Popular Mechanics articles from September 2004

Popular Mechanics archives from September 2004

A great run.(Editor's Notes)
September 1, 2004... FOR the past 19 years, I've had the privilege and pleasure of talking to you in this space, in my role as Editor-In-Chief of POPULAR MECHANICS. Now it's time to pass this prime piece of magazine real estate on to the next editor of this great...

Future drive.(Letters)(Letter to the Editor)
September 1, 2004... Concept cars are great and I love looking at them at car shows and in POPULAR MECHANICS. But they're a bunch of bull! Real concept cars are never actually produced. They're just too wild for the public to accept. Then there are the phony...

Cellphone TV.(Letters)(Letter to the Editor)
September 1, 2004... Your article in the July issue was interesting, but let's face it, there's nothing on TV that I would want to watch on a cellphone. ROBERT LORENZ Via Internet Oh great! Now I can take "The Bachelor," "Extreme Makeover," "Blow...

Aqua power.(Letters)(Letter to the Editor)
September 1, 2004... Mercury Marine engineers can fuss all they want with 4- and 6-cylinder outboards, supercharge them, fuel inject them and give them high compression. If you want to go fast on water, it's all a waste of time. The old adage "there's no substitute...

Red planet.(Letters)(Letter to the Editor)
September 1, 2004... NASA is saying that water existed on Mars millions of years ago. Lowell claimed to have seen his water "canals" on Mars in 1895. The man was no more than a wealthy kook. His work was debunked for good reason. JAN NORBERT Via Internet...

Reader project of the month.(Letters)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... THIS 11 x 14-ft. hay hood barn is built on a concrete pad with 4 x 4 pole-barn-like framing, is sided with salvaged wood we believe to be 100-year-old sassafras, and has original barn doors. We use it as a garden shed and potting area. It also...

Cool heads prevai: 100 years ago (September 1904).(Time Machine)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... A forerunner to the hazmat suit, this smoke respirator used a water spray around the firefighter's eyes, nostrils and mouth. The water provided protection from heat, and allowed the firefighter to "remain a long time in rooms and other places...

Spaced out: 50 years ago (September 1954).(Time Machine)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... The big sound that swept the country was called high fidelity. One of the system's most startling benefits was a natural third dimension--space. While improvements in all parts of the sound chain--from tuners to amplifiers--contributed to the...

Making waves: 25 years ago (September 1979).(Time Machine)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... Astrophysicists all over the world were searching for cosmic ripples, otherwise known as gravity waves. Making use of giant aluminum bars, lasers, and space probes such as the Solar Polar vehicle (left), to the scientists hoped to discover the...

Mess transit: 75 years ago (September 1929).(Time Machine)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... A bus manufacturer wanted to know what happened when a bus traveling at 60 mph experienced a front-tire blowout. For deflation, a shotgun (see arrow) was rigged on the bumper. When the bus attained the proper speed, a cable attached to the...

Power from thin air.(Tech Watch)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... AIR pressure changes that make your ears pop as you drive over mountains may someday produce massive amounts of electric power--without polluting the environment. Air pressure can vary over the course of the day, depending upon the...

First compound machine found in China.(Tech Watch)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... THE machine age appears to have begun in China in 550 B.C., hundreds of years earlier than had been previously believed. This conclusion comes from a Harvard University research project in which Peter J. Lu, a graduate student in physics,...

Growing diesel fuel.(Tech Watch)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... LOW-SULFUR diesel fuel with ignition characteristics suitable for modern engines can be obtained from the seeds of a wild bush that grows on land too nutrient-poor for farming. The Jatropha Biodiesel Project, which is currently being...

Mysterious chemicals.(Tech Watch)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... NASA scientists say they are at a loss to explain the origin of two chemicals found in a cloud near the center of the Milky Way. "The 8-atom molecule propenal and the 10-atom molecule propanal were detected in a large cloud of gas and dust...

Roasting dirty soil.(Tech Watch)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... THE ground beneath gasoline stations and oil transfer terminals is often so saturated from spills that the land must be condemned. The combustible nature of the pollutants, however, contains the seeds for their cleanup. Heating the soil burns...

Cellphones monitor drugs.(Healthy Idea)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... IBM engineers in Switzerland and England teamed up to create an intelligent pillbox. In addition to reminding patients when to take their medicine, it uses Bluetooth to link vital-sign sensors with the patient's own cellphone to alert the...

