Cable

• If you're stateside, Anixter is our main supplier since they have branches all across the country. However we use several local vendors as well, NedCo in Las Vegas, Pacific Radio in Los Angeles, etc.
  
  
  
• EWI looks fine, I haven't ever worked with it personally, but looking at their site it looks fine.
  
  
  
• My company personally uses Belden whenever possible for installations and for inside racks. For touring and studio a mixture of Mogami and Canare for microphone, instrument cable etc. For speaker cable I personally prefer CCI/Coleman cables. I've seen those jackets take extreme beatings in all environments and all sorts of machinery run over them.
  
  For your question about 3.5mm to TS, you really just need any audio rated cable and what it's purpose is. For these I personally find it easier to purchase a stereo 3.5mm and solder on the connector I need; RCA, TS, XLR, etc.
  
  
  
• When looking you should shop around multiple vendors and get pricing for various cables at each location. See how their pricing and shipping differ.
  
  
  
• Most 22-26awg signal cable will use foil due to it's small size. Outside of that should be a twisted dump wire. Solid dump wires I've found are not the best for audio as they break easily if a cable is over extended/bent too far. For microphone, as close to 100% coverage over your other pairs is ideal. Any reputable cable manufacturer will provide this information.
  
  
  
• Microphone cable is the same cable as instrument cable. The only difference is there is an extra wire. A balanced XLR will have a dump wire/shield, a hot, and a neutral. An instrument cable only has the dump wire/shield and the neutral generally. The only real thing to look for is the cable's resistance. Digital RCA should be around 75ohms, while Analog RCA is around 20-40. Same for DMX and Audio, DMX looks the same, but is around 110ohms, whereas audio cables will be around that 20-40ohms. This is done to protect the digital transmission of their square waves more, whereas audio doesn't need to and is a sine wave.
  
  Solder
  
  
• Each solder will have a different melting point, another key thing is to look at the melting point of the wires insulation/jacket. Most Lead based solders will have a melting range of 350-450°F. Generally the silver solder will melt around 1,145°F, this is known as easy silver solder, as it is only around 56% pure, hard flow silver solder is closer to 1,375°F. What you'll typically find/use is 70/30 or 60/40 which should be around 350-375°F range. Why some people prefer Silver Solder is for clarity, it has less imperfections that disrupt the flow of the electrons. However your usual 70/30 or 60/40 is just fine as well, the majority of cables you'll work with have been made with this type of solder. One key thing to look for is that the solder you have contains a Flux Resin Core. This helps the solder flow easier and bond to other metals easier.
  
  
  
• Watch videos on youtube, make sure you have a decent Iron [I personally prefer Hakko] the Digital FX888D is a great inexpensive soldering station for beginners. The next thing to do is to practice. Practice, practice, practice. Cut off a few feet of wire and go at it, practice tinning and terminating over and over again. Another thing is to practice undoing a connection. To do this you'll want to put your tip on the joint, and then add solder with a flux resin core. Once solder melts, its melting point goes up in temperature, the flux and resin help to lower that back down to make it flow faster/easier. Then, if you don't have a solder sucker, just pull the wire out of the connection point and while the solder is still flowing tap it out onto a safe surface. This will remove the excess solder but will still make it tinned, ready for your next wire. Key point clean your tip! If your iron didn't come with a gold foil cleaner, get one, they're around $5-25 and worth every penny, here's a $5 one on Amazon. This will clean all the impurities off of your iron and make soldering easier and cleaner. If you're in a pinch and don't have one, a wet paper towel/cloth works. You want it to be wet enough that if you squeeze it with some good force water will come out of it steadily, but not so much water that it pools out when you press your iron against it.
  
  
• A station heats up very quickly, so if you have a shop, those are ideal. Having it well lit and ventilated is key, the fumes can be nasty. Additionally have the right tip on your iron for the job is key. For example, a tip meant to do 26awg signal probably isn't the best suited for then doing 10awg lines.
  
  
  
• Google, sometimes after a long day my mind blanks when making adapters for whatever I'm doing, and I just do a quick google image search. Otherwise, if you want it in book form, along with basically everything you'd need to know about the basics of tech, The Backstage Handbook.
  
  
  
• You should have the following,
  Stereo RCA to XLR Male
  
  Stereo RCA to RCA
  
  Male XLR to RCA
  
  Female XLR to RCA
  
  EP6 to NL4 and NL8, going both ways, ie One side Male Neutrik to Female EP6, and then vice-versa.
  
  1 Male to 2 Female XLR
  
  Then just a slew of various connectors to make anything that may arise.
  
  
  
• Amazon, Anixter, any electronics specialty store will have shrink tube. Be sure to check out how much it'll shrink when heated up, so shrink more than others. How to make them super clean is all up to how meticulous you are. Make sure you have a nice clean strip of the wire, and that your distance for stripping back the otuer jacket, and each wire's inner jackets is proportional to the connectors strain relief. You'll also want to make sure you sex your wire, ie, male XLR should go, Ground, Hot, Neutral when stripped Left to Right. Female XLR should start with the Neutral, then go Hot, then Ground. This will make for a cleaner look when it may be opened up, and less of a hassle when aligning the wires for soldering. For the actual soldering part you'll want to tin both your wire, and the solder point. Solder will flow to where it's hottest. By tinning these you are prepping the points to connect. You'll use less solder, and it will take less time. Once both sides are tinned, put the tip of your iron at a contact point of both the wire and the connector. Then wait a good 2-3 seconds and apply some solder. you won't need much. If you did it right the solder will melt almost instantly and then hold the iron there for another 1-3 seconds and both the solder on the wire and connector will now pool and flatten down naturally from gravity with the solder you just added. Pull your wand away and let it cool for a second or two before you let go of the wire. Shrink tube should be necessary in most XLR, TRS, RCA, NL4, connectors, but if you feel so inclined, then by all means do it. However, for this I recommend using a clear shrink tube. This will make it easy to check if something at the solder point is bad when troubleshooting a cable. For other cables such as an EP6 connector, I will always, ALWAYS recommend use of shrink tubing.
  
  
  
• Labeling depends on the context. For instals in say an audio rack, our typical scheme is U101-A, U101-B, U102-A, the U### = Rack unit number, the letter A thru B, C, D etx refers to the amp channel. For these I typically use 3/8 or 1/2 White or Yellow shrink tube labes with our Rhino Labeler. We do not however shrink them, this is done for service purposes. Depending on your angle when servicing you may not be able to read the label once shrunk, but if left unshrunk you can turn it so it can be read from wherever you are. Note, you should label both ends of the cable the EXACT same. For touring and rental you should put your name/company's info on a label of some sort and then place a piece of clear shrink tube over that. You want to make sure about 1/2-1" of the clear shrink tube carriers over the edges of your label. This will protect your label longer than if they're almost exactly the same length. It's also not a bad habit to run a piece of colored tape, label, whatever under the clear shrink tube on both ends to distinguish cable length. Every company has a different method, but the one I use is the rainbow.
  
  Red - 5ft
  
  Orange - 10ft
  
  Yellow - 15ft
  
  Green - 25ft
  
  Blue - 50ft
  
  Purple - 100ft
  
  White - 200+, one band =200, two bands = 300.
  
  Hopefully this helps you in some way, let me know if you have any other questions or follow-up to any of these responses! edits Grammar, phrasing, some links to specific items, etc.

The core material EDC, to me would be knife, light and cellphone. But cool keychain gidgets are really nice too.

So I'd say if you have a knife, a good flashlight would be next, then a backup knife and light (one is none, two is one). I like a multi-tool or SAK for my backup knife, and a keychain light for my backup torch.

(In case you're curious, after that I start considering footwear, gloves, hats and other clothing.)

(Sorry, I'm feeling a bit lazy, so you'll have to live with bare links.)

This one is pretty popular for keychain use: www.amazon.com/iTP-A3-EOS-Flashlight--Upgrade/dp/B006K5C2EG/

Fenix has single AA and 123 powered lights that are well regarded and compact:
AA: http://www.amazon.com/Fenix-E11-Compact-Lumen-Flashlight/dp/B005GW8UC2
CR123: www.amazon.com/Fenix-Compact-140-Lumen-Flashlight/dp/B005CWRB44

There are a lot of other brands worthy of consideration too, of course (Fourseven's mini, Jetbeam, Klarus, Zebra, just to name a few).

There are also a lot of much larger but more capable flashlights out there.

Keychain stuff is always nice:
I use these sliver grippers way more than I thought I would. The convenience of always having them around is unparalleled: http://www.amazon.com/UNCLE-BILLS-SLIVER-GRIPPER-TWEEZER/dp/B001KMSUA4
I've been thinking of getting this, I'm a little leery about that much stuff for so little cost though: www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003A5E5IK
I love this style of keyring, but it's way cheaper on eBay: http://www.amazon.com/Vigilant-Gear-Aircraft-Cable-Ring/dp/B006ZSP1PA
Little one-piece keychain tools have become really popular, and I really like having a little prying and screwing tool always present.
The Gerber Shard is cheap but probably at least worth what you pay for it: http://www.amazon.com/Gerber-22-01769-Shard-Keychain-Tool/dp/B002ZK45IQ
This one has a bit more functionality, and is made of the magically delicious titanium: http://www.amazon.com/Schrade-Chain-Tool-Seatbelt-Cutter/dp/B004PQJ1QO

Keychain multi-tools can be good.
Here's one from Gerber: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B006M9NIDO
Supposedly the build quality isn't as good as Leatherman's though: http://www.amazon.com/Leatherman-64010101K-Micra-Multi-tool/dp/B000JCN0FG

I'd also recommend looking for a glow in the dark lanyard.

A pen you can EDC is another "you're surprised how often you use it" item. I have an Inka and it's definitely alright, though a bit fiddly: http://www.amazon.com/Nite-Ize-Inc-Inka-Pen/dp/B001E6R6EM/
The biggest competitor is the classic Fisher Bullet Space Pen: http://www.amazon.com/Fisher-Space-Pen-Bullet-400B/dp/B000WGD13U

Something to write on is nice. I'm a real child of the digital age, but I still like having an analog recording medium on me. I prefer Pentalic's pocket size books to Moleskine's. They're a little thicker, but they have a flexible cover, and are usually cheaper. Here's one: http://www.amazon.com/Pentalic-Travelers-Sketch-3-Inch-4-Inch/dp/B0025TZ35Q but I don't know if it's ruled or grid or what. I also prefer a bright color cover to make it easy to spot.

Continuing on the writing stuff matter, a sharpie and/or a metallic (ink) sharpie are nice to have. You can get sharpies with stainless steel cases too, which feel nicer to hold, and you're a little less likely to forget somewhere.
Black (dozen): http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00006IFEP
Stainless Steel: http://www.amazon.com/Sharpie-Stainless-Permanent-Marker-1747388/dp/B001V9LQLG
Metallic: http://www.amazon.com/Sanford-39108PP-Metallic-Sharpie-Permanent/dp/B00119QWCO

I think everybody should carry some sort of bandanna. I carry an off-brand buff (tubular bandanna) and an olive drab shemagh.

I like to carry a small baggie of what I call MacGuyver goods. Paracord (bound up in a hanayawa right now), some gorilla tape and electrical tape wrapped around a card, super glue, a sewing kit, zip ties, twist ties, rubber bands, safety pins, binder clips, and a few 1 quart ziplock freezer bags. (Like hell I'm finding links for all of those.)

Yet another "surprising how useful it turns out to be" item is a small mirror: http://www.amazon.com/Coghlans-Featherweight-Mirror/dp/B0047QV44O/

Whistles are useful for warning people of fire or danger, or calling for help, so I like to carry one: http://www.amazon.com/Fox-40-Whistle-Breakaway-Lanyard/dp/B00544UJC6

A monocular is fun to have on your person. This particular model is really great because of its super low minimum focusing distance, which lets you use it as a sort of loupe. In regular mode it's good for looking for house numbers or your car in a parking lot, that sort of thing: http://www.amazon.com/Brunton-Echo-7x18-Pocket-Scope/dp/B000FKMTBS

I think that's all I could come up with off the top of my head.

I was in your shoes not too long ago, it's overwhelming! Here's a list of things that I bought, but I am not an expert so if others have better input go for that:

Equipment

• 10 gallon tank with hood
  
• Broad Spectrum Light The one that came with the hood did not provide enough for the plants, you definitely need to invest in a broad spectrum bulb.
  
• CaribSea Flora Max Substrate I learned that shrimp prefer darker color substrate, this was worth the investment! My shrimp were so unhappy with cheap gravel, after switching to this substrate they are very active.
  
• Air pump
  
• Sponge filter
  
• Heater, maybe optional for you?
  
• Thermometer
  
• Gallon Bucket
  
• Siphon
  
• Seachem Prime Because it's a smaller tank, I ended up poking a pinhole sized hole in the seal so that I could use it as drops rather than pouring it in.
  
• [Seachem Stability] (https://www.amazon.com/Seachem-67101230-Stability-500ml/dp/B0002APIIW/ref=sr_1_1?s=pet-supplies&ie=UTF8&qid=1499786377&sr=1-1&keywords=seachem+stability) Use this while you're cycling your tank, follow the instructions.
  
• API Test Kit
  
• Feeding Tray For the longest time I was really confused as to how the feeding tray worked, you can either get a tube or pre-soak the pellets and then drop them into the tray using long tweezers. This will help prevent ammonia/nitrite spikes.
  
• Long Tweezer Set
  
• Pellets Do also feed them blanched vegetables, make sure to peel the skin and buy organic to avoid chemicals/pesticides
  
• Timer Outlet Worth the investment! So you don't have to keep remembering to turn the light on and off.
  
  Shop for whatever is cheaper, I have a huge heater because I had an extra one from before. I've read that it's not necessary but also have read that if you want them to breed you need to stimulate warm water. For now, I keep the heater off and leave it at room temperature of 72F. They seem very happy! Most important in my opinion, add plenty of plants and a marimo ball or 2.
  
  Lastly, I'm unsure of the siphon, I think it's good to have a bucket and siphon just in case your water parameters are looking bad so you are prepared to do a water change. From what I read, shrimp have a very low bio load and should be able to sustain themselves. Make sure to do tests regularly.
  
  EDIT I just read that this is your first aquarium, so here is a detailed write up:
  
  Setting up your tank
  
  
• 1. Find a stable top to place your aquarium on, keep in mind a well sunlit room will mean more plant/algae growth. Make sure it's sturdy and made for heavy objects, don't want to place it on a flimsy shelf or it might break! I keep mine on top a waterproof place mat because water drips are going to happen.
     
• 2. Rinse everything as a precaution! NEVER use dish soap!! If you must sanitize, vinegar is okay. Just make sure to rinse thoroughly. Also, NEVER use any kind of soap on your hands before handling things, just rinse well with water. Add your substrate, I lightly rinsed mine as there are beneficial bacteria living inside the substrate, pour it in. Make sure it's at least 2" of floor. Your water will be cloudy if you bought the substrate I listed, don't worry as it will settle after an hour and be clear.
     
• 3. Fill water half way, use a small plate and pour the water on top of that to avoid the substrate being pushed around. NEVER use hot water! If you're using tap water be sure to always use cold water. It's also recommended to purchase "RO water" (Reverse Osmosis Water) as some times your tap water can be too "hard". The best thing to do is use the test kit on tap water and go from there. If the kH/gH are very high 100+ you will need to use RO water. I like to place my plants and decor now while the tank is half full. Place in your thermometer, heater, sponge filter, etc. After that, continue to fill all the way to the top remembering to aim the stream on top the plate. Leave about a half to an inch from the top.
     
