What Are You Buying Right Now? (non-OT version)

GrateEggspectations

lousubcap said:

@GrateEggspectations - Gotta admit that you must be optimistic about this climate change thing accelerating to extend the pool season in the GWN.  
The end of the fall arrives fairly early up there as I recall.  Good luck with the project.  

Yes. Pool season is pretty short here - one of the reasons I was tempted to go the hot tub route instead. Though with a powerful heater and the kids being the age that they are, I’m pretty confident it would get good use. 

I’ll have to see the full quotes, but I’m a bit on the fence as to whether to proceed. I generally like to put my money into items that yield good return on investment, and pools do not meet this criteria. That being said, with the real estate market going the way it is, it is an easier pill to swallow. 

SonVolt

nolaegghead said:

emisar  d18 light.  14,000 lumen (with the right batteries which are impossible to find right now)  knife for scale.

@nolaegghead

What's your initial impression of the d18? Build quality, brightness claims vs reality etc. 

Canugghead

@GrateEggspectations Indeed real estate demand and pricing is getting even higher and scarier now.

Our daughter and SIL got  lucky...about a year before covid they bought their house that sat on the market for months because ppl were afraid of the pool 'liability', how time has changed. It's professionally landscaped all around, with front garden, courtyard, inground pool, hot tub, privacy planting and no grass to cut. 

Good luck and have fun with your project,  remember to incorporate that brick oven 

fishlessman

GrateEggspectations said:

Speaking of wait times for products.....

Getting quotes for an in ground pool. Most installers are saying the end of this fall, at earliest. I anticipate even this is quite optimistic. Found one installer who says they can do this spring, but it makes me wary that they even have availability then given the surge in demand this past year. 

you have time to build a pizza oven/pool heater

https://donkey32.proboards.com/thread/1708/pizza-oven-pool-heater-build

GrateEggspectations

@Canugghead: Thanks. Where’d they buy? Some hot markets across the country right now.

We got crazy lucky. Because we had sold our house without conditions, we had to find a place. Bought at the start of the pandemic, when everyone was staying home and in the economic uncertainty. Paid asking. A house one street down that is similar in almost every respect (lot size, vintage, etc.) just sold yesterday for nearly an additional 45% above what we paid. We feel like we won the lottery. 

Will have to keep that oven in mind. Thanks again for sharing. 

Canugghead

@GrateEggspectations Like the cliche goes, better lucky than good. Now go spend some of that windfall!  They are about one block north of Toronto's city limit.

Ozzie_Isaac

fishlessman said:

GrateEggspectations said:

Speaking of wait times for products.....

Getting quotes for an in ground pool. Most installers are saying the end of this fall, at earliest. I anticipate even this is quite optimistic. Found one installer who says they can do this spring, but it makes me wary that they even have availability then given the surge in demand this past year. 

you have time to build a pizza oven/pool heater

https://donkey32.proboards.com/thread/1708/pizza-oven-pool-heater-build

That linked thread was very interesting read.  Pretty cool idea and execution was genius, with a lot of great documentation.

GrateEggspectations

Canugghead said:

@GrateEggspectations Like the cliche goes, better lucky than good. Now go spend some of that windfall!  They are about one block north of Toronto's city limit.

Hopefully, that one block equates to big savings. Great for them. Toronto is just scary. I feel as though some of the action here is spillover. 

Ozzie_Isaac

Think someone mentioned a friend who had a bunch of catalytic converters stolen:

https://www.thetelegraph.com/business/article/A-precious-metal-that-costs-15-times-more-than-15999562.php

Mark_B_Good

Just got one of these ... I went back and vacuum packed ALL my freezer yesterday. This thing is amazing!

nolaegghead

SonVolt said:

nolaegghead said:

emisar  d18 light.  14,000 lumen (with the right batteries which are impossible to find right now)  knife for scale.

@nolaegghead

What's your initial impression of the d18? Build quality, brightness claims vs reality etc. 

@Sunvolt

The build quality and machining is excellent.  The engineering is brilliant.  I have a zillion 18650 batteries that I've removed from my company's old laptop battery packs, problem is they will not deliver the current needed for this light.  Although these batteries hold (I test capacity after I pull them out) between 1800 and 2800 mAh of juice, the voltage drops after they are putting out 6-8 Amps, enough where I'm not getting anywhere near full light output.

So the jury is out.  Also, this light uses button top batteries and I don't have any.  I had to "modify" the tops with a tool to make contact and the contact patch is another weak point until I get the correct batteries.

But this light is still, hobbled, insanely bright.  But I think I'm just getting maybe 6k lumen at best.

Love the features with all the emisar lights.  I have the D4.

nolaegghead

I'm looking for some button top 25-35A high current unprotected 18650s.  I don't care about capacity as much as current delivery. Hard to find right now or ridiculously expensive.

Ozzie_Isaac

You could wire up a power supply and compare brightness levels.  See if worth the cost/effort to get the extra go-juice.

