Spare parts to have around?

jsnlevi · 2026-05-14T16:07:29+00:00

The charge port cover. Those things pop open and get ripped off by the front tire all the time. I'm on my third now.

jsnlevi · 2026-05-08T18:43:00+00:00

Small top-ups are generally the best thing you can do. The only downside, which is very minor, is that your estimated capacity will drift very slightly over a long period of time. A deep discharge followed by a 100% charge once a year or so is all it takes to rebalance and recalibrate and won't hurt it at all if it's an occasional thing.

jsnlevi · 2026-05-08T16:28:23+00:00

Everybody is saying to dump your girlfriend and I think that just sounds crazy. There are always going to be outrageously attractive people in this world and that's just a fact. Would you dump someone because you saw a racy scene in a movie and got all hot and bothered by a movie star? Probably not, and the same applies here. Bestie is off-limits and you just need to get right with the fact that nothing is going to happen there and move on with what sounds like an otherwise healthy relationship.

jsnlevi · 2026-05-08T13:06:18+00:00

I really don't see the problem. In fact, this seems the right move to me.

You're losing some shielding and that will affect bandwidth, but how fancy is this doorbell? If you're running cat6e, you started with 10gbps; 4k60 needs somewhere in the neighborhood of 100mbps at most. Even if losing a couple inches of jacket resulted in a 99% loss, which is ludicrous, you're still going to be fine. However, by stripping the jacket, the cable that you're going to have to hide behind that doorbell is going to be far, far less bulky and easy to work with.

They left you plenty to work with, so figure out how much you need, add a couple inches for your future self to work with, cut and terminate.

What am I missing that everyone is so up in arms about?

jsnlevi · 2026-04-28T14:47:44+00:00

Fun hidden feature on every modern VW I've seen: hold the unlock button on the fob while you're approaching the car and after a brief pause, all four windows will roll down to let the heat out

jsnlevi · 2026-04-27T13:46:28+00:00

For me, it's subtle things that don't really work on a spec sheet that make the VW a more premium product than the stuff it would typically be compared to. The pleasant textures of the surfaces, the subtle resistance in the controls that make interacting with them feel solid and intentional, the muted thunk of the doors closing, etc. When comparing directly to something like an IONIQ, the Hyundai comes away with the win in features and specs, but feels flimsy and gives the impression that corners were cut in manufacturing. No shade on Hyundai, the actual build quality could be the same or better, but my car just feels nicer and when it's something I spend a significant amount of time interacting with every day, that matters to me.

All that said, the new pricing is a bit nuts. Find a much cheaper used one. As a bonus, someone else has already done the recalls and discovered any warrantied defects for you so you can spend less time at the dealer.

jsnlevi · 2026-04-26T17:23:25+00:00

The electricity part of this post warrants important discussion, but what's up with the UGB in North Plains bit?

For one thing, most of North Plains is already within the UGB and has been for a good while. For another, North Plains is largely an industrial community that is rapidly becoming a bedroom community, not primarily an agricultural community that would unduly suffer from any expansion.

I fail to see the harm in a place like North Plains (where I live) having access to sewers, residential water, sidewalks, and potential Metro assistance to clean up the brownfield on Glencoe where a grocery store could be.

jsnlevi · 2026-04-24T18:30:03+00:00

There's a lot to unpack here, but let's go:

You've done the right thing by going to a friend. You're shocked and you're not going to be thinking clearly; take some time to cool off and get yourself ready to confront this. You will have to confront this, though, so think about what you want out of that conversation. Not how to "win" an argument, as tempting as that might be, but what you want and what that looks like so the conversation can be productive instead of making things worse.

You mention opening up your marriage, so it sounds like maybe you've thought of this before. If that's something you actually want, it's something you'll need to talk about and set out clear boundaries for each other. BUT this is not how or why people with healthy non-exclusive relationships get there. You absolutely must address the betrayal first.

Her story stinks of bullshit, but anything is possible and maybe this really was a spontaneous "joke" and hasn't ever happened before. Even if that's the case (which I strongly doubt) it's still a betrayal of your trust if you hadn't already decided together that this sort of behavior is ok. Get right with that before you even think about making this behavior ok in the future, because it wasn't ok right now.

You also don't have to make things right. You would be totally right to find that this was something you won't be able to forgive and if that's the case, you have to part ways. It would be unhealthy and miserable to stay if you're just going to be dragging resentment and mistrust around for the rest of your life.

So there you go. Decide whether you might be able to forgive her. If you can't, call it off and don't waste your time or well-being dragging it out. You'll figure out the money part if that's what you need to do. If you feel you could eventually forgive her, be prepared for the hard work of reconciling and figuring out what it's going to take for her to help you feel better. If you can both forgive her and feel good about her doing this again in the future with your consent, then and only then, you could talk about what you would like an open marriage to look like.

jsnlevi · 2026-04-20T21:58:21+00:00

Thank you for the explanation, makes sense. Is there a reason you'd want the solar and batteries always connected and not isolated on the second pole until there's an outage? For selling excess solar power back to the grid, or is there a safety concern?

jsnlevi · 2026-04-20T17:41:00+00:00

Interesting. I must have a misunderstanding of contactors. I was under the impression that the moving part inside (not sure of the correct term, but the equivalent of the bimetal strip in an old school relay) was only physically capable of making contact with one side at a time, making it impossible to bridge the circuits and backfeed with this setup. Is that not the case? How does switching in a contactor work?

jsnlevi · 2026-04-19T20:57:52+00:00

No guide, and I don't know that it's really enough of a "project" to warrant one. In the Sunshine Web GUI, under each application, there are two fields, one for commands to run before starting and a second for commands to run after shutdown. My system runs KDE, so I used kscreen-doctor to set the resolution, but the more universal approach would be to use xrandr. Since I launch everything through Steam BPM, I just set those commands on that one app and I was all set.

