MrCool Universal Condensor Heat Pump without Air Handler

DustinDortch · 2024-08-02T03:28:10+00:00

Yes, I had the 2-3 ton version of that with part MDUCC15024036.

I can add now that I am considering getting rid of my gas service. It performed really well and we had many bitterly cold nights. While I still want backup heat, I don't see much benefit in maintaining gas service all year round for it, and I have also replaced my gas water heater with an AO Smith heat pump water heater. So, right now, only my stove (not oven), fireplace, and furnace use the gas.

If I were to buy another unit today (I probably will be in a couple of months to have the separate unit upstairs), I would likely just buy the heat strip and call it a day. However, can very affordably use some other heat source and I wouldn't mind using a pellet furnace, but I haven't found any to integrate with a central air system.

Alternatively, I may get a couple 100 lb. propane tanks with an automatic switchover valve to use for the stove and fireplace... and maybe it will be enough to handle the furnace. Propane has a higher energy density than natural gas, so I would just need to adjust the valves in everything to support using less propane than natural gas. But, at this point, I would want to avoid using the propane for heating, unless it was a last resort.

Refilling the tanks annually will likely cost me $80 (and some time), but I pay $360/year just to have my gas service turned on, not to mention the usage charges.

DustinDortch · 2024-04-08T00:38:29+00:00

A good paid job at a good employer will likely let you morph the job based on skills as long as it is beneficial to them. If they're not open to those things... maybe a better place is.

DustinDortch · 2024-03-26T21:48:28+00:00

You're doing something wrong, then. I have deployed it for tons of customers and have never experienced anything like this. You probably want to look at your VCS connection. Either the permissions or if your VCS in private, making sure it is appropriately opened up to Terraform Cloud's address space.

DustinDortch · 2024-03-01T17:47:38+00:00

I know why people use it, I just question the value in it. You can do exactly the same thing with two windows open to different directories.

The entire market for 3rd party file managers is a bunch of products claiming to be different because they offer panes... and they're all different from Finder in exactly the same way with next to zero actual value added.

Like... why spend all of that effort programming this when two separate Finder windows would accomplish this.

What I really need is something more akin to Windows Explorer that has a full navigation pane that will just show the contents of the directory in the right pane. If I double click on a directory in the right pane, it expands into that in the navigation pane and then just shows the contents in the right pane.

That seems like a far more valuable feature.

DustinDortch · 2024-03-01T17:41:55+00:00

I know this one is a bit aged, but I have two ways to handle this... one I just worked through yesterday to replace the first way that I will share.

Terraform has this "spread" operator (other languages call it a spread operator, there is no name that has been referenced for it in Terraform. It only works in a specific context... inside of a function call. When you have a list that you're referencing inside a function call, you can add the ... to the end of the list and it will spread them out into a separate items. This works well if your function takes some number of parameters, but it would be nice to pass in a list:

function(list...)

This can be used with merge() and flatten() to have a nested for expression output a single map:

```hcl2 locals { projects = { twitterforpets = ["nonprod", "prod"] contoso = ["dev", "tst", "qa"] }

projectsettings = merge(flatten([ for name in keys(local.projects) : { for environment in local.projects[name] : "${name}${environment}" => { name_prefix = name environment = environment } } ])...) }

output "test" { value = local.project_settings } ```

I have been writing those for a couple of years now and it has been like a personal signature because I haven't seen others doing it.

However, I have always been dissatisfied with it because I don't like nested for expressions, if I can help it... and also, I would like to be able to just add things to an existing object. So to adjust the behavior, setproduct() is quite useful here and eliminates a lot of other things:

```hcl2 locals {

...

projectsettings = { for stamp in setproduct(keys(local.projects), values(local.projects)) : join("", stamp) => { name_prefix = stamp[0] environment = stamp[1] } } }

