(Part 2) Reddit mentions: The best test, measure & inspect products

Sorry it took me so long to get back to you!

So there's a bunch of different resources. I started out with a simple set of instructions on how to make cider out of prebought apple juice. Googling "How to make wine" gives you a lot of different things.

And I'm not trying to say, "Google it yourself you lazy bastard." There's a lot to learn about making wine, and there's a lot of resources to get you started. I wouldn't just read one recipe. I'd read a bunch of them.

Here are the basics: Brewing alcohol is a chemical process where enzymes within yeast convert carbohydrates into CO2 and alcohol. They're the showrunners. You want to give them the best possible life you can. Keep in mind that alcohol is a sterilizer, so it will kill of the yeast if there's too much. For brewing, not distilling, the upper limit is 15% alcohol by volume. If there's too much alcohol, there's leftover sugar and the yeast dies. You can put in too much sugar that'll leave a sweet, burning flavor, but the good news is that you cannot put in too much yeast. It doesn't speed it up or hurt it, so I just use a packet of yeast.

The first thing is: Sanitize, not sterilize. Clean everything, even your hands, thoroughly through all the steps. Using wild or homegrown grapes can introduce wild yeasts and other molds into the mix, so you want to wash them thoroughly before the mashing begins and boil the juice to kill any strays.

I started out with a 10 pack of champagne yeast from Amazon and a bag of balloons from the dollar store. You can get better and more professional equipment as time goes on, but I'd say start small and cheap. Also, do not use bread yeast for winemaking. For cider, it's hardly going to make that much of a difference, but something like wine, you want to use a strain that's suited for it.

So, I'll give you a quick rundown: Go to Lowes or some home improvement store or homebrewing shop. Get a 1 gallon foodgrade tub, reuse a 1-gallon glass jug, or use a 1-gallon jug of purified water from a grocery store. If you reuse anything plastic, make sure it has a triangle with 1 in it. Clean it thoroughly with bleach or hot soap and water, though I prefer StarSan. It's a food-grade, non-toxic no-rinse solution. Mix 1 oz with 1 gallon warm water, gets all sudsy, and coat everything you're using with it. Let it dry. You're done. Bleach takes time because you will have to rinse and you'll have to wait for the bleach scent to dissipitate.

If you go to Lowes or anywhere like that, get a about 3-5 feet of clear, vinyl tubing. I grapped a few feet from 3/8" tubing that was on clearance, though it should run you less than five dollars no matter what.

Bust out a large pot, some cheesecloth or a metal mesh strainer.

Next level tools: Hydrometer, which is used to check the amount of sugar in it. A triple scale gives you the specific gravity, Brix, and potential ABV. They're all related in some way, which is good. I start somewhere around 13% ABV, but here's a site that breaks it down better than I could..

This is what I did, adopoted for an open-ended recipe:

• Separate grapes from stems. Toss out any that look moldy or have split already or have shriveled up entirely. If there's a black mark on it, it's still fine. Get about 3-4 pounds per gallon of water. Rinse thoroughly with cool water, if you have Star San on hand, wouldn't hurt to wash them with a little of that and rinse it off.
  
• Mash the grapes up, separating the pulp and seeds from the skin^1. If you're making red wine, retain the skins. If you're making white wine, discard. Best to discard the seeds as they'll impart a bitter flavor. Strain through the wire mesh carefully, as you'll build up a bunch of gunk. White grapes will become cloudy and brown as they oxidize. That's fine. Bring to a boil then simmer, stirring in your sugar into the mix to sweeten. Use approximately 2-3 cups.
  
• Once cooled, strain into container and return skins if you're making red wine and add filtered water. You can keep the skins in a mesh bag or a little "teabag" made out of cheesecloth^1. It's okay if it floats. Use the hydrometer to check where you stand, stir in more sugar if necessary (I prefer using simple syrup, but it's fine no matter what).
  
• Take about half a cup of your solution, add the yeast and wait 10-20 minutes until it starts bubbling. Pour into your mixture and stir in. For a jug, just put back on the cap and shake or swirl vigorously and then remove the lid. If you're using a food-grade bin, just stir with a spoon.
  
• If you're using a food-grade bin, secure the lid and find a way to secure your balloon there. For a repurposed 1-gallon jug, just stretch the balloon over the top and poke a some holes into it with a sterilized push-pin.
  
• Put it somewhere cool (63 F degrees is ideal, but I keep it in a cupboard in my kitchen which is usually in the low 70s F).
  
  ^1 You can also put the grapes into a fermentation bag or a mesh sack made from cheesecloth and squeeze out that way, keeping it to add back into the must once it's cooled. You can do it however you want.
  
  And wait.
  
  Like, 5-7 days. Transfer from one vessel into another by siphoning with your vinyl tube into a sanitized container of the same size. Affix another airlock. Wait at least 2 weeks to a month. Fermentation doesn't really stop. Transferring, or "racking," is helpful as you separate the "lees", or left-over crap of dead yeast and plant matter, behind. You don't want that to come with you. Each time you rack your wine, you'll have less lees than the previous time. You should only have to rack once or twice before you put it into your bottle. Once you seal the bottle, free oxygen can't just get in, so fermentation is effectively stopped. Corking lets in very minute amounts, while screw tops are a pretty solid seal. The reasoning is this: Aging is a settling process and a slow fermentation of any leftover sugars. Introducing oxygen back into the system allows aging to speed up, but too much and the wine spoils. Too little or not at all, and it just takes longer for it to happen.
  
  If you have a hydrometer, check to make sure the specific gravity is less than 1 but above .995. That's sort of the "sweet" spot for wine. Taste it, also. It'll require some aging and breathing to taste good, but that's a better indicator than anything else really. Once you're comfortable, transfer into wine bottles and cork or seal however you want. Corks are cheap, and a handcorker is the simplest instrument I could find that requires very little effort.
  
  And then age for a while. Or be impatient like I am, but let it breathe before you start drinking.
  
  Then when you feel comfortable, start getting the good stuff. I haven't got that far yet, where you get the Campden tablets (a better sanitizer) and the yeast nutrients and the autocane and the acid blends. Some people start with kits. I started with cider and moved up. It was low effort and low cost. I wasn't sure if it was something I had time for or patience for, so investing heavily upfront wasn't a good idea.
  
  I know there's a lot of words here. If you want better resources to get started, check out /r/winemaking and /r/homebrewing. Look up wine recipes and check out the myriad of homebrewing forums. Don't get overwhelmed and don't get ambitious. Start small and then go big.

There's a lot of useful info about growing in coco at Coco for Cannabis. He's all-in on using timers, automatic irrigation, and drain-to-waste with lots of runoff 100% of the time. It works really well, but it can be a bit tricky to get dialed in, and dealing with runoff can be a pain (especially if you care about disposing of it in an environmentally responsible way). I'd take his "you need to always water to 20% runoff" advice with a grain of salt; just try to water often enough that salts don't build up too much, and maybe err on the side of feeding with lower EC. Last grow I used automatic irrigation, but aimed for just barely having any runoff, and then hand-watered extra to get runoff once a week, when I felt like dealing with it. Definitely note his advice about
preparing and re-using coco, though. One of the best parts about coco is that you should be able to reuse it for a while.

There are other approaches, such as hempy buckets or bottom-feeding that may be simpler, particularly if you're doing a really small personal grow like I am. There's also an approach that combines them, with zero runoff. I haven't tried that one yet, but plant to try my next full size (not 1L SOG) run that way.

For nutrients, I don't know if it's available where you are, but I've been using Dyna-Gro: Foliage-Pro in veg, Bloom in flower. The only other thing I'd add is Pro-Tekt, a silica supplement that also works well as a pH Up. They're pretty inexpensive, simple to use, buffer pH nicely, great all-in-one option. People have also recommended MaxiBloom and Mega-Crop as other simple all-in-one fertilizers (both powdered). I can't personally speak to those, but worth looking into.

I use this EC/ppm meter and these pH test drops. I haven't tried using a pH meter, because the periodic calibration sounds like more trouble than it's worth. The EC meter and the test drops have worked fine for me, and in coco you'll probably only need to check pH of nutrient mixes, then compare EC going in (feed) and coming out (runoff). For that, the drops and that EC meter work great. (That EC meter probably isn't anything special, most cheap ones are probably fine.)

People will probably also recommend Grow Weed Easy, but some of their info about coco (particularly watering recommendations) is pretty dodgy. If you haven't done a full grow before, they have helpful info about harvesting and curing, though.

Strain recommendations will depend on a ton on personal taste, but I particularly like Mephisto's Fugue State. :) Good luck!

Sous vide on the cheap. This requires a $60 initial investment, but you can turn a cheap cut into some of the best meat you've ever eaten so I promise it's worth it. You need a temperature controller for your crock pot, I bought this one you have to wire it yourself with an extension cord, or you can buy a prewired one for $25 more. Buy some Ziploc vacuum bags.

Fill your crock pot with hot water and plug it into the temperature controller. Put the probe in the bottom of the crock pot and set the temperature based on the type of meat your using and how done you want it,Here's a chart. Season the meat. Seal it in a vacuum bag, put it in the water and put the lid on the crock pot. I like to leave the corner of the vacuum bag with the valve out of the water, it helps it keep the seal a bit better. When the meat is done, if you plan on eating it immediately, pat it dry, then quickly sear all sides on a smoking hot pan. If not, chill it in ice water and save it in the fridge for up to a week, or freeze it. You can reheat thin cuts by searing them, reheat roasts in the crock pot. Depending on how big your crock pot is, you can cook several days worth of meat at once.

I find it's best to use dry spices, or a little bit of fresh herbs. Garlic powder works better than raw. Don't use quite as much seasoning as you would cooking using other methods. Avoid putting sauces in the bag itself, especially acidic/alcoholic ones. If you plan on marinating/brining, do that first, then pat the meat dry before putting it in the bag. Adding additional fats, like butter/baconfat/lard helps the meat retain even more moisture.

If you're using a tough cut of meat you can, and should, cook it for a long time. Some people cook it for 72 hours, the longest I've done is 48. If your cut has a lot of connective tissue, like brisket, you should cook it at at least 140-145F to help break it down. Most steaks are good after 4-6 hours, I wouldn't cook them for longer than 16. If you're cooking a thin tough cut, like flank steak, which requires about 12 hours, bunch it or fold it in the bag instead of laying it flat, to help prevent moisture loss. Delicate meat like chicken breasts should not be cooked for more than 4 hours. Fish no more than 1. Some meats have higher recommended temps, but the hotter you set the bath the faster the meat will lose moisture, so I recommend doing most of the cooking at a lower temp like 140F, then raising it to the final temp over the last hour or so.

It's fairly idiot proof, exact timing isn't really important, but the meat will come out at the perfect temperature. The results are really impressive, and you can feel proud serving someone a meal that was cooked in a crock pot.

Batch cooking ahead of time is a great way to save time and the food is just as good as cooking fresh. Having food ready to go in the fridge has also helped me save money from eating out less. I've also lost weight from having better portion control and feeling more satisfied. Definitely nice bonuses I did not expect when I got a sous vide machine to make better food.

Understanding the food safety behind sous vide cooking is a good place to start. Watch this video a few times and study it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FH9V8Dg86Zw

For more knowledge, listen to the catalog of the podcast Cooking Issues. Lots of info nuggets about sous vide along with many other aspects of technical cooking. And it's a hilarious show too.

This may only apply to novice cooks, but knowing how to cook an assortment of sides to go along with the sous vide proteins helps. I've been really enjoying butternut squash puree lately. Other go-tos are mashed potatoes, sauteed vegetables, roasted vegetables, and salad + dressing. As crazy as it sounds, when done right microwaved vegetables are great too!

Bonus: some of my favorite non-meat things to do sous vide:

• eggs Benedict
  
• ice cream
  
• creme brulee
  
  All crowd pleasers. Especially the creme brulee with the theatrics of a torch.
  
  Edit: I forgot to include what I learned about searing.
  
  
• Use a high temp oil like sunflower seed oil or avocado
  
• Get an ir thermometer ($13 on Amazon) and wait till your cast iron pan gets up to 550 before starting
  
• This is my preferred method for searing (skip to 4:40. Note they skipped the important power towel pat down in this video): https://www.facebook.com/Chefsteps/videos/vl.1739587399641454/1135229953181732/
  

I was concerned about drilling any holes in my roof. Being a born pessimist, I figured if anything can go wrong, it will go wrong. The fewer holes in my roof the better.

I started looking for a roof rack. What I really wanted was a full-length roof rack with a diamond-pattern, "hardware cloth" platform surface upon which to mount my solar panels. All the racks I could find were around $600. Getting a rack custom built was estimated at $1300. Too much.

I finally found a very heavy-duty-looking rack made of black-painted round tubing for $311. "That's more like it," I thought. I ordered it off the internet.

When it arrived, I was annoyed to see that all the parts weren't there. Two long side panels seemed to be missing. I called the vendor, and after a very confusing conversation, it turned out that I had only ordered "half" the rack. The other part number was the side panels. Guess how much they cost? $300. ($611 for the whole rack. Dammit.)

Once I got the whole rack at my house, and started trying to install it, I realized that it's a two-or-three-man job. I finally got it installed, but Lord, what a pain in the ass!

I bolted a piece of 4x8 plywood to the rack tubing using large U-bolts. The PV panels bolt to the plywood.

I feel pretty sure that bolting the panels directly through the roof would work just as well, maybe better.

A really good book that describes solar panel installation is "Photovoltaic Design & Installation for Dummies" by Ryan Mayfield. He is the president of the Renewable Energy Associates solar power company.

A solid wire is called a "wire." A bundle of wires together covered with plastic insulation is called a "cable." You want cables of at least 6 gauge diameter. (The smaller the gauge number, the larger the cable. I know, it seems backwards.) A lot of solar power kits come with 8 gauge or even 10 gauge cable. TOO SMALL. Cable this small is inefficient for DC current, for our purposes.

You will need a "cable gland" (Amazon) and a good quantity of "Dicor self-sealing lap sealant." (Amazon). Be generous with the Dicor. Every time a cable goes through a steel bulkhead or floor you MUST put a grommet of some kind (rubber, plastic) there to protect the cable insulation. If you ground out a positive cable, it could cause a fire. Ground the negative (black) cable of the system TO THE VEHICLE'S FRAME, directly to clean steel (NOT PAINTED STEEL), through the floor. Bolt the ground cable connection securely to the frame. Don't forget the grommet.

https://www.amazon.com/Link-Solar-Weatherproof-Project-Campervan/dp/B0111RNZDY/ref=sr_1_2_sspa?ie=UTF8&qid=1506480381&sr=8-2-spons&keywords=double+cable+gland&psc=1

https://www.amazon.com/Scosche-WPG8-10-Gauge-Waterproof-Grommets/dp/B00OYGLP32/ref=sr_1_12?ie=UTF8&qid=1506480517&sr=8-12&keywords=8+gauge+cable+grommet

https://www.amazon.com/Auto-ranging-Multimeter-Resistance-Capacitance-Frequency/dp/B01N014USE/ref=sr_1_14_sspa?s=automotive&ie=UTF8&qid=1506480598&sr=1-14-spons&keywords=clamp+style+multimeter&psc=1

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00NWGZ4XC/ref=dp_cerb_2

Always use BLACK cable for the negative (ground) side of the circuit and RED cable for the positive side. This will prevent you from screwing up and short-circuiting your system. Hopefully.

