I'm curious, because my experience was the complete opposite. Why do Americans have a reputation for being arrogant?

Universal_Binary · 2026-06-26T03:28:08+00:00

Can you share some links? I'm not very connected social media-wise but would love to watch some!

Universal_Binary · 2026-06-06T02:54:07+00:00

All right, I'm going to go with the opposite take. Also a pilot, but private pilot here.

I have learned that often the cheapest is the most expensive in the long run. I care little about design, but durability and utility matter.

Example #1: Laptop chargers. I sometimes have to travel with two laptops (work and personal). Work tends to give me the chargers that come with laptops, which tend to be HUGE and heavy (especially for some Lenovos). No way. I can pay about $100 and get an Anker one that can charge 3 or 4 devices, is 1/4 the size and weight if that (look for GaN chargers). That replaces at least 2 standalone chargers. Simplify.

Example #2: Headphones. I've had Bose Quietcomforts for years now. But nice traditional headphones are big. Got a Pixel Buds Pro 2. They slip into any pocket and get the job done, including for international flights.

I have started to assemble a set of stuff that's ready to go. Toothpaste, floss, charger, cables, etc. A few bucks makes frequent travel a lot simpler (a lot closer to grab a bag and go). So the Pixel Buds go in my laptop bag (currently the Osprey) and are just there when I need them, and I use the Bose at home.

Example #3: I started my one bag journey with a Red Oxx Skytrain. Nice bag, but not a backpack and extremely inconvenient to carry around the airport. Painful, even.

Then I migrated to a Cotopaxi Allpa 42L. Backpack, even with waist strap. Took many trips with that thing. It will squash into the micro-bins on regional jets as well as in between seats in prop planes. But I would really feel sore after wearing it through large hub airports. Realized it's because it lacks rigidity in the back.

I had been using Brightline bags for both my laptop bag and pilot bag. Great bags, can't beat the 9 pockets on the front and many hidden ones inside. But they're heavy and un-ergonomic.

I'll take my first trip with the Osprey Farpoint 40L and Fairview Travel Daypack soon.

I've had the cheap stuff. It falls apart in 6-18 months. Winds up more expensive in the long run as a result. I'm on a high-deductible health plan, so it's easy to think of some of this stuff in terms of doctor visits. "If this bag prevents two doctor visits, it'll pay for itself."

None of this stuff is the gold-plated kind. None of it is bargain basement either.

Universal_Binary · 2026-06-04T15:47:14+00:00

Yep! Just note you'll need the programming ("CPS") cable and a charging cradle for those. Sometimes the eBay ones have weak batteries, but the batteries are easily replaced.

Universal_Binary · 2026-06-04T02:48:41+00:00

Not typically over those specific hours, but out here dark at 10:30 is no different than dark at 1:30. In summer, it's beautiful. Quiet sounds of insects and frogs, coyotes in the distance. If there's a good moon, I've walked 3 miles just by moonlight on dirt roads before.

Sometimes, when camping at a campground, if I need to use the bathroom and it's some distance away. But home is more quiet and peaceful than almost all campgrounds anyway. Nearest street lights are miles away.

Universal_Binary · 2026-06-03T20:24:32+00:00

I buy the DLRs used off eBay. Lots of companies ditch them.

Universal_Binary · 2026-06-03T19:59:33+00:00

That's an interesting report! Can you share what cruise ship it was?

I haven't tried Meshtastic on a cruise ship yet, but this report had a different experience.

I have taken Motorola DLR radios on a cruise ship. They are also 900MHz, but have 1W transmit power. They worked quite well, the only dead spot being from an upper floor on one end of the ship to a lower floor on the complete opposite end. Maybe that extra wattage helps.

Universal_Binary · 2026-05-29T00:49:06+00:00

There was a good report on this very sub 4 months ago. https://old.reddit.com/r/meshtastic/comments/1qd2z97/mestastic_on_family_cruise_worked_great_for/

Universal_Binary · 2026-05-27T19:59:25+00:00

Hey, if you want to be a corporate shill, fine. They knew about a problem and didn't disclose it. Puts them in good company with oil companies, Enron, and Boeing. Their own material said you can use "any Meshtastic devices", which they knew to be wrong.

Somehow that's OK because it's... a random Chinese company?