• 4. Take out plate, plug in filter, add in Seachem Prime and Seachem Stability. Please read the label for instructions and dosage according to your tank size. Since there is nothing inside you can add it after you've added the water to the tank. Moving forward, be sure to add the chemicals in the water bucket BEFORE pouring into the tank.
     
• 5. Turn on filter, wait for the water to settle and temperature to come up. They say shrimp can tolerate 52F to 86F but ideally room temperature water is best, this is where your water heater will come into play. Follow which ever cycling method you choose before purchasing your shrimp. This can take up to 6 weeks.
     
     After your tank has cycled
     
     
• 1. When adding your shrimp, there are many methods, the way I acclimate my shrimp is:
     
• 2. Put the shrimp in a 1 gallon tub using the water that they came in.
     
• 3. Drop in a tablespoon of the tank water, ONCE every 2 minutes.
     
• 4. After the water has reached 1/3 old water, 2/3rd new water, your shrimp are ready to be placed into your tank.
     
     Please don't skip the important step of acclimating your shrimp! They are very sensitive to water changes and this ensures that they will survive.
     
     Here are my water parameters, people have all kinds of ranges but this is what works for me:
     
     
• kH: 60 / gH: 40 / pH: 7.0 / NO2: 0 / NO3: 20 / Ammonia: 0 / Temperature: 72F
  
  I hope this helps... again, I was in your shoes not too long ago, it was really overwhelming. But after a lot of research I think my tank is in a good place :). Other users, if there's anything in my list that seems incorrect please let me know!

I"m assuming that you will be going soon, say the next month or so, time of year counts, but I'll assume it's soon.

Your tent is a little "meh." it'll work but it might not last so long; especially take core of the poles, they beak easily. Also the cheapo tent stakes that come with the tent are going to bend and you will curse them every time you set up your tent. Pick up some like these and they will serve you well. (Personally I hate using tents; they are hassles to set up and take down, and generally not pleasant to sleep in. If you can help it try sleeping under the stars and see if that suits you.)

You might find your sleeping bag to be a bit chilly, I'd recommend a 20 degree bag with a hood. I know it won't get that cold but the degree ratings are quite exaggerated so 20 degrees is really more suitable for 50 degrees. If you don't want to spend more money on a bag, make sure you have warm clothes and a good fitting beanie.

Air mattresses are fine, just take care to feel out for thorns or anything that might puncture it. Also you might want a blanket or something in between you and the mattress because it will suck out the heat from underneath you if you don't have some insulation.

You should have a tarp or footprint to put your tent on to protect it and the air mattress from punctures, it's worth it. The tarp you have should be fine (maybe doubled over if its thin), but a footprint will be more convenient.

For $15 that stove is a great deal, buy it if it still works fine. It runs off of white gas AKA "camp fuel", which you can find at many grocery stores, gas stations, any place with a sporting goods section, and many stores near popular camping areas. Finding white gas is not really an issue.

Don't buy matches, just get 2 or 3 Bic lighters. Really you should learn to make a fire using only your lighter, make that your goal each night. In a pinch my favorite fire starter is one you can make at home before your trip. Get an old egg carton and stuff each cup with cotton balls or dryer lint. then pour melted candle wax into each cup until about 90% full. Let the carton harden then pack it away. To use it rip off one cup and light the cardboard edge, you will have a strong flame for about 15 minutes.

Don't buy a filter. Water will be easy to come by at most campsites, but not all of them have a tap so make sure to bring along a few extra gallons just in case.

Lanterns produce almost no usable light, save your money and stick with the headlamp. Also that headlamp is excellent I highly recommend it. Protip: leave it around your neck like a necklace when you sleep then it's easy to find in the middle of the night.

I have a lot of experience with wilderness medicine and those pre-made kits are mostly worthless, you are much better off making your own kit.

I Recommend:

• 2-3 Rolls Athletic Tape - This works for making bandages and splints, covering blisters, cuts, burns, ect.
  
• Small Bottle of Ibuprofen (Advil) - Pain reliever, and muscle relaxant that aids in the recovery and prevention of injuries
  
• 1-2 Ace bandages - Makes bandages, splints, and slings
  
• Duct Tape - General purpose item
  
• Roll Gauze - For major injuries with significant bleeding
  
• Individually Wrapped Antihistamine (Benadryl) Tablets - Optional if you don't have allergies
  
• Bic Lighter - Sterilizes metal instruments
  
• Mini Swiss Army Knife - Excellent scissors and tweezers for minor injuries, sterilize with a flame before each use
  
• Sunscreen - Don't want to get burned
  
• Triple Antibiotic (Neosporin) - Ward off infection of open wounds, do not apply directly to the cut but rather around like a defensive wall
  
• Alcohol Prep Pads - Cleans and sterilizes open wounds before dressing
  
• Add Any Prescription Meds / Regularly Taken Medicines - Inhaler, insulin, Epi-Pen, ect.
  
• Add Anything That Makes You Feel Better Knowing You Have It - eg snake bite kits, aspirin, SAM splint, burn gel
  
  Chair looks comfy, get one you like with at least 1 cupholder
  
  A good knife makes a great survival tool and is just generally a useful item, check here every few days for a good deal on high quality knives. Multi tools are great to have around camp but an inexpensive set of tools would be much better for your situation. If you want a true multi-tool this one is good quality and a fair price.
  
  

I wrote this up earlier today for someone who wanted to start getting prepped on ~$75/Month but also wanted to not have to cook the foods. I did include some long term storage as the first step anyway because it's so cheap and easy, but so far as consumables go, this is a good start for you.

--------------------------------------------

A lot of this is a shelf life and storage space issue. If you have plenty of room for storage, I'd start like this:

• Month 1: This doesn't meet your doesn't-need-to-be-cooked guideline, but it's a really solid start to bulk up on available calories and requires minimal cash and effort, so it's going in anyway. Ignore it if it's not for you.
  
  Buy two 50lb bags of white rice from a place like Costco or Sam's Club. Find 3 food safe 5 gallon buckets with lids. Get Mylar Bags and O2 Absorbers. Then hit Youtube for instructions on what to do with them. If the Mylar bags bit will hold you back from doing this, then skip them and just clean the buckets then dump rice in them straight. Seal, date, set aside. That's 160,000 calories in month 1. Given normal pantry supplies that stretches things out quite a ways. Plan on rotating out at 7ish years if put straight into the bucket and 20 years if you use the Mylar. Realistically, with Mylar, white rice may be good for much longer than 20 years (most people say 30, but for the minimal investment I'd rotate earlier to be safe).
  
  
• Month 2:
  
  Grab a Water Bob (not right now though, hurricane season has prices high and stocks low for them). Also, a Sawyer Water Filter or two. That gives you an opportunity to grab an extra hundred gallons of water in your bathtub initially given enough warning, and some water purification options later on.
  
  
• Month 3:
  
  Assuming you have storage capacity, start looking at #10 cans of food. Those are the cans that are around a foot tall and very wide. Look for things that you would eat and would be usuable in your daily lives, but also ones that would be calorie dense. For example, refried beans, nacho cheese, baked beans, white potatoes, chick peas, chili with beans, etc. Those are things you can use in recipes at home, but can pick them up and store them for a couple of years first. Getting them in the larger can is a better return on investment/dollar than buying smaller ones.
  
  
• Month 4: This is probably more what you were looking for.
  
  If your pantry isn't topped up with the things your family normally eats, drop that money to get a little deeper on those things. Velveeta cheese, crackers, cans of soup, noodles, peanut butter/jelly, canned vegetables/fruit, pasta/sauce, salsa, dried/canned beans, seasonings, canned meat, canned chili, etc. Date them and make sure to work through the oldest first. Having the normal foods you eat in bulk will likely end up being what gets you through most things (like the current hurricane season, job loss, winter blizzard, etc). Spending on these things can be used to fill out whatever is left of your budget when it gets partially used up on other things. I'd also maybe consider having some flats of bottled water at home as well. I usually keep 4-7 Costco sized ones on hand for my SO and I.
  
  
• Month 5:
  
  Start looking at longer term bulk water storage. I like 5 gallon stackable water cubes as they're easier to move and use and you buy them as you have a little extra cash here and there, but if you want to bump the budget up a bit for a month and your wife won't look at you like you're crazy, a 55 gallon barrel is a better price per gallon than the individual cubes. Sometimes there's just no replacing having your own clean water source ready to go. Barring all of that, if your family will use them just grab a bunch of flats of bottled water and rotate them. Stacked high they don't take up a ton of floor space.
  
  
• Month 6 and Beyond:
  
  At this point you're pretty well set initially for both water and food. Keep the pantry stocked and rotating. Add on for long term stored water as you see fit and maybe invest in something like a Big Berkey if you really want to drop some money into it. At that point I'd probably begin considering longer term food storage. More rice, add in some dry beans (roughly 5 year shelf life in Mylar/Buckets), and if you're feeling really into it you can get unground wheat and that will last 30 years or better in Mylar/Buckets. You'll just need to have a hand crank grinder or two to use it.
  
  ------------------------------------------------------------------------
  
  I get wanting ready to eat foods, and that's pretty easy to do and a great place to start, but as one last recommendation... grab yourself a Propane Burner and a high pressure hose for it so that you can use regular propane tanks. You may be able to eat cold soup out of the can, but it's a lot more comforting when it's warm, and you can pretty easily have the ability to add more of your foods into your diet (like spaghetti or mac and cheese) when you can still have a burner to work with.

So in my mind, the basics of an EDC are a knife, a flashlight, a pen, and a notebook. Depending on your preference/level of preparedness, though, multitools are great, a gun is convenient if you're in a dangerous place with any regularity, and a first-aid kit can literally be a lifesaver.

So for the basics I'd recommend:
Knife: a Kershaw Leek or Scrambler. The Leek is smaller, more discreet, very light, and razor sharp. The Scrambler is considerably more robust, has a longer blade (3.5" vs. 3"), but weighs more as well. Both can be found in Kershaw's "Blackwash" finish, which I like both for the feel and for the added rust and scratch resistance. Both are also spring-assisted, which is legal in a lot of places, but check your local laws before carrying either in public. If you can't carry them, take a look at the Cold Steel Voyager. It comes in several lengths, is legal in California, and is very durable, if not super comfortable.

Flashlights: Oh my god, the flashlights. LEDs have become so cheap and so bright over the last few years that it's actually pretty hard to go wrong. Nitecore is currently my favorite brand, but Fenix has some options as well. I would urge you not to buy a surefire; they are undeniably great lights, but unless you expect to encounter truly extraordinary circumstances on a regular basis (any chance your light could fall under a tank or a bulldozer? maybe surefire is for you), they tend to be somewhat more pricey per lumen than a number of other companies. For EDC, the Fenix PD35 2014 edition is almost unmatched. Almost a thousand lumens, takes rechargeable batteries, and small enough to drop into the front pocket of your jeans, if you don't want to use the included clip or holster. If you'd like something more keychain sized, the Nitecore SENS series comes in several sizes and battery types, and automatically adjusts the brightness of the beam based on the light's orientation. Aim it at your feet and you get a soft glow; aim it off into the woods and it grows steadily brighter.

Let's be honest, a pen is going to get lost. The best pen is one you like enough to keep track of, but one you won't miss too terribly should some co-worker walk off with it. I like the Zebra F-301. Writes smooth, classic stainless steel good looks, and comes in RGB & Black. Notebooks depend entirely on personal preference too, but the smallest Moleskine is easily pocketable and has 32 lined pages.

In my mind, there is only one name in multitools. Leatherman has a kick-ass reputation, a 25-year warranty, and a plethora of tools to suit any need. For the casual EDC, I'd go with what I believe is the second-lightest full size tool, the Skeletool. 7 functions include a knife that opens while the rest of the tool is closed, the ubiquitous pliers/wirecutters, two double-sided bits and a driver; and it looks so. freakin. cool.

I dunno much about guns except that of all the things I've listed, a pistol should be the one you consider most carefully, especially whether you need it or not. It's a big investment and a bit of a lifestyle adjustment if you decide to go CCW. I've always heard 9mm and up, so use that as a jumping-off point.

First aid kits are useless unless they're both small enough to be carried anywhere and large enough to contain anything you might need. Making your own is a good idea because you have the best knowledge of your environment, but I found a couple on Amazon which seem to have most of the basics without too much fluff or bulk. The first could be stuffed in a jacket pocket, whereas the second would be useful in a car.

I hope I helped. Good luck!

[Kershaw Scrambler] (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00I04MOIO/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1)

[Kershaw Leek] (http://www.amazon.com/Kershaw-1660BLKW-Folding-BlackWash-SpeedSafe/dp/B00J14BOBU/ref=pd_sim_sg_6?ie=UTF8&refRID=1MHD47WR72RJ9HJVWCZN)

[Cold Steel Voyager, 3 inch] (http://www.amazon.com/Cold-Steel-Voyager-Tanto-Plain/dp/B00322LQB0/ref=sr_1_5?s=sporting-goods&ie=UTF8&qid=1417535788&sr=1-5&keywords=cold+steel+voyager)

[Fenix PD35 2014] (http://www.amazon.com/Fenix-PD35-Flashlight-EdisonBright-Batteries/dp/B00DR9GWX0/ref=sr_1_1?s=sporting-goods&ie=UTF8&qid=1417536075&sr=1-1&keywords=fenix+pd+35)

[Nitecore SENS AA version]
(http://www.amazon.com/Nitecore-Flashlight-Active-Dimming-Lumens/dp/B008J4CHNW/ref=sr_1_2?s=sporting-goods&ie=UTF8&qid=1417536301&sr=1-2&keywords=nitecore+sens)

Zebra F-301

[Moleskine "Cahier" Notebook, pack of 3] (http://www.amazon.com/Moleskine-Cahier-Journal-Pocket-Ruled/dp/8883704894/ref=sr_1_1?s=office-products&ie=UTF8&qid=1417536675&sr=1-1&keywords=moleskine+small)

[Leatherman Skeletool] (http://www.amazon.com/Leatherman-830846-Skeletool-Multitool/dp/B000XU9NXW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1417536920&sr=8-1&keywords=skeletool)

[Small bag or pocket first aid kit] (http://www.amazon.com/AAA-Piece-Commuter-First-Aid/dp/B000SL0R9K/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1417537142&sr=8-2&keywords=first+aid+kit)

Larger car first aid kit

EDIT: aspace

Yeah... don't get that other build. Last gen CPU that needs to be OC'd to realise its potential, a cooler that isnt compatible with your case, a turd tier PSU and no white in sight.

So that case you have isn't really the best, and if money is no object, there are far better available that might also look better and will be a lot more functional, as well as having more room for RGB fans. Nevertheless you said she's bought it so the build below assumes that you do want to use that case. It also assumes you are using the fans it comes with - so I'm not really sure where you want to add the extra corsair RGB fans. That case only has 3 fan slots - 2 front and 1 rear, and 1 front and the rear are already occupied with the fans it comes with.

