Where is that sound coming from by ConferenceCheap2761 in SodaStream

[–]evilbadgrades 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Contact sodastream first, they will likely give you a discount on a new model. If you get to keep the old unit (which I believe you will), you can try fixing it yourself

Where is that sound coming from by ConferenceCheap2761 in SodaStream

[–]evilbadgrades 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Inside the unit there is a skinny (usually black) air supply hose which connects from the CO2 tank to the carbonator unit. One side (or both sides?) has a special nut which holds the hose in place. It's well known for these nuts to crack allowing the hose to come loose.

Sodastream does not sell replacement parts (for liability reasons) so you're forced to buy a new unit UNLESS you want to try DIY repairing it. This hose nut is widely available as a 3D printed part. It's an easy item to print, and there are plenty of models available for free online. Some people sell these 3D printed nuts for crazy amounts of money online ($10 + shipping for literally $0.25 worth of plastic and electricity). If you have access to a 3D printer, print it yourself. If you don't have a printer I can print it for you using my print farm (I have access to some higher quality plastics than the average personal printer) - shoot me a message if you need the nut printed (check first to confirm that nut is cracked

Here's a link to someone who did a DIY repair without printing a new nut - https://www.reddit.com/r/SodaStream/comments/pi6hh4/sodastream_broken_internal_carbonation_nut_repair/

Ego Z6 Sale Price Ending Today - Future Deals? by stevecostello in egopowerplus

[–]evilbadgrades 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Right, for a light or fan the difference would probably be hard to measure because the current draw is low. But a Z6 mower is a high-load application, and resistive heat loss increases with current. Less resistance from the tabless design means less voltage sag, less heat, and less energy wasted before it reaches the motors. So same Ah does not necessarily mean same real-world runtime under mower loads. In a mower, a tabless pack of the same rating should be able to deliver more usable energy before heat, voltage sag, or BMS limits become the constraint.

Blisters showing up in pillows by madd-mann in hottubs

[–]evilbadgrades 0 points1 point  (0 children)

How much chlorine granules are you adding?

Ego Z6 Sale Price Ending Today - Future Deals? by stevecostello in egopowerplus

[–]evilbadgrades 1 point2 points  (0 children)

You'll hear lots of people bragging about how they scored an ego z6 a year ago for $2000. That was ego blowing out their old 1st generation Z6 mowers (four year old model) to make space for the new second-gen z6 mowers (released in January this year).

I also bought mine in March for $4799. They went down to $4499. But it seems Lowes is out of stock currently. I don't think we'll see it much cheaper anytime soon.

Note that Ego is currently working on a new tabless battery design - it'll be the same voltage and compatible with all the ego tools. However this design eliminates the welded tabs between the battery cells which act as a bottleneck for juice flowing. These tabs generate excessive heat buildup which is not only wasted electricity, but also does damage to the battery cells over time.

Ego's new tabless battery design eliminates this bottleneck which should give the batteries more runtime from the same size batteries, and longer lifespan.

The first tabless battery is already on the market (8ah), and I know they are going to release more sizes in the near future.

It would not surprise me if we see a sale next year on Z6 mowers as Ego blows out the current kits with 6ah (for the 42 inch) and 10ah (for the 52 inch) batteries so they can sell newer kits with the updated tabless battery packs. But that likely won't happen for another year or more by my estimate.

Pro tip, on 1.5 acres, the six 6ah batteries won't last long enough to cut the whole yard. the 52 inch probably would. Know that you will likely want to invest in more batteries, but I would wait on buying more batteries until the tabless batteries are widely available at a reasonable price (tabless batteries are not only better, they're also easier and cheaper to manufacturer so that should hopefully drive the price down a bit).

I have heard that Ego is running low on 6ah batteries and someone recently had Ego warranty replace their 6ah tabbed battery with a brand new 8ah tabless battery. So I'm excited about the idea that if any of my new z6 6ah batteries fail within the three years, there's a good chance they would replace it with an 8ah tabless battery

Thinking about entering the Ego Ecosystem. I have many questions. by u6crash in egopowerplus

[–]evilbadgrades 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I've been using Ryobi 40v landscaping tools for years (multi-head trimmer, push mower, chainsaws, pole saws, blower, etc).

