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Toshi

butthole powerwashing evangelist
Oct 23, 2001
39,640
8,685
wrestling this giant box downstairs alone was not my smartest move

but I think everything is intact: tv, walls, me

 

Toshi

butthole powerwashing evangelist
Oct 23, 2001
39,640
8,685
What's the TV plugged into when it ripples?
Blu-ray player. 4K physical disc. Dolby Vision all around, HDMI as the connection.

to highlight vertical banding as well I pulled up a 5% grey YouTube video.

5206AAD2-5271-42B1-A29F-132C1F1C7F5C.jpeg


The relative overexposure of this in a dark room exaggerates it but it isn’t good.

Conversing with Buydig via eBay now and sent them this. Asked for a refund instead of an exchange given the NASIOC crew’s likely correct thought that the refurbs are probably there in the first place due to panel issues.
 

canadmos

Cake Tease
May 29, 2011
21,904
21,429
Canaderp
Blu-ray player. 4K physical disc. Dolby Vision all around, HDMI as the connection.

to highlight vertical banding as well I pulled up a 5% grey YouTube video.

View attachment 190323

The relative overexposure of this in a dark room exaggerates it but it isn’t good.

Conversing with Buydig via eBay now and sent them this. Asked for a refund instead of an exchange given the NASIOC crew’s likely correct thought that the refurbs are probably there in the first place due to panel issues.
I meant what is the TV plugged into, as in the wall, power bar, potato etc. But yeah that grey video doesn't look good.

I've seen some funky waves like the previous video on some screens when they were plugged into iffy power connections in the factory here. Or when sitting next to some of the old machines that are operating.
 

Toshi

butthole powerwashing evangelist
Oct 23, 2001
39,640
8,685
Got the house heated, again, for the swallow bugs. Also will need to have a pest control outfit see exactly what creatures are living where as the swallow bugs clearly are living on some small creature’s tail feathers. Or tails.

Two trailers with 40 kW gensets. Heaters everywhere. House ~130F throughout main and top floors now.

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The structural engineer’s visit to assess the deck for hot tub/swim spa shoring up concerns also coincidentally was this morning. His assessment is basically that the deck is well built (probably to twice code now) but that it’d need reinforcement for either a normal hot tub (about 100 lb/sq ft before people) or a swim spa (about 160 lb/sq ft before people).

For the swim spa he thought it would require multiple posts in concrete caissons plus a metal I beam superstructure. He back of napkined that as $30k of work.

For the regular Bullfrog R8 hot tub he back of napkined it as $5k of work: one caisson, one post centered under it, and then wood beams perpendicular to the stringers that exist to distribute the load to the post. He also recommended adding some metal bolted plates on the facing towards and away from house interface of the outer beams as in this photo (so plates on all four sides ultimately):

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The story’s not over yet, though: after the engineer wrapped up I was hanging around with the heat treatment guy in the basement and mentioned what I was after, and that my swim spa dream appeared to have been crushed by cost/feasibility. Said guy then mentioned that before getting into the heat treatment business he was a Class A licensed contractor for 25 years, and that he thought it could be done significantly cheaper. He envisioned five or so posts in concrete caissons and a rectangular I beam construct supported on them, again serving the same purpose of relieving the deck proper of load bearing for it.

He took some photos of his own, I emailed him the swim spa specs, and he’s going to get one of his engineer friends to draw up plans that he’d execute as the contractor should I go that route (still paying engineer 1 for his thoughts and to draw up plans for his proposal). So there may be hope yet.
 
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Toshi

butthole powerwashing evangelist
Oct 23, 2001
39,640
8,685
I meant what is the TV plugged into, as in the wall, power bar, potato etc. But yeah that grey video doesn't look good.

I've seen some funky waves like the previous video on some screens when they were plugged into iffy power connections in the factory here. Or when sitting next to some of the old machines that are operating.
Ah, got it. i think I plugged it right into the wall. I do have a sine wave inverter UPS but I don’t think I plugged into it. Wavy artifact only with panning motion at certain intensities of light. Seems a panel or circuitry fault imo.
 

6thElement

Schrodinger's Immigrant
Jul 29, 2008
17,150
14,627
Blu-ray player. 4K physical disc. Dolby Vision all around, HDMI as the connection.

to highlight vertical banding as well I pulled up a 5% grey YouTube video.

View attachment 190323

The relative overexposure of this in a dark room exaggerates it but it isn’t good.