Smaller crews for future carrier.(Tech Watch)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... THE Navy has given Northrop Grumman the go-ahead to begin construction of the next generation of aircraft carriers. Although the yet-unnamed CVN 21 will have the same hull form as current carriers, it will be powered by a more compact nuclear...

NASA rethinks space station.(Tech Watch)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... NASA will write off the International Space Station. "You see the space shuttle and the space station going away," Marc Allen, Director of Strategic and International Planning, told 200 space scientists during a meeting on future projects in...

Berlin Air Show headliners.(Flight Line)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... NEW concepts in general and amphibious aviation and improvements in space and weapons systems highlighted this spring's Berlin Air Show ILA 2004. Making its debut was a new German light transport aircraft, the High Performance Aircraft TT62...

Future nuclear reactor.(Tech Watch)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... A unique Chinese nuclear reactor will help engineers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) design power plants that would be immune to a "China Syndrome"-type meltdown. Part of what makes the pebble-bed reactor safe is the way the...

One tough diamond.(Tech Watch)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... SCIENTISTS can't explain it, but a new microwave "cooking" process developed by Chih-Shiue Yan of the Carnegie Institution of Washington has created the world's hardest diamond. Exactly how hard is unknown--the measurement gauges broke.

It was a close call for residents when a magnitude 6.7 earthquake shook fishing towns as far as 60 miles from its epicenter south of Craig about 2 am on June 28.(Alaska)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... IT was a close call for residents when a magnitude 6.7 earthquake shook fishing towns as far as 60 miles from its epicenter south of Craig about 2 am on June 28. Because the quake occurred at sea, it caused only minimal damage on land. A...

Preliminary evidence suggests that the Greenland ice sheet has begun to melt, and that the melting might continue even if emissions of greenhouse gases are lowered.(Greenland)
September 1, 2004... PRELIMINARY evidence suggests that the Greenland ice sheet has begun to melt, and that the melting might continue even if emissions of greenhouse gases are lowered. The prediction is based on data analyzed by Jonathan Gregory of The University...

More than 140 people died after a tropical cyclone hit the western part of the country.(Myanmar)
September 1, 2004... MORE than 140 people died after a tropical cyclone hit the western part of the country. The storm, which struck on May 19, packed winds in excess of 100 mph. Phone and electric utility lines were downed and an estimated 18,000 people were left...

One of the largest preservation efforts ever undertaken will protect one-third of the Great Barrier Reef.(Australia)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... ONE of the largest preservation efforts ever undertaken will protect one-third of the Great Barrier Reef. Previously, only one-twentieth of the reef--which is roughly the size of Germany--was protected by fishing bans and other environmental...

Neon signs made with movable type.(Tech Watch)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... CHARLES Wolthoff has become the Gutenberg of neon lighting. In the past, writing words in neon light required bending glass tubes to form the message, and wiring the tubes to a high-voltage system that causes the gas to glow. The Wyckoff, N.J.,...

Creating space.(Tech Watch)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... IN the vacuum of space, tiny microelectromechanic (MEM) devices are deprived of the thin layer of water vapor that lubricates these tiny moving parts on Earth. This is significant because MEM power supplies operate on about one-tenth the...

Heavy twins.(Space Shots)
September 1, 2004... BINARY stars are a common feature of the universe. What sets the twins comprising the WR20a duster apart is their weight. Each is 80 times more massive than our sun. Discovered 20,000 light-years from Earth in the constellation Carina, the...

Navy's next warships.(Following Up ...)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... THIS spring the U.S. Navy took a step forward in selecting among the three Littoral Combat Ships featured in our November 2003 issue. The Navy decided on two of the radically shaped warships. Lockheed Martin will build a semiplanning monohull....

Nanotech gets real.(Following Up ...)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... TWO announcements have encouraged and discouraged proponents of the nanotechnology assembly methods described in our November 1997 issue. Nantero of Woburn, Mass., says it has developed a nonvolatile memory chip that stores bits of information...

Watching thoughts.(Tech Watch)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... A device that tracks minute magnetic fluctuations is being used to map thoughts as they travel through the human brain. Known as MEG, for magneto-encephalography, the machine tracks magnetic fields generated by tiny pulses of electricity. Every...

Meandering Macs: Elgato's EyeHome lets you get movies and music from computers to TV.(Computers)
September 1, 2004... A new device from Elgato Systems is getting Macintosh users excited. It allows you to connect your Mac---or multiple Macs on a local network--to your television and stereo so you can view movies and photos and listen to music on them. While iCs...

