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Thread: Physics problem: Snow blower & Iphone

  1. #31
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    Jul 2007
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    Orlando, FL.
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    34
    Hopefully far enough that your significant other can't find the evidence.

    - Ken

  2. #32
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    Quote Originally Posted by Jim Becker View Post
    Clearly, it sent it far enough that you'll be at the doorstep of the store to get a new one. Look at the bright side...at least it was a phone that was quite a few generations back and your new one will be, well...new.
    It was my son's work phone. It was replaced later that same day...with another 5S!

    Quote Originally Posted by Pat Barry View Post
    Anywhere from 2 to 20 ft depending on snow conditions
    Way to go out on a limb there, Pat!

    Quote Originally Posted by Ed Labadie View Post
    No idea.....but, I'll bet it went further than the frozen Sunday paper my 60" 2 stage blower ingested.

    Ed
    Actually, the Sunday paper was the second thing I hit that day (between the extension cord and the phone.) The paper went zero feet.

    Quote Originally Posted by Lee Schierer View Post
    It didn't happen if there aren't any photos. My two stage Simplicity has thrown rocks over 30 feet, but I'm not sure a phone would survive the second stage in a single piece.

    For the record I would say it went 15 feet.
    Photos forthcoming later today.


    Quote Originally Posted by Carlos Alvarez View Post
    If it survived, sell the story to Otterbox.
    Neither the Otterbox nor the phone survived.

    Quote Originally Posted by Ed Labadie View Post
    FWIW, those small snowblowers make removing x-mas lights easy peasy.....

    Ed
    Unfortunately, that was last winter...

    Quote Originally Posted by John Ziebron View Post
    I won't hazard (pun intended) as to how far the phone might have gone. But if it doesn't work after this incident this schematic might provide a clue.

    Attachment 379649
    This looks way too much like a circuit diagram. The last time I did circuit diagram was in college (45+ years ago).

    Quote Originally Posted by Ken Fitzgerald View Post
    In as much as he lives in TN, your "swamp" cooler probably wouldn't cool the swamp near where he lives. Explain why one needs a "swamp" cooler in AZ?

    (PS... I do know what a swamp cooler is.)
    I didn't know what a swamp cooler was...had to Google it. Supposedly, swamp coolers and desert coolers are the same thing.

    Quote Originally Posted by Tom Stenzel View Post
    About 8 years ago I conducted a similar experiment.

    Launcher: Toro S-620 (rubber paddle type)
    Projectile: My car keys

    Distance: about 10 feet. But they didn't go as far as they could as a hedge was in the way. One key bent. I found them with a metal detector about a week later. Guess I could have waited until spring. 'Course I was taking care of the snow at Mom's house, no good deed goes unpunished.

    As far as the phone is concerned, is this just an intellectual exercise or is there a betting pool? Inquiring wags want to know!

    -Tom
    I also had an S-620. The more recent models have much greater throwing capability.

    As far as a betting pool goes, I don't think that will meet the Terms and Conditions of the Creek.

    Quote Originally Posted by Don Orr View Post
    Those Toro single stage blowers can move some snow and other stuff like roof shingles if you happen to have a corner where snow accumulates on your roof. Guess how I know? My estimate of phone distance is well over 20 feet with a scatter field of about 40 degrees.

    Don, please tell me these shingles had already fallen to the ground. If these were launched from the roof...man, I don't know what to tell you.


    Bob
    "Don't worry. They couldn't possibly hit us from that dist...."

  3. #33
    Join Date
    Mar 2010
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    SE Michigan
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    So here’s what happened…

    On 2/7 I received a call from my son. He had just returned from a business trip to Australia and had not had time to remove the 4+ inches of that had accumulated while he was gone. The weather forecast called for an additional 8 to 12 inches on the 9th and he wasn’t going to have a chance to clear the existing snow pack. On the 10th, we were having a 3rd birthday party for our twin grandsons. He asked if I could go to his place and run the snow blower. Of course, I agreed to do it the next afternoon. It also gave me a chance to drop off a guitar pedal board (his design) I made for him while he was gone.