I have found, for demo and impressing people every nit counts, in actual use power consumption and heat generation balanced with light output is more important to me.

nolaegghead

In general, efficiency drops with output.  Also true in general with lithium polymer batteries. 

Even with good batteries you will only get maybe 45 seconds of full output before the thermal regulator drops down the current.   All this output in a small package is a trade-off and you don't get anywhere near a 100% duty cycle.   But even if it drops down to 6000 lumen, it's still a hell of a lot of light.

If you are running at "tent-illumination" or reading levels (maybe 80-100 lumen), it will last a week or more running continuously.   It uses three 3.7V lithium ion batteries in parallel.  Matching the batteries is also important, obviously, having them in parallel.  (1S3P)

Ozzie_Isaac

nolaegghead said:

In general, efficiency drops with output.  Also true in general with lithium polymer batteries. 

Even with good batteries you will only get maybe 45 seconds of full output before the thermal regulator drops down the current.   All this output in a small package is a trade-off and you don't get anywhere near a 100% duty cycle.   But even if it drops down to 6000 lumen, it's still a hell of a lot of light.

If you are running at "tent-illumination" or reading levels (maybe 80-100 lumen), it will last a week or more running continuously.   It uses three 3.7V lithium ion batteries in parallel.  Matching the batteries is also important, obviously, having them in parallel.  (1S3P)

You could use 3S lipo batteries from RC cars.  Just solder on an adapter.  They can dump a lot of current in a hurry.

11.1V 5000mAh run around $50 for legit brands.

buzzvol

I need to buy a duffle for short overnight work stays.  I would prefer something in a more rugged outdoor style rather than a gym style.  Any suggestions?

Potsticker

Take a look at these bags; https://www.thinktankphoto.com/

saluki2007

buzzvol said:

I need to buy a duffle for short overnight work stays.  I would prefer something in a more rugged outdoor style rather than a gym style.  Any suggestions?

This is what I use. https://www.osprey.com/us/en/product/porter-travel-pack-46-PORTER46_550.html

All their products are solid. 

Legume

buzzvol said:

I need to buy a duffle for short overnight work stays.  I would prefer something in a more rugged outdoor style rather than a gym style.  Any suggestions?

REI big haul and Patagonia black hole duffles sound like what you’re looking for.  REI has a sale on now as well, but not sure about those models.

ColbyLang

Check NorthFace as well as Fossil. I have a waxed canvas duffle that came from Fossil (via Dillard’s) many years ago. It’s still my go to. 

nolaegghead

I have all three sizes of RTIC's duffels.  I don't use them that often, but they have held up well so far.  I would not trust welded seams over well-stitched seams, but I don't have any scientific basis for that mistrust other than seeing cheap pool toys fall apart.

Bepier

This duffel bag has been very solid for me.

https://topodesigns.com/collections/all-bags-accessories/products/classic-duffel-20?_pos=1&_sid=260c32639&_ss=r&variant=32256349306933

fishlessman

filson makes some really nice ones, would really like one of the dry bags

Acn

Bepier said:

This duffel bag has been very solid for me.

https://topodesigns.com/collections/all-bags-accessories/products/classic-duffel-20?_pos=1&_sid=260c32639&_ss=r&variant=32256349306933

I love Topo's stuff, I have a laptop bag and some of their camera gear.  But for duffels the whole family has Bad Bags.

They are pricy but they are super well made and the #3 is carry on compliant.

Ozzie_Isaac

Anybody use Jansport anymore?  Lifetime warranty.

fishlessman

Ozzie_Isaac said:

Anybody use Jansport anymore?  Lifetime warranty.

still using my college pack from the early 80's

SonVolt

My backpack in 8th grade was Jansport until they fell out of fashion in favor of LL. Bean. 

ColtsFan

SWMBO hired landscapers to do some pre-spring work since I'm not able to do it currently. Eliminate a large flower bed that is bordered by pavers, transplant a few things she wants to keep, and plant grass seed. Plant a weeping willow tree and remove a few bushes along the house...$3400

sumoconnell

Mark_B_Good said:

Just got one of these ... I went back and vacuum packed ALL my freezer yesterday. This thing is amazing!

First thing I did was separately bag the contents of my wife’s purse. I thought she’d notice, but with remote car keys she didn’t notice until she was dropping the car off for trade in later that day. I think that makes the story even better, but she disagrees. 

Ozzie_Isaac

ColtsFan said:

SWMBO hired landscapers to do some pre-spring work since I'm not able to do it currently. Eliminate a large flower bed that is bordered by pavers, transplant a few things she wants to keep, and plant grass seed. Plant a weeping willow tree and remove a few bushes along the house...$3400

I feel your pain.  Paying $$$ for work you know you could do under different circumstances, just makes the nut even harder to swallow....but once it is done and looking nice, you may appreciate just having someone else deal with it.