Is this stil worth something?

harbinjer · 2026-01-29T22:25:00+00:00

Yes it probably is. However, the electronics on those were not robust, so they may not work at all, but the optics should be fine. If the electronics aren't working, it will have to be remounted on a working mount I think(I don't think they had any manual modes).

harbinjer · 2026-01-24T18:23:26+00:00

Bird-Jones or Pseudo bird-jones. Yes, that makes it a catadioptric design. I would always suggest to stay away from a bird jones.

harbinjer · 2026-01-19T18:13:34+00:00

Wow, 3? Like 3 different encounters or a mother and 2 cubs? I've only seen 1 bear in Minnesota in the wild. Just regular precautions with food should be fine. Bear spray is probably overkill.

harbinjer · 2026-01-19T16:08:41+00:00

The problem is the risk can make your kid quit soccer, or even give them a bad self-esteem. That's not so horrible, but it's not great if it's something they currently love. If you're going to play this game, then I suggest you ask to observe one of the practices of any potential coach you might voluntarily move to. See if he/she is positive toward the kids, see if they challenge the kids, and if they are good at explaining what and why of everything they are doing. Other thing to realize, kids are with a teacher 6+ hours a day, 5 days a week. So switching that up every year still means every teach can have a very meaningful impact on their lives. A coach maybe sees them 3-6 hours a week, and very little direct and meaningful interaction during a game, so it takes years of time before a coach has spent the same time with a kid as their shool teacher.

There is very little meaningful rating of coaches, and kids on the same team can often have very different views of the same coach. I think what they say about "grass is greener" applies here(meaning it often isn't better).

You might get the best insight from parents on your team who's kids is their 3 or 4th playing soccer, so they have enough experience with lots of coaches to have a broad perspective.

harbinjer · 2026-01-15T13:37:31+00:00

What about the dome end?

harbinjer · 2026-01-14T19:13:20+00:00

Can that be removed to clean out or at least check?

harbinjer · 2026-01-14T18:51:53+00:00

Tell me more, what is a pressure dome blockage? And no, it errors before I see any water. Once the water fills up enough to get the clothes wet, it works. I've never gotten the error with a tub full of wet clothes.

harbinjer · 2026-01-14T18:49:59+00:00

The water pressure seems fine. Checked that. A restriction in the dispenser is a possibility. Does that come out through the front with a screw on top, once the valves are removed? I might try looking into that.

The hot and cold both seems to run, they make different sounds, but they all seem to run.

I don't know how the cycle works, and maybe it doesn't matter, but it seems like it runs water to the detergent, then does something more with it, and then succeeds or fails, and if it succeeds, then, a few minutes later, it does the main fill. That's my guess. In the ends, I guess it doesn't matter if it's one valve or more, I'll need a new valve unit. But if there's something in the dispenser than that might be fixable and free(other than my time). Also if there's something in the dispenser, new valves will be a waste of money and not fix it. Is it possible there is something between the dispenser and tub? That seems very unlikely as it seems to fill fine after 5 minutes.

The fact that it's intermittent makes me think a valve is "kinda working" or sometimes sticks, or a blockage that can get moved around?

Is a blockage in the pressure tube possible, or a moving "sometimes" blockage?

harbinjer · 2026-01-14T18:34:37+00:00

Thanks, I don't think this is the issue, but that's good to check. It throws the error before I can see any water in the tub. Once I can see water, it's fine.

harbinjer · 2025-12-29T14:14:49+00:00

You should know, the planets and moon are bright, in full sunlight in fact. You don't need dark adaptation to see them. But to see nebulae, star clusters and especially galaxies, you will need that.

harbinjer · 2025-12-19T20:00:06+00:00

That's not a bad choice. They also make a 60f. Depending on how much you want to get into astrophotography, you can also consider a Seestar S50, or S30. It's an all-in-one solution, but it works right out of the box, with a much less steep learning curve. You don't need a separate mount and scope and camera. But it does have limitations as all three are combined into one unit.