Time on my hands: limited-edition watches mark Timex's 150th anniversary.(Timepieces)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... ON May 12, 1960, three landmark commercials aired on the "Frank Sinatra Timex Show." Using the now-famous tagline "takes a licking and keeps on ticking," iconic newsman John Cameron Swayze showed the world how a Timex watch could withstand...

Roll playing: we take Segway's budget p Series out for a spin.(Transportation)
September 1, 2004... TALK about hype. When the Segway Human Transporter (HT) i Series was announced to the world in 2001, the publicity budget must have been in the gazillions. You couldn't pick up a newspaper or watch a TV news show without seeing something about...

Live to be 180: biologists have cracked the secret of long life, but you might not want to pay the price.(Gerontology)
September 1, 2004... HIS is the ultimate good news story. Your odds of living to be older than 100 just got better, as many as 80 years better. In the United States, census statistics reveal that centenarians have become the fasting-growing population group. Not...

Huge vision: TVs are getting bigger but the world record isn't likely to be challenged anytime too soon.(Optics)
September 1, 2004... STROLL the aisles at any appliance store and you realize when it comes to selling televisions, retailers are betting that their customers believe bigger is better. There was a time when a 19-in. screen was the height of entertainment. Today,...

Live fast, stay young: Toyota births a third Scion.(New Car Reports)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... Generation Y is the current holy grail of marketing. Makers and vendors of all sorts of things and services are chasing this large group of young folks in an attempt to tap into its considerable buying power. However, there's a problem: GenY...

Supersize that? Ford has upped the big-pickup stakes with the '05 Super Duty.(New Car Reports)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... YOU can spot the newest Ford Super Duty pickups by their new grille and headlights. But from the driver's seat you can tell the difference by the newly improved ride. The 4wd versions of the big trucks get a new coil-spring front suspension,...

Filling a big hole.(Detroit: spy report)(Dodge Ram HD )(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... SOMETHING big has been missing in the Dodge Ram HD pickup line--four real crew cab doors. For 2006 Dodge have a Ram 2500 to compete with the big versions of its big-boy competitors. We spied a prototype of a crew cab model wearing a misleading...

Subtle but significant.(Detroit: spy report)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... CHEVROLET has some major changes in store for its Impala line due in model year 2006. You can see that the grille displays a floating Bowtie emblem without the horizontal bar that's on most other Chevy models. Below the bumper is an oversize...

A double Deluxe: Yamaha has a new dual-purpose bike.(New Car Reports)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... YAMAHA'S new 787-pound convertible cruiser, the Royal Star Tour Deluxe, uses a smooth and powerful DOHC 16-valve 79-cu.-in. water-cooled V4 that makes 98 hp and 90 ft.-lb. of torque. And it gets the power to the ground with a dual-overdrive...

A safe potency: Volvo adds power and safety.(Automotive)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... FROM the outside it's tough to tell, but Volvo has given its midsize sedans and wagons a freshening for 2005. There are new headlights, taillamps and subtle trim changes all around, as well as interior refinements. Beneath the skin, S60 and V70...

All in the family.(Europe: spy report)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... VOLKSWAGEN is revamping its Passat model for '05. Key to the remodeling job is making the car look more like its upscale brother, the Phaeton luxury sedan. This is most noticeable in the car's face--particularly the massive-looking chrome...

If you've gotta ask: Porsche's icon 911 gets a deep makeover.(New Car Reports)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... FOR 2005, Porsche has significantly updated the 911 Carrera. It's available as plain vanilla Carrera with a 325-hp 3.6-liter flat Six, and Carrera S with a 355-hp 3.8-liter version of that engine. Transmission choices are a new 6-speed manual...

A silver jubilee: the G-Class passes a milestone.(Automotive)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... MERCEDES celebrates the 25th anniversary of the introduction of the G-Class sport utility with a new, more powerful G55 AMG version. This model offers 476 hp from a 5.4-liter super charged V8 gasoline engine. Teamed with a 5-speed automatic...

It's a very small world.(Europe: spy report)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... MAZDA uses Ford Motor Co.'s small-car platform as the basis for its Mazda3. Ford will base the next Focus on it. And to complete the hat trick, Volvo will offer it as the V30. With shared drivetrains, these vehicles are all slated to appear as...

Testa firma.(Europe: spy report)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... AS Porsche is revealing the new Boxster at the auto show in Paris this fall, it will be well into plans to offer a coupe version of that car as well. The Boxster Coupe should be here as a 2006 model. Important refinements to the new car include...

