Meeting Report - Jan. 2020

LIEVT held the regular meeting at the Copiague Fire District on January 23, 2020. More than forty new and regular members enjoyed an excellent dinner and dessert. The president, John Manetta, opened the meeting with a pledge to the flag and a moment of silence for our departed members and our troops overseas.

Click read more here or below for the minutes, or click on the picture to see pictures from the meeting.

He asked Kit to read the minutes – she read the minutes from the Center Moriches Fire Department meeting of November 21, 2019 and the thank you letters she sent to the Board of Fire Commissioners of Center Moriches and to Christopher Peace, General Motors Technical Training Instructor. The minutes were approved and accepted.

The treasurer, Barbara Connolly, told the group that Brian Farrell had done all the legal work that we needed to get started on the Danny Peluso Scholarship Fund. It was discussed and the members approved a motion to donate $200. to the Terry Farrell Fund. Brian is a brother of Terry Farrell. Barbara reminded everyone that we are always looking for fire departments to host our meetings. She had hoped to have a meeting on February 20 but still has not been able to find a host department.

John Manetta introduced Paul Sailon, a long time member and former treasurer took off his LIEVT member jacket and put on his Sailon Auto Electric hat for an entertaining and informative talk about low cost troubleshooting tricks for batteries and charging systems. Here are just some bullet points from the conversation:

• Get a capacitance battery tester - don't use a load tester
• Build a set of 2AWG real copper jumper cables to trace where the problem is to bring power directly to a starter, etc. and eliminate voltage drop as the culprit
• Voltage drop testing - wires that appear fine but can be discovered to be bad just by hand through temperature and feel.
• Dynamote inverters construction and discussion, wiring colors of dynamotes don't match truck wiring - can be confusing.
• Isolator tests and smart solenoids
• Belt tensioning - a baked belt can be tight yet not squeaking. Can make a fan slip and be diagnosed just by feel. Rust can indicate water from heat
• Radio interference isn't always an alternator though it can be. Spartans method of a dirty position and a clean positive using the battery as a capacitor.
• Gel battery vs AGS mat sealed
• Northstar Odessey, Optima, Lithium Ion construction and discussion
• Run start technology - so far looks very reliable due to changes made inside to the commutators (grooved).

A raffle was held. RVI donated wine, Sailon donated shirts and FRC donated a back-up camera that can be installed on a vehicle. The president presented framed certificates of appreciation to the Board of Fire Commissioners and to Paul Sailon. The meeting was adjourned.