Do not hook up the PV panels until everything else is installed and you have tested it for continuity with a digital multimeter (DMM.) The kind that has a "clamp", automatic ranging, and an audible alarm is best. (It looks kind of like a lobster claw and doesn't necessitate puncturing the insulation of the cables.) You start wiring from the storage battery bank and work backwards to the PV panels. Keep in mind--if those panels are exposed to the sun, they are GENERATING ELECTRICAL CURRENT POTENTIAL. Cover them with cardboard or heavy paper and tape until you are ready to energize the system. You don't want to get electrocuted accidentally. The risk of shock is small, but it does exist.

You need either a fuse (good) or a DC breaker (better) between the positive cable between the PV panels and the charge controller, and also between the charge controller and the battery bank. If you install an inverter, you need a breaker on the positive cable between the battery bank and the inverter. (Inverters burn amps just sitting there hooked up. You need to be able to "turn off" the DC power supply to the inverter. Turn the power to the inverter back on to use it.)

https://www.amazon.com/MidNite-Solar-Photovoltaic-Circuit-Breaker/dp/B004EQK8SA/ref=sr_1_7?s=automotive&ie=UTF8&qid=1506481155&sr=1-7&keywords=DC+breaker

Try to make the cable runs as short and direct as possible, within reason. The longer the cable run, the more resistance and the more voltage drop. All cables should be secured to the bulkhead with cable clamps in a neat, tidy, workmanlike fashion. If it's worth doing, it's worth doing correctly.

OLA is Open Lighting Architecture .. lets you convert one type to another .. but generally it has an ArtNet interface and lots of fun output interfaces including SPI. For some thoughts: last year I built 4 4'x8x16' steps we used on stage. We drove them with SPI Controllers .. that worked great .. but was expensive. The reason I went pi is the pi itself is $35 and built in wireless .. fadecandy is $22 .. can drive a pixel set of 64x8. This year we're building 12 steps 8'x8"x9" with 6 rows of 64 px driving off the QLC. I have githubs of the ansible code I use for all of this .. happy to share.

Some things to consider:

• PI - there is raspberry pi zero form factor .. which is quite small ;) I am experimenting with those now as full replacements for the Pi-B's and C's I have ( I used to teach with PIs so I have a bunch of em )
  
• interference - 802.11 can be impacted by bad dimmers .. things near by ( high amperag fryer, microwave), channel collisions with existing APs and most easily .. if it's visible lots of things will try to connect even with a password. Set your wifi to NOT broadcast the BSSID. And check the wifi spectrum when you get to a venue ;)
  
• amperage .. make sure you have enough to drive your px .. specifically something north of 80 px in a single strand you'll wanna inject power on the other end. The overall power supply doesn't have to be crazy .. but investing in a good volt-ohm-amp meter meter is worth it for testing and validation.
  
• universes .. I've successfully transmitted 4-6 U over a single SSID of 802.11bng . If each px is individually addressed .. and you're using RGB .. then each px is 3 DMX channels. Each U is 512 channels .. that gives you 170 px in a single U and QLC doesn't handle crossing U in a single fixture.. but does handle things with matrixes .. so you'll have to play around with the config and layout. You can always use the same channel(s) for multiple fixtures of the same type.
  
• road-rash .. touring with such a rig .. plan spares of everything and have a test program you can run to make sure it looks right. The LED strips don't handle LOTS of bending .. but some. The "Sticky" on the back is for shit. plan clear tape or something else to make sure they stay mounted whereever you're putting them. Also .. the "joining" kits you can to connect 2 strips work reasonably well .. BUT they dont' like to move alot. We've started soldering them on to the strips once we have the design set.
  
  Please feel free to reach out any time .. do lots of work in this space and always willing to help ;)

what type of thermometer/hygrometer are you using, analog or digital? where exactly are you measuring the temperature? on the wall? on top of the substrate? on the floor beneath the substrate? a UTH that is not regulated by a thermostat will run somewhere between 100 and 200 F. you need a thermostat, like this. the probe can be sandwiched between the UTH and the outside of the enclosure, or it can be placed inside the enclosure secured to the floor by hot gluing the probe to the floor. you should have an infrared thermometer, like this, to accurately spot-check the temperature anywhere in the enclosure, which will help ensure your thermostat is on the right setting to maintain a floor temperature of 90 F. if your cool/ambient temperature is below 75 F [with 80 F being the ideal] you'll need some sort of supplemental heat source like a second UTH run on its own thermostat, a radiant heat panel, or a ceramic heat emitter.

glass tanks are not great enclosures for ball pythons. the glass doesn't retain heat, and the screen lid allows too much air flow to retain any humidity. glass tanks can work, but it's an uphill battle of modification, monitoring, and maintenance. plastic storage tubs or pvc reptile cages are much more suitable for BPs. plastic is a much better insulator for heat, and the minimal air flow means you should be able to maintain 50%+ humidity with no special efforts. substrates like aspen are very dry and will contribute to low humidity, though, so you may want to switch to something more moisture friendly like cypress mulch. going backto enclosure types, i personally have one BP in a 74qt sterilite underbed tub secured with a pair of luggage straps, and my other two are in pvc cages from boaphile plastics. tubs aren't pretty, but they're cheap and effective. pvc cages are nice to look at, but they cost somewhere between $150 and $350 depending on which manufacturer you buy from and what size you get.

even without knowing how much your BP weighs, i can tell you that you're severely underfeeding her. a hatchling BP is capable of eating prey the size of an adult mouse. at two years old, she should be big enough to eat small or medium rats. get a digital kitchen scale to weigh her. right now, while she's growing, she should be eating approximately 15% of her own weight, though you'll want to build up to that gradually so you don't shock her system. you'll also want to switch to appropriately sized rats ASAP, because feeding several mice per meal is impractical at best and just not going to happen at worst. on rare occasions, a BP will just take a rat with no hesitation, but in most cases they won't eat it because they don't recognize it as food. i wrote a simple breakdown of how to switch a BP from mice to rats here. you won't find rats that are smaller than small adults in places like petco, petsmart, etc, so you may need to find a different rodent supplier if she's not ready for smalls yet.

your hides are inadequate. there should be two, one for the warm side and one for the cool side, that are snug [little/no empty space around the snake], enclosed [one entrance, snake is actually hidden], and identical [except for temperature]. this is VERY important to fix. your snake needs to be able to feel secure and be able to thermoregulate comfortably. hides like this are ideal. half logs are not appropriate.

regarding your snake biting you: she's immensely stressed. everything from your poor enclosure, being underfed, being moved to a feeding tub, all of these things are contributing to her being stressed, scared, and defensive. right now, you need to forget about handling her unless you're taking her out to weigh her. she should be fed inside the enclosure, and she should not be handled at all for your own pleasure until she is 100% healthy.

Hard to say for sure without knowing his shop, so you'd probably want to try to scope out any recommendations for specific stuff to see if he already has something similar before you buy.

A good suggestion that I think always works well for any budget is to go to a local hardwood dealer and just pick out a selection of interesting exotic lumber, any woodworker will always appreciate getting cool woods to use in their projects.

If you want to have some ideas for stocking stuffers / tools though I'll list some cool things that I think are not super common that I enjoy owning or make my life easier.

Tiny-T Pocket rule

6" precision t rule

A really nice miter gauge

Router setup bars

A nice marking knife

Marking gauge

Magports

Tapeboss

Grr-ripper

Dozuki & Ryoba

Alexa (Alexa, what is 5 and 3/8 times 16... Alexa set reminder for 30 minutes to spray the second coat... Alexa order shop towels... etc, it's actually really useful, and it plays music too)

Shop apron

Quick sanding strips

Digital Angle Gauge

Digital Height Gauge

Anything from Woodpeckers is pretty much guaranteed to be great, albeit kinda pricey

This is a really solid starter kit. Regarding Turn Left at Orion-- it is a good reference book, but I find myself using the mobile app "Sky Safari Pro" every night I get a chance-- it's a very easy and intuitive app to find objects in the sky and get detailed information on each. When you find an object and click on it, it will tell you its exact coordinates in the sky... when paired with something like a Wixey Inclinometer:

https://www.amazon.com/Wixey-WR300-Type-Digital-Backlight/dp/B00T6YZ0K6/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_469_t_0?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=F5YD2EXBRDSNZF1R10JS

...It makes it very easy to find things. As long as the Wixey is calibrated properly, you just adjust the telescope's inclination readout on the Wixey to match the inclination of the target object on the app, and then simply rotate the telescope to the general area of sky you need to be in. The app can also serve as a map for doing "star hopping". (Make sure to have some clear red tape to cover the bright green lighted screen, otherwise it can hurt dark adapted eyes).

The Z8 or AD8 are much better, solid choices over the Orion. You're an awesome wife! I asked my wife for a telescope for Valentine's and she got me one.... I wound up getting crazy obsessed and now have 5 telescopes. i hope you can enjoy the hobby with your hubby!

Everything looks good, but a little feedback.

First with your UVB Light unit, I see that you have selected a double bulb unit. In addition to the bulbs being quite expensive, the beardie doesn't need two of them in their cage. One is perfectly sufficient, so save your money and at least get a single bulb fixture. Also, feel free to use a dedicated fixture if you want, but a standard cheap household fixture like this is just fine. I paid $15 for this at my local store instead of a "reptile" fixture for $60. Edit: I just noticed you're going with a 4ft wide viv, so that may be why you're doing the 2 lamps fixture. If thats the case, disregard my comments about you not needing the second bulb. The standard rule is 2/3rds the length of the viv should be ran with uvb lamps so you may be on track.

Secondly, the 2 temp gauges are okay, but the stick on ones are known to be wildly inaccurate (especially since the thermometer will not be on the beardies basking spot). I don't even have thermometers in my viv, I decided to use this to monitor temps and it has been great. Especially as you move the furniture around the viv getting your setup finalized.

Third, you'll want a humidity gauge in there for sure. As you put food and water and whatnot in the viv, it can raise the humidity too high and cause respiratory infections. In fact they get a lot of their hydration from veggies and fruits so you may want to forego a water dish altogether (they're desert animals, after all). A lot of times they just poop in their water dish anyway.

Fourth, I'm assuming by the double dome fixture you're planning on a ceramic heater. Take a look at the lamp stand I posted in another comment so you can lift the lamps up away from the screen if needed. By the time you put something for him to bask on, he may be 12-14 inches in the air, you don't want the lamps only a few inches away or you may cook your lizard. I only have mine up in the air a couple inches, but it was necessary. When the lamps were resting on the screen his basking spot was up over 120 degrees. I can't tell from the website, but if your viv is not a screened top, the lamp stand may not work and if that's the case, your solution will be to either buy higher/lower wattage bulbs as needed, or maybe a dimmer.

Lastly, don't forget a reptile light timer. Cut corners somewhere to get one, but it will make your life so much easier and your beardie life so much less stressful.

Edit: No upvotes yet after all this typing? Help me out!! 😂😂

IDK what that 410 thing is, tried googling it but no luck. Sounds like a switch but might be a patch panel. Anyway, what you need is to verify all cables in your home.

Go out and get yourself a Cable Toner. Plug it to your outlet in the bedroom, go downstairs and check which cable it is. Label it.

Do this for every ethernet outlet.

It's possible that these cables are wired for phone, to check this take out one of the outlets and verify if all wires are being used. Better yet take a picture and post it.

Once you have all the wires labeled, make sure the runs downstairs are properly crimped.

You now need to plug all of these runs into a switch. A regular/non smart switch is your best bet. TrendNet has some really great options.

Finally plug one cable from the router to the switch.


Final set up should look like ISP Modem > Router > Switch > all the outlets.

It depends on how much you want to spend, but the easiest way to control temps is with a dedicated fermentation fridge with a temperature controller to regulate the temperature. I generally only need to regulate down (i.e., cool the fermenter to keep it from getting too warm), but some climates require a dual regulator to be able to either increase or decrease temp, especially depending on the seasons.

The cheapest regulator that's gained a lot of popularity in the community in the last few years is the STC-1000. There's a bit of DIY involved in connecting this controller to an actual electrical outlet. But it does dual control for around $30 total (once you buys the outlet, etc.).

If you're less handy but have the money, you can get a controller like this Ranco. There are tons of other options, so just Google "refrigerator temperature controller" or something.

There are also much less robust, but also much less expensive options. Google "fermentation swamp cooler" or "son of a fermentation chamber" for some good, low-cost, DIY options.

Not an electrician, but am working on rewiring my own house:

I've found a toner/tracer to be valuable for more than tracing out circuits. I clip the toner to a 6 ft chunk of romex and put the other end of the romex against the baseboard, which allows me to find where to drill from the basement. I use this one: https://www.amazon.com/Extech-TG20-Wire-Tracer-Generator/dp/B00APD16D2

I like beaded chain (like the kind that's attached to a ceiling fan pull) that is attracted to a magnet. Attached to a string, and it seems to find itself down holes easily. One of those two foot magnetic screw picker uppers work nicely for grabbing the other end (https://www.amazon.com/TEKTON-7611-24-Inch-Flexible-Magnetic/dp/B000NPR3ZW/ref=sr_1_1?s=hi&ie=UTF8&qid=1480538832&sr=1-1&keywords=magnetic+screw+retriever). The local hardware store sells the chain for $0.29/foot - just be sure it's magnetic.

I also second fiberglass fish sticks. Harbor Freight has something like a 30 foot kit for about $15 bucks if I remember correctly.

Those Magnepull tools look nice, but man they want a lot of money for it. Is there a generic version?

I've had one of these for years and it works pretty well, but it is unnecessarily big and clunky. Personally, I would go with this one instead. I bought it a little over a year ago and it has been a very good meter. I would honestly take it over pretty much any of the Ames meters we sell. If you need one with a current clamp on it, this one will probably do it for you. I don't have one personally, but Big Clive on YouTube does and he seems to like it.

​

If you don't already have a meter, don't even bother getting the $4 one. I have a couple that I got with a free coupon and they are all junk. The leads are downright trash. The only time I use one is if I am doing current measurement and I don't want to risk blowing a fuse in one of my good meters.

It's easy enough to check :) Have fun on your trip. RV camping without facilities is a good skill to have under your belt. A camping group I'm in took our three RVs up to Rocky Mountain National Park. It was a great time and we were all nerding out about how much battery we had, etc because you have a pretty narrow charge window there. It really became useful when a 4th showed up with no generator and we were able to help them out because we knew exactly what our status was and what we needed to get through the night.

If you are a gadget guy, this can be a handy thing to have:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00O1Q2HOQ

What makes it different from other meters is it can show you DC current as well as AC just clamping over a wire. Most cheap meters only do AC current via the clamp and measuring DC current is more involved.
That can be SUPER handy for seeing how much power your batteries are taking in during the charge cycle or putting out during the discharge part of the day. The meter does other stuff too a multimeter would which is good to have in the field.

Ill try to go over your concerns, i hate quote posts but here we go.

>so I got the 40 gallon

Good choice

> Warm Light

Consider that your dragon will need temps from 90 - 100f 10 hours a day in his basking spot down to no lower than the upper 70's in his chilling spot. Buy [This](https://www.amazon.com/Nubee-Non-contact-Infrared-Thermometer- Temperature/dp/B00JA3BMDW/ref=sr_1_3? ie=UTF8&qid=1482273280&sr=8-3&keywords=ir+thermometer+gun) no really, go buy it now.

