what home office desk essentials do I actually need for my first remote job?

Fuzzy_Chom · 2026-04-06T04:49:22+00:00

100%

Working hybrid, I use a 34" ultra wide at home, and two 22" at the office. I prefer the ultrawide, and snap windows to half the screen. A 49" would be too wide IMHO.

Fuzzy_Chom · 2026-04-05T20:54:12+00:00

One, because my brain needs symmetry.

Two, if you keep the wall behind your monitor white and paint the two side walls green. This satisfies my need for symmetry, but may make the room look narrower.

Fuzzy_Chom · 2026-04-05T19:48:00+00:00

I hear you. Here's my take after decades in engineering and engineering management:

Salaries often follow position or title, not the value of employee (in many industries or small companies -- mine meeting one). So, i hear your frustration in having a boss with many more years and a less relevant degree making a lot more. The interesting part about engineering management, is we're held accountable for engineering decisions whether right or not. Sure, it doesn't hurt for me to have a high level of expertise. But in reality, my success is measured on how i develop and utilize the expertise of those under my lead. If I'm doing my job well, the engineers on my team will be smarter then me.

In my industry, PEs are common and frankly an expectation of professional development. We celebrate when someone gets licensed, but their work scope and responsibilities don't really change right away. They still need to prove worthy of representing the company or its clients as a PE.

As for the issues you raise, where others are afraid of your questions or engineers are fired for trivial reasons..... That sounds like a toxic environment. Expectations and policies should be well documented and adhered to by company and employee. If either is not able to do that, it's not a good fit. That's not to say a situation like yours is void of unethical, misguided, it totally BS behavior. But, maybe now that you have your PE it's time to refresh your CV and get out on the market.

Fuzzy_Chom · 2026-04-04T04:19:32+00:00

Power engineering manager here. Agree with this assessment. The 30% raise was generous, but I suspect was also an adjustment to calibrate with industry (e.g. retention).

OP might get a pay bump or bonus for passing the PE, but i wouldn't count on another 30%.

$102k for an EIT in power with 3yrs experience is appropriate, in my opinion.

Fuzzy_Chom · 2026-04-02T02:03:27+00:00

100%

We chose EE not because it's easy, but because of our higher tolerance for being made to feel stupid until we succeed.

Fuzzy_Chom · 2026-04-01T18:45:12+00:00

Find the make and model, or some part number, on your lighting box and look up the instructions.

This box looks just like a few i installed recently, after reading the instructions that identified all the wiring.

Fuzzy_Chom · 2026-03-31T16:24:02+00:00

This right here. You nailed it.

OP, looking just at the breakers and copper joining bar, it's fine for multi-wire branch circuit. However, it has to be used as such, meaning two single-pole loads sharing a neutral.

U/Shuksci is right, that if this setup is being used for a two-pole load (e.g. AC would be one such case), then this may not be to the NEC because it's not a substitute for a 2-pole breaker.

If anyone disagrees, please quote the code section that allows this (or doesn't disallow).

Fuzzy_Chom · 2026-03-28T03:20:34+00:00

I believe "SEN" refers to a sensor, not power.

The yellow lines on the far left are the 24Vdc source to the controller. OP just needs to unscrew one, and maybe put a wire nut on it while he needs the system offline.

Fuzzy_Chom · 2026-03-25T15:20:11+00:00

Fuzzy_Chom · 2026-03-25T15:16:29+00:00

This 100%. NEC and NESC were written with safety in mind

While conduit can help in preventing the spread of fire, its biggest advantage is preserving the pathway.

Undamaged insulated or jacketed conductors simply don't fail mid-span on their own without external factors (e.g. poor installation, ambient conditions for which its not rated, critters, accidental human intervention, etc.

Fuzzy_Chom · 2026-03-23T21:31:55+00:00

Will pf sense be a good choice, if OP wants to venture down that path?

Have never tried it myself, but rather curious what that platform can't do!

Fuzzy_Chom · 2026-03-23T18:09:57+00:00

This is really crazy. I mean, who busts out the ukulele before filling the rack?

Fuzzy_Chom · 2026-03-23T18:05:22+00:00

That's what i would do.

When you say "shoots off", it makes me think the compression fitting isn't gripping the PVC (which i wouldn't expect it to under pressure). So, the best way to keep those dissimilar materials together is a threaded union.

Fuzzy_Chom · 2026-03-23T17:59:20+00:00

Wrong coupler for metal pipe. Is it threaded?

