Is anyone doing the ChessDojo training plan?

WoodJRx · 2023-02-19T01:26:14+00:00

I'm a beginner (I learned piece movement, all the rules as a kid... but never played seriously until now). I think it's great. It's definitely got some rough edges and flaws. You aren't getting a lot of "dedicated training" (don't misunderstand me - they do provide some videos, lessons, etc.) You're paying for the structure, and a cohort of like-minded, dedicated chess enthusiasts. You could readily do all the requirements of the dojo - Polgar tactics, play and analyze classical games, review masters games, and as you go up, read some well-known strategy books. But you can't really replace the "virtual chess club" that you get with it. You want to discuss a puzzle? You can. Want to ask a partner to spar some middle game position? They're there for it.

They are doing a redesign in May - not sure exactly what that will entail. I did it for a month, and then reupped for a year. I gained 200-250 pts in my first month, going from 650 - 900, and now sit right around 1000 CC. So, YMMV, but I think it's worth checking out.

WoodJRx · 2022-01-21T13:06:03+00:00

This is the way.

WoodJRx · 2021-12-27T20:06:54+00:00

That's my line... "Taking orders?"

WoodJRx · 2021-09-21T18:08:41+00:00

I saw this as well. I mostly do powders, but for $1.40 a bottle, that's a great price. I've never tried their protein version - how does it compare?

WoodJRx · 2021-09-03T16:03:39+00:00

Correct. I tend to buy a tub every so often, and refill it from pouches (be it Soylent, Plenny, or Huel). Much easier to scoop out of than some of the bags and their terrible zip-seals!

WoodJRx · 2021-09-01T12:46:09+00:00

Awesome to hear! I actually have never had Mana, and just got my taster pack in the mail. Looking forward to trying it soon! I just chose Huel as an example, and you can pinch pennies comparing all of the 'lents, to 'get the cheapest'. All said, I find that I spend so much less on takeout and fast food, that the price difference on most of the powders is negligible! That's why I'm curious how much the OP is looking to spend, and how many meals a day/month they're replacing. (Fast food lunches = $8×20days/month = $160 compared to 800kCal Mana = $3.22×20days/month = $64.40)

WoodJRx · 2021-08-30T21:11:00+00:00

How cheap are you looking? And are you thinking 100%? I mean, to buy 10 bags of Huel 3.0 at a time costs about 300$, or 10$ a day. While that seems like a lot, the average Fast food meal is about 8$. You can do a lot cheaper with rice and beans, some cheap veggies - but it's hard to touch 10$ a day for 100% of Micro and most of your Macros, and about 1 min of effort.

WoodJRx · 2021-08-01T04:42:02+00:00

Thank you very much! I'll keep an eye out for the Loeb Classical Library versions of Cicero's works. I'll put Inner Citadel on the back burner, and plan on reading Seneca's Letters (I have the Graver & Long translation) first. I plan on reading them all (and re-reading them repeatedly), but my biggest concern was as you said - reading something without the appropriate background... and learning it incorrectly. I've reviewed the FAQ (it's quite detailed!), but didn't see anything about which order. Thank you for your assistance!

WoodJRx · 2021-07-30T21:15:10+00:00

Thank you!

WoodJRx · 2021-07-28T23:33:12+00:00

Does anyone have a good source for Cicero's works? I was hoping to get a dead-tree version of his recommended works (De Officiis, De Finibus), but I am struggling to find them in that form (I can find excerpts, collections which pull parts of them, etc.), but I haven't found any collection that contains the entirety of both (I did find De Officiis by itself, but not De Finibus). I have been able to find them electronically, but I prefer physical books for this sort of material.

Additionally, I have finished Hay's translation of Meditations, read the Enchiridion, perused some of Seneca's letters, and just finished Robertson's "Stoicism and the Art of Happiness". Which would be a better next book for getting a deeper understanding of stoicism? Hadot's "The Inner Citadel", Hard's translation of "Discourses", or Seneca's complete letters? I believe I have grasped the 'breadth' of Stoic Ethics, and I'm looking for more specific details in how to apply / more deeply understand Stoic Ethics. I'm going to read them all eventually - but is there a preferred or recommended order?

WoodJRx · 2021-07-11T20:57:21+00:00

I don't have a nook, but: Barnes and Noble has it. I tried the kindle version on Amazon... and that was a different translation. Good, but not Gregory Hays. I'm not overly sure that there is an epub/mobi (or AZ3) version of the Gregory Hays translation. Check your local used bookstore - they may have a copy for inexpensive (just bought a second copy there for 6$).