If that bulb which sounds like its one of the little spotlights can keep your tank to that temp then great, if not you want to look at heating solutions, a ceramic heat bulb is a favourite, relatively low cost and high heat out put, very high so be careful ive clocked mine at over 220f.

> I set everything up including adding the sand to the bottom

Nope. I mean shes your pet but sand is harmful, especially to a young lizard, you will notice they lick EVERYTHING this means all that sand may build up and cause compaction, which is where the content of the gullet presses against the spinal cord eventually severing it. Key Hint: Never feed your lizard a item of food larger than the space between its eyes.

I would use kitchen paper for now as she will be a little poop monster but eventually switch out to tile, you can use chia seeds or the like as a bathing area for her to dig.

The size of the tank can be a problem, just slide a cardboard divider in half the tank, you will be taking it out soon enough.

Now, regarding food. In the juvenile stage you should be feeding her exclusively protein based foods, insects, then after a few months move to some greens uptill adulthood where it should be no more than 80% greens to 20% insects.

This si where it gets fun, those dried flukers insects you bought, go throw them away, one of the largest problems with keeping dragons is hydrating them they dont really drink, they absorb moisture through their food and skin, feeding them dried food means they have to use moisture to digest it, so rather than be a gain its a loss, im surprised they even sell that trash.

What i and many would reccomend is the good old dubia blaptica. The NUMBER one best feeder and the worlds worst roach. Many of us keep a small colony of these things as free feeders as you will notice the cost of insects is going to be one of the highest, there are many many good sites online to guide you in this process, in the meantime try to avoid crickets, they smell and are noisy.

UV light wise, as long as it is a strip light and INSIDE the tank (the UVB she needs is 99% reflected by glass) and she can be in bright direct light for at least 10 hours a day she will be fine.

my advice: before you do anything buy a tester.

I understand your concerns about it, but a simple tester like this one from amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Zoostliss-Network-Cable-Tester-Networking/dp/B06XZYXN63

That's all you need. if you look, the tester comes in two parts, a source side and a destination side. disconnect everything from the line, and test both patch cables on either end first, once you know you have known-good patch cables hook them up between the source tester, and the wall, then at the port, from the port to the destination side of the tester, and check the full length, if anything is wrong with how it's testing, you'll know that re-terminating or re-jacking, or replacing a patch, is required.

If everything tests ok, I'd cut the excess off the leads for two reasons, it's bad form, and it can actually cause interference if the run is quite long (on short runs it shouldn't matter, but I would do it anyways).

Once you know the cable is good (all pairs wired and connecting), you can move on to troubleshooting the endpoints - check the capabilities of both the computer and the device you're plugging it into at the panel (where all the wires are housed). If it's a cheap device (like they commonly sell for these types of installs), it's probably 10/100 only, and will need to be replaced. You'll have to devise how to do that, since I don't know what the panel looks like in your place.

My credentials: I've been doing networking, and computer-related work for 10 years, and for about 30 years as a personal hobby (since I was very young); I'm currently in the middle of an install with over 90 such ports, working with professional wiring technicians who do this all the time. I use the tools they use, and I have successfully done their job (though, I don't for work, since my company pays them to do it instead - they're cheaper per-hour than I am, but do a fantastic job - simply put, my time is better spent (according to the company) elsewhere).

I'm happy to revisit with any questions - I know there's a few parts here where I made assumptions about your knowledge level on all of this, so if I've confused you, don't be afraid to ask. Everyone is learning, so there's no shame in seeking information, and no judgement from me.

Good luck, have a great day.

If you're looking to buy a pH meter, I would recommend this one. A meter with a detachable probe will last longer than one that's built in, the electrode should be replaced every few years. You'll also want a meter that has automatic temperature compensation and a separate temperature probe (pH is a function of temperature). You will also need calibration standards for pH 7.01 and pH 4.01 and electrode storage solution. A small quantity of these usually come with the meter but it's good to have more on hand. Make sure you read up on how to use a meter as well, taking accurate pH readings is a bit more involved than accurately reading temperature. If your product is chunky, also make sure to separate the chunks and bulk liquid and measure their pH's separately to ensure the recipe is safe.

I'm probably the 30th person to suggest this, but if he's into beer and science and technology AND DIY, you seriously need to consider homebrewing.

You need to figure out if you want to bottle or keg, but I would ONLY suggest kegging, because bottling is dangerous (if you have too much sugar and hungry yeast, your bottles will explode). If you DO want to homebrew, I would suggest getting a kegerator and soda kegs. It's relatively compact, can hold up to 10 gallons if you set up two soda kegs, and has wheels.

You'll need a 6 gallon glass carboy with a lifting harness. I wouldn't suggest using the metal rim grip kind because it chipped our carboy. The nylon harness you see in this picture would be a good substitute, it just makes it so you can more easiliy lift 5 gallons of liquid. You'll also need a bubbler plug, which is very inexpensive. Probably the cheapest thing, aside from the hops bags.

You'll also need a thermometer (infrared is a better option than a dip thermometer because it'll protect your hands better)

If you're going with a kegerator, you'll need CO^2, which they usually sell and fill at the homebrew store.

You'll also need a giant, stainless steel kettle. Actually if you buy a turkey frying kit, it has everything you'll need except a propane tank (which you can rent at the grocery store).

The most important object though, is probably an auto siphon

You'll also need sanitizing powder. You can use bleach, but then you run the risk of bleaching other stuff.

They should have all this stuff at your homebrew store, and definitely ask them for help. They'll also have recipes there you can grab for free, and can suggest a good recipe for beginners based on what type of beer he likes.

Everything Rupert said. Youll need at least two hides (one on the cool side, one on the hot), bedding they can burrow in (like aspen shavings), a wide and shallow water bowl, and you need an appropriate heat gradient in your tank. I'd reccomend purchasing a temperature gun (like this: https://www.amazon.com/Etekcity-Lasergrip-Thermometer-Temperature-Non-contact/dp/B00DMI62HM/ref=pd_aw_lpo_328_bs_img_1?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=B8X0RMRJVYPW27N07V3X), so that you can check the temperautures all around your tank while you set it up. I'd reccomend setting everything up and letting it run for at least a week or so while you ensure that everything is working smoothly before adding a snake to it. Google either "california king snake caresheet" or "corn snake care sheet" and read through the results for specifics of what they'd need. Care for both is relatively simple and nearly the same, and either would make a good beginner snake. I'd also add branches to climb on (that they may or may not use much, depending on your snake), and lots of things to clutter up the tank (hides, foliage, various decor). The more clutter, the more secure your snake feels. But I will warn you, baby snakes won't be seen much, amd they're very flighty. The first year or so with either of those your tank will look like it's empty 99% of the time, and they'll basically try to run away every time you get them out. But they'll warm up to you as they get bigger, and my corn (whose nearing three) is one of my favorite pets I've ever had. Hmm, what else. I'd reccomend feeding them frozen/thawed mice that you've warmed up instead of live mice. You can get them at nearly every pet store or you can buy them in bulk. Google snake mice injuries or look through this sub for pictures of mice attacks to see why, they can mess an animal up. Don't take your snake out of the enclosure to feed, cage aggression is a myth as long as you hold them sometimes. The snake will need a tank that's about 40 gallons when it's an adult, I wouldn't reccomend keeping them in a 20 long forever like some people say. Don't forget a thermostat, it could save a snakes life. It's absolutely necessary if you use an under tank heater. Don't ever, for ANY reason, leave your lid off of the tank. Not even for a second. There's also no reason to not have snake clips for the tank, or to leave any hole at all in the tank. They can escape so easily. And don't put any tape in the enclosure at all. Super glue and a hot glue gun are your best friends (as long as those aren't applied to the snake or put in the enclosure before dry), and tape of any sort will rip the scales off of your friend and leave nasty wounds.

On an unmanaged switch it usually doesn't matter but make sure the switch support auto crossover. Usually if it is going to matter one port on the switch will be labelled 'uplink'.

To summarize: you can keep your router where it is if it's able to get link through that coax port. Make sure that Ethernet jack terminates to an uplinked switchport in your closet (TP Link is one of many decent and inexpensive gig switch brands. POE might be a useful feature to consider in a switch if you plan on adding wifi APs or IP phones later.

Also, if the Jack's are not well numbered or indicated, one of these ~$10 devices can prove to be very useful:
<https://www.amazon.com/Zoostliss-Network-Cable-Tester-Networking/dp/B06XZYXN63/>

Hope that helps

It takes a while to dial in your printer. There's a bit of a learning curve, but it's not too steep and... It's totally worth it! Your print quality will increase dramatically after you tweak some of the underlying settings. Here are a couple of things you need to do if you haven't already done them.

1. Adjust your E-steps (extruder steps per mm of filament) to the correct value. From what I've seen on this forum, most Enders are preset too low, causing underextrusion issues right out of the box. The preset value is 93. I had to adjust mine to 98.9 after running through this following procedure: https://mattshub.com/2017/04/19/extruder-calibration/
   
   
2. Next, grab your digital caliper ( I recommend this one: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B017KUC6XQ) and calculate your flow rate. This is a bit more demanding, but it's also something you should do. BTW, this article has a built-in flow calculator (use it!) and, if I recall correctly, Cura's "aspect ratio" is 1.1: http://www.desiquintans.com/flowrate
   
   Good luck and happy printing!

I guess people want to know a little more. There's plenty of tutorials online, so do some google work if you want a more in-depth description.

Materials/Tools:

• Kydex V .080" (I got 12"x12" 8pack on amazon)
  
• Balsa wood (local hardware or craft store, I got mine at Menards)
  
• Clip (Pick which one you like, I found a 2 pack with hardware on amazon)
  
• Painters tape (had some lying around)
  
• vacuum food bags (You can use this or a foam press or zip-lock bag if you're careful)
  
• IR thermometer (I got one on amazon for 14, but you can find cheaper ones for sub $10)
  
• Dremmel or bandsaw
  
• Sandpaper (either hand sand or belt sander or sander attachment for dremel)
  
• heatgun for loosening a few places
  
  Process:
  
  
• Use the balsa wood to cover spots you don't want the holster to be formed in. I covered up the trigger area, the right side of the breech where most pistols eject casings, a line from the front to rear sights, and a line back from the slide release.
  
• Set your gun down on one of the kydex sheets to mark out how much material you need. I used a little less than half of one of the sheets. I then did a loose guess of "roll the gun over to see how far I need to go", and cut off what I needed.
  
• Get your vacuum bag or foam press or gallon zip-lock back ready. I think the food vacuum bags are easiest, but if you don't have one lying around, I've heard you can use a zip-lock bag, a rag, and a floor vacuum with a hose. Most tutorials online use a foam press. I'd say this gives you the best results, but costs the most, and requires replacing the foam after 5-10 holsters.
  
• Heat up the kydex to the proper temperature (The kydex V I linked I think forms best at 300-315), use the IR gun to get the temperature right. If you go too hot, the kydex will "burn", it gets all shiny (The stuff linked "burns" probably around 360-380).
  
• Once it gets up to temperature, pull it out, wrap your gun with it, and compress it. The kydex I linked has a shiny and a matte side. I used it with the matte side out, but if you like a glossy look, go for it. Like I said, I used a vacuum food bag (they're safe to use in the oven, so it can handle 320 degree plastic), your mileage will vary. If you use a zip-lock bag, you might need to put a rag around it so it doesn't melt the bag
  
• Let cool. Once cooled down, anywhere from 2 minutes to 15 minutes (depends if you use your actual gun or a mold gun, and if you use foam or etc). You can use the IR reader to see what temp it is, under 140 should be good, but other spots may be warmer. The gun acts as a heatsink. The hottest spot is where the kydex is all by it's lonesome.
  
• Pull your gun out and start going to work
  
• I used a bandsaw to cut out the general shape, and a dremel with a sanding head to get it just right.
  
• Sand to your heart's content.
  
• You may need to reheat the trigger area specifically if you're having trouble pulling the firearm out. I used my heatgun on low.
  
• Decide where you want to mount your clip(s). If you want to mount your clips where the gun is, before you mold, put some balsa wood there so the hardware doesn't scratch your gun.
  
• Drill holes for the hardware. I used a 13/64 bit which worked perfectly for my hardware which is supposedly 1/4, but use what ever bit you need for whatever hardware your clip needs.
  
• Make sure you have positive retention, but not so much where you can't pull the gun out. Kydex lets the gun out much easier with a quick pull, rather than a lengthy one. The main area for catching is the trigger guard. What ever is catching, heat it up just enough with the heatgun for it to open up.
  
  And then you're basically all done. It took me probably an hour or less. Total cost for one holster (because I was able to make 2 holsters off of one 12"x12" sheet), was about $6-$7, with the bulk of the cost being the clips. I'll try and answer any other questions others have.

>from krisbrad via /r/Charlotte/ sent 1 minute ago
>
>Well good luck finding it, I'm sure with that attitude you won't have any problems.

You've just got your head in the sand, eh? Alternative Beverage is the local place, VS Goliaths like More Beer, Midwest Supply, and Amazon:

Here

• 12" False Bottom - Alt Beverage
  
• 12" False Bottom - Amazon
  
  are
  
  
• Alla Hydrometer - Alt Beverage
  
• Alla Hydrometer - Amazon
  
  some
  
  
• Irish Red extract ingredient kit - Alt Beverage
  
• Irish Red extract ingredient kit - More Beer
  
  examples...
  
  
• 6-Gal. Better Bottle - Alt Beverage
  
• 6-Gal. Better Bottle - Midwest Supplies
  
  Well would you look at that... the local place has better prices on some of that stuff. Huh, and here I thought you could only get better prices online.

Read through the links before you add anything to your cart, the tools at the top are what I personally use and can vouch for, the tools at the bottom are in kits and case save you some money if you only do this once in a while but I can't vouch for the quality.

Crimping tool(17$):

TRENDnet 8P/RJ-45 and 6P/RJ-12, RJ-11 Crimp, Cut, and Strip Tool, TC-CT68 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0000AZK4G/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_piZVAbZZVWPM7

Has a built in perfect cut wire strippers

Connectors(9$):

Cybertech Cat6, Cat5e RJ-45 8P8C Ethernet Modular Crimp Connectors Plugs Pack of 100 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00LG6DQUI/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_YiZVAb72959BY

Cat5e Cable(25$) (200ft, pre-made but you can clip and make your own out of it)

200FT Feet CAT5 Cat5e Ethernet Patch Cable - RJ45 Computer Networking Wire Cord (White) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B071XBHM6Y/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_RkZVAbZ8D2F00

The cable is actually not that good of a deal because you can get 1000ft for 50$ without any ends, but I was aiming for sub 50$.

Total cost: 51$

Additional extras I'd recommend:

Cable tester(8$) tests if the cables and connections you made are good. A great investment for beginners and pros)

Zoostliss Network Cable Tester RJ45 RJ11 RJ12 UTP LAN Cable Tester Networking Tool https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06XZYXN63/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_tnZVAb616Y59H

Cable boots(6$) protect your cable ends from having the tips broken and looks cleaner IMO


uxcell 100 Pcs Soft Plastic Ethernet RJ45 Cable Connector Boots Cover https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00K82RNX2/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_qoZVAb54MHXCJ


They also have combo kits like this that exist, I can't speak to their quality but the tools are simple tools so this may save you some scratch

>UbiGear Cable Tester +Crimp Crimper +100 RJ45 CAT5 CAT5e Connector Plug Network Tool Kits (Crimper315) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B008UY5WL0/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_hqZVAb8RM9GVK

Has the tester and everything, includes a wire stripper which is nice

>Maxmoral 7 in 1 Cable Tester + Crimp Crimper + Wire Stripper + 50 RJ45 CAT5 CAT5e Connector Plug + 100 Cable Ties + 100 Cable Cord Holder Clips + 2 Ethernet Connector Network Tool Kits https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01J7S5X6Q/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_VrZVAb10QP91E

Same deal, has boots though.

