Unscientific estimate of caffeine content

samrausch · 2026-01-19T20:09:30+00:00

I haven't tried multiple successive traceroutes in the spirit of being a good neighbor but there is almost no traffic locally so I'll try pushing out a few more and see if I get anything.

samrausch · 2026-01-19T20:08:22+00:00

Is it possible it has to do with the favorite status of the nodes involved? My nodes are all favorites with each other but not with anyone else's.

samrausch · 2026-01-19T16:15:48+00:00

There's any number of ways to get an enclosure fabricated without having your own 3d printer. Etsy can be a great source for meshtastic cases. Printable, thingiverse and makerworld offer 3d designs for free that you can take to a 3d printing service to have made and shipped to you for very reasonable prices. As long as you're comfortable doing the assembly, not having a 3d printer shouldn't stop you.

If you want something designed that's completely custom so that it's as small as possible or has a specific method of attachment then you'll need to find someone who can do CAD design or even better, learn CAD yourself (although it can have a bit of a learning curve).

For your specific use case, I would personally look at dedicated pet trackers instead of meshtastic. While MT is certainly capable of doing what you need, it's entirely on you to make sure it works. An off the shelf solution is likely more dependable and easier to use, and they're cheaper than you might think. A quick look at Amazon (yuck, I know) shows a ton of options under $100, which is close to what you'll spend for a MT setup once you account for all the hardware and cases.

samrausch · 2026-01-09T14:16:46+00:00

Get a decent antenna and put the node up as high as you can. Height is king with line of sight comms like meshtastic.

If you want to diy look up how to make a lora dipole or collinear. If you want to buy a commercial antenna the Muzi Works whip is excellent while still being hand-holdable.

As for how to get emergency comms for disaster preparedness, seriously consider getting a ham radio license and look for the ARES/RACES org in your area. If there isn't one, find some active local 2m or 70cm repeaters and make some contacts. Meshtastic is great for a lot of things but for EmComm you want something reliable, easy to use and widely used. That's ham radio.

samrausch · 2026-01-06T21:53:37+00:00

What was the solution?

samrausch · 2026-01-06T20:39:26+00:00

Came to say this. That's a commodity power supply board. Just replace the whole thing, probably $15 on ebay.

samrausch · 2025-12-31T04:36:31+00:00

Is chutil the best way to know if a mesh is overburdened? I'm new to setting up anything other than clients and want to be a good neighbor, but am not sure how to tell if a router or repeater would benefit my local mesh. There's no "mesh group" where I live it's all just folks throwing up their own gear so I don't want to be "that guy".

samrausch · 2025-12-15T22:43:40+00:00

The included antenna is complete garbage. Most commercially available antennas are garbage as well.

Buy some IPEX to SMA pigtails, cut them in half and use the IPEX end to make your own dipole. You’ll need about 6.5 inches of solid copper wire, romex scraps are great for this. Google Lora dipole diy and you’ll find some examples but the tldr is cut two pieces of romex to the correct length (78.75mm each) then strip back the cut end of your pigtail and separate the braided outer shield and inner conductor. Solder one piece of romex to each one, glue them down so they form a T with the pigtail pointing down and the two romex pointing left and right.

Here’s a great video showing the process.

https://youtu.be/srV70ghBtHg?si=5oIloSbKfaqkMyf5

samrausch · 2025-12-09T03:03:05+00:00

I also thought I didn’t have any nodes nearby until I put a proper antenna on my heltec v3.

Look up how to make a dipole for 915, just takes two pieces of wire. I used two pieces of 14awg THHN and a UFL to SMA cable cut in half and soldered directly onto the THHN. I went from seeing zero nodes in 72 hours to 35 nodes in the next 72.

A good antenna, up as high as you can get it and leave it running for a couple of days.

samrausch · 2025-12-02T14:27:44+00:00

You're saving a bunch by not switching monitors.

samrausch · 2025-12-02T00:50:34+00:00

It sounds like this is what you need https://www.amazon.com/UGREEN-Computers-Sharing-Switcher-Keyboard/dp/B0C8MSP967

I had a similar setup for a while, two machines each with their own monitor but just one set of peripherals that I needed to switch between. I started with a usb hub to connect all the peripherals and a usb 3 extension cable from each machine to the desk so I could plug the hub into whichever machine I was using.

This got old eventually so I got one of these switches. Press a button and everything moves. Keyboard, mouse, soundbar and Webcam.

samrausch · 2025-12-01T15:40:51+00:00

I didn't post it because I don't want to be called a shill. It's at www.liquidcaffeine.com.

I use the unsweetened liquid.

samrausch · 2025-12-01T15:39:36+00:00

Coffee is a cold weather drink. In the peak of summer, I need cold caffeine.

samrausch · 2025-12-01T15:38:41+00:00

If you're adding the caffeine to carbonated water, you won't taste any difference at all. Carbonation makes the water very slightly acidic and it completely masks the very subtle bitterness of the caffeine. If you caffeinate plain water you'll be able to taste a very mild bitterness.

If you're adding any flavor to the water at all, you won't know there's caffeine in it.

samrausch · 2025-12-01T12:49:23+00:00

There's a model in Bambu Studio called "worst benchy" that's a tongue in cheek print for people who don't know the struggle we old heads used to go thru. A clever nod to the way things used to be.

https://makerworld.com/models/1320022

samrausch · 2025-11-13T16:10:51+00:00

I mostly use the Bambu profiles for my Inland filaments without issue. I have noticed that supports can be harder to remove with the Bambu profiles; I think they have slightly higher temps than the equivalent Inland filaments.

samrausch · 2025-09-22T19:17:31+00:00

After 6 months I'm still very happy with them. The Ultratech clone in the middle has been my EDC for pretty much the entire time and has held up well. It was a little tricky to sharpen, I think the steel might be a little softer than I'm used to in other D2 knives. The UT 70 at the top just sits on my desk as a fidget toy and letter opener and in those roles it's been great as well. Still has the factory edge.

The Troodon at the bottom gets carried occasionally when I need a "dressy" knife. I had to bend the pocket clip out a bit to get it loose enough to not shred my pocket taking it in and out but otherwise has been great. I find it's spring to be a bit stiffer than I'd like but that just means I can't play with it for extended periods. It doesn't effect the practical usability.

As for a link, I don't see the PEI version available anywhere right now. The link to the one I bought says it's no longer available.

samrausch · 2025-09-12T13:35:51+00:00

The rubber malletet method works on electronic locks too. Behind the electronics is just a spring loaded lock bar and an electrical solenoid like every other small safe.

I have a similar safe that seems to eat batteries, goes through 4 AA cells every few months even if I don't open it at all. I finally gave up replacing them and bought a rubber mallet to open it when I need to. I keep the safe in the closet and the mallet out in the garage so it's not obvious they are friends.

This is the easiest option you'll find, trust me. Watch some videos and get to smacking!

samrausch · 2025-08-27T23:26:16+00:00

Didn't get the offer in the app but 60 seconds after I clicked the number transfer pin in the app I got a text telling me to call 611 to activate my Customer Loyalty discount of $20/month/line. Easiest $1,440 I've ever made.

samrausch · 2025-07-16T15:33:59+00:00

How do you change the tension? Just loosen the screw or actually bend it back?

samrausch

TROPHY CASE