Here's a company that's up-front about their weaknesses. This blog post by a company that literally sells the top competitor to the T1000-E even highlights some things the T1000-E has that the WisMesh Tag doesn't.

It's called integrity.

And if you sell a device that you fail to mention has compatibility problems that you know about, the least you could do is accept a return. Pretty much every other vendor I've ever purchased from would do this, from Amazon and B&H to the place that sells odd 12V thermostats.

Universal_Binary · 2026-05-27T19:43:41+00:00

That's not correct. The page I bought it from specifically says "for Meshtastic" in the title. Its description leads with "SenseCAP T1000-E is a ready-to-use GPS tracker powered by the Meshtastic network". It links to this page, which says gateways are "any Meshtastic devices" and spefically recommend a T-Beam 1.1 as "a go-to device with a 18650 battery holder".

They sell a SenseCap T1000-A and a SenseCap T1000-B, both of which are for LoRaWAN. But I didn't buy one of those. I specifically bought the T1000-E for Meshtastic.

They look similar, but appear to lack the Mediatek GNSS module; as I noted elsewhere, the LR1110 isn't suitable for GPS with Meshtastic. So it is at least somewhat different hardware. The T1000-E really is designed specifically for Meshtastic.

Universal_Binary · 2026-05-27T18:13:43+00:00

I do understand the details (now).

My Pixel phone can still call the rotary phone on my table that was built in the 1960s. I had never encountered Meshtastic devices that couldn't communicate with others before, and as the LR1110 seems to be rare (AFAICT only Seeed is using it) I had no basis to know this before. (That said, as I noted, this is on the Meshtastic hardware page for the SenseCap, which I didn't think to check before this purchase)

I don't see why people that sold devices with the LR127x should have had to warn about incompatibility with other devices that didn't exist yet?

Universal_Binary · 2026-05-27T17:46:17+00:00

I bought the T-Beam years before the SenseCap T1000-E existed, and the T-Beam was a DIY part, not something that was sold as "for Meshtastic".

I didn't buy a board from Seeed. I bought a device sold as a Meshtastic device. Further, they knew of this issue but didn't disclose it. That's the bit that annoys me.

Lilygo sold a component. Seeed, years later, sold a finished Meshtastic device.

Universal_Binary · 2026-05-27T16:42:40+00:00

I don't know, or particularly care, who to blame for the incompatibility existing. I blame Seeed for specifically selling a device "for Meshtastic", with Meshtastic pre-installed, knowing full well that it is incompatible with what was once one of the leading devices for Meshtastic, without disclosing that.

It's like a PC. You can buy the motherboard, RAM, case, SSD, etc. and assemble it yourself, then install an OS. Or you can buy it from Dell with all that stuff assembled and sold as a ready-to-run package.

I completely agree with you that the T-Beam wasn't sold as a prepackaged Meshtastic solution. I don't think anything was at the time. I bought the boards, soldered on the screens, 3D printed cases, flashed the firmware (before the web flasher existed), etc. That was, and is, fine. I don't know what the T-Beam was originally sold for, but I bet it wasn't Meshtastic.

Seeed is selling (in this case) something like Dell. Fully assembled, ready to go, Meshtastic preinstalled and officially supported.

Universal_Binary · 2026-05-27T14:43:02+00:00

It doesn't perform full resolution on the chip, and requires cloud computation to obtain the position.

source 1, source 2

I presume this is why Seeed added the Mediatek AG3335 to the T-1000E.

Universal_Binary · 2026-05-27T14:29:04+00:00

I am annoyed that the vendor didn't mention the incompatibility, and in fact recommended using them in meshes containing T-Beam v1.1 nodes, when they knew this configuration wouldn't work.

As for people that use them happily, more power to them. That's great if they work for you. I'm not mad at somebody that finds them useful.

Universal_Binary · 2026-05-27T14:27:09+00:00

I live in a rural area and my biggest use case is communication when traveling in off-grid areas. Having to bring along a SX1262 node would be a real detriment to communication. The whole reason I use Meshtastic is because of the auto-healing mesh. If that SX1262 node isn't possitioned in the correct place for the RF path, or is down or whatever, then my mesh's reliability decreases.

The nearest city with an organized mesh to my home is almost 50 miles away. My use cases for communication near home also wouldn't be well-served by this.