If you do decide not to use that case let me know and I'll change the build accordingly. Here are some examples of better cases:

https://pcpartpicker.com/product/G78H99/phanteks-case-phes515etggs
https://pcpartpicker.com/product/Z9p323/nzxt-s340-matte-whitepurple-atx-mid-tower-case-ca-s340w-w3
https://pcpartpicker.com/product/vghj4D/phanteks-eclipse-p400-tempered-glass-atx-mid-tower-case-ph-ec416ptg_wt
https://pcpartpicker.com/product/TJyxFT/corsair-carbide-400c-white-atx-mid-tower-case-cc-9011095-cn
https://pcpartpicker.com/product/F28H99/nzxt-ca-s340w-w2-atx-mid-tower-case-ca-s340w-w2
https://pcpartpicker.com/product/Tpp323/nzxt-h440-matte-whitepurple-atx-mid-tower-case-ca-h442w-w2

Also you could look at smaller cases if thats something you think she'd like, here are some good ones:

https://pcpartpicker.com/product/vDqbt6/nzxt-case-camantww1
https://pcpartpicker.com/product/NnL7YJ/phanteks-case-phes215pwt
https://pcpartpicker.com/product/VMLypg/fractal-design-case-fdcanode304wh

All of these are a similar kind of aesthetic but others are available, have a look here where I've set the filter for case colours of white/silver/purple.

https://pcpartpicker.com/products/case/#c=35,36,38,62,64,66,82,83,87,89

• CPU - Very good CPU but not totally overkill, fast without overclocking, great for lots of multi tasking. 1600x over 1500x for the faster clock speed almost as much as the extra threads. I think this will be more future proof than something like a 7600 or 7700k while also not being overkill. But a CPU like that would be ok too, just not really necessary for her use case.
  
• Cooler - same as one from above but will actually fit in the case you've got. It's a 240mm radiator instead of 280mm.
  
• Mobo - Quality board, features etc. White accents and RGB lighting which can be set to purple. There are other motherboards where the whole board is white, but they dont have RGB LEDs. You may wish to go with one of those and then get some RGB LED strips for the case itself.
  
• RAM - Could be set to a nice white/purple setting. Honestly you really dont need ram this fast for your sister's usecase so you could happily drop to 2400 mhz and save a few bucks.
  
• Storage - changed the SSD to a better one given your 'money no problem' statement. If you were to change case to a case that you can display the SSD in I'd change this to a silver or white one.
  
• GPU - White with RGB LEDs. Perfect for what you want. However very hard to get your hands on. A GTX 1070 is itself slightly overkill as well for her use case... but it'd look great. If you can't find one, the only other white GPU is basically this one which is loud, lacks RGB but worst of all, it doesn't have a backplate so your looking at the black PCB all the time. To fix that last one you could buy a backplate from here: http://www.coldzero.eu/495-asus-gtx-1060-dual https://pcpartpicker.com/product/jZJkcf/asus-geforce-gtx-1060-6gb-dual-video-card-dual-gtx1060-o6g
  Last note on the GPU - I really doubt you need anything this powerful for the games she wants to play, you could probably easily get away with a GTX 1050 or 1050 ti, but there's just nothing in that range that fits your colour scheme.
  
• PSU - Just a very good quality and good value PSU with enough power for the build
  

• Fan - I'd move the rear stock fan to the front, and put the corsair fan at the back. Alternatively you could replace all the stock fans but at that point... Just get another case. However, this is another sexy fan you might want to consider: https://pcpartpicker.com/product/w7RFf7/nzxt-aer-rgb120-614-cfm-120mm-fan-rf-ar120-b1
  

  
  

  Lastly, some finishing touches:
  

  
  

  RGB Strips + Controller to go around the edges of the case:
  

  https://www.amazon.com/NZXT-AC-HUEPS-M1-Hue-Advanced-Lighting/dp/B018YZ0H1O/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1498729291&sr=1-1&keywords=nzxt%2Bhue&th=1
  

  
  

  White cables - will look good with all the purple RGB's glow on them. Went with full cables (replaces the cables that come with the PSU) instead of extensions (plug onto the end of the PSU cables) because I'm dubious about the cable management room and difficulty to build in that case.
  

  https://www.amazon.com/CableMod-ModFlex-Essentials-Cable-Corsair/dp/B01NBTE6BI/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_2?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1498729386&sr=1-2-fkmr0&keywords=white+cable+pc+corsair+rmx
  

  
  

  PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant
  

  
  

  Type|Item|Price
  

  ----|:----|:----
  CPU | AMD - Ryzen 5 1600X 3.6GHz 6-Core Processor | $227.98 @ OutletPC
  CPU Cooler | NZXT - Kraken X52 Liquid CPU Cooler | $185.32 @ PCM
  Motherboard | Gigabyte - GA-AX370-GAMING 5 ATX AM4 Motherboard | $188.48 @ OutletPC
  Memory | G.Skill - Trident Z RGB 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-3200 Memory | $159.99 @ Newegg
  Storage | Samsung - 850 EVO-Series 500GB 2.5" Solid State Drive | $174.44 @ OutletPC
  Storage | Western Digital - Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive | $48.44 @ OutletPC
  Video Card | GALAX - GeForce GTX 1070 8GB EX OC SNPR White Video Card |-
  Power Supply | Corsair - RMx 550W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply | $69.90 @ Newegg
  Case Fan | Corsair - SP120 RGB High Performance 52.0 CFM 120mm Fan | $19.69 @ OutletPC
  | Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts |
  | Total (before mail-in rebates) | $1094.24
  | Mail-in rebates | -$20.00
  | Total | $1074.24
  | Generated by PCPartPicker 2017-06-29 05:48 EDT-0400 |

Okay let's start from the beginning- each of your devices needs to be machine-controllable.

Lights- you can use smart bulbs (Hue etc) or you can use lighting controllers (smart light switches, plug-in dimmer modules, etc). Either way you'll either need a network like Z-Wave or Zigbee or Insteon to control them, which will require a USB RF interface. You could use all WiFi devices but I don't recommend this.

TV- that probably means infrared. Some TVs you can control by serial port, other TVs you can control with network traffic. 99% chance infrared is your best bet though.

Fan- if this is a plug-in fan you can use a plug-in switch module. What kind of fan is it?

Xbox- probably via IR.

Voice control- Alexa or Google Home.

Hub- Home Assistant works, HomeSeer costs money but might be easier to set up.

So to break this down, you need to find a way to interface all these devices with your hub. Let's assume you're using HA.

For the lights, you need a primary control technology, that'll be Z-Wave, Zigbee, Insteon, etc. I suggest Z-Wave as it's got better support in both Home Assistant and HomeSeer. That unfortunately rules out Hue bulbs, but it means you can instead get nice Z-Wave smart light switches and use your existing bulbs. Here's a popular one. If you want super controllability check out the HomeSeer branded switches- they'll work fine with Home Assistant, they have several LEDs that you can program to do whatever, you can decouple the switch (so pushing the button doesn't turn on the light but rather sends a Z-Wave command), program double/triple/quadruple tap actions, etc.

Note that if you really really want Hue lights, Home Assistant and HomeSeer both (somewhat) support ZigBee. You can also buy a Hue Bridge, which is basically an Ethernet-Zigbee interface that's Hue-proprietary, and link that to HA or HomeSeer.

Fan- if it's a plug in fan you need a plug-in appliance/switch module. Here's one. If you have a ceiling fan type thing you'll need a ceiling fan switch. Here's one of those (HomeSeer makes one too).

IR (TV, Xbox, etc)- probably BroadLink devices or Global Cache iTach. Note that if you try HomeSeer, Global Cache works, Broadlink I think does not.

Voice commands- How to integrate Alexa and Home Assistant.

You'll want to look at Smart things by Samsung or even a hubitat with z wave motion sensors, door sensors and z wave light switches.

Smart things

https://www.amazon.com/Samsung-SmartThings-Generation-GP-U999SJVLGDA-Automation/dp/B07FJGGWJL/ref=sr_1_4?keywords=smartthings&qid=1568218834&s=hi&sr=1-4

Hubitat

https://www.amazon.com/Hubitat-Elevation-Home-Automation-Hub/dp/B07D19VVTX/ref=sr_1_4?crid=11LGAJMZT4XTM&keywords=hubitat&qid=1568218857&s=hi&sprefix=Hubitat%2Ctools%2C181&sr=1-4

If you go the z wave /z wave plus route things tend to be much more stable and you can build a interference free IOT network. Zigbee runs on 2.4ghz so its generally less preferred to z wave that operates at a interferance-FREE 800-900 MHz.

Things like the GE Z wave light switches are great for a good reliable IOT network.


GE Z wave light switch & Extender

https://www.amazon.com/GE-Repeater-Extender-SmartThings-14291/dp/B01M1AHC3R/ref=sr_1_2?keywords=zwave+ge+light+switch&qid=1568218742&s=gateway&sr=8-2

For locks I highly recommend the Keyless Yale locks. $98 a piece, very reliable and they work great with a z wave network. They also use a hardened steel strike plate, a solid steel body, a tamper alarm, a anti saw dead bolt core and cant be picked.

​

You'll want a good quality door sensor, good reliable ones are few and far between so make sure you get something that has great amazon reviews. Dont cheap out here as flaky contact sensors are everywhere and its not worth the $5 when it doesn work half the time.


Z Wave Door Sensor


https://www.amazon.com/Z-Wave-Magnets-Window-Sensor-DWZWAVE2-5-ECO/dp/B01N5HB4U5/ref=sr_1_4?crid=29QS4YGELWFZR&keywords=zwave+door+sensor&qid=1568220339&s=hi&sprefix=Z+wave+door%2Ctools%2C170&sr=1-4


Yale Z wave YRD110ZW619 Dead bolt

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00PM6V1XW/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o06_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

​

I also use an Abode Security System thats z wave based with my z wave locks feeding in to it. Abode is great as its got all the fancy features other alarm systems offer but has no monthly charge!!


Abode Security System

https://goabode.com/?rfsn=2685339.3291b5


​

For Smart outlets I dont have any z wave ones yet, just a couple of TP-Link kasa ones. I would probably go for GE in wall outlets though. DONT SKIMP on your outlets, lesser known brands have been know to catch on fire!

I have 19 kasa light bulbs and they work pretty darn good, but I would recommend GE outlets for much better home automation. Smart light bulbs are good for basic stuff but once someone turns off the light switch you cant turn them back on until you flip the switch.


Kasa Light Bulbs LB110

https://www.amazon.com/TP-Link-LB110-Smart-Wi-Fi-Dimmable/dp/B01HXM8XE2/ref=sr_1_5?keywords=Kasa+bulbs&qid=1568220252&s=hi&sr=1-5

Please note that Smart things and Hubitat are booth good in there own respects, Smart things is good for people who know how to use a computer but are not power users. Hubitat is great for people who own a github account and really want the full automation experience. Hubitat runs most/all IOT commands locally and doesn't rely on the cloud for processing.

I skipped hubitat and went for HASSIO, I really, REALLY, dont recommend this rout unless your a computer tech as the learning curb can be really steep!!! It runs on your own server, I use the VB version


HASSIO

https://www.home-assistant.io/hassio/

well, generally speaking the more you decide to care about aesthetics, the more money you'll need to be willing to shell out. but honestly, i think you can do the LEDs cheaper than you're expecting.

first, RGB LEDs definitely get up in the 20+ range fast, but if you drop the RGB you can get them way cheaper. if you drop the color you might be able to get them even cheaper! i mean heck, at this point the LED strip is cheaper than the fans you're buying.

not to mention you can definitely take just one of those strips and chop it up into the individual pieces you need if you're willing to do a little wiring, so you would only need to buy one of them. wiring them into the case has the added bonus of meaning you don't necessarily need a remote control to turn them on/off (just unplug them if you want them off), so you dont have to worry about whether the cheaper LED kits come with one or not. i know there are also some LED strip kits designed specifically for things like computer cases that are already broken up into a few different sections for you as well - at a glance i'm not really seeing any on amazon, i'm sure you could find them if you were interested.

case fans definitely aren't the kind of thing you should count on reselling of trading in for much value, but it's always nice to have some extra fans if you're getting into building. before you know it you'll be helping your friend with a build or building a new rig for yourself, or one of your fans will die or something and you'll be happy you have a backup - even if you have a good "lol" at that fan having purple LEDs that dont fit the current theme, it's great to have a functional fan until you can purchase a replacement.

a solid mechanical keyboard is something you can definitely count on being able to trade in for value down the road, but i'm not particularly familiar with either of the boards you're talking about so just do your research before you pull the trigger on one.

For the record, I feel the same that the Cryo is too slippery - which is why I'm super glad Kershaw released a G10 version of it last year.

I also agree that the Tenacious is just a bit too big for EDC - and they do make the Persistence, which is a shrunken version of the Tenacious, with a 2.75 inch blade vs the Tenacious' 3-3/8 inch blade. If you wanna go even smaller, the Ambitious has a 2.25" blade. All 3 knives share a similar design (though the Ambitious is small enough that the proportions might look a little weird to some).

A few other knives of note that are standouts in the sub-$50 price range:

• CRKT Ripple - Ken Onion design with a more-traditional drop point blade, IKBS, 8Cr14MoV. Usually on most people's "Under $50" list.
  
  
• Kershaw Leek - Again, a little slippery and still Speedsafe but a slightly weaker torsion bar so not as forceful. Some people have issues with broken tips since they're a little thin, but this thing was the best under $50 when it came out.
  
  
• Ontario RAT 1 - At $25 this thing is a pretty great package, if not a little big. 3.5" blade, but it's AUS-8 if you don't like the 8Cr China steels (even if they are pretty similar).
  
  
• SOG Flash II - again, a 3.5 inch, AUS-8 blade. Assisted opening, but much less forceful than Speedsafe.
  
  
• The Kershaw Emerson CQC-6K has blown up since it's release and a lot of high speed low drag tactical types love it for EDC use. $25 makes it a pretty appealing choice and rock solid under $30.
  
  
• The Spyderco Delica 4 is just a touch over $50, averaging about $60, but it's also a go-to knife in the $50 for many people. VG-10 steel on this one is a big selling point.
  
  
• On the same hand, the Kershaw Blur is usually available for about $60, and for those looking for a big folder (seriously this thing is large) it's a great choice. Sandvik 14C28N as standard steel, also available with S30V for about $75.
  
  A few notes here
  
  
• You'll see a lot of sub $50 knives using 8Cr13MoV or 8Cr14MoV. The main difference is a little more Chromium in the 8Cr14MoV, leading to a little more corrosion resistance. A lot of people loved the Skyline, but there were a few issues with minor rust spots on the knives, leading to many companies switching to 8Cr14MoV for some of their knives (most of the budget Kershaws are 8Cr14MoV now).
  
  
• Kershaw has many many options for budget folders under $50, for all kinds of aesthetic tastes. The Chill, Thermite, Link, Oso Sweet, etc. I've owned a handful of Kershaws, and loved all of them, especially for the price.
  
  
• The 8Cr steels (13MoV and 14MoV) are pretty much on par with AUS-8, especially from CRKT, Spyderco, and Kershaw who all do a good job on their heat treats. There's a slight difference in hardness (3 to 4 HRC difference by most counts), but really they're nearly identical for all intents and purposes, mainly sharpening and edge retention. Some people just prefer AUS-8 because they don't like so called "China steel."
  
  
  ETA a few more links and some clarification of my still-awake-at-5am rambling.

1. I have a pizza cutter similar to [this one] (https://smile.amazon.com/Pizza-Cutter-Stainless-Integrated-Mozzbi/dp/B01DLHGXA4/ref=sr_1_6?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1496203463&sr=1-6&keywords=pizza+cutter) but the exact brand isn't on here because I bought it from a different site. It is by and far the best I've ever used. I went through quite a few trying to find one that cuts well :)
   
   
2. I keep [this] (https://smile.amazon.com/Kershaw-1660-Onion-Folding-SpeedSafe/dp/B0009VC9Y0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1496203582&sr=8-1&keywords=kershaw+onion+leek) with me at all times. It was a gift from a friend many moons ago. We were all amazed that he had bought it on amazon.com because back then we thought amazon only sold books :D
   
   
3. My favorite mobile app is [Pokemon Go!] (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.nianticlabs.pokemongo&hl=en)
   
   
4. [This] (https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B00BJQPX8S/_encoding=UTF8?coliid=IA15C3NOZJXFA&colid=2Z0D7A1SRJBDE) "welcome" mat is amazing.
   
