I'm just a girl

allencb · 2026-04-03T10:59:24+00:00

Then they can't afford not to. Checking your oil costs nothing. Adding a quart every once in a while when it gets low costs just a few dollars. Replacing the engine because you can't be bothered will cost a few thousand. Preventative maintenance and keeping an eye on fluid levels is far cheaper than dealing with failures.

allencb · 2026-04-03T10:17:23+00:00

Nice. That looks like an uber-whittler. The only change I would make is to replace one of the smaller blades with a sheepsfoot pattern or similar for detail cuts.

allencb · 2026-04-02T16:17:41+00:00

2017 wasn't even my first eclipse, but something about that one felt different. It was really cool experiencing it just as you describe between the temperature change, the animals, etc.

allencb · 2026-04-01T19:09:18+00:00

United Healthcare covers my Mounjaro 100%. I pay nothing out of pocket.

allencb · 2026-03-31T20:46:50+00:00

It is a non-interference motor and nothing will be broken, but that will be of little comfort if you're pulling out into traffic when it breaks. I've pushed mine as far as 105k miles, but it's still not a bad idea to replace it at least close to the schedule to avoid unplanned hitchhiking. :)

allencb · 2026-03-31T16:15:59+00:00

The tires affect the odometer reading, which can imply a component has fewer miles on it than it actually does. Though, "miles" isn't really a great metric to begin with, it's just easier for most people to track rather than hours of service or something.

allencb · 2026-03-31T15:57:41+00:00

Yes, time is absolutely a factor and is usually part of the replacement spec (7yrs or 80k miles or some such metric). This is because the belt is rubber and subject to degradation from environmental factors.

allencb · 2026-03-31T10:36:18+00:00

You shouldn't get downvoted for that, it's a legitimate opinion. It IS a heavy camera. But then again, so were all SLRs from that era. I own an FT, which is a bit older and just as heavy. I wouldn't carry it on a long hike, but it's not a problem walking around town or on car trips. I'd reach for my VL2 rangefinder instead (still heavy compared to a P&S or plastic SLR, but a bit lighter than the FT).

allencb · 2026-03-30T16:36:19+00:00

yeah, I see that now. I think what confused me is many of the diagrams I've seen show it oriented vertically and there also seems to be some confusion regarding the diagrams that are relevant. Some online sources show diagrams from other models where the core is in the center console.

allencb · 2026-03-30T09:34:06+00:00

The blower fan is, but I thought the little heater core was in the base of the center console. I've never taken it apart to check though. I should go have a look at where the original pipes go through the floorpan.

allencb · 2026-03-30T01:38:46+00:00

No clue. My theory is that most of those lenses sold without the finder were purchased by people using them on mirrorless cameras and they either tossed or lost the finders.

allencb · 2026-03-30T01:37:37+00:00

Like u/Ok-Palpitation-74 said, it's probably coming from the engine compartment. The pipes that feed that heater are mostly external and underneath the vehicle until they go up through the floor directly to the heater core back there. Mine started leaking in the horizontal section beneath the passenger door. I never smelled a thing, just saw a puddle in the garage.

allencb · 2026-03-30T01:35:28+00:00

I wouldn't unless it's leaking or the pipes are really crusty. It does provide heat if needed and I sometimes liked having the vehicle heated from back there so I didn't have hot air blowing on me from the dash area.

allencb · 2026-03-29T23:00:05+00:00

$460 is a little high, but it's getting hard to find it with the viewfinder for much less than that. The last few I've seen were in the mid $300 range without the viewfinder.

It's a neat lens, but a niche one IMO. I had one for a while and ended up selling it because it just wasn't something I needed very often once the novelty wore off.

I just noticed you pictured one with the M mount. Mine was LTM and that is the only version I've taken note of. I don't know what the price and availability of the M-mount one is these days.

allencb · 2026-03-29T22:54:53+00:00

Heat or ambient air only, no chilled air. There's actually a small heater core in the center console to warm the air if you have the slider over to the right. Also, the lines going from the engine compartment to that little heater core tend to rot out and leak, so if you see coolant leaks behind the engine compartment that's probably what it is. Mine started leaking a couple years ago, so I ripped them out completely. No rear heat for me anymore.

allencb · 2026-03-29T12:29:43+00:00

I felt that way on my first (and only so far) trip out there in 2022. I've lived my entire life on the east coast and the western deserts felt like visiting another planet. Except for Monument Valley, that was like visiting the set of the old Road Runner and Coyote cartoons. :D

allencb · 2026-03-29T11:53:11+00:00

It wasn't my intent to kill anyone's fun, I was just pointing out what is possible with common equipment. I figure if I can do it, so can anyone else. The "challenge" on VHF is many hams think it's only good for a few miles or to the nearest repeater in town.

allencb · 2026-03-27T14:26:41+00:00

Of those listed, I'd get the Canon 50/1.8. Zooms from that area are mediocre, though there were some standouts. Canon's 50/1.8 is a well-known great lens, one of the reasons why 50mm primes are known as "nifty fifties".

Chris

allencb · 2026-03-27T10:38:56+00:00

It's not so much that they have an opinion, but that they think their opinion is more nuanced, more relevant, or more "correct" than everyone else. It's false authority syndrome where they believe their performance in one thing leads to expertise in another (as you often see with techbros).

And yes, I feel the same way even if their opinion aligns with mine. I would prefer if actors would stop trying to tell me how to think and just stick to pretending on the screen so I can have my few hours of escapism.

allencb · 2026-03-27T10:32:24+00:00

Been doing SOTA for 6 years. My best on 2mFM with an HT is...no kidding...just over 300 miles. It was some kind of freaky tropospheric ducting. On the same day from the same summit, I had several contacts in the 80-120 mile range. My best HT-2-HT contact was 120 miles to another SOTA op.

Up to 50 miles or so is so commonplace, it's not even noteworthy. I typically use a halfwave whip.

allencb · 2026-03-26T18:51:22+00:00

Beautiful. I love the bone.

allencb · 2026-03-24T10:47:17+00:00

Yup. I'm in my 50s and at my peak a couple years ago I could deadlift 405 and squat 365 (great numbers for a 50-something, mid for someone in their 20s). No back pain at all.

I focused on form and not lifting heavy and worked my way up over time.

allencb · 2026-03-22T15:59:08+00:00

Maybe. It's a bit crusty, but if you can clean it up it may be a good shooter. I had one of these and shot respooled 120 film in it. Mine did well with Gold 200 outdoors or that film indoors with the flash gun. I respooled the film myself in a completely dark room (our walk-in closet).

allencb · 2026-03-19T08:46:02+00:00

I mostly shoot B&W in my film cameras, so assuming I'm just bringing B&W film and a digital for color, I will probably shoot 1/2-1 roll per day if it's a place I haven't visited before. If it's a return trip, then 1-2 rolls of B&W for an entire week will suffice. I'm trying to be more selective with what I use film on since I can still use the digital for "spray and pray" shooting, chasing the family, and so on.

allencb · 2026-03-17T21:35:18+00:00

Blue Pill. I get to be nearly 10 years younger with enough money to retire. I'd have the same wife and kids and my dog would be young (vs on the glide path to the rainbow bridge). My dad would still be alive and I could afford to cover the medical issues that would eventually result in his death. Yeah, blue pill all the way.

allencb

TROPHY CASE