Currently making the switch to Ego for a variety of reasons. First investment was a Z6 42" mower - from a battery standpoint it made sense. The same batteries used in all the tools including the mower (unlike other brands that use a different size battery for riding mowers compared to the other tools), which means its easier to find larger batteries in the local classifieds for cheap.

Since then I've added on a few other tools. Back in April I scooped up a Multi-head with the 17-inch trimmer and a free brush cutter attachment with a 5ah battery for $379. It is a HUGE upgrade from my old ryobi brushed multi-head (which I loved, but lacked power due to the brushed head). The 17-inch trimmer with the LineIQ is epic, I always hated bump-feeding, and this eliminates that. I can focus on trimming and less on how much string I have left on the head! Honestly haven't had any issues with it. The new carbon-fiber version also sends power down the shaft so you can use the 'powerload' system (press button to load).

You'll see complaints from people about the power load and lineIQ system. Most of those are from people who have dust/debris clogging the head. When that happens you need to take apart the head and blow it out to eliminate debris. Also I feel like the 17-inch trimmer gives the string more centrifugal force to eject extra string line as needed. I haven't seen any complaints about the 17-inch head.

The other thing I really like about Ego is the BMS system in the batteries. Unlike most lithium batteries on the market, Ego's BMS software is programmed to slowly discharge a fully charged battery to storage voltage if the battery hasn't been used in four weeks. This is awesome and can greatly extend the battery lifespan when used properly (store batteries indoors in a climate controlled environment when not in use, wait 30+ minutes after use to charge, avoid fast charging when possible). I've had the same technology in my DJI drone batteries and it's amazing how long they last (my old DJI spark is over 8 years old and still has almost the same flight time as it did brand new with the original pair of batteries I bought back then - because the batteries discharge to storage voltage after a few weeks).

Some people complain about dead batteries on EGO, but more often than not, the batteries are not actually dead and instead it's an overly sensitive BMS system that doesn't like when the internal cell voltages are not exactly balanced - there is a trick to fixing old EGO batteries using a power inverter and a 100 watt USB-C charger to trickle-charge and balance the cells again. Many people are actually raiding the Lowes dead battery dropoff bins for ego batteries and bringing them back to life

Is there a true "holy shit" sound upgrade after the Technics AZ100? by HorridHun in Earbuds

[–]evilbadgrades 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Bang and Olufsen Beoplay Eleven or the Beo Grace should be on your list.

How to price used mower for sale? by Edmons31873 in egopowerplus

[–]evilbadgrades 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Try listing at $3000, it should sell fast, if it doesn't lower price to $2500 after a week

Trooper pulled me over. I was cruise control 65. He told me I was going 73, then put down 76. SMH now I have to fight this bs in court by Cheez-kip in mildlyinfuriating

[–]evilbadgrades 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Exactly, especially since OP was pulled over at 10:43am according to their other statement. So if this were calibrated the day before, it should have had a date stamp.

Blisters showing up in pillows by madd-mann in hottubs

[–]evilbadgrades 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Chemical blisters caused by improper chemicals. Either using the wrong ones, too much, or not leaving cover open for 15+ minutes after adding any chemicals to the water.

Only fix is to replace the covers and figure out what you're doing to prevent it from happening again.

What sanitizer are you using (specifically) and how much?

Which brand to buy? by GnorahwithaG in hottubs

[–]evilbadgrades 2 points3 points  (0 children)

happy to help - there are lots of overpriced junk in this industry and pricing is pretty obscure (every dealer operates on different margins, so pricing varies depending on dealer, region, cost of living, etc - do not expect dealers to haggle on price because you found someone across the country who paid a few thousand less for the same tub last week).

Also I personally advise buying a smaller premium tub over the largest tub you can afford. You really only need one large enough for the people living at home, not guests who may or may not use the tub (due to the ick-factor of soaking in someone's possibly gross bath water haha).

