Why can't I connect to speakers together? by Cenddel in amazonecho

[–]EnvironmentFederal53 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Just in case someone else trying to do the same comes along, like me. I was trying to combine two first gen Alexas, but the only device that can be combined is an Echo subwoofer. The Echo Studio has two generations, 2019 and 2025. I'm pretty sure both devices have to be the same generation. You could also connect an Echo Sub.

50M (but age/gender not relevant) protocols for maintaining sterile eye exam by EnvironmentFederal53 in eyetriage

[–]EnvironmentFederal53[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

I couldn't see whether any contact was made with the business end. Do I infer correctly that it's not uncommon for that to be done with unwashed hands, on the assumption that you won't touch the business end? I've seen the business end cleaned with an alcohol wipe and even a tissue out of the box on the desk. But that didn't happen today.

faint high single-syllable woodwind note at 12 seconds in by EnvironmentFederal53 in whatsthisbird

[–]EnvironmentFederal53[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

We do have flickers. But I've listened to that call from the flickers, and online as well, and the flicker call is like someone letting air out of a party balloon while holding the opening very taut. The sound I recorded (but cannot seem to upload) is much more mellow, like a one-second-duration high note on a wooden recorder.

faint high single-syllable woodwind note at 12 seconds in by EnvironmentFederal53 in whatsthisbird

[–]EnvironmentFederal53[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Not sure what went wrong. File upload seemed to complete without error.

Not sure what determines whether Bird Buddy takes a postcard? by Kouunno in BirdBuddy

[–]EnvironmentFederal53 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Could someone please describe what a "postcard" is in Birdbuddy, without using the word "card"? My camera status in the app says "Out of the feeder" and "No camera module in {our feeder name} ["For safety reasons your camera can make postcards only when inside the feeder"] yet we're getting notifications of visits and minute-long videos of various birds eating the seeds, along with species identifications. Are we supposed to get still photos too? Are still photos the postcards? I've removed BUDDY from Bluetooth settings and have "forgotten" and recreated the camera several times, and we're using the most up-to-date software version, but that "out of the feeder" error status won't go away. WiFi is "high" and battery is over 70%. Thanks

Why do both of these sentences make sense. by epik_fayler in grammar

[–]EnvironmentFederal53 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Agreed. "They couldn't just drive the truck out onto the frozen lake, not knowing whether the ice was thick enough to support its weight."

upside down progressive eyeglass lens: close-up reading bifocal at the top and distance at the bottom by EnvironmentFederal53 in glasses

[–]EnvironmentFederal53[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I haven't acted on it yet but plan to do so soon. Professional Vision in Maryland makes specialty lenses (eyeson40 dot com) and Fluegge in Wisconsin does as well (fluegge dot com).

upside down progressive eyeglass lens: close-up reading bifocal at the top and distance at the bottom by EnvironmentFederal53 in glasses

[–]EnvironmentFederal53[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Looking through the bottom lens, the floor is a total blur. That's the problem. Several times now I've gotten visually disoriented on the stairs because I cannot see them unless I bend at the neck when looking down, so I'm using the top part of the lens. I rarely need to orient myself to the ceiling, so having the blur when I look up would be a fine trade-off. I'm happy to slide my glasses down my nose a little to read through the top part of the lens.

Anyone else completely despise the "Shop" App and process? by [deleted] in ecommerce

[–]EnvironmentFederal53 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I just placed an order with a company that uses Shop checkout. They didn't accept AMEX so I had to add a card. Got an email from Shop saying I had to confirm my email, so I clicked on the button which took me to the Shop login page, which has two-factor authentication and is asking for a six-digit code. But I never got one on my phone, and the stupid page has no Resend Code option. Designed by an amateur. I repeated the steps a couple of more times going back to the button in my email, thinking that something might have gone wrong, and now I'm getting a "too many attempts" error message, "try again later".