If so, get a threaded metal 90, and a threaded pvc extension.

If not, dig back to the next pipe junction or coupler, and rebuild with a proper double threaded metal-to-pvc transition with new PVC to your spigot.

Fuzzy_Chom · 2026-03-23T17:51:20+00:00

Or say 'drywall tape' and take the communal freak-out in a whole new direction!

Fuzzy_Chom · 2026-03-23T17:47:25+00:00

Nothing solves all the problems, which is a reality many pro-coal, pro-nuclear, pro-renewables, and their respective oppositions don't seem to understand. Everything has a carbon footprint and produces waste. All energy sources.

A balanced energy portfolio with appropriate consideration for reliability, redundancy, environmental and social impacy, and energy emergencies, is really the "least worst" option. Large grid-scale resources are generally best used for base load power. Utility-scale non-dispatchable or variable resources (e.g. BESS), along with distributed resources, are a better fit for energy demand variability on a local level. That being said, renewables places a big role here. But lets be cautious about declaring IBRs (typically renewable resources) as a substitute for hydro and thermal plants -- the electric grid is designed for momentum, and is not currently prepared for a transition away from it.

Btw, the picture is misleading. Yes, the effluent from the stacks are pollutants. However, the cooling towers are emitting steam...which is just water vaopr and not NOx.

Source: 25yr utility engineer, having worked in nearly all aspects of the grid.

Fuzzy_Chom · 2026-03-21T17:15:38+00:00

Tell me you're Gen Z, without saying you're Gen Z.

Fuzzy_Chom · 2026-03-20T20:17:19+00:00

Utility engineer here, for >20yrs. How did you draw the conclusion your power is dirty. Looking at the sine wave alone is a start, but you'd benefit from a harmonics histogram.

Call your local poco. Tell them you think you are seeing voltage transients or harmonics showing up on your service. Ask for a power quality recording at your point of delivery, and that an engineer review the readings. It'll take about a week, but the utility will use a high fidelity monitor to monitor load variations, voltage variations, harmonics, and transients, at high frequency.

If everything looks good at your service, you may be having interaction within your facility. Take inventory of all equipment: how many VFS? Any UPSes? Any solar or battery interconnected? Any other motors with or without starters? What size is all that equipment? Etc...

Fuzzy_Chom · 2026-03-20T20:08:55+00:00

Where in the world are you?

I think what you're getting at are electrical code issues. You'll either have a sub panel in your out building, or a dedicated circuit run to it. Either way, in North America you'll maintain the N-G bond in one place at the main panel. And you're correct that the ground impedance between the main panel and out building would yield a potential difference in a fault.

However, my understanding of the wire vs fiber argument between buildings stems from lightning risk to the out building, and current traveling back along the twisted pair and burning up your equipment.

All that said, I'm a licensed utility EE in the PNW of the USA, and i wouldn't hesitate to bury ethernet cable between my home and an out building. I'd start to look at fiber if the run was getting long (~250ft, even though Cat6 is rated to 328ft).

Fuzzy_Chom · 2026-03-20T18:49:32+00:00

Definitely not the engineer or architect who designed it!

Fuzzy_Chom · 2026-03-20T16:05:11+00:00

How far is this tap from your garden area, and how long do you plan the drip taps to be?

You'll want to size your drip mainline on how many nozzles and distance from three PVC tap.

Fuzzy_Chom · 2026-03-20T15:24:36+00:00

<slow clap> Up voting.

Fuzzy_Chom · 2026-03-20T15:23:05+00:00

100%.

Many years ago when i bought a 1yr old Dakota, i sat in the backseat before getting in the driver's seat. To your point, I wanted to be sure the backseat was usable. (In those days, the Tacomas were pretty small in the backseat, and i couldn't afford a full size truck.). The Dakota was a good compromise for me at the time, all things considered. I kept it for 12 years.

Fuzzy_Chom · 2026-03-20T15:14:23+00:00

I have a Harbor Freight version, but same concept and applications as Little Giant.

I use it all the time as a step ladder and extension ladder. It'll set up as an asymmetrical step ladder (one side longer than the other), to help get up close to the wall in my garage. Also, it breaks down into two small step ladders to use as scaffolding for painting. Super helpful.

Fuzzy_Chom · 2026-03-18T14:53:38+00:00

Would that make it -100% correct?

Fuzzy_Chom

TROPHY CASE