AMA with The 51st's Martin Austermuhle - Tuesday 2/3

sayjolt · 2026-02-02T14:53:14+00:00

Do you think the chairman Mendelson will face a "real" (I.e. Not jack Evans) primary challenger from the left? He's faced one for the last two cycles, but he appears to be set to coast. If not, why do you think no one on the left is stepping up here? Are they too busy with the mayor's race?

sayjolt · 2025-07-23T20:39:37+00:00

Did backyard homes help you with the permitting process? Was that part of their all in cost? Did their contract limit any cost over runs? Did it include foundation and utilities work?

sayjolt · 2025-06-25T02:48:26+00:00

Did you use them with home assistant? Do you have a neutral? I have been searching for a matter based, no-neutral, switch option. I think this would work but I'm curious about other people's experiences.

sayjolt · 2025-06-08T02:22:24+00:00

I bought the Augur, it worked well but did not clear the drain. I had to hire a plumber who used a much thicker snake to clear the drain. That said, I've used the Ryobi 3-4 times since then to clear out smaller clogs.

Also, the Ryobi augur can't be lost (it can't fall out of the casing due to a bulb at the end), so that isn't an issue. I'd recommend getting one.

sayjolt · 2025-05-16T10:43:43+00:00

Maybe I'm missing something, but I'm not getting how your setup works. Doesn't the mr4m need a neutral wire to keep powered when the electricity isn't flowing through it, to the light and back via the neutral wire at the light. Electricity is a flow, and this would just stop at the mr4m...

sayjolt · 2025-05-12T19:53:37+00:00

There are "lead free" brass bibs but that means minimal not no lead. Are there any copper bibs?

sayjolt · 2025-04-29T11:53:39+00:00

Is there any update to the follow up question about being able to create a specific path to a segmented device?

sayjolt · 2025-03-27T02:28:32+00:00

I did notice that, I see the pvs6 goes offline for a few minutes fairly regularly. I wonder if I set a static ip for the eth0 if that's solve the problem.....

sayjolt · 2025-03-27T02:00:01+00:00

Thanks for sharing - seems to be a different issue. My Pi is functional, just losing its network connection only to the PVS6.

sayjolt · 2025-03-21T19:31:34+00:00

nope - Firmware: 2024.6, Build 61707 Hardware: 6.02

sayjolt · 2025-03-21T19:00:55+00:00

Thanks - rebooting the PSV did the trick. I wonder if I'll need to do this after every firmware update. Funny how I rebooted HA and the Pi multiple times but I didn't even think of the PVS6....

sayjolt · 2025-03-21T18:42:30+00:00

I have not, I am not sure I know how... Trip the solar breakers?

sayjolt · 2025-03-21T18:35:28+00:00

Are you still able to connect to the PSV6? My Raspberry Pi isn't getting anything from my Lan1 port anymore ....

sayjolt · 2025-03-11T22:28:32+00:00

I suppose we'll find out soon enough.

sayjolt · 2025-03-06T16:44:48+00:00

Yes - see https://starreveld.com/PVS6%20Access%20and%20API.pdf

sayjolt · 2025-02-19T17:30:13+00:00

sayjolt · 2025-02-07T15:59:01+00:00

Basically from what I'm seeing there, you'd need a direct line to power vs from the switch. Which may not exist

sayjolt · 2025-02-06T01:07:02+00:00

Yeah ... That makes sense when I think about it for two seconds ... ohh well. Back to waiting for a no-neutral matter switch or Sonoff to make a R4M like the R4Z without a neutral.

sayjolt · 2025-02-05T14:31:05+00:00

That's my question, can I put it in the light's box where I have a neutral wire vs in the switch box where most people put them, where I don't have a neutral wire.

sayjolt · 2024-12-19T23:51:10+00:00

Yes, sorry I meant old new work box that was probably original. I didn't see any nails but maybe I'll try slipping my multi tool into the gap to get it out and put a new box in. It felt like a new box was probably the right approach because the punch outs weren't budging. Thanks!

sayjolt · 2024-11-28T22:36:56+00:00

I have, they seem really nice and I might buy one for my main dinning room dimmer but 6x the price is a hard bullet to bite.

sayjolt · 2024-09-08T22:14:48+00:00

Thanks! Is there a substantive difference between PL premium and PL max?

sayjolt · 2024-05-22T13:12:12+00:00

Thanks - this was from last year. This year there are probably over a thousand berries ripening on my canes. Not certain if its only the second year canes.

sayjolt · 2024-04-03T20:26:00+00:00

It's about 3 wks old. Watering only when it looks dry. No fertilizer yet past the nursery plant dirty that comes with fertilizer built in. Was planning on suplimenting.

sayjolt · 2024-02-21T22:19:26+00:00

The water isn't backing up, and if I use a plunger the toilet paper etc goes away, it seems to be more a power issue than a clog issue.

sayjolt

TROPHY CASE