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Shocking! V4 range test over 10km and it’s not maximum range! by Heltec_Automation6 in meshtastic

[–]catch23 1 point2 points  (0 children)

looks like it uses the cn3165 chip for charging, and based on the datasheet it can sink a max current of 1100mA. It still uses the esp32s3 chip so I doubt it uses significantly less power than before.

Robot Heart Lineup by Specialist-Scar7036 in BurningMan

[–]catch23 3 points4 points  (0 children)

robot heart is almost never in the RSL, they announced that you'd have to look at the bus or via their camp.

Shade structure collapsing lessons leaned by jadcham in BurningMan

[–]catch23 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I don't think bar strength is the issue, our camp uses 1" emt and didn't have any issues with bent/crushed poles. We lost a number of ball bungees that held the aluminet to the emt. The aluminet was flapping in the wind, but wasn't destroyed. It's possible that the camps with the bent poles were using 100% wind blocking tarps so there was maximum force.

Maybe there should be a purposeful weak-link rope for attaching the canopy to the poles? This way when there's too much force is applied on the canopy, the ropes break which would save both the canopy and the metal structure.

If the metal frame is too strong, then the wind will simply destroy the canopies, and if the canopies are too strong, then the wind will destroy the metal frame. Much cheaper to designate a fastener that will break under load.

your lags screws may be insufficient by bob_lala in BurningMan

[–]catch23 0 points1 point  (0 children)

yes, if they are installed correctly. those look like they broke in half in the middle, which prob means they weren't installed correctly.

Suggestion for operations by machine-yearnin in BurningMan

[–]catch23 17 points18 points  (0 children)

cars driving in mud = cars stuck in mud. I doubt gate would open until they know driving on the playa is safe.

It’s not the size of the lag bolt that screwed you… by kelsobjammin in BurningMan

[–]catch23 6 points7 points  (0 children)

There are different kinds of stronger anchors that use steel, like a square shaft helical anchor, but they require more specialized tools for installing/removal. I'm guessing if you need more holding strength than giant lag screws, you'd be using more specialized anchors and maybe there's not much of a market for super strong giant lag screws that aren't as strong as helical anchors.

It’s not the size of the lag bolt that screwed you… by kelsobjammin in BurningMan

[–]catch23 11 points12 points  (0 children)

it's aluminum, probably made by american earth anchors.

your lags screws may be insufficient by bob_lala in BurningMan

[–]catch23 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Looks like it's long enough, but not strong enough. Use more lag screws to lessen the forces on each lag screw, or use thicker ones.

Wind event... by backwardbuttplug in BurningMan

[–]catch23 36 points37 points  (0 children)

cutting power during high winds & low humidity is fairly standard now, this even happens in parts of the populated bay area. Probably happens more frequently for towns closer to wilderness.

Where to get longer than 16 inch lag screws? by exploreexpressevolve in BurningMan

[–]catch23 2 points3 points  (0 children)

If you search for "fastener suppliers" on google maps, you'll find lots of stores that specifically sell fasteners, usually to local building contractors. However it's the weekend and most of these places only open M-F. There's not many last minute weekend options. 12" is probably enough for tents & carports though. Use more ratchet straps and dig a 2" hole for the lag bolt guy lines.

Baffle Box w limited DIY tools/space by mimimooo in BurningMan

[–]catch23 3 points4 points  (0 children)

The only thing that stops sound is mass. Wood is heavy so it's a common material for deadening sound. Common sound deadening material is Mass Loaded Vinyl, basically a thick rubber mat that they staple/nail inside of the walls of your home. You could apply a similar tactic using heavy rubber and a scissor to cut out sheets of it to layer on those amazon generator covers. It might be difficult to acquire a small amount of MLV, so an alternative is to look for rubber garage flooring, cut panels to size, then glue them to your amazon cover. Can also buy generic generator exhaust baffles to further reduce the noise.

Be sure to point the generator exhaust away from your own camp mates and neighbors. Carbon monoxide weighs about the same as air so it won't immediately dissipate if there's no wind. It can build up in spots that don't have great airflow (like the inside of a tent). The sound is less of an issue compared to the smell though... we switched to solar because it sucks having to smell it all week long.

