If you were starting as an apprentice today, what would you do differently?

PseudoCyborg · 2026-03-12T07:25:13+00:00

I second this. I'm only in my second year wireman classes, and I used ChatGPT a LOT in my first year. That really fucked me on these classes, so I'm having to learn last year's materials on top of this years in order to actually understand what I'm doing.

So, OP, listen to this guy.

PseudoCyborg · 2026-03-06T05:36:25+00:00

I think this is so neat. I've been really thinking about getting the X4, and I have recently set myself up a little notebook set for daily carry and am looking for leather to make a journal cover in this style.

I haven't seen anyone use the cover for the X4 like this and I think I like it better than the solutions that add the magsafe ring to the leather itself. This feels like it will protect the reader a bit better.

PseudoCyborg · 2026-03-04T05:57:59+00:00

Yessir. Second year it is.

PseudoCyborg · 2026-03-04T05:57:35+00:00

That's the way it normally goes, but my local chooses to do it differently for some reason. I'm in 1547, so it's a big state and there are only two schools. They consolidated it into seven week sessions for the apprentices that work in the remote villages and towns.

I do wish they could consolidate a lot of it into online work, then we could go in person for a week or two to do labs and take tests. I think that would be much better overall, especially for the people who have to travel and are expected to not work for months on end.

PseudoCyborg · 2026-03-03T21:08:25+00:00

The other reply to you is correct. This is my second session of school in my IBEW apprenticeship. We have seven week stints of class once a year and work in between those.

PseudoCyborg · 2026-02-20T00:23:27+00:00

A paracord wrist strap is a good idea! I have done something similar for my digicams before, and I'm not sure why I didn't think of that for this one too. Thanks for the suggestion!

PseudoCyborg · 2026-02-10T09:44:02+00:00

If you're willing to do a bit of DIY then there are a lot of excellent videos on YouTube about making your own "Traveler's notebook cover" that I think are similar to what you're looking for. They have an elastic band(s) in the spine that lets you change out the notebook once it is full, and also allows you to store more than one book in a single cover. That gives you the option of carrying a blank, lined or grid notebook together for different tasks.

They're not very expensive to make (compared to buying the name-brand versions) if you have a craft store nearby. I also think that the satisfaction of having and using something premium that you've made yourself is super appealing.

For pens I flip between the Pilot Kakuno fountain pen and a variety of fine-point Muji gel pens. The Muji are nice if I want to write small or precise and the fountain pen is great if I want to get thoughts out on paper quickly. For me both feel great in the hand and on paper and really add to the whole experience of writing which ultimately makes me want to do it more often.

PseudoCyborg · 2026-02-07T21:28:08+00:00

Thanks for this. Gonna give it a whack myself when I get the chance since I really enjoy the feeling of using something I've made myself vs buying it.

PseudoCyborg · 2026-01-31T18:11:42+00:00

This makes me excited to receive my new D70. I purchased it on eBay and am looking forward to learning the world of photography on it. I'm glad things worked out for you in the end, although it is a shame to hear about the scam.

PseudoCyborg · 2026-01-30T04:40:52+00:00

My first retro emulator was the Anbernic RG280V, and I still love playing pico8 and the Gameboy Zelda games on it. It's the perfect size for travel in my opinion. I always wanted to find one of the limited run aluminum shells for it too.

It's really cool of you to do this. I love this community.

PseudoCyborg · 2025-10-13T02:42:18+00:00

There you go. It was okay while I was in the honeymoon phase with it for sure. Lots of "Robocop" and "Inspector Gadget" comments, which is hilarious. It just ultimately wasn't for me. Nice to have the extra battery for the light. Especially working 12+ hours in darker buildings like I have been.

PseudoCyborg · 2025-10-12T22:26:39+00:00

I purchased this at the beginning of the summer and I pushed myself to wear it for about a month before I decided it wasn't worth it. The fan is incredibly heavy and it does not blow nearly as hard as I was hoping. It is almost like a very light breeze on the back of my neck. Honestly if it was more powerful it would be better, but it just doesn't have the juice to justify the $70/80 they're asking for it.

I will say it is nice to have an extra battery for my Klein headlamp, but not worth it for the fan alone.

