Frederic

Many off-road members have the Camel double cylinder heavy duty compressor which is an amazing compressor in terms of affordability vs performance, but as with many Chinese branded compressors, reliability is a bit of an issue sometimes. Luckily most of the faults are related to wiring and the on/off switch. Occasionally there might be an issue with the circuit board inside which contains the relays but this is less common. If you have a small multimeter with “ohms” setting you can easily measure the continuity and diagnose the fault. First things to check if your compressor stopped working: 1) Wiring. Have a look if the wires are not cut or damaged. 2) Battery clamps: the wires are soldered onto the battery clamps and sometimes become loose: 3) On/off switch. This is the most common failure as sand gets inbetween the contacts and eventually it will stop working: in this above case the switch was faulty and was replaced with another model. You’ll find these switches on Amazon or some shops in Deira. So if you ever start experiencing problems with your compressor, have a look at the above most common root causes before buying a new model.

There is no denying that Jeeps have a tendency to disturb others 😜

Drive report As I was little early to the meeting point I came across @AnishS and @Veedooshee who came all the way from Lisaili. Soon the rest of the convoy arrived and everyone was hungry to enjoy the beautiful dunes. A few days back i was pondering the possibility of trying to get Newbies into the Lisaili dunes, which is normally quite difficult as Lisaili is consisting out of complete super technical areas with little baby dunes and soft sand that sucks you in immediately. I was lucky to find a farm track that leads from the pylon track straight into the long range dunes. This meant we had to drive on the pylon track for a good 20mins but I think it was totally worth it having once discovered those creamy beautiful unspoilt dunes that allowed us to do more sideys than we could possibly imagine. The whole convoy drove amazing, and refusals or stucks were minimal and easily dealt with. As the sun was going down we planned our way to the sabkha but had to cross a farm where the farmer has made his own fence of tyres, bushes, and even tent fabric along the ridge. Result was myself getting crested on that tough fabric and even the magic button wouldn’t be of any help. Kailas to the rescue and soon we exited towards the Love Lake dirt track. After a few hundred meter there was a massive queue with cars on the exit track that came back from love lakes. We had to turn around and go back on the pylon track towards Qudra. @Melenany as my second lead you never set a foot wrong and communicate perfectly towards the vehicles behind you. Amazing work ! @Adhir Saxena brought his little Pajero to the match this time and after some initial lack of momentum, soon he found the rhythm and drove fantastic. Well done ! @frederic demolder who has done his fair share of newbie drives is now in complete control of his discovery sport, with perfect self recovery and beautiful sidesloping. @Humayun Ghias And his Wisconsin buddy brought smiles to the drive and never struggled with the Patrol ! @Veedooshee as the perfect center forward helping out whenever and wherever needed. Smashing job ! @luwaimn little hesitant on the side sloping but very good support and no struggles throughout the drive ! @Gavin Hill That flag could be seen from miles away, but in no way did it slow down your beast. Your momentum for side sloping is perfect now as you glide like a pro. @Chris Meir That Wrangler got some small mods and looks beautiful. As usual no struggles from your side at all ! @rajeshkumar rathod the same applies for you my friend, the Xterra is such a potent car and you deliver every time. Well done ! @Junaid120120 you’re managing so well with the FJ, that needs no mods whatsoever as it’s a super capable off-roader. Good job ! @Mario Cornejo and @Kailas both at the back with two super capable cars, but both driving with amazing skills and attitude ! The fantastic support I had from all of you meant that I could shovel a bit less today and enjoy the scenic views 🤣 By now some of you have done 5 newbie drives and are eligible for a promotion to Fewbie. You can do this entirely online via below link: https://carnity.com/support See you guys soon !

There are no cons, the ATS is made for off-road and drives very well on road. You’ll notice better traction in the dunes as well and it will allow you to deflate to 10psi which will make your little Pajero float 😉

It’s definitely recommended as this is a very critical part. If it fails it will lead to overheating and maybe even a busted engine. It’s usually being replaced together with a drive belt as it provides easier access if I remember correctly. It’s not an expensive part.