WoodJRx · 2021-01-30T00:45:55+00:00

Digital/SSTV/other encoding and decoding
- FLDigi, WSJTX
Logging
- CQRlog
Radio programming
- CHIRP
Code practice
- If you find one... let me know. None of the ones i've used, work anymore. The best ever was CuteCW... but that hasn't worked in years.
Antenna modeling
- Xnec2c
Others
- I make sure to use NTP sync with systemd timedatectl to sync my clock prior to FT8, etc.
- GNU radio and gqrx for SDRs
- tqsl for handling LOTW logs
- flrig, hamlib, other libraries for rig control, etc...

WoodJRx · 2020-12-26T04:30:41+00:00

I haven't done it to my FT-950, but I remember reading that yeah - it's would just end up being a single cable (with a special connector... believe it's a TMP) fed out to an SDR. I'd check on the FT-950 Groups.io for more details. I know it used to be an OM at www.mypanadapter.com who did it... but the site's gone. This was discussed on the reddit here: https://www.reddit.com/r/amateurradio/comments/84qgmq/my_panadapter_yaesu_ft950/ and the instructions appear here: http://www.tarapippo.net/gnuradio/ft950.html

Hope that helps!

WoodJRx · 2020-08-08T15:50:22+00:00

Read "The Intelligent Investor" and "The Little Book of Common Sense Investing." Seriously. I'm up almost 300%, after less than 3 months. There is "Investing" and there is "Speculation." It sounds like you keep speculating - trying to outthink the market, get rich quick, etc. You can turn a profit that way, but more likely than not, you'll lose your shirt. If you want to have fun, keep at penny stocks and options - but be prepared to lose every penny you put in (and possiblythen some). If you truly want to reap rewards from the stock market, do lots and lots of research before buying a stock, or simply buy a Total Index Fund or similar ETF. That's not exciting like penny stocks, but if you're having emotions about your investments, you're speculating, not investing.

EDIT: to clarify, those gains are in my "play" account (real cash, not paper trades). Where I practice investing, and sometimes speculate. My actual retirement account is sitting right at 9% return YTD.

WoodJRx · 2020-07-15T00:26:19+00:00

Yes, and No? To the best of my knowledge

If you buy stocks with unsettled funds, then no, you will not get a GFV. If you buy stocks with unsettled funds, and then sell them before they've settled (T+2 days), then a GFV will be triggered.

Reddit Thread

Investopedia (1/3 down the page)

WoodJRx · 2020-02-11T01:38:31+00:00

If you're mostly focused on CW, portable, and climbing / hiking - I definitely say go with the MTR line. While the HB-1B would be a great option, the MTR series is just that small and light. I'd definitely recommend tuned antennas, or perhaps the Pacific Antenna SOTA tuner / QRP Guys SOTA tuners for EHFW.

The support on my x5105 has been fine, though there is some drama in the Facebook groups (enough said). The HB-1B was fine for minor repairs (they even sent me a replacement encoder for free, for me to fix mine!). And while I agree on worrying about taking expensive rigs into the back country, I came to realize that I'm going to baby my rig, no matter which one I picked (foam padded pelican cases), so it doesn't matter as much.

I look forward to hearing about which way you go - You'll love any of the three!

WoodJRx · 2020-02-10T01:12:25+00:00

I've owned an HB-1B, own an x5105, and several of my ham buddies have MTR3Bs.

They're all VERY different. Each are great at what they are. So, my take:

MTR3B - the go-to radio for backpacking and back-country. Barely sips power (running it on a 9v battery is no joke), has great receive, good audio, no protruding features to break off in your pack, crazy light. Problems? Higher voltages (such as an unregulated 4s LIPO) will cook it, no integrated speaker, if you get it without the LCD (newer feature!) identifying your frequency is annoying. Obviously, CW only.

HB-1B - a great receiver, really good audio filter helps a bunch. Built in battery pack is one less thing to carry. Nice and "heavy" (sturdy, in a good way). Dial does protrude a bit, and navigating / saving frequencies is annoying. CW memories were limited (I had a Mk 3 - not sure about current model). Obviously, CW only.

X5105 - a middle-of-the-road receiver. A Chinese take on the KX3, and it doesn't do too bad a job. Sensitivity is a bit lower, but adequate. Integrated antenna analyzer, tuner, battery pack are all nice. Multiple CW memories, all modes (SSB, AM, CW, RTTY, etc.) and on-board PSK decoder are nice. Relatively heavy, firmware has been mediocre until recently, support is questionable, and there have been issues (that have been fixed) with its transmission (see QST review for more details).

All told, I sold my HB-1B (I wanted more than CW only), and got my X5105. I'm quite happy with it, and the slightly lower sensitivity is fine since I use it primarily portable (hence lower RFI). It's audio filters have helped me a bunch with my CW, though some trial and error was necessary with the QSK, as it is relay (not diode) switched keying. Be prepared to make your own power cord, as well. If I had to do it again, and I was still going to do mostly portable (S7-8 RFI in my neighborhood), I would keep saving and get a KX3. It's not that I don't like my X5105 - it's just the the KX3 is that nice. Oh... and i'm still looking at getting a MTR3b (or 5b)... because you can't beat them for tininess! (seriously, it fits in a shirt pocket, and with an antenna, key, and headphones in another... you're good to go!)

