens to your mental space. Fear of heights, open space and even death are patterns in your mental landscape that can be left behind along with the plane.

The decision to take flight began as a goal, a dare. With the momentum of time and conviction, the event was accomplished. We all need to challenge our relationship with ourselves. Will we discover inner voices that we haven’t heard before?

Trust Yourself

You can’t know exactly how you’ll feel at any moment in the future. There are so many instincts, evaluations and calculations that we bring to bear in a moment of crisis or stress. There are agitating and dampening influences to every incident that we record in the level(s) of our awareness. It was a great relief that the seasoned instructors exuded a calm confidence. There was a great amount of support for the process. The team (staff, fellow jumpers, pilot, …) was positive and encouraging.

If you’re reading this, thanks, you’re a friend. I’m sharing this personal memory with you to reach another human. How do we connect across the time and distance? Let’s talk about collaboration and sharing. I’m peter@collab.us

A post-jump Dive Video is available on YouTube. As an exploration, I built a website to collect donations for the event at dive.fab7.com. These are some of the fun projects I’ve done.

How do I begin this? I’m confronted with choices. Choices exist in our worlds as an aggregate of our preceding decisions and the decisions of those who made theirs in worlds based on the decisions of those who decided before them. . . The conscious effort that drives our decisions gives us an illusion of control, yet with a myriad of actions and occurrences that happen every instant it’s hard to even begin to fathom the conditions and compromises that define the nexus of our present. Who’s your farmer? is a popular bumper sticker slogan in the rural area where I grew up. The statement begs an understanding of those unseen and unknown that support our lives.

Decisions and choices are simultaneously new and mundane. The majority of our decisions are pedestrian. Move. Gather. Interact. Where do I place my foot? Where do I buy? What is my response to a stimulus?  What makes each choice and decision unique is the passing of time and those ever-happening instances. You cannot step into the same stream twice. Some decisions are not yours. Do you decide your parents? Do you decide where you’re born? There are things in every equation that are pre-defined. All science embeds a set of given values.

2006 Zap! Xebra SD

The decisions of a friend and his son contributed to my ownership of the car pictured. With the hope of selling it to a Stanford student, John’s son responded to a Craigslist posting, as he was soliciting donations for his father’s non-profit corporation — Silicon Valley Historical Association. The car is a 2006 Zapcar (Xebra), a 3-wheeled electric car from a Santa Rosa, CA company, imported from China. After accepting the donation and replacing the exhausted batteries, the car had an intermittent problem that, in addition to the limited range inherent in its design, caused a series of failures that repeatedly left the new owner stranded. It was after the car was sitting for months in a vacant lot that my friend contacted me with an offer to give me the car.

Serendipity is the foundation for things I wear, drive, eat. . . I buy from stores and online resources for different reasons (proximity, price, selection, reputation, etc.). I decide among the choices that are available. Different sources provide different selections, yet boundaries to choice always remain. Deeper still is the serendipity of choices arising as a result of the people who are connected to our lives.

I was ready for a change in vehicles. My previous car, a ’68 Bug, needed the TLC and enthusiasm of a new owner. A car originally owned by my wife’s parents, I repaired it to rescue it from disuse and used it for over a decade. Similarly, my new car isn’t a make or model I was searching for. To the contrary, many people would question my sanity for owning it. I agreed to purchase the car for a fraction of my friend’s investment in the new batteries. It was an opportunity to explore “green” technology. The Zapcar is unusual. It is legally classified as a three-wheel motorcycle. The car was a challenge to rehabilitate. Learning and discovery always presents challenges (for more detail see “Nuts and Volts,” the story of repairing the car, below).

Zap! Pow! Crash!

Zap Jonway, Inc. is a company with a checkered history. Starting as a company selling electric scooters designed by a California inventor, the company set its sights on the EV market with a change in company management. It began selling its first car, the Xebra, via distributors in 2006, selling around 150 vehicles that year. In the ensuing years, the company ran into difficulties, with shoddy business practices and stock manipulation by Board members. Poor design choices led to a recall of their 2008 models sold in the U.S. Wired recounts the company’s sordid past in the article Hype Machine: Searching for ZAP’s Fleet of No-Show Green Cars.

