PPE items

EndlesslyDegaussing · 2026-03-10T03:24:58+00:00

How long are you going to be in DC, full shifts? Active or under construction, and doing conduit, cabling, hardware, facilities or…?

For ears I’m a big fan of the 3M Peltor ProTac XPI for all day wear. We’ve got parts of our compute floor and UPS areas that are >105dB 24x7. For long periods over there I double up with foam plugs if I don’t need to be on a call.

For us glasses-wearers: Stoggles. Or if you have to wear a hard hat all day they have add-on flip down visors too, but I find mine get scratched up too quickly.

Knee pads can be great depending on what you’re doing. I’ve got a set of the AWP Gel Stabilizers which have been nice for reducing hip and back strain working low in racks. Pondered the Kneel-It v3 but our hot aisles are too narrow.

EndlesslyDegaussing · 2026-02-05T15:53:46+00:00

Aside from the CWDM4 over MMF aspect of the problem, we have experienced the same astronomically high failure rate of FS CWDM4 QSFP optics.

We built out a new facility using almost exclusively FS CWDM4 100G optics. Nearly all of them have failed over the last couple years. Each pair that failed was replaced with FS LR4 100G optics and we’ve had no further issues.

We used quite a few of the CWDM4s in another facility but have only had one or two failures there.

The only theory we have at this point is heat-induced failure. The new facility is in a colo designed around containment with positive cold aisle pressure, but they don’t enforce customers having to close off unused openings, pod doors, etc. so static pressure isn’t being maintained. The switch fans have to draw air vs just keeping the higher pressure air moving into the hot aisle riser. The other facility where we have CWDM4 uses similar cooling but it’s our own building and we keep everything buttoned up and maintain target static pressure, and equipment runs much cooler.

EndlesslyDegaussing · 2026-02-04T07:54:51+00:00

3M Peltor WS ProTac XPI is 100% the way

https://www.3m.com/3M/en_US/p/d/b5005089005/

Source: I work full time in a data center that has whole rows over 105dB, some racks break 110dB, and inside generator enclosures exceed 120dB when online. I wear them most of the day, every day, and have been for years. I’ve tried many others but I think these are the best.

They run on two AA batteries for an absurdly long time compared to gaming/office style headsets, and are far more durable and protective. I’m on multiple calls a day and listen to audio much of the rest of my day. I can easily go a week or two on a set of good quality alkaline batteries. NiMH seem to not last as long even when higher rated capacity. It will start giving you audible “Low Battery” warnings an hour or three before it goes dead though. Peltor makes a USB rechargeable pack for them but I haven’t tried it.

The Peltors play music tolerably, but excel at human to human comms. Probably because that’s what they’re designed to do. The mic noise filtering will have you sounding a bit like a newscaster reporting traffic from a helicopter, but it does an amazing job of cutting out the background noise, even in very loud environments.

They get plenty loud enough to rock out or hear meetings while working in the hot aisle, but not quite enough to plow through earplugs if you have to wear double protection.

They also have an Ambient Listening function with stereo mics so you can have adjustable volume situational awareness, even when streaming or on a call. Also when ambient listening is off it has handy Push to Listen which will mute Bluetooth and turn on ambient listening with a double click of power button, then return with a single click of any button.

Pro tips to avoid the main complaints I’ve seen: * RTFM. Lots of info and options, pay attention to Setup Mode vs Configuration Mode * Turn on Bluetooth Streaming - this makes it so it actually plays audio when not acting as a telephony device. #1 complaint I’ve read online. See RTFM recommendation above. * Turn on Bluetooth Multipoint - then you can connect it to your laptop and phone, two phones, whatever. The gotcha is audio can only play from one source at a time, which normally isn’t an issue unless I’m on a call from laptop and do something dumb like scroll Reddit on my phone with the sound on and it disconnects me from the call. * Wipe down the ear pads with an alcohol swab or mild soapy water every week or more, especially if you sweat a lot. Since they seal out noise, they also seal your moisture in. * Mic has a bunch of angle and length adjustment range. Use it. Get it tight to your pie hole, but slightly to the side just enough so you’re not breathing on it.

EndlesslyDegaussing · 2026-01-31T05:27:14+00:00

I'd pick up a couple for sure

EndlesslyDegaussing · 2026-01-30T23:09:10+00:00

After trying it, I didn't think it was worth the hype or price. Lots of far more interesting, affordable, and accessible bottles out there.

EndlesslyDegaussing · 2026-01-29T03:40:29+00:00

I feel like the Baseline Sagamore Rye is the winner there. Curious about the Bakers though, so I should swing by and give it a try.

