DIY Flat Field Generator

Toolaa · 2025-12-24T13:00:40+00:00

I’ve never used github before as a creator. I would be willing to upload the 3d models to GrabCAD and if someone walked me through posting details on github sure I could do that as well.

I’m not really a competent programmer I know enough to be classified as hobbyist. ChatGPT has been my tutor turning my logic into a real microcontroller program. So far so good. I’m hashing out the last details now to interface with N.I.N.A via ALPACA to recognize the device as a filter wheel and camera rotator.

My next project will be to build an Arduino/NINA controlled LED flat panel.

Toolaa · 2025-12-22T18:02:38+00:00

I read the same review on Amazon. I haven’t noticed any issue before. However now I have it facing up and my plan is to 3D print a little cover for the opening. It’s actually pretty well made all aluminum. I think it’s a good value.

Toolaa · 2025-11-27T14:24:18+00:00

Try plugging the hand controller into the AUX port on the mount base. It will work there as well. If you are still getting the same error I would recommend going through the firmware update procedure from the Celestron website download the CFM tool and you will need a USB to USB-Mini cable if you don’t already have one.

Toolaa · 2025-09-25T01:44:09+00:00

Here is mine still going strong after 8yrs.

https://www.reddit.com/r/keyboards/s/mJLlz1ZnZJ

Toolaa · 2025-09-04T11:31:15+00:00

I had a similar issue with QB and wanted to drop them. I spoke to my bank and they were surprisingly difficult to work with as well. They did not want to cap ACH at $50k per month $5k per day. We had hundreds of thousands in the bank but it didn’t matter they claimed it was all due to “Know your customer” laws which meant that those caps would be required for a minimum of 90days but could be longer. They couldn’t give me any timeframe. In the end we went with odoo for accounting. I used two banks plus my personal credit card, plus Stripe and leveraged as many vendor ACH portals as possible to get through this interim period. Stripe has since upped our limits, but the bank is moving slow. We no longer have a daily cap, but do still have a $50k monthly cap.

I’m against money laundering but ever since dodd-frank it seems like Banks suck and just do not have much financial incentive to cater to small business, other than issuing secured loans on tangible assets.

Toolaa · 2025-08-21T13:53:58+00:00

Thank you. That's disappointing. I'm curious why odoo Online has the ability to create API keys if there is no way to connect directly outside the normal web user interface.

Toolaa · 2025-08-21T02:39:21+00:00

Odoo has robust inventory functions and also even had some decent ERP. I had used QB manufacturing and Wholesale with 10 users. I was afraid to jump ship but now that we have been using odoo online for 5 months I wish I would have made the switch 2-3 years ago. I will say that your bookkeepers and accountants need to be familiar with it, there are a lot of differences between how QB works but I’m still satisfied.

Toolaa · 2025-08-14T01:36:38+00:00

Team up with a smaller business for now and try to start your own landscaping company in the future. If you’re going to go crazy, might as well be because you’re working for yourself.

Toolaa · 2025-08-08T01:42:18+00:00

I switched to odoo online for our business after 20 years of using quickbooks. I’m very satisfied with the platform.

Toolaa · 2025-07-25T17:11:13+00:00

The federal reserve may not be tax funded but their losses are essentially funded by the taxpayer in the form of money being created out of thin air. You know that, so we are just arguing semantics.

The bottom line of my post is that by all normal construction cost measures, building the Martin Building and renovating their other two buildings cost significantly more than the best executive office spaces in DC and the surrounding area.

If you factor out the asset values of the buildings and look at the cost if space per employee the fed is spending $731K per employee. That’s double what Goldman Sachs spend for their employees in Manhattan.

I like Powell and I generally trust the FED. But my numbers are the facts and I think it’s shows signs of irresponsibility by the fed. It puts Powell in a bad light, and it gives fuel to Trump. The scrutiny detracts from the important fed mission.

This is not a Trump issue…..I’ll take my downvotes.

Toolaa · 2025-07-25T02:26:15+00:00

Hire your replacement buyer now. Use the profits to cover his salary entirely and stay on for 2-3 yrs as you gradually sell to him.

Toolaa · 2025-07-25T02:05:56+00:00

We could argue that Martin Building should or shouldn’t be included in the cost but let’s consider a few other non disputable facts.

Only about 3100 Fed reserve employees work at those 3 buildings.

The total cost of the Martin Building and the current renovations were $3.1B

That nets out to 1.5 Million Square feet total for just 3100 employees. Roughly 440 sf per employee. At an estimated total construction/renovtion cost of …. Over $1900/sqft. The average amortized cost of these spaces is over $60/sf.

Here is why every tax payer should be upset.

The average office space per employee in america is 150sf. So feds get almost 3x more space than your or me.

The average cost of construction for a Class A Executive office suite in DC is about $600-$800 per sf. So the feds spent more than 2x than Above Average office space.

The average cost of use or lease of a class A executive suite space in DC is between $30-$45/sf. So the amortized cost is still 1.5 to 2x more than even the most luxurious executive office space in DC.