The car is a glorified golf cart. The shell is molded fiberglass. The interior dash and trim are crude. The car has a wide, flat center console with removable panel and a hinged door located under the rear seat to provide access to the batteries cradled beneath the car. I’ve purchased some parts from the manufacturer and others (including the seat covers shown) from Xebraparts.com, an online parts store established by a Zap! enthusiast. Replacement parts are scarce. Service stations are non-existent.

The Zapcar is a strange, comic concept transformed into physical reality. While it’s range has diminished due to battery issues, the initial range of 15-18 miles (on flat terrain) was reasonable for local errands. The 72-volt battery pack (6 deep-cycle 12-volt AGM batteries wired in series) charges via a standard household outlet. The small, light car is energy-efficient and, registered and insured as a motorcycle, thrifty. Unfortunately, the vehicle is plagued with reliability issues. While I’m hard-pressed to find any good reason to own it, I can’t help but be fond of the idea that the car represents. The sagas of small, quirky, independent companies can be inspirational and entertaining. The Zap! story has the intrigue of failure after a short-lived success. Initially, the company was an EV darling: “Changing the World, One Car at a Time,” Zap! once boldly stated. Sometimes the wrong things are done for the right reasons. The company ran a gamut of financial and regulatory hurdles before finally building a thing that can legally and cleanly travel on city streets.

I couldn’t have predicted owning this thing and didn’t set out to become a “Zap Guy.” Embracing the experience however, I have more respect for the serendipity that defines us. New cars, like new years, are a topic for discussion. The new year is a time of reinvention. With my new ride, I portray the real or assumed characteristics of Zap Guy, which include:

• eco-minded (a small carbon footprint is a move forward — just not that far)
• alternative (a twisted mind isn’t a prerequisite, but it helps)
• level-headed (stay cool by staying on top — of the hill, the ups and downs are draining)
• buzzed (the sound of racing electrons, agitated neurons, or rattling doors and windows, take your pick)

Everything Makes Waves

I don’t extol the virtues of EVs over gas-powered vehicles. Battery charging relies on power generation that is shades of dirty, whether producing “clean tech” or burning coal for the grid. Electric motors are more efficient than gasoline engines, but each form of energy has trade-offs. Miles between charges or fill-ups? Availability, convenience, efficiency and impact of power storage? The constraints of our choices define our lives. In some ways, the Zapcar has made me a better person. I’m riding my bike more. It’s reliable. I’m obeying city speed limits, mainly because the car is challenged to break them. The laws, of physics, are hard to ignore when an extra hill or leg of a trip may mean the difference in reaching home. This reality forces me to be more aware and conserving. I coast when possible, anticipate stops. A successful journey is its own reward.

Fortunately, I work in a home office so I don’t rely on the car for commuting. Unfortunately, on some errands zap has degraded to sapped as the car slowed to a crawl. The Zapcar owner’s manual introduces the idea of “opportunity charging” — using electrical outlets for charging along your trip to extend the car’s range. I keep an extension cord in the car for this reason. On one occasion, I pulled into a service station when I was running low on power. While I couldn’t gas up, the owner generously provided use of an outlet near an outdoor vending machine. After an hour of errands nearby, I gave the garage a $0.25 thank you and was ready to move. Reading the urban energy landscape is an EV ninja skill.

To be fair, other EVs are also limited in range. The owner of a Nissan Leaf told me that he charged his car at work or it wouldn’t make the round trip from home. How far can you drive without a gas station? Cars are lifestyle accessories — a composite of metal, plastic and rubber worn while moving from point to point. Wearing a Zapcar turns heads and generates smiles. The efficiency of lifestyles vary. Imagine carrying the door of your car to a local store. Now imagine carrying the door the distances you travel daily/yearly. How big is the box you move in? Our lifestyles leave footprints.

Collaboration is Personal

We can all share the expectations, joys and foibles of discovery. If you’re reading this, thanks, you are a friend. For my friends, a few words about another small, independent (and sometimes quirky) business. Pictured left is an interface from a suite of online tools for collaborative work I began developing in 2008, initially creating the site to manage my project tasks and invoices. More recently, I’ve added tools for members to share tasks and manage notes and files associated with projects. I continue to develop the tools for my own needs.

