Ukraine Refugee Assistance

Dnipro and just about every other significant population center in Ukraine is under attack.

Vikki says her city has been hit more time than she can count.  She's currently sheltering in place.  Please keep her and everyone else in your thoughts.

Hopefully this will all be over soon.

Still talking with Vikki.  The explosions have stopped.  She and her family are safe.

With that, I think I can post a little update with regards to weekend progress.  First, some good news:

I had 50,000 HUF from Driven 5, and with the 91,500 huf that came in from the trivia night, I was able to score a bag of stuffies!

"Scale" is a tough thing to show sometimes, hopefully that last picture gives you an idea of how many were purchased (because honestly, we don't know.  We didn't even bother counting).

This will tentatively check off "stuffies" from our list for our next delivery to Dnipro.  In similar news, I received a message from a friend who used to live in Sicily.  She said that someone in her old group hand made 35 blankets for children, but due to the lack of Ukrainians in the area, no one could use them.  Could we find a place for them in Dnipro?

Some quick messaging between Vikki and myself and we decided "we certainly could!!!".  They're being sent this way as we speak and I really cant wait to see them.

Next up we start working on gathering UV-C disinfection lamps (24ea) for the Rehab center, and Christmas toys for any child that needs it (and we haven't even opened the gates for donations yet!!!!).  I really hope this positive trend continues.

And that brings us up to present day!

we have nearly 300,000huf in our Kisgorbo account, plenty of stuffies and soccer balls on hand, and now we have baby blankets headed our way. 

Good times.

Work on the truck continues.  I'm simultaneously working the window issue and working to add lights to the roof (the lights are more for Africa, but poor visibility was a reason I stopped driving early in Ukraine on the last run).

The windows are taking some work, and I'm glad I got the back one fixed first as this circuit is slightly more complex.  The reason is, we're going to be needing 4-relays total.  Two for the driver's window, and two for the passenger.  And when it comes to the passenger's window, there are two switches that operate it.  I'd like to keep them both working if I could.  Plus I'm kinda stuck with the factory wiring inside the switches.  It's not like I can just swing by the hardware store and snag a new window switch.  But enough excuses, let's get crackin!

I think I got a good circuit going and in my head at least, it looks like nothing is going to catch fire regardless of switch position.  Next up is to get access to everything in the truck (and of course, working day shift now, that means 4am wakeups)

With the back window, I could easily hide the relays behind interior trim panels.  I couldn't find a similar spot in the cab for the front window relays, so I went under the hood and found a spot on the firewall:

Except I don't want to punch 100-holes in the firewall (4ea for relay mounting, and then we need to ground each one), so I decide to fab up a quick mounting plate from some scrap aluminum I had laying around:


 

I have some steel stock (angle, and flat plates) that I can clamp up to use as I don't have a finger brake in my garage.  So that's what I use to make the bends I need:

oops.  that's not good.

I got it bent, and RIGHT as it hit the 90-degree mark I broke it...

Ok, no prob.  Maybe I can add a spacer underneath to make a bit of a standoff.  Then I could just make a new mount, drill 2-mounting holes, and use the standoffs to hold it away from the firewall a bit:

 

Nope.  I'm not happy with that.

I really don't like the home-made look of the plate ends, and the stand-offs don't hold it up as high as I'd like...

Ok, so scrap plan-a and plan-b.  What's next?

Well, I do have some stainless scrap.  It's a bit thinner than the aluminum, but it should bend the way I want it to. 

here goes:

Ta-Da!!!

I'm happy (enough) with that one.  Next up, I gotta hit the coffee can to find some hardware to mount everything to where it needs to go:

Done!

Next up, we mount everything to the firewall and wire it up.

Roof lights:


Ok, so no one seems to make a roof bar for this truck for me to mount off-road lights to.  I did find a couple drip-rail clamps in Slovakia a while back that are really intended for diy-ers to make a roof rack, but I think I can adapt them for what I want/need.  Here's my idea:

The mounts came powder coated, but I took some sand paper to the tops to get it back down to bare metal.  From there, I'll weld them to the 50x50mm square bar stock.

The problem is, the mounts for the lights aren't long enough to stick through the stock.  for that, we need to go back to that flat-stock I have laying around:

Oh.  Seems simple enough, right?  Well here goes!

Man, if it got anymore 1980's than that, I'd need a Motley Crue cassette and a mullet!

