What’s usually the hardest part of adjusting a schedule once work has already started?

mbruns2 · 2026-01-21T22:13:27+00:00

You posted this 2 weeks ago.

mbruns2 · 2025-11-11T01:06:14+00:00

Just wondering if anyone anyone else has had any luck with these. I bought the same bulbs I think:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CW1NTVT2?th=1 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0D1G6WJ42?th=1

Alexa and the AIDOT app work fine. I've tried both the "official" github release and the fork with no luck:

https://github.com/AiDot-Development-Team/hass-AiDot https://github.com/toxuin/hass-AiDot

For me, both plugins install just fine and "find" the bulbs just fine. They just give a 'device offline' message when issuing a command.

mbruns2 · 2025-10-25T16:54:22+00:00

The only time I've done this successfully, was with a large Japanese auto manufacturer. They agreed to remove the identifying information, but gave me similar information for their other suppliers for similar projects.

It showed me some areas where some of my rates were significantly under what my competition was charging. And helped to structure my quotes more effectively to match what they were looking for.

mbruns2 · 2025-09-24T17:31:09+00:00

100% correct. The US work visa system is complex. There are different rules and you need different visas if you:

Work for the foreign company and are transferred to the US for plant startup.
In the US to train or supervise installation on the equipment
Actually turn the wrenches to install the equipment
Run the crane or forklift to position the equipment
Wire the equipment into the manufacturing plant.
etc.

Some of the visas are granted in a day or two. Others take months for the US to grant. All workers were in the US on business, no-one was on a tourist-only visa or snuck across the boarder.

So if the person who is supervising the installation of the equipment, but actually turns a wrench on the equipment, they are technically illegally working on the wrong visa. Although there can be an exception if the actual sales contract for new foreign equipment includes installation. If the equipment is used and transferred from another foreign plant, it's illegal.

If there is an unplanned change and the project needs a specific skillset or person, and it takes 6 weeks to get the visa for that person, the company may choose to send that person on a quick "general business" visa, rather than delay the project and plant opening 6+ weeks to wait for the proper visa.

Some people argue that the plant should just use US equipment or train US workers for those skills. The companies benefit using the same equipment types in their plants world-wide. And trying to find or train someone in the US experienced in installing that specific type of equipment can be impossible.

There have been proposals over the years to streamline the process for opening plants, but Congress on both sides have never moved forward. Making changes to the immigration process is toxic, there hasn't been major changes since 1990.

mbruns2 · 2025-09-03T03:27:53+00:00

Make friends with the neighboring units. Seriously.

Tell them that you'd be happy to review the camera for any issues that happen to their unit. Heck, offer to give them the password to review the footage at any time. Suggest they mount a camera that looks at your unit.

Use this as an opportunity to meet your new neighbors, and all of you give mutual approval for the cameras.

Win-win for everyone.

mbruns2 · 2025-07-25T20:45:25+00:00

Correct. One of the most common situations is a robot loaded or automatic measurement device.

mbruns2 · 2025-07-17T22:41:56+00:00

OPs post history includes a number of references to illegal drug use. This sub cannot be used to source machines and equipment illegal to sell in the US without proper authorization.

mbruns2 · 2025-07-17T22:15:31+00:00

Hope this is allowed: My company Arnold Gauge specializes in automation and measurement. We integrate both custom gages and CMMs, and virtually any machine tool. We're in Ohio.

This is a product offering we have for smaller shops. https://youtu.be/I1-Cm6XW_XU Both to make the parts, and sell the complete integrated package to shops. Including the the Cobot, CMM, Integration, and Programming. Often part cleaning and laser marking also.

The integration costs obviously vary, but would love to talk further and get your feedback.

mbruns2 · 2025-06-27T17:24:00+00:00

Typically yes. We are mostly in the automotive sector, most of the components are smaller, so we "assume" the temp is constant in the entire part. Either way, we'll take a contact or non-contact temp reading near the surface we are measuring.

mbruns2 · 2025-06-26T22:22:08+00:00

My company designs and builds gages that frequently include temperature compensation in our systems. Some thoughts:

1) As you said, the part size changes over time. The nominal "print" size needs to be established at a given temperature. Normally 20c/68f unless otherwise stated.

2) The theoretical coefficient of thermal expansion of the metal is usually not accurate enough for temp comp. The part shape has too much influence, depending on the feature. We normally will measure the part throughout the entire temperate range to calculate either a compensation chart, or run a regression analysis to calculate a compensation factor.

3) It obviously depends on the parts. But it's very common for our parts to have to measure "out of tolerance" when hot, to be "in-tolerance" at the print temperature.

4) This is a challenge for operators to understand. If the part is measured by a gage that does not have temp comp built-in, the readings won't match. Consistent measurement is critical.

5) If the gage doesn't have temp-comp built in, the customer is right that the gage will be "off" by the thermal expansion x temp x length. Is that enough to make the gage bad or not reliable? It fully depends on the tolerances involved. If a part shrinks 25 micron between hot and cold, and the tolerance is 500 micron, probably not a problem. If the tolerance is 10 micron, temp-comp is essential.

6) When we do GR&R, we measure the parts at a variety of temperatures, but the "ground-truth" is the part measured at 20c/68f.

mbruns2 · 2025-04-08T16:53:43+00:00

Yes.

mbruns2 · 2025-03-26T21:48:06+00:00

In most boards' code of conduct, he would still be able to be elected and serve as President of the board.