On the Boulevard: Suzuki renames its entire line of cruisers.(New Car Reports)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... NEW motorcycle brands don't happen along very often--especially those aimed at specific market segments. But the folks at Suzuki decided that their cruiser bikes needed a name all their own--enter Boulevard. However, there is no all-new Suzuki...

Sledgehammer: Victory is serious about sport cruisers.(Automotive)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... VICTORY Motorcycles is pushing its way back into the steroid-steed segment with the Hammer. On the twisty back roads around Bear Mountain in New York, the bike proved it's serious. The ride is crisp and responsive, and soaks up bumps. Opening...

The Cubist movement.(Asia: spy report)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... NISSAN has an answer to the Scion xB. The appropriately named Cube has been on sale in 3apart since 1998. You can expect the second-generation Cube here in two years as an '07. In Japanese trim, the 2359-pound Cube boasts 97 hp and 100 ft.-lb....

Marching to a different drummer.(Asia: spy report)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... THE Nissan March is based on Nissan's global "B" platform. The March 12SR is a tiny 3-door that weighs 2050 pounds. Se even with only 105 hp from its 1.2-llter engine, it's the hot rod of the lineup. Since this car shares its platform with the...

Clean and green: the environment and the old-car hobby can coexist quite nicely.(Jay Leno's Garage)
September 1, 2004... IF we all want to continue to have this car hobby that we all enjoy so much, we have to learn to police ourselves, or someone else will try to do it for us. Here in California they recently tried to pass a sealed crankcase law. So instead of a...

Push or pull: Which is better: front- or rear-wheel drive?(Automotive)
September 1, 2004... Over the lion's share of the automobile's history, most cars had an internal-combustion engine in front of the driver powering the wheels in back of him. But the fuel crises of the 1970s changed that. Manufacturers scrambled to save weight to...

Wave warrior: with its military genes, the Zodiac CZ7 is touted as the ultimate go-anywhere adventure boat.(Outdoors)
September 1, 2004... Zodiac calls it outrageous. Extreme. Extraordinary. And that's just the price. Almost 200 grand for a rubber boat is enough to quicken--or stop--anyone's pulse. But the Zodiac CZ7 (Civilian Zodiac 7-meter) isn't your father's rubber boat. As a...

20/20: when eye surgeons turn on the lasers.(Science)
September 1, 2004... IF you haven't had it yourself, you probably know someone who has. With more than 4 million procedures performed, laser vision correction, or refractive surgery, is one of the most common operations performed in the United States. There's ample...

Need networking?: The newest trends in wireless networking and what you need to do it yourself.(Technology)
September 1, 2004... It's 8 pm on a typical Tuesday. Mom's on the laptop in the kitchen catching up on e-mail. Junior is in his room playing City Of Villains for a virtual good-night kiss via Webcam Like more than 13 million U.S. households, this family is reaping...

Weapons of the special forces: whatever is necessary, wherever.(Science)(Cover Story)
September 1, 2004... SPECIAL operations. The name says it all: specially trained individuals conducting highly specialized missions using a range of specialized hardware. Whether they are leading cavalry charges of freedom fighters or helping to yank foreign...

Built to last.(Deck)
September 1, 2004... Building a deck is the most efficient and cost-effective way to expand your living space and create an inviting outdoor oasis. It also happens to be one of the most popular of all do-it-yourself home improvement projects. The challenge is to...

Block party: update your bathroom with a glass-block window.(Glass-Block Window)
September 1, 2004... HERE'S the perfect project for homeowners who have always wanted to build with glass block, but were afraid to try. It consists of replacing a double-hung bath window with glass block and adding two narrow glass-block sidelights. The process of...

Cleanup crew: heavy-duty equipment to keep your grounds looking great.(Consumer Guide)
September 1, 2004... FOR the millions of us who haven't given in to the lure of lawn and garden services that cost hundreds or even thousands of dollars a year, yard cleanup remains a rite of spring and fall. Outdoor power equipment manufacturers know this and...

Deteriorated closet flange.(Homeowners clinic: the answers to your home improvement questions)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... A toilet in my house was wobbling, but one of its flange bolts broke when I tightened it. Then I removed the fixture and found the flange to be rusted and crumbling. At a home center I was told that replacing the flange would be very difficult...

Help with bath remodeling.(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... WITH 30 years' experience and 14 houses renovated, Gene and Katie Hamilton are about as well-qualified as is possible to write a book on basic bath remodeling. And that's what this Dummies book delivers: 336 pages of the essentials--based on...

