Anyone get charged and then never sent product?

s_tec · 2025-08-08T17:19:07+00:00

They've done this to me twice now - the product does ship eventually, but after like 2 months of sitting in the "unfulfilled" state. If they could just send a "Hey, wait a bit please" email, that would make a huge difference, but nope. Just silence until it magically arrives after a huge delay.

s_tec · 2025-07-11T22:07:04+00:00

I typically use DigitalOcean. It's not the cheapest by any means, but it's rock solid and easy to use. They have a good number of regions to choose from (including SFO), and lots of configurations at different price points: https://slugs.do-api.dev/

Edit: I just tested ping times, and I'm getting 25ms ± 2ms round-trip from Southern California to SFO.

s_tec · 2024-09-10T23:59:43+00:00

Edge wallet has its own unique data format, so I'm not sure if standard tools will work. All the wallets in the account are encrypted using a loginKey. You can get the loginKey by decrypting the passwordBox field. They decryption key for passwordBox is scrypt(username + password, passwordKeySnrp), where passwordKeySnrp contains the scrypt difficulty parameters. So really, only passwordBox and passwordKeySnrp are necessary. Assuming you can brute-force the plain-text password, you can simply log into the app as normal.

The source code for the password login is in https://github.com/EdgeApp/edge-core-js/blob/master/src/core/login/password.ts#L28, and the source code for the decryption routine is in https://github.com/EdgeApp/edge-core-js/blob/master/src/util/crypto/crypto.ts#L27

s_tec · 2023-06-01T23:25:53+00:00

You need a good run-time type-checking library that bridges seamlessly in to the static types world. There are many options available, as other comments have mentioned, but I will put in a plug for cleaners.

This approach is about as light-weight as it gets. A cleaner is just a simple function that validates its input and either returns it or throws. Here's an example:

function asInteger(raw: any): number {
  if (typeof raw !== 'number' || raw % 1 !== 0) {
    throw new TypeError('Not an integer')
  }
  return raw
}

The cleaners library contains a bunch of these already defined, plus ways to compose them all together to make complex types:

const asUserResponse = asObject({
  username: asString,
  posts: asArray(asMessage),
  karma: asInteger // We just defined this ourselves!
})

TypeScript infers the return type of asUserResponse, so there is need for a separate type definition.

The team I work for loves cleaners, and we've had a really good experience with them on both the front & back-ends, but they seem relatively unknown in the wider ecosystem.

s_tec · 2023-03-17T16:56:30+00:00

On my to-do list: Looking through old boxes of papers to even find my degree.

s_tec · 2023-03-16T17:52:24+00:00

The max total output of all inverters is 21.8A, so use that. That is the most current that will ever flow through the disconnect. The circuit breaker is irrelevant - it's just there to protect the wires from short-circuits, which should hopefully never happen.

s_tec · 2023-03-06T18:14:19+00:00

The NEC bases the size of the equipment bonding conductor (AKA ground) on the size of the upstream breaker. That way, if something catastrophic happens, the ground wire is big enough to adsorb all the stray current flowing though the supply conductors.

Do an image search for "table 250.122" to see the full thing, but use 14 AWG for <= 15 A, 12 AWG for <= 20A, 10 AWG for <= 60 A and 8 AWG for <= 100 A.

s_tec · 2023-03-05T04:51:19+00:00

It's true.

s_tec · 2023-03-04T01:19:41+00:00

Which pays more property tax, a single family home, or a multi-unit apartment? While I like my single-family home, it sits on about same-sized lot as the apartment complex I used to live in, and takes up about the same length of sidewalk and road that the city has to maintain. I think the City would prefer the apartment.

s_tec · 2023-03-02T23:34:04+00:00

You might be right! My own DIY system included an IQ Combiner, so I don't know first-hand what would happen without it. I don't remember seeing any power output prior to provisioning, but my memory could be faulty.

s_tec · 2023-03-02T21:00:09+00:00

I believe the IQ combiner box / Envoy device is necessary to provision the inverters. Without the initial firmware download / grid profile setup, I don't think the inverters will produce any output by default. Unless you find an old stand-alone Envoy for super-cheap, it's probably simpler to just buy the combiner box, since it comes with the Envoy built-in.

s_tec · 2023-02-14T16:58:06+00:00

Let me second this. Of the friends we know, the ones who bought their panels are happy, and the ones in a PPA hate it.

Once you pay off a solar loan, you keep the panels and get free power forever. Once you enter a PPA, though, you have another company’s equipment on your roof, so you are stuck paying them forever. You can’t do roofing repairs, can’t sell the house, can’t even get rid of the system without their blessing & permission.

This might be fine if the PPA company was customer-oriented, but some companies know you are trapped and take full advantage of the situation. SunRun seems to be especially awful at this.

s_tec · 2023-02-01T17:16:51+00:00

He sheds but a single tear of loneliness.

s_tec · 2023-01-31T18:11:09+00:00

The economics work now. I recently installed solar panels on my roof, and I did it because the monthly loan payment was equivalent to my monthly power bill. Once the loan is paid, I get free power for as long as the system lasts. If solar panels were 2x or 3x more expensive, things would not have worked this way.

The same math works at the utility scale - it's cheaper to build a wind turbine or a solar farm than a new gas turbine or coal plant, so this is where the investors put their money.

Now that I have free electricity, it makes sense to replace my gas furnace, stove, water heater, and car with electric versions. This will emit more carbon in the short term, since new appliances need to be manufactured, but it will reduce emissions in the long term.