I define tools to solve problems. I’ve created numerous websites for clients that interact with customers. I’ve developed tools at collab.us that are useful to me. Collaborative needs and feedback will help define future iterations and enhancements. AQUA is a virtual water cooler. PLAN•M is a menu system mapping links to background images used as a landscape. These ideas are incorporated to be improved upon with help from users.

I’m interested in value-added networking. I have as many questions as answers. Sharing your ideas and efforts can enhance the prospects of like-minded individuals. Your personal motivation contributes to a collaborative network. I’m interested in ad hoc work with mature, independent professionals who want to provide and/or receive some help with e-life. All ideas are welcome. Collaboration promotes friendship. Opportunities are everywhere. If you want to build bridges in 2015, join me at collab.us. If you want to stay in the loop on e-marketing resources, tips and trends, sign-up for THREADS. I’m interested in your suggestions. Send me a note requesting advice or offering assistance. I’m happy to share success stories helping friends and colleagues in business. Let’s Skype a virtual coffee together.

Rehabilitation Log: Nuts and Volts

ZAP is an acronym for “Zero Air Pollution.” It is also the sound of a spark, usually unexpected and inconvenient, that has negative consequences. In rehabilitating the car, I’ve had @*%zap!!# moments. Initially, the car’s intermittent problem was a mystery. Turning the key would light up the dashboard, but the car would only move forward sporadically. Clicks sounded at certain times and there seemed to be a correlation between when and where the clicks originated and if the car would move.

A problem needs to be identified before it can be fixed. My experience with internal combustion engines did not apply to electric motors. I began researching the problem by investigating the car’s design/operation. Electrical wiring is messy and hidden in most vehicles. What makes troubleshooting electrical issues worse is the intangible, silent nature of electrons. I searched the web and discovered some postings and discussions about the car. I finally reached out to the parts department at Zap Jonway and was pleasantly surprised to be contacted by Robert, a parts clerk, offering help — he provided a link to electrical schematics for the car and assured me that repair parts were available.

In a previous post “Motorcycle Rehab: What Does Free Cost?” I discuss the cost of a free motorcycle, in terms of time and material investments. By accepting the Zapcar, I was committed to a similar proposition — the car needed multiple repairs. While the batteries had been freshly replaced, hidden mechanical problems were surfacing. The thumbnails shown are a pictorial representation of some of the repairs I completed. Clockwise from top left: relay, hub, CV boots, battery isolation pads, wheel bearing. I attribute the failure of the hub to poor manufacturing and material quality, as it broke without unreasonable impact. The CV boots were cracking due to age and poor rubber quality. The smooth, fluid operation of bearings is imperative for a quiet ride. The wheel bearing damage could not be seen, but it could be heard: vibration and noise suggested a problem in the rear of the car. The damaged bearing (bottom left) is shown before it was removed from the suspension swing-arm. You can see a spot where there are no balls between the races of the bearing. Failure of the thin, metal cage that kept the balls evenly distributed allowed the balls to collide and grind, causing noise and vibration due to irregularities and pitting in the balls and races (bottom middle). I partially attribute battery failure to vibration caused by conditions like wheel bearing distress and bumpy roads. To isolate the batteries from the frame of the car, I added a series of rubber pads beneath the battery trays (bottom right). The pads were cut from tire tread.

I assessed the Zapcar’s electrical schematic to understand the failures that would cause the motor to be unresponsive. Searching the schematic near the ignition switch I identified a small component and subsequently determined it was broken. The component is an electromagnetic relay, a common electrical device worthy of further discussion. The relays at right are shown with their covers removed. The state of electrical current in the winding of an electromagnetic relay determines its switch state. In the schematic, the relays JD4 and JD8 are connected to the ignition switch. I was able to determine that relay JD4 was broken by testing the electromagnet circuit (tabs indicated with green arrows) using a multimeter. The magnetic field in the electromagnet is driven by current flowing through wires wound around its steel core. The energized electromagnet attracts the switch arm (blue arrow) to flip between an “off” connection (between the central and top tabs) and “on” condition (between the central and bottom tabs). Because the circuit was “open” and no current could flow through the electromagnet winding, it was incapable of creating the magnetic field necessary for proper function of the switch.

