Innholdsfortegnelse for January/ February 2020 i Popular Mechanics South Africa

PERCHED AT about 302 m above sea level, the lower station of the Table Mountain Aerial Cableway is the gateway to the mountain’s summit, at 1 067 m. Construction was completed in 1929 and the cableway has undergone many improvements since then. Using a jig-back system – one cabin will always move up the mountain while the other moves down, creating a counterbalance – the cabins weigh approximately 11 tons each including the fixed hanging gear. The cabins are suspended on track cables while the haul and heel cables pull the cabins up and down. The haul cable is driven and controlled at the lower station with a bull wheel, which is powered by a 540 kW electric motor via a reduction gearbox. The haul and track cables have a…

ABOUT 170 000 VEHICLES USE NEW YORK CITY’S QUEENSBORO Bridge each day, zooming past Larry Misrok’s apartment building, which sits at the entrance to one of the ramps. Crossing the street there is challenging for anyone, but for Larry, an 83-year-old lawyer, it could be deadly. He is virtually blind. Fortunately, Larry has help to navigate the city’s busy streets and broken sidewalks: A healthy pair of eyes with 20/20 vision located hundreds, maybe even thousands, of miles away. Using high-tech, camera-equipped eyeglasses, along with an app on his smartphone, Larry is guided by a trained agent who can see in real time on his or her computer screen what Larry cannot see before him. ‘Watch out, there’s a curb ahead,’ the helper might say, or ‘There’s a cyclist coming up…

OUR TV SITS on a dividing unit between our lounge and dining-room/kitchen area. The way the rooms are configured, setting up two TVs didn’t make sense, nor did we want to go to the unnecessary expense of buying a second one. Sometimes, while preparing a meal in the kitchen, we want to follow the cricket or a cooking show on TV, and other times we want to sit in our lounge in the evening and watch our favourite series on Netflix. Realising the need to be able to swing the TV around to face one room or the other prompted me to come up with a really handy solution: a lazy Susan for our TV. Perhaps you have a similar room configuration, or you want to be able to swing…

POPULAR MECHANICS: We’re at the Frankfurt Motor Show, and we’ve just experienced the ID.3 being launched to the world. This is no doubt a proud moment for you? Jürgen Stackmann: For VW, the launch of the ID.3 here in Frankfurt at IAA 2019 is quite a magical moment. We’ve been through the most fascinating period in the last three years since 15 October 2016 in this exact location when we fell into a deep crisis with #Dieselgate. There were some decisions made by the board very early on after 2016, the most significant being to create a fully electric platform, code-named MEB. It was the same weekend we decided to pull the plug on the new Phaeton… The car was ready to be made; we stopped a few other projects…

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Cycling a wave of coffee MAKING A CUP of coffee couldn’t be easier using Nespresso’s capsules – small aluminium pods that you simply pop into a machine. But along with this convenience comes the issue of waste disposal. Once you’ve used one of these pods, it’s usually far too easy to just chuck them into the bin, which isn’t an environmentally friendly way of disposing of them. Demonstrating the reusable capabilities of aluminium, Nespresso has teamed up with Swedish bike maker Vélosophy to create a bicycle made from recycled coffee capsules. The goal of the RE:CYCLE is to show what can be achieved by recycling the capsules and to promote reprocessing in general. ‘It is beautifully designed, responsibly sourced and sustainably produced,’ says Vélosophy founder and CEO Jimmy Östholm. The…

IT’S AN IRREFUTABLE fact. The world of motoring is turning to electric-powered vehicles, and it’s not a moment too soon. There’s no going backwards to internal combustion systems – their days are numbered. You might argue that this fuel-burning technology will still be around for some time – global oil reserves are not yet depleted. And that’s true – something that will no doubt make a certain leader of the free world rather happy. But the burning of fossil fuels is a major contributor to global warming and climate degradation, so finding cleaner ways of propelling us from A to B must be a priority for the continuation of life as we know it. In short, it’s crucially important. Step back for a moment and get some perspective on the…

IMAGINE BEING suspended high above the Cape Peninsula in an open wooden box relying solely on a primitive temporary ropeway system to transport building materials and workmen to the summit of Table Mountain, all while battling a brutal south-easterly wind. In the late 1920s, a group of skilled engineers and builders experienced the thrill (and at times, terror) of being suspended in mid-air while performing a feat of engineering that would result in the construction of one of the world’s most famous tourist attractions, the Table Mountain Aerial Cableway. Ninety years have passed since those brave men played a key role in catapulting Cape Town on to the global tourist stage. Thankfully, modern technology meant I did not have to muster the same courage during my recent ascent to the…

Chris Quinn, 71, Wheel Builder, Hayward, California Vintage1 Modern Leather Textile Indian Harley Street Dirt Fast Slow Loud pipes2 Quiet pipes Toolbox Tool belt Spokes Mags Helmet No helmet Mechanic Dealer Oil grease Clean hands Graph paper Blank sheet Carbs EFI Cats3 Dogs Sports bike Cruiser 4 American Import Building up Taking apart Gin Rum Digital gauge Analogue gauge5 Twisties Interstates Moustache6 Clean Paper towels Shop rag Radio Atmosphere7 Tube Tubeless Windshield Wind noise Centre stand Side stand LET ME EXPLAIN (1) It’s what I grew up with. I have a 1959 BSA Gold Star, a Triumph Thunderbird, a Parilla 175 Superhawk, and a few Ducatis. (2) You don’t need to shake the windows, but the sound defines the motorcycle. It’s nice to know the iron horse is alive. (3)…

