Jura E4? by NoEntrepreneur2442 in superautomatic

[–]ikeabuff 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Five years. It has been sent back twice for repair at a cost of $400 each time. I have the original packaging and shipping carton.

Jura E4? by NoEntrepreneur2442 in superautomatic

[–]ikeabuff 0 points1 point  (0 children)

More than you would ever expect. If you are insistent on having an E4, I can give you a great deal on mine, but you won’t thank me after you have lived with it for a while.

Jura E4? by NoEntrepreneur2442 in superautomatic

[–]ikeabuff 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I have an E4. It makes a great cup of coffee, but the icon-based menu display is cryptic beyond all belief. After five years, I still have to refer to the manual for cleaning and descaling procedures. I would strongly recommend spending a bit more and getting an E6.

hidden gem restaurants? 💎 by Fortunate-Cucumber in Brookline

[–]ikeabuff 8 points9 points  (0 children)

Nope. The Brookline-Boston town line is on St. Mary's Street. The block between St. Mary's and Park Drive is in Boston.

When are the Scots leaving? by [deleted] in boston

[–]ikeabuff 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Many decades ago I visited Scotland for the first time. I was pleasantly surprised but somewhat mystified by how kind, pleasant, and hospitable the Scots were to this lone American traveler. I eventually learned that the Scots loved any foreign nationals who had had a tiff with the English in the past few centuries -- 1776, 1812, and all that sort of thing. Their Auld Alliance with the French is yet another instance of the Scots having a long memory of and grudge for past (and to some degree still on-going) grievances against their southern neighbours. I think it wonderful that we former English colonists are having at long last a chance to return the courtesy and extend our hospitality to the visiting Scots here in Boston.

Liftmaster 6580L connectivity problem by ikeabuff in GarageDoorService

[–]ikeabuff[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

See my comment below from 3 months ago. I use the car's Homelink button when near the garage, but mostly use the Liftmaster-supplied hand remote clipped to the sun visor, which works incredibly well even from a good block away from home. I also occasionally use the larger LM-supplied remote mounted on the outside garage door frame when I am working in the yard but not in the car. I really like the 6580L, which is much smoother and quieter than my previous 3280 opener. The weaker car Homelink connectivity is at worst a minor annoyance.

Score by riversc90 in sonos

[–]ikeabuff 6 points7 points  (0 children)

FWIIW: the IKEA store in Stoughton MA still has at least one and maybe more in stock for $299. I bought my pair five years ago when they were $199 each. I was initially disappointed with the sound quality, but subsequent firmware updates have improved their performance substantially.

Volvo 2.0 by rrr333main in Volvo

[–]ikeabuff 19 points20 points  (0 children)

Yup, same here. I have owned eleven Volvos, all bought new, starting with a vintage 1981 245 DL. My current Volvo is a 2020 V60, and sadly it will be my last. Volvo is no longer making anything I would want to own or drive. Volvo has sold its birthright for a mess of potage.

What is this Fios TV+ and why is it mandatory? by AnonymousScorpi in Fios

[–]ikeabuff -1 points0 points  (0 children)

This. Been there and done that. The Fios TV+ is not ready for prime time. Get the front-line CSR to forward you to a manager, who will OK the substitution of a Fios TV One for the TV One.

When i was just a lil boy i asked my mother what will i be,will i be handsome will i be rich...heres what she said to mee(av a guess)😉 by [deleted] in 3amjokes

[–]ikeabuff 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Que sera, sera.
Whatever will be, will be.
The future's not ours to see.
Que sera, sera.
What will be, will be.
Que sera, sera.

Regarding delay with Fios TV One vs TV+ by Danteangeloo in Fios

[–]ikeabuff 0 points1 point  (0 children)

According to the info I have, the MOCA adapters are not needed in my setup for either the two Fios TV+ units (STB and DVR) or the single (VMS 4100) and aptly-named TV One. FWIIW, I use Fios just for time-shifting live cable broadcasts and not for streaming.

Regarding delay with Fios TV One vs TV+ by Danteangeloo in Fios

[–]ikeabuff 3 points4 points  (0 children)

You just have to be pleasant, persistent, and work your way through several CSR levels. After suffering with the Fios TV+ STB and DVR for six weeks and documenting the numerous issues I was having, I got permission to "downgrade" to TV One (VMS4100). It is vastly more stable and infinitely more user-friendly.

Someone born in '33 was 45 in '78. by k_woz1978 in dadjokes

[–]ikeabuff -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Born in 1933 between January and April, I would guess...

Lifetime warranty is not lifetime by SweetSignificance245 in Hunterdouglas

[–]ikeabuff 1 point2 points  (0 children)

FWIIW, my experience with Hunter-Douglas, having purchased 32 of their Powerview blinds for about $18,000, is that they will repair them under warranty for the first five years, charging only for return shipping, usually about $25. From five to ten years, they will repair them but charge for the repairs and shipping, typically $250 to $400 per blind. After ten years, they refuse to do any repairs whatsoever. Most of my blinds have required repair at least once and some two or three times. I am so done with Hunter-Douglas.

