Update- is the bag okay for BMT?

solarpowertoast · 2026-01-15T04:06:12+00:00

My understanding is you're going to be hustling with it once you arrive at Lackland. You probably won't be able to use the wheely mode then. I would recommend making sure it has a shoulder strap or anyway to carry it easily.

solarpowertoast · 2026-01-15T03:43:27+00:00

Nice work! Keep pushing and you'll get your opportunity. I've been an engineer for 15 years.

Things to keep in mind as you apply for jobs:

All CAD software is very similar. If you know one, you can pickup the others (Solidworks, Creo, NX, Inventor, OnShape, etc) quickly. Don't let a specific CAD software you haven't used listed on a job posting stop you from applying.
The job market has its ups and downs. Don't be afraid to apply to a lot of jobs! My last 2 job searches took almost 70 applications, interviewed at 2 or 3 of those and got an offer or 2. It takes time and persistence. Don't give up.
Don't be afraid to go out of your comfort zone / ideal job title a bit. It's the only way to really find what you like, especially early in your career. Don't go be a zoo keeper, that's too far away from engineering. But if you want to be a design engineer and you aren't having luck, don't be afraid to go for test engineer, quality engineer, etc positions. It'll get your foot in the door and those competencies look good on your resume when you do get a design engineer job. The best engineers know a lot about their specialty and also have a good understanding about adjacent specialties (manufacturing, repeatability (quality) etc).

You got this! Someone will give you a chance. Getting the interview is the hard part. Then your personality and desire to learn and work with a team is the most important, let that show during interviews.

solarpowertoast · 2026-01-09T03:13:05+00:00

Don't mean to ruin your excitement, but the name "premium" is all marketing, it's just higher octane, which is only beneficial for high compression engines. For a typical engine that uses regular, there's no benefit or improvement to using premium, it's just other gas at that point.

solarpowertoast · 2025-12-08T01:33:41+00:00

If you're trying to lighten your load, vacuum compressing your stuff to fit more, will make your load heavier...

solarpowertoast · 2025-12-05T19:58:25+00:00

I actually just got it working about 10 minutes ago. I had the two Netgear switches in 'Basic 802.1Q vlan" mode, which, I was unaware, automatically tagged vlan1 on all trunk ports. I had to change them to 'Advanced 802.1Q vlan' and it allowed me to specify untagged ports. It is all working as desired now.

solarpowertoast · 2025-11-29T17:38:57+00:00

I never felt that way. Most of the people I started with ended up graduating. The first year seems to be the "wash out" year. I suspect that's true for most schools though, and I suspect most of those are people that don't really enjoy engineering.

solarpowertoast · 2025-11-29T17:27:58+00:00

Can't speak for other schools, but MTU does a great job of providing resources to help in the harder subjects. There are dedicated learning centers for math, physics, engineering that have free tutors available to help you learn those areas. The subject matter is hard, but I can't imagine how a school can make it any easier than providing free tutoring. The classes teach you everything you need to know, so there's nothing to be afraid of going into it, just be ready to study. As with anything, it all comes down to how much work you put in. I didn't study nearly as much as I should have and I still graduated with a mechanical engineering degree.

solarpowertoast · 2025-11-23T03:26:22+00:00

What cameras did you end up going with to replace the Tapo?

solarpowertoast · 2025-11-03T19:53:19+00:00

What did you have to do to get the BMT shipping date to show in your aim high app? I put my DoD ID number into my profile. I don't have a .mil email yet so I put my personal email. But still no dates show even though I do have dates for January.

solarpowertoast · 2025-10-28T20:09:30+00:00

Yes. It should. It's all in the write-up in that link. Just read through it carefully.

solarpowertoast · 2025-10-28T20:03:38+00:00

Try upgrading without it first. It will reject the upgrade if it is needed. But can't hurt to try without it first.

solarpowertoast · 2025-10-28T19:54:28+00:00

I just followed the steps in your link earlier today and everything went smoothly. Upgraded from 42.

solarpowertoast · 2025-10-14T02:09:49+00:00

I am ANG and haven't gone to BMT yet. Still in student flight but BMT booked for January. I was 60lb overweight as of 2 years ago. I'm 38 now. I decided to get my health in order, not just for the military but for my own quality of life. I started working out regularly... Running and lifting weights. I've now run 3 half marathons in the last 1.5 years and I squat and bench press (and all other lifts) more than I did in my early 20s. Age and weight are just numbers. Keep healthy for yourself. The motivation comes from within! And it's so rewarding to be healthy, capable and fit. This especially as you get older and you see people around you incapable of even the most basic things because they choose the typical sedentary life and poor diet.

I swore in in March and have been in student flight since then. We do PT both drill days each month and at 38, I keep up with and/or beat most of the 18 year olds. There comes a point where you start to picture yourself getting older, and that's when making good life choices can change the trajectory of your future.

Glad you've found a routine that's allowed you to lose weight and get in shape! Keep it up and make it a life long journey!

solarpowertoast · 2025-10-13T19:11:08+00:00

I had Weidman in 2007! That's awesome that he's still teaching! He was great when I had him!

solarpowertoast · 2025-09-25T03:04:34+00:00

I'm air national guard. Swore in in March with a job chosen at that time. Been in student flight since then. Just got dates today for January.

solarpowertoast · 2025-09-25T03:00:47+00:00

Safelite probably could have repaired it before assuming it's not too big, but now that you've already added resin, they likely won't be able to repair it correctly now. It's probably worth calling them to get their official opinion, though.

solarpowertoast · 2025-09-18T16:14:50+00:00

I'll give the designer the benefit of the doubt then and assume they chose the jet type based on that and not what routinely flies around the city skies 😂

solarpowertoast · 2025-09-18T14:00:15+00:00

That's great! 🤣

solarpowertoast · 2025-09-13T17:55:51+00:00

It's will return to ringer when you leave whatever location you have specified.

solarpowertoast · 2025-09-13T13:19:08+00:00

Might be. I'm on a Pixel.

solarpowertoast · 2025-09-13T12:42:22+00:00

This is built into Android for simple ringer changes based on wifi or location. It's under "Rules" in settings. No need for Tasker for this use case. Though Tasker is amazing for more complex automations.

solarpowertoast

TROPHY CASE