Hobbies include building stuff, getting stronger, going places, and all types of ill $hit...
Basically my goal for this channel is to share things that I enjoy at a particular moment. This ranges from vehicles, to home office setups, to camping and outdoor pursuits, although I reserve the right to talk about anything and everything that tickles my fancy.
The only constant here is that I will always focus on general awesomeness and personal growth, with the goal of making myself (and perhaps a tiny bit of the world writ large) a better place. I can guarantee low-grade humor, esoteric 1990's references, bad puns, and lackluster production quality.
Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links. This means that, at zero cost to you, I will earn an affiliate commission if you click through the link and finalize a purchase.
Thank you for the review, after watching your video my wife and I have considered getting a natural gas generator to power the entire house. Buy once cry once.
Thanks! Definitely get the géoportail app. There’s a setting to show only drone airspace and it’s significantly more restricted than what the DJI or similar apps show. Also be ready for seagull attacks! I had grand plans of doing some drone video in the basque region since you can fly along the shoreline, but the seagulls swarmed about 90 seconds after I took off and then circled overhead even after I landed.
Just purchased the Delta 2 with extra battery bundle for 900 bucks he wasn't lying about the sales, and I used a 100-dollar discount code feeling super blessed.
Had a garage look at my Ford Transit Connect 2019, which had a engine replacement in 2022, FDRS was used and found a issue with some injectors and all the parameters where reset, and PCM was also reset, the van was noisy and after high pressure fuel pump reset, and EGR reset, van is very quiet and drives like new 👍
Just a tip on Ford Lightning...tiny 12v lead acid battery gets totally whipped by the IPMA update. You will need at least 30-40 amp charger to keep the battery charged enough and power supplied to finish the update. If you cannot find a charger that large, you can hook up two 15a or 20a chargers, in series, to the charging posts
Hugely helpful review. Thank you. Could you tell us the dimensions of units you installed? It looks like you used two of the "wide" bays and one of the "narrow" bays. Is that right? What was the overall length, depth and height of the finished shelving? Thanks in advance.
The mongoose activation or FDRS? I’ve heard of people getting a used/refurbished mongoose that says it’s already been registered, which should affect actual use. On FDRS the servers occasionally go down and if you contact the customer service they’ll apparently extend your license. I’ve had this happen a couple times and unfortunately the only recourse is to wait for Ford to fix their tech (usually in a few hours) and try again.
@@TheBigHeavy The mongoose activation process (never got to the FDRS part). Called the support # today and after trying a few things on 2 separate laptops they believe the unit is "faulty". so, now in the process of a full amazon refund that will likely take weeks to compete. once complete, i can re-order and try again i guess.
Thank you very much for an in depth review. It was a pleasure to watch. It would be great if you could include one minute video of the final result---the shelf installed on the wall.
I recently saw a review about NMC battery type. Basically, once it hits the 80% level after 500 cycles, the NMC battery is essentially dead. Like you, I was under impression you get another 500 cycles. However, you don’t get another 500 cycles to reach a new 80% level. If I recall correctly, you will maybe get another 50 cycles before battery is completely dead. Review included a graph that showed the 80% mark was on a very steep drop off of battery output. Anyway, just wanted to share. Thanks for your videos!
Why do the fans have to run when in pass thru mode - both the charger and inverter is not running only the switching and electronics. What's confusing is the air is hot so the batt and inverter must be running .Thanks great video
I believe the inverter is still running, since the AC isn't really "passing through," it's actually just charging the battery and the inverter is pulling from the battery, but as long as the net current from the wall is more than you're output the battery will charge a bit while keeping your device running.
Just got by Delta yesterday it makes no sense to run the inverter with losses and tax the battery when the output you need is tight there in the unit. A typical inverter like an Xantrex simply directs the shore power right thru the unit. I'll tell you another EF secret my wave 2 plugged into 120 v wih the battery connected does not use a power converter to run. When plugged into the battery and 120 volts, The Wave starts on the battery and runs until the battery gets to 98 % then the re-chargers it back to 100% to start the cycle all over again. The Wave 2 will not run on its 120 v when the battery is connected. The only way it will is when you disconnect the battery. Regards - Mike
I totally agree with you. My first realization of the process happened when I fell for the hype to buy a solar oven. I can cook my meals in it every day. Where I live the amount of good sun shine is minimal. It is great for rain water catchment, but not so much for solar power. Lesson learned.