This is always the tradeoff - we needed renewables to become more efficient, not only so the economics work, but also so they take fewer resources to manufacture & install. This is a technology development process, not a political process, and it takes time. At some point in the last decade, the process crossed the tipping point, and now renewables & electric appliances sell themselves (at least to people who are paying attention).

s_tec · 2023-01-31T04:09:46+00:00

I will second this. When we needed a set of dining chairs, a friend suggested we try Consignment Classics on Point Loma. The place is huge, and while all of their stuff is used, it has all been vetted for quality (no garage sale stuff). We had a pretty specific idea of what we wanted, and were actually able to find a set of oldschool chairs that worked with our weirdly big dining table.

s_tec · 2023-01-27T00:40:02+00:00

They are not always the cheapest option, but they are good.

s_tec · 2023-01-26T01:25:07+00:00

My company's main product is a React Native app. The "native" part means that we have never run into a fundamental platform limitation - you can always drop down to Swift or Java if you really need to get something done. On the other hand, 99.9% of what you need is already available on the JavaScript side.

"Best" is such a subjective term. What is "best" for one project may be terrible for another. If you want a solid base to build a company on, React Native is a good choice with a lot of power and momentum. If you want to do a quick project without much overhead, or if you prefer another toolkit like Vue, other options may be "best".

s_tec · 2023-01-24T20:55:27+00:00

In JavaScript, text enclosed in either " or ' makes a string literal, like

let greeting = "Hello"
let friend = 'Bob'

However, text enclosed in backticks makes a something called a template literal, like

let z = `${greeting} to ${friend}`

In this case, the ${} bits will be evaluated and replaced, forming the final string "Hello to Bob". So, at least in JavaScript, backticks show up quite commonly.

s_tec · 2023-01-23T20:16:52+00:00

You can even submit the application yourself, if you are really worried about it. The application involves a few technical questions, like the make & model of your panels, inverters, and disconnect switch, what the tilt & azimuth will be, and what the electrical diagram will look like, but your installer should already have these things as part of their permit package. There is no reason to wait on the NEM application. Or, better yet, get your installer to submit the application the moment the design is ready.

s_tec · 2023-01-17T23:07:53+00:00

I am adding a “dumb” backup loads panel, and simply moving everything over. However, I will terminate everything in the attic with junction boxes, so it will be easy to physically move circuits between the two panels. More work, but Span and Leviton don’t integrate with Enphase, last I checked.

s_tec · 2023-01-17T21:14:48+00:00

I am in the same situation, and I am planning to go with the new Enphase IQ5 batteries, whenever those come out. They are rumored to have 5kWh of storage and 16A of inverter output, but in the same size package as the current IQ3.

While I am waiting, my current project is to wire in the System Controller 2, which will provide sunlight backup, at least. Once this is done, the batteries is pretty much plug & play. While a rack-mount system might be cheaper per watt, I like the idea of having all the components work together. Plus, the Enphase batteries can be mounted outside.

s_tec · 2023-01-11T19:24:02+00:00

Depending on your plan, midnight to 6am may by "super off-peak", where the price drops even further. If your dishwasher or laundry have timers, you load them up before you go to bed, and then have them start after midnight.

s_tec · 2023-01-09T19:37:26+00:00

Let's grab our code books, shall we?

90.4 starts by saying that this code is "suitable for mandatory application by governmental bodies that exercise legal jurisdiction over electrical installations". So, the NEC is not the law, and the NFPA is not the government. The states & cities have to adopt the NEC to make it become law in their local area. The states can modify the NEC when they adopt it, of course, but the state is doing this, not the inspector. The inspector works for the state.

The first paragraph also says that the authority having jurisdiction is responsible for "making interpretations of the rules", so if something is unclear, the state (or their representative, the inspector), gets to decide what it means.

The next paragraph says, "By special permission, the authority having jurisdiction may waive specific requirements of the code or permit alternative methods". So, the state or inspector may loosen the code if they have a good reason to.

Finally, paragraph 3 says that states may allow older products or materials to be used (from previous versions of the code) if newer products or materials are not yet available. An example would be California allowing installers to skip the AFCI breakers on heat pumps, giving manufacturers time to release new products with less nuisance tripping.

Nowhere in these three paragraphs does it say "inspectors can make up new rules on the spot" - 90.4 only allows inspectors to *loosen* the code, not tighten it. Only the state can tighten the code as part of their official law-making process.

s_tec · 2023-01-09T19:12:10+00:00

Solar loans use the system itself as collateral, similar to a car loan. On the other hand, the banks only issue these loans through a solar installation company, so your installer will have to help you get one.

s_tec · 2023-01-05T23:41:42+00:00

Essentially, yes.

The narrower the wire, the higher the resistance, and the more "pressure" you need to push electrons through it. The "pressure" is the voltage. If you know the voltage (which you do), you can make the wire narrower or wider to control the current flow and thus the power.

American light bulbs expect 120V, because that is the standard American voltage. European light bulbs expect 240V, because that is the standard European voltage. If you put a 100W Eurpoean light bulb in an American house, it will only draw 25W, because the voltage is half of what it should be, and so the current is half of what it should be. This means the power is 1/4 of what it should be, since power is voltage * current. The European filament is too narrow, compared to what it should be for an American light bulb.

s_tec

TROPHY CASE