   
5. [This] (http://www.valuecityfurniture.com/product/item/accents/furniture/tv-stands-and-media-centers/grenoble-media-credenza-teal/1639347?utm_medium=cpc&gclid=CjwKEAjwsLTJBRCvibaW9bGLtUESJAC4wKw1q_R1JBCXLoWCo0obyzyn2NledF37RbGhZ7qI0Y-BUxoCMMTw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds) is my favorite piece of furniture. I bought it on super duper black friday clearance and I just love it. It's distressed and holds a lot of crap inside of it. It helps give the appearance of adulthood!
   
   
6. I have a much cheaper version of [this] (https://smile.amazon.com/Eye-Vac-EVPRO-Professional-Touchless-Stationary/dp/B0011G20QY/ref=sr_1_1?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1496203991&sr=1-1&keywords=electric+dustpan) (also an off brand not bought on amazon) and it's really awesome. It has a setting that senses when you sweep stuff to it and just sucks it up. My room mate is "floored" by it and loves it almost as much as I do!
   
   shrdbrd you lazy bum, heres some cool stuff.

Starting from the upper right hand corner and working my way around in clockwise direction.

Pens – 3 Disposable Bic pens – When it comes to pens I leave them everywhere. I leave them in class, the lab, the machine shop, etc. Because of this I buy them in bulk and then just carry a bunch of disposable pens with me. They are cheap so if I lose one or someone asks to borrow one I don’t worry about getting them back. I like these pens because I find they are comfortable to write with, wont break from me carrying them around or treating them like shit, and have a pen cap to prevent them from making a mess in my pocket. Why no pencils?  I haven’t found a mechanical pencil that is both cheap and will survive in my pocket. If you know of one that fits those two requirements let me know in the comments!

Highlighter – Used for marking up academic papers I am reading. I’ll usually carry one or two with me but I keep several different colors at home for heavy markup. The colors I like carrying on me are odd colors, not yellow, like green and pink because they let my markups stand out from other peoples markups.

Sharpie – Used for marking up things that pens and highlighters can’t like metal, ceramics, and sleeping lab mates.

USB Drive – I don’t use it all that often thanks to free services like Google Drive and Dropbox but  everyone in a while when you don’t have access to other options these can really save you. For example like when you need to print out a final report that’s due in 15 minutes and the internet is down. (That example definitely hasn’t happened to me)

Letherman Skeletool – The Skeletool is a good all around multi-tool. It has a knife, pliers, wire cutters,/strippers, screwdriver (both flat an Philips), and a bottle opener.  It’s slim so its easy to carry without giving up a lot of functionality.

Timex Weekender Chrono – Useful for telling time if durring both meetings and tests when you cant check your phone. Taking a peek at your watch durring a meeting is unnoticeable unlike when you check your phone which can be considered rude.

TI-84 – The second most useful tool in my entire engineering education after a pen. I’ll often use the calculator instead of Matlab or Wolfram Alpha for doing homework that require simple computations just because I’m so familiar with it that I can operate it extremely quickly just from muscle memory.

Planner –  It’s useful for writing down assignment due dates and meetings. Everyone has a different way of organizing events/work an I find havving a written copy helps me visualize where everything is.

Muji Recycle Paper Bind Notebook – Useful for taking notes in meetings and they can fit in my back pocket

Allett Slim Bifold Wallet – It’s an ultra thin bifold wallet that I love. It’s so thin I never even notice it in my pocket. I can sit on it all day without being uncomfortable. My last one became worn out after two years and I bought another one immediately. I highly recommend them!

Keys –  For opening doors/stuff. Note: I just grabbed some unused keys for this pic and put them on a carabiner.

Google  Pixel – It’s taking the photo. Lately its mostly been used for snap chat

Good morning /u/EFaden and congrats on the new house!

I'm not sure what HUB you have but there are a couple options if you want to keep the standard in-wall switch, but use scenes to automate things.

Disclaimer: I'm associated with Inovelli, so please keep that in mind. However, I'll lay out all the options that I know of since the scene switches are a passion of mine since they can do so much

On that note, there's a few brands that I'm aware of that have the scene functionality built into a normal in-wall switch and they are: GE, ZWP, HomeSeer, and ourselves.

GE, I believe has a double tap feature in their new Z-Wave Plus switches, but I just have their old ones in my house (which have been great) so I can't confirm, but I've seen posts about it.

HomeSeer was actually one of the first, if not the first companies to come out with this and I personally have one of their switches in my house as well and it's been rock solid. You can add up to I believe 10 scenes to it by single/double/triple/4x/5x tapping the switch (top and bottom). There's a specific device handler for it if you're on SmartThings.

ZWP, I don't really know much about, I just saw they had a scene switch too.

As for Inovelli, we're really proud of the work our guys put into the firmware this time and I'll highlight some of the features below:

• Ability to add 10-12 scenes (10 for Dimmer and 12 for On/Off) based on taps or holds
  
  
• Ability to disable the internal relay - this is good for people who use smart bulbs on their loads so that now when the switch is used, rather than cutting power to the smart bulb, the switch will instead send a scene command to the HUB to turn the light on (or if you have a Z-Wave bulb, it can be directly associated with the bulb and there will be no need for a command to be sent to the HUB). I personally use this feature in my daughter's room bc she has a Hue light setup on it and depending on the number of taps, the bulb will turn a different color
  
  
• For dimmers, you can now set the default brightness based on the time of day. An example would be at night time if you don't want to blind yourself in the bathroom, you can set it so that the dimmer will only dim to 10% between the hours of 10pm and 6am. This can be set to happen locally (manual pressing) or remotely
  
  
• Also for Dimmers, you can change the speed at which the switch turns on. Some people like a slow dim, some people like a fast dim, while others like an, "instant on" effect to mimic an On/Off switch
  
  
• Change the minimum dimming level - this is great for if you have an LED bulb that starts flickering at the low setting
  
  
• Finally, you do not have to have an auxiliary switch in a 3-Way setting. Simply wire this up to your existing, "dumb" switch and it will work as a normal 3-Way switch
  
  As I said above, not sure what HUB you have, but we wrote device handlers for SmartThings and Drivers for Hubitat, but if you don't have those, the settings above can all be done via parameters (except for the dimming based on time of day, let me check with our VP of Tech)
  
  Anyway, I hope that helped a bit. You can't go wrong with any of those brands. They're all unique in their own way and if you're thinking about Z-Wave, then they are some very reputable brands.
  
  Have a great day and if you have any questions, feel free to reach out!
  
  Eric
  
  Founder | Inovelli
  
  

  
  <br />
  Links:<br />
  <br />
  GE: <br />
  <br />

• On/Off https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01M1AHC3R
  
• Dimmer https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MUCZA1C
  
  HomeSeer: (they have quite a few, so just type in, "HomeSeer Z-Wave Plus Switch" and they should all come up. I'm going to put the couple I know work with ST)
  
  
• On/Off https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01DFSAAJ4
  
• Dimmer https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01DFRWZNE
  
  ZWP:
  
  
• Dimmer https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0725SZMTG
  
  Inovelli
  
  
• On/Off https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N235ROS
  
  
• Dimmer https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01NAUCQ18

I can recommend the grow light I own, this 300W one, I love it to death honestly. I will warn you that the goose neck growlights also found on Amazon are not very powerful at all, they're usually what first comes up when you search for them so they're often bought. But many people on this subreddit don't recommend them because they're so weak. These types of bulbs (and these ones) will also work but usually need multiple pointed on the plants to achieve good results, a reflector/deflector usually helps with the bulbs, too. These lights also work very well but are rather large and work better for a bigger collection. Succulents can handle heat, not like super excessive but they will be fine in like even the 100's F as long as they're not being burnt to a crisp from the sun. It will just dry their soil out faster which isn't a bad thing honestly!

If you do move them outside make sure it's in the shade for the entire day, putting them into more intense light suddenly can burn them. They need to be introduced to more light gradually so they can become used to it slowly. This usually means an hour or two max in gentle morning sun before they're moved to a shadier place for the rest of the day and letting them get used to that schedule and amount of light for a few days before increasing the amount of light they receive and again letting them adjust to the new increase. It can be quite a hassle and there's much less need for it when putting them under growlights I've found, they don't burn they just get stress color very very fast. But even being out in the shade outside 24/7 will be much brighter than indoors even if it's still not enough light for them.

They will definitely feel loose, that's totally normal. Once they establish their roots into the soil better they'll be much sturdier. For now if you need to hold them up with stakes or some rocks around the base of the stems to keep them from falling out or being wobbly that's totally okay. They should feel more secure after their first watering but will still be somewhat wobbly.

Welcome! Happy to help :)

Edit: for the record, I posted this before the lasybugs thing took off

You're not going to make any great progress on a PC build for that price. Besides, PC tech is changing so quickly, you shouldn't buy any one piece of it until you can buy all of it.

If you're looking for X1 games, I'm a huge fan of Destiny, but it's not for everyone. If you're looking for more of a sure hit, check out Shadows of Mordor or Dragon Age: Inquisition.

If you want to change things up a little, here are some of my favorite purchases (I'm a minor Amazon addict):

• The best thermos you've ever seen
  
  
• A super high quality door-hung b-ball hoop (you'll want to buy a nerf ball with it, the one it comes with is dangerous to valuables in the room)
  
  
• One of the best board games ever made
  
  
• A classy and useful EDC knife (there are lots of options on this front, /r/knifeclub has great recommendations)
  
  Check out my sub /r/everymanshouldhave for more recommendations like this. It's not super active of late, but it has some great suggestions if you look at the history

Wandering Jew isn't a 'succulent' but it's pretty close and is going to be more similar than say, a seedling or trying to produce tomatoes in the winter.

This is the article that helped me, so many place talk about proper grow lights instead of typical shop lights that work just fine. This is also helpful

I got these from amazon earlier this month and I've had them on for a couple weeks now and all my new growth is going great. I got them for $56 for 6 bulbs. I have them set up on your typical wire shelving, 2 per shelf. They were extremely easy to install and set up. They're also pretty cool, even directly touching the bulb it's just warm, barely hot after being on for 12 hours.

Now, obviously they're not available anymore. Amazon does have some similar packages that are 5000k which should work but isn't as ideal.

Special grow lights are nice (the red/blue bulbs, give out purple light) but if you're not looking to force something to flower and just keep it with decent growth in the winter, a shop light works fine.

You want something with 6500k for the color temp - it's a bright white. 5000k would probably be okay but not ideal. 3000k is for flowering.

Basically, if you have a smallish area and a shelf, a t5 or t8 light fixture with bulbs in the 6500k BRIGHT WHITE or HIGH OUTPUT range will keep her plants happy.

If you throw t5 6500k into amazon, there are tons of bulbs available but I'm not familiar with the fixture - what I got included those.

Now, if she only has a couple of plants, something smaller would be fine, I know they have 2ft long ones too.

First I'd make sure you both have all the clothing and footwear you need to be comfortable and the things you'd need for an urban day out (pack, water bottle, some snacks, etc.). Nothing ruins a day like an unexpected blister / rain shower that causes a chill / burned hand from a fire.

After that I'd consider basic survival needs and comforts that might be different in the woods. A small survival kit (and the knowledge required to use it), toilet paper, bug spray, gloves to protect your hands from heat and thorns, a tarp (which you already say you have) to escape the sun or rain, etc.. One suggestion I have that I don't see mentioned often is a lightweight foam kneeling pad. You can get them at the dollar stores in the gardening section usually and for the negligible weight and space they're worth having in my opinion. They are great for kneeling on (obviously), which you'll be doing a lot when practicing bushcraft skills like fire making, and they make a huge difference for the backside when sitting on ground / logs / rocks that are hard / wet / dirty.

With comfort and survival covered you can look at the real 'tools' of bushcraft. The most important thing, in my opinion, is a good knife for each of you. Soooo many projects / skills that are considered 'bushcraft' require / are made easier when you have a decent knife. You don't need to spend a lot (a Mora Companion is a great choice for under 10 dollars), just be sure to do your homework before spending money so you don't end up with something that looks cool but isn't practical for your bushcraft needs.

Beyond the knife I won't go into details about the rest of my suggestions but I think you'll find reasoning behind them fairly self-evident. I've been bushcrafting / camping / hunting for the better part of 2 decades now and all items I list below are all ones that I've personally used many, many times and wouldn't recommend if I didn't find them awesome and reliable. If you look into them further I think you'll find most / all are considered the best 'bang for your buck' option in their given class.


Mora Companion fixed blade knife - carbon or stainless doesn't matter, both are great: ~$12-15

Nalgene leak-proof water bottle - The cheaper HDPE bottle is actually better believe it or not: ~$5-8

Bahco Laplander folding saw - Silky saws are worth the upgrade price in my opinion but are definitely just a 'nice to have', considering Bahcos can't be beat for the price / function / reliability: ~$20-25

Sawyer Mini water filter - filters twice as good as the LifeStraw (0.1 vs 0.2 microns), lasts 10 times longer (100k vs 1k gallons), is much more versatile (you can screw the Sawyer onto a 2 litre coke bottle), and costs less to boot: ~$19

Fiskars X7 hatchet - I know you already have one bust I figured I'd mention it. For a bombproof, light weight, made in Finland hatchet it can't be beat for the price: ~$20-25

Tramontina 18" machete - great balance and blade, just sand or wrap the handle in some tape if yours isn't finished perfectly to avoid potential blisters (this is also where good gloves come in) - ~$15-18

I think it's easier to search for minor inconveniences and annoyances around your house, then search for ways to automate it away.

I gotta watch out with this site or I'll end up in the non-automated poorhouse, but it's awesome for product discovery
http://www.smarthomedb.com/products

Since you mentioned OpenHAB, the supported technologies list is a good place to start a wishlist too
http://www.openhab.org/features/supported-technologies.html

I'm using z-wave for most of my devices, so the product database is full of devices that are more likely to be compatible
https://github.com/openhab/openhab/blob/master/bundles/binding/org.openhab.binding.zwave/database/products.xml

This forum thread is also great for seeing what other people have gotten working
https://community.openhab.org/t/collection-of-working-z-wave-configs/1407

Personally, I've had great luck with these devices:

Aeon Labs Aeotec Z-Wave Z-Stick, Gen5 Z-Wave Plus - ZW090 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00X0AWA6E/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awd_cIbCwbYMNV0A4

2gig CT100 Z-Wave Programmable Thermostat (White) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B008CQ4V3Q/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awd_3IbCwbNFR9PQ6

MIMOLite - Z-wave Mulit-Input/Output Dry Contact Bridge https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00B6RZ7MM/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awd_uKbCwbF1ZBAXK

GE12722 Z-Wave Wireless Lighting Control On/Off Switch https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0035YRCR2/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awd_oLbCwbQCFR48K

GoControl WNK01-21KIT Z-Wave Essentials Wink Enabled Security Kit https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00XUXYSWU/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awd_p5bCwbRY8TXQ5

I have an old ADT installed Safewatch pro 3000 alarm, and this ties it into OpenHAB really nicely.
http://www.alarmdecoder.com/

I'm comfortable pulling wires through the walls, so I use one of these for TTS playback from my OpenHAB box:
Elk ELK-70 Echo Speaker https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003XP1HZ6/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awd_kZbCwb799TN4C

Driven by one of these:
Lepai LP-2020A+ Tripath TA2020 Class-T Hi-Fi Audio Amplifier with Power Supply https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0049P6OTI/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awd_X0bCwb7MYGM47

A few scenarios might help with inspiration.