    On the drive to his place, I remembered that I cleared the circular part of his driveway over the holidays and he had cautioned me to avoid the extension cord (used for Xmas lights) running over that part of the driveway. I texted him asking if the extension cord was still in place. He texted “No.”

    Upon arriving, I started to clear an extension of the driveway when I hit the 2nd extension cord. (See photo 1.) One end was damaged and obviously had to be cut-off. The other end had become so tightly wound on the paddle axle that – after 30 minutes of trying – I had to cut the other plug end off to get it to unravel.

    Back in business…10 minutes later I hit the hidden, rolled up frozen newspaper. No damage noted to the blower - paper was shredded on one end.

    Five minutes later, I’m clearing one edge of the drive and hear a loud clunk. I look down and see a black object. It was a lower part of a phone case (see photo 2). I figured it had been damaged earlier and dropped while taking out the trash.

    I continued clearing the drive. When finished I sent him a text including the pictures of the cord and cover and started home. 10 minutes later I get the call.

    “Where did you find the cover?” I told him the location.

    “Did you find the rest of the phone?”

    He knew the phone was missing and thought he had left it at work the night before. When he got to work the next morning, it wasn’t there and had no idea. He tried the “Find my phone” app on his personal phone but it told him the work phone was turned off.

    I drove back to his place (met him there) and started the search, clearing with shovels along the eject path. At 6 feet, he found the upper part of the case (rubber). It was badly nicked but otherwise intact. We cleared another 4 feet and found nothing. Looking further down the path, we could no signs of anything entering the snow pack.

    Next day’s snowfall and subsequent cold temperatures prevented him from searching for the phone (which had already been replaced).
    Earlier this week, we had 3 days of heavy rain. On Wednesday, he found the phone (see photo 3 – blue circle). It obviously did not survive (photo 4).


    Distance traveled was measured at 16 feet.

    snowblower 1.jpgsnowblower 2.jpgsnowblower 3.jpgsnowblower 4.jpg
    "Don't worry. They couldn't possibly hit us from that dist...."

  4. #34
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    Nov 2005
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    Mid Michigan
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    468
    Wow......a trifecta.

    Ed

  5. #35
    Quote Originally Posted by John K Jordan View Post
    [snip]Perhaps you can repeat the experiment, starting with "Hey, may I borrow your phone for a sec?"

    [snip again]
    JKJ
    No, no, no. You gotta start with "Here. Hold my beer."
    Fair winds and following seas,
    Jim Waldron

  6. #36
    Join Date
    Feb 2003
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    Lafayette, IN
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    Ok, so the experimental result was 16 feet. We need to know the theoretical result, but we need some info to calculate:

    1. Engine RPM
    2. Final drive ratio
    3. Auger diameter
    4. Chute angle
    Jason

    "Don't get stuck on stupid." --Lt. Gen. Russel Honore


  7. #37
    Since I have a 24" ariens and it will chuck it a good long distance I am guessing about 40ft. Since it was in the otterbox it came out unscathed

  8. #38
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    Oct 2007
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    Cache Valley, Utah
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    1,722
    Quote Originally Posted by Bob Turkovich View Post
    The other end had become so tightly wound on the paddle axle that – after 30 minutes of trying – I had to cut the other plug end off to get it to unravel.
    Warning: Thread hijack.

    A number of years ago I was rototilling with my 30 HP tractor and a 39" (Italian metric) rototiller that was really too small for the tractor. I inadvertently backed into a reasonably large blue tarp that had been covering a pile of topsoil. You would be amazed at how fast a tractor mounted rototiller can reel in a tarp. You probably wouldn't be amazed at how long it took to get it out. I was about ready to set it on fire.

    OK, back on topic, I moved to Utah from Washington State and am learning all about snowblowers. I got a 24" Ariens this fall; unfortunately we're still building and my driveway is mostly pit run. It launches rocks impressive distances, but mostly it breaks shear pins. Last snowfall it broke five, and yes, I have the skids on the impeller housing set as far down as possible. I think I'm going to do what my neighbor did and replace the shear pins with PTO pins. Pavement this spring...