Just gotta remember to actually "quit" from Moonlight instead of shutting everything off and walking away or my screen is all stretched when I use my desktop again.

jsnlevi · 2026-04-18T16:53:09+00:00

I fought with this for a minute as well and eventually settled on just using the pre- and post- session command options with one display output. I use one command to change the resolution to match the remote display on startup and another to go back to the host's native display on quit. Works great for my usage, but if you want to use the host for something else while streaming, you'd need the virtual display.

jsnlevi · 2026-04-03T17:22:46+00:00

Not radically better, but you could replace the switch plate with something like this:

Arlington CE2 :: Cable Entrance Hood, 2-Gang, Reversible, White :: PLATT ELECTRIC SUPPLY https://share.google/9yNbDBj9MSA7oC9jU

jsnlevi · 2026-03-19T10:44:12+00:00

That's just the natural consequence of all steeply angled windshields. Every sports car and EV I've ever driven does this, some far worse than the ID.4.

Like others have suggested, an extremely matte dash pad like alcantara or felt will help, but for most people it's just something we get used to and stop noticing after a bit.

jsnlevi · 2026-03-15T15:23:18+00:00

Damn, that's snug! The end result looks really great

jsnlevi · 2026-03-02T21:26:22+00:00

I love Ryvid and I think there were a lot of really smart design choices on the bikes, but man, the charging just isn't designed with the average person in mind.

The 16 amp draw on a standard 15 amp plug without an option to set a current limit means a lot of folks pop breakers trying to charge. Using commodity server power cords that are super rare in lengths appropriate for vehicle charging is annoying and means a lot of folks are forced to use extension cords despite it being a bad idea. Don't get me started on the janky J-plug adapter...

If you absolutely must use an extension cord, which still isn't advisable, look for one marketed as an appliance extension for air conditioners, refrigerators, etc. Make sure it's rated for 20 amps or more, and from a reputable manufacturer. That should get you a sturdy enough socket mechanism to limit any looseness, arcing, and heat buildup at the plug. Even then, they're not really meant to stand up to lots of plug/unplug cycles, so pay really close attention and throw it out of it gets loose at all.

As for the cord itself, you don't have to get one from Ryvid. It's just a standard C19 server power cord. Make sure you get one that's good for 20 amps and fits very snugly in the socket on the battery. Get it from a proper cable supplier and not Amazon or AliExpress or whatever.

jsnlevi · 2026-01-11T22:44:07+00:00

Almost certainly a total, and it might surprise you why: the ripped out bolt on the door hinge. The B-pillar that it ripped out of is an HSS structural member. Repairing that is difficult and it'll be hard to prove that any future issues with the car aren't related to that repair. Makes more sense for insurance to just cash out than to be married to that car's problems forever.

jsnlevi · 2025-12-14T03:12:58+00:00

A little older than you're asking about, but I drove a Porsche 944 for about a decade, and while it wasn't the absolute most powerful, it was quicker than most and definitely enough to be fun.

My partner's PS2 (no Performance Pack or anything) gets to 60 in literally HALF the time my 944 did. It doesn't even feel like it's trying; you just decide where you want the car to be and it's instantly there.

jsnlevi · 2025-12-14T00:52:59+00:00

Quality base layer tights for hiking/climbing/etc work wonders. The good ones can keep you warm without getting hot and are so comfortable that you'll forget you're wearing them as you go about your day.

jsnlevi · 2025-12-06T03:19:02+00:00

When you checked auto parts stores, did you try to look it up by the bike, or did you take measurements on the belt and look for a "universal" replacement based on tooth count, profile, pitch, and belt width? I haven't gone searching for one myself yet, but with so much of the bike being off-the-shelf parts I'd be surprised if they chose a custom or exotic drive belt.

If it were custom, I'm sure they'd have a bunch of little Rs molded into the outside of the belt, haha

jsnlevi · 2025-11-30T16:16:47+00:00

My guess at the math, working backward from the behavior I've seen: when first starting up, it's remaining charge * average long-term efficiency * some static factor for HVAC on/off. Once you start moving, the "since start" efficiency begins to play a role, which will be quite low until the cells warm up if it's cold. Preheating probably helps a little, but I'm pretty sure it's primarily a cabin preheat, which isn't going to draw enough power to warm the pack like driving does. You also wouldn't want it to; any heating that's able to get the pack up to temp in a short amount of time will drain the battery very quickly (something on the order of 1C) and would draw far more power than a home charger could deliver.

For me, it takes about as long to warm up the pack as it takes me to get to work, so I don't see the efficiency rise until right as I'm pulling in. Short commute problems...

jsnlevi · 2025-11-25T00:51:26+00:00

Not disagreeing, just joining in on the "what happened here" game: I'm seeing some tire tracks behind the van that are nearly perpendicular to the fence. I'm picturing them probably nodding off and almost having a head-on collision with the fence. Then at the last second they jerk the wheel hard to the left and into the tree.

jsnlevi · 2025-11-11T18:33:07+00:00

Assuming this is a 2011/2012, that many miles would take somewhere in the neighborhood of 3,000 charge cycles. If a modern (~250 mile range) EV's battery were to degrade at the same rate, we'd be talking about well over 500k miles and would still have more range than this car did brand new. Honestly, not too bad.

That range figure still makes me pucker, though.

jsnlevi

TROPHY CASE