Very cool and informative video. Really neat use of salvaged parts and the guy is intelligent and skilled. However I think he kind of down plays and under estimates the cost of the product and tools he was using and he also mentions the fact that you can buy a lathe (that would almost certainly work better) for a similar price. The big kicker is the other tools. The tools to use and or build this lathe would cost more than the machine itself. I'm going to link you some of the tools you'd want to be able to use this machine effectively (and make it).

This granite block will be the basis for all of your measurements it is extremely flat. You'd probably want to make a stand for it and it is very heavy as well. The 933$ version would be ideal for bigger stuff but maybe you could just make small stuff it's a small lathe anyways so lets say the 235$ version

https://www.amazon.com/HHIP-4401-1812-Granite-Surface-Accuracy/dp/B01LTHIHCK/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?keywords=granite%2Bblock&qid=1569402248&s=gateway&sr=8-3&th=1&psc=1

Mitutoyo Digital Caliper 120$ The waterproof version is better if you intend to use coolant. I think you could use cheaper no name ones for the ones that he built into the machine but you would need one good one.

https://www.amazon.com/Mitutoyo-500-196-30-Advanced-Measuring-Resolution/dp/B00IG46NL2/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?keywords=mitutoyo+digital+calipers&qid=1569402063&s=gateway&sprefix=mitutoyo+digital&sr=8-3

Range dial indicator (runout gauge). He used one in the video and you'd be using one a lot. 219$

https://www.amazon.com/Mitutoyo-64PKA075-Indicator-Magnetic-Plastic/dp/B007XZIT5I/ref=mp_s_a_1_4?keywords=runout+gauge+mitutoyo&qid=1569402528&s=gateway&sr=8-4

Micrometer set with standards. 354$

https://www.amazon.com/Mitutoyo-103-922-Micrometer-Standards-Graduation/dp/B0006J42OA/ref=mp_s_a_1_5?keywords=mitutoyo+micrometer&qid=1569403065&s=gateway&sr=8-5

That's just getting started. Now you might be able to find some of this stuff used but I'm not sure if I would trust it. You wouldn't believe how careless people treat tools that cost several hundred dollars. If you did go used I'd try to find someone getting rid of their personal tools, not shop tools.

This isn't to discourage you though. I just want people to realize it's not easy or cheap. I'd start out with a lathe for wood and make stuff on it that doesn't need the tight tolerances.

Check out this guy. https://youtu.be/yCaGW9z4blM

Okay, I was on mobile earlier so I couldn't tell you everything I wanted to. Those stick-on thermometers aren't very reliable and they measure the ambient temperature - you need to be able to measure the temperature on his basking spot. I use one of these which are pretty cheap from amazon. His basking spot should be right around 105F. It is pretty important that you get a good thermometer and find a bulb that gives you the correct temperatures.

The other issue is his UVB lights. Those tank kits usually come with coil UVB bulbs, which do not give out adequate UVB for beardies and have been known to cause eye problems as well. This ReptiSUN 10.0 bulb is the one you need for a 40 gallon tank. It will fit in this plug-in fixture (the plastic cover needs to be removed and thrown away). This thread on bd.org explains how to set up proper lighting. I highly recommend reading through this care guide to double-check the rest of your setup and husbandry.

Please let me know how Hagrid is doing and if you have any other questions! :)

• SecureCRT, the chat window feature that allows you to paste and run commands to all sessions is awesome.
  
  
• The Rhino 5200, it rocks. It has a bunch of useful functions like printing labels that wrap around cables and I don't have to beg anyone for their crappy label printer.
  
  
• Crossover Linux to manage the windows applications I need to run on Linux (checkpoint smartconsole and ikeview, visio, ...)
  
  
• I need to get a digital toner and tracer to better deal with undocumented patch panels, the fluke intellitone must be nice but is a bit expensive for something I need only once in a while.
  
  
• I'd like to get the panduit cable comb to make /r/cableporn worthy bundles but it is expensive for a piece of molded plastic .
  
  
• And I need an Air Console, because screw sitting on the floor in the cold aisle of a coloc center.
  
  
• Now that I'm writing a wishlist, I also need one of these to avoid manually switching console port from one device to another, a usb quad serial ports adapter.
  
  Edit :
  
  
• Wolf Wifi Pro, an android wireless survey app, it's basic but a fraction of the cost of more professional tools and still allows me to make signal strength and snr heatmaps over a floor plan. It's good enough for my needs, in fact it's awesome.
  
  
• Wacom Bamboo Graphic Tablet to draw crude diagrams or dicks or dick shaped OSPF areas I can paste in an email.
  
  
• BIC 4 color pens because they blow my mind and are really useful for hand drawn diagrams.

Battery could still be severely shorted but it sounds unlikely. If that were the case you would notice a very large spark when connecting the jumper cables and possibly see a reaction from the second car. Everyone should own a good multimeter, you can get pretty good ones in the $40 range, or crap ones for like $5 at harbor freight.

I'm thinking most likely warranty will come into play for you, but if it ends up being battery after all the dealer battery prices are surprisingly reasonable. So you could have it towed there if you want.

Edit: BTW, I like this Uni-T UT210E clamp meter for the price: https://www.amazon.com/Uni-T-B4Q094-UT210E-Current-Capacitance/dp/B00O1Q2HOQ.

For Tone gen, Fluke makes the gold standard. They also have a cheaper version.
You didn't mention a probe, so maybe you are looking for a cable certifier?. That's super expensive though. if you just have to test that there is continuity and not certify the cables, you can use this, or this if you want to look like a pro.

As for Screwdrivers, Wiha makes the best screw drivers, hands down. I have this set for working on electronics & laptop repair. Magnetic tool-kits are fine. This isn't the 80's anymore. There aren't too many magnetically sensitive items inside a computer anymore. especially with the advent of SSD drives.

As for a toolbox, depending the work, I prefer a tool bag or pouch.

Good luck, hope that helps. What helped for me when I started was to go to harbor freight and just get an assortment of tools. As I worked I slowly replaced the stuff I used all the time with quality gear, and didn't have to burn myself buying expensive tools and gear that I would never use.

For anything that plugs in, you can use a smart plug like this to track its energy usage. For anything hardwired, you could use a meter with a clamp like this to measure instantaneous current.

So with the plug, rotate it around the biggest appliances in the house. Keep the fridge plugged in for a day, see what the average draw is, etc.

But you are right that heating/cooling is likely to be the culprit. The clamp meter will help you gauge its impact. Despite how it seems though, a 1990's air conditioner isn't dramatically less efficient than a new one...assuming it's in good working order. Make sure the condenser outside is all clear, no leaves piled up against it, dirt clogging the fins, etc. Then inside, follow the ducts wherever you can to make sure nothing came disconnected and is dumping conditioned air into you attic or something.

If it helps as a point of reference, our 2,400 sf house has central air from the 80's that is set for 75 when we're home and 82 when we're not, and our power bill for the July-Aug cycle when we were using AC consistently was $104. We're in coastal New England/ag zone 6b.

Then as the other commenter mentioned, your power company may offer free energy consultations where they come test your house for efficiency in a variety of ways, give you free LED bulbs and programmable thermostats, and make recommendations for how to reduce energy use.

I keep a small bag in my main bag that I can clip to my belt. I mostly use it when I know I'm going to be working in a panel for a while but in general this covers 75% of my needs. Here's the bag.

Here is what I keep in it.

Wire Stripper / Needle Nose I haven't had these for too long but I really like them.

Small meter I like this one for a lot of reasons. One is that will fit in the bag and is good enough to use under 480 in my opinion.

Voltage Detector The meter has non-contact voltage detection, but I like this one more.

Crescent Wrench I like this one because it also has the monkey wrench on it so it's good for tightening air lines from time to time. Though in reality I don't use that feature much.

A couple larger screwdrivers #2 phillips and a flat head big enough to open panels easily.

Controls Screwdriver For terminals and such. I sometimes use the ones with the rotating end.

Flashlight These are not the best, but they're cheap and work as a penlight and they can do area illumination with a magnetic base.

I have seconds (and in the case of the meter and flashlights - a higher quality version) of all these in my main bag, but I mostly use this little pouch.

Are you looking for a recipe that specifically uses ginger bug? I've only done a little fermentation as far as food, but I've done a little more of beverages. If you seal your concoction right after bottling, you can put it in the fridge as soon as it's carbonated and it will not have produced much alcohol (based on my limited experience with homebrewing). The fridge will stop it from carbonating as long as it's below 45-50 F-ish, so you want to leave it at room temp until it carbonates.

If you're concerned about how much alcohol it produces, I recommend making a small batch and bottling it in 2 containers. Seal one so it carbonates and give the other one a bubbler so it won't carbonate. When the sealed one finishes carbonating, you can check the alcohol level with a hydrometer (do you have friends who homebrew? I bet you could borrow theirs). I assume the carbonated one will have a similar amount of alcohol. Note: you do need to measure with the hydrometer both before and after fermenting to know the alcohol content. Plenty of resources online to find the calculation. Edit: I forgot to say - check the alcohol content of the non-carbed bottle as the carbonation will mess with your hydrometer readings.

If you're willing to not use your ginger bug, read on!

This recipe uses bread yeast to carbonate (is that heresy on this sub? I've not spent much time here). It takes just a day or two to carbonate then you put it in the fridge to stop the yeast. Tastes pretty good!

From some personal experimenting, the flavor ratio I like is:

• 10g sugar
  
• 10g ginger juice
  
• 20g lemon juice
  
• 140g water
  
  This quantity isn't much (maybe 3/4 c?) but the ratio should scale up. I was playing around with tablespoon-type amounts because I didn't want to go through loads and loads of ginger. For the ginger juice, I grated the ginger with the grater blade on my food processor (had to stop to pull fibers out of the holes every so often) and then hand-squeezed the juice out of the pulp.
  
  It's fairly ginger-spicy (which I find good) but not overpowering. You can always start with less water and add more as necessary. I used this lemon:ginger ratio because more lemon made it taste like ginger-flavored lemonade (good, but not my goal) and more ginger made it taste like disinfecting floor cleaner (also not my goal). I played with sweetness by making a light syrup (25 g sugar to 100 g water) and trying varying levels of that in the final mix.

doubt it. phones can plug into cat5 jacks. they're backwards compatible so to speak. you can't run internet on them, but you can run voice. it's rapidly becoming the standard to simply use cat5 jacks everywhere. can you unscrew one and take a picture? i would be willing to bet all of your wires are punched down to those 2splitters and bridged together. You could easily replace them with a couple of these and use some of these to connect to one of these and rewire the jacks in using RJ 45 T568-b standard or follow this video a quick toolkit will cost about 20-35 and since you've already got the wiring and parts should be pretty cheap. make sure that if you're no longer using the landline to pull the wire from the box to the Network interface for the phones. (unless it's DSL). may want to add a shelf underneath the media panel, although i've seen some creative people tuck a shitload of stuff into those media panels and it look quite nice. Hope this helps. Let me know if you have more questions.

Edit: you can use one of these to quickly and easily trace out if all of those wires end in that cabinet or if some of them ARE going somewhere else. If they are I would check attic areas and other panels around the house. POSSIBLY they terminate outside, but doubt it since your Network interface box is in the basement.

Clamps are important, and when it comes to clamps never buy an odd number. Get a mix of different types: quick grips are great for quickly clamping things together one-handed; f-style clamps are great for their reach and pressure, and pipe clamps are wonderful for their length flexibility and pressure. Down the line, consider panel clamps, band clamps, corner clamps and parallel clamps.

Get a speed square and a framing square. For the table saw, consider a digital relative angle finder like this. Get a tape measure and research how to use it effectively (eg why is the tab on the end loose). Learn how to mark wood accurately with a pencil, and then learn how to do it with a knife.

Get a set of inexpensive chisels and a mallet. Get a cheap block plane. Get a combination square. Get a shop vac and make sure your tools can connect to it.

Safety is of course top priority. Get good quality eye protection, respirator (even when using dust collection) and hearing protection (routers and planers are loud). Wear them every time.

For around the shop, make sure you put everything on casters because that perfect shop design you make on paper won't work in practice. Add more outlets and lighting. Build a good flat level workbench.

Just a few thoughts from someone who's been doing it for fun for over a decade. Not necessarily the right way for everyone, but those are what I wish someone had told me when I first started.

I bought a digital meter and it works great and will save quite a bit, PH PEN hope it helps good luck op and stay strong friend:)

OK. For the moment, I'll tenatively sit corrected.

It's got good and OK ratings and that's for the old camera.

https://www.amazon.com/Seek-Compact-Thermal-Imager-Android/dp/B00NYWAHHM

The rest of my original comment is below:


Yeah, but the resolution sucks ass. What is good though is that it overlays the image onto the traditional video signal, so this helps to get more information into the area of interest.

One thing that you all can do to see what I mean when I say, "the resolution sucks ass," is to rent a FLIR from Home Depot's tool rental department about 1 hour before closing and then keep it all night, and return it 1 hour after they open. That should cost you about 45 bucks and get you a few hours where you can see how effective the IR is at a distance and how big the sensor size is.

http://www6.homedepot.com/tool-truck-rental/Thermal_Camera/FLIR_i7/

Now granted, Home Depot rents the Model # FLIR_i7, which has a 120 x 120 pixel (yes, that's right) sensor on this $2,500.00 unit.

This is not a 500 dollar unit, it's 2500 dollars. A 500 dollar unit would have to do some serious tricks to be better than one that sells for 5x more and even then, even though the article says it has a 320 x 240 sensor, my impression is that it's not likely that it would be much better than 120x120 (most interpolate to get higher resolution) be or any good at a distance.

Here's hoping that I am 100% wrong.

Caveat emptor.

I've done that as well. But I found that with just the light on, the temp can get to the 90-100F range over a couple hours in my cheap apartment oven. I cooked some starter that way. I've had better success with a tiny heat pad used for reptiles.The tiny 4-watt one is still pretty hot, but with some dish towels placed on top, it works really well.

I use one of these to monitor the temp. It's kinda awesome and fun.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00JA3BMDW?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00

I left some comments on the imgur album, but overall it was a great success. It was my first time making pizza and learned couple things along the way.

• Bricks are great in a pinch, but if you have small spacers like these (or get some from here). It'll allow more heat distribution by having an air gap.
  
• Too low in BGE = scorch the bottom of the pizza; Too High in BGE = scorch the top of the pizza
  
• Less toppings/sauce = higher temp (dome ~700F/ plate ~450F) = low cook time (Neapolitan style)
  
• More toppings/sauce = lower temp (dome ~500F/ plate ~300F) = long cook time (american style)
  
• Cornmeal is key to getting pizza on and off.
  
• As temperature goes down, each pizza took longer to make. 1st pizza was around ~4min, 2nd pizza was around 6 minute, so on. I had to refuel to get it back up to 700F after 4th pizza.
  