Ok, so they're note wired up yet. but the harness gives me a LOT of confidence.  It really looks like KC lights included everything I'd need to wire this up (including zip ties!)

Except that's all for later.  This was just something I REALLY wanted to get done during daylight hours on the weekend.  Like I said, I'm up at 4am to squeeze wrench time in and I have close neighbors.  I don't want to risk waking them up everyday by running loud garage equipment like angle grinders and the like.

But they're there, and that's a big part of that battle.  I really can't wait to finish all this wiring and drive this thing around with my new redneck-ness added to the roof

Good times.

(edit:  Mrs. Hungary just called.  One of our dogs wont stop barking at the new lights on the truck)

One more update and then we're all caught up:

The CB microphone arrived (and in proper 6-pin form this time!)

Hopefully that fixes the intermittant transmission issues that Mrs. Hungary reported from our last tandem trip to Lviv.  I've got a SWR meter and I'll hook it up before I depart for the big trip.

Good times

That's so good news!!! i like it 

Good team - good work 

The one of things what i'm a little worried about December's trip is it's getting dark at 16.00 o'clock - winter's driving is harder than summer's

So such lights can be useful for it too 

Also i very hope that the windows will be working in December 

Thanks you all for supporting - it's that we really very need 

Yesterday it was difficult to concentrate on anything and do something.

Today i'm working from home - i'm so glad that i have such possibility.

The dangerous still remains, the sirens have been sounding since 7.23(almost 5 hours)

Please, just pray for us!!!

My office today 

Have you found the cat? 

VikkiDp said:

Thanks you all for supporting - it's that we really very need 

Yesterday it was difficult to concentrate on anything and do something.

Today i'm working from home - i'm so glad that i have such possibility.

The dangerous still remains, the sirens have been sounding since 7.23(almost 5 hours)

Please, just pray for us!!!

My office today 

Have you found the cat? 

The cat is more relaxed than I would have thought!

We will continue to pray. Hopefully this act of desperation means it is one of their last acts.

Can we get a source to buy Russian fighting equipment from corrupt sources to send to Ukraine?

I'm only mostly serious.

akylekoz said:

Can we get a source to buy Russian fighting equipment from corrupt sources to send to Ukraine?

I'm only mostly serious.

Probably, but why bother? It sounds like Ukraine already has a corrupt source providing them with plenty of russian fighting equipment. Much of it is even in operable condition...

DarkMonohue said:

akylekoz said:

Can we get a source to buy Russian fighting equipment from corrupt sources to send to Ukraine?

I'm only mostly serious.

Probably, but why bother? It sounds like Ukraine already has a corrupt source providing them with plenty of russian fighting equipment. Much of it is even in operable condition...

But we all know that Ukraine would never accept weapons from terrorists.  That's why Ukraine is going to return every last bullet and every last shell back to the Russians as they retreat their way out of the country.

 

Some good news on the military side of the house.  More things are arriving:

Gloves, winter hat,and 50,000mAh power bank

25x socks, 3x winter thermal sets, IFAK pouch, and contents.

Still waiting on the vest and tourniquets and we're ready to send!

It's been a bit of a mad dash lately, but here's the last few days in a couple pictures:


First, the windows.  Woof, those kicked my butt...  I actually wired the passenger slightly backwards due to a wire color issue (supposed to be yellow to black, was yellow to yellow.  oops).  I was able to get it corrected, but at one point this week, I was completing only about 2 or 3 wire runs a morning.  It was super frustrating as I would get brought back up to speed, would get on a roll, and would promptly run out of time.  One more than one day, I seriously considered calling into work to continue progress on the truck.

Anyhoo, here goes:

Ok, so that's the passenger side done!

ok, that's the driver's side done!

 

there's the relays, all dressed up.

So, does it work?

Ok, next up.  Lights (still very much in work):

I've got 4-days before I'm due in Budapest, so I'll be a bit busy  

I swear.  When I finish this, I never want to touch another wire again...

OOH!  While working on the truck today, I was given a nice surprise!  The podcast I listen to while wrenching mentioned our last run to Dnipro and even had some quips from the thread here ("Mental", a fellow GRM member, is one of the hosts)

Here it is if you want to listen.  I'm pretty sure the mention was early on in the episode:  Everyone Racers Podcast.