Garage floor drainage.(Homeowners clinic: the answers to your home improvement questions)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... I have a house with a 2-car garage. In the winter, the car carries in snow and slush that melts and runs toward the house's concrete-block foundation. Can a drain be installed without replacing the entire floor? KEN GLADEN Via...

Fall fertilization.(Service tip: lawn care)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... WITH the cool-weather grasses that cover most lawns in the United States, fall fertilization is more important than spring fertilization. The fertilizer you apply in the fall promotes root growth, and it's the roots that get the grass off to a...

Plumbing replacement.(Homeowners clinic: the answers to your home improvement questions)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... My home is built on a concrete slab and all its plumbing is under the concrete. I'm expecting to replace the plumbing system because of leaks. Should I run new lines in the ceiling? If so, what type pipe should I use? JAMES A. FAUST ...

Fireplace installation.(Homeowners clinic: the answers to your home improvement questions)
September 1, 2004... I have a question about a gas fireplace in my house. Is it safe not to have a vent so the combustion gases can escape? I have a carbon monoxide detector plugged into an electrical outlet as a safety precaution. GENE McCOY Lewes, DE...

Hi-yo silver!(Auto Clinic)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... The alloy wheels on my truck have developed these ugly scablike discolorations on the spokes. It looks like some sort of mineral from the road has collected on them. I tried to wash them off with water and then with bug and tar remover. They're...

Turnabout is fair play.(Car Care Tip)
September 1, 2004... THE customer was visibly angry. He wanted to know why I had to replace the right-front CV joint in two of his three high-mileage cars. He came right out and accused me of doing something to sabotage them while I did his occasional maintenance...

A round of applause.(Auto Clinic)
September 1, 2004... I have a 1994 Chevrolet pickup. When I start the heater blower there's a flapping noise for about 15 seconds--it sounds like clapping hands, then it stops. If you turn the switch off and back on, it claps for 15 seconds again. What's the...

Service tips.(Car Care)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... * GMC Technical Service Bulletin (TSB) 99-07-30-016B discusses at some length auto transmission downshift/slip/cycling diagnosis on most GM trucks back to 1988. It suggests some customers may be confusing normal cooling fan clutch operation...

These boots are made for walking.(Auto Clinic)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... My pickup has zerk fittings on the steering linkage. When I pumped grease into them, I discovered the rubber boots over the joints were broken, and the grease leaked out. Do I need to replace these, or is enough grease going into the joint? ...

Freshen up your musty interior.(Saturday Mechanic)
September 1, 2004... SATURDAY night, and you're ready to prowl. Actually, it s time to take your potential in-laws out to dinner, an operation possibly more angst-ridden than that first prom date. At least tonight you can drive your own car instead of having Mom...

04' limited production Golden Boys.(The goods: great products and promotional offers from PM advertisers)(Brief Article)(Advertisement)
September 1, 2004... Henry Repeating Arms is making it's popular Henry Golden Boy available in limited quantities in three new issues for 2004. The deluxe model pictured features a hand engraved receiver in period style engraving and is priced at an incredible...

Prestone.(The goods: great products and promotional offers from PM advertisers)(Brief Article)(Advertisement)
September 1, 2004... The NEW Prestone[R] Extended Life Antifreeze/Coolant is helping to eliminate antifreeze/coolant confusion for consumers. Its unique formula is compatible with ANY antifreeze/coolant--regardless of color--and can be used in ANY make or model...

SureFire 6P flashlight.(The goods: great products and promotional offers from PM advertisers)(Brief Article)(Advertisement)
September 1, 2004... A favorite of law enforcement personnel, the SureFire 6P is just 5.1 inches long but packs the power of a four D cell flashlight. Precision-machined from aerospace-grade aluminum, it delivers a 65-lumen pre-focused brilliant white beam for 60...

Great stuff: from new thrills on the water to a new way to grill. Here's the gear to get.
September 1, 2004... 1 TRIPLE PLAY Until now, you rode your PWC either standing or sitting. With the Sea-Doo 3D you can stand, sit, or ride somewhere in between. Each riding mode offers its own handling characteristics. The craft converts easily to the desired...

It worked for us.(Tips & Hints)
September 1, 2004... OVERPAINTING MUNTINS MULTIPANE windows and doors are beautiful things. They let plenty of light through and make a compelling architectural statement at the same time. If you are fortunate enough to have newer windows or doors where the...