SoCal Branch LEAF Gathering - Our First Year

[EricH]

Cool. Perhaps we should get a show of hands. So they can plan the breakfast accordingly?

I'll be there, and won't be needing to charge any.

My wife and I will bring the new Leaf - also no charging req.

 

[Danny]

I'll be shooting for the 30th. I think I have my annual termite inspection on the 9th.

 

[garygid]

Do they have to get all dressed up, spit-polish their tiny little shoes, and line up for the inspection? :lol:

We will see you later, that's why we have several Gatherings during the month. The next Gathering (April 9th) is coming soon.

We had a successful first "Local Cluster" get-together at Fudruckers (on El Toro, off I-5, south of the 5/405 "Y") for lunch last weekend, and 5 LEAFs were lined up in the large parking lot, with all colors represented, except Black, ...
which really is the absence of color anyway!

We had a "Show and Tell" of parts, plugs, sockets, and adapters for the Modded Nissan-included EVSE. I plan to bring the same items this coming Saturday.

I have ordered two modded units, one for the wall and one for the car. Then, each acts as a spare for the other.

 

[mwalsh]

Ack...rain on Friday. So much was washing and detailing for the meeting. :x

 

[garygid]

Picture-Sharing Suggestion:

Prepare and bring to the meeting:
1. Gather all the pictures that you want to share (please do not include any copyrighted pictures),
2. Place them in ONE folder (sub-folders are OK) labeled with your name and a sequence number (like "GaryG_Leaf_pics_01"),
3. ZIP that single folder into one file (same name with a ".zip" suffix, like "GaryG_Leaf_pics_01.zip"),
4. Copy that ZIP file onto a freshly-formatted (no virus, no auto-start) USB thumb drive.
5. Label the Thumb Drive with your name so it will more-easily return to you!

Then, during the meeting I/we will:
1. copy the ZIP file from each thumb drive to my laptop, and
2. write the whole group of ZIP files back to all your thumb drives.

Not required, just an optional activity.

 

[mwalsh]

OCC (Orange Coast College in Costa Mesa) is having a Green Energy day on Wed April 6th, from about 10 to 1:30, and would like someone to bring a LEAF.

I will post their contact info soon.

I can do a Wednesday gig by switching work to a Furlough Thursday, if absolutely necessary. But my preference would be to pass in favor of someone who is readily available that day.

I guess I'm going to be at OCC tomorrow, attending with Elise from Connell Nissan. Stop by and say "Hi!" if you're at a loose end!

 

[Danny]

I think I can make it to the April 9 meeting at Cerritos Nissan after all. Looking forward to seeing everyone again. Too bad I won't have a Leaf to show off with those who have taken delivery. As a matter of fact, I don't even have a delivery date anymore. Bummer.

 

[garygid]

Double-checked with Cerritos Nissan, and they are planning for our Gathering and are providing breakfast.

Remember, LEAF accessories are (approximately?) 20% off for our group and forum members.

We should have 3, possibly 4, AV charging stations available.

I should arrive in "Maple", around 8 AM. We should have a good Cluster of LEAFs parked just in front of their showroom.

 

[llaumann]

I will be at Cerritos Nissan tomorrow 8 AM. My delivery status went from "Month of April" to "Pending".

 

[sparky]

I may be there tomorrow. Love to see the newest LEAFS.
I'm supposed to flying to Asia tomorrow but if the govt shuts down, my meetings may not happen;
so I'll trade Taipei for Cerritos.

 

[hill]

Well, I . . . . the living breathing epitome of Johnny come lately's, and being the last of the very last to post (technically) barely a day before the Cerritos meet ... will be there.

Camera in hand

 

[Kataphn]

Great meet up today! I think we had about 10 LEAFs (what a sight all lined up!) but someone will have a better count...and maybe about 20 people? Much thanks to John Beard at Cerritos Nissan for the hospitality, breakfast, 20% discount on accessories and his overall "what a nice guy" demeanor. All who needed to were charging up a storm while we met. Lots of show and tell of L1 EVSE mod guts and various adaptors. Many questions asked and answered with the collective wisdom. Some of the participants present were orphan adopters! I am sure photos will follow soon here. We did a lot of posing!

 

[tbleakne]

I may be there tomorrow. Love to see the newest LEAFS.
I'm supposed to flying to Asia tomorrow but if the govt shuts down, my meetings may not happen;
so I'll trade Taipei for Cerritos.

Sparky, since we didn't see you at Cerritos, and the government didn't shut down, you are probably in Asia, but I have a request for when you get back. Someone at the meeting (probably John, the Cerritos Nissan accessory guy), mentioned that you had a cool "Electric" applique for your Leaf. I would like to know where you got it so I can get one. Thanks.

The meeting was large, with just about every seat full. We had a couple of newbies, but almost all the old timers have their car now except 1051, Kataphn, and me. Gary and Robert exhibited connectors and the 120V/240V hacked EVSE.

This week Nissan moved my delivery from "Pending" to June, but they are saying my car did not make it out of Japan before the earthquake. 1051 thinks there might be a car in Long Beach for me if I "squeak" loud enough, but I have called several times.

 

[garygid]

Great showing, thanks to all who came, 20 in all.
My 72 mile RT to the meeting was wonderfully "uneventful".

With 9 (or 10?) LEAFs, 5 (or 6?) blue, 2 red, and 2 white,
it might have been the largest LEAF-Gathering so far.
John and Ann of Cerritos Nissan were great, THANKS.

Amoung other things, we spoke of:
1. "skipped-over" Orders.
2. the "A/C" problem and driving to the nearest dealer without turning OFF (or re-Booting the LEAF), and LEAF version numbers A, B, and C.
3. the modified L1 EVSE and adapters for it.
4. buying an orphan LEAF.
5. entering the "hidden" Diagnostics mode.
6. plugs and extension cords, with a Show-n-Tell.

While we met, they tried to do a "Battery Health Test" on my LEAF,
but their diagnostics machine would not "connect" successfully.
They thanked us for helping to "debug" the Leaf service
procedure before a real paying customer arrived.

Next meeting is in 3 weeks (missing the two weekends
around Easter week) on April 30th at HTB in Santa Ana.

The San Diego Gathering is on 23 April at the HTB in Mira Mesa.

 

[Boomer23]

Pics and story from Saturday, April 9 are up now on my blog at: http://drivingelectric.blogspot.com/2011/04/april-9-2011-so-cal-leaf-branch-meetup.html

Please let me know about any corrections needed.

 

[Beachcliffs]

Pics and story from Saturday, April 9 are up now on my blog at: http://drivingelectric.blogspot.com/2011/04/april-9-2011-so-cal-leaf-branch-meetup.html

Please let me know about any corrections needed.

Nice write-up. If Nissan so chooses to grace me with an earlier than expected delivery, I'll be at next meeting with my "Super Black" Leaf (but don't hold your breath, because I'm certainly not).

 

[Boomer23]

Beachcliffs, please come with or without your LEAF. We've been meeting and having fun since last fall, when there was nary a LEAF in sight. You'll be welcome.

 

[Kataphn]

Thanks, Boomer for great pics and write up. It was a great time and as always, I learned tons.

 

[garygid]

Again, "boomer..", great pictures and write-up!
Also, thanks for the kind words.

 

[LEAFENTHUSIAST13]

Thank you to everyone that was able to make it out for the meeting this past Saturday here @ Cerritos Nissan. It was a great turn out. Hopefully next month we'll have several more Leafs present. I submitted all the request for accessories to my parts manager today. Hopefully within the next day or 2, I should know the availability and pricing. Thanks again