Date:         Tue, 16 May 2000 12:10:58 PDT
Reply-To:     "robot ." <robot_works@HOTMAIL.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         "robot ." <robot_works@HOTMAIL.COM>
Subject:      Re: Anyone ever try a Westy "Chrome Dome"
Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed

I suspect that unless you had the top chromed, the solar gain from silver
paint would be higher than white. Don't have my Solar Power Handbook with me
at work, but there is a table in it that gives the reflectance values of
various substances and colors.

tim o'brien


>    A whole lot longer ago than I really care to contemplate I spent a
>sultry
>summer going through Marine Corps boot camp in South Carolina. On days when
>the sun really beat down and the temps climbed our tormentors would hand
>out
>"Chrome Domes". These were helmet liners painted silver to reflect the sun
>and (theoretically) keep our heads cooler than they otherwise would have
>been, thus allowing a continuation of the fun and games without the
>inconvenience of having too many collapsed bodies littering the area.
>    Every now and then I look at the fiberglass top of my
>non-airconditioned
>Westy and wonder if a silver paint job would cool things down any better
>than the present white paint job. Anyone ever try this?
>

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