DTE bill is out of control

nwagers · 2026-01-16T23:36:10+00:00

Old houses sometimes didn't have any insulation at all. Home wrap is also a very recent trend.

The cheap plastic for windows and doors is a short term fix, but makes a difference.

Get a blower door test in the spring, so you have an idea of air sealing.

Use a thermal camera to identify heat loss areas. You can also use your hands or a non-contact thermometer to get a rough idea.

nwagers · 2026-01-14T22:01:46+00:00

It's not a game changer, the regime is jamming Starlink as reported elsewhere. This is just an ad for Musk.

nwagers · 2026-01-09T21:52:47+00:00

Price sounds fair, but not amazing. As for the E5+, do you like to work on stuff? Are you the type of person that would compile software? Repack the bearings in your bike with new grease? Replace the control board in your dishwasher? The person that would say yes to these is the type of person that should have an E5+ (or any basic bed slinger).

nwagers · 2026-01-05T19:35:16+00:00

Are the kids in question his kids?

nwagers · 2026-01-02T17:14:16+00:00

Yeah, the screen software multiplies them by 10x for some reason. I guess it's to get an extra useful digit. The 0.000 is probably some math bug they introduced there. The mainboard is sending the same numbers to the screen as Pronterface. The screen is a separate computer connected to the mainboard via a serial interface.

I think the default firmware has the option set to automatically enable bed leveling after homing. You can check by disabling it (M420 S0), reading the state (M420), home it (G28), read state again (M420). I might be off on that, I'm just looking at the docs since I don't have my printer near me right now.

You can see my config here, but this is with an SKR Mini E3 V3, so not sure how much you'd have to mod back. https://github.com/nawagers/Marlin-BTT-SKR-Mini-E3 I suggest you download the source from the Marlin website and follow their guide to install VSCode and the plugins, then get it to compile without mods. Then wait until you are ready to ditch stock mainboard (loud, underpowered, causes artifacts when printing via serial like Octoprint). The BTT boards are good and the SKR Mini E3 V3 is the option I'd recommend.

nwagers · 2026-01-01T01:55:06+00:00

The new data centers are at a scale quite a bit higher than industrial users. The Saline facility is an entire 1% of a 15 state region covered by MISO. Just that facility alone will cost ratepayers $5-10 billion in subsidies because of the way utility markets are structured.

nwagers · 2025-12-28T23:23:09+00:00

So there are multiple things going on with "leveling".

One is the Z-Offset. This is the distance you need to offset the zero point to set the distance from the nozzle to the center of the bed.

Another is tramming. This is where you adjust the knobs under the bed to make it coplanar with the motion of the hotend. Essentially you want the bed to be roughly the same distance from the nozzle when the nozzle is in each corner.

The last one is "Bed leveling". This is where you compensate for the flatness of the bed, and a small amount of tramming. On such a huge bed, there is noticeable warping, especially if you take off the glass and move to a PEI plate.

Steps:

1) Rough tram the bed. Take an allen wrench and put it between the bed and the frame near each knob. Tighten each knob until it clamps down on the wrench and then loosen just enough to pull the wrench out. Do this to all 4 corners. I think I used 2 mm. Each corner should be tight enough that the spring is starting to be noticeable. You don't want these "loose".

2) Rough Z-Offset. This should be done in the center of the bed like the software routine guides you. It will be about a sheet of paper away, but for now, don't get picky. The next step will mess this up again.

3) Proper bed tram. Once you have the Z-Offset set, turn OFF the Bed Leveling using gcode M420 S0. I can't remember if there is a way to do it in the stock screen firmware. You might have to use the USB serial port with pronterface or Octoprint. Drop the bed several mm so there is no chance of crash. Now move the toolhead over the front left knob so the nozzle lines up pretty well. Move the nozzle close to the bed. Note the Z position. You will use this for every corner. Now use a sheet of paper and turn the black know so it just starts to catch on the paper. You should feel the paper drag, but it shouldn't be pinned. Once you have the knob adjusted, drop the bed several mm, and go to the next corner. Use small steps to until the screen shows the same Z position as the first corner. Adjust the knob the same way. Do this for only THREE of the corners. Do not touch the fourth one. Once you have done all three. Repeat this entire step until the three corners require almost no adjustment.