  Specs:
  
  
• Medium Big Green Egg
  
• 12.5'' pizza stone
  
• ~8 inch personal pizzas
  
  Pizza stone I used
  
  Infrared Thermometer
  
  Can't wait to try it again next weekend! Send me some more tips!

Unfortunately, that meter probably wasn’t going to be very accurate or have a long life anyway. The cheapest meter I recommend is the 8689 model, which is about $70 from Thermoworks, but you can get it for about $45 from China. Probes are good for a year, maybe two, in most cases although some get a slightly longer life with excellent care. The probe on the 8689 is replaceable and readily available so you can figure about $18/year in equipment cost if your probe works for two years.

I’ve seen some users in this sub say this one is OK too, but I can’t vouch for it:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00ST3VTQ4?aaxitk=PfM4qruJcvUcFfTDj2w9mw

No prob.

For me, I got the setting circle preinstalled on my AD10 (A great advantage with Apertura is their amazing customer service. I posted a first light report with my AD10 on an astronomy forum I frequent and the guy who runs Apertura responded because he already has an account on the site but I digress...). You can install your own setting circle though.

As far as an angle finder, the Wixey angle finder seems to be the standard digital finder for this sort of thing. I just went to Lowe's and picked up an $8 analogue angle finder with a magnetic base. With a little help it stays in place on my OTA and using the setting circle + high performance angle finder I can just go straight to anything.

P.S. Apps are your friend. SkEye is probably my most heavily used astronomy tool, period. Sundroid is very convenient. Both are well worth the money.

/u/cr0aker gave a good breakdown. torch angle and stickout are the most important factors. I use a digital angle inclinometer http://www.amazon.com/Wixey-WR300-Digital-Angle-Gauge/dp/B001PTGBRQ/ref=sr_1_1?s=hi&ie=UTF8&qid=1409099065&sr=1-1&keywords=angle+gauge+digital like that.

I will note that I generally eyeball stick out, however we used to do things like weld a stand off to a pair of welding pliers that way you can set the stand off against the torch tip and then cut the wire to a set length. Then when I'm programming I make sure the tip of the wire is just barely touching the surface.

As far as parameters. When I was in school and at a few employers I used to keep detailed notes on parameters and what worked, also I was responsible for WPQR's and WPS. Nowadays I've made a form that has important setup information (fxiture location, parameters, notes, descriptions of setup, and absolute location of the part at a corner). Miller and lincoln both have free apps https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.millerwelds.weldsettings&hl=en that give good starting parameters for a given process. At my current job everything is stainless in set thickness so I start at 60 Cm/min (about 20 IPM) and adjust parameters according to position and material thickness.

I use this 0.01 accuracy ATC pH meter that's about $40. It needs to be calibrated using 3 solutions (powders to be mixed with DI water included and you can get extras separately), but a better meter needs better calibration. Took me about 30m and it works great. Make sure to use grocery store distilled water or RO.

And every garage I've been in has 1 compact fluorescent bulb. Buy a nice LED shop light or 2 depending on how big your garage is. Buy all the tools you need to wire it in like a nice set of Klein strippers and a cheap multimeter.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000F9HIEC/ref=mp_s_a_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1495670572&sr=8-4&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00NWGZ4XC/ref=mp_s_a_1_9?ie=UTF8&qid=1495670627&sr=8-9&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=Multimeter&dpPl=1&dpID=417YqOjJ1mL&ref=plSrch

Cheap multimeters are fine for things around the house or troubleshooting most things on cars. You can also use the clamp yo measure current draw for some more advanced troubleshooting like seeing how much your AC compressor is drawing. If you do lots of tinkering with electronics I'd recommend dropping a few hundred on a Fluke.

I have been very happy with this meter(https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001DTNDME/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1) I think i got it for like $80 though 3 years ago. I tried 3 other meters and returned them for just not being consistent enough. I'd say just spend the money on a decent/good meter and do it once, instead of going through multiple cheap ones. I agree with /u/mmussen though, your first two bullet points go hand in hand :)

Buy a seek thermal camera for your phone (make sure to buy the correct one for your phone, also you can knock $100 off the price by going used/reboxed), and go around looking for holes in your house, sealing them with a caulk gun. Make sure you buy the COMPACT, because it actually works better for this task, whereas the XR is more for spotting deer half a mile away but sucks at 10'. Alternatively, you can rent a thermal imager at big orange for $60 for 4 hours...

This might seem expensive to solve a little spider problem, but what you are really doing is improving the energy efficiency of your home by a ton. It's easier to see cracks when the temperature difference is large, like when it's very hot and you have the A/C on, or it's very cold and you have the heat on.

If you seal all these holes, the only place I'd put any Permethrin is around the cold air intake inside your home (or where it leads outside, or both). It looks like a 4" to 6" flexible hose with a u-bend coming into your furnace room. This should have a lot of free air flow, so don't put a screen over it or plug it, doing so could cause carbon monoxide poisoning as the furnace burns up all the oxygen in your home. If you really hate the air-intake, you can get an air-to-air heat exchanger for a few grand.

Wrap the back edge of the knife with tape and make sure your clamp is parallel.

​

Use an angle cube to make sure you have a consistent angle through out the blade edge or you can use an app on a smart phone to zero and measure it. You can also use paper binder clips to make a moveable angle guide for more accurate angles throughout the knife's length. Here is my set up

​

Use a marker on the blade edge to see your progress and where you are cutting or to get an idea of where your knife's blade angle sits. If you cuts are far from the edge, your angle is too small and you will have to remove more material if you want to get to the very edge. When you start cutting the edge it will start to form a burr that is very noticeable, then you can move on to finer grits. Just make sure that you do equal strokes on both sides to have an even bevel.

​

And of course make sure you use honing oil on your stones to prevent plugging.

​

If have an accurate common angle (20/25degrees) you can use a Lansky Turnbox to maintain the edge with a ceramic rod and quickly do some small repairs with the diamond rod. and it is easily portable.

​

Hope this helps

I recommend you use one of these temperature controllers. I used one to allow me to control the temperature of a small freezer to use it as a refrigerator. Another one proved to be great as a doghouse temperature controller. The thermocouple temperature probe is waterproof and sturdy. It has a built in 10-amp relay so it will handle a substantial load. It would be great for a Sous Vide project.

Have fun.

The most recommended pH meters run in the $120 to $150 range. I figured I did not want to ruin a good meter while I learn how to use, calibrate, and store a pH meter, so I picked up this $40 one (the reviews seemed better than the $20 ones).

https://www.amazon.com/Dr-meter-PH100-V-Resolution-Accuracy-Measurement/dp/B00ST3VTQ4

There are plenty of threads on pH meters if you search this subreddit.

I don't have a TDS meter, but I get the impression that the under $20 ones are fine for the job. I am not positive what use a TDS meter plays in brewing. I could see where it might be useful for checking RO water, or maybe getting a feel for how much your tap water varies month to month. Do others find a TDS meter useful?

Aww jeez, Rick. That doesn't look good. I think the technical term for that is "cratered".

My guess would honestly be that the chip itself overheated due to the high current. This is a problem for a heatsink and maybe a fan. I hesitate to say this though, because both the trace AND the chip are utterly destroyed. Maybe a bad solder joint on the chip caused it to overheat?

Are you willing to sacrifice another channel of that board? Might be worth hooking up a stepper in such a way that it's permanently stalled and just running it until it pops, while carefully monitoring the board's temperature. You should at the very least be able to tape down a thermocouple with kapton, and they sell cheap dual K-type thermocouples with a digital readout on Amazon. I've personally had this one to over 700C, and while it DEFINITELY didn't like it and the insulation burned up, it still works. The best solution here is definitely a thermal camera, and if you can afford it you'll be able to pinpoint where the heat is coming from - the traces or the chip.

A good experiment would be to get a thermometer or thermal camera, and hook up one channel with a heatsink and one without. Monitor both chip's temperatures and see how hot they get, again with the motor stalled. The A4983 is supposed to be good to 150C before it detonates according to the datasheet, although it definitely won't be performing well at that temperature. If you see it getting close (within 20C or so) of that temperature, it's likely just not dissipating enough heat.

Would be very interested to see the redesign, if you decide to do one. If you haven't yet read Dave Jones' PCB layout tutorial, I suggest you do. Lots of really great information there, particularly about making your circuit boards neat and professional, not just so they work.

Minor edit: just thinking about the traces, remember that the ACTUAL current can be much higher than intended when you're working with motors or other large inductive loads. A "2A" limit can turn into 20A if something causes a large acceleration on the motor (like a robotic arm hitting a stop and stalling). That'll fry your trace if you specced it for 2A. Make the power traces big and fat. Bigger. Unless you're squeezing the other traces thinner (not just closer), you can go very large with your power traces. You're paying a flat rate for the amount of copper on the board, use it all. Don't squeeze out the ground plane (it's just as important) and don't squeeze the other traces too thin, but if there's any feel free to use it.

I'm using this guy. I tried in the boil as well as a partially cooled sample of the wort I took out incase the temp was too much for it to adjust.


I understand that most adjustments are for mashing but I've also read that sampling the boil can help balance the acidity/alkalinity of the final product. Extract is supposed to have this covered (I'm using distilled water) and found out that it measured 4.8.


Its not the end of the world, and I have the feeling I'm over thinking it. Just wanted to know what was going on. Thanks and have a happy new year!

One thing you'll learn with the ecobee and the heat pump is that you'll have to do a lot of the learning. The thermostat just doesn't have the data needed to figure out the best settings for your particular set up, and there is no "the way" for each system. I highly recommend spending the money on a laser temperature gun to measure the air coming out of your vents to judge whether or not your system is running ok without aux especially once the temps drop below 30 (assuming you change the ecobee defaults for this). Just feeling it won't be enough - once you get in the teens there's a chance you are blowing out 90 degree air. Warm enough to hopefully keep your place warm, but will still feel slightly cool to the touch.

They are pretty damn cheap and now that I have one I went around checking for cold spots, measuring skillet temps, pointing at my wife, etc. Definitely got my twenty bucks worth.

This site has a pretty good explanation of what i am talking about with thermostats.

Unfortunately proportional thermostats are not cheap. A basic model is general >$80 (USD). Herpstat by Spyder Robotics is the most best around from everyone I talk to.

Honestly, before i dropped that kind of $, I would put in a 75 Watt bulb and check temperatures to see if you even need a thermostat. Too hot, try a 50watt and see if that is better.

Re: checking temps. I would suggest one of these they are cheap and fairly accurate.

Sorry lots of electronics technical stuff I just spat out there... this video might help

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HWA9WqSEjg8

The issue is it's a bit of "chicken and egg" problem, you need a powerful enough supply (high enough amp output) to make sure the load has as many amps as it will draw if the power supply can't supply enough current then your current you measure will be that limit instead of what the device actually wants to draw. If the power supply isn't able to supply enough amps for a given load (a device drawing current like the raspi) then it may overheat or shut off to protect itself or switch on and off depending on the power supply design.

Regarding a bench power supply this video shows how to DIY and compares with bought version and shows how they work:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wI-KYRdmx-E

Basically any multi-meter can measure voltage and amperage:
https://www.amazon.com/Etekcity-Multimeter-MSR-R500-Electronic-Multimeters/dp/B01N9QW620/

For higher current stuff or measuring AC current without hooking the meter physically into the circuit can use a clamp meter like this instead:
https://www.amazon.com/Etekcity-Multimeter-MSR-C600-Auto-Ranging-Multimeters/dp/B00NWGZ4XC/

^^ second one also does auto-ranging so it works out what the right unit is to show you is based on the power going through it (shows mV or V or A and mA or milli-ohms, ohms, kilo-ohms, and mega-ohms depending on what you're measuring)

A simpler video just covering the whole concept of "load" and current here too (youtube suggestions did a good job)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cxkVxi9P0EA

You could use a punchdown tool to push in each of the wires at the connections to make sure they all have good contact. Then use a tester like, this or this, to make sure all wires test out. I like the latter one, as it is nicer and it also can test coax cables.

It look like you are doing great! Sometimes hiccups in the process will elongate things but you will learn and, in most cases, do so without too much detriment to your final harvest.

A bit of advice, if I may. Assuming you arent already doing so, grab an inexpensive TDS meter and start measuring/recording the EC of your inflow and outflow fertigation solution every time you feed. Once you start keeping track of these metrics you can stop guessing about whether you are under/overfeeding your gals. Unlike pH meters, TDS meters are not comprised of complex or terribly sensitive components, so spending a lot on a high dollar product is not necessary.

There are general guidelines about ppm ranges for both autos and photoperiods based on where they are in their lifecycle. As long as you keep within those ranges, it's rare to run into nutrient issues.

I also like to read GrowDiaries for the strains I'm growing to see how other folks fared with the same genetics and what pitfalls they ran into in their process.

Good luck with your garden, friend!

They're challenging but not impossible. If you've done the brick pattern one and you are satisfied with it, I'd say that you could do the Q-Bert one. I think the two hardest things for me were accurate planning for material (I had another reply here that goes into more detail) and actually getting the confidence to start; once you're doing the work, you can constantly refer back to his videos and basically see step-by-step how to do the things, and the steps make a lot of sense.

The one piece of equipment I would say is a requirement for this is a magnetic angle measure for your table saw (I have this one and it works well). And an accurate and sturdy rip fence that doesn't wobble. Two. The two pieces of equipment I would say are requirements. I mean, I personally wouldn't attempt this without my benchtop planer, but it's totally possible to use hand planes and/or sanders.

You'd need an active heater and a temperature controller.

Some people use heat lamps, there are also enclosure heaters designed for electrical boxes. I personally took apart a cheap desktop personal space heater, designed an enclosure for it, and paired it up with a digital controller.

It points upwards towards the center of the enclosure ceiling to get a better heat distribution, the controller temp prob is mounted on the opposite end of the enclosure not in direct path of the rebounded hot air, so it should have a pretty accurate ambient temperature reading.

https://imgur.com/a/xoils

Not all ABS filaments have the same shrinkage ratio, some of my filaments will wrap no matter what when printing tall while others stay flat to bed. I personally don't like using messy coating such as ABS juice or glue stick so I stick with pure PEI. The original PEI on my Lulzbot bubbled from use overtime so I replaced it with a thick piece (almost 2mm) and am very happy with that.

Clever3D PEI aluminium plate is something I've been looking at a lot now that I'm in the early stage of designing my own CoreXY printer but I'm not too sure how I feel about PEI being coated on instead of being replaceable in the future, as I find giving it a light sand with 800-1000 grit sandpaper really helps with ABS adhesion.

At this point, there are roughly three categories:

• The really nice ones, which are extremely expensive and fairly delicate (for example, FLIR's 1020 has a 1024x768 thermal sensor, and costs $44K).
  
• The "workhorse" ones, which are fairly expensive, and well ruggedized. If you're building a piece of equipment that costs a few thousand dollars, and is going to be used outdoors, on a job site, etc., making it a few hundred dollars more expensive to improve durability is a very good trade-off. This is where you get things like the FLIR E-series, which costs a few thousand USD (depending on version), and has some serious rubber padding around everything important.
  
• Consumer-grade ones. This includes things from a couple hundred dollars for a phone add-on, such as the Seek Thermal one; I would also include things like the FLIR TG 165 due to its price-point. There's also the Cat S60, which sticks the same FLIR Lepton sensor into a smartphone.
  