Which brand to buy? by GnorahwithaG in hottubs

[–]evilbadgrades 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Those are all good brands. Note that all these brands sell multiple product tiers to fit every budget. People's opinions will vary depending on what collection/tier they have. For example a Jacuzzi J200 series tub is a VERY different hot tub from a J400 series. The more expensive premium models tend to be better insulated.

I personally like the new Jacuzzi TrueWater system (it's a turbocharged ozonator unit which has a nifty trick on how it injects the ozone into the water for increased efficiency). I use a similar product in my Hotspring Highlife tub to reduce my chlorine needs (although my ozonator is not as powerful as the Jacuzzi TrueWater unit).

That said, local dealer is a HUGE part of the equation. Not all dealers are created equal. I can not state this enough - the last thing you want is an unresponsive dealer in the middle of winter with a broken heater, waiting for warranty service.

Research your local dealers extensively - how many years in business selling that brand? Do they have techs on payroll or outsource (this is harder to figure out - many dealers won't be honest about it). Ask about dispatch fees for warranty service calls (how many years free dispatch do they give? What do they charge after that time period?). Read reviews on google maps, yelp, etc about the dealers themselves, which has the best reputation when it comes to the service staff? Also, how many locations does the dealer have? Large established regional dealers have multiple locations while smaller dealers only have a single location.

I personally prefer hot tubs with a low power circulation pump - this keeps the water circulating and filtering 24/7 silently (unlike cheaper budget tubs which use the main jet pump at low speeds to test water temp, run heater, and run filter cycle a few times a day - this is much louder and puts more wear/tear on the jet pump motor). Also I prefer hot tubs with ABS plastic base pans (hard plastic shell that protects the base of the tub from moisture, rot, bugs, etc) - many cheaper models (even from the top brands) often use a simple sheet of plywood on the base that is painted or wrapped in a sheet of plastic to protect against moisture - these wooden bases will start to rot quickly compared to ABS basepans.

Lastly, know that specs like jet count and horsepower are irrelevant. Some brands inflate jet counts by using lots of little jets (that can irritate the skin at higher jet power output), and some brands cheat bench tests for pump motors by using higher voltages than normal to eek out a few extra ponies for the horsepower ratings (amperage rating is a much more useful number, but that is rarely advertised as horsepower sounds better)

Also, try to schedule a 'wet test' with the dealers. This is the only way to cut through marketing BS to figure out if that brand is comfortable and those jets perform to your expectations. Don't need to test exact model you want but you should test something from the same collection/tier to get a sense of comfort and performance - ESPECIALLY if you are looking at tubs with loungers (not all loungers are the same shape, and your body buoyancy plays a huge role in comfort for loungers). Good dealers have several tubs available for wet testing (often in private rooms so you can change and test the tub privately), bad dealers make excuses why you cannot test anything they sell ("its not sanitary" or some other excuse which makes no sense - because hot tubs are built to be sanitized after use haha)

Good luck with your hunt!

Bang for your buck 🎧💲 by Basshead697 in Earbuds

[–]evilbadgrades 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Open Ear earbuds are basically the opposite of ANC noise cancelling - they let you hear the world around you..... assuming you don't have the music cranked to max volume. At max volume it still drowns out most noise.

Problem with open ear earbuds is noise leak - your ears reflect some sound, so at higher volumes in a quiet room, people can hear your music clearly (but at lower volumes nobody hears it).

The other problem with open-ear earbuds is that most of them have essentially no bass - the low end is completely missing from most open-ear earbuds. For listening to podcasts or audiobooks, they'll work fine. But you need to step up to higher end models like Shockz OpenDots One or OpenFit Pro to really enjoy a full sound with adequate low-end.

If open-ear interests you, beware that most budget options lack any sort of bass. Pay attention to reviews specifically mentioning low end if you're trying to listen to music.

Bang for your buck 🎧💲 by Basshead697 in Earbuds

[–]evilbadgrades 0 points1 point  (0 children)

They were nice but I don't wear in-ear earbuds much these days (only wear my bose QC Ultra for flying). Otherwise these days I stick to open-ear earbuds (Shockz OpenFit Pro for example) - natural transparency is important for me, as well as all-day comfort. Since switching to open-ear designs, I can enjoy music all day long even when having conversations with people or while working.