  9. #39
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    SE PA - Central Bucks County
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    65,685
    Dave, be careful "beefing up" the pins...they protect the machine when something crunchy gets in the wrong place.
    --

    The most expensive tool is the one you buy "cheaply" and often...

  10. #40
    Join Date
    Mar 2010
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    SE Michigan
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    Quote Originally Posted by Jason Roehl View Post
    Ok, so the experimental result was 16 feet. We need to know the theoretical result, but we need some info to calculate:

    1. Engine RPM
    2. Final drive ratio
    3. Auger diameter
    4. Chute angle
    I'm pretty sure these were covered in the diagrams attached to Bill C's and John Z's posts. (Maybe they can confirm that...)

    Getting back to Dan O's post re: roof shingles. Did you know that inputting "using a snowblower to clear a roof" into Google yields over 5 million results (I did not know people actually do that!) Also there's an ordinance in Woburn, MA against doing so. (I need to get a life...)

    Bob
    Last edited by Bob Turkovich; 02-24-2018 at 9:51 PM.
    "Don't worry. They couldn't possibly hit us from that dist...."

  11. #41
    Quote Originally Posted by Bob Turkovich View Post
    BTW - Forgot to mention...the launch apparatus had some pre-test issues which required some repair work.


    FOR SALE! One 12 ga. extension cord - approx 46 feet in length - missing both plug ends. CHEAP!
    Well aren't you the lucky one. Northern Tool has 50', 12 ga Prime extension cord on sale right now for $29.99. I can't understand the reason for a snow blower. Today is the second day it hit 80 degrees here. Wearing shorts right now.

  12. #42
    Join Date
    Oct 2006
    Location
    Minneapolis, MN
    Posts
    5,427
    My shaft driven snowblower lost a good size 1/4" square key this morning while clearing snow. It is snowing again and I hope the snowblower doesn't find it again when I clear the latest snowfall.

  13. #43
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    Jun 2006
    Location
    The Hartland of Michigan
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    7,628
    Quote Originally Posted by Bruce Wrenn View Post
    Well aren't you the lucky one. Northern Tool has 50', 12 ga Prime extension cord on sale right now for $29.99. I can't understand the reason for a snow blower. Today is the second day it hit 80 degrees here. Wearing shorts right now.
    Pflttt
    Never, under any circumstances, consume a laxative and sleeping pill, on the same night

  14. #44
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    Dec 2007
    Location
    Minot, ND
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    558
    Quote Originally Posted by Dave Cav View Post
    Warning: Thread hijack.

    A number of years ago I was rototilling with my 30 HP tractor and a 39" (Italian metric) rototiller that was really too small for the tractor. I inadvertently backed into a reasonably large blue tarp that had been covering a pile of topsoil. You would be amazed at how fast a tractor mounted rototiller can reel in a tarp. You probably wouldn't be amazed at how long it took to get it out. I was about ready to set it on fire.

    OK, back on topic, I moved to Utah from Washington State and am learning all about snowblowers. I got a 24" Ariens this fall; unfortunately we're still building and my driveway is mostly pit run. It launches rocks impressive distances, but mostly it breaks shear pins. Last snowfall it broke five, and yes, I have the skids on the impeller housing set as far down as possible. I think I'm going to do what my neighbor did and replace the shear pins with PTO pins. Pavement this spring...
    I have a 24” Ariens and have replaced the gearbox in it twice due to rocks. Much cheaper to replace shear bolts instead. Also much easier, although the gearbox isn’t real difficult to replace. It is something to avoid if you can.

    The gears are are not real robust, so would definitely stay away from the PTO pins.

    Clint

  15. #45
    No Applecare? They'd replace it.

    I managed to drop my phone off the boat in 90-some feet of water. There's a major thermocline at about 55 feet, and it turns black. I said screw this and surfaced. Told the work diver at the marina that I'd pay him $100 to get it. He went to 65 feets, said sorry but no. Applecare covers anything other than loss. Then I found out that my boat insurance covers it, but only after it was too late to make a claim.
    Last edited by John K Jordan; 02-27-2018 at 7:34 AM.

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