  The bottom category is how most of us with thermal systems to mess around with have them.

Ended up researching into a bag and eventually found one I think will work well.

I will link to everything I've found on amazon. I have found others on our distributors website. Hopefully this will help others put together something as well!

Bag

SATA Adapter

Toolkit

Toner/Fox and Hound

Small LED Flashlight

Velcro Wire Ties - Zip ties are awful

Network Kit

External HDD

Analog Phone - For testing Fax Lines mainly

There's more, such as cables and things, but everyone should be OK with figuring that out for yourselves. Total the kit (with cables and stuff included) is only about $370.91 per technician.

Hope this helps someone!

I got the temp controller from a recent homebrewfinds post. It's not quite an stc1000, I had one of those for my fermentation chamber but figured the dual stage temperature control would work better for my fermentation chamber. I got it from amazon an it works great so far http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00F05UI8O/

I have a set of mitutoyo for my work, but for knock around and loaners I got these from amazon and I’ve been pretty happy with them.

https://www.amazon.com/VINCA-DCLA-0605-Electronic-Fractions-Conversion/dp/B017KUC6XQ

Patch cables being 568B and in-wall jacks being 568A are absolutely not a problem. BUT, if half your house is 568A in-wall and the other half 568B, my spider senses would definitely be tingling that you've just plain got some miswired jacks. I'd recommend grabbing an inexpensive cable tester (example) and making certain all runs are okay.

I built my Keezer in stages and it really takes the sting out of the total cost. I started with one ball lock keg and one Perlick 525SS tap and 4" all stainless steel shank. Once I got things moving, I added a gas distribution block, another keg, another SS shank and another 525SS tap. Eventually I'll max out at 4 kegs in my GE 7cf keezer (fcm7suww) or 5 if I splurge and get a mini keg for the hump.

For a controller, I used a RANCO ETC-111000 Digital Cold Temperature Control that I got got $53.95 from Amazon. This is FAR superior to the STC-1000 that I have used in the past. The trick is, its not wired so you have to do a little work yourself. I found this video on youtube that explains how to wire it up in a way that even my little brother could figure out. I used automotive trim double stick tape and stuck it to the back of the keezer, done and done.

Everything in my keezer that is metal and touches beer is stainless steel. Its more expensive but it should last just about forever and I'll never worry about corrosion. I did all my gas and liquid in 1/4" MFL/FFL SS fittings and it makes taking things apart for cleaning super easy. Again, more expensive but I didn't go buy it all at once.

To be honest there really is no such thing as a good $25 pH meter. Save a bit more cash and look into purchasing a proper unit at around the $100 price point.

I recommend the following meters.

Omega PHH-7011

Milwaukee MW102

Edit: Meant to say MW102 and not the MW101 since it has ATC but it's good practice to always if possible try to get your solution to be measured as close to your calibration temperature as you can.

A mitersaw is probably going to be less accurate/repeatable than a table saw. One thing you can do is get a angle gauge for your table saw so you can actually dial in the 45 degree angle, chances are the indicator on your saw is off and causing the issue not the fact that you're using a table saw. The next thing I'd suggest is a sled for your table saw, which is pretty easy to make... if you're doing 45s for things like frames a sled like this would be useful as well.

Sounds good. What about the circulation? Does it have that built in?

If you already have a Crock Pot, all you need is temperature controller like the Ranco 111000 and an aquarium pump of at least (I think) 60 GPH, like the ViaAqua 80. These will set you back $70-$75 shipped. Just make sure the temperature probe doesn't touch the bottom of the Crock Pot reservoir or it will give you incorrect readings since that is where the heating element is. Also, don't put the pump on the temp controller; you want the pump to run constantly. The controller is only to kick the Crock Pot on and off. Lastly, put the Crock Pot on high.

Probably not as elegant of a solution as yours, but it works and it's pretty cheap.

If you don't have a Crock Pot, you might be able to use just a regular pot with one of those plug-in electric burners.

I'm also hoping it's heating OR cooling (two outlets) to be controller by one controller ... otherwise that's an odd design. The seller should be able to clear it up. My guess is they can either build them with a dual stage Celsius controller or a single stage Fahrenheit controller.

In terms of advantages for the STC-1000+, you have a few advantages. Main thing is stepped fermentation control - so, say, 50 F for three days, ramp to 63 over twelve hours, hold at 63 for 5 days, and then drop to 35 over two days (a lager profile I just made up). Head over to HBT and look at alphaomega's thread on the STC-1000+. For a more condensed version, just keep in mind that the Blackbox is run by the STC-1000+ (but I can't tell you which version).

Another option would be to buy the Celsius dual stage controller, and ship it to the guy who does Blackbox and have him flash it for a fee (assuming he still offers this). If you'd like to do it yourself, you need a bit of DIY interest (usually common in homebrewers) and an arduino/jumper cables. Take a look at the guide for the STC-1000+ on github to get an idea of what's involved.

It looks like you have male RJ-45 ends on them. One option would just be to buy a switch and plug them all in that way. Plug your router/modem into the switch as well and they should all become active.

If you want a cleaner look, you could get a patch panel and terminate those cables to that and run patch cables to a switch.

If you want to find out what cables go where, I would suggest something like this toner to trace out the cables.

I bought this Ranco model from Amazon because it is relatively cheap, has a digital display, and can be set to +/- 1 degree. I spent less than $10 on a power cable with which to connect it (thought I was going to be able to do it for free, but I threw away all my old computer power cables). I put the temp sensor in an old yeast tube filled with water and sealed with caulk.

It does a good job, I am pleased. I usually have it set to 40 degrees, but recently ran out of keg beer (much to my dismay). So I increased the temp to 72 degrees and have two beers fermenting in there right now, probably going to be kegged this weekend. I'll drop the temp to 40 degrees two days before I'm ready to keg to cold shock the yeast out of suspension and rack a more sediment-free beer.

Anyhow, that's what I do.

Your best bet is to buy water testing strips off Amazon and test your water. Then adjust based on that. Don't just assume your Brita is doing enough. When you spend that much on an espresso machine ensure the water is good.

Test Strips

Water Quality Tester

Anti Scale Pouch

Edit: Formating

If your temp gun has emissivity settings, then you can adjust the number to get an accurate reading on shiny surfaces. But of course if you can't adjust the emissivity, then something black and matte is the best to get a reading from. That bbq paint is a good idea.

I picked up this guy a while back, https://www.amazon.com/Nubee-Non-contact-Infrared-Thermometer-Temperature/dp/B00JA3BMDW it great, and allows changing the emissivity setting to get accurate temp across a wide range of materials.

Also make sure you stay fairly close to a 1:1 ratio for your "distance to spot size" or you risk your measuring area to be too wide and may get some inaccurate readings.

Technically this is /r/homenetworking like others have pointed out.

However, /r/homenetworking isn't really suitable for asking questions about anything involving toning out a drop and finding it on a patch panel. If you do a search for it there's basically no useful information for you there. Home networking or not, you're not just asking about "Why is my LANKSIS router so sloooooww".

Don't waste your money on a decent toner and cable tester, if it's just going to be used for a couple of drops around your house the cheapest of the cheap will do just fine. Grab one of these, plug it into the port in the room, and you can tone the cable out through the wall and easily find it on the patch panel. Once you find the port, hook up the cable mapper part of it at the patch panel and set the generator to test and you should get it sequentially going through each wire. If it tests fine on the cable map then you need to look closely at the termination itself and follow one of the many guides on YouTube to re terminate it.

https://www.ebay.com/p/Rj45-Telephone-Phone-Wire-Tracker-Tracer-Ethernet-LAN-Network-Cable-Tester-Toner/1061532813?iid=152635976413

If you need it faster, you can grab that same toner from Amazon.

https://www.amazon.com/ELEGIANT-Telephone-Tracker-Ethernet-Upgraded/dp/B015EFE3XA/

That being said, you really want to check behind the wall plate first just to confirm that it's actually hooked up to something and make sure that they didn't wire up those two ports for a phone and ethernet over the same cable. I've seen plenty of wallplates for coax and ethernet that aren't actually terminated behind the wall plate.

First off, in order to use a pH meter, you must calibrate it every. single. time. Or at least once a week. They're notorious for drifting even when stored correctly. You will need 4.0 and 7.0 calibration solutions, they're sold as powder or in liquid form. You should also have probe cleaning and probe storage solution. Contact lens solution (not hydrogen peroxide stuff) can work as probe cleaning solution in this context, as it works well on organics in a gentle way.

Unfortunately the $10 specials aren't really that great, and you won't get really repeatable results until you hit about the $35-$50 price point. At this price point they should start to have replaceable probes. e.g.: this or this . I'm pretty sure /u/chino_brews knows the specific generic design name of the 2nd one I linked, lots of different vendors have a house brand white box version of it. Fisher Scientific design that went off patent, can't remember the number.

The ones from Lowes may be too small at only 3inches. It'd be best to get something closer to your print bed size

I bought these 6 inch calipers from amazon and they have been great https://www.amazon.com/VINCA-DCLA-0605-Electronic-Fractions-Conversion/dp/B017KUC6XQ

EC is Electrical conductivity. It measures the quantity of dissolved stuff, mostly salts, in the water and is a measurement of the strength of the nutrient solution. If you water with too high an EC you get nute burn. It's not actually nute "burn" but a result of the plant not being able to uptake water through osmosis.


Cannabis roots consume a lot of oxygen which they can not do if the soil is saturated. The soil MUST be allowed to become quite dry between watering so the roots can uptake oxygen.

GL!

Edit: This is the meter I use.

It's one of the things a lot of growers don't bother with but I consider it a "must have" meter. As important as pH.

I didn't realize you'd already ordered the items in your list. That pH pen should work OK, but you'll need to calibrate it every couple of weeks. THIS kit has 4.0 and 7.0 calibration solutions and the storage solution. You definitely need those items to keep the pH pen operational (same goes for ANY pH meter). And you still need a tds/ppm meter... THIS cheap one should do.

From the looks of the spaghetti on the floor there, it looks to be 14 gauge.

There appears to be a mix of one 14x4 and two 14x2 wires.

This only looks like where the previous owner spliced and extended the wiring. 14 guage should be enough unless its a really long run.

You need to find where both ends terminate. One end should terminate where the speakers are located and the other terminate where the reciever or amp terminates.

You can use an app or a battery to test, but the easiest way to see where each goes is to use a tone generator.

I used a tone generator to find the wires I put in after my idiot contractor drywalled over all of them and it worked like a charm finding where they ran under the drywall.

Somthing like this would do the trick

https://www.amazon.com/Extech-TG20-Wire-Tracer-Generator/dp/B00APD16D2/ref=mp_s_a_1_4?keywords=tone+generator&qid=1564597096&s=gateway&sprefix=Tone+gene&sr=8-4

So the "data" portion of the MDX88300 is probably because of the satellite and probably phones. I am guessing you can tie it in with a security system? But it will be a no-go for internet.

Those Cat5 cables, however, should still work fine. You would just have to cap the ends with a standard RJ45 connector cap, and make sure it is wired correctly at the jack in the room. Then you can just plug it directly to your router at this point, IF you're going to place your router in that closet/room.

Or you can get a real patch panel and wire them directly into that, but you will need a punch tool for that. I only recommend that if you need to wire like 10+ computers to a network.

As far as the tone tester goes, I use this one for work. It's probably Chinese made and might break in a year, but it was cheap and I tested it....it works. You plug the little transmitter into the Ethernet port in the room, flip the switch to "Tone". Then go to your server closest, turn the wand on, and touch each cable until you hear a beep from the wand. That indicates which cable runs to that room. Then you cap it with the RJ45 connector, Mark it (with tape and sharpie), and move on to the next room.

I wish I had more details on the strain. The seeds are from a friend who has been growing outdoors for probably a decade. He originally planted pure strains of afghani and blueberry and has just been growing with the seeds they've been producing for years without tracking who pollenated who, so it's kind of a grab bag on how much of each are in these ladies.

My DIY chiller...I'll start off saying I was using frozen water bottles once I got into flower to keep my temps down, and it was just a horrible experience. Changing them 2 - 3 times day (if I could), jostling my res lid up and down to put them in, temps are up and down, etc. PITA. I really wanted to just buy a chiller at that point, but I couldn't justify the cost for a 3'x3' tent. So I bought a stainless steel wort chiller used in home brewing and ran the tubing into a 5 gallon cooler you can pick up for $20. Dropped a 185 GPH water pump in the bottom of the cooler (my left over pump from using a top feed in veg) and the wort chiller in my res. I keep 2 or 3 frozen 2 liter bottles in the cooler. With the wort chiller circulating in my res, the temps dropped from 74 to 65 in probably 20 minutes or less. It works so good at pulling the heat out of my res I decided to get a temp controller to turn the water pump on and off. I wired a Ranco ETC temperature controller into the mix and set the temps for 64 - 67 degrees. Pump circulates once the temps hit 67 and shut off at 64. The frozen 2 liters keeps the water cold enough to stay in range for 2 - 3 days before swapping out new ones. Granted a real mechanical chiller is set and forget, but for a rough total of $150 I'm pretty satisfied with what I put together. Plus a chiller uses 200-300 watts of power and still requires a pump, so I'm able to cut that cost out as well.

EDIT: Here's a (bad) picture where you can just see the top of the wort chiller coming out of my res. I cut a slit in some paper plates to slide the chiller tubing through to cover the hole. The cooler sites just outside of the tent.

This combined with the Wixey Digital inclinometer (http://www.amazon.com/Wixey-WR300-Digital-Angle-Gauge/dp/B001PTGBRQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1349016547&sr=8-1&keywords=wixey) And you can find anything quickly when you get the altitude and azimuth measurements from SkySafari or Stellarium.

I cut my base and installed a paper degree circle, but I like this idea better because it's easier to level the base which is crucial for getting consistent results. I'll be in for one of these for sure.

A cheap digital caliper is great if you're going to be making parts that need to fit onto something else.
https://www.amazon.com/VINCA-DCLA-0605-Electronic-Fractions-Conversion/dp/B017KUC6XQ/ref=sr_1_4?s=industrial&ie=UTF8&qid=1495820845&sr=1-4&keywords=iGaging+EZCAL

Long nose pliers for removing support material, and for cutting filament before you load it.
https://www.amazon.com/Stanley-84-101-Basic-Cutting-Plier/dp/B000B8FRQ8/ref=sr_1_4?s=hi&ie=UTF8&qid=1495821639&sr=1-4&keywords=nose+cutting+pliers

This is the tone-generator/probe I bought:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B015EFE3XA/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o07_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

And yes, I connect it to one side of the wires, and can only trace it through the wall for a foot or two. It gets quieter and quieter and is eventually much too weak to hear, even with headphones. I was wondering if I could, with some modification, plug this thing into a wall to be powered instead of using a 9-volt? And actually, now that I think about it, I probably want to strengthen the probe, the tone generator is probably strong enough.

Also, is there a better sub in which I should ask about this?

For 80% of hardware work you just need a good, solid multi-tipped magnetic screwdriver and a pez dispenser full of excedrin.

Toss in a power supply tester like a Dr. Power II and you have nearly all hardware tools you need.

Just be aware that many software tools on Hirens are only licensed for personal use, using them for professional use would be a violation of license agreement.

