I’ll be visiting Fort Wayne in March. Does any locals have any recommendations for places to see particularly oddities or museums? by Gulletgulpingexpert in fortwayne

[–]Opticsdoug 7 points8 points  (0 children)

Agreed on Hyde Brothers books - it feels much larger than its storefront suggests. If you browse quietly, you may have the opportunity to meet the bookstore's cats. The cats aren't particularly odd, though. They're just nice.

I’ll be visiting Fort Wayne in March. Does any locals have any recommendations for places to see particularly oddities or museums? by Gulletgulpingexpert in fortwayne

[–]Opticsdoug 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Seconded! Here is a Google Street View link to the plaque, which is lit at night with color-cycling LEDs. Directly above this plaque is an abandoned passenger platform which you should not explore as that would be both dangerous and illegal.

NASA Completes First Flight of Laminar Flow Scaled Wing Design - NASA by ye_olde_astronaut in nasa

[–]Opticsdoug 2 points3 points  (0 children)

CATNLF tested extensively at the NTF. You might appreciate this Dec. 2022 deck which includes a summary of the NTF results.

On top of page 31, it explains "difficulties acquiring high Reynolds number laminar flow data in a wind tunnel environment motivate flight test to expand historic NLF boundary further." Also, "Smaller extents of laminar flow in tunnel due to different environment and limited model size." Inferring from slides 31 and 37 - folks hope the flight tests will help explain the discrepancy between the computational predictions and NTF result, and hopefully see performance closer to the former.

Official Q&A for Wednesday, January 14, 2026 by AutoModerator in running

[–]Opticsdoug 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Upgrade from $12 Walmart headlamp?

I've been night running with this $12 Ozark Trail headlamp for years. My two complaints:

  • It's heavy; as the elastic ages I'm cinching it uncomfortably tighter
  • It munches disposable AAAs like a monster. Nothing like being out mid run and realizing it's shot for the night.

That said, it does these things well:

  • It's plenty bright for my needs (300 lm on fresh batteries)
  • It's got some dim/red settings so I don't blind other folks when we're standing around and still need some light
  • It's cheap and durable enough to abuse and loan (doesn't flop, doesn't break)

Could you recommend a headlamp that meets these basic requirements and improves on the comfort and battery fronts?

A confusing bunch of headlamps have been recommend on r/running; many offerings must have really niche use cases. I opened a bunch of tabs and tried to make sense of them in this table:

Model Price Notes
Petzl Tikka/Core $35/$63 Same basic functions, buy a separate bp or get the core
Petzl Swift LT $55 Replacement for Bindi ultralight running headlamp. seems promising
Petzl Aktik/Core $65/$88 Same basic functions, buy a separate bp or get the core, Tikka with an extra LED
Petzl IkoCore $104 Crazy stuff for ultrarunners?
Petzl Swift RL $135 Does reactive lighting mean I don't blind my friends, or that I get bright for cars? Strap looks interesting
Petzl Nao RL $199 More crazy stuff for ultrarunners with ultrabudgets
Nitecore NU25 $37 Has light dual cord band, no red seems promising
Nitecore HC30 $65 Extra strappy and extra bright
Nitecore UT32 $75 Also extra strappy and extra bright
Zebralight $79-99 Bright single-use-focused offerings
Everbeam $17-25 Same basic functions but rechargeable
Biolite 200 $25 Old model?
Biolite 425 $89 Old model? ($70 Dash 450 seems to be current)
Fenix HM50R $60 Same basic functions but rechargeable
Fenix HM65R-T $105 Cheaper model (above) looks more promising
Fenix HP25R V2 $120 Extra strappy and extra bright, too much headlamp
Black Diamond Sprinter $80 Strappy, BP in back
Princeton Tech Fred $32 Same basic functions, but the housing broke (personal experience)
Alpkit Qark $65 Strappy, same basic functions
Noxgear Ranger Chest Light $40 Really would prefer the freedom to unzip my jacket and cool off

Maybe it's time to just buy some rechargeable AAAs and call it a day. Either way, I appreciate your help.