Copy that, have fun tomorrow !

Thank you for the heartwarming words @Alexander Alcala I too have learned these things through my mentors @Srikumar @Gaurav @Emmanuel @Rahimdad @Asif Hussain who possess that same spirit and we try to carry that forward. I am proud to see so many new leaders rising up and you are one of them. Looking forward for many fun and challenging drives together in the future !

DRIVE RSVP IS NOW CLOSED We will be having a nice convoy and i am blessed with amazing support from @Kailas and @Veedooshee, and quite some members who have been joining us regularly and know the ropes well by now (Frederic, Melenany, Luwaimn) Please make sure you have a programmed radio, shovel, pressure gauge, and off-road flag. Otherwise you will not be accepted to join. We will be using Channel #1 for radio comms: 446.00625 Mhz. Please abide by the COVID rules as there has been an enormous rise in cases lately and we want to keep everyone safe: 1) Always wear a mask outside the car during inflation / deflation. 2) Whenever recoveries are ongoing, stay inside your vehicle unless one of the seniors/support members asks you to come and help. 3) Do not share equipment with others. I have added 3 waitlisted members to the drive (first drive): please confirm you can make it @Humayun Ghias @Larry Cadden @rajeshkumar rathod See you guys tomorrrow !

Hahaha my dear @Ale Vallecchi you came to the party when the lights were already off, the DJ is gone, and the cleaner has brushed the dance floor 🤣 Thank you so much for the compliments, having a passion in life keeps you going and i am learning still so much every week from all of you guys !

Consider it done ✅! Thanks Ale !

Copy that Emmanuel, as you have this area still fresh in your mind Will adjust it !

@[email protected] please see above, we have another member with Renault Koleos.

Higher mileage engines might start consuming a bit of oil, hence going for a slightly thicker oil like a 20w50 makes sense. On the other hand the 20w50 is a mineral oil which provides less protection in comparison with a full synthetic oil. I have tried both and for now I stick with the 5w40 Castrol or Mobil1 on both our Pajeros. With regards to gear oil you should strictly stick to what the maintenance manual says. When it comes to oil intervals, if you are offroading on a weekly basis you should consider bringing your interval to 70-80% of time, for example a full synthetic oil 10,000km oil change would better be done at 7000-8000kms. Same formula would apply for gear oil. (20,000 kms). These are general guidelines and everyone will have different experiences of course. I have experience in the machine industry where we keep mineral oils for many years on a running machine but perform oil analysis as replacing 4000l tends to be a bit expensive