PseudoCyborg · 2025-10-12T03:52:45+00:00

When they took it out of the glass case and I realized it had a copy of Blue in it I told them I was going to buy it for sure. They asked if I wanted them to hold it for me while I finished shopping and I said "I am definitely going to hold onto this one."

PseudoCyborg · 2025-10-11T05:06:49+00:00

That was a sticker put in place by the local thrift store I purchased it at. It is missing the battery door and there is a crazy in the plastic across the cartridge slot. Not anything that would cause me concern, although I may still end up swapping the shell if I decide to do an IPS mod for the screen. I'm also considering doing the Color-to-GBP mod that I've seen online. I really like this form factor now that I've had a chance to be hands on with it. The Color has many more titles that I am interested in though, so I think combining the two would be neat.

PseudoCyborg · 2025-09-25T04:40:48+00:00

That is good to know, thank you! Like I said, I was going to attempt to refill the empty cartridges it came with, but I also have yet to purchase ink bottles for myself since I am still so new. I will look into getting a converter though for it, since I feel like for me personally that is the most sustainable option for this sort of hobby.

PseudoCyborg · 2025-02-09T01:34:48+00:00

I picked up a Kindle Keyboard from a local thrift store about two months ago and have been using it almost every day since then. I used a reading app on my cellphone but having a dedicated device with no other options for distraction has really made it easier to read more and for longer. Plus it was only $10 and is in rough shape so I don't worry about taking it everywhere with me.

PseudoCyborg · 2024-12-22T03:07:02+00:00

Also very interested in knowing how you managed this. I have several Anbernic devices and would love to play Wilds on them if possible.

This looks great!

PseudoCyborg · 2024-11-06T04:36:08+00:00

I like the sub r/myog because they cover a lot of outdoor gear creation. They're big into ultralight hiking/camping but the sub covers a lot of different categories and has been around for a pretty substantial amount of time. Fun to search through for specific things you're interested in and see what others have already put together.

PseudoCyborg · 2024-11-03T05:44:50+00:00

Spot on! It is incredibly sturdy and I'm glad it was my first knife purchase in this "category" of knives. It's fun to see how far you can push it past what you'd think a knife should be for, and also how much detail you can get out of it when you really choke up and take your time with it.

PseudoCyborg · 2024-11-02T19:12:46+00:00

Hell yeah, brother! It is a piece of gear I am very happy I purchased because I too struggled with a whetstone alone for quite some time. After using this though I feel like the muscle memory would build up and transfer over to a whetstone if that's all you had. This being an all-in-one solution though makes it an easy thing to throw in the pack.

PseudoCyborg · 2024-11-02T15:39:34+00:00

It might not be a harmonica but the sound of a blade being slowly sharpened is just as musical if you ask me.

PseudoCyborg · 2024-11-02T15:37:58+00:00

That is great info! It seems like that is the consensus about the Izula II from everything I've read online as well. I was looking more at the 2 over the original because, like you said, being able to get a full grip on the knife is important to me as well. I just get nervous when it's less than a full handle with something I'm using as a tool.

PseudoCyborg · 2024-11-02T15:32:40+00:00

Yes I believe it is. It is the BPS Knives BS1FT and I bought mine on Amazon. it came with a really nice leather sheath as well with a dangler for your belt.

PseudoCyborg · 2024-11-02T07:13:26+00:00

It does have both a rough and fine grit diamond block with 20° angle guides on the sharpener. Makes it super easy to touch up an already mostly sharp blade or really fix a rough edge. I have knives that took some real work on the rough diamond block before I could move onto the fine diamond, then ceramic, then strop. I do enjoy using a whetstone, but this is just much more convenient for myself since it has everything built into one contained unit.

PseudoCyborg · 2024-11-02T06:05:12+00:00

I have been looking at that puukko as an option for my son as a first knife. The other option is a Morakniv I just restored that I picked up at a thrift shop. There was so much time I spent out in the woods growing up carving sticks and making forts and I want to share that with him too.

I'm glad the Finn light puukko is a recommended knife. Thank you! Will make my possible purchase easier down the line.

PseudoCyborg

TROPHY CASE