I have a sensor on my garage entry door that kicks on the laundry room light when the door is opened so I never enter a dark house with my hands full.

If it's 00:00 - 06:00 and any perimeter sensors on the alarm are tripped, all outside and main level lights come on at full brightness

I have a sensor on my garage door to send me an alert if it has been open for more than 15 minutes, and a camera and a mimolite to close it remotely

My wife works nights so I have a mimolite to disable the upstairs doorbell while she's sleeping during the day. It sends our phones alerts if the doorbell is rung while silenced

Generally speaking, the bigger the tank, the easier it will be to maintain. This is because the more water in it, the more ammonia, nitrites, and nitrates are diluted, so the less harmful it will be to the fish, and the number one enemy of aquariums is bad water quality. A larger aquarium will have more stable water quality and thusly be safer.

Personally I have a 10gal right now, but I don't think the 20gal would be much more difficult to clean.

Easy plants to start with are Anubias, Java Fern, and Java Moss. You could use a special substrate like Fluorite, Ecocomplete, etc., but for the easiest to grow plants they aren't strictly necessary. When anchoring Anubias make sure you don't bury the rhizome or it'll rot. Java moss is usually tied to a surface with fishing line until it's grown a bit and anchored itself. I also recommend Marimo Moss balls, which aren't actually moss but a type of algae (but it won't grow rampant and take over your tank, don't worry) that is sold grown into a small ball shape. Some bettas like to push the moss balls around for fun.

Full disclaimer, I don't have tons of experience with planted aquariums, but I do have moderate experience with growing succulents under a grow light...With lighting for plants, you want full-spectrum "Daylight" coloured bulbs which just means that it has more blue light (typical light bulb colour is more red) that most closely mimics natural sunlight. Look for a bulb with high lumens and a colour temperature of 6000 Kelvins or more. I use these Philips bulbs which are 23W 1600 lumens 6500K bulbs, screwed into a task lamp with an adjustable arm. Also something to keep in mind is that with Aquarium lighting, there's something to take into account called "Watts Per Gallon" which is a rough estimate of exactly how much light your aquarium will need based on its size.

I'll link you to this post I wrote a few days ago about sand. Generally speaking I'd say it's easier than gravel because fish poop and detritus can't fall inbetween sand and get buried like it does with gravel, so you don't really have to stir up the sand much when vacuuming (especially important if you want to plant your tank) like you have to with gravel to get it clean. Stuff just sits on the surface of sand and you suck it up, easy peasy.

Yes, you can put plants in the tank while it's cycling, and yes you can use decorations and filter materials from an established tank to speed up cycling a new tank. You'll know when a tank is cycled when ammonia and nitrite levels start dropping and you start seeing nitrates, which means that the bacterias that converts ammonia to nitrites and nitrites to nitrates have successfully colonized and done their job. Details here. Use an API Freshwater Master Test Kit to test for ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate levels.

Corys and African Dwarf Frogs can be suitable tankmates, but it comes down to the individual temperaments of the betta in question so just keep an eye on them when you first introduce them to the tank, and introduce the betta to tanks that already have their tankmates in it, which can lessen the betta's aggression because they won't view it as their established territory being invaded.

Cory cats are usually considered safe bets because they inhabit the lower level of the tank whereas bettas usually hang in the middle to top level so they won't be competing for space much. Keep in mind that you need sand for Corys and also that they're schooling fish so you should get more than one.

And make sure you don't get African Clawed Frogs, which can hurt bettas.

For food, Hikari Bio-Gold. For water conditioner, Seachem Prime is the board favourite around here because in addition to dechlorinating tapwater, it also "locks" ammonia by converting any ammonia to a less harmful form for 24hrs, which is very helpful as sort of an emergency measure or if you need to do a fish-in cycle.

Hi there! I have used these types of switches in my home for about a year now and have only had a good experience! However, I have also always been somewhat perplexed about the sheer number of these various branded and non-branded switches available on various sites, that all basically seem to be made of the the same components. This isn't something you really see very often here in the US, mainly due to patent laws. I'm thinking that might really be the reason these switches, and so many other electronic devices from China, exist in the overlapping way they do - I'm thinking it's very likely able to happen due to poorly enforced or non-existent patent laws. That's my main guess anyway... ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

​

As for my experience with the setup and performance of these switches, I initially came across them out of the necessity of finding a wall switch that did not require a common neutral wire. My home was built in 1950 and half of the wiring in my home does not have a ground wire and most of the circuits are not wired with a common neutral line, which has been the norm/requirement here for most everyone likely since sometime in the 1980s. Unfortunately, most WiFi connected "smart" switches/devices all require a common neutral wire. These have been a lifesaver for me! I found my switches on Amazon and have only purchased "Funry" and "Livolo" branded switches, the versions that work via RF signal. Originally, it seemed that was all they made (the RF kind), but as this IoT/home automation thing has really become such a big market noticed they started producing WiFi and Bluetooth switches, using the same housings and touch panels/exterior components.
Which leads me to my next thought - and I have nothing to base this premonition on, but I have a feeling / feel it can only be prudent to not assume that all of these switches, while appearing nearly identical on the outside, are of the same quality and same technologies on the inside. I have nothing to base this on, and most of these devices aren't certified by the various engineering certification groups (like UL here in the US) anyway and I'm sure some people would say to stay clear of them altogether, but inevitably having spent a lot of my budget on cheaper consumer electronic products made in China/other neighboring regions that are sold online, I've seen this to be the case. However, all I can speak to is the quality of the products from the two manufacturers I mentioned above and my experience has been positive. I mean, I felt they were at least well-made enough that I wasn't completely terrified to install them in my home. I've had no trouble with the switch mechanism itself, and the tempered glass panels do feel and look solid/of quality.

​

As for trying my best to help provide insight on your three bulleted needs laid out above - I do think it's possible for you to achieve each of those wants; however, I'd say my answer probably echos what I rambled on about above (lol), that the various functions and features can really be very different from one manufacturer to another on these switches, even though they may look the same, at least if you mean right out of the box. With a little bit of configuration (and sometimes a lot), you can connect basically anything to anything these days, one way or another. One problem with not going with a "name-brand" here is that you're also less-likely to get "name-brand" software/apps for the devices. But that may not matter. As I wrote above, the units I've purchased have all been RF-controlled models, so I had to buy a small hub/controller to work with RF. Prior to this Google Home/Alexa explosion, I'd already purchased tons of these wireless plugs/switches and had them connected to devices/lights all over my home, so buying a cheap RF hub and these affordable glass wall switches allowed me to turn what I already had into Google/Alexa-connected devices affordably, instead of having to start from scratch (just throwing that out there if you have anything similar in your setup). I imagine you're wanting just the straight WiFi switches? I can't give any feedback on the particular WiFi version of these switches, but I guess I can say if you find any on eBay from the two brands I mentioned, I'd feel OK about it for my home.

• the ability to turn them off and on through an app independently, but also as groups
  
  They likely come from the manufacturer with some junky/not so great, proprietary software/"app" that you'll have to download and use just to get the devices setup anyway, but if you can get them successfully connected to Google Home (or Alexa), then yes, you can turn them on and off independently and can also assign them to groups, for group control. There are dozens and dozens of apps/interfaces out there now to control IoT devices, so I'd have to say yes this is possible. Out of the box, using the manufacturer's app? I don't know... but yes, totally possible.
  
  
• Control them with Google Assistant independently and as groups
  
  My RF versions, yes. I imagine the WiFi version of these likely can be Google Assistant connected, one way or another, if they're not right out of the box. But I can't totally confirm this one.
  
  
• Have dimming control
  
  Now this question... based on my working knowledge of these and other similar low-end devices and how they operate and are built, it's quite possible you would not have dimming control with any variety of these switches. I think you'd really need to be certain to buy a model that clearly states it has dimming functionality. I don't believe the majority of these are designed for that - only for on and off. In fact, I have no dimming control on any WiFi or RF-controlled light switch in my home - only on WiFi bulbs I've purchased with dimming capabilities. It seems to me that dimming "smart" switches are only available from some of the more [recognized] name-brand manufacturers and their more expensive, proprietary lighting systems, pretty much all requiring some sort of proprietary hub to control them.

damn man, shitty. There is, but you'll need a soldering iron, was hoping it wouldn't get to this point. Id grab a new 510 connector too. There's no guarantee about this, but I think it'll work.

grab a 510 from Here avoid the squonk ones. Also grab some wire from Here. Next you'll want a soldering iron and some heat srink. A soldering iron and heat shrink are good things to have around the house too.

Use pliers, a flat head screw driver might help too, and remove the 510 connection from the mod. This shouldn't be hard since yours is already loose. Pull that ring on the base off and the whole thing should just pop on out. Then take your new one and place it in the hole. Now take some of the black wire you ordered and strip the wire slightly, like 1/4 of an inch should be fine, twist the loose strands between your fingers and solder it to the ring included with the 510. Look up a video on soldering, it will do a much better job than I can.

Then take some of the white wire, do the same stripping procedure, and solder it to the center post. Be sure not to use too much solder as too much could short the positive and negative terminals. Next take about an inch of heat shrink and run it up the wires. You want to shrink it around the solder joints, it'll help hold everything together and prevent any shorts. You can use a lighter or hair dryer to shrink the wrap, if using a lighter keep it far away and don't let it burn, maybe practice on a small strip of wire. Now secure the 510 to the top piece using the included nut. Tighten it pretty tight.

Now you can trim the wires and solder them to the pcb of the mod, if you feel comfortable about this procedure you should be able to take it from here. Otherwise continue reading and I'll suggest doing it another way.

Now you have a top cap with the 510 installed and wires hanging off of it. Now trim the wires hanging off of it to about 1.5 inches and strip off the end about 1/4 inch. with the wires on the mod, cut off about 1 inch from each one(be sure there is extra as you don't want it to all come off) and strip off about 1/4 inches. Now take solder and melt it over the end of each wire, but don't solder them together yet. Put some heat shrink, about 1 inch, over 1 black and one white wire, and just leave it there. Now take the wires you want to join and melt the solder together so the wires stick. Once they're together take your iron and melt some solder on the tip and while holding the wires together get the extra solder onto the connection(this will decrease resistance of the connection, so less heat is generated there, and thicken the joint, so it's much stronger). then do the same for the other wire. Now shrink the heat shrink over each joint.

Then you just screw it all back together and you're done.

If you don't want to do this, I wouldn't blame you. It is pretty easy and faster than my wall of text indicates. I could do this in maybe 20 min, possibly less. Might take an hour if its your first soldering project. If you don't want to, might I recommend the vaporesso revenger x, it's a great mod and you can get one for pretty cheap($55-$70).

Whatever you choose to do, sorry this happened to you.

Edit: had to repost. Didn't think amazon included affiliate links when copying from the address bar, but it does. They're gone now.

I've been taking ice baths for a bit now using plastic water bottles as reuseable ice cubes while filling the tub daily. I have a nice jacuzzi tub available most of the time that is great, but lugging the ice bottles around (my tub is on the 2nd floor, and my freezer is on the 1st floor) and having to re-freeze them every day can be a PITA - as well as having to use new water each day instead of the ability to recycle. My next solution is a chest freezer, which I intend to set up as soon as I am able.

A few tips from my research:

1. Get one big/wide enough for you to fit in comfortably up to and including your shoulders. Checking craiglist for your area is a good starting point for a discounted price. Depending on your size, 10-15 cu ft is a good range to consider.
   
2. Some have a handy shelf inside that can act as a bench; if yours does, you may desire a foam seat pad to put on top to make it slightly softer.
   
3. You can put it on a wall timer (that cycles on/off), then have it run for ~2-4 hours/day to keep the rough temp you desire, or a more accurate option is to get a Outlet Temp Controller (which is my choice method) that will auto on/off for you based on an exact preset water temperature. I enjnoy the idea of setting the tub to a custom temp, based on the length of time I intend to use it as well as the ability to increase cold levels of time.
   
4. When you first fill it with water and want to cool it, either cycle it on/off over multiple days or put a BUNCH of ice in with it - as cooling a lot of water isn't the intended purpose and this will mitigate the strain on the motor cooling system.
   
5. Seal up the inside seams with some silicone sealant (like stuff used for a bath tub), or line the inside with a pool liner for a thicker, reinforced watertight space.
   
6. The cool temp will naturally keep the water cleaner, though using H2O2 is a good way to elongate the life of the water even more. You can get ~5% at most pharmacies, or ~30% at farm supply stores that requires much less.

If he had been carrying a Swiss Army knife that's probably the style he prefers, Opinel makes single bladed knives that open in the same way his old SAK did, and leatherman makes amazing multitools, I would recommend checking all these brands out.

Opinel knives are usually extremely cheap and run about 20$/£, their most popular knife is the No. 8 for about 12$/£, it comes in other colors and wood types as well. No. 8 is a bigger model and it might be a little bulky for someone use to a SAK, the small the number in the name ex. No. 7, No.6, get smaller as their number designation does. I have the No. 8 Trekking knife in slate and its a pretty great knife for its price (18$/£).

If he likes Swill Army Knives, there are quite a few more options to look at, they can get a little pricey for their size at times, I own the Tinker, this was my first knife and I have found that looking at the tools on these knives would behoove you. I do not need an awl in the knife I carry every day for instance. There are many many options to chose from, and through a little sifting you may find one that you feel suits him best. Victorinox (the brand that makes swiss army knives) also makes knives that are a little closer to the opinels I mentioned earlier, a few of their models (like this one) are simply one or two blades. I would look into local laws however, I know some places do not allow blades that can be opened with one hand like the one I linked you to.

Leatherman makes wonderful multitools and a few pocket knives. Nearly everything they make have blades that lock as a safety feature, although very few can be flicked open, so I would check the specifics of this law, I doubt a multi-tool is illegal. This is the Micra, it appears to be a smaller version of a leatherman I own that I cannot find on their site. This one has a blade that opens in a way that is legal for sure, its blade does not lock either. If you find that some locking blades are allowed, the Skeletool is a favorite of mine, it may look a little outlandish but it has always had the best combination of essential tools out of any of my multi-tools, and it is one of my favorites. The Style is a smaller version with slightly different tools ( I don't think it has screwdrivers), but it's blade does not lock. The skeletool is about 70$/£ I think, and their smaller tools like the micra and style are under 30$/£, this brand has quite a bit more I didn't touch on, if you think he would like something like this I would check out site, I hope you find something that works, I know I'm always thrilled when my girlfriend gets me a new knife.

Assuming you had an inspection done you really don't have any tests to do as they all should already have been done. (Toxins in paint and such)

Locate your main water valve, main gas valve and meter, and breaker panel. Just so you know where they are. Open breaker panel, identify which breaker controls what. Hopefully they are marked.

Get a pair of bolt cutters. I've used mine many times for random jobs around the house. Speaking of tools, a basic $100 toolset comes in handy all the time and you'll never regret investing in a quality battery powered drill.

Change the code to the garage door opener.

Change locks on doors.

Take a lot of "before" pics. It's fun to look back and see how much your home has changed.