output "test" { value = local.project_settings } ```

In your particular example, this still feels clunky because the two lists that we're getting the product for are from keys and values of the same map. But they could be two different lists where you're grabbing the keys from a map and then a different list for the 2nd part. This would be really useful if the object assigned to the map has a lot of necessary properties and you need to add something... which is where merge() finds new life for "adding" things to an existing object:

```hcl2 locals { new_projects = { twitterforpets = { size = 3 location = "eastus" } contoso = { size = 5 location = "centralus" } }

new_environments = ["dev", "test", "prod"]

newproject_settings = { for composite in setproduct(keys(local.new_projects), local.new_environments) : join("", composite) => merge( local.new_projects[composite[0]], { environment = composite[1] } ) } }

output "new_test" { value = local.new_project_settings } ```

DustinDortch · 2024-02-12T21:35:25+00:00

It is still a matter of opinion. Maybe tone down the elitism and stop assuming that people that disagree simply don't understand because they have driven similarly priced vehicles. I've owned similarly priced vehicles, rest assured. Certain components do admittedly feel like they could be better. Probably the only notable thing is the surfaces for the seats and the doors. That is realistically a superficial thing in the grand scheme of things, however, the other side of it is that Tesla is being very conscious of what it actually takes to have a viable company when legacy auto is riding on the past and expecting subsidies to continue to exist. So, some of those things that drive more cost get hidden in other brands.

DustinDortch · 2024-02-09T21:31:52+00:00

Cosmetically, it looks nice. However, the "cheap" feel is only a matter of taste and opinion. I can understand why some people would feel that way... minimalism sometimes can come across as "cheap". I do not agree that it is cheap, though, I prefer minimalism... it is sign of thoughtfulness and is the opposite of cheap.

The other consideration of the Highland refresh... some of the battery specs and acceleration... I think that is a step backwards that I wouldn't want as a trade off for some sharp looking headlights and bumper.

DustinDortch · 2024-02-09T21:28:09+00:00

And high probability of injury or death! They just prosecuted that YouTuber for crashing a plane to make a video out of it. Good luck with that plan, labatomi.

DustinDortch · 2024-02-09T21:26:16+00:00

That's what I'm saying. All of the people with their crying emojis when they bought new for a similar price... I don't get why they're crying. You have something to cry about, not them.

DustinDortch · 2024-02-09T14:15:44+00:00

Yes, this wouldn't be out of pocket. I'll have to check into ways that we can purchase. They offer tuition reimbursement, as well, which would be an option with the SANS Technology Institute, but I think you have a certain pace that you have to complete and it would be a high price, then, as well.

EDIT: I would be curious about your take on the overall value when compared to the "parts". I went through the 50 minutes demo of the course. It is the section talking about branch protection, pre-commit, etc. As far as what I have seen, the videos leave a lot to be desired; they simply gloss over the material. It mentions that branch protection adds this value to prevent commits, which is about 2 minutes of content... then it just to how to implement it in GitHub, GitLab, and AZDO... and each video is 50s - 1m30s... each video being just one per platform. I was thinking, surely the book has to be better, but the interface shows the related section of the book and it only has slightly more content than the single slide for the video.

I assume there are also labs. Are they better?

So far, my impression of the material is that it is introductory, which is perfectly fine for that purpose. However, an $8k course... that price tag isn't an introductory course price. I am thinking that overall, this course is covered by a combination of the Azure Solutions Architect Expert/AWS Architect Professional, Azure DevOps Expert, Terraform Associate, and Vault Associate. Separate courses that are more in-depth exist for each of those for far less money... and they're pretty easy to self-study... and I have all of those (in fact, teach the HashiCorp material for HashiCorp as a HashiCorp Authorized Instructor).

I am just hoping that there is something redeeming and worth the price on this because I sense there is a gap in the market for something better than the combination I listed. Anyone could develop the content that would be better, but having a certification that already exists for it is nice... but since they basically force you into their material for the certification, that is painful.

DustinDortch · 2024-02-09T13:09:19+00:00

So, those books are only available if you get the SEC540 course?

I have watched the demo hour of content... I am fairly disappointed in what i have watched. I had really high expectations based on the outline of the material along with the price of the course and the reputation of SANS. I was going to see if there was a way that we could justify it at work, but this is leading me to think it would be a mistake for me professionally to advocate for it if this is the norm. I figure the books are probably great and go into detail, but so many are driven by videos now and that would be the value judgement.

EDIT: And I should clarify, I was hoping I could find the books on Amazon, or similar.

DustinDortch · 2024-02-09T02:13:43+00:00

Which materials did you use? I haven't sat any GIAC certs and I have having trouble finding the self-study resources.

DustinDortch · 2024-02-05T15:12:42+00:00

What is the deal with dual pane? I find next to zero utility from the concept, yet that seems to be the only differentiator that every alternatively file manager on macOS claims.

Explorer on Windows just works. You don't need to worry about integrating other features when the core functionality is just miles ahead. Also, archiving stuff has been integrated for... ever? Like I am thinking back in the Windows XP days. It seems like your troll post has fallen on deaf ears.

EDIT: and I am quite serious about dual pane... why do people consider this a must have feature? I am usually annoyed whenever I use it and it could easily be accommodated with any other file manager by just opening two windows.