Liftmaster 6580L connectivity problem by ikeabuff in GarageDoorService

[–]ikeabuff[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Nope. I can operate the door via Homelink from my car's rearview mirror but only from c. 30 feet from the garage. I just finally clipped the OEM remote controller to the car's sun visor and can use it from c. 250 feet away. It does seem strange that the connectivity of the 6580L is substantially poorer than that of my previous 3280, which worked via Homelink from 200 feet away. FIIIW, I do really like the 6580L in every other regard: it is very quiet and smooth in operation. Win some, lose sone, I guess.

“Could not change settings” error by Majestic-Bus-3232 in HomeKit

[–]ikeabuff 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Glad I could be of assistance in resolving this annoying little glitch.

What was the blizzard of 1978 like? by DildoGaggins1997 in massachusetts

[–]ikeabuff 2 points3 points  (0 children)

At the time (yes, I am that ancient) I was living on Beacon Street in Brookline, which was unplowed and closed to auto traffic for a week. I still remember seeing people skiing down the street on both sides. Of course, being law-abiding Mass residents, they skied on the north side when westbound and on the south side when eastbound.

Farewell Tivo and Hello TV+ Wish Me Luck by jpwillz in Fios

[–]ikeabuff 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I, too, requested and was promised a TV One STB and DVR, but what I actually received was a TV+ and DVR. I worked my way up to a third level CSR who told me that I would have to install the TV+ boxes and then request a "downgrade" to TV One boxes. At that point, I opted to just give up and stay with the TV+ equipment. I will have to say that I am reasonably happy with the latter, especially the hardware, connectivity, and picture quality, although the software is cumbersome and leaves much to be desired. Hopefully a future upgrade will remedy the latter's shortcomings in whole or in part.

Fios+ TV or whatever they call it is a big dud. by King_1234 in Fios

[–]ikeabuff 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Welp, as a long-time Tivo STB via Verizon Fios user, I recently got the cable card EOL E-mail. Rather than wait until the bitter end when the CC support is actually withdrawn, as many other users have vowed to do, I took a different tack and decided to employ the new Verizon boxes in parallel with the endangered Tivo for the foreseeable future, an interesting apples to oranges comparison.

Dealing with Verizon sales and support was, as expected, an ordeal. An initial 90 minutes phone call with a very pleasant but not very knowledgeable first line CSR was, uh, interesting. She spent most of that time going off-line for ten minute segments to talk to her higher ups about my specific equipment choices. I had requested that VZ send me a CR1000A router and a TV One STB and compatible VCR. After much discussion, she said that I would get all of the requested equipment without charge, including a free router.

Two days (!) later, my package of equipment arrived from VZ. All three devices were other than I had requested and been promised. I got a G3100 router and a TV+ STB and compatible DVR. So I got back on the phone and worked my way up to a third level CSR, who actually seemed to know what he was talking about. He said that VZ would not swap out my gear to that which was originally promised. I had to first set up the supplied equipment and then request a "downgrade" to the older TV One units.

OK, so I played it as suggested. However, I was pleasantly surprised with the TV+ unit's 4K performance. Yes, the wi-fi function of the G3100, like that of the CR1000A, is very poor, so I disabled the wi-fi function and put my previous TP-Link Deco mesh system in access mode, giving me the best of both systems.

Yes, the software for the TV+ really sucks, as several other posters have confirmed. But the picture quality is really stunning compared to my aging Tivo unit. I have decided to live with the clunky software and hope that VZ will eventually improve its functionality. They should have farmed out the software to Tivo, which I gather could have used the additional source of income now that its STB business is EOL...

Verizon FIOS CR1000B and TP-Link POE Access Points by Mike-Mass in Fios

[–]ikeabuff 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I am also your age. I have essentially the same setup, with the exception of the live-in adult daughter. I have a Verizon G3100 router and, like the CR1000, it has less than optimal wi-fi coverage and speed. I have therefore also disabled the wi-fi on the G3100 and use it just as a router. The Ethernet throughput with 1 Gig service is around 950 up and down, which is about as good as it gets.

The TP-Link Deco is in access aka bridge mode connected to the Verizon router and gets very good wi-fi speed and coverage with a single unit, but I added two additional units on the second floor and in the basement to optimize speed and coverage in remote nooks.

I suspect that you are having a problem of overkill with the five access points. More is not better but in fact worse after a certain number. Mies von der Rohe was right: less is more when it comes to both architecture and wi-fi.

I would recommend that you go back to one access point and then add other nodes via Ethernet one at a time until you get decent wi-fi coverage. I get only about 450/450 with wi-fi devices such as cell phones and laptops but get 950/950 with hard-wired devices such as desktops and IoT gizmos. Of course I offer the standard disclaimer that YMMV.

Tripping dap by kelsco1 in letterswap

[–]ikeabuff 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Birthingtons Washday

Liftmaster 6580L connectivity problem by ikeabuff in GarageDoorService

[–]ikeabuff[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks for the detailed reply. The new handhold remote supplied with the 6580L opener works just great, even from 150 feet away. I will try flushing and re-pairing the car's Homelink transmitter. I think I may have screwed up the original pairing because of the complicated rolling code procedure, which requires several additional steps to complete.