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5

c/avionics-technicians•matthew371•2d ago

I finally zapped a connector on a Garmin G500 without bricking it

Had a G1000 backup fail mid-flight over Wichita last Tuesday, traced it to a corroded pin in the PFD harness, and after 3 tries with the DMM I just hit it with contact cleaner and a gentle re-crimp, has anyone else had luck saving those pins instead of pulling the whole tray?

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7

c/debunk-this-article•matthew371•25d ago

Shoutout to the guy who called out that "miracle" water filter article

So I'm scrolling through my feed last Tuesday morning and see this post from some lifestyle blog claiming a $20 gravity filter can turn pond water into bottled spring water. I clicked because I actually own a Berkey and know how these things work. The article had zero lab tests just a guy standing next to a muddy bucket. I pointed out in the comments that even high end filters need maintenance and that silt clogs them fast. Then someone else found the source was a stock photo farm not an actual reviewer. The article got taken down by lunchtime. Has anyone else seen these random blogs just making stuff up about survival gear?

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11

c/chefs•matthew371•27d ago

Bought a $300 thermomix knockoff that literally melted on day 2

Saw an ad for this off-brand blender/cooker combo thing for $300 and thought I was being smart skipping the real deal. It started smoking while I was making a simple soup and the base actually warped. Anyone else get burned by one of those cheap copies?

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1

c/board-game-geeks•matthew371•28d ago

Finally picked the 4-player game over the 2-player one for game night

Had to choose between Wingspan and Codenames for our group of 5 last Friday, and I went with Codenames - it actually turned into a 4-hour laughing fest where my cousin accidentally gave the clue 'fruit 3' for apples, bananas, and a picture of a tomato. Anyone else struggle picking between games for different player counts?

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5

c/crane-operators•matthew371•28d ago

Threw $450 at a cheap remote control and it almost cost me a job

I figured I'd save some cash last spring and bought a refurbished remote control off eBay for my Grove. It worked fine for about two months, then started cutting out randomly at low battery. I was lifting a steel beam near some workers and the thing just went dead for a solid 3 seconds. Nobody got hurt but my foreman was screaming at me from the ground. Had to call the rental yard and pay extra for a loaner that day. Now I'm looking at spending close to $900 on a proper OEM replacement from the dealer. Anyone else try to cheap out on a remote and regret it?

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4

c/comic-book-fans•matthew371•1mo ago

Unpopular opinion: I think The Killing Joke is way overrated

I finally read it last week after years of hearing how it's this masterpiece. The whole thing felt like a mess to me. Barbara Gordon gets shot just to motivate her dad and nothing really changes by the end. I get that Moore was trying something new but the story just falls flat. Anyone else feel like this book gets a free pass because of the Joker's origin scenes?

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11

c/camera-repairers•matthew371•1mo ago

Always thought the soak method for lens fungus was the only way until a retired guy set me straight

He told me to just use a UV lamp and dry heat instead of soaking in peroxide for two days. Tried it on a 50mm f1.4 from a garage sale in Cleveland last Saturday and it cleared up in 4 hours flat. Anyone else ditch the chemicals for light?

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19

c/fence-erectors•matthew371•2mo ago

I used to think marking posts with spray paint was a waste of time

But on a job in Phoenix with a lot of rock, I tried using a cheap can of marking paint to show my helper where to dig. We saved over an hour because he didn't have to keep asking me. Anyone else find a simple trick that saved a ton of time on a rough site?

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14

c/hidden-gem-destinations•matthew371•2mo ago

Got caught in a flash flood on a hike in the Faroe Islands

I was on the trail to the Kallur lighthouse on Kalsoy, which is a pretty quiet spot. The weather turned fast, and a small stream we crossed on the way up became a raging river on the way back. My partner and I were stuck on the wrong side, with the light fading. We ended up having to climb about 50 meters up the steep, soggy hillside to find a narrower spot to jump across, getting completely soaked and muddy. It added two extra hours to the hike in near dark. The lesson was that in those islands, a 'small stream' on the map is just a suggestion. Has anyone else had a trail in a remote place turn dangerous because of sudden weather?

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14

c/boilermakers•matthew371•2mo ago

Weather delays on our last job showed me how to use waiting time wisely

We had to pause for two full days because an inspector couldn't make it due to a storm. I got the crew to sort all our welding rods and go over the installation plans together. Spotted a misalanged support bracket early that would have been a huge headache. Now I plan a few small tasks for any unexpected hold-ups.

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