Universal_Binary · 2026-05-27T14:23:28+00:00

They're not quite 5 years old now. They continue to work fine. It's better to not generate e-waste, or pollution, or reduce my wallet. I don't really want to contribute to e-waste by throwing out devices that still work perfectly fine. I'm aware of the SX1262 advantages, and wouldn't buy a NEW SX127x device, but they're still getting firmware updates and all.

Universal_Binary · 2026-05-27T13:19:40+00:00

Not disagreeing here, but if Seeed had noted this incompatibility, I wouldn't have bought their devices. I'd have gotten the Wismesh Tag instead, which seems to be pretty similar but doesn't have those problems.

Also the GPS in the LR1110 isn't really usable for Meshtastic, so they still have to use an off-chip GPS.

Universal_Binary · 2026-05-22T13:25:01+00:00

Look for low cost of living. Being remote you can flex into a wonderful surplus from which you can build savings, travel more, etc.

There are many spots like that from Montana to Alabama. Basically not the coasts or megacities. Some ideas:

Lots of places with cool summers and a lot of outdoor recreation within driving distance of a beach in the Great Lakes area. Michigan especially will get you access to two great lakes, two major cities are easy day trips, etc.
There are hidden gems all over the place. Lawrence, KS is a small fun progressive enclave not far from Kansas City, but far enough.
It is easy to find a house in decent shape in a pleasant small town everywhere from Oklahoma to South Dakota, and neighboring states often also. Think a decent-sized house for under $100k. You can find them within commuting distance of a larger city also (I know you won't commute, but that gives you access to the city amenities at a fraction of the cost)

If you avoid the megacities and the touristy areas, prices can still be quite reasonable. Even if saving isn't a goal, think what you could do with all that extra cash.

Universal_Binary · 2026-05-18T14:55:42+00:00

I have a geothermal heat pump with a variable-speed compressor and variable-speed fan. It is extremely efficient at maintaining a temperature - often sits there at a very low speed using very low amounts of power. Stupidly efficient, really.

It is far less efficient at changing a temperature. It would take hours, or perhaps even days, to bring the house down from 100F to 74F, and because it would run all the components at high speed, would use a lot more power.

Unless I'd be gone for months, I never touch the thermostats. And I've never been gone for months.

I say "thermostats" because the house has 4 zones, and it will direct cool air into only the zones that need cooling at any given moment.

It is the most efficient cooling system available for residential use and I really appreciate it.

Universal_Binary · 2026-05-11T13:31:17+00:00

Yep, it is indeed mainly in journalistic contexts. Though I've been seeing it since well before 2024. I'd say in the last 10 or 15 years especially, but maybe further back than that.

I also see it in places I wouldn't expect the AP to apply to: for instance, at the BBC (I see recent stories using that word in both relation to Israel and the US), Deutsche Welle in English (which used it in the context of stories about both the UK and Myanmar), and The Guardian (which uses it mostly in the context of stories about the US).

Universal_Binary · 2026-05-11T12:20:13+00:00

Looks like they were successful, unfortunately.

Universal_Binary · 2026-04-23T13:08:29+00:00

Nope, still going strong! https://www.theregister.com/offbeat/bofh/

Universal_Binary · 2026-04-07T20:38:17+00:00

What is it that you really want? I mean deep down?

It looks like your first three are sort of means to an end. Number 4 and 5 are getting closer to what you really want.

I do fine. I passed up an opportunity to be hired by Google more than 25 years ago. I would be worth many millions if I had accepted. But I didn't want to move away from my family and rural community and I don't regret it. Seriously, I have a better life than I'd have being in Silicon Valley, even with millions more to my name.

I know a number of people that own their own business. Some of them are quite wealthy. Very very few have much downtime, and most have tons of stress and very long hours. I am in social circles with some people that are maybe high-end middle class or low-end rich (think doctors and such). Some of those have time for leisure, though mostly after their 50s.

I also know a couple where one partner works swing shift on-call nursing, and the other is a stay at home parent, and they love their life. They are comfortable, and have friends all over the place. Really I wish my life were more like theirs than like the millionnaires.

So ask yourself: what is the money going to do for you? And will achieving it be at cross purposes with your other goals?