Completing the Circuit

Understanding the theory of operation allowed me to quickly verify the relay problem. Though it seemed simple, fixing the relay wasn’t so quick. The car’s schematic diagram (referenced above) indicates the JD4 relay is 12-volt. I ordered two replacement relays from the Zap! parts clerk in the company’s Santa Rosa, CA office.

I didn’t know that the the wiring for the Zapcar model I own differs slightly from the available schematic. Actual wires are much harder to follow than a schematic. After trial-and-error (a.k.a. @*%zap!!# moments), I discovered the JD4 relay uses 72 volts supplied by the ignition switch. Trial: I installed one of the replacement relays and turned the ignition switch. Error: POOF! a cloud of noxious smoke emitted from under the dashboard. What?! Surprised and not thinking clearly, I installed relay #2 convinced that the first relay was faulty. Key->Turn->Click->POOF! It took sacrificing a third relay before I was finally jolted to consult this Zap! documentation. On page 9 of the document, it specifies the profile of 72-volt relays that matched the original relay. (The documentation was the only reference of the relay’s voltage — 72-volt relays in the Zapcar are not imprinted with this specification.) Experience and understanding are hard-gained from @*%zap!!# moments. The schematic from this document was incorrect for my car. I was initially ignorant of this statement in the document: “This document describes the original wiring with the 12V key ignition system. Do not use this manual for the 72V key ignition system.” I now know that my car has a 72V key ignition system. Component labeling would have flagged the discrepancy.

In the picture above, the relays on the left and right are 72-volt and 12-volt, respectively. The melted mass of wire insulation (red arrow) is evidence that the 12-volt relay “burned out” due to excess voltage. The reason for the failure of the 72-volt relay was not visibly evident. The “break” was evident by testing the electromagnet wiring. The intermittent nature of the relay suggests that the break was microscopic and occasionally allowed the electrons to flow and energize the magnetic field. Eventually the connection failed completely and would not engage no matter how many times the key was turned on and off (the temperature of the relay was a factor, i.e. the relay was more likely to engage when cold due to contraction of the wire’s electrons).

Batteries Included

Modern, gas-powered cars have sophisticated electrical systems. Electrical dashboard instruments, lights and accessories are common to all cars. Spinning alternators and generators charge the batteries of gas-powered cars while the cars are driven. Driving a gas-powered vehicle improves its state of charge. Driving an electric vehicle depletes its state of charge.

The Zapcar has seven batteries. Six large 12-volt AGM batteries provide power to the drive motor. The 7th battery is smaller. It supplies 12-volt power to the dashboard, accessories and some relays (72-volt relays are powered by the “Traction Pack”). When the ignition switch is on, a DC-DC converter attached to the 72-volt pack supplies current for charging the small battery as well as providing 12-volt power throughout the car. If the 72-volt pack is weak or the DC-DC converter is not working, charging current is affected and the small battery can drain to a point where the dashboard and headlights suddenly go dark while driving. The electronic speedometer and 12-volt accessories quit (the car’s heater is 72 volts — presumably to allow you stay warm while you are stranded at night). Because the 72-volt relay in the drive motor control circuit isn’t affected by a depleted 7th battery, the car can continue to move. If the 7th battery is drained, use an external trickle charger to charge it. The terminals of the battery are accessible by removing the center console panel. A depleted 7th battery can cause the 20A fuse (F1) to fail due to charging current overload. Fix a weak battery pack to address issues with the 7th battery. Also check DC-DC converter connections and output.