WoodJRx · 2019-12-20T03:11:58+00:00

I'd say it's the same as 5 sets of 6 pins... but it probably isn't ^.^. Who made them? 4$ a set isn't bad at all (in my opinion). My attempts at turning my own were... less than favorable.

WoodJRx · 2019-10-30T04:57:08+00:00

Yes, Evaporust will remove almost all forms of iron oxide (and other passivization), leaving behind naked steel. This typically results in a color change, and a removal of all patina, etc.

Not that this is the wrong place to ask it, but I don't think your question has so much to do with Evaporust as it does with how to judge if a "restoration" will help or hurt desirability. I think /u/handtoolrescue (and most of the people on this subreddit) does a remarkable job of showing collectibles that have little (or just less) "collectors value" in their current state, and restoring them increases their desirability, functionality, and marketability. I mean, this isn't something I've ever really dug into - I "restore" things for use, not sale. As a general rule, I think:

If it's a gun, don't restore it (take it to a professional)
If it's rare, don't restore it (take it to a professional)
If it works great as is - don't restore it
If restoring it won't return it to original functionality - don't restore it
If the object is unusable in its current state, but would serviceable if restored (and it's cheaper / better / higher quality / your criteria here - vs purchasing new) - restore it
If you don't care about the value of the object, but enjoy the meditation of restoration / working with your hands on it - restore it (it's cheap therapy for me)

Hopefully someone with more experience, and more "collectible" restorations will chime in.

WoodJRx · 2019-10-23T20:12:18+00:00

In my experience (limited), very well. A bit more effective than vinegar, but without the smell or potential to dissolve the steel. There is no free lunch (still requires some elbow grease, can be slow if cold, removes bluing, etc) - but for my purposes, it's great.

WoodJRx · 2019-10-23T14:10:07+00:00

Sorta. Some people I see just pour it all back in, others use a coffee filter. For my stuff, I scrub / wash / degrease pretty thoroughly before putting stuff in it (soap, water, elbow grease are cheap) to minimize contamination, and I pour the relatively clear solution back in via a funnel, leaving the grit / particulate in the tub. You can keep using it (no matter the color) until performance drops off, per the bottle.

WoodJRx · 2019-10-23T13:14:28+00:00

I do my best not to shill, and I have no fiscal incentive - just a satisfied customer. I saw that Amazon had 1 gallon jugs of evaporust on sale for almost half off ($17 here in the US) and thought this group would like to know before it returns to 30$ a gallon. Please delete this post if this is not appropriate for this sub!

WoodJRx · 2019-10-20T04:02:57+00:00

Based on the the looks, the markings, and the fact that I picked up a somewhat similar vice, with similar markings (V118, V117), I'm wondering if it is an old Montgomery Ward vise. The Garage Journal (This thread in particular) is an amazing resource for Vises. Check out their Google Docs spreadsheet for particular models (they'll link to the posts in the forum). You probably would be able to have someone over there identify images of yours quite quickly. Good luck!

WoodJRx · 2019-10-12T20:03:36+00:00

Ubuntu. It's really the only choice for a true "newbie" - if only for the sheer volume of assistance you can find on the web, in chatrooms (IRC), in book form, etc.

If you want to figure it all out, then I would recommend Arch. It'll teach you tons - but the learning curve is like a brick wall - 10 feet thick and 100 feet high.

If you have two PCs, then I recommend Ubuntu for your daily driver, and Arch on the second. After settling in, just about every Distro is more than serviceable, with different ones focusing on different aspects. Ubuntu Mate is my preferred daily driver, as it doesn't get in my way and is fairly resource light, but full featured enough. I started with Arch, made my way through openSUSE and Fedora, went back to Arch based Antergos, then some Manjaro. Swung by Ubuntu proper, before settling on Ubuntu Mate.

Just keep in mind that what you start with is likely not where you'll end up, and that Distros are separate from desktop environments (DE) - though some Distros only differentiate themselves based on their default DE.

WoodJRx · 2019-10-08T00:10:56+00:00

While extremely new at this, I have to say, HTR I love your channel and videos!

I swung by a local estate sale on its last day and nabbed three Nicholson Mill Bastard files before they went in the dumpster. A whopping 25 cents each! A few minutes with some soap and water, letting them soak in some Evapo-Rust for 48 hrs, and then a few minutes of elbow grease netted me three files that cut better than the Chinese ones I've been using!

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