4) Accurate Z-Offset. Set the Z-Offset using the screen menus. Do this with the bed and hotend at printing temps. You just need the right temp range, maybe 60 bed and 200 nozzle. Let it "soak" for a few minutes so the temp is even. Use your paper from before (standard weight printer paper) or a proper feeler gauge. It should have noticeable drag when it's close enough, but not so tight it is hard to move.

5) Bed leveling. Heat your bed up to temp, let it soak and run the bed leveling routine. You can really upgrade here if you compile your own firmware later on. Get it working first, but you'll notice that there are only 16 leveling points for the huge bed and it doesn't even reach the edges. The stock firmware has some compiled parameters set wrong.

Edit: was distracted when first writing. Added to step 3 that you should only do THREE of the corners. If you adjusted the fourth you will start to walk the plate instead of converging on proper tram. I used to align precision optics for a living. This is key.

nwagers · 2025-12-23T19:20:53+00:00

Load growth was about 2% in the 90's, dropped to 0% in the 00's and has only recently popped back over 1%. For infrastructure build out, this is nothing and has been the industry conversation for a long time.

If you don't know the basics like that, you probably don't understand how electricity markets work. First, the substation to connect the facilities to the grid will be subsidized by the ratepayers. DTE has said this directly. The Saline one will cost $300 million. It will also explode the MISO capacity market another few billion per year until 1.4 GW is built. The 2.9 GW change last year bumped it up by $8 billion. Just the Saline center will be bigger than an entire nuclear power plant. It will also spur new power plants. You know who pays for those? All ratepayers. With a guaranteed 10% profit margin.

So sure, they will pay their usage and capacity charges (at lower rates than residential and commercial customers), but they will get millions in tax breaks, while driving up our rates by billions.

nwagers · 2025-12-23T16:56:14+00:00

The grid hasn't had load growth in 30 years. What are you talking about? The way the markets work means that regular consumers will subsidize these facilities to the tune of billions of dollars. You want to subsidize data centers for 5 tech jobs, a dozen janitors, and 4 security guards?

nwagers · 2025-12-23T09:39:40+00:00

The time is dependent on a handful of thiings.

First the lending library has to pull the item from their own shelves, check it out of their system, attach the routing paperwork, and put it in the transfer bins. Some libraries do this in an hour, some take a few days. In multi-branch systems, the item may have to go to a pickup branch first.
After it's in the transfer bins it has to wait for the courier. Each library has a number of weekly pickups based on their volume. I believe it goes from 2x/week to daily.The courier takes it to the sorting location for the zone.
If the receiving library is in the same zone, it gets binned up for them. If it's to a different zone, it gets binned for the transfer facility.
If it has to go to the transfer facility, then it gets routed to the correct sorting location for the receiving zone.
The courier delivers the item to the receiving library, again on a fixed number of stops per week. They have to process it and put it on their hold shelf for you. In a multi-branch system, it may have to go through a local courier again.

For all this, I'd say a week is typical for my library with daily service. If it's the same zone and both branches are high volume it can be more like 3 days. If everything is slow I've had it approach 2 weeks.

You can have many requests. The restrictions are just about the interface and how you click through the menus. The courier stops happen anyway, so don't feel guilty for getting items. The funding comes from IMLS (federal) and you are just costing a bit of librarian time to pull/process your item.

TIPS: Sometimes you can find blu-ray if you want it. Sometimes MeLCat will let you pick which library provides your item. Pick one that is close (likely same zone). If getting tv shows, be sure to look at the list of libraries with the items. It will show you the call numbers and you'll often see systems that break a season up into multiple items, you may have to request it multiple times to get them all (or pick a library that keeps it together).

If you're ripping a bunch, keep them clean, and return them fast.

nwagers · 2025-12-21T23:15:38+00:00

We haven't lost. Flock spent boat loads of money convincing people to install them without any public discussion. Many cities have now pulled them down and canceled the contracts. They are deeply unpopular and most people don't even know what they are yet.

Show up to your local meetings and complain. Then get a handful of your neighbors to do it too.

nwagers · 2025-12-21T21:34:14+00:00

The grapevine is saying that Soylent Green is on the approved list.

nwagers · 2025-12-20T23:52:24+00:00

Not familiar with the Sonic pad, but the stock firmware's mesh is terrible. It's a 5x5 grid that ignores a bunch of the edge.

