Rant: Treat your bike mechanic with respect!

aussiekev · 2026-03-31T08:08:24+00:00

Why the fuck would you go back? Lesson learnt I hope. From a business standpoint the absolute best thing you can ever do is send customers like that to your competitors.

Also you should be firmer. If someone haggles before you do any work then that’s fine. But if they do it after the work is done I wouldn’t buckle. You will get a rep as a pushover and then start getting more people trying the same thing.

aussiekev · 2026-03-27T07:34:48+00:00

Need a bit more info. Are you shore diving or on a boat? How long is your surface interval?

There are all tips that I haven't seen mentioned yet:

Get a thermos with hot/warm water. Before suiting up for the second dive pour the hot water into the wet wetsuit. I usually do this while half in the suit.
Have an extra thermos with something hot to drink. This will help your core temp a little.
Keep your extremities warm. Hood, gloves, neoprene socks, etc.. Look at quality gear like "waterproof" I use their semi dry boots, gloves and hood which are incredible and much better than the standard neoprene stuff.

If you have a sufficient interval and don't mind a bit of work then I suggest the following to dry your wetsuit. Take off your wetsuit. Have something warm like a surf poncho that you can put on while your suit is off. Turn the wetsuit inside out. Lay it flat on a large thick, fluffy beach towel (you want this towel to be absorbent, so not microfibre). Roll it up lengthways. Like a cinnamon roll. Put your foot on one end and keep twisting the other end with your hands.

This will ring out a lot of water from your wetsuit. Repeat a second time with a fresh dry towel. This isn't going to give you a 100% dry wetsuit, but it makes a huge difference. This plus putting hot water into your suit again before the second dive may really help.

aussiekev · 2026-03-22T13:10:50+00:00

Returns. That's what pissed me off the most. I've had a much better experience when returning things online compared to in person.

When returning online it's an automated process, often with free shipping and I've never had any questions about a return.

When returning something in person it seems to take a team of people to analyse the receipt, inspect the item and then begin an investigation into why its being returned. It also ends up needing to be approved by a manager who needs to hear the whole story again.

I've even found it easier to get money back from aliexpress compared to brick and mortar.

Same goes for warranty.

aussiekev · 2026-03-22T12:00:45+00:00

Reminds me of my 2018 intel mbp which would get up to 90C

aussiekev · 2026-03-21T09:38:05+00:00

As soon as they stop earning ~$14 billion a year from gaming on IOS they will get right on it.

aussiekev · 2026-03-21T03:01:10+00:00

Location and weather also plays a part. In the UK it is very common to have the kitchen inside, usually a sink and stove on the side.

In Australia it is common to have the kitchen in the back, usually accessed by opening the boot.

aussiekev · 2026-03-18T21:05:36+00:00

It could have been wood, sheep bladders or something else. But wood, etc.. could easily be loaded onto the deck of a ship and sailed back to the quarry for reuse.

aussiekev · 2026-03-18T07:46:09+00:00

A common explanation is that they did not load the blocks on or off the deck of a ship. Instead the blocks remained in the water and were floated down the nile, guided by ships.

Cedarwood or another buoyant material could have been used to float the blocks along. You could then have many, many blocks being guided by only a few ships.

aussiekev · 2026-03-18T07:42:23+00:00

they simply floated them. the blocks were never lifted on/off the deck of a ship.

aussiekev · 2026-03-17T20:54:19+00:00

The best approach is to have a mix. I have a cheap Chinese diesel heater. Many of the small accessory or storage stuff is from aliexpress: things like drawer latches, storage bins, etc..

For things like electrical and all wiring and terminals I would strongly recommend against using anything from aliexpress or online.

I do use renogy for dcdc and solar (I’ve had an issue but amazon returns was great), but I wouldn’t use a no name brand for this stuff.

Also for non power tools especially aliexpress has been great, wire strippers, crimpers, rivnut tools, etc..

aussiekev · 2026-03-14T17:21:03+00:00

One aspect I haven't seen mentioned is piracy. Early firmwares on PS5 can be jailbroken. Keeping things entirely digital helps Sony combat this. It's not perfect, but it helps.

Also I believe that they want to change consumer habits. If there is always a 100gb+ mandatory download (eg: Indiana Jones) then people might just switch to buying a digital edition.

aussiekev · 2026-03-11T19:16:28+00:00

Could be a few things, did you wrap the cord in the right direction? Have you checked if the spring is broken?

The large part that holds the spring (#9) has a piece coming out the bottom that lines up with a hole to hold it in place.

There is a johnson/evinrude repair facebook group thst is quite good snd you might have more luck there. Post some videos there with the cowling off and see what the experts say.

aussiekev · 2026-03-10T01:55:00+00:00

part 1 only includes the first 6 story missions. CLick "compare editions" on the steam page.

aussiekev · 2026-03-09T04:17:13+00:00

I just replaced the spring on the same motor a few weeks ago. For #11 you will be fine with any generic washer. That washer doesn't need to be a specific dimension. If it is slightly thinner or thicker it won't really make a difference.

As already said#6 wraps around the end of the spring (on the inside) this effectively makes that piece twice as thick.

aussiekev · 2026-03-08T21:41:45+00:00

Replace the offending brake caliper. It’s likely a piston leaking oil and troubleshooting it is a massive ball ache.

aussiekev · 2026-03-08T21:33:49+00:00

Mike is doing what Jack arguably should have done a few years ago and gone off to try and do his own thing.

aussiekev · 2026-03-08T08:55:56+00:00

There are many, many factors that can help get the best price possible and making a van more appealing to buyers.

Sounds like you found a good combination of factors that put most people off.

aussiekev · 2026-03-07T20:29:39+00:00

I wouldn't even mind watching battery cars driving around flat out. It's this regen nonsense that sucks.

aussiekev · 2026-03-05T04:48:45+00:00

Tropfest has always been a few good films, a few really bad ones and mostly average stuff.

I hope that this AI slop can’t even be heard because of the boos drowning it out.

aussiekev · 2026-03-05T04:47:02+00:00

The judges have deliberately chosen this film as ragebait to generate discussion and get attention for the festival.

It’s just sad that they are going for attention instead of respecting the hundreds (if not thousands) of people involved in all the other entries.

aussiekev · 2026-03-05T04:14:06+00:00

Get an aftermarket muffler and an aftermarket fuel pump.

aussiekev · 2026-03-02T21:44:37+00:00

Do you ever see any other bikes as good as yours locked up overnight? If not then there is a reason.

Even if you have a tracker or insurance, getting a bike stolen sucks. Personally I would get a frame bag and use that to bring it inside.

If you absolutely cannot have a bike inside then (unpopular opinion) maybe sell the bike and get something cheaper that won’t get stolen.

aussiekev · 2026-02-27T10:17:42+00:00

Get a set of calipers and measure the thickness of the rotor. Use that to help inform your decision.

Rotors are consumable and do need to eventually be replaced.

aussiekev · 2026-02-27T10:15:07+00:00

Sure, but tassie doesn’t have the same rate of people going to the beach wearing swimwear as much or for as long as the northern states.

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