My motorcycle is loud, dangerous, occasionally expensive, and a source of anguish for my mom. But I can’t go back. In an era of car tech that makes it safer to take a call (and even text via voice) while driving, a bike still demands all your attention. The same as ju-jitsu or Spartan Races or cooking, and that focus can feel euphoric. It makes your commute an antidote to cubicle fatigue, and gives a sensation of acceleration that’s accessible only to you and fighter pilots. Besides, learning to ride gives you a skill that’ll make you feel more capable in daily life. Because if movies have taught me anything, when the zombies come, at some point, you’ll need to make your getaway on a motorcycle.…

HELMET LS2 VALIANT FF399 HELMET (R3 999); motorcycle-world.co.za The majority of head damage from accidents happens around the jaw, which makes a good case for a full-face helmet, the kind that has a visor and chin cover. Always buy one that’s brand new because after five years the glue inside any helmet loses adhesion. If you crash or even drop it, replace it. If that sounds expensive, be aware that price does not correlate with safety. Any helmet from a name brand (Shoei, AGV, Bell) with a DOT certification sticker will likely help save your life. Spending more gets you better aerodynamics (less road noise) and more comfortable materials. Before you buy, find a shop and try some on, because different brands accommodate different head shapes. GLOVES RST TRACTECH EVO…

FIGURES 6-year/90 000 km service plan 4-year/120 000 km warranty 3-year/unlimited km roadside assistance Model tested: From R706 800 ford.co.za FORD HAS fitted its smaller (2.0 litre) cubic capacity bi-turbo diesel into the Wildtrak, which I experienced in the Everest SUV in Botswana earlier in 2019. It delivers ample oomph, along with relatively frugal fuel consumption (I averaged 9.1 L/100 km) for a large double cab. Ford claims it’ll achieve 7.8, but with general driving for our week-long test, I didn’t come too close. The Wildtrak has always meant top-of-the-range finishes, and this model is no different. Our test unit had plush leather upholstery with orange seam work to match the burnt-orange exterior paint job, a stylised ‘sports bar’, moulded plastic inlay in the load bay, as well as all…

1 JANUARY 1941 Army’s ‘Big Bertha’ Cameras Map Huge Areas Kicking off the new year sky high, we brought you the story of ‘Big Bertha’, a one-metre focal camera used by the US military to photograph and map terrain from an aeroplane. Flying at a height of 6.5 km, the plane was equipped with electrical heating so that pilots and photographers could operate Big Bertha in comfort while peering out of an open window. 2 JANUARY 1929 How Fast Can A Man Fall? In the late ’20s many questions were being asked about what the maximum velocity of a person falling from a high altitude would be and whether they’d remain conscious. We presented testimonials from airmen who’d parachuted and the military’s response to their experiences. In addition, we conducted…

THEY ARE up there with some of nature’s hardest and most thermally conductive materials, which means that diamonds are, literally, forever. The stones have been present throughout human existence and were said to have magical powers. Due to this, diamonds have carried an ascribed sense of value to what otherwise would be just another rock. In 1477, Archduke Maximilian I of Austria presented Mary of Burgundy with the first diamond engagement ring in the world. Fast forward hundreds of years, and diamonds helped to shape South Africa’s economy, politics, and culture. In the 1800s, De Beers dug a giant gaping hole in the ground in Kimberley to get to them, and became the ultimate global authority on the mineral’s sales, distribution and quality control. Today, diamonds have two kinds of…

WOODWORKING IN South Africa as a recreational pastime is growing rapidly. Every day, more and more people are turning to woodwork for fun and as a way to escape the rat race, often creating objects to sell. As with fishing, photography and many other hobbies, it’s easy to get caught up in the gizmos, gadgets and bling – items that promise to turn us into world-class woodworkers overnight. At its core, woodworking is straightforward. We cut and shape pieces of timber and then fit them together to create objects. The standard of work is where the difference lies. The better the design of our project, the more accurate the layout, the crisper the cuts and the neater the finish, the more aesthetically pleasing the final product will be. Several companies…

FIGURES 5-year/100 000 km maintenance plan 2-year/unlimited km warranty 5-year/unlimited km roadside assistance Model tested: From R1 027 686 mercedes-benz.co.za IF EVER there was a vehicle to pique the interest of car lovers out there who are also tech geeks, the new Merc van is it. It has so many different compartments that open and shut; seats that tilt, swivel and offer a variety of seating configurations; and more space in which to swing the proverbial cat than you’ll ever need, that it was difficult to be bored while investigating this vehicle. So let me kick off with the aspects that are really obvious. It’s cavernous, comfortable and luxurious; it feels like the car version of an airline’s business class, especially when every seat is occupied and you’ve got a…

HAVE YOU ever wondered what it’s like to be a bee, soaring through the skies, buzzing around looking for pollen? What is seen as small and insignificant is made epic and grand in Bee Simulator. Players have to pilot a member of a hive whose tree is at risk of being cut down. While it is an educational experience at its core, multiple gameplay modes and challenges allow for a fun time. These include collecting pollen, racing against your fellow honeybees, as well as defending yourself against threats using your powerful stinger. Different locations and a high level of world interaction ensure there are always exciting discoveries to be made, while a split-screen mode means that the game can be enjoyed with friends. Bee Simulator also features a musical score…