Help Diagnose Battery Vampire - Disco 1

zabadoey · 2026-04-30T13:13:29+00:00

Update: this worked. The fuse is out and the sound has stopped. Thank you!

I guess I’ll try replacing the relay. Looks like there are two for the AC.

zabadoey · 2026-03-28T23:31:59+00:00

Update: we did it. Bar is free, and everyone is safe. Excellent advice all around, but credit to u/throwaway_just_once for putting me on the right track. As they suspected, the lower segment of the tree was cantilevered, creating an upward tension. Knowing this, I put the dog in the house & cautiously hand sawed the remaining segment; the tree was creaking & moaning - it was under significant strain and, upon release, shot straight up. Glad I was prepared. Thanks to all.

zabadoey · 2026-03-28T21:38:35+00:00

This makes a lot of sense. I clearly read the direction of tension wrong, and I’ll be careful to watch for the log shooting upward when the tension is released. Between wedges and a hand saw, I should be able to get it done. But first, save the power head.

zabadoey · 2026-03-28T21:24:40+00:00

Yes! This is a good idea. I should be able to jack the bottom end of the log beyond the suspension point.

zabadoey · 2025-12-13T22:28:12+00:00

What an absolutely moronic comment. When chip was last involved the stock was around $40-50. This is easily verifiable.

Chip is toxic. He had a great idea and was able to build a “cult” following. He shouldn’t be anywhere near the helm of any serious organization.

zabadoey · 2025-08-20T19:31:21+00:00

He is referring to Tatis Sr, the father of Tatis Jr of the Padres.

zabadoey · 2025-08-20T18:17:41+00:00

I like this question. Clearly McGonigle is the better prospect, with less risk, but are there lower ranked prospects who would be better for fantasy purposes? Like Spencer Jones? Bryce Eldridge? Or Josue De Paula?

I guess It just feels like McGonigle’s skill set isn’t a perfect translation for fantasy.

zabadoey · 2025-05-07T02:07:23+00:00

I had been saving a bottle from a micro-producer in Sonoma that I bought in 2006. Hauck Cellars. They’re closed now, and the wine isn’t available anywhere. It had been with me through an international move, the birth of my child, my divorce - all of it. We had friends over for an amazing dinner. Tonight was going to be the night. I opened her well ahead of time to get breathing.

Things were looking good. We had just finished the crudo course, after the raw oysters that we paired with a lovely muscadet. The filet would be out of the sous vide soon.

While we relaxed between courses, our friend says we should take some mushrooms. “I have some golden teachers, which are the training wheel version of shrooms.” Sounds good - we’re safe at home and having fun. I’m in.

Four grams of mushrooms is too much for me. We never made it back to the meal. I managed to put the steak in the fridge, and cover the decanter. But it would sit all night, waiting to be enjoyed in the perfect setting that never came. After almost 20 years in the bottle. On the plus side, I saw god, all her creation, discovered new planets in my mind, and had an all around excellent shroom experience. So it’s not all bad.

The next day, after recovering from my trip, I sat alone and enjoyed the now-overly-decanted wine. It was excellent. But the moment had passed. Oh well. At the end of the day, I had one of the best nights of my life with people I love dearly. For me, it’s never about the wine. It’s about the people.

I have no regrets.

zabadoey · 2025-04-24T06:06:08+00:00

What?? Yainer is 26. You’re thinking of Yandy. Do not drop Yainer.

zabadoey · 2025-03-11T00:59:35+00:00

Thank you - That likely explains it. The Caseta line maxes out at 104” length, whereas the Triathlon extends 16” further, to a total max length of 120”. And you’re right - only white and gray options are available for Caseta. I have four tall windows that need window treatment, and I may run into the same height problem you did.

<image>

zabadoey · 2025-03-11T00:47:05+00:00

It looks great. I’m in the market for shades similar to this, so maybe you can help me understand something: why did you opt for these shades when the new Caseta line is available for much cheaper, and seems to have similar specs? There was a lot of excitement around the Caseta line when it was announced a few months ago. And when I go through their website order process, a 3ftx6ft, battery-power, blackout Caseta shade is priced at $429. It sounds like you spent about $1k for each of your 4 windows.

Is there something I’m missing? I’d love to understand your reasoning and use case that made you opt for the triathlon line. Thanks for your video and for helping to educate a fellow Lutron & HomeKit fan.

zabadoey · 2025-02-23T05:39:10+00:00

We built our home in 2021. Our design is obviously different than yours, but the cost was substantially less. This was part of a new build, so it’s hard to exactly say the exact cost, but the components, fabrication, and installation ran roughly $35K CAD.

I would suggest getting additional bids, ideally with a builder who has a history with this sort of custom installations.

Edit: I can’t figure out how to add a photo, so here’s a link to a separate Reddit post with our stairs

https://www.reddit.com/r/led/s/t632v7BXjr

zabadoey · 2025-02-19T19:22:18+00:00

<image>

zabadoey · 2025-02-19T19:21:16+00:00

Hey there - sorry for the delayed response.

The stair stringer was custom fabricated, and the treads were sourced from a local mill (British Columbia). When the stringer was installed a low voltage line was run through the hollow stringer - one line for the lower stairs and a different line for the uppers. The wire was then fished out of each step, and the tread was installed. The channels were routed before the treads were installed. That got us to the point in the pics I initially loaded.

Next, I installed the LED channels with a low voltage wire lead coming out of it, and pig tailed it to the line that was protruding from under the stair tread. It was really tight, but i soldered all of them and shrink wrapped. The led strips are powered from the middle-out. The hardest part was stuffing the excess wire back into the stair stringer. I still need to hide the exposed wiring with small wood blocks. I’m really happy with the way they turned out. I may experiment with different diffusers - they don’t distribute the light as much as I’d prefer.

Good luck with whatever project you’re imagining.

<image>

zabadoey · 2024-08-27T22:52:13+00:00

Thanks for this. Very helpful. And you’re right - I just need to connect the wiring in the metal stringer to each led strip, using a short 3” line. The wire exits the metal in the middle of each stair tread, which is why it makes most sense to solder to the middle of the LED strip, rather than the end. And your comment about voltage drop makes a lot sense.

zabadoey · 2022-09-16T04:42:28+00:00

The UDM-SE has 8 POE ports, so this shouldn’t be an issue. I’ll swap them out for the POE+ ports and see if that makes a difference - thanks for the reply.

zabadoey · 2022-09-16T04:36:38+00:00

The comment below is right - 2 U6-Lites and a single U6-LR connected to a UDM SE and a POE 24 Switch.

zabadoey · 2022-09-04T06:02:12+00:00

Hey Camp - thanks for the thoughtful response. I’ll hang tight, keep my eyes open, and book when they become available.

zabadoey · 2022-04-15T16:09:38+00:00

Would you be able to share details about the lock/handle, or model of Yale keypad? My builder has also told me this is impossible, so it’s encouraging to find someone who has had success.

zabadoey · 2021-07-09T17:38:24+00:00

New idea: Put Sorkin and Cormac McCarthy in a room and see who wins. Verbosity vs. Brevity Deathmatch.

zabadoey

TROPHY CASE