Conversing with Buydig via eBay now and sent them this. Asked for a refund instead of an exchange given the NASIOC crew’s likely correct thought that the refurbs are probably there in the first place due to panel issues.
Or it was damaged when it was moved downstairs :p
 

Toshi

butthole powerwashing evangelist
Oct 23, 2001
39,640
8,685
Revisiting the "what matchy matchy skis would potentially come in lengths that'd fit eldest kid when she's full size and me alike" idea, here are some ideas, from this overall rather absurdly positive "comparison" listicle by Ski Essentials:


Edit: could also do similar shade 104 Ti for her, 106 Ti+ for me. In a similar vein of close but not absolute matchy would be Blizzard Cochise 106 me, Black Pearl 97 her.
Decided to go a “similar theme but not actually matching” route since I like my Mindbenders and should probably keep them and my Land Cruiser forever and ever.

Anyway, Bob Leisure (scam site? I guess I’ll find out) had 2020-2021 K2 Mindbender 106C in 159 cm still, nicely discounted as NOS. Their color scheme actually thematically fits my yellow ones better than the same-year 2019-2020 model, and the less burly 106C should be a good ski for her when she’s 5’ 4” or so as she’ll still be very thin, I’m guessing.

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duly ordered up. Shall live in the shed as flat skis until she grows into them, then will put similarly non exact match Look Pivots on them. She was psyched by the prospect, and indulging her interests as steered by me to match mine :D ultimately is the point.
 

rideit

Bob the Builder
Aug 24, 2004
24,579
12,414
In the cleavage of the Tetons
Hey Toshi, if you happen to leave this mortal coil early, I’ll be sure to have a QR code on your tomb/grave/public obelisk that links directly to this thread.
And I’ll be sure to leave some Kari-pan For the Buddha.
 

Toshi

butthole powerwashing evangelist
Oct 23, 2001
39,640
8,685
Saw your activity on Facebook re Evolve, @rideit . You have experience with them? Might jump ship from Vacasa after the renovations—10 vs 30% and starting a listing anew with fresh reviews and photos after the changes would be probably in order.
 

Toshi

butthole powerwashing evangelist
Oct 23, 2001
39,640
8,685

wat

View attachment 190260

this one probably goes like 2 mph though
 

Toshi

butthole powerwashing evangelist
Oct 23, 2001
39,640
8,685
I looked closely at my hi viz Looks in response to Nick’s comment in my Switzerland thread:
all Pivots other than black look beat to shit after a season anyway.

embrace your inner-FABULOUS and get something flashy and on this continent.
and he is correct.

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time to adjust forward pressure to something that hopefully works for my new 301304 mm BSL AT boots and old-ass 306 mm alpine boots (both nominally 26.5 but K2 and Tecnica, respectively).
 
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Toshi

butthole powerwashing evangelist
Oct 23, 2001
39,640
8,685
time to adjust forward pressure to something that hopefully works for my new 301 mm BSL AT boots and old-ass 306 mm alpine boots (both nominally 26.5 but K2 and Tecnica, respectively).
Just watched a video and it doesn’t look to be that bad. I’d expected some horrible process given their reputation, but it seems to be try boot, see if white plastic thing is behind line to indicate adequate forward pressure, take out boot, engage heel piece without boot to expose adjustment screws, screw them in or out a bit, try boot again.
 

Toshi

butthole powerwashing evangelist
Oct 23, 2001
39,640
8,685
I totally misread the box. Only the weird 3 piece FL3X boots are 301 at 26.5. These ones are 304. Forward pressure looked the same so I didn’t touch anything.

E5C18D98-DE02-435F-8652-668EDA5C0A73.jpeg

306

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304

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misread the asterisks

gah, looking at it full size does show a slight difference. I’ll shorten up the legs just a touch

update:

1AA30BB0-BCBB-42C9-99CE-424B776A5DD6.jpeg

304 post adjustment
 
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Toshi

butthole powerwashing evangelist
Oct 23, 2001
39,640
8,685
to highlight vertical banding as well I pulled up a 5% grey YouTube video.

5206AAD2-5271-42B1-A29F-132C1F1C7F5C.jpeg


The relative overexposure of this in a dark room exaggerates it but it isn’t good.

