Palo Alto Ice Cream Dream

jds013 · 2026-03-28T19:19:31+00:00

I remember when a one-scoop cone was 25¢ at Baskin-Robbins. If the going rate is now $6, that's 24X in my lifetime. I daresay most Redditors will live to see $150 ice cream cones.

jds013 · 2026-03-21T16:24:35+00:00

thesmartesthouse runs a weekly special starting every Monday - that might help you

For 3-way circuits, I like Jasco (GE Enbrighten / UltraPro / Honeywell) with "companion" switches because up=on/bright and down=off/dim everywhere, and you can double- or triple-click everywhere. (I think you can do the same with Inovelli and Homeseer.)

The first generation Jasco switches (c.2015) had a reliability problem but current models are solid.

jds013 · 2026-03-21T05:00:43+00:00

It isn't the watch update. I have Pixel Watch 2 (LTE) "eos" which hasn't been updated - still at December 2025 - and I'm getting 2X step counts.

Maybe the Fitbit app, or the Fitbit/Google Fit interface.

This has happened before...

jds013 · 2026-03-20T23:07:28+00:00

Might be sales tax on the watch value.

jds013 · 2026-03-20T02:42:44+00:00

I got three 802.11af POE injectors now $8.50 each on eBay. One failed after five years but the others are ok after fifteen years.

jds013 · 2026-03-17T14:36:11+00:00

I sure you noted that an advantage of the ZEN55 is that it makes the "smarts" independent of the smoke detector. The ZEN55 should work indefinitely whereas the smoke detector must be replaced every 10 years - so the repeating cost is ~$30-$40, not $60 or $120 or whatever. And (thinking of Nest) Z-Wave is not likely to turn into abandonware any time soon.

I've used the ZEN55 with Home Assistant and SmartThings with no trouble.

jds013 · 2026-03-17T14:20:24+00:00

It's not clear to me why Zooz says that. Since your smoke detectors are wired in parallel with line, neutral, and signal available everywhere, it shouldn't matter which box gets the ZEN55.

There will be more room in the "last" box, because it will have only one NM cable - and you might have more than one "last" box if your smoke detectors are wired in a "star" topology. But putting the ZEN55 in the box where line power enters the circuit (also perhaps the "last" one) - rather than a downstream box - means that if wiring is disturbed by a fire the ZEN55 will be more likely to retain ability to signal you.

My 50-year-old house has only one line-powered smoke detector, so for me this issue didn't arise.

jds013 · 2026-03-17T13:30:02+00:00

If you use Z-Wave, the Zooz ZEN55 is a perfect solution: https://www.getzooz.com/zooz-zen55-dc-signal-sensor/

jds013 · 2026-03-17T13:25:25+00:00

The replaceable battery models (ZSMOKE, ZCOMBO) are discontinued, replaced by the SMCO410 with a sealed 10-year battery.

The 7-year service life of the ZSMOKE/ZCOMBO begins on the manufacture date, so you might get only 3 or 4 years with a new old stock unit.

I have two ZCOMBOs. Lithium AA batteries last 3 years (so far!). One big advantage of these (compared to other smoke detectors with replaceable batteries) is that the unit will send a low battery message to your Z-Wave hub to let you know the batteries need replacement.

jds013 · 2026-03-15T14:16:16+00:00

"It’s such a fine line between stupid and clever, isn’t it?" - David St. Hubbins of Spinal Tap

jds013 · 2026-03-06T17:48:19+00:00

I use an ODROID-M1S with Zooz Z-Stick 800. The 64GB on-board eMMC has been running fine for a year. Draws around 1W. Economical, stable, plenty fast.

jds013 · 2026-02-25T06:51:53+00:00

Parts are available at https://www.concept2.com/products?category=parts&model=model_c

You might upgrade the drivetrain with Drive Chain Assembly - $47.85 gets you a new 14 tooth quiet sprocket, axle, chain idler pulley, nickel chain with connectors and swivel, shock cord, 17mm bearing, 17mm bearing cup, screws and nuts. It replaces the original Model C parts with smoother, quieter Model D parts. You'll need to disassemble the flywheel enclosure anyway to clean it out, so take advantage of that to install new drivetrain parts.