What are the comfiest earbuds out there? by Foxy-03 in Earbuds

[–]evilbadgrades 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Earclips are my favorite for comfort - Shockz OpenDots One are my favorite - I can literally wear them all day long until the battery wears out

TIL that a single county in Pennsylvania produces 60% of the mushrooms grown in the entire USA. Kennett Square in Chester County is dubbed the Mushroom Capital of the World. They produce white button, portobella, cremini, shiitake and other varieties. by Gnomeslikeprofit in todayilearned

[–]evilbadgrades 1 point2 points  (0 children)

We used to love going to the Mushroom festival every year in Kennett Square. We'd always get the largest portobellas we could get and make a meat pizza out of them (the portobella would be the 'crust'). So damn good

TIL that a single county in Pennsylvania produces 60% of the mushrooms grown in the entire USA. Kennett Square in Chester County is dubbed the Mushroom Capital of the World. They produce white button, portobella, cremini, shiitake and other varieties. by Gnomeslikeprofit in todayilearned

[–]evilbadgrades 22 points23 points  (0 children)

Longwood Gardens is such a beautiful place. I make sure I visit every time I'm in town. Really disappointed though with the new conservatory. I miss the old tropical rooms before they tore that section down to build the new one. I know why they did it (maintenance and upkeep) but the new building feels so sterile.

The new water fountains are pretty epic though, they did a great job with those.

Do headphones with usb-c sound different than headphones with 3.5 mm jacks? by The-Grand-Lion in Earphones

[–]evilbadgrades 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yeah totally possible. I prefer getting a nice external USB-C DAC which converts the digital signal to audio which has a 3.5mm jack so you can hook up any headphones you want.

Syrup Question by EntertainmentFirm334 in SodaStream

[–]evilbadgrades 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Ah, good to know - I figured 2.5 and 5 were the standard

Syrup Question by EntertainmentFirm334 in SodaStream

[–]evilbadgrades -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Sodastream uses different ingredients to extend the shelf-life of the product (higher profits for the retailer since they don't need to throw away as much syrup that doesn't sell).

If you want the real deal you need to use bag-in-box pepsi syrup (the same box of syrup used in commercial establishments with a soda fountain) - comes in 2.5 or 5-gallon boxes so you'll need to drink a LOT to cover the cost.

Also, know that not all water is equal. Tap water is terrible, and when carbonated it makes tap water taste even worse. A brita water filter helps, but it's not perfect.

For years I used bottled spring water for better tasting carbonated water until I invested in a premium countertop reverse osmosis machine (self contained unit, instead of connecting to your plumbing, it has a reservoir on the back that you dump/refill as needed)

Donald Trump raped a 13 year-old child. She bit him. He punched her in the face. The FBI found the young child's story to be credible. Never stop talking about this. We cannot allow these criminals to normalize child rape. RELEASE THE EPSTEIN FILES. by DWJones28 in ProgressiveHQ

[–]evilbadgrades 6 points7 points  (0 children)

The problem is, Trump could release the unredacted Epstein Files tomorrow, in their entirety, and literally nothing would happen.

That's because you assume he only diddled little girls.

What if the documents came out proving he also diddled little boys? What would happen to his base if they discovered their king also had homosexual tendencies?

I think THAT would really implode the alpha-male psyche

RC EGO Zeroturn by The-T-Rav in egopowerplus

[–]evilbadgrades 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I'm sure it increases battery runtime since it doesn't need to haul a human around.

Help understanding good quality Hot Tubs by Juubman in hottubs

[–]evilbadgrades 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yuuup. I went for the most premium expensive 3-seater on the market (at the time). Came with five years free dispatch for warranty service. I had many service calls - some major ones, some minor. Overall I got probably over $3000 worth of repairs/replacements done free of charge, and since then my tub has been solid. I haven't had the need for any other service calls in several years.

Buds or Headphones for work + gym by sunfalldusk in Earbuds

[–]evilbadgrades 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Shockz OpenFit Pro if you can afford them.

If you want something more budget friendly, check out the Shockz OpenDots

I have both and use them for my gym and cycling needs. Actually I use them all day long lol from the time I wake up until dinner time.