In the UAE, we have a myriad of terrains to choose from when it comes to desert driving. For many new members who might be asking themselves what the differences actually are, I wanted to compile the most known areas we drive in, and give some information about the area and what you can expect when you join a drive with us in that area. We will be focusing on the sand driving. Northern Emirates (UAQ and RAK) Umm Al Quwain and Ras Al Khaimah have some very nice areas that we often explore, with plenty of vegetation, wildlife, and the mountains are never far away. On these drives, the emphasis is more on exploration than on the typical dune bashing. Scenic Score: 95% Excitement Score: 70% Versatility Score: 95% Fossil Rock - Faya - Sharjah From the moment you drive on the Sharjah - Kalba road, you'll see the majestic Fossil Rock mountain on the right hand side. It has got its name due to the ancient fossils that you can find on the rocks, and the surrounding red dunes are a delight to drive. Usually starting from Batayeh-Faya road, the dunes gradually go from small and bushy until you reach the nice open areas with "The Long Lady" as one of the most popular dunes to showcase and practice your sidesloping skills. The cherry on top is the climb on Fossil Rock itself which provides an amazing scenic view on the area and Mleiha town below. A must for every beginner level driver ! To even up the challenge you can take on the nice bowls behind Fossil Rock, or head out to Faya which is also called "The Saddle". Scenic Score: 90% Excitement Score: 70% Versatility Score: 90% Pink Rock - Big Red - Sharjah Nearby Fossil Rock, you will find Pink Rock, which got its name from the pinkish hue the rocks have. This very popular off-road area is known for the smooth gentle dunes at the start that gradually move to challenging bowls nearby the base of Pink Rock. Climbing Pink Rock is the ideal challenge for beginners and provides a fantastic view as well. From Pink Rock you can head out to Big Red which will up the challenge and entice every level of off-roader. The Big Red area is an off-roader hotspot during the season. Scenic Score: 80% Excitement Score: 70% Versatility Score: 75% Bidayer / Area 53 / Schuwaib - Sharjah This area is not for the faint of heart, and the big dunes will demand you to keep momentum at all times, while the massive hills such as Iftar Bowl and Super Bowl are ultimate play areas one can find in Sharjah. This area tends to be extremely busy during the offroad season. Scenic Score: 60% Excitement Score: 80% Versatility Score: 65% Margham / Lahbab - Dubai A little less known area, but very versatile with nice technical areas, playable bowls, and overall a terrain where any level offroader can practice and hone their skills without encountering too many cross tracks. Scenic Score: 70% Excitement Score: 70% Versatility Score: 75% Murquab - Lisaili - Faqa - Dubai This area is located on the Dubai-Al Ain road and offers so much. From technical terrain, to the arboretum in Faqa, long range dunes in both Faqa and some areas of Lisaili, and the most amazing creamy dunes below the Maktoum Solar Park which we have now called "Little Sweihan". This area never disappoints and there is a reason we have it on our weekly drives schedules ! Scenic Score: 85% Excitement Score: 80% Versatility Score: 95% Al Qudra - Dubai Al Qudra has become one of the most well known Offroad areas in Dubai, mainly due to the close vicinity to the city, but also because of its versatility, nearby facilities (Last Exit, Love Lakes), and the wildlife than can be spotted while off-roading (gazelles, oryx). This area stretches out to Murquab in the East via Al Hathmah area, on to Faqa going South below the Solar Park, and up to the Bab al Shams resort in the West. Scenic Score: 85% Excitement Score: 75% Versatility Score: 95% Sweihan - Abu Dhabi / Al Ain The Sweihan area in Abu Dhabi has to be experienced, and the proximity to Dubai brings lots of Dubai residents to Sweihan to explore the massive long range dunes and versatile area that has something in store for every off-roader. Sweihan never disappoints and the Nagrah area which alternates between monstrous dunes and deserted sabkhas will leave you hungry for more every single time. Scenic Score: 80% Excitement Score: 90% Versatility Score: 95% Al Khatim - Abu Dhabi A very popular and versatile offroader destination for Abu Dhabi residents with exhilarating dunes and technical areas that will challenge any offroader. Scenic Score: 80% Excitement Score: 90% Versatility Score: 80% Wagan / Umm Al Oash / Bu Tais - Abu Dhabi / Al Ain In search for monstruous dunes where momentum and pace are critical and where your vehicle will be pushed to its limit ? You have come to the right place as this area is spoiled with massive dunes, alternated by long flat sabkhas where you can get your bearings back before heading in again, and again ! Scenic Score: 95% Excitement Score: 100% Versatility Score: 80% Liwa Madinat Zayed - Abu Dhabi The Madinat Zayed area is famous for its Yellow Water Truck, which was left behind many years back, but no-one really knows how it got there. This area is consisting of massive dunes, and you can easily scale the level up or down in this area based on the convoy you bring there. From this place onwards and further down south into Liwa Crescent you will feel like you are on a different planet. Scenic Score: 90% Excitement Score: 100% Versatility Score: 90% Liwa Crescent - Abu Dhabi Seeing LIWA for the first time will leave you astonished, baffled, and beyond comprehension. From Himeem in the East, to Khanoor in the West, this whole area is filled with some of the biggest dunes on this planet, massive slipfaces that will make you shiver when descending, and extremely technical dunes that will require your utmost focus. This area is unforgettable and every off-roader should have this on his bucket list ! Scenic Score: 100% Excitement Score: 100% Versatility Score: 100%