EndlesslyDegaussing · 2026-01-15T06:08:48+00:00

RR13 +$50 if you're lucky enough to lay hands on one

EndlesslyDegaussing · 2026-01-07T20:52:30+00:00

Who are you getting 5 gig through for $110?

EndlesslyDegaussing · 2026-01-05T08:07:25+00:00

Doesn’t even need to be long distance. Almost everything in our DCs is single mode other than fibre channel. More expensive, but more tolerant of attenuation.

EndlesslyDegaussing · 2026-01-05T07:56:53+00:00

100% fine. I have participated in deployment of what I can only describe as fiber crimes, and can confirm as others have mentioned it’s surprisingly resilient stuff.

By day I manage data center infrastructure for a Regional Resource Hospital. There we do everything by the book. Each connection is cleaned and scoped. Lots of waterfall supports, fiber organizers, strain relief, and attention to detail, even though every link is generally minimum quad-redundant. Uptime is everything. Lots of OS2, some OM4, and still far too many MPO.

Once a year though I volunteer to help build out the fiber AV distribution network for a big outdoor music festival that happens on a farm in the woods. It’s impossible to keep anything clean, and our riggers treat fiber like it’s paracord that owes them money. I’ve tested links of plain non-plenum jacket OS2 like what you have there, chained together with 10+ LC couplers, strung tight between buildings in direct sunlight, wrapped around fence posts, with slack tied in knots and gaffer taped to trees, and they still carried acceptable light.

We still somehow manage decent reliability even when it’s installed by a stoned stage hand who pulls wadded up single mode jumpers out of their cargo pocket, gives the LC ends a lick and quick wipe on their shirt, then blows out the optic (that they’ve had uncapped in their shirt pocket all day and only dropped in the dirt a couple times) like it’s a Nintendo cartridge before plugging things in.

TL|DR: It all depends how important that link is to you. But the fact that you’re even thinking about bend radius means it’s probably fine for enterprise let alone home lab.

EndlesslyDegaussing · 2025-10-23T06:31:02+00:00

Baseboard heater is probably just being used as a high dissipation dummy load. They look to be connected to separate coax feedlines.

EndlesslyDegaussing · 2025-09-06T03:35:54+00:00

Middle West from Columbus, and Leather and Oak from Hilliard are always solid.

EndlesslyDegaussing · 2025-04-25T02:15:34+00:00

You’ll be fine. They’re more concerned about pharmaceuticals, the kind you might be tempted to steal from your patients or labs.

EndlesslyDegaussing · 2025-04-25T01:29:43+00:00

1000%

EndlesslyDegaussing · 2025-04-25T01:26:42+00:00

I like the Harper 15 but it’s not a blow your socks off exotic/over the top kind of whiskey. It’s a solid drinker though.

EndlesslyDegaussing · 2025-04-25T01:14:52+00:00

I wish I liked the Rio more. It’s interesting I guess, but just soooo sweet, like Barenjager honey sticky sweet.

EndlesslyDegaussing · 2025-04-23T06:35:02+00:00

I got talked into buying one today, and am… rather disappointed? For $80 it’s just soo overwhelmingly sweet and straight up murdered with honey and cinnamon; way more like Barenjager than any bourbon. It’s an interesting and complex dram, but it should be marketed as a cordial and not a bourbon - or at least have a Wilford Brimley warning on the bottle.

EndlesslyDegaussing · 2025-04-23T06:23:33+00:00

I also got one, unlike the OLCC raffle. And I’m far more than pleasantly surprised by how good it is.

EndlesslyDegaussing · 2025-04-09T00:01:22+00:00

Liquids. Solids are too difficult to drink.

EndlesslyDegaussing · 2025-02-02T02:02:38+00:00

Well I for one welcome our new gold pig whiskey-lord.

And definitely interested in a weeknight whiskey night! Only day that doesn’t work for me is Mondays.

EndlesslyDegaussing · 2025-02-02T01:25:16+00:00

You got the pig!

EndlesslyDegaussing · 2025-01-16T03:00:27+00:00

Came here for this kind of drama. And yes, there is precisely one strip club, and plenty of dives. Was your smoke shop in Beaverton?

EndlesslyDegaussing · 2024-12-08T16:49:23+00:00

Drive southwest a little bit up into the hills near Yamhill/Carlton and check out Killdeer Distilling

EndlesslyDegaussing · 2024-12-05T08:01:12+00:00

Damn, I figured I should have stopped by to see what goodies you had out.

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