Conversing with Buydig via eBay now and sent them this. Asked for a refund instead of an exchange given the NASIOC crew’s likely correct thought that the refurbs are probably there in the first place due to panel issues.
Buydig first offered $200 refunded if I kept it and worked through the 3rd party warranty company (which the astute reader will recall already said wasn’t in their scope due to being defective upon arrival, and that I should ask for a return from the original seller). I declined and asked for a return outright at their cost.

They countered with $246 and the same deal. I declined again. No response since 11 am… so I escalated and formally initiated a return through eBay’s interface.

Says I should get a return label (! yeah, this’ll be a freight company not UPS!) by Friday.

8684A74C-047A-4E37-A041-5C2F82765C5E.png


Update: they kept on dragging their feet, clearly not wanting to accept this back. Offered $200, $246, $320, $425, and ultimately $499 off if I'd go through warranty. Problem is there's no LG warranty (they claimed 1 year, not true per LG!) and the Allstate/Squaretrade third party warranty already told me it's the seller's problem at this point, not theirs.

Finally got them to requisition the carrier to pick up the return. Will call to schedule that tomorrow and then figure out when I'm packing up this big beast and getting that giant box back upstairs.
 
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CBJ

year old fart
Mar 19, 2002
13,130
4,929
Copenhagen, Denmark

I’d read blurbs about EVs taking off in China and thought they were mainly in the tiny car, NEV type market. Turns out it’s much more broad:

View attachment 190355
Looks like a smart decision to move their big part of the industry into EVs to gain an advantage on the rest of the world and sink as little investments into ICE?
 

Toshi

butthole powerwashing evangelist
Oct 23, 2001
39,640
8,685








Trying a different center channel speaker upon recommendations from NASIOC. Big one is a Monoprice Monolith THX-365C. Small one is the one with the Pioneer 5.1 Andrew Jones set that I started this all with, so matches the front speakers. Smaller original Pioneer is ported, big Monolith isn’t.

Just enough space in the center position in the media console as in the last photo.

Not a huge difference (albeit without re-running Audyssey). Big center maybe a bit more sensitive (louder at same power)? Clearer center-located highs is the one definite thing I noticed from the opening of Dune.


Update: listened to opening of Dune (and several other scenes!) again with full family, and we agreed that the difference is slight. Shall be returned.
 
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Toshi

butthole powerwashing evangelist
Oct 23, 2001
39,640
8,685
F9D2C41D-D9CB-4E13-87B7-AA371C339CEF.jpeg


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now with my precious heat re-added. All ready for maiden voyage on Wednesday (with wife and middle kid—her special ski day with us).

Shell and liner alike are noticeably lighter than the alpine Ten.2 boots, which makes sense given their intent. Stiffness is nominally the same at 120.
 
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Toshi

butthole powerwashing evangelist
Oct 23, 2001
39,640
8,685
There comes a time to upgrade the crap brakes on my commuter e-bike. Even bled and actuating properly they’re just not that powerful.

I would like some 4 piston XT brakes with 203/180 rotors. Time to figure out the adapters.

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Toshi

butthole powerwashing evangelist
Oct 23, 2001
39,640
8,685
Went 203/203. I think these are the right adapters.

A9967DC6-5F28-4630-A4FF-362D00A3A73E.jpeg
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Toshi

butthole powerwashing evangelist
Oct 23, 2001
39,640
8,685
My Buna skier

2CD1FBC3-7CFD-401A-8210-49CA51973F39.jpeg
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First day out on the new boots. Tight at the toes when I put them on. Felt fine during the day. Took them off while at lunch—bootfitter said to do so. They ski fine, perhaps a touch softer than my nominally the same 120 stiffness Tecnicas.
 
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Toshi

butthole powerwashing evangelist
Oct 23, 2001
39,640
8,685
Got a minivan Hot Wheels because my commitment to that lifestyle is that deep



That said, made a pact with the wife that after the EQB arrives we will sell my Land Cruiser (and keep the minivan instead as the second vehicle) if she’s not just enamored with it.
 
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Toshi

butthole powerwashing evangelist
Oct 23, 2001
39,640
8,685
Update: they kept on dragging their feet, clearly not wanting to accept this back. Offered $200, $246, $320, $425, and ultimately $499 off if I'd go through warranty. Problem is there's no LG warranty (they claimed 1 year, not true per LG!) and the Allstate/Squaretrade third party warranty already told me it's the seller's problem at this point, not theirs.