If you're going to be checking networks, you're going to want a good fluke toner, and a fluke voltage tester so you don't kill yourself

You're also going to want a cat5 crimper that won't break

If you're troubleshooting big networks then pick up a fluke microscanner II, but only if it will save you several thousand bucks in effort.

I would hope it works well. Double the price of the one I have which works great:

https://www.amazon.com/Dr-meter-PH100-V-Resolution-Accuracy-Measurement/dp/B00ST3VTQ4/ref=sr_1_5?keywords=ph+meter&qid=1549900925&s=industrial&sr=1-5

I've used Fluke and would absolutely recomend them for frequent use. For home though I just have one of these and it works fine for 1/3rd the price. There are others in the same price range, but I can at least say this one has worked well for me.

Since I've needed it only twice in the past 4 years I'd say the money saved was worth it.

I really like [this one] (http://www.amazon.com/RiteBrew-Hydrometer-Triple-Scale/dp/B000E60U6Y/ref=pd_bxgy_misc_text_c) from amazon. I recommend getting the testing cylinder as well. (~$7) I take gravity 3 times. Right after boil (original gravity, aka initial gravity), when I transfer to secondary, and when fermentation is done (final gravity). This tells me my % alcohol using this simple calculator. This really helps to get consistent results, and lets me know when fermentation is complete.

And that's Mr. Madbrewer to you :P

You can check your video ram temps by using something like this. If you don't have a back plate you should be able to point it straight at the chip. I've been thinking about getting those stick on copper heatsinks since my 970 doesn't have a back plate. I'd like to put some better cooling on my (VRM) voltage regulator module chips too.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00DMI62HM/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_dp_ss_2?pf_rd_p=1944687702&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=B002YE3FS4&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=1E6ZZE71SQA8XEQK8M9M

This site helps with Nova thread adapters.

Some other instructions.

Also, you should look into some decimal inch calipers. Or dial Or digital. I guess if you are used to that scale it’s fine. But using 16ths and then going to 128ths just seems pretty difficult. (1 + 12/16 + 4/128 = 1.78125) If you can do that in your head I’m impressed.

It does seem that 1.75-6 is what those measurements come out to. But idk how you determine what thread type it is. It could be metric? I’d probably do everything I could to find a published thread size and type from the manufacturer.

What size morse taper is this?

Been using it for a couple years. works great and easy to calibrate. Get yourself some pH solutions for calibration which i do every grow. Dr.meter PH100-V 0.01 Resolution High Accuracy Pocket Size pH Meter with ATC, 0-14pH Measurement Range https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00ST3VTQ4/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_QDJ2Db1TBW961

Great work! You've basically made a bombe calorimeter of sorts.

Your figures might be a little low because I don't see any mention of the mass of the light/battery. That is at least 85 grams of stuff also being heated with the 300 grams of water.

(The UT210E is a great cheap clamp meter for this.)

Something like this is pretty helpful in figuring this out. Unplug from the uplink, plug into the toner and wave the magic wand around until you find the cable.

I'd also agree with Mitutoyo, they're top of the line in my opinion. I use them at work, and they're great. However for at home I just bought these. I will only be measuring ID or OD of hose, etc.

https://i.gyazo.com/4236146349e1e7c6e712be3963a7462f.png

https://www.amazon.com/VINCA-DCLA-0605-Electronic-Fractions-Conversion/dp/B017KUC6XQ/ref=sr_1_4?s=industrial&ie=UTF8&qid=1502910277&sr=1-4&keywords=digital+caliper

The way I would do it is to terminate all the cables with appropriate RJ-45 plugs. Terminate the other ends of the cables at jacks, starting with the one that you want, but go ahead and do the rest. Use either two laptops or a laptop and a router to test the cables one by one and label them once you get ones that establish a link (watch the little blinky lights on the ports). You may need a couple of RJ-45 inline couplers and a couple of patch cables, depending on how much cable is sticking out of the walls. Once you have the cables id'd, you can cut the ones with plugs to jacks, depending on your need. (plugs are cheaper than jacks and I have lots of them laying around, that's why I'd do that)

There are other ways. You can get a network toning tool which has the advantage of getting to buy more tools, which is a plus in my book. :-) The way I described is how I would do it because I have the tools and materials on hand (cables, plugs, jacks, crimper).

I'm debating between two PH meters: The Milwaukee MW101 or the Milwaukee MW102. Does anyone own either? Can anyone recommend a meter that is under $100 that they love?

This sure does seem expensive compared to something like this.

What makes the Fermostat better?

I haven't done much in a while, but I plan on getting back to it this weekend, or next, but here it is:

Primary:

None.

Secondary:

Edworts Apfelwein (10 gallons)

Banana Wine (1 Gallon)


Bottle Conditioning/Force Carbonating:

None.

On Tap:

Raging Red Irish Red Ale

Pumpkin Ale

Edwort's Robust Porter (with vanilla beans)

Moose Drool Clone (from Brewing Networks "Can You Brew It")


In Bottles:

Blackberry Melomel

AHS Sweet Traditional Mead

Blackberry Wine

Skeeter Pee

Jamil's Dunklelweizen (The collaborative brew for April 2012)

Caribou Slobber

White House Honey Ale

Dead Ringer IPA

Deception Cream Stout

Edworts Apfelwein

Pumpkin Ale (One gallon on a half vanilla bean)

Edwort's Robust Porter (One gallon)


In Planning: I need to get my 10 gallons of Apfelwein bottled so I can use the yeast on 10 gallons of Skeeter Pee that I just got the ingredients for. I've been sitting on ingredients for my first lager, a schwarzbier for a couple months that I plan to do soon (I should have already done it, but I don't like brewing in the cold.). I have ingredients for a Belgian Wit recipe that I got from /u/sdarji in this thread, that I'll probably brew next weekend. I picked up ingredients for a 2 gallon batch of Welchs Grape Juice Wine and a one gallon batch of Mango Pulp Wine. I also have a sightglass and a thermometer that I need to get mounted to my keggle. I also have some copper tubing to build an immersion chiller for my small kettle for when I do smaller batches. I'm also currently waiting for my PH meter to arrive, so I can start messing with my water chemistry. After typing all this, I realize I need to get some of these older batches drank, or dumped (If they're not any good).

I have this meter.

It was given to me by my sister who actually works in a lab setting for her job. She indicated its the best balance of price/performance you can buy. Its not as cheap as some of the others, but the probe itself is a very high quality and supposed to last a decent amount of time with proper care.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B017KUC6XQ/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o06_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Thanks for getting back to me. Yes, there can be a small or a huge difference between the blade and the flat part. Usually it's the difference between 1.7515 and 1.75 inches from blade to flat.

Ours ran $185, which is about as cheap as they get. It's not absolutely awful, but still high for a niche device.

EDIT: For those curious, this is the one we use. Cheapest we could get with decent functionality, works rather respectably for our purposes.

I use this one and it has never failed. Just gotta make sure you are putting the sensor about an inch from the top of your banger. Don't use the laser to line it up, the laser is only to help aim at a large object from a few feet away!

https://www.amazon.com/Etekcity-Lasergrip-Thermometer-Temperature-Non-contact/dp/B00DMI62HM/ref=mp_s_a_1_4?keywords=Temperature+gun&qid=1554348709&s=gateway&sr=8-4

I highly recommend getting a decent set of digital calipers.

I use these at work:http://www.amazon.com/Mitutoyo-500-196-30-Advanced-Measuring-Resolution/dp/B00IG46NL2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1419944639&sr=8-1&keywords=mitoyo+digital+caliper

for around $100 they hold up well, easy to read and about as accurate as calipers can get (reasonably)

I'm using one of these:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B073713G5F/ref=oh_aui_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

It is cheaply made, but the EC value it gives matched the lab work I had one on my tap water within a few percent.

How do you like that Apera meter?

I use a slow cooker for sous vide. I had a ranco digital temperature controller that I was going to use to make a cheese cave/beer fermentation fridge, but never got around to. Hooked it up with two ends of an extension cord (wiring is very simple, and the design is both listed and safe) and it has worked great. I confirmed temp with a Thermapen, and it was right on. I set the variation allowance to 1 degree F, and it stays right where I set it.

Controller:

http://www.amazon.com/RANCO-ETC-111000-Digital-Temperature-Control/dp/B0015NV5BE/ref=sr_1_1?s=industrial&ie=UTF8&qid=1452127883&sr=1-1&keywords=ranco+temperature+controller

It does look like the beige cable is attached to the blue cable with the with the crimps on them. From my guess, they decided to use the 2-port switch on the ONT and use 2 pairs for each connection (and then join those 2 pairs to two wires within the house).

Do you have a toner? (one of these: http://www.amazon.com/VicTsing-Network-Ethernet-Telephone-Tracking/dp/B008G8KE90/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1405717681&sr=8-3&keywords=cable+toner ) it would let you know exactly where those wires are attaching to.

The PWB-58141 is just a telephone distribution block. Most likely the CAT5e was wired for telephone and at one time all those wires were attached to the distribution block.

Do you have phone service? I saw there were no wires attached to the telephone jacks on the ONT.

If you wish to make it all into a gigabit network:
Use a toner to make sure the wire attached to the ONT is that wire that is split in the panel.

Remove the 2-pair jacks at the ONT and place a standard RJ-45 (8P8C) plug on the end of the cable for all 4-pairs.

Purchase one of these: http://www.smarthomeusa.com/ShopByManufacturer/LIN/Item/47605-C5B/ which is essentially a mini patch-panel. It will give you an RJ-45 connection for each CAT5e wire. Terminate the wire going to the ONT as port 1 for easy reference.

If the ONT is acting as a router, you'll need to get a 5-port gigabit switch and a couple Cat5e patch cables to attach the switch to the RJ-45 Ports on the panel. At that point, everything should be connected together.

If the ONT is not a router, maybe some other people here can recommend a decent router to handle gigabit speeds. You would still need a couple Cat5e patch cables to attach the router to the individual ports. If you terminate the ONT cable to Port 1 on the patch panel, attach PORT 1 to the internet port on the router.

No, this is something you would hook into a solid state relay and a heating element, better used for something like an electric kettle. You want to pick an STC-1000, which will require you to wire something up, or you can buy a pre-built unit like the Ranco if you dont want to build something yourself.

I currently run a Milwaukie 102 PH meter that runs to +/- .002, so I typically round to the nearest .05 and call that close enough. .03 would be nothing, but I am seeing more of a .2-.3 swing from what should be happening in theory. I'm just curious as to why, because in theory I should be seeing the calcium additions in the mash help precipitate out more alkalinity and from Maillard reactions in the boil.

I was looking at these online EC Meter at Amazon

Will eventually get one but trying to limit the gear for the first couple of runs. With gardening I have been going slowly to spread out the joy of learning and experimentation !

Ah ok, I have something similar then, just doesn't seem to work the greatest on BX wire.

http://www.amazon.com/Extech-TG20-Wire-Tracer-Generator/dp/B00APD16D2

I use a Milwaukee MW102. I don't know if it's the best, but it's worked for me and seems to be a popular choice:

http://www.amazon.com/Milwaukee-MW102-PH-Temperature-Meter/dp/B001DTNDME

buy one of these and sleuth out some promising spots on google earth. definitely worth knowing the temp of any pool you're going to jump into.

https://www.amazon.com/Etekcity-Lasergrip-Thermometer-Temperature-Non-contact/dp/B00DMI62HM

Find the best looking Brown and Sharpe used dial caliper on ebay. I think I paid $35 and it is still mint and the movement is silky smooth. Your mileage will vary though.

But if I were you, I'd just save up and drop some coin on a Mitutoyo digital. A new standard 6" is $100 right now.

https://www.amazon.com/Mitutoyo-500-196-30-Advanced-Measuring-Resolution/dp/B00IG46NL2/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1468330954&sr=8-3&keywords=mitutoyo+digital+caliper

Instead of flipping each breaker for an hour, try this. Get a multimeter that tests amperage. Something like this:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00NWGZ4XC

You'll have to carefully remove the panel cover from your circuit breaker panel. Set the meter to amps and put the clamp around the black wire coming off each breaker. You'll be able to tell pretty quickly what circuit is using all the power, and you won't have to shut anything off.

FLIR is a brand, a thermal camera is what you want. FLIR makes a mobile phone attachable units, but I personally went with the Seek brand and have been happy with it.

(I bought this model for $168 but it has gone up drastically since then. I'm guessing there's a newer model that is in the same price range?)
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00NYWAHHM

https://www.amazon.com/Milwaukee-MW102-PH-Temperature-Meter/dp/B001DTNDME

It's a bit expensive, but does a fantastic job!

Well I'll be the first one to give you generic information that you could have found with the search function.

You just do the needful.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/032194318X/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=3IXCECMPTZ0C5&coliid=IJFXHOHENJ2FH

https://www.amazon.com/dp/0321492668/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=3IXCECMPTZ0C5&coliid=I3J2AR8V86JZMD

https://www.amazon.com/dp/0596007833/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=3IXCECMPTZ0C5&coliid=I2OPTI4J0S4UG2

Good screwdriver set.

https://www.ifixit.com/Store/Tools/64-Bit-Driver-Kit/IF145-299

A network tone tester in case you need to map out your network and document everything. Also functions as a basic cable tester.

https://www.amazon.com/Fluke-Networks-MT-8200-60-KIT-IntelliTone-Toner/dp/B00N2S6RPY/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1473701817&sr=8-5&keywords=fluke+networks+tester

A punch down tool.

https://www.amazon.com/TRENDnet-Punch-Krone-Blade-TC-PDT/dp/B0000AZK4D/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1473702091&sr=8-1&keywords=punchdown

An ethernet crimper.

https://www.amazon.com/TRENDnet-RJ-45-RJ-12-RJ-11-TC-CT68/dp/B0000AZK4G/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1473702137&sr=8-1&keywords=ethernet+crimper

A quick cable stripper.

https://www.amazon.com/Monoprice-Stripper-Cutter-Cables-107051/dp/B0069LRBU6/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1473702190&sr=8-3&keywords=ethernet+stripper

A usb hard drive dock.

https://www.amazon.com/Sabrent-External-Duplicator-Function-EC-HDD2/dp/B00IKC14OG/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1473702021&sr=8-2&keywords=usb+hard+drive+dock

A notebook.

https://www.amazon.com/Rhodia-Meeting-Book-Made-France/dp/B001DCDSW6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1473702220&sr=8-1&keywords=rhodia+meeting+book

Your necessities may vary, this applies to more of a one-man shop, and there's plenty of other things you'll want to get that I don't have listed here depending on your job.

I dunno how much you should get paid.

That's a toner & probe. Yes, fluke has that for 8X more new.

https://www.amazon.com/Fluke-Networks-IntelliTone-Toner-MT-8200-60-KIT/dp/B00N2S6RPY/

That isn't fluke's main deal though. They test signal integrity and where that drops off via their DSX network analyzer($15,000). The toner and probe is fairly basic.

The tool you picked should be fine for doing home cable routing. Don't need high end for that.

Torque wrench

Socket set

Hex sockets

1/2 inch Ratchet

1/4 inch Ratchet

Combo wrench set

Calipers

Chain tool

Pretty close to everything you'll ever need to work on a bike, besides specialty tools. Buy or borrow other stuff when the issue comes up! You can do it!!

Edit: Added calipers.

A Toner & Probe kit would definitely help out identifying cables. There are less expensive ones, but if work's paying for it, I recommend Fluke.