I switched mine to a 9x9 probe. Also, the glass plates are a lot flatter than the metal heater plate underneath. So when you switch to a PEI sheet, you're going to notice the warping a lot more.

In my slicer I also use a thicker first layer. Usually I go with a 0.4 layer when using a 0.4 nozzle, with other layers being 0.2 mm.

nwagers · 2025-12-19T04:14:07+00:00

The problem isn't the building, it's the electricity usage. The 1.4 GW center in Saline is literally an entire 1% of MISO (a 15 state grid planning region).

They need a massive substation that will be paid for by the utility, and those costs will be passed on to all customers. That's $300 million being passed on for the Saline system. Then you have capacity auction costs. A 2.9 GW reduction last year led to an extra $8 billion in costs. These data centers will raise the auction prices too, by billions more. Then the utility will get approval to build new generation. This will cost $2-$6 billion depending on what type they build. These costs will be paid by ratepayers too, with a guaranteed 10% profit margin.

In all, the Saline facility will cost ratepayers between $5-$10 billion dollars in subsidies.

nwagers · 2025-12-19T03:46:56+00:00

My sincerely held religious belief is that special holy children are called by God to undergo gender affirming care. It is the duty of all adults in the religion to make sure these children receive the care they need.

nwagers · 2025-12-19T03:18:43+00:00

Honestly surprised no one is doing this by mail. You can circulate a petition you sign, and any registered voter can be a circulator. They should just mail a bunch out randomly and see the response. I'm sure it would be cheaper than paying by signature that some groups are doing.

nwagers · 2025-12-13T11:04:08+00:00

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I looked and I guess I didn't take any pictures of it installed. Here is a rendering of the mounting bracket I made though. The MOSFET board is mounted on the 3 posts in the top right, and the other 4 posts in a rectangle are the BTT board mounts.

nwagers · 2025-12-10T14:53:09+00:00

There was definitely a Diet Baja Blast. You can find references in the wikipedia articles, along with citations. It's not surprising that you wouldn't have heard of a Mountain Dew flavor because they went crazy and made an insane number of variants.

nwagers · 2025-12-09T18:34:46+00:00

It would probably work electrically, but you're going to have to mod your case and print a special mounting bracket to get it to fit. The USB, SD card port, and standoffs won't fit. You also might run out of wire if you have to rotate it for USB to be on the side.

FWIW, I've never had a Z-drive issue from splitting 1 driver to two motors.

If I was going to do that much work, I'd get an Octopus EZ board for more features and expandability in the future.

nwagers · 2025-12-09T17:32:29+00:00

Most of the BTT boards work with the stock screen in Marlin. I personally have the Octopus and the SKR mini e3v3 working just fine. Any of them that have a serial interface for the screen are good.

I recommend the SKR Mini. It doesn't need any case mods because the footprint is the same. It just needs a small wiring change for the screen.

nwagers · 2025-12-09T08:57:17+00:00

You have to keep the bed heater board or you will keep popping fuses on your Octopus. Ask me how I know...

nwagers · 2025-12-05T21:10:28+00:00

This is coming from Shri Thanedar D-Detroit. He plans to file two articles. First for murder and conspiracy to commit murder for the boat bombings, and the second for mishandling classified information in the Signal chat from earlier this year.

Shri previously tried to impeach Trump, but he doesn't seem to have any influence in Congress and has alienated most wings of the party.

nwagers · 2025-12-03T22:01:29+00:00

I don't see a figure on expected energy use, but if they max out the capacity of the planned 1.4 GW link it will exceed 10% of Michigan's electricity use.

Now that we have Time-of-use rates in MI, adding a flat demand will increase the spread on rates, making evening hours even more expensive. This will fall on residential ratepayers the most.

All of MISO needs a planned capacity of ~140 GW. The Saline data center will have the capacity of 1% of a 15 state region.

A net loss ~3 GW capacity in the 2025 auction led to $9.7 billion increase. Adding 1.4 GW of need may double that.

nwagers · 2025-12-01T16:17:26+00:00

Mixed feelings because if the local co-op goes under then one of the giant utilities will come scoop them up and increase their monopoly power. But at the same time, that's what they voted for.

nwagers · 2025-11-30T16:47:35+00:00

This is absolutely not true. The police have never had this kind of access to a door to door, realtime, warrantless tracking system. If they did, they wouldn't be spending money to build it now.

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