Look into rebates that are offered by your local utility companies ( electricity and gas). They'll usually give you free LED light bulbs, or great deals on random things like that. And where I live they'll even come out and do different audits for free to make sure things are running smoothly in your home.

Look into Sonic Internet in your area. I've heard good things about them lately.

Home improvement can quickly become overwhelming. Expect to get overwhelmed. Then expect to get inspired again.

Back to tools, get a quality stud finder. Not a hyped up beeping led one. Just a solid magnet one. Like this one. http://www.amazon.com/CH-Hanson-03040-Magnetic-Finder/dp/B000IKK0OI/ref=sr_1_1?s=hi&ie=UTF8&qid=1451979365&sr=1-1&keywords=stud+finder

Before you attempt to fix something, always just check out a video or two on YouTube. They will point out things like why you should not over tighten the bolts on your toilet. (I learned that one the hard way). Since then I always try to watch a video before fixing something. They will usually point out safety things and other "gotchas" that you should be aware of.

Can't think of much else right now. Good luck and congrats!

First off, welcome -- it's a fun ride!

Re: Dimmers/Plugs/Etc
Caseta is nice, I have a couple of switches and they work great. Especially if you want to create 3-way switches without wiring. What I mean is that you can just replace one hard-wired switch with a smart switch and then use the Caseta Pico for the secondary location (which just adheres to the wall).

Just some thought starters as you explore further -- for hardwired switches, in addition to Lutron, I have had a ton of success with the GE/Jasco Z-Wave switches.

https://www.amazon.com/GE-Lighting-Control-Switch-Z-Wave/dp/B0035YRCR2/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1479395673&sr=8-2&keywords=ge+smart+switch

I have the generic on/off switch, dimmer switch and fan switch by them (more on the dimmer function later).

For my plug-in switches, currently I have a couple different ones I use for Christmas lights, and a couple of lamps and a floor fan.

My favorite is this random one I found by Inovelli or Show Home (not sure -- looks like Inovelli is a distributor or something):

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Z-Wave-On-Off-Smart-Home-Plug-Control-2-Outlets-w-1-Module-Works-with-Alexa-/361826630198

I like it because you can control two outlets individually vs just one like all the other ones and it's around the same price too.

I also own a Leviton plug-in which works great too, but only controls one outlet -- still no complaints:

https://www.amazon.com/Leviton-VRPA1-1LW-Capable-Appliance-Module/dp/B00JFF1WP8/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1479395904&sr=8-6&keywords=leviton

Ok, now on to your question about blog/forum/guide, etc...
Here's a good place to start:

http://wiki.winkathome.net/Main_Page

I also enjoy reading the Wink Group comments on Facebook -- I can't remember the name of the group, but if you just search for Wink Home Automation, I think it shows up. That group has been awesome for learning new things. It's a fairly large group too.

Lastly, I think I understand what you're asking, but if not, I apologize. How the GE Dimmers work (and I'm assuming the other ones too) is that you can use the switch manually like any dimmer switch -- hold up and it gets brighter, hold down and it gets dimmer, tap the up button and the light turns on to the last setting you left it at, tap the bottom button and the light turns off.

You can also set the percentage (or approximate, I don't recall it having actual numbers -- it's more a sliding scale) you'd like it to go to from within the Wink app (ex: have your light come on to around 75% at 8pm, then dim to 50% at 10pm).

Make sense?

Hope this helps.

Whatever you do when it comes to buying a knife, don't skimp. I don't mean you have to spend a lot, but you should find a "knife class" you like and buy the best in that class.

Honestly, if you're at a point where you don't know what you want in a knife, the best possible place to start is with a Kershaw brand knife, which is the sort of knife even knife enthusiasts don't mind having around, even if it doesn't rock their world. I am consistently surprised with how much quality you get per dollar with Kershaws.

I don't know how big of a knife you want, but I have a Leek and the only word I can use to describe it is elegant. Far more than it should be for what I paid for it.

I started investigating knives with Kershaws and I would still buy them now, even though I've moved on to Benchmades and the like.

A good lighter always comes in handy even if you don't smoke. People are often looking for a light or you may have to melt something or light a candle or something. Nice as Zippos are, I find their design to be a little outdated (they dry out fast if they're not used).

I bought a Vertigo Jolt as an impulse purchase about a year ago and it's been banged around and refilled several times and I really like it; enough that if this one dies I will buy another.

One thing to consider about EDC stuff and maybe this is just my problem: I don't like buying the best of class for EDC because I know it will irk me to have things bang around in my pocket or possibly be lost since I have it with me everyday.

Hi there. Welcome to an unfortunate club where membership sometimes has steep prices. I am glad you have gotten an early start on preparing 12 cases of water may be enough. The guidance is normally 1 gallon per person per day for 3 days. This includes enough for food preparation, drinking, sanitary, and hygiene needs. You may also want to consider a bathtub liner that acts as a storage tank (like this one ) to aid in toilet flushing or if your water delivery system fails. This did happen for some folks during Harvey, so its importance cannot be overstated. The same amount of food and water should also be stored for your pet.

You also want to make sure you have non-perishable food on hand. If you can eat it, Peanut butter is a great source of energy when you need it during problematic times and clean up. Otherwise think like a hiker for food options. They are usually light easy to store and have high yield for you.

Consider power banks for electronics. Also purchase a hand crank radio as these will be vital to you for communication and information from local authorities in the event your power is out. Flashlights and batteries too. It is hard to see you at night if you need rescue, waving your hand in front of a flashlight is a basic but amazing beacon. Also entrainment like some music and a deck of cards are an extreme comfort when it sucks most. I can also say, from personal experience, extra socks and underwear are GOLD!

Your local and county OEM will be the best people to listen to for evacuation advice. They are paid to constantly consider and revise plans on this.

I hope that all of this is for nothing and that you are spared a major incident, but this is a good start for an all hazards kit. Check out Ready.gov for more specific information on this in case I missed something.

Above all being prepared is being safe.

I wish you ease in this time and hope that Irma decides to vacay somewhere in the middle of the Atlantic instead of any land.

So here is my long overdue suggestion & rationale.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

Type|Item|Price

----|:----|:----
CPU | Intel Core i7-6700K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor | $310.00 @ MicroCenter (combo)
CPU Cooler | Corsair H100i v2 70.7 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler | $96.99 @ Best Buy
Motherboard | Asus Z170-AR ATX LGA1151 Motherboard | $140.00 @ MicroCenter (combo)
Memory | Crucial Ballistix Sport LT 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2400 Memory | $70.00 @ MicroCenter
Storage | Samsung 850 EVO-Series 1TB 2.5" Solid State Drive | $304.65 @ Amazon
Storage | Western Digital Blue 2TB 3.5" 5400RPM Internal Hard Drive | $70.00 @ MicroCenter
Video Card | EVGA GeForce GTX 1080 8GB FTW Gaming ACX 3.0 Video Card | $679.99 @ B&H
Case | Phanteks Enthoo Evolv ATX ATX Mid Tower Case | $170.00 @ Amazon
Case Fan | 2x NoiseBlocker NB-ELoop B12-2 51.1 CFM 120mm Fan | $40.00 @ Amazon
Case Fan | 3x be quiet! BL065 59.5 CFM 140mm Fan | $62.70 @ Newegg
Case Lightning| NZXT Hue+| $60.00 @ Amazon
Power Supply | EVGA 750W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply | $100.00 @ Amazon
Operating System | Microsoft Windows 10 Home OEM 64-bit | $89.99 @ Amazon
Monitor | Asus PG279Q ROG Swift 27.0" 165Hz Monitor | $799.00 @ B&H
Keyboard | Corsair STRAFE RGB Wired Gaming Keyboard | $129.99 @ Best Buy
Mouse | Mionix Castor Wired Optical Mouse | $70.00 @ Amazon
Headphones | Sennheiser HD 598 SE Headphones | $144.88 @ Amazon
Mouse Pad| Vipamz Extended XXXL| $12.00 @ Amazon
Audio| Schiit Fulla| $79.00 @ Schiit
Audio| USB 2.0 Type A to Mini-B| $7.00 @ Amazon
Optical Drive| External optical drive| $26.00 @ Amazon
Thermal Pasate| Arctic Silver 5 Thermal + ArctiClean| $11.00 @ Amazon
Thermal Paste| Microfiber Cleaning Cloths (8 Pack)| $9.00 @ Amazon
Tools| Magnetic Screwdriver | $5.00 @ Amazon
Microphone| Samson Meteor| $70.00 @ Amazon
| Prices include shipping, taxes and discounts | NO rebates!
| Total | $3557.19
| Generated by Kiwiandapple | ♥

What's your maximum investment for now? Are you in any sort of hurry to flip to flower?

Right now I'd totally recommend grabbing some 6,400Kelvin temperature bulbs (like these), they're usually labeled as "Daylight".

Flower bulbs would be more in the 2,100K range or "soft white". I recommend as much wattage as you can afford, honestly, keeping in mind the price for sockets, etc. The ideal wattage you want to aim for is 75watts minimum per plant, the higher the better, preferably 100-150w is more ideal.

The reason I say they need some time under the 6500K is they're very lanky and tall, if you were to flip them now, you'd be very unimpressed with the results versus if you were to veg them under proper lighting for another month-few months and did some LST.

When it comes to flower, it's ideal to have more wattage than you did in veg, I.e. a lot of growers go from 250w to 400w, 400w to 600w, etc. My best advice is to get as much as you can afford, and preferably if you could build them some kind of box or use a closet, that would help tremendously allowing you to use reflective material or flat white paint to better increase your lumens per sqft and its availability to your plants to make actual use of.

If you plan to make this a hobby like I did, I bought some panda film for like $15 on ebay, layered my wardrobe opening with it, cut a hole for the exhaust at the top (first starting out I used a 200MM PC fan + an old laptop battery lol) and two holes each the size of the exhaust at the bottom as my passive intake, worked great as a cheap makeshift growery :)

Do you have a bathtub in your apartment? If so, get one of these waterBobs - average price is usually $25-30 shipped. You can use that in conjunction with a Sawyer filter such as this (but there are many options). Time how long it would take you to fill your bathtub up completely (or research average time). If SHTF, you'll need that much time to fill it up completely. 100 gallons of water should last you quite a bit of time if you use it sparingly, and if you live alone, even 30-50 gallons will last you a good amount of time.

As for food, look for kits that offer you 30+ days of food that don't take up much space. Get a good variety of foods that are ready to eat immediately, require a bit of cooking, or foil pouches that you can just add boiling water and wait. This gives you flexibility (and potential mobility as the circumstances dictate).

Flashlights and batteries are important. Headlamps are very practical. If the power goes out, nighttime is dark. Super dark. If you're in the city, it's pitch black. Get yourself two headlamps, two flashlights and a lantern. Using common batteries is ideal. Calculate the lifespan of their batteries, then make sure you have enough batteries to last you a month of moderate use. (This is less than you'd expect, some headlamps can run 10+ hours on a single set of batteries, and good LED lanterns Like this popular one have up to 90 hours life on low setting. Use it 5 hours a night on fresh batteries, you have potentially half a month of use (so just two sets of batteries would last you a while).

You'll need a way to cook, too. Make sure the area you decide to cook if you need to bug in is well ventilated. Cooking by a window is ideal. Again, most the food you have will mostly just be boiling water and rehydrating the food, or heating water up for extra disinfectant. So figure if you're going to use alcohol, fuel gels, solids, etc and get yourself a good supply of them. Stock up on matches and lighters.

Have a bug-out bag with 72 hours worth of supplies near the door. This should be completely self contained and under the assumption that you'd leave EVERYTHING in your apartment behind except for the clothes on your back and whatever shoes you put on. People like their packs being tactical, others say nondescript. I say whatever is comfortable for you to travel in.

And that's just the very tip.

I have refurbished / reconditioned or otherwise repaired just about every component in my theater. The KEF speakers are all same era and generation, plus or minus a few years.

Front Channels: KEF 103/4 Reference speakers - owner replaced foam surrounds on the internal push/pull woofers - and I refurbished the ferrofluid in the tweeters. $175 off craigslist

Center Channel: NOS (new old stock) KEF Model 100 - found on craigslist. Someone found it in their garage, sitting new in box for 20 years. Refurbished the tweeter (ferrofluid replacement). $60 off craigslist.

Surround Channels: KEF C55 speakers that I found at Goodwill for $20. Complete cleanup - ferrofluid treatment of tweeters. Great condition otherwise.

Rear Channel: KEF Model 90 "center channel" speaker - bought this before I found the Model 100. Roughly the same speaker, but smaller tweeter than the model 100. Tweeter refurbed, cleaned up inside and out. I went with a 6.1 configuration because my room wouldn't benefit much from 7.1 - and the window placement made that difficult. Mixing 7.1 down to 6.1 doesn't change much. $40 off Craigslist.

Subwoofer: PA-120 Premier Acoustics 12'' Subwoofer had this sub for 8 years now, and love it to pieces. Very punchy, very powerful, very affordable. Weighs a metric ton - and customer service was top notch. (Amp malfunctioned after 6 years - got a new one from them free of charge).

Surround AV Receiver: Marantz SR6008 receiver I bought for $200 on ebay because it was 'for parts/not working.' The HDMI1 output (there are two) was burned out. Bought a new HDMI board from Marantz for a hundred bucks and the thing is good as new.

Speaker Mounts: The left C55 surround and rear channel are on custom made speaker mounts - the rear is half custom - mounted to one of the speaker mounts I got from Amazon.

Projection Screen: Custom 105'' Screen Frame and made from a canibalized Da-Lite screen I got for free from work. (was hiding in the plenum when we purchased our office space.

Projector: Benq HT1075 - bought new, because it's already so cost effective. Found it on sale at Frys for $699 a year ago. Very happy with this little projector.

Theater/Home Automation: Home Assistant running on an iPad 3 in the theater room. The iPad was sitting in a drawer, not in use for at least a year, and found an OEM apple dock for $5 on ebay for when it's not in use. I can control my Smart Things devices (z-wave dimmer) - MiLight LED strips behind the screen, in the EXIT light, and the bulbs in the uplight/spotlights in the room, I also integrated Broadlink RM2 support for controlling cheap 433mhz outlet switches for the air purifier, popcorn machine, and whatever else I need to control.

Movie Posters: Marketing department had a bunch of these frames in storage from an old PR campaign. Tore out the foamcore inserts, found high res posters, and ordered them on this silk-like fabric directly from China for $9 a pop. They look incredible up close, almost lithograph-like.

RGB Lighting: Generic RGB Strips I bought for $5 a pop on price mistake with Milight RGB controllers. Milight 9W RGBW bulbs I got for $13 each in $15 brushed steel uplights from Lamps Plus. All controled with the Milight WiFi controller through Home Assistant.

Seating was transitioned from the living room when we bought new sofas - raised the rear seating on 10'' platform. 12GA Speaker wire from my local wire wholesaler (similar price to monoprice). Looking for some carpet options - and have a lead on a local seller of OC703 for acoustic panels.

It's come a long way in a year - here's a before and after - December 2015 and April 2016 -- not the most recent, obviously - but I'm very proud with how it's coming together.

Two things:

One. That light is made for a refugium. A lot of people will say that it's "harsh" or "cold" - that's because it's not really made for humans to look at - it's not a "display light". It'll work just fine for growing plants (it'll work really well, actually), but it will lack a lot of the "warmer" colors that look good to human eyes. Finnex makes a few others that are comparable: Plantet+ 24/7 (adjustable colors/remote/timer), Ray (bright white light), Ray 2 (very powerful white light).

