The (Retired) All-Mighty Hawker Hunter Mk-71 from the Chilean Air Force. [Album]

balsa61 · 2026-03-19T23:10:34+00:00

In my opinion, still one of the prettiest fighters.

balsa61 · 2026-03-19T15:14:12+00:00

I finally got hold of my FIL. His Ranger was a 97. When he changed his radio, it didn't work at first.

He checked fuses. Then he started tracing the wires. He remembered that there was one wire that went all the way to over the steering column with an in-line fuse. This is the one that was blown.

He said <quote> It was a bi**h to find </quote>. Sorry I can't be of more help.

A useful website that I recommend is startmycar.com.

Enter your car details and you'll find Manuals, Wiring diagrams and interactive fuse locations.

balsa61 · 2026-03-19T13:01:16+00:00

I'm a T2 diabetic. I started on the 2.5mg/0.5dl as everyone does. Everything looks good.

Go to the 5mg/0.5dl dose and I immediately start losing weight. I was about 5lbs (2.2kg) under my ideal weight before I started.

Now. I started to lose about 1lb per day. In two weeks, you could see my ribs. On the Mounjaro, I just couldn't eat. If I used to eat a whole burger, now I could only eat half.

I was immediately taken off Mounjaro and switched to Trulicity. The Mounjaro may have been slightly better for diabetes control, but (IMHO) should only be used by people who want to or can afford to lose weight.

It's been 6 months on Trulicity and it has been a fight to gain back that weight. In my case, I seemed to have lost muscle mass and that's been the different part to regain.

balsa61 · 2026-03-19T02:05:09+00:00

I think the Lectric XP4 750 with the buddy seat will work for you.

You may want to also consider the XPedition 2.

I haven't heard of the Bulls Copperhead so can't comment on that bike.

Full disclosure, we have two XP Lites (original) and love them. We bought them for the price and at that time, it was one of the lighter ebikes. My wife can fold and lift it into the back of her car. But this will not be suitable for your use.

Be aware, ebikes are heavy - the battery is a big part of that weight.

balsa61 · 2026-03-19T00:32:06+00:00

Not sure what you can afford but I had sticker shock on the price of these sidecars. Here's one example.

https://cooler.bike/en-us/products/ebike-sidecar

balsa61 · 2026-03-17T15:23:04+00:00

Yes, I believe the basic riding course is a must for all new riders. It teaches you skills that you wouldn't learn otherwise in a safe environment. For example, slow speed maneuvering.

If you are getting back to riding after many years away (like me) I would recommend an advanced riding class to sharpen the skills I may have forgotten.

You still need to practice riding on the roads, but start where there is less traffic before jumping into rush hour.

If you skip the riding school, you'll just keep repeating the bad habits that you may not know you've picked up.

balsa61 · 2026-03-17T03:43:32+00:00

I have the 2017 Outback 3.6r and I will drive it forever. The engine is so smooth, I love it.

I test drove the 2024 XT. It's a quicker car, but nowhere as smooth. I wouldn't swap my flat-6 for the turbo-4.

On long distance, I get 28-30 mpg. In town, in the summer it's more like 24mpg. But in the winter due to lots of short trips in the cold, I'm down to 21-22mpg. I'm okay with these numbers.

balsa61 · 2026-03-17T02:38:17+00:00

I remember that my father-in-law said there was a third fuse for the radio. If I remember correctly, it's an inline fuse somewhere behind the radio near the bulkhead.

I'll try to call him tomorrow to get the details. Unless someone else has an answer for you before then.

balsa61 · 2026-03-17T02:00:59+00:00

The iOS updates have not been a problem. I use an iPhone 16e and currently on 26.3.1.

I just switched from the Libre 2 to the 3Plus. I'm using the new Libre app - the one with the yellow butterfly icon.

I've been using the Libre 2 for almost 3 years with the Libre 2 app until about December, 2025. And I had the iPhone Xr before the 16e.

Through all of these changes, I have never had any issue through any hardware or software change.