Thanks for the messages 🙂 i just discover your chanel, liked you Positive motivation (from June 2024) & now got to follow your : i might image "evolution"
Great tips. You might want to check out a surge protector (rated for at least 2000 Joules) to protect your equipment (I use the APC Performance SurgeArrest 8 Plug 3 m (PMF83VT-GR)). I've got two, one for my PC, and one for my home router. For cable management, velcro ties are excellent. Not sure how you switch keyboards when switching from your work computer to your private one, but I use a KVM switch to do that (specifically, the Delock 11485 model). When I turn off the company PC and turn on the private one, I push a button on the switch, and I can use everything (keyboard, mouse, monitors, USB hub) on the private PC (and the other way around as well). BUT, I can't use the peripherals on both PCs at the same time! Only one at a time. If I switch while both are turned on, the windows get rearranged to fit only the built-in screen on the previous laptop. Just make sure to buy a powered USB hub (the KVM switch also needs a power source, which is the USB hub in my case). The USB hub I use is the TP-Link UH700. I also use a Kensington gel pad as my mouse pad (I see your keyboard already has one). It's also highly important to have ergonomic posture, and to have a lamp turned on at all times (except if the Sun is shining into the room and it's already bright). You hurt your eyes if you don't (sadly, I know from experience, although it was thankfully just some temporary pain). These are all of my tips off the top of my head. Thanks for sharing the video.
Thanks for the tips! We have a whole house surge protector installed at the breaker panel. It’s a nice option if you’re updating your electrical or doing work at the panel. On the KVM, I hit a button on the monitor (or you can use a keyboard shortcut if you install some Dell software) and all the inputs switch over. When I have a different PC plugged into each monitor, there’s a switch on the keyboard that toggles mouse/keyboard assuming you plug a Logitech “dongle” (or have Bluetooth setup) on each computer.
@@TheBigHeavy Thanks for the response! Yes, your setup is excellent. The one comment I have is about the surge protector: if I'm not mistaken, the ones at the breaker panel only protect from surges originating outside the house, but not from ones that are caused by your own appliances from within the house. Against those, you need the kind that I've referred to.
Hi, thanks for sharing your video. I have an Iceco vl45 pro and I love it. Plan on getting a Jackery and would you recommend the 1000 like you have and how long it last without solar?
I'd probably lean towards an Ecoflow these days. They have more outputs, and a mobile app that's actually useful. Depending on a variety of factors (ambient temp, how much stuff you have in the Iceco, how often you open it, etc.) you're probably good for 36-60 hours or a Friday night-Sunday morning camping trip without solar. The nice thing about the Ecoflow is you can also add another battery pack. Check the channel page as I brought this setup on a camping trip.
Generating shade is an option. There are many videos showing how to achieve this. There also an instruction on how to build a simple platform with a timed mechanism, flow or intermittent, that allows your panels to track the sunlight.
I've seen the platforms (Ecoflow makes a commercial one I believe) but eventually you get to a point where you're spending more time babysitting your solar setup than you are enjoying the outdoors. I have seen manufacturers drop the "Solar Generator" terminology, which I think is a move in the right direction. I don't want people to pay fairly significant money for one of these things with the expectation it magically charges to full every day without accounting for things like shade, sun movement, etc.
Thank you for this instruction video. I would like to ask you a question. From which page of Alpha tango, can I download the Operator certificate pdf? I could download drone certification but not operator one.
It's in the bottom right of the home page where it says "Remote Pilot Identifier." There's a download link but requires you pass the A1/A3 certification.