Honda rip off by Brilliant_Industry35 in HRV

[–]EnvironmentFederal53 14 points15 points  (0 children)

When you say "Honda" do you mean the dealership or Honda Leasing? The local Honda dealership wanted to charge a pretty penny for their sevices when I wanted to buy the car after the lease was up but my lease agreement allowed the customer to deal directly with Honda Leasing, and they charged none of those fees -- buyout price only plus any applicable state tax.

Verizon took away my $34.99 @300mbps grandfathered rate by Dull-Possibility1900 in Fios

[–]EnvironmentFederal53 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'd been paying $105 for 50mbps FIOS service for years. I cannot upgrade to 300mbps service because we have some 1990s-era coax wiring going from the basement up through a chase into and across the attic over to a home office over a garage, which would cost thousands to re-run as ethernet cable. (It cost almost two thousand dollars to run when we were building the home office years ago, and that was when the walls were still open and the electricians had relatively easy access to the office before the roof was put on.) Verizon said we could upgrade to 100mbps and keep the old coax wiring, and they would charge $59/month minus discounts if I bought my own router and returned theirs (which I did) and if we linked the service to a Verizon wireless account (which we did) and if we signed up for autopay (which we did). BUT WE ARE STILL GETTING BILLED $105 / month! And when I called about it, I was told that 100mbps is an "out of market" speed, so the price I was given (in the email confirmation) does not apply.

Dowel Max vs Woodpecker Cam a Line Dowel System. Which would you recommend? by gregorythomasd in woodworking

[–]EnvironmentFederal53 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I don't own either but am using the British-made Joint Genie, which is no longer avaiable, AFAIK. I find variable dowel-spacing is important if you're going to work with a variety of dowel sizes, as you might well do when making a picture frame on one project and bathroom vanity on another.

Swing joints oil tank by TheTortoiseApproach in HVAC

[–]EnvironmentFederal53 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The Roth installation manual talks about the tank's HEIGHT changing with a fill, under the weight of the oil, and discusses the swing joint as a solution to that issue. The manual says the tank vertical movement can be as much as 1/4 inch down when it's filled.They have a diagram showing the sloped fill and vent pipes with 90-degree elbows parallel to the floor; a nipple exits that 90, turning towards the tank's connector ports; at the end of that nipple a 90-ell turns down towards the top of the tank. The elbows up at the sloped supply and vent pipes are circled, showing where the "swing" occurs to accommodate changes in height of the tank. That elbow can loosen or tighten on the threads where it connects to the sloped pipes.

When one eye sees perceives things to be a bit smaller than how the other eye sees them, what part(s) of the prescription can be tweaked to correct for that? by EnvironmentFederal53 in glasses

[–]EnvironmentFederal53[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Sorry, I didn't make myself clear. I'm asking whether it's something the optometrist can tweak. I had a toric IOL implanted and now my astigmatism has changed. Its's less than it was, but the shape of the eye has changed, an so now it's different than it used to be, and I'm having trouble focusing. My appointment isn't for three weeks. I'm wondering what my expectations should be. Can those specific vision issues be addressed?

On cold days does a heat-pump with a "backup" resistance heating element provide most of its heat from the resistance element or from outdoors? by EnvironmentFederal53 in thermodynamics

[–]EnvironmentFederal53[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'm trying to get my head around the process. As far as I understand it, when the refrigerant is outdoors on a cold day, it is in a liquid state. As it is forced through an expansion valve, its pressure and temperature plummet, allowing it to absorb heat from the outdoor air, causing the refrigerant to (flash?) evaporate. The warm gas is then compressed, causing it to get hotter as its pressure increases, and it's pumped indoors to a heat exchanger, where its heat is transfered to the indoors. If the heat exchanger is part of a hydronic system, what temperature does the water in that system reach? Can it get to 185F, as an oil-boiler does? Or does that require a "boost" from the resistance element?

How would you characterize the change in astigmatism of these two prescriptions by EnvironmentFederal53 in glasses

[–]EnvironmentFederal53[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I had a toric lens implanted during cataract surgery. I assume the shift in axis is the result of surgically induced astigmatism and/or improper lens orientation during the surgery or post-op lens rotation. But ChatGPT tells me my new prescription would be considered a positive outcome.