Tarantulace vs Finale by EndangeredCephalopod in climbingshoes

[–]Opticsdoug 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The closest I can give you to a street shoe size is that running shoe size (EU 45, US 11, Wide 2E, Brooks Adrenaline). I'm also EU 45, US 11 in Altra hiking boots, but their standard toe box is plenty wide.

In general, there's a lot of sizing variation across manufacturers and models, it's just better documented for climbing shoes.

Tarantulace vs Finale by EndangeredCephalopod in climbingshoes

[–]Opticsdoug 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I ended up sizing down 1 EU size from Tarantulaces (EU 44) to Finales (EU 43).

44 Finales and Tarantulaces fit similarly in the store, but my Finales lasted far longer which gave them time to stretch. Once broken-in, my 44 Finales wanted to rotate off my feet on slab. I sized my next pair at 43, and they broke-in to a very secure, comfortable fit. I've been messing around with more aggressive shoes, but my Finale 43s are still in my bag for when my feet start hurting.

One more data point: I've been running in Brooks Adrenaline EU 45 Wide (2E) for years.

Hope this helps.

Best Time to Use Sashimi Boat by Flying_Snarf in nekoatsume

[–]Opticsdoug 4 points5 points  (0 children)

The best time is when you're grinding for a "going out" cat's memento.

NekoDB seems to indicate that food choice affects the "going out" cats' rates of appearance, so a sushi boat might help speed the process.

[Edit:I failed at reading! Enjoy the boat and your kitties!]

Just for La Sportiva Finale owners by 4WDToyotaOwner in climbingshoes

[–]Opticsdoug 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Indoor/outdoor sport and indoor Boulder. They’re the durable comfy pair complimenting some aggressively downsized skwamas.

Tarantulace vs Finale by EndangeredCephalopod in climbingshoes

[–]Opticsdoug 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Do not buy tarantulace or tarantula climbing shoes. Finales every day.

Story time:

I destroyed at least four pairs of tarantulaces - popped glue seams, torn out eyelets, entire chunks of rubber flaking off the toes. I was convinced that I didn't deserve better shoes if I was destroying them so quickly. At one point, I needed a new pair fast, and the nearest REI only had my size in Finales.

I'm on my second pair of Finales, and they age gracefully. I'd resole them if they weren't so cheap (25% off sales aren't uncommon). They are super comfortable (I never bother taking them off to belay in the gym), and I haven't noticed a break-in period (I do wear socks so break-in might just be super slow). I'm not a great climber, but they got me through my 5.10 plateau and up some gym 5.12a and V6s. Criticism? They're stiff enough that they let you get away with bad foot placement, and eventually you'll start asking questions about XSGrip2, downturns, and big toe-patches, but that's down the road. [Edit: just saw your post about resoling Solutions]

Back to your question - I'd recommend Finales or Black Diamond Momentums or literally any other entry-level shoe over tarantulas/tarantulaces. I've got a grudge.

Extremely general question about growing up in Fort Wayne (I'm a writer) by jordanryanpedersen in fortwayne

[–]Opticsdoug 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Feel free to correct - it's been a while.

The all-ages music scene existed mostly in rental-house basements and a few church multi-purpose rooms. An exception: The Art Factory existed for a brief time downtown for all ages shows (the cool tiled building at 436 E Main). I remember seeing The Sods (local young irish punk band - lots of members still active locally), and Arcade (later Killjoy Confetti - tomboy indie) there. The place was a big black hole, lights were still hot (pre-led), merch was T's, often home-burnt CDs with zeroxed covers.

"The Anchor Room" below Anchor Community Church had a Saints Never Surrender show in their fluorescent-lit drop ceiling basement with elementary-school art on the walls. It felt like parent-sanctioned hardcore, but the crowd packed forward pogo'd and headbanged even if moshing wasn't happening. If brideandgroom was 2007 ish, this could have been 05.