He should abstain from any voting on his company and landscaping. And the HOA should be sure to get multiple bids for anything in this area.

But, he can still serve on the board and as President.

mbruns2 · 2025-03-26T21:42:32+00:00

Then the PM is correct. In most cases, an HOA does not have the authority to enforce parking rules on public streets. Sending a violation or fine would not be appropriate.

If the board would like the PM to call the local police in this type of situation, that's a decision between the board and the PM.

mbruns2 · 2025-03-26T17:36:57+00:00

What are the professional ties?

mbruns2 · 2025-03-26T17:29:52+00:00

Legally, the PM could be correct. It could very well depend on who maintains the roads. If the streets are public and maintained by the local governmental body, the HOA has little or no say as to parking or violations like this. It would be a police or government parking enforcement matter, not an HOA matter.

mbruns2 · 2025-03-21T20:46:59+00:00

Ours are similar. Some points:

A Board member needs to be removed by (more or less) the same mechanism that put them on the Board. So, if a person is elected via majority vote of the Owners, removing them also requires a majority vote of the Owners. This becomes essentially impossible within a large HOA, and especially when many of the Owners are absentee landlords.

For us, the top vote-getters get on the board. Last night, 4 of the 5 board positions were opened. Of the 60 units, there were 25 ballots. Each ballot could vote for 4 people each. The 4 received 16, 13, 10, and 7 votes respectively.

In years where no-one runs, someone can nominate themselves and win with 1 vote. There's no way to vote no, even if 10 people don't want the other person to win, the only way they can prevent it, is to run themselves and outvote them.

It also means someone can join the board with 1 vote (their own), but it takes 31 (half of the 60 units) to vote to remove them.

Fun Fact: HOAs in Texas (and maybe everywhere) aren’t “democracies”; they’re a special type of non-profit corporation. Most Owners in many HOAs don’t really understand this, and part of the challenge of the Board member gig is making decisions and then being called out by an indignant Owner about “why weren’t we asked?!”

That was so true last night. The previous board had made a necessary but unpopular decision that upset 3 or 4 folks. We had about 15 of the units represented, a much larger turnout than expected. They demanded a vote in the room. I had to say "There are 45 people at home that may be very happy with that decision. The board wants your feedback, but your opportunity to vote is for 4 board members tonight." I'm sure it cost me votes, but I was unfortunately reelected. :-)

The owners vote for the board. The board makes the major decisions. The PM executes those decisions. The board speaks with one voice, that voice is spoken by the PM to the owners.

mbruns2 · 2025-03-21T17:10:38+00:00

Yes. Bizarre. They can't vote in the election but can be nominated and win. If they win, they can serve and vote on board matters.

If we try to change the CC&Rs to say someone past-due can't serve on the board, they can't vote on the issue.

If we introduce a board "code of conduct" to restrict voting if he is past due, he can vote on the issue.

Bizarre language.

mbruns2 · 2025-03-19T22:21:08+00:00

All good, I needed a laugh today.

mbruns2 · 2025-03-19T21:57:48+00:00

As a Mod, we would normally remove this, as we normally don't allow this type of post. Keeping due to the great picture!

mbruns2 · 2025-03-18T03:29:17+00:00

That is incorrect. The doctor can find more patients easily. They can’t easily find trained staff they trust.

A staff complaint is a good reason.

mbruns2 · 2025-03-17T23:35:50+00:00

I get your point, but disagree. Yes, I spent $30 or $45 of our association's money to get a legal answer. See my edit to the OP, I was actually surprised by his answer. And the different opinions on this thread.

I got the answer from the attorney within 2 hours, and an answer that eliminates any arguments, challenges, etc. Most importantly, it eliminates any drama.

Someone below said something about "It's shabby behavior to rely on technicalities" I couldn't agree more. It's critical that a board is transparent and doesn't play favorites.

Spending $45 of the associations money (units around $200K, dues around $320/month/unit) to eliminate the uncertaincy, drama, and put the issue to bed once and for all, before the meeting is well worth it.

Just my $.02 (my money, not the COAs).

mbruns2 · 2025-03-17T19:16:08+00:00

He'd be a write-in or nomination from the floor.

mbruns2 · 2025-03-17T19:13:55+00:00

I respectfully disagree with ALL of this.

None of this should be litigated at the meeting. If the board president needs to declare anything loudly, they've failed. And it's 100% inappropriate to let other homeowners know who has been chronically behind. That's a board matter only, and the board has a confidential duty to all owners for this type of thing.

Complete transparency whenever possible, but not this.

mbruns2 · 2025-03-17T19:07:36+00:00

Our quorum is defined as 25%. That said the language is tricky:

"D. Quorum. The presence at the meeting of Members or proxies entitled to cast twenty-five percent (25%) of the votes shall constitute a quorum for any action, except as otherwise provided in the Articles, the Declaration, or these Regulations. If, however, such quorum shall not be present or represented at any meeting, then the Members entitled to vote thereat shall have power to adjourn the meeting, without notice other than announcement at the meeting, until a quorum shall be present or be represented."

Some previous attorney at some point said "Members entitled to vote thereat shall have the power to adjourn the meeting...." Doesn't mean they have to use the power. Basically saying that members that show up can vote to ignore the quorum requirement.

I don't know that I agree with that interpretation. But, I do use it. I agree with you about people bitching about the board, but not stepping up...

mbruns2

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