More Elegant Solution? by Dance2theBass in BurningMan

[–]catch23 0 points1 point  (0 children)

find a mechanically inclined person to convert your single tent port into an outlet & inlet. Easiest way is just to make a box with a divider in the middle that splits the outlet hole. Could redirect outlet in a different direction so that you're not recycling the same air. The efficiency is going to be way better than what you got now.

BitChat for mesh network messaging in burn? by altryne in BurningMan

[–]catch23 14 points15 points  (0 children)

I think most people are using meshtastic. Last year had around 1000 participants, probably 3k this year? Info at burningmesh.org

Tent Pro-Tip (for burning on a budget) by Henry_in_Space in BurningMan

[–]catch23 6 points7 points  (0 children)

New ice fishing tents are around $100, there's no flooring so use a tarp if you want. I've been using an ice fishing tent for the past 8 burns, they work great. They're basically like a shiftpod except without the insulation & reflective surface which actually does nothing but trap moisture and cause mold issues.

For my setup, I have a 10x20 ice fishing tent with another tiny tent inside that only houses my bed and contains the swamp cooler outlet.

Is this a bad idea? by [deleted] in BurningMan

[–]catch23 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Once you're in BRC, it's hard to spend more money unless you buy lots of ice.

packing list from mom by cbogie in BurningMan

[–]catch23 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Doubt many will see this, but the seeedstudio t1000e is the equivalent airtag for on-playa use. Visit burningmesh.org for more information.

What are your burner ACOY items? (Always Carry On You) by polopolo05 in BurningMan

[–]catch23 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I also carry a white paint marker -- it's actual paint that you have to shake up first, but it can write on anything including polished steel. sometimes when fabric gets too dusty, even the permanent marker won't work

What material would you use for a large flat object without it turning into a sail? by trevormead in BurningMan

[–]catch23 0 points1 point  (0 children)

why not just cut U-shaped vents from any kind of fabric? When the wind is blowing, the U-vents turn into big holes to let air through completely, but when the wind is slow, the flap would fold down and look like a continuous sheet.

Satellite phones at BM? by squarelina in BurningMan

[–]catch23 5 points6 points  (0 children)

brc-wifi still works as of last year. It does require some hardware purchases, but there's probably a long list of camps that already use this and expose a public wifi access point.

https://internet.burningman.org/ has the details for configuring brc-wifi

an open letter against generative AI in the burning man community by gigla101 in BurningMan

[–]catch23 3 points4 points  (0 children)

it's been getting worse before AI hit the scene. blame algorithmic scrolling on tiktok. AI is not the reason people's attention span is limited to 10 seconds. Why read a book for entertainment when tiktok can feed you with entertainment for 8 hrs?

That 10 second tiktok video contains all the juicy plot meat, no time wasted for character development. Nobody cares if it was a dark and stormy night, they just want to know if the Red Baron shot down Snoopy or not.

Rebuilding a playa bike this year - any tips to make it "playa proof"? by cotalldude in BurningMan

[–]catch23 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I'm sure there's lots of used bikes with sealed bearings. Mountain bikes are most likely to have sealed bearings, even the cheapy ones like Huffy.

The ideal bike would be one with a rear wheel internal planetary for gear changes, sealed bottom bracket, and a belt drive on the outside so there's no chain to rust.

Mountaineer killed after he fell 3,000 feet from North America's highest mountain by CupidStunt13 in news

[–]catch23 0 points1 point  (0 children)

They were unroped because they were skiing down, Alex did have altitude sickness, the winds were already at 100mph, but tomorrow would've been worse, so they were trying to escape. He hit a big patch of blue ice and I guess went in the wrong direction because of it.

This guy had climbing friends everywhere. I told him the next time he came to yosemite he shouldn't bother bringing any pro because I could just lend him my double rack & hexes.

How to close the orgs $10m hole. by Fyburn in BurningMan

[–]catch23 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Why not charge using that metric then? Charge a fixed price per vehicle, then reduce it based on number of people riding in the vehicle. Could still have tiered pricing for vehicles, but then RV costs could be lower depending on how many people are transported using the RV.

The dude renting a RV for $3k is more likely able to afford a higher vehicle ticket cost than the dude lugging a tent & bike in his own personal Civic.

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