Cool idea! I love breakfast and solar paraphernalia woo! Just maybe watch all the butter and brown butter. One clogs the old arteries and the brown maybe a carcinogen. But totally your call! 😊
Glad you liked the video! I've given up on worrying about "bad" foods since during my 40-odd years on Earth the health "authorities" have told me that margarine was healthy, then it was going to kill me, skim milk was wonderful, then it was going to kill me, fat was deadly (but you could rock a 5-lb bag of sugar without worry since it was "fat free"), and in the 80's eating 6+ servings of pasta each day was the model of healthy eating. I try to eat stuff that doesn't come from a bag, and do an unreasonable amount of running to keep the ticker ticking until it's my time.
Correct. Look for the thick ones (or put on your glasses if you're me and see if you can read the tiny print on the cord) or you can limit the charging draw of the unit via the app. I generally keep the charging draw limited unless I need a fast charge to limit heat, prevent tripped breakers, and since I assume it's a bit easier on the Delta to not be running at max charge power.
Thanks for this very helpful video. While new to drone work, I found the registration steps and test straightforward and passed. Appreciate this review for what to expect along the way.
"You've got two separate adapters going into your device and you're probably in for $400 - $500 of adapters." That's me! Also, it doesn't work. Edit: it does work! I had a bad X-Stream adapter.
What doesn't work? I've not had any problems, although the OpenEVSE is the only charging station I've used although it has worked with the two versions we have at the house.
@@TheBigHeavy Running the Tesla Universal Wall Connector that has the Tesla factory NACS -> J1772 adapter. Plugging that into my Delta Pro via the X-Stream into the Infinity Port, the Infinity Port blue LED on the Delta Pro lights up for maybe 15 seconds, then goes out. The Tesla Wall Connector shows a single green "standby" indicator light. Tesla app shows no device connected. Tinkered with the Tesla app to put into compatibility mode but no real change there. I also have a "SEGUMA" brand NACS -> J1772 adapter I tried and the Tesla Wall Connector then shown a blue "communication" light, but never charged. I have another Delta Pro and another X-Stream power adapter I can try with next week. The ones I was testing with now were super early bird from the initial release and running slightly older firmware (v3.0.2.21). v3.0.2.21 supports an open port that you can query for device data remotely - that functionality appears removed in v3.0.2.25 (and likely later).
@@TheBigHeavy New Delta Pro and new X-Stream adapter just arrived and ARE working with the Tesla Universal Wall Charger. Diagnose the issue to a super early bird x-stream adapter not working. Old battery + new adapter = works. New battery + old adapter = doesn't work.
Glad it was helpful! I just got back from another one-night trip and this is a great bag for that use case. About the only thing I don't like is that there's no obvious water bottle storage on the bag, and the "add on" they sell doesn't work if you add the extra grab handle.
PLEASE be sure to actually remove the A, B or C pillar trim pieces and route the wire BEHIND the airbag and airbag nylon anchor straps! VERY IMPORTANT.
Good video. I’m a builder and I can say our EcoFlow delta 2 max runs our chop saw and fridge/freezer and 4 battery chargers , all day with 1 EcoFlow 220 solar panel , with 25 % left every day .
@@TheBigHeavy absolutely. I give thanks to channels like yours that got my company into cordless tools and solar “ generators “ Game changer!!! Thanks 🙏
Very useful video. One question: did you have to setup a french email? Because I try to do that for a while now, and I always get an info: my email is not correct.
As far as I know, it doesn’t have an “official” UPS feature. It does however support pass through charging, so you could run your device off the inverter while charging the batteries to get similar functionality to a UPS. I don’t think you’d want to do this long term however.
Great video - thank you! I'm desperate for one of these shelving systems, and this has provided a lot of useful tips. Thankfully it's quite a bit cheaper here in the UK - I'm guessing the shipping and taxes add quite a lot to the price.
Glad it was helpful! You’re lucky to have more reasonable pricing, although I can’t imagine this stuff is cheap to ship across the Atlantic. I wish they threw a Lion bar or two in the package since I can’t get those in the US easily!