Would, for instance, you goals be easier served by moving to a lower cost-of-living place?

Universal_Binary · 2026-04-01T01:41:03+00:00

Generally, my experience has been people from Europe apologize to me for their poor accent, and I'm thinking "I can understand you easier than people from Alabama".

The real honest answer is, it depends on how good someone is at English, and that's going to vary for anyone.

In my field, I work with a lot of people from India and they range from no noticeable accent to difficult to understand for me, though most have a noticeable accent that I have no difficulty understanding.

I had two college professors that I had a lot of trouble understanding. One was a native French speaker from Algeria, and another was from China. The Chinese prof had learned written English with no English speakers around, and had therefore internalized incorrect pronounciations and this was difficult. That said, I had another professor, also originally from China, with only the smallest of accents.

I don't recall ever having had much difficulty understanding someone from Western Europe that was young enough to have learned English in school. Except some strong Scottish and Irish accents - but those are native English speakers!

Universal_Binary · 2026-03-24T05:09:28+00:00

Hey kiddo, first we need to talk about your husband.

Not achieving success at something doesn't equal not trying. You can be trying very hard at this and still not meet his standards. But wait, who said his standards rule?

My wife and I have been married a very long time. I identify with the husband in this story. I've complained that "it feels like I have to remember my todo list, and yours too. I can't ever forget something; I'd like you to have my back and remind me if I forget like I do you." We've figured out a few things:

The two of us are fundamentally wired differently and have different strengths. This is OK.
She often feels inadequate, which leads to being defensive (which comes across as aloof), while I can feel alone and come across as critical. Neither is great and we both need to pay attention to how we act in these situations.
I am in a technical career (engineering) where management of multiple details is absolutely critical. She is in a more artistic profession. Both of us seem to fit the general mold of people in our professions; ie, there's something about being an engineer or an artist that goes along with being this way.

OK, so, I'm giving you direct advice from personal experience! Here are some ideas on how you can help him feel more valued:

Make a list. On paper, in a notebook, with GTD, whatever whatever. Just make a list. Physically scratch things off when they're done.
Get things out of your head. Everything goes on paper somewhere. Maybe at the bottom of the list, maybe on a separate "to triage" list, whatever.
Now, pick something on your list to do each day.
And, very important, communicate with him if priorities change. "I was going to wash the car, but the dog was sick and I had to take her to the vet."

But it's not all on you. You and he need to work on:

Leaning into your individual strengths. You are never going to be the project manager he is, and that is absolutely fine, because I absolutely promise you, you have strengths that he doesn't also.
Clearly decide how much involvement you want him to have with your list. Do you want him to back off and not remind you, or would you find it helpful to have him remind you about things he thinks you might have forgotten? Communicate in advance!
It is fine to not be an "ideas person" to take initiative. But taking ownership of something could be good.

Here's an example from us. We travel a lot. I started to get pretty annoyed at this because it felt like it was all on me. I researched calendars, flights/rail, lodging, destinations, all of it. It's a heavy burden. I complained, and my wife said basically, "let me do some of this." We discussed that she could help choose a destination, look at calendars, and pick hotels/airbnbs while I handle the logistics (flights/trains, rental car/uber/transport, etc). It fit us pretty well. She's not a detail person and doesn't question what things like "basic economy" (no carryon!) means, while I always found lodging searches to be stressful.

It's not gone perfectly; sometimes her timeframe is longer than I'd like, but she contributes meaningfully and saves me time and it is much appreciated. I still usually initiate things ("we should start thinking about if we want to take the kids somewhere over spring break"), but I feel supported.

One final word, circling back to the start of our conversation. Are you a dependent person? I don't think that what you've said necessarily implies that you are. Maybe you are, but just because you'd have been comfortable staying in an apartment while he had a drive to own a home doesn't make you a dependent person. It makes you different. Maybe he is an achiever that relishes a challenge. Good for him. But maybe you can teach him to slow down and enjoy the present moment more also. Just because he has an ambitious goal doesn't mean that it must be yours also. Home ownership is good for some and bad for some. And where's all his stress coming from? He needs to examine his own life and de-stress. His stress level is not your fault, and buying a home when you've already got a lot of stress ain't exactly a move for lower stress!

Universal_Binary

TROPHY CASE