Ultimately the light you choose will depend on a few factors. What kinds of plants will you grow? How deep is the aquarium (more powerful lights are needed for deeper water columns)? Do you mind if the light is "harsh"?

Of those considerations, I'd put the most weight on the tank dimensions and the plant specifications. Trying to push light through 24 inches of water for a carpeting plant? You'll want a Ray 2. Have an 8-inch deep tank that you want to grow some swords in? Don't waste your money on anything fancy.

----

Two. That CO2 kit is a money pit and here's why:

• The regulator is crap and you'll have a VERY hard time dialing it into 2-3 bubbles/second. I know this from experience.
  
• CO2 is most useful when it's on a schedule (in sync with your lights). To do that you need a solenoid regulator that can be turned on/off using an outlet timer. This regulator does not have that.
  
• That also means that every time you turn this on/off, you'll have to dial in your bubble count AGAIN.
  
• Those cartridges are tiny. 20g of CO2 will last you a good two weeks if you're lucky (probably closer to 1 week). The refills are 3-5 bucks each if you go with the Fluval ones. Finding off-brand cartridges is near impossible because of the threadding. They lock you into buying their refill products.
  
  So let's say you spend 25 bucks on the kit plus 15 bucks for some cartridges. That's an upfront of 40 dollars with a 15 dollars per month in perpetuity. That means that one year of this kit will cost you $220.
  
  Instead you could go for this paintball setup for the same price:
  
  
• Regulator - $110
  
• Atomizer - $20
  
• Paintball tank - $21 (probably another $10 to have it filled)
  
• CO2 proof tubing
  
• Check valve - $7
  
• Drop checker kit - $14
  
• Outlet timer - $10
  
• Bubble counter - $13
  
  That build adds up to $205, will be WAY less work in the long run, much more stable, and simply easier to run. Also if you ever get sick of it and want your money back - it'll retain a lot of it's value. You could probably re-sell that whole set for 170-ish used. Also, that tank will last you a good few months before needing to be refilled.
  
  CO2 can really help your tank flourish, but it takes a considerable buy-in. Go all the way or go home. Half-assing it to save money on sub-par equipment will just cause you headaches and a lot more money in the long run. I spent about 250 on my setup two years ago and haven't had to spend a PENNY on it since.
  
  ----
  
  PS: /u/Elhazar, are you really gonna go around using the little 2 in "CO₂" and pretend like it's nothing? Well aren't you fancy!

Lol, do you mean S&W? Been in the same boat myself, and those are decent knives. Dig the bigger handles, definitely more ergonomic if you have bigger hands. Higher grades of steel help, but if it's a daily, things are going to wear down regardless. Got a cheap Work Sharp Guided Field Sharpener a while back that does a pretty good job of sharpening the tips when using the ceramic rod. Saw it suggested on a video for sharpening recurve blades, and it's been pretty slick. Otherwise, since my current main is more of a straight blade, have just been using a sharpening stone when rarely needed)

Been using this as my every day carry for a while now. Not as rugged, and handle could be a tad bigger, but it can get razor sharp and stay that way, doesn't corrode quickly, and once dull, sharpens super easily (Sandvik 14C28N steel, great for light to moderate usage without a ton of coarse cutting).

If I know I'm going to be cutting more abrasive things like rope, this is my backup. S30V steel doesn't hold a razor sharp edge as long (14C28N is designed to have maximized sharpness) but it's effective cutting edge lasts forever (less wear than 14C28N for abrasive cuts, but also a bit tougher to sharpen).

P.S. I promise I'm not a Kershaw rep, just found two that I've actually stuck with for a long time!

Sorry if there are formatting errors and such I am on mobile.

Basics

You should really consider a better HUB/products if you want this level of automation. You are going to want an offline hub such as Vera or Homeseer (what I use). Homeseer I know will interface with the echo Vera should. Hubs like wink/SmartThings end up not working when...

1. Your router doesn't work
   
2. Your ISP's connection drops
   
3. Hub's service provider (AWS most likely) goes down
   
4. Hub cloud service doesn't work or needs maintenance
   
5. Random outages/problems
   
   Similarly, you should NOT get a nest (or EcoBee). I have a nest and while I love the design it is fickle. I would instead recommend a z-wave thermostat. With a z-wave thermostat you can do almost everything nest can (no auto scheduling). Already Purchased
   
    
   
   You should seriously consider a different HUB
   
   

   Dimmers and Wall Switches
   

   
   Here is a good place to start. Lutron dimmers are fantastics although they can be a bit pricy (I don't think you mentioned a budget...). Other options include the GE 12724 for dimming if you want to go z-wave over Lutron. And, the GE 12722 for regular on/off. Or Homeseer is releasing new switches soon that look fantastic (Also z-wave)!
   
   Here's some more info. 1 2 3 4
   
   

   Garage Opener
   

   
   Chamberlain is great!
   
   

   Security
   

   
   If you cannot change/return your system that fine but I would recommend a DSC power series system as they almost universally integrate with automation systems Homeseer has a plugin as does Vera.
   
   

   Audio
   

   
   Sonos is fine. It can be controlled via Homeseer/Vera (Think announcements). Or you can get an Echo Dot and connect it to the sonos connect via an audio cable. GET a WHA controller (Check the Outdoor speaker section for recommendations)
   
   

   Front Door Cam/Doorbell
   

   
   Either Doorbird a doorbell and camera (expensive) or a normal doorbell with an IP camera with motion record. The integrated solution is better but of course more expensive. If you end up with IP cameras you should consider Hikvison they seem to make the best cameras for the money.
   
   

   Outdoor Light
   

   Just install the smart switch of your choice.
   
   

   Fan's
   

   Not sure sorry. :-( GE has a fan controlling switch but I doubt it would work as you mention remotes...
   
   

   Under Cabinet Lighting
   

   Hue lightstips, Aeon lightstrips or a WIFI / Z-wave LED controller with regular strips. (Will edit later with links)
   
   

   Outdoor Speakers
   

   The Daytons are fine you could also go with Yamaha NS-AW150. For integration you could connect them to the MONOPRICE 6 Zone Controller and AMP. You could also connect the Sonos CONNECT to the monopice and have outdoor audio + sonos audio and send audio to any other zones you have!
   
   
   
    
   
   PM me or comment if you need any more info :-)
   
    
   
   *Will edit and add more info when I get to a keyboard.

For day to day stuff, I think a folding knife is more than enough. Multitools are heavy and I wouldn't want to have to lug it around all day on my belt or in my pocket.

As far as recommendations go, you can buy a very nice folding knife for under 50. A lot of people here are going to recommend Spyderco knives, but keep in mind that they are much bigger than other folders in terms of height. (To be more clear, they are not heavier than other knives or necessarily have a longer or thicker blade or handle, but the blades are very wide and that translates to it taking much more room in your pocket.)

I would reccomend a Buck Nobleman. It is nothing fancy, but it has a nice wide blade, comes sharp, has a sturdy liner lock, and a good clip. You can remove the clip is you want. In my opinion, it is the best knife you can buy for 20 bucks.

I can also recommend the Kershaw Leek (this is an assisted opening knife, so research whether or not that is something you'd like) and the Kershaw Skyline.

If you want to spend a little more on a knife that will likely last you forever, from a company that has great customer service, I can recommend a Benchmade Mini-Griptilian.

Command strips is definitely the way to go, but I find for some things the piece of it that holds the item is too big and fat for some things.

Nailing is an art. The first thing you would do is get a stud finder to make sure you're nailing something into a board and not just your wall and air. Your wall can hold most light things but if it's something like a heavy mirror or even a heavy picture frame you definitely need to find a stud. This stud finder is magnetic and will find the nail in the stud.

Then you would want to get your drill with a drill bit that is smaller than the nail is. Drill a hole into the wall just slightly downward, or just go straight it if you're not confident with your angles. Only drill in a couple inches. Do not try to drill or nail right where the stud finder found the nail, considering that there is already a nail there. Up and down the entire length of the wall where the stud finder sticks to is fair game to nail things, and there should be another stud every X feet or so (it depends).

Now you can hammer your nail in, just go easy with nice even soft strokes. And hold the hammer all the way up by the metal part for accuracy.

This all probably sounds tedious for this one project, but if you plan on hanging up more and more things it's a good idea to practice your household handiness. good luck!

I have over 500 sets, so my storage gets a little pricey, but I used a combination of five things:

• Akro parts bins for food items, minifig parts, and other small, uncommon pieces.
  
  
• Plano tackle boxes for smaller pieces like 1x3 or 1x2 bricks, that I have in medium quantity, but in all different colors (I sort by color first, then piece type/size)
  
  
• Stack-on boxes because they're large, stackable, dividable, and CHEAP.
  
  and lastly,
  
  
• Ikea SAMLA bins for bigger bricks (2x8's and such), plates, odd pieces, and wheels. They're clear, stackable, and come with lids.
  
  Also crucial to my organization is a label maker, and they have good cheap ones at Costco. You could always just print out pictures of the bricks or a box inventory and use packing tape to seal it on, but I like the label maker look.
  
  My Lego room looks something like this, although nowhere near as many bricks.
  
  My nephew, who only has about 30 sets, uses small Tupperware type containers to sort the pieces, and keeps them in drawers like this, with a plywood table top bolted through the tops of each cabinet so that he can build and move the table around (although his is four cabinets bolted in a square).
  
  We also found some cool ideas here, but went with something else that worked better for our house/lifestyle. :)
  
  
  
  

I have been working with some succulents since August. The one I began with is an echeveria (I believe) in the teal pot, and I'm not sure what the others in the red pot are (my friends gifted these to me).
The gifted plants have stretched a great deal since I received them, and I'm not sure if I should propagate the leaves and take cuttings from the top. (I took the top from the echeveria and it seems to be doing quite well! - in the gray pot). I also have leaves I am attempting to propagate. One from a different plant entirely that has grown plenty of roots, and as I just removed it from having its roots in the soil, I noticed it has begun to grow tiny little leaves. (This was not the case as of three or so days ago before I placed the roots under the soil).

The others aren't doing as well. I have sprayed the roots only, daily, of the mystery leaf, but I have stopped recently after reading about dry methods. Should I be doing something differently? (Should I continue watering it? Should I place it back on top of the soil?)

They are in ceramic pots with a drainage hole in the bottom. I typically water the established plants one to two weeks, or I can wait longer if the soil is not completely dry. The leaves are in a plastic smaller tray with soil, and a drainage hole in the bottom.

The potting medium is a prepackaged cactus mix with added perlite.

All of the plants are situated in a west facing window (I don't have a lot of ability to put them anywhere else). I purchased a bulb that was referenced on a blog, and the echeveria seems to be doing fine, but the others in the red pot are stretching a lot. Link to bulb being used

I also have some little buds growing from the stalk of the echeveria I began with. Is it time to remove and replant the largest one? It has little roots!

I'm looking for identification of mystery plant, advice in regards to the stretching/propagation issue, and any advice on the leaves that I am attempting to propagate. Thank you so much for any and all help!

Link to photos

This is the first time I've posted something like this, so if I need to clarify or fix the links, please let me know! Thanks! :)

I don't personally own one, but I've often seen the Kershaw Leek recommended as a good budget EDC knife.

If you're getting a separate knife anyway, you might choose a Leatherman without a knife, like the Style PS, so that you can take it with you when you travel for summers/breaks.

Other items to consider:

1. Bandanas: super useful to wipe sweat, blow your nose, clean something up, etc. You can get some cheap ones on Amazon and they weigh nothing, so they're easy to carry around.
   
   
2. Water bottle: I like the Smart Water water bottles, so I bought one in a vending machine and just keep refilling it from water fountains.
   
   
3. Power bank: if it's not convenient to go back to your dorm in between classes/meals, you might want to get a power bank to recharge your phone/tablet/laptop. You can just bring the charging cable, but you may not always have access to a plug.
   
   
4. Flashlight: There's a long list of suggestions in the Frequently Recommended Gear list on the right. Flashlights are just randomly useful a lot.

I have the 20-27" NICREW light for my 10 gallon low-tech planted tank and it seems to work well in keeping my plants alive (mostly anubias, amazon swords, and mosses) even though the lighting is on the low side. You MIGHT be able to grow medium light plants with this, but high light plants are a no-no (believe me I tried). Because you have a 20 gallon, go for the 28-36" one. Everything else seems good. Also, you might want to buy an automated timer like this one for your lights https://www.amazon.com/Century-Plug-Mechanical-Timer-Grounded/dp/B00MVFF59S/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1504061029&sr=8-4&keywords=timer+light. It can be quite tedious trying to turn off and on the lights for your plants each day. Remember plants need around 8 to 12 hours of light per day.

The rock wall looks cool! You can definitely try it out if you have the time. Also try to add some plants first when you cycle, as plants can help speed up the cycling process!

Good luck on your tank :)

So for shelter, I'd suggest this tarp. I also suggest checking out the forum that the tarp is from (www.bushcraftusa.com) because it's a forum all about bushcraft but has sub forums in ultralight and backpacking. The tarp is https://bushcraftoutfitters.com/coyote-tarp-10x10/ which is priced at $67. The reason I suggest this is because this tarp specifically, there's lots of way's to set it up. Check out this video. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RxtHJm51NPY&t=


So for cooking, it's pretty simple. This video will show you what most bushcrafters use and the links that follow are the two items. I use it myself and in fact have two sets because of how much I enjoy it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=00gwQ4z_nQQ&t and the following links for the items. https://www.walmart.com/search/?query=Ozark%20Trail%2018-Ounce%20Stainless%20Steel%20Cup
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Stanley-Adventure-Camp-Cook-Set/16784406
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Ozark-Trail-9-5-Round-Frying-Pan/49332895


Hammocks are over rated, sleeping pads are a mess to figure out, get a cot. In fact, get this cot. https://www.ebay.com/itm/Outdoor-Super-Ultralight-Portable-Folding-Aluminium-alloy-Cot-Camping-Tent-Bed/112355265955?hash=item1a28e54da3:g:-PUAAOSwTM5Y365i:rk:2:pf:


And now you need a knife, saw, and hatchet right? Well let's tackle all three.
https://www.amazon.com/Morakniv-Companion-Stainless-4-1-Inch-Military/dp/B004ZAIXSC?ref_=w_bl_hsx_s_sp_web_6501052011
https://www.amazon.com/Bahco-396-LAP-Laplander-Folding-Inch/dp/B0001IX7OW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1540606867&sr=8-1&keywords=Bacho+Laplander
https://www.amazon.com/Fiskars-X7-Hatchet-Inch-378501-1002/dp/B0002YTO7E/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1540607032&sr=8-2&keywords=Fiskars+X7+Hatchet+14+Inch%2C+378501-1002
And as a added bonus here's a fire steel.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/4-x-2-5-Drilled-Ferrocerium-Ferro-Rod-Steel-Flint-Fire-Starter-w-Lanyard-Hole/131485475489?hash=item1e9d2522a1:rk:4:pf:


And finally to end it all, we have a sleeping bag. This one is well known in the world. Kelty Cosmic 20 Degree. It's a dry down bag which means it's made of down that can handle some moisture but still keep you warm. It's rated for 20 degree's. I'll post the same bag as well but is rated for 0 degrees'. It'll be more expensive but it'll let you stay warm during the winter.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Kelty-Cosmic-20-Sleeping-Bag-20-Degree-Down/253894865275?epid=1152349824&hash=item3b1d50317b:m:mFpUvLXnvtZZETXdugDHwvw:rk:2:pf:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Kelty-Cosmic-0-Sleeping-Bag-0-Degree-Down/253375355468?epid=28012067594&hash=item3afe591a4c:m:mCrEnOYV72CJ257e08pGR4Q:rk:2:pf:


Check the sizes of the sleeping bag before you buy.