I can't remember exactly, but 70% sticks in my head. It was one of those tests where I ended up doing better than I thought I did, and if you've passed the FAA Part 107 or a similar national test you should be fine. Obviously you can have another window open and lookup specific rules, etc., where things are unclear, although the test is timed so you have to be conscious of that.
lol this is the type of humor I needed while eating lunch on a frustrating day at work. I continue to appreciate that you seem to be one of the very few office setup RU-vidrs that doesn’t get sponsorships or things for free and then not really consider the price of things. New sub from me
Thanks, and glad my low-grade nonsense brought some joy! The sponsorship thing is hard since I'd like to review all the goodies, but no matter what people say it's hard to be totally unbiased when you don't have to pay for something! Thanks for subscribing, and I'll strive to keep things goofy!
Would you say the tacks are … tacky? 😅 It’s fun to see the progress from your last video that I just watched. I’ll definitely be checking out your video about how you designed the space I saw a stream deck in your garage - do you have a video about how you use it for productivity? I just started using one and I’m curious what you’ve found useful!
Not to put too fine a point on it, but the tack pun was sharp! I don’t love the Stream Deck as much as I’d hoped. A former colleague hyped it up and I got one in both my offices. I probably found it most useful for Zoom calls, since you could mute and turn the camera on/off regardless of which app had focus. Teams has similar buttons, but they only work when Teams is the active app which makes it less useful for “I need to sneeze” or “someone came into the room” scenarios when you have another app active. Unfortunately for this scenario my current employer is 100% teams. I mostly use it for pausing Spotify, and also to dim/adjust lights and ceiling fan via HomeAssistant. To an extent it’s like the configurable “soft” keys on the previous MacBooks. I loved the idea but never really used it as much as I thought I would. Glad you’re enjoying the videos!
@@TheBigHeavy 😂 My previous employer was 100% teams but my current company is zoom. What inspired me to consider it was being able to make macros for small commands that might be difficult to do while wearing a VR headset when you can’t see much/anything. I like the idea of a macro pad that has the keys change label but I need to think through more what my macro pad needs are. I’ve seen some people use them for home automation if you end up not wanting to keep them in your office and want to repurpose them that could be a plan B. I use Apple HomeKit a lot right now but since my boyfriend does “live the iLife” like I do (as my dad calls it) it’s not great when wants to turn on a light that I’ve remotely turned off.
I like this approach compared to some of the other ones I’ve seen. I’m a software developer and I may be doing some more working from home soon while our office goes through construction so I’m revamping my desk at home (it hasn’t changed much since the beginning of COVID revamp). I need functional first and aesthetics second, not the other way around So many of the influencers on here have been given super expensive products for free to review and I wonder if they’d actually buy these products that they’re recommending. We have different needs and I think my setup will look pretty different from yours but I found this useful and refreshing. Thank you! I know it’s just personal preference but I actually do like mechanical keyboards but not super loud. Part of it is my hands feel better when I use them and I’m making plans to make a dactyl manuform, hopefully soon! Maybe I’ll check out some silent switches for the office
Thanks for the comment and glad you enjoyed the video! I’ve had a couple people tell me I’ve been too harsh on dismissing mechanical keyboards, and I’ve done some early research and might give them a try. I haven’t gotten over the cord (in some cases multiple cords) however, and have a bit of “analysis paralysis” on which switches to use, but it’s definitely in my queue of “someday” projects. The “free stuff” problem is challenging. I occasionally accept free stuff (every man has a price and mine is low) and I try not to let that bias me, but I don’t think it’s possible. I’d probably love a Ferrari if I didn’t have to pay for it, but that’s not a realistic assessment. Good luck with your desk setup and let us know what you come up with. I do have the luxury (and yes, I know this sounds bougie) of having 2 home offices, so check out some of the other videos where I’ve tried to combine function and aesthetics, despite having a rather poor “design sensibility.”
Many thanks for this video I live in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia I have a car maintenance center This FDRS program only works for one day and then it is closed Can you help me solve this problem? my regards
I have been to KSA and was very impressed with the hospitality and country (as well as surprised by all the big American trucks and other impressive cars in Riyadh). You can buy an FDTS license for more than one day from the website I mention. I’ve always bought the shorter license but the site also provides a customer support address that I’ve never used but have heard is helpful if you have a license problem.