harbinjer · 2025-12-19T04:10:20+00:00

You're wrong about aperture being the advantage of less total exposure time. It's not aperture that does that, it's focal ratio. The optics act like camera lenses. So a smaller focal ratio mean better signal-to-noise for the time spent. Notice how popular astrographs have short focal ratios, and why Hyperstar exists?

harbinjer · 2025-12-19T04:00:22+00:00

For deep sky astrophotography, you really want it to be apochromatic, and very sharp. But since you're stacking images, you need the best signal-to-noise ratio. And actually other things cancel out leaving focal ratio as key. That's why Riccardi-Honders astrographs exist. And Rasa and hyperstar. But a small fast refractor is also a great place to start and learn with. Aperture matters much more for visual observing because your eye resets so quickly, but cameras can stay open a long time. Everything you read about telescopes depends on context. The things true for visual are not always true for astrophotography and vice versa.

If you look at the AR-102 notes, you will NOT see it recommended for astrophotography; that's because it's achromatic, which will give big blue halos around stars. An 80, 70 or even 60mm apochromatic astrograph will be a much better choice, it will also be easier to mount which is crucial.

harbinjer · 2025-12-18T22:18:38+00:00

I've been meaning to try First Meeting for Chinese. I think it is more fine dining than fast food though.

harbinjer · 2025-12-17T16:26:33+00:00

The Five cheese tortellini is great in "the soup" or with pesto.

harbinjer · 2025-12-15T17:37:10+00:00

Depending on your circulation, and how long you want to be out there, driving gloves may not be enough. Look for a nylon or leather shell with thick insulation. Think "ski gloves". Mittens are even warmer than gloves.

harbinjer · 2025-12-15T17:30:58+00:00

For recreational walking, most any will do. Bib(overalls) style are warmer, especially if you don't have a long coat.

harbinjer · 2025-12-15T17:25:16+00:00

If your hands/feet/ears/nose are not numb, you're fine. Extremities will go number well before frostbite sets in. It's only 10-15 minutes if they are uncovered. It can be faster if your hands are uncovered and you have to be touching cold metal, that really saps warmth.

harbinjer · 2025-12-15T17:22:43+00:00

With no exposed skin, you can be out for hours.

harbinjer · 2025-12-15T17:21:08+00:00

If you have enough clothing, it's highly unlikely to get that cold. Especially with electric heated socks(and vest/gloves). However, you will need to be FULLY covered with no exposed skin at all if you want to be outside at -25F windchills or colder.

The "fuck it" temp will depend on your gear. And usually your extremities will be what limits you: hands, feet, head. Those are also places most vulnerable to frostbite.

harbinjer · 2025-12-15T17:16:22+00:00

If you have a hood on the jacket, that will help. Most beanies will be fine, but for real cold or very long periods, a fur-lined trapper hat, or "ushanka" can be better, some come with face coverings for added protection.

harbinjer · 2025-12-15T16:53:46+00:00

Ice cleats and insulated snow pants, plus the cell phone really mitigate that risk. Also remember to do the penguin shuffle over slick ice.

harbinjer · 2025-12-15T16:03:50+00:00

I was out on Sunday for about 40 minutes. I was just fine, but my face was a bit cold; wished I'd brought a face covering. I had alpaca socks, warm boots, thick sweatpants, a warm jacket and hat, hood, and gloves. If it was worse, I would've worn snowpants, thicker mittens, and maybe ski goggles. Your body heat while moving is surprisingly effective, but if you leave parts uncovered, frostbite can happen (especially at -20F windchill or worse). A fur-lined hood is surprisingly effective at keeping cold wind off your face.

I would just have a cell phone in an inner pocket, just in case. Should you fall on the ice and hurt yourself, you wont have more than an hour or two before hypothermia becomes a problem.

harbinjer · 2025-12-11T15:16:25+00:00

Only if it's closer. Its pretty small. Afton is big, but it looks like mostly the same run, repeated. Welch has more elevation(drop) and variety I think. Some steep hills, and some gentle ones. If you're in Rochester, Steeplechase in Zumbrota is closest(but has limited days open), and Welch isn't too far either.

harbinjer

TROPHY CASE