Batteries are like apples — wired in series, one bad battery spoils the output of them all. The health of the car’s batteries has a direct impact on the health of the car. You can’t ignore a battery issue — the range of your EV diminishes. Batteries are mysterious. Electrochemical processes that generate electricity are known chemistry. The magic is harnessing these processes with real materials and designs. The lead-acid battery is an automobile technology workhorse. The life of these batteries is limited for many reasons, including variable operating conditions and abuses. The Zapcar’s six-battery Traction Pack is charged as a unit with an onboard 72-volt charger. A dashboard meter provides a rough indication of the total voltage of the pack, but batteries may not contribute equally. How do you “see” inside a battery? With numbers. For clues on the poor performance of the car, I persistently recorded the voltage of each battery before and after use. I was interested in relative strengths and trends. Based on its lower values, I concluded that battery #3 (my label) was under-performing. To verify this required measuring the current provided by the batteries.

For me, working on an electric vehicle required new tools — mental and material. One advantage of an EV using common technology: an ordinary carbon pile load tester could be used to analyze the batteries. I found numerous low-cost models on eBay and chose one rated at 500AMP, sufficient for batteries up to 1000CCA (the car’s batteries are 800CCA). The dual-gauge unit is simple to operate. Turning the knob applies a load across the terminals of the battery. When the left gauge (D.C. Amps) reaches half the CCA capacity of the battery, watch the right gauge (D.C Volts). The health of the battery is determined by the voltage drop during a 15-second test. There is embedded knowledge in the information design of the tester. Beneath the absolute values (i.e. AMPS and VOLTS), the gauges have translation scales for different specifications (amp hour/cold cranking amp on D.C. Amps gauge) and common pass/fail interpretations (battery test/state of charge/alternator and regulator test on D.C. Volts gauge).

SEO and You Shall Reap

I enjoyed friendly, personal service obtaining parts for my repairs. I experienced the enthusiasm and cohesion of the fringe — the shared conviction and circumstance of owning a Zapcar. The car and company are on the fringe. Along with the few people who own and support it, I share a commitment to the vehicle. Club membership affords some familiarity and respect among its members. We all join clubs, whether we pay dues or not. Clubs give us a sense of belonging. They are a large factor in our allegiances.

Consider this post a contribution to the fringe. My purpose is not to reach Zapcar owners exclusively, as the number of those who actually read these words may be counted on one hand or even one finger. But I appreciate those who support the fringe, even if it’s just a tent stake in the ground. On my quest for repair support I visited a few digital backwaters. At one, www.zapowner.com, webmaster Ryan writes with passion about EV techology in his post.

This post contains troubleshooting tips, but the story is larger than the topic. Reading this? Friend, family, colleague, associate, stranger: I appreciate your consideration. Who did I write this for? My target audience is pulwaterly. “Pulwaterly” is not a Google or Yahoo search result. . .yet. The meaning of the word? ANYTHING YOU WANT.

Pulwaterly

To my colleagues regarding Search Engine Optimization (SEO), I recommend being unique. This post is not just a story, but a tag cloud. Another stream of characters in this hyper, linked world. Words make it more or less than an idea. What search or link did you follow?

QuiQ Charger Algorithms (.enc) The algorithms below were provided by JLG Ground Support to support my purchase of a QuiQ charger programmer. While some algorithms do not apply to the Zapcar, I offer them for anyone interested in modifying a QuiQ charger.
1	Trojan T105
2	Trojan T105 tapped
3	Trojan T105 const power
5	Trojan 30/31XHS*†
6	Deka 8G31 Gel*
7	Trojan J305 const power
8	Concorde 10xAh AGM
23	JLG/Douglas const power
42	Discover 80-150Ah AGM*
43	Discover 200-400Ah AGM*
73	Generic 400Ah flooded const power
	* indicates algorithms for popular Zapcar batteries † Zap! service manual states to use this algorithm with Discover AGM EV31A-A, EV12A-A and Interstate DCM 0100

Here’s to embracing the fringe to increase your search relevance.

There are so many beginnings to be happy about. As time marches on, annual activities and other milestones trip through the years. The new is inexorably linked to one “Happy” sentiment or another. We are constantly barraged by the new to obsolete the old. New has value in the now.

What is the value of maturity? Assets attained and maintained are less celebrated in our commerce-driven society. If we consider that every new thing is a product of its time, each other-than-new thing is a product of its time plus time. The best form of a new thing or idea incorporates lessons learned from the past. The new is not always in its best form, however, due to new constraints and blindness to history. Some new things aren’t propitious and may be downright undesirable. A “Happy Birthday” is the beginning of another year to be lived, a milestone marking the years lived. Spent youth is the complement to age and wisdom.