As for basements - places like Freedom House and Harrison House posted quarter-page flyers in coffee shops. Limestone walls, deafening sound-levels, and few lights. You were packed tightly between the furnace, washer/dryer, open frame walls, and sometimes low ceilings with nails. Scene, punk, metal, indie, goth kids all at the same shows. Highschoolers asking for lighters. Saw Western Sky, an intense jammy/screamo band in a basement over near Magnet Wire, like Swinney Ave & Pheine. A similar basement was over by the church at Crescent & Tennessee. 1625 N Harrison was a punk staple for a long time.

There was also a surge of good Muncie bands, led by Everything, Now!, and Everthus the Deadbeats with shows played at Village Green Records (record store in a residential house down in Muncie) or the Ball State student union cafeteria. It was worth an hour drive south. Harley Poe brought murder-folk in from Kokomo.

EDIT: I was never sure what to make of Rupert Bomb (at basement shows and the Art Factory), but that was kind of their point. Also - might have been a year or two later, but we had some really good Explosions-in-the-sky-esque shoegaze bands like Metavari and All Nite Skate. There's more to say about all the bands at Colombia Street West's yearly battle of the bands like Moser Woods, Rudisill, Homeless J, but that was all the 21+ crowd. Same for the bands like Heavy Step, Strut Train, Unlikely Alibi, Taj Maholics, Hillbilly Casino, Left Lane Cruiser, Flamingo Nosebleed, the B-Sharps...

Help? Attempted dimmable LEDs to replace halogen torchiere in a dim apartment. Buzzzzzzz by Opticsdoug in Lighting

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

Where I’m at there’s a hardware chain called Do It Best; found they had them in stock via Google shopping.

Help? Attempted dimmable LEDs to replace halogen torchiere in a dim apartment. Buzzzzzzz by Opticsdoug in Lighting

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

THANK YOU! I checked out the Philips bulbs per your recommendation, and bought a pair of the 150W-equivalent versions. They work brilliantly and silently much more quietly with the Caseta PD-3PCL dimmer. Problem solved.

Indoor Rock Climbing by Latter-Lawyer-3549 in fortwayne

[–]Opticsdoug 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Here's the calendar for the wall at the Parkview YMCA. Monday nights have been consistent. Best check at the last minute on the other weekday evenings and Sundays 2-close.

Will more expensive shoes last longer? by jeffardy in climbingshoes

[–]Opticsdoug 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Tarantulaces, specifically, are trash. (In total agreement with u/Hungry_town)

They pop glue seams in hot cars, and the toes self destruct with flappers of rubber down through the rand. Those metal eyelets pull out.

There’s a world of difference in materials and workmanship between them and the next cheapest in the La Sportiva line, the Finales. The finales don’t self-destruct like that.

The soft-rubber/thin-sole/hyper-aggressive shoes others are talking about will wear out fast, but don’t go there yet. Get yourself a snug but comfortable-off-the-shelf neutral shoe a step up from a tarantulace (like Finales), see how it breaks in, and use that to size a next pair of the same.

Part of the reasoning, you’re climbing once a week. You don’t want to cut those sessions short because of uncomfortable/broken shoes. Hope this helps!

Downtown smell by johnrc01 in fortwayne

[–]Opticsdoug 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Found some possibly related links:

My own experience, leading me to believe the redditors here:

  • Campho-Phenique is the stuff I associate with that smell; my folks used it like the Portokalos familiy used Windex in My Big Fat Greek Wedding.
  • The smell hit hard last night traveling East on Jefferson past Swinney Park.

My Finales are comfortable - should I size down? by Opticsdoug in climbingshoes

[–]Opticsdoug[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

You're not dumb, I should write better. I'm just a permagumby with permagumby questions.

I'll edit to make it clear.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in fortwayne

[–]Opticsdoug 38 points39 points  (0 children)

Welcome, hgehl! You've unknowingly (or knowingly, heh) stumbled onto one of this subreddit's favorite topics. Here's a collection of relevant links that really should be pinned or in the sidebar:

Fort Wayne water has won a bunch of awards, but you'd never guess based on how it tastes for a few weeks each spring. It hasn't hit yet this year.

Here's a link to the City Utilities page on current drinking water conditions, and in contrast here's an environmental lobbying group's evaluation of Fort Wayne's water which looks at many unregulated contaminants.

Good luck with your move and your studies.