Finally got them to requisition the carrier to pick up the return. Will call to schedule that tomorrow and then figure out when I'm packing up this big beast and getting that giant box back upstairs.
Carrier is picking it up tomorrow. Managed to re pack it and get the big ol’ box upstairs with my wife.

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Toshi

butthole powerwashing evangelist
Oct 23, 2001
39,640
8,685
NB: the caved in appearance at the top is not significant. The top and bottom “hats” are extra pieces. Bubble material at the corner between the real box corners and the hats, if you will, and bubble material along the bottom of the regular box between it and the bottom hat.

The top hat only has the corners with bubble material so the unsupported middle section collapsed a bit. Again this isn’t part of the TV’s actual box, per se.
 

Toshi

butthole powerwashing evangelist
Oct 23, 2001
39,640
8,685
Powerwalls now (again) on sale by themselves. As I already have an oversized PV array I should look into the economics of this re IRA, Denver, and possibly Xcel incentives.

 

Westy

the teste
Nov 22, 2002
55,944
21,976
Sleazattle
Take note, y’all

“[N]ew findings suggest that, for most people, happiness does improve with higher earnings — up to $500,000 a year.”

The only thing preventing me from happiness is a 500 hour work week or a profession that holds a significant portion of the population in a hostage state somewhere between bankruptcy and death.

I'll get right on that.
 

Toshi

butthole powerwashing evangelist
Oct 23, 2001
39,640
8,685
The only thing preventing me from happiness is a 500 hour work week or a profession that holds a significant portion of the population in a hostage state somewhere between bankruptcy and death.

I'll get right on that.
wat
 

Toshi

butthole powerwashing evangelist
Oct 23, 2001
39,640
8,685
If you like your Mindbender 108 Tis the 116c would be a great place to start.
It's hard to parse reviews, but it seems like the stiffer but lighter Dispatch might actually be a better tool for chopped up snow than the 116c... going just by the Blister word here:
I want a Goldilocks ski, just a little wider and floatier but still damp. Infused with magic pls
if I can rationalize it as an extra set of inbound powder skis that happen to have Cast bindings…
moving this to my thread as this is more an exercise of "what'd be a nice, complementary powder ski that happens to have a Cast binding?" instead of an alpine touring ski question, per se/since I know you all were waiting with bated breath:

K2 updated the Mindbender C line for this upcoming season.

Blister peoples said:
The new Mindbender 90 C, Mindbender 96 C, Mindbender 106 C, and Mindbender 116 C feature a new construction with carbon and flax for added damping at minimal extra weight. They also feature deeper rocker lines, particularly in the tail, for added maneuverability.
hopefully this isn't a proto-only non-ugly color scheme as opposed to their "splatter of puke in different shades" theme for this year:



No info beyond the scant bit in the quote.

The Rustler 11, which my buddy Paul also suggested, has also been refreshed:

Blister peoples said:
dubbed “FluxForm,” this approach involves two separate pieces of titanal that run over the edges from tip to tail, tapering as they get closer to the extremities. On the Rustler skis, there’s also a piece of titanal under the binding area, whereas the women’s Sheeva models use a layer of fiberglass in that area.


180 cm at ~2,000g, 19 m radius would work nicely on paper. it's 112 mm underfoot, not 110 as one might assume by the number: 9 == 96-98, 10 == 102-103, 11 == 112-114. 112 in my size, 180.



Speaking of "titanal", I don't get why it's pronounced "teet en awl" in all the videos. It's an aluminum alloy with titanium and vanadium:


Have I been pronouncing "titanium" wrong all these years?! "teet eh knee um" eh?
 
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Toshi

butthole powerwashing evangelist
Oct 23, 2001
39,640
8,685
Speaking of "titanal", I don't get why it's pronounced "teet en awl" in all the videos. It's an aluminum alloy with titanium and vanadium:

Have I been pronouncing "titanium" wrong all these years?! "teet eh knee um" eh?
Ok, not _all_ the videos. This one pronounces it like titanium:


They have a nice overview of the structure changes in the Blizzard lineup but I only trust the skiing of one of the two guys and they also skied on what appeared to be very crap East coast conditions to boot.
 

Toshi

butthole powerwashing evangelist
Oct 23, 2001
39,640
8,685
I have a rustler 11 in 188, it's a fun shape, damp construction, fun ski. but I'd never in a million years want to climb with it
Is it the weight, per se? Because I'm going to be slow no matter what, because no e-assist as @6thElement has so cruelly pointed out

:D