It gave me a good chuckle when they were talking about the 4Runner's windows and there I was just finishing them up

Good times!

October 14th marks "Defenders and Defendresses Day" in Ukraine.

I'd like to thank Vikki and everyone on here for everything you are doing in support of Ukraine and a free Europe. 

Parents of children breathe easier fighting in the front knowing that there are people out there who care about their children as much as they do.  Army medics are wearing uniforms and are using equipment you provided.  Firefighters are responding to attacks in Dnipro while wearing your PPE.  A children's hospital is treating the injured children of Dnipro with supplies you provided.  Hospitallers are operating at the absolute front with equipment you put in their vehicles and IFAKs.  A child is studying with school supplies you sent.  Another is hugging a stuffed animal for comfort that you provided.

And closest to me: My family didn't have to flee west because of the uncrushable will of the Ukrainian fighters.

Pour one out today.  You deserve it.

Thank you all.

So, does it work?

 Wooowww!!! you did it!!!  

"Defender's day Ukraine"

Thanks our warriors!!!

Thanks you all!!!

Together we're powerful!!! 

Stay together!!!

Pease to us all!!!

Today is payday, which means donation day. PayPal incoming momentarily. You da man, Hungary Bill!

Hungary Bill (Forum Supporter) said:

Man, if it got anymore 1980's than that, I'd need a Motley Crue cassette and a mullet!

I'm disappointed to learn that you don't already have both.

And yes, it looks totally rad!

In reply to VikkiDp :

Wow, just watched the violin video. I'm not sure if you're familiar with the phrase 'hauntingly beautiful', but that is it.  Thank you for sharing it... And just for continuing to post, so that we know you're still ok.

AngryCorvair (Forum Supporter) said:

Today is payday, which means donation day. PayPal incoming momentarily. You da man, Hungary Bill!

Got it, sir!

Here's our Monday Update:

We're half way through the month, and almost all the way to our goal!  Now, I won't be online on the first to do the tranfer to Kisgorbo, but Mrs. Hungary will be at the helm and she knows what to do.

We also received 50,000huf locally from Mrs. Carrie (local international school teacher) and we planned to put those to good use by buying some of the UV disinfectant lamps that the Rehab center was asking for in Dnipro, however we ran into a few issues.  In the bend, both Vikki and I were able to contact the vendor and shipping to Hungary could be arranged, but they recommended against it as the lamps were almost certain to break.  The plan now is to put the cash aside and place the order all at once.  From there, we'll have them sent to Dnipro directly (which is kind of a bummer from a "showing the donors with photos" perspective, but ultimately what is best for the people who need it)

Good times.

And finally, here's the last bit of progress on the truck:

Quick note about what's going on in the photo above.  Just of the alternator and on its way to the battery's positive connection is this bolted together portion of the charge wire.  This is where I'm planning on pulling power for the switches, relays, and roof lights.

Done.

After that I did spend a bit of time getting them all pointed in the same general direction.  All four of these are "spreads", which kind of bummed me out.  At the time of my purchase, it was all I could find.  I really wanted to mount two spreads on the outside, and two beams in the middle, but whatcha gonna do? 

Anyhoo, there is one issue I need to address though:

When the lights are on, they completely illuminate the cabin through the sun roof

I'm just going to get some duct-tape and block it all off.

Good times.

Here she is, all ready to go.  See you guys back on here when I get back!

Actually one more before I go:

Saturday may have been a "play with the truck" day, but at 9am on Sunday I heard the unmistakable sound of a chainsaw firing to life next door...

Earlier in the week, I noticed that my elderly neighbors had a load of firewood delivered, and by Saturday evening it looked like preparations were being put in place for a work party.  So when I heard 50cc's of 2-stroke fury going off next door, I knew what to do.  I grabbed my old Stihl and a can of gas, and joined in the festivities.

4-hours later, the work was done and our hosts fed us lunch and palinka (liquor).  It was good times.

I've seen similar deliveries at other places in our neighborhood, and all throughout town.  Also, I just helped a friend's parents haul a wood-fired kitchen stove to their place downtown. 

The world is speaking:  Putin can keep his gas.  We don't want it, we don't need it, and we certainly wont freeze without it.  

(Our heat is still off at the Hungary house, but we 100% have a wood fired boiler we can still use and plenty of seasoned wood ready for the winter)

Good times.