Absolute cheapest? Grab a buddy and some cell phones or 2-way radios. One of you monitors the activity lights on the switch, the other unplugs things one-by-one. Switch side looks to see what light went dead, and labels it. Label other end as well. Repeat until done.

Best? Get a Fluke network testing device.

Good compromise? This.

Multimeter and tone generator are going to be a must here.

Something cheap like this https://www.amazon.com/Extech-TG20-Wire-Tracer-Generator/dp/B00APD16D2/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1525382409&sr=8-4&keywords=tone+generator+and+probe&dpID=41weL%252BldgUL&preST=_SY300_QL70_&dpSrc=srch would do the trick nicely.

What you do is put the aligator clips on the panel end of a wire and then take the probe out to the different devices and listen for the tone. If you put the tone generator on a wire and you can't get a tone, switch it to the continuity setting. If the wire is showing continuity, then you'll want to open doors and windows one at a time until you see the continuity go away. You've just identified that wire.

Once you've identified where each wire goes, you'll need to identify where they're supposed to be tied into the DSC system. You'll need to look in the programming for that.

http://cms.dsc.com/download2.php?t=1&id=13598 is a direct link to the manual for your panel in PDF.

1. Don't run cat 6, you get almost nothing for the extra price over cat 5e. If you want to prepare your house for 10gb use cat 6a or cat 6e. I just checked and it's only an extra 10 bucks on monoprice to go from cat6 to cat6a.
   
   
2. Everywhere you run 1 cable run 2 even if you don't terminate the second one. It takes the same amount of effort to pull 2 as it does 1 and it will always be there in the wall if you need it.
   
   
3. Do Not Buy a Crimper! Most of us have one and it is easy to lazily crimp when we should punch. If you don't own one then you'll never form the bad habit. Plus, punching down is easier.
   
   
4. Don't buy a cable tester, all it does is confirm that you're not color blind after you've punched. A cheap toner might be useful though, I have a fluke at work but prefer my cheap $25 dollar one more:
   http://www.amazon.com/Upgraded-VicTsing%C2%AE-Ethernet-Telephone-Tracking/dp/B008G8KE90/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1427681337&sr=8-3&keywords=cable+toner
   

So, as far as hydrometers go. Ive never used one before, nor do I know what I'm looking for when shopping for one. here is one that I found on amazon for relatively cheap, but would you say this would work fine, or should I get a different one. I would like to use one for my first batch when I get my kit sometime this or next week.

https://www.amazon.com/Fluke-Networks-MT-8200-60-KIT-IntelliTone-Toner/dp/B00N2S6RPY

It's like $200 bucks. You don't need each tech having their own. Get two or three, tops.

I actually ended up buying one of these for myself: https://www.amazon.com/Seek-Thermal-Compact-Imager-Android/dp/B00NYWAHHM/

It works pretty damn well for the price. I was comparing it against the FLIR over the weekend and was rather impressed.

You can get digital angle finders pretty cheap that are incredibly accurate. I use one like this to set precise angles on my table and miter saws all the time.

https://www.amazon.com/Wixey-WR300-Type-Digital-Backlight/dp/B00T6YZ0K6

Also keep in mid that in most cases, when an apartment complex is set up with the ONTs in a common location, like yours, there is typically a Cat5e cable run from each apartment to the ONT room for landline phone purposes. This is very easy to repurpose for Ethernet. Just identify it (you may need a tone and probe kit for this), attach a punch-down Cat5e keystone jack to the end in your apartment, crimp an RJ45 plug onto the ONT end, plug it into the ONT, and call Verizon to have the ONT switched to Ethernet. I did just this for my brother's previous apartment.

I think what you want is a Toner & Probe.

Basically you plug one side in the jack you want to locate, then use the probe to sweep across the patch panels to locate which one it is.

As for labeling, I've come to like the <IDFroom><Patchpanel><Number>. Like 101A23 (IDF Room 101, Patch panel A, port 23).

Cable tester for the drop: https://www.amazon.com/Upgraded-Version-ELEGIANT-Telephone-Ethernet/dp/B015EFE3XA/ref=sr_1_20?ie=UTF8&qid=1485309064&sr=8-20&keywords=cable+tester

Sounds like this product might be a good solution for you (if you are willing to install in the wall) https://www.ubnt.com/unifi/unifi-ap-wall/

Ranco. End of discussion. It's an industrial grade temperature controller and as good as it gets.

And to elaborate, get the controller: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0015NV5BE?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_search_detailpage and then get a multi-outlet extension cord to wire it with. I used this one: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0009JEBQG?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00

For around $50 you now have the most reliable temperature controlling solution out there

I'm kind of thinking of just getting one of these and sticking with free handing. I THINK I'm at 15-20 degree angle (results seem to indicate as such) but I'm not 100% positive. I just have no real concept of angles other than eye-balling it. I don't have enough knives (yet) to really validate the clone/real thing anyways lol http://www.amazon.com/Wixey-WR300-Digital-Angle-Gauge/dp/B001PTGBRQ/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&qid=1422170880&sr=8-8&keywords=angle+finder

If you want fractional inches get these and not the other ones, I have two pairs and they are very good quality, I beat on one pair and it still reads accurately, I check it with gauge blocks regularly. If you aren’t going to use fractional inches then the other ones are fine as well, your choice.

Link:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B017KUC6XQ/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awdb_t1_QDKNDbHGK45N4

Can you possibly supply a general parts list? I must make one of these now! I found the controller here.

But what about the enclosure size? The tube connected to the submerged black box? We need details please!!!

I would think that a thorough search of all lights and outlets in the vicinity would solve the mystery. check that the switch is off, find outlets that are off, flip the switch to see if they come on. Seems like you're done that but not exhaustively?

I've got a box similar to this - I could pull the switch out, clip on the generator and literally follow the wire through the wall to its destination. Make sure the switch is off so you aren't tracing supply. And, still sometimes the wire goes right up the wall into the attic and you end up wandering from device to device hunting for a signal.

I invested about $30 in a digital angle gauge. It's really nice to have around to make sure your saws are in tune also.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001PTGBRQ/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

try one of these digital angle gauges. I bought a cheaper version of this (about $15 iirc) from HF and it has saved me hours of headache. I've used this on a cheap jobsite saw and managed to get perfect 90 degree cuts every time.

A cable tester would work...a toner might be better though, and certainly cheaper.

Cable tester, ELEGIANT XQ-350 Wire Tester Telephone Phone RJ45 RJ11 Wire Tracker Ethernet LAN Line Finder [Upgraded Version] https://www.amazon.com/dp/B015EFE3XA/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_jgHFzb2Y1PF6N

buy one of these

http://www.amazon.com/Extech-TG20-Wire-Tracer-Generator/dp/B00APD16D2/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1463422577&sr=8-2&keywords=tone+generator+and+probe+kit

It's how they made the lightsaber sound, and is best bzzzzz

I saw this one on Big Clive's YouTube channel and it's served me very well.

Uni-T B4Q094 UT210E True RMS AC/DC Current Mini Clamp M W Capacitance Tester https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00O1Q2HOQ/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apap_SCHenkNd6Avzz

I use this one it's supposed to be ±0.02 accuracy, and I am using it with the proper calibration buffers (I used to work in a testing lab, so I'm familiar enough with the maintenance)

So, idk. I'm going to try a different bacteria next attempt and hope for better results.

https://www.amazon.com/Extech-TG20-Wire-Tracer-Generator/dp/B00APD16D2/

$20, works great

Mitutoyo 500-196-30 Advanced... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00IG46NL2?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share This is a great set of calipers

I bought this one a year ago and I use it all the time, it's been great so far.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00NWGZ4XC/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1500249073&sr=8-3&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=etekcity+multimeter&dpPl=1&dpID=417YqOjJ1mL&ref=plSrch

These are helpful little things Zoostliss Network Cable Tester RJ45 RJ11 RJ12 UTP LAN Cable Tester Networking Tool https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06XZYXN63/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_oGpvCbWQEFE94 to make sure the wiring is all correct if the issue persists I would then try requiring TIA568B.

Unless your boyfriend is a machinist, go with the calipers all day long. Mic's are for very precise measurement of specific items and are much less versatile for everyday use. You'll notice that most micrometers will only measure 1 inch, so if you actually need to use them you will often you'll have a set of many mics that measure 0-1", 1-2", 2-3"... ect. Whereas calipers measure 0-6 inches and are much faster (but do sacrifice some accuracy).

So as for calipers, Mitutoyo's are pretty hot right now. This is the pair my wife bought me a few years ago and I couldn't be happier:

https://www.amazon.com/Mitutoyo-500-196-30-Advanced-Measuring-Resolution/dp/B00IG46NL2/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?ie=UTF8&qid=1550246576&sr=8-1-spons&keywords=mitutoyo+caliper&psc=1

If you want to shop around make sure that you get either a Mitutoyo, Brown and Sharpe, or Starrett brand.

Yes, I did all the terminations myself. I am 100% completely certain they are all A-style terminations.

I used this to test.

Snap On does not make all their own tools. It wouldn't surprise me if the Snappy set is just a re branded starrett. The boxes look identical. That being said, what kind of work do you do? I do a lot of structures and I barely use my combination set. I use the shit out on my little 4" square. Unless you're in a machine shop I think the big name sets are way overkill.

I mostly use a 6", 18" scale, a 4" Combination square, and a Mitutoyo Caliper

I have this one - https://www.amazon.ca/Digital-Dr-meter-Resolution-Accuracy-Measurement/dp/B00ST3VTQ4/ref=sr_1_2_sspa?keywords=dr+meter&qid=1558368922&s=gateway&sr=8-2-spons&psc=1

​

I'm using distilled water (sanity checked it pH) and if I take soil and mix it up in the water it's 6.5. I'll try some more samples. Thanks for the direction! Is it salvageable?

If you're trying to figure out where those cables go, a cheap cable toner is always a huge help.

Yep, it's a nice tool to have for a lot of different things. I use this one: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00DMI62HM?ref=emc_b_5_t

You can go on amazon, if you search “temp gun” the top ones are actually the same models that I bought from a head shop. Most people dab between 5 and 700 so I’d get one that can read in that range and maybe a little higher to gauge time.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00DMI62HM/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_8XCWCb7F8SVZG

This one looks just like mine and I think would do everything you need.

Buy an inexpensive angle gauge at Home Depot (digital is better but costs more). Place on jack stands. Remove brake caliper and bracket, but leave one lug nut on tight. Place the magnetized portion against the rotor. Note the angle of the rotor. Do all the work and put the angle gauge back on and adjust the strut bolts until you get close to the original angle. Do the same thing the following week when you do the struts. This will get you close to the same ballpark each time. Then get a real alignment.

https://www.amazon.com/IRWIN-Tools-Magnetic-Locator-1794488/dp/B005XUHKSM/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1499728247&sr=8-5&keywords=angle+gauge


https://www.amazon.com/Wixey-WR300-Type-Digital-Backlight/dp/B00T6YZ0K6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1499728474&sr=8-1&keywords=angle+gauge

It's $160, but this has been the best I've used for reliability and precision, and I suspect anything sub-50 will be mostly garbage if you don't want springy/unreliable calipers.

Edit: Amazon link for $115

>If switch B is off, then switch A can turn the lights on and off.

>If switch B is on, then switch A cannot turn off the lights. When you flick switch B (in either direction), the lights just blink for a second, but then immediately come back on.

How bizarre... I'm still trying to diagram this.

What if it's like this?

http://i.imgur.com/0yWJHQK.png

(B could also be a 3-way with one of the output nodes not connected to anything)

To diagnose, I would cut power and use a wire tracer like this:

https://www.amazon.com/Extech-TG20-Wire-Tracer-Generator/dp/B00APD16D2

Quite a few reasonably inexpensive thermal image attachments for cell phones on the market that cut the cost significantly over all in one solutions. Maybe not quite to the point of buying it just for giggles, but easily justifiable from a business standpoint.

Seek Thermal

or

FLIR One

I was going to go with the $999 standalone version but it has issues. I got the 5s version for now but they are coming up with new products and might show stuff at CES 2015. They were offering $100 discount on that iPhone case. I have an old iPhone that I test apps on, so I thought why not put it to good use.

I first ordered Seek for Android (http://www.amazon.com/Seek-UW-AAA-Thermal-Connector-Black/dp/B00NYWAHHM/) but returned it for a FLIR

Check local classifieds

I checked min few years ago, might've been 3 and found a guy selling one of these for $30. Ended up being a guy in a homebrew club. He ended in giving me 50 lbs of malted barley free with the thermostat. Keep in mine the one I posted isn't wired, you'll have to wire it yourself. I've heard good things about the still cheap but slightly less so option Colin posted

https://www.amazon.com/RANCO-ETC-111000-Digital-Temperature-Control/dp/B0015NV5BE

You can get a decent cable tester for under $20. Here's what I have in my tool bag: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B015EFE3XA

Or you can plug a laptop into one end and the router on the other and see what works if you want to do it for free.

I just started about six months ago, and I thought I would add some pretty un-sexy things to the list... but Im so happy with them

• FastCap Glue Bottle Dispenses from the bottom. Precise and convenient control
  
• [Sanding Disc Pad] (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00XW7MZVA/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o09_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1) Means not having to buy sanding paper of different sizes
  Silicone Glue Brushes Are completely reuseable
  Digital caliper Since grabbing this I have used it countless times when making cuts to match
  
• Clamps, clamps, clamps
  
• Also please don't forget PPE :)
  
  Edit: Apparently I can't bullet point :(

If you find yourself thinking about this a lot, you might want to buy or borrow an infrared laser thermometer. It is inaccurate on reflective surfaces like stainless steel but works well with cast iron. Not something you need to do every time of course, but it'll take the mystery out of a lot of questions.

Agreed. But go with the intellitoner if you can afford it.

I was able to easily find lines in a boat I couldn't trace with an analog toner due to noise.

https://www.amazon.com/Fluke-Networks-MT-8200-60-KIT-IntelliTone-Toner/dp/B00N2S6RPY

I just built a temperature controlled fridge for a stainless steel conical fermenter.  I used a Farenheit clone of an stc1000.  About 15 bucks on amazon.  I put it in a project box and wired it up to a power cord.  I've never done wiring until this project and it was easy enough to look at wiring diagrams and figure it out.  Total cost around 30-35 bucks.  It only has one output, but is switchable between heat and cold through the control unit.  I would have to plug in a heater and change some settings if I ever actually need heat.  Link to amazon temperature controller.http://www.amazon.com/Docooler-Temperature-Controller-Thermocouple-Fahrenheit/dp/B00F05UI8O/ref=pd_bia_nav_t_1?ie=UTF8&refRID=1VA86NV0NQVACV8CRBA1

EC meter you can get away with a cheap one. PH Meter, the cheap ones are junk, spend around $50+ for a good PH meter. PH is critical to get right, so spend some money on a PH meter to make sure you always have that dialed in.

​

I have this PH meter, had to calibrate it, but it has been ROCK solid so far.

​

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00ST3VTQ4/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Miter saws are for convenience, not precision. Especially a cheap sliding one will go out of adjustment very easily. There's nothing preventing your table saw from making perfect 45° cuts, but you can't rely on the angle gauge even on some high-end saws.

Get a Wixey angle gauge to set the tilt of your blade (which may require adjusting a stop inside the saw), or make a miter sled which allows for fast, easy cuts with the blade straight.