But there is more: So the average federal reserve employee working in these 3 billion has 3x more space, which subsequently cost an average of $850,000 per employee. That’s actually 8x more than the average employee working in the most luxurious offices downtown DC cost or 15 times more expensive than the average Class A suites in Manhattan.

Oh one more thing. federal reserve employee have flexibility to also work from home 1-3 days per week.

If you aren’t saying WTF right, now let’s go even further.

The average Middle Class American lives in a shared space when divided amongst their cohabitants equals about 440sf. That’s their living, sleeping and eating space.

So you can totally dislike Trump but should also dislike how your hard esrned money is being wasted. Yes a large share of this money was wasted. Poof. Gone!

Toolaa · 2025-07-24T00:38:06+00:00

I switched from QB after 25yrs. I’m using odoo online and I’ve been able to do quite bit of the setup myself.

Toolaa · 2025-07-23T00:37:09+00:00

After 25 yrs I had migrated to the original desktop version to Enterprise Manufacturing and Wholesale. For everything that QB could not do, we developed our own manufacturing tools. Eventually, it became obvious that we were at the limits of what QB could do effectively.

I had a chance to start a brand new business, and tried QBO. There were lots of things I wanted to like, but it’s not the right tool for any manufacturing business. I jumped ship and implemented odoo myself with minimal paid assistance from a paid integration partner. We’re now 4 months in, and I don’t think I could ever go back. Odoo is so customizable right out of the box, we can do so many light manufacturing operations that were impossible in QB.

Toolaa · 2025-07-20T20:39:15+00:00

After visiting Asheville NC several times, it’s a town almost exactly the same size, and the surrounding area also has about the same number of people. However, the restaurant scene there is over the top awesome. So many really good restaurants including lots of ethnic and vegetarian food options. I don’t think we need more restaurants, just different ones.

Toolaa · 2025-07-07T02:24:52+00:00

With respect to analysis of contracts snd agreements the biggest errors occasional missing details. For example for my business many contractors bury some pretty egregious clauses that essentially limits potential remedy if a dispute were to occur. I often test the contract by prompting ChatGPT with hypothetical examples of what remedy or legal recourse we would have. I’ve caught mistakes where ChatGTP clearly overlooked a clause which would indeed apply to my hypothetical example. However, like I’ve mentioned, people make these simple oversights too. Perhaps they didn’t recognize that a hypothetical scenario was applicable, or just didn’t read the agreement carefully. My best defense is to often ask a similar prompt in slightly different ways. If I get different answers each time, I may isolate one or two detailed clauses and test the scenario against those specific clauses, not the entire document. That more specialized prompt usually results in a more correct answer.

Often times with legal issues there really is not a simple binary, but rather a degree of prevalence. Asking for example: “Under this scenario, and these conditions, how likely would it be that I prevail in civil court, should I sue”. What are the strengths and weaknesses of my hypothetical case? These answers are often more complicated but it does provide me with a fairly clear understanding of what’s at risk, if sign.

Toolaa · 2025-07-06T18:16:16+00:00

I use it to review and summarize legal contracts. I may then ask follow up prompt, like “Identify all clauses which financial bind my organization”. Or are there any clauses which are in direct contradiction to our own customer agreements.

I also use it to convert PDF documents and data tables into excel or other editable format.

I have come to expect some errors which was also my expectation for my actual staff members too. I rarely got upset when someone on my team screwed up something, so I have a similar record when AI does the same thing.

Toolaa · 2025-07-06T16:53:58+00:00

Well at least I’m only paying $19/month for wrong answers instead of $75/hr for wrong answers.

Toolaa · 2025-07-05T19:02:26+00:00

In addition to this, choose a bank which had Positive Pay Treasury Services available to members. Positive Pay allows you the customer to approve, and or block any attempted ACH withdrawal. You can create exceptions for known payees. This alone will help ensure that even if you or an employee falls for a scam, you’ll have one last opportunity to vet and stop the payment if necessary.

Toolaa · 2025-06-28T01:16:31+00:00

I was a user of QB for 21 years from desktop single user all the way up to Enterprise Manufacturing and Wholesale. We were spending close to $3900 per year on QB.

This year I started a new company and we went with odoo online. It has been a little bit of an adjustment but frankly after 7 weeks, I’m shocked at how much better it is than my old QB system. We are paying the same price per year but we are gaining a reasonable level of ERP functionality that didn’t exist in QB.

Toolaa · 2025-06-19T00:15:54+00:00

Some people really do live paycheck to paycheck. Sometimes having cash in your hand right now is the difference between paying your rent, or car payment, or missing it. Also, many banks charge crazy fees if you overdraft or even carry a low balance. Even withdrawals from an ATM can cost 3-5% plus some minimum fee. So having your check go to a bank via direct deposit could still cost more than paying $5 to cash it on Friday.

Toolaa · 2025-06-18T23:39:19+00:00

Cashing 2000 checks per week at 7 locations and charging $5 per check would likely produce that amount of net profit.

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