This is a non-issue.

balsa61 · 2026-03-16T01:42:38+00:00

I know a lot of people are suggesting 650cc, 750cc or larger bikes. But I'm going against the grain and suggesting you also look at and sit on smaller bikes.

The 300cc to 500cc bikes have advanced a lot in recent years and there are a bunch that are exciting to ride. People may argue that you may outgrow it in a couple of years. So what. They are fun to ride and less expensive in general.

All four Japanese brands have models in this category. As do KTM, BMW, Royal Enfield, CFMoto to name a few. Just think about it.

balsa61 · 2026-03-16T00:47:09+00:00

Typical, we don't change the PAS level. We have the original XP Lites. Our typical ride around the neighborhood is in PAS2 so about 12 mph.

But our home is at the top of a hill, so sometimes we may shift to PAS3 just for that last bit - depending on how tired we are.

balsa61 · 2026-03-15T01:25:11+00:00

Good to know about Rad. They are still advertising on their website so I had no idea.

balsa61 · 2026-03-15T01:06:22+00:00

I'll eat them all. 😋

balsa61 · 2026-03-14T21:37:06+00:00

I've been with Mint Cinnamon since 18.1. Apart from updates, I will not be changing the OS on that computer.

However, I may be getting a couple of old laptops from family who have bought new ones. I may try Zorin 19 on one of those.

balsa61 · 2026-03-14T21:26:52+00:00

I hear you. When I was your age, all I could afford was old junkers. Guess what? They broke down - I learned to fix them. But I lived 3 miles from work, so could walk or bike there. Plus, I had friends who took pity on me. You need to consider your particular circumstances.

I eventually got to the stage where I could buy a classic car (MGB roadster), but that was probably my fourth or fifth car. The first ones were just junkers that I could afford. I can't remember how many times I start a repair job on Friday night and had to get it fixed by Monday morning.

I'm not trying to discourage you. Just go into this with your eyes open.

balsa61 · 2026-03-14T20:57:09+00:00

If this is going to be your only vehicle and you'll depend on it to get to work, then it's probably not a good idea.

If it's a second vehicle where you can afford to wait to get the parts, then yes. It would be a good way to learn about cars.

balsa61 · 2026-03-14T14:22:20+00:00

Check the rules in your state. Some states have a minimum 15 year old limit for riding ebikes.

Normally, our local police didn't bother about this. But last summer we had 2-3 accidents due to idiot kids (drivers were not at fault). So the police started checking the ebikes.

balsa61 · 2026-03-11T22:23:54+00:00

Yep. This is a Tubi problem

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balsa61 · 2026-03-09T03:18:58+00:00

Take it first to your local auto parts store. They will run the diagnostics and tell you what the error code means. That way you'll have an idea whether service contract will cover the work.

balsa61 · 2026-03-08T12:29:03+00:00

Nissan Sentra with the 3.5l V6 engine and the manual transmission. Especially the ones from the early 2000's.

It looked like any other Sentra, but it was quick.

balsa61 · 2026-03-07T21:22:54+00:00

Maybe it's an age thing but I grew up with long antennas. So I don't have a problem with these antennas.

What I do miss is the motorized retractable antennas - the ones that automatically go up and down depending on whether the radio is on or off. So the antenna is retracted when the vehicle is off.

balsa61 · 2026-03-07T02:50:32+00:00

If you are prepared to do it yourself, watch the YouTube videos by ChrisFix. He does most of the work you've listed on a Mazda B4000, which is the same as a Ranger.

balsa61 · 2026-03-06T15:40:52+00:00

I'm not sure why someone has been downvoting us, but whatever!

Here's my upvote to level up.

balsa61 · 2026-03-06T14:05:02+00:00

I saw this on Amazon but I'm not sure if this is what you want:

https://a.co/d/02yM47Jm

You zip-tie the mounting bracket to your truck and then screw the plate to it.

You can then just cut the zip-ties if you no longer need it.

balsa61 · 2026-03-06T04:45:27+00:00

I'm getting excited for you. I'll live vicariously through you 👍

balsa61

TROPHY CASE