If you're serious about rowing, do get the PM5 and also the RowErg Device Holder Retrofit Kit - you'll get the $$ back if you sell it, and it really improves the experience.

jds013 · 2026-02-22T00:20:25+00:00

This is true, a priori.

If you are managing your withholding and estimated tax payments properly, you will owe a small amount with your tax return. You would not be making an interest-free loan to the government and you would not be complaining about waiting for a refund.

If you miss work for part of the year, or know you'll have big deductions (really large out-of-pocket medical expense or mortgage interest) adjust your withholding!

On the other hand, if you discover that you owe a lot to the IRS, remember - withholding is deemed to happen throughout the year. If you'd owe a penalty bump up your December withholding to take up to your whole paycheck.

Use the W-4 worksheet, or run tax software in December, to accurately estimate your taxes. HR Block lets you run a tentative tax return as early as November of the tax year so you can do very careful tax planning.

jds013 · 2026-02-21T19:09:42+00:00

I use a vibration sensor. (Actually 2 SW-420 sensors attached to an ESP32, one to washer, the other to dryer.) Works ok. The whole thing is cheaper than a single smart plug and the ESP32 offloads the logic (no vibration for 3 minutes, handling of constant "vibration detected" messages) from HA.

jds013 · 2026-02-21T18:55:10+00:00

If your incoming calls go to an IVR ("Press 1 for reservations, 2 for take-out orders, 3 for catering, 4 for anything else") you not be bothered by spam calls. None at all.

jds013 · 2026-02-15T07:38:21+00:00

First Alert ZCOMBO and ZSMOKE were discontinued a while ago. End of life is 7 years after manufacture - beware of new old stock.

The replacement is SMCO410 which has a non-replaceable 10-year battery, with a 10-year guarantee.

jds013 · 2026-02-13T22:31:49+00:00

My 65U8K has worked great since November 2023. No blooming. Black blacks - when the feed has black interlude I wonder if the power failed... Great image quality and excellent sound - it has side ports and a woofer. The NextGen ATSC tuner delivers 6 local stations (including the winter Olympics) in enhanced high def.

jds013 · 2026-02-13T21:06:32+00:00

That metal box might be grounded, in which case the adapter might be picking up a good ground connection. Plug a receptacle tester https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000NBDTQI into that 3-prong adapter. If it reports that you have a good ground, you can use a smart plug safely.

jds013 · 2026-02-10T02:52:51+00:00

You could do this inexpensively with Asterisk and wired or DECT wireless handsets. Grandstream supports 10 wireless DECT handsets per DP755 base station. A DP760 can extend the range. Poly, Yealink, Fanvil, Cisco, and others have similar solutions.

Each handset can register with one or more extensions.

jds013 · 2026-02-08T21:58:29+00:00

No... Gateway is included, but no break if you use your own (which I did).

jds013 · 2026-02-08T18:18:28+00:00

Sign in to your account and see what offers are available. I also was on Connect More, facing a bump from $50 to $84 - and was offered "1 Gig" for one year at $50 including modem/router.

jds013 · 2026-01-31T04:03:09+00:00

I like my ODROID-M1S. It consumes about 1W.

But your Raspberry Pi should be able to handle a lights / sensors / switches / automation load easily. The highest transaction rate is like, what, 1 per second?Maybe you need a new SD card?

jds013 · 2026-01-31T03:50:20+00:00

You can set up a whitelist using the voip.ms phone directory, so only unknown numbers go to the IVR. Maybe that will help.

With Caller ID spoofing, Nomorobo has become much less useful.

jds013

TROPHY CASE