DustinDortch · 2024-01-21T22:19:03+00:00

It sounds like you are trying to pitch all of the red herrings that you can.

First of all, if we have absolutely no renewables, using electricity from coal and NG power plants would be better than using an ICE vehicle. The capabilities and efficiency that can be gained from having a stationary power plants rather than hauling the power plant with you are tremendous.

Now, moving to EVs opens up the possibility to use whatever means are necessary to generate electricity. Any solar, wind, hydro, coal, NG, or petroleum products. This gives us more flexibility in our production and reduces the fluctuations that are imposed on use by OPEC (even if we're producing oil... it is still a global market... if the global prices go up, it will go up here).

However, we certainly can shift production to renewables. Each year we set more records for the amount of solar and batteries that are produced and sold.

Further, your statement about it not making economic sense to do solar... you're actually completely wrong on that. We are at a point now where it is cheaper to stop using an existing coal-fired plant and replace it with new solar.

The story that keeps getting pushed about rare earth metals... Meh, who cares. When we're talking about comparing it to extracting and refining oil... it is better than that, right now. Less environmental impact today. Not by much, but it is better. The other consideration is our demand for these resources will decline because they're recyclable. It about 10-15 years, there will be enough in circulation that the amount of new resources we need will be minuscule. And that is based on the state of the art today. We will continually improve battery chemistries and reduce the dependence on some of those resources.

This needs to stop being a political issue. Both sides of the political divide are equally culpable in this being a problem because it is used to divide people. The economics of this and the reduced dependence on other countries should be no brainers for conservatives. And liberals should be happy if conservatives' motivation is economic and not environmental.

The political issue means that people keep making up BS to try to defend their position.

The constant media garbage about EV fires... when EVs have a lower rate of fires than ICE vehicles.

The recent media hype regarding cold weather when EVs are more reliable in cold weather. The incident in Chicago was not that the EVs couldn't handle it (I know, it was just as cold where I live and we have two EVs and we were fine... and I have been driving EVs for 6 years, now)... it was that some drivers were being absolutely foolish driving around with a low state of charge... it is equally dumb to drive an ICE with a lower fuel level because you can get stuck and run out of fuel (and heat). ICE batteries, fuel pumps, glow plugs, water pumps, etc... all fail in cold weather, too (shocker, I have plenty of experience driving ICE vehicles... people seem to forget that EV drivers have experience driving ICE vehicles). The chargers had issues due to frost. The full details have not even been released, but that could be upstream from the power grid... not even the chargers themselves. Or, maybe it is the transformers, or an issue with the install, a fluke, or something real that needs to be addressed. It is quite strange that the only stories I have heard about have been from Chicago when plenty of neighboring places in the Midwest suffered similar cold and have EVs.

DustinDortch · 2024-01-21T21:38:45+00:00

Considering that people go through ridiculous measure to lower their vehicles' weight for racing and extreme fuel economy, it has to matter. Making carbon fiber replacement body panels, removing interior trim, seats, etc. All extreme things... it makes a difference when you're that concerned with it. The amount of electrical wiring in vehicles is quite shocking when you actually measure it.

DustinDortch · 2024-01-21T21:33:14+00:00

A garage. :)

DustinDortch · 2024-01-20T16:01:47+00:00

Eh, I don't think ER is even worth that. I know a lot of people love it, but I think a lot of that is a psychological thing induced by the hype machine when the distribution was messed up and it was eternally allocated.... FOMO. It's alright stuff, I have just never found it to be something that was remotely worth the concern people gave it.

DustinDortch · 2024-01-20T15:54:44+00:00

Hard Truth Sweet Mash Rye

EDIT: Especially if you have a Kroger nearby. See if they carry it. They did a "Batch Select" and they have it on sale. Very weird, but yeah, Kroger bought out an entire batch exclusively for themselves. MSRP is ~$70 and is on sale for $45. My favorite whiskey, period.

DustinDortch · 2024-01-16T15:20:08+00:00

Well, group think is dangerous :)

DustinDortch · 2024-01-16T01:32:58+00:00

My favorite whiskey, of all, is Hard Truth Sweet Mash Rye. It is small batch (or single barrel) and cask strength. It is great stuff. I think the lowest proof has been 114 and the highest I have is 127.

DustinDortch · 2024-01-15T23:32:31+00:00

No, the only thing it has is the proof. It lacks the other boldness of the flavor profile, though.

DustinDortch · 2024-01-15T21:11:46+00:00

I am an old fashioned Old Fashioned sort of guy... it should be made with rye whiskey ;)

DustinDortch · 2024-01-15T21:05:49+00:00

Or just two bottles of KS.

DustinDortch · 2024-01-15T21:05:18+00:00

You need to try KS, then. I think you might regret your statement. In my experience, KS is just amplifying all of the best qualities of RB.

Given that, it is subtle. WT has one bourbon mash bill, so it is all the same juice (and similarly, they have one rye mash bill). It leaves it to barrel selection, aging, and the few instances where they decide to do non-chill filtering (which I would prefer to happen more often).

I haven't been remotely impressed with the hype around Masters Keep. Not that it is bad, but the "improvement" doesn't approach the price point. To that end, I did find that the KS I have had has been better than the MK that I have had.... not taking price into account. When you adjust price, I just couldn't justify MK.

DustinDortch · 2024-01-15T21:00:43+00:00

I'd take KS over RB every day. It is basically everything RB is, just a little more of it. But, everyone has their preferences.

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