It was indeed a wonderful drive and we were blessed with a group of drivers who were enthusiastic to explore this area as a team. I was delighted to be in the sweep as it allowed me to have a good look on how everyone was doing, and I liked what I saw: even in places where sometimes I thought it was going to be a little bit tougher due to the churned up tracks, everyone ploughed through it, and the technical area was the perfect exercise and cherry on top of the cake that gave them a different flavor and brought us back to our senses. You've nailed this drive, and the smiles I saw and the positive things I heard at the end of the drive confirm this too. @Goutam you were great in supporting the drive, and everyone stepped up to the plate when needed. See you all soon in the sand !

@Denizzalbayrak you had a Renault Koleos as well on your first drives, i assume you had both front and rear towpoints ?

Current Waitlist as of Tuesday 4PM: 1) Rajeshkumar Rathod (1) 2) Larry Cadden (1) 3) Humayun Ghias (1) 4) AlexPol (2) 5) Goutam (2)

https://www.photopills.com/calculators/spotstars

This is specifically related to astrophotography where you would need to use a tripod or stand, and these are just guidelines of course. They are actual seconds. For example: - Max shutter speed for a 50mm lens is 500 divided by 50 = 10 seconds.

The 500 rule is a well known rule amongst photographers to have a guideline when it comes to setting the shutter speed according to your focal length. Basically it means to avoid blurry shots, the longest shutter speed you can use is equal to 500 divided by your focal length. For example, if your focal length is 20mm, the 500 rule says that you can use a shutter speed of 500/20, or 25 seconds. Here’s a quick chart of the longest shutter speeds you can use at night for a given lens. (The numbers below are full-frame equivalents. If you have, for example, an 18mm lens on a 1.5x crop-sensor camera, you’ll need to look at 28mm on this chart): -11mm: 45.5 seconds -12mm: 41.7 seconds -14mm: 35.7 seconds -16mm: 31.3 seconds -18mm: 27.8 seconds -20mm: 25 seconds -24mm: 20.8 seconds -28mm: 17.9 seconds -35mm: 14.3 seconds -50mm: 10 seconds -85mm: 5.9 seconds The numbers keep changing because new cameras have more and more pixels, which means that they can detect smaller and smaller star movements. The chart above is a good guide, but you’ll want to test your own camera to confirm that there isn’t too much movement, particularly if you have a recent camera with an extremely high megapixel count (more than 36). night-sky-cheat-sheet-new.pdf

@Niki Patel I will totally go with what @Thomas Varghese is stating: it’s all about using what you have and making the best of it, and most of all having fun while learning new techniques and never being afraid of showcasing your photos or asking for help. The 50mm prime lens with fast aperture is indeed THE BEST BUY you can do to start getting fantastic portraits. The IPhone 12 is an amazing piece of technology, and I followed the iPhone photography online classes that taught me a lot of getting the maximum out of it. Is it a replacement for a DSLR? maybe it is, as we always have it ready in our pocket and the software that got incorporated makes it now so easy to take stunning shots. It’s not a replacement for me but a welcome addition to my gear. At one point when you become a daily user you’ll come to understand what your camera lacks to get you to your next level, but until that day comes just enjoy your gear and get the best out of it.

As I don’t have a wide angle lens with fast aperture in my bag (yet), I’ll give it a try with the IPhone 12 Pro Max. The Night mode in combination with the wide angle lens is apparently quite impressive but I need to do some testing.

I recently changed my front suspension shocks and went for KYB Excel series. They are a good OEM replacement, but not specifically seen as an upgrade when it comes to "offroading". My original plan was to import Bilstein from US, but due to time constraint i settled for the KYB. With importing from US, i was looking at ordering here: https://shop.adventuredrivendesign.com/ My Pajero is my daily driver, and with stock suspension you will be able to do almost everything when it comes to offroading.

The free version works fine but lacks good satellite imagery.

During self recovery, giving little bursts of gas up to 1500rpm (blip blip). This while turning the steering wheel full left and full right