Pons Asinorum

Pons asinorum is latin for “bridge of asses.” It is also a synonym for paradox. In the classic sense, pons asinorum is a puzzle that is a bridge to raised awareness and intelligence. A classic problem is Euclid’s fifth proposition in the first book of his Elements. Considered a measure of transcendence to a higher-level of thinking, dim-witted medieval schoolboys failed to grasp the concepts required to understand it.

A more general meaning of paradox is roughly the reconciliation of contradictory features or qualities within a seemingly complete, rational system. Conscious behavior is as doomed as blissful ignorance to be confronted with paradox in daily consumption. Consider the polarity of these word pairs: conscious/unconscious, yin/yang, perceived/intuited, cognition/meditation. These words apply to activities of our physiology as certainly as to our relationship with our environment.

Transition is paradox is transition. New rises from the old every moment. In celebrations, we recognize that old and new exist simultaneously. At what point does the year cease to be new? At 12:01 AM January 1st or 11:59 PM on December 31st? For most, the answer lies somewhere between the two extremes – in a shade of gray.

The basic conception that our planet revolves around the sun explains the annual environmental phenomena that have colored our rituals around the globe – cultural, political, corporate, nothing is immune. We cannot have May or December without a stable context and understanding. It is this orderly mask that is directly challenged by paradox. Order is necessary for paradox to exist.

Untangle the Gordian Knot

Choices are our continuous challenges to untie and unravel. Standard procedures are the zone. Some decisions are easier than others. As definite “best” thinking solutions are supplanted by more intuitive choices that just feel right, we learn to bridge the fundamental paradox of thinking and feeling. The opposition of the forces are reconciled by the understanding that they are already in coherent alignment.

Even as we attach scheduled activities and rituals, each day is simply another span of 24 hours in our lives. What colors our temporal and spatial experiences are the connections we have to each other. Shades of gray lead to the decisions we make. As we begin to assign actual value to feeling, the economics of our experiences change.

Understanding drives perspectives. Seeing is a function of our minds. We are more appreciative as we understand paradox. A gift is anything we recognize as such. Count your blessings. We gain a vast perspective from the realization that we are all standing on the shoulders of giants. Our lives are defined as much by what we don’t have (conflict, disease, hunger,…) as what we do.

The lighter at right is a bargain brand costing fewer than 50 cents. In the context of the technologies and processes required to produce it, I am wealthy to be able to own such a thing. Imagine fire, the understanding of elements, metallurgy,… centuries of knowledge that are embodied in this disposable product. Our ancestors would have marveled at it. To command the manifestation of fire crossed a primitive pons asinorum. Considering the “wealth” built into every product is to begin to understand shades of gray.

Meditation Amidst Chaos

The process of control is a paradox. As soon as you place rules on behavior, exceptions arise. The process of creation is a paradox. Creating form is as much the absence of matter as it is the connected network defined by a blueprint. An idea is defined as much by what is not understood. Am I clear?

What we seek is conscious control over entropy, while paradox rules the unconscious. Each moment, consciously or not, our minds collect data and follow decision trees that exceed the capacity of powerful silicon technologies. When was the last time you thought of breathing? Of your heartbeat? Of healing?

In the spirit of paradox, I announce a lifestyle tool to promote meditation in the midst of busy lives. It’s simple to use and built with interrupted focus in mind. How many times have you been waiting in line with too little time to make yourself productive (e-mail, web), but still long enough to feel time passing? Instead of aimlessly data-collecting – attempting to find meaning in the banal – consider a focus that stills the mind. My site, metawhirlz.com, offers graphical, symbolic images to concentrate on, allowing you to create custom views and trips.

Exercise your ability to find quiet among distraction. Rest your mind, however briefly. Symbols are strong places of refuge. Experience the images abstractly, divert your attention as needed.

Try my website and let me know what you think. There is also a version for those mindless mobile moments of waiting. Embrace the paradox of quiet in chaos. metawhirlz.com

Thanks for reading.