Also a pack, this one works as two in one. Really nice for a 60L https://outdoorvitals.com/products/rhyolite-60l-lightweight-internal-frame-backpack1
________________________________________

If you do plan on doing any winter camping, I'd edit a few things. One of them is I'd get the 0 Degree sleeping bag posted. Instead of the tarp I'd get this pup tent. https://www.ebay.com/itm/USGI-Military-Issue-2-Man-Canvas-PUP-TENT-w-Poles-Stakes-Complete-VGC/392111853275?hash=item5b4bb00edb:g:JEQAAOSw~jJarA5E:rk:1:pf: Which comes with poles and stakes. I normally toss the poles and get some branches outside. I get four branches and make a bipod that I tie off on either end. That gives me more room inside the tent and less weight I have to carry on my person.


I'd still get the cot but I'd also include Thermarest Z-Lite sleeping pad to put on top of it https://www.ebay.com/itm/Therm-a-Rest-Z-Lite-Sol-Ultralight-Foam-Backpacking-Mattress/132801349129?epid=1900010560&hash=item1eeb93c609:rk:1:pf: as well as one of those super heavy duty emergency blankets. It's a reflective blanket but it's also the same thickness as some of those heat reflectors you use for a car windshield. Not those flimsy things you see "survivalists" use. Those placed on the cot, with that zero degree bag, and that shelter works amazingly. Just don't throw a heavy blanket on the sleeping bag and don't wear a lot of clothes in it either. That'll make everything for naught.
______________________________________
So with everything listed, the pack, cooking stuff, tools, cot, sleeping bag, and either the canvas shelter or tap, you'd be looking at around $560 assuming you got the 0 Degree Sleeping Bag instead of the 20 Degree. Which you really should. A 0 Degree is much better in my case.


Also if you do get a down sleeping bag, NEVER STORE IT IN THE COMPRESSED STATE!!! Always store it someplace with it out of it's bag. If you keep it compressed 24/7 until you use it, you'll destroy the down.

You should be able to clean off the pads, re-tin them, and re-solder new wires to them.

 

You'll need a few tools:

• A small brass wire brush to clean the gunk off of the pads, something like these: Mini Wire Brush Set
  
• Some desoldering wick - a thin copper braid, like this: Desoldering Wick
  
• Rosin Paste Flux for electronics: Rosin Paste Flux
  
• Some 60% Lead/40% Tin Rosin Core Solder, .062" diameter: 60/40 Rosin Core Solder
  
• A soldering iron. I assume you have one, but if not you can't go too badly wrong with something like this: Vastar 60W Soldering Kit
  
   
  
  Clean and tin the soldering iron tip:
  
  

1. Take some paper towels, fold them up into a square and get it wet with water. You'll use the wet paper towel to wipe off the hot tip between uses.
   
2. Use the rosin core solder and apply some to the soldering iron tip.
   
3. Wipe off any excess on the paper towel.
   
   
    
   
   Remove the solder from the pads on the heat bed:
   
    
   
   
4. Clean the gunk off of the solder pads with the brass brush - the brass bristles should clean off the surface without damaging it, whereas steel bristles may cut into the surface a bit much.
   
5. Unwind a few inches of the desoldering wick (copper braid), and dip the end into the rosin paste flux - you don't need a lot. The rosin helps the solder to flow and keeps impurities out.
   
6. Put the desodering wick on top of the solder on the pad, and then press the tip of the soldering iron on top of the wick until it heats up. For an adjustable soldering iron, 300F is about right - you want the solder to melt within 5 seconds or less, ideally.
   
7. The solder will melt, and get sucked up into the wick. Remove it from the pad while the solder's still hot
   
8. You should be left with a bright shiny tinned solder pad.
   
    
   
   Add some solder to the pads - you'll want a little bit of solder to cover the whole pad, with enough to make a small bump.
   
   
9. Take the solder, and touch it down flat on the pad.
   
10. Place the soldering iron tip on top to melt it. Feed a little more solder in while it's hot, if needed.
    
     
    
    Tin the wires:
    
    
11. Cut off the ends of the wire, and strip off the end of the insulation by about 1/4"-3/8".
    
12. Twist the end of the wire so that it's tight, and straight.
    
13. Cut off a small piece of the solder (~1/2"), and wrap it around the wire
    
14. Dip the end of the wire into the rosin flux - you don't need a lot.
    
15. Touch the soldering iron tip to the solder and the wire, and coat the wire back and forth until the solder gets sucked into the wire.
    
16. It should have enough solder so that it gets absorbed and you can still see the outline of the wires.
    
     
    
    Attach the tinned wires to the tinned solder pads on the heat bed:
    
    
17. Dip the tinned wire into the flux paste again - a little goes a long way.
    
18. Place the tinned wire down on top of the tinned solder pad.
    
19. Press the soldering iron tip on top of the wire, and heat it until the solder melts on both the wire and the pad.
    
20. There should be just enough solder so that the wire is attached to the pad, but isn't buried in solder. If in doubt, add a little more.
    
21. Hold the wire in place, and remove the soldering iron tip. It should cool in a few seconds, locking the wire in place.
    
    
     
    
    Also: You can use some isopropyl alcohol (rubbing alcohol) to clean up the excess rosin paste - it can get sticky.
    
    
     
    
    Hope this helps!

YouTube videos, practicing on something that doesn't really matter too much, looking at a photo of a part. There are a couple arduino kits that require soldering but it's really easy, the Sunfounder starter kit is one I learned from. (It's 99% arduino stuff but there's a easy to solder part)

You really only need a soldering iron, solder, something to hold the iron (if you're crafty with a coat hangar you could make one yourself) and a sponge. A brass sponge is better because it's dry. You may want to get a desoldering pump if you want to remove solder. I got the bestseller kit on Amazon and I've been really happy with it.


Do NOT touch anything metal on the soldering iron when it's on. Burnt the shit out of my hand.

I like these wet wipes a lot. They get very high marks for biodegrading/composting quickly and they're actually flushable unlike many brands of wipes.

I wouldn't overthink your first aid kit too much. Bring along some cloth medical tape, a bandanna, and some NSAIDs and you'll have enough of a kit to deal with injuries at least until you can get real medical help. If you are blister-prone one or two pieces of this paper will be plenty for your trip.

I'm not sure on the legality of this in the UK but I would also consider a small folding knife a good addition to your first aid kit.

I like to bring along a pair of sandals or something similar for camp shoes. It REALLY hurts wearing the same shoes all day.

You might also want to buy a small hand torch if you plan to make camp after dark. This is the one I just picked up.

A food bag like this would be good for snacks - I would just stuff it in the webbing above your seat pack.

Sorry for all the amazon links. Your setup looks great. Beautiful bike!

A proper 60% has all the keys of at least a TKL, just that many are on the function layer. On my programmable 60% 'boards, I have Home mapped to FN+T, and End mapped to FN+G. WASD are my arrow keys, and FN is mapped to Caps Lock. I am a Linux admin, and do a fair bit of scripting, and I greatly prefer 60% now.

Did you use Autohotkey to map a pseudo function layer and use Right Alt as a Fn key? That is about the only way to mimic a 60%.

I have a Vastar soldering kit, that I have used to build several keyboards. Sure, there are better kits, but it works well enough, and the price is good. It should be more than good enough to replace a switch.

I have a WASD CODE TKL, and it is really solid. I understand WASD are Costar 'boards, so a Filco would be very similar. A KUL ES87 is supposed to be extremely good. A bit of a step down, but still quite good would be a Ducky, Leopold or Varmilo.

MK offers free shipping, and usually arrives 3-5 days.

Hey /u/Mercury357 !

Sorry I can't offer much advice when it comes to Inovelli or Zooz, but I'm sure you'll get a great response from some of the other members here.

I can however, relay that the GE Switches are on sale right now on Amazon for $30.99 and the GE Dimmers are on sale for $32.99

Our Add-On switches work great for 3 and 4-way setups as well, those run $19.50 right now

If you have any questions about GE product, feel free to ask. :)

I registered for a bunch of gear when I got married, and it was a fantastic decision.

Where are you planning to register?

There are lots of decent items on Amazon, but there's a whole lotta crap on there, too. I got this little coffee filter from someone off our registry and it's probably in the top 5 pieces of gear I most value.

You may want to try to pick stuff that can double up, like a backpacking chair like this if you're not real concerned about weight. I got one similar, and while I haven't actually taken it backpacking, it stays in my truck and has come quite in handy.

Second for a good knife. I'm a big fan of any Columbia River Knife and Tool blades. My EDC is this guy but there are a lot of CRKT options on there.

Also, a small folding saw like this one is worth a little extra weight in my opinion. I have this same one and use it both when working on my property or out on the trail. I even carry it with me when I'm canoeing because it's just so dang handy.

Stuff like Permethrin spray, or seam sealer is also a good idea. It's cheap, which means folks will buy it for ya, and it's usable no matter what other gear you end up with.

> Actual blueprint

Great, you make my plans look like something an orangutan would wipe its ass with...

I must tell you there is no guarantee 5000k will work better, in fact I get the easily tightest growth from 4000k LED. 6500K fluoro made for wide plants but not nearly as tight, it demanded more real estate with wider leaves + longer stalks to spread them out.

Fluoro and LED are different of course, fluoros have wide spectrum always and LED is divided into almost pure RGB spectrum (like lasers)


I'm telling you, the plant under MH 250 watt at 5500 kelving gave me good fast growth compared to the LED (only using ~35%of the LED strip output tho) but fewer nodes! Much more air in that plant.

MH is its own technology, with its own spectrum, but it seems the color of the light source has an overall say in plant BUILD more than growth SPEED and I've seen it in every single plant I've grown, they all seem to respond the same within their species capabilities.

4000k LEDs got a lot tighter nodes and darker colors. It's in week 8 flower and STILL NOT YELLOWING, my bigger plants with more soil look starved for nitrogen in comparison.
5000k+ can work if you have few plants and want the few, atlas sized leaves, if you want more species and individuals the 4000K is going to keep it thin and shorter and tighter spaced plants. 3000K works but I wouldn't look at anything but the most efficient lights in your case (which in most LED cases is 4k)

of course hard to guarantee I don't really know shit, but something of this sort.


Quantom boards with 60 degrees would be a problem no?


The arduino stuff is over my head so can't calculate for that, But know what I would want to do, Have LEDs around the frame and back light the leaves, maybe less efficient for some plants, may look better in warm white, who knows. A ring of low intensity back light would be cool.

So many factors, my head hurts, your ideas seem sound however.

My old strips are kind of like these, but less efficient and more expensive (and can still grow serious dope)

https://www.amazon.com/Barrina-Integrated-Fixture-Utility-Electric/dp/B01HBT3BVM

Maybe try 5000k, but make it a third priority, I'd invest in efficiency, lower price and the known tight build of ~4000k LEDs first and foremost

But take into account I have not browsed all specs and prices on QB and COB options and my selection is very limited out of EU.

Good luck with that build tho I'm loving it. I had a shit ton of plants not long ago but ran into health issues and now building back up to a comfortable, low maintenance indoor environment.

Putting them outside right away can be bad for a few reasons. They’re delicate and sensitive to intense light, changes in temperature, gusting wind, and predators. They do not have the strength or root systems in place yet to recover from any environmental stress. Unless you get very lucky with weather and the cosmos are aligned juuuust right, you might be in for a rough time. Getting leggy is definitely a possibility with them being inside and not having a grow light, but you can always bury the stems pretty deeply when you transplant them and are ready to put them out. Your window isnt ideal, but it’s probably still a better bet at this time. You can also find a pretty cheap grow light option if you have $ 15 to spare. Here’s an entry level fixture for a nice CFL grow bulb. It’s $10 on amazon prime with free shipping. You can also find these at the hardware store, or a discount store like big lots (I got em for 5-8$ there)

https://www.amazon.com/Woods-0169-8-5-Inch-Reflector-150-Watt/dp/B009ONXWC2/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1523460361&sr=8-3&keywords=Clip+shop+light&dpID=41EfPZ5XphL&preST=_SY300_QL70_&dpSrc=srch

Simple CFL grow bulbs in the 6500K “daylight” spectrum. 4 pack of bulbs for $15. You can look around for cheaper ones, but just try to find the highest wattage equivalent you can, at 6500K spectrum.

https://www.amazon.com/Philips-433557-100-watt-Equivalent-Bright/dp/B00M6SR1JM/ref=sr_1_4?s=hi&ie=UTF8&qid=1523460444&sr=1-4&keywords=CFL+6500k&dpID=41aqLa5KpiL&preST=_SX342_QL70_&dpSrc=srch

I bought these after a suggestion from another person on this forum. I didn't think they would work, but WOW, it made a huge difference. Brightened my area unbelievably good. First link is the LED lights. Second link is the adapter to be able to plug it in.

I just wrapped mine around the inside of my window.

LE 16.4ft LED Flexible Strip Lights, 300 Units SMD 3528 LEDs, 12V DC Non-waterproof, Light Strips, LED ribbon, DIY Christmas Holiday Home Kitchen Car Bar Indoor Party Decoration (Daylight White) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00HSF65MC/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_tai_r-dzybVRAW2Y5

LE Power Adapter, Transformers, Power Supply For LED Strip, Output 12V DC, 3A Max, 36 Watt Max, UL Listed https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00DKSI0S8/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_tai_ObezybTYECE37

Shudders are good. I also use 3M security film. It's completely clear and my condo association has no idea. 3M only sells their stuff to professional installers but you can buy DIY quality stuff off Amazon cheap. Just look up '3m security film', and you'll get dozens of brands. Many very highly rated.

For water, I love me my Water Bob. Cheap and easy to use. If a hurricane is in bound, this is a no brainer.

For power that was the first thing I did when I bought my condo.

I did a ton of research and found indoor generators (all need professional installation that I was researching). Basically mine is tucked in my utility closet with my HVAC and water heater. But most places also make them to be concealed looking like benches or bars, etc.

Anyway, the grid keeps it full. Once the grid drops it instantly kicks over and powers my whole place (I spared no expense, but you can get them wired to just do a refrigerator, microwave, hot water, stuff like that).

Once the grid comes back, it recharges the generator.

Now, mine lasts full 12hrs under full load. Because my city is pretty good at restoring shit.

But! All of them get optional solar integration. Which I will be getting next year. Where I can pull the panels out of the closet, put them against my windows and plug them in.

So a lot of options here.

Google: indoor battery generators

>I think the big question when it comes to component organization is portable or not? If portable there are some good (and cheap!) options like card binders and tackle boxes, which other people have suggested.

Portable is a big factor when considering how you will store stuff. I wouldn't dismiss it as an issue but I tend to see storage density as a bigger factor. It might not look that way when you are first starting out but as you collect more stuff space usage has to be managed.

>I'm currently getting my bench set up where I'll be doing most of my electronics and I'm finding it a bit trickier to do without spending a bunch. I'll probably get drawer organizers with as many drawers as possible for components like resistors, caps, and inductors.

Actually for resistors, diodes and LEDs I'd argue against that type of storage. The problem is this if you want to keep them organized you need individual bins per size or part number. If you don't things get mixed up and degrade from there. Even if you only stock the most common sizes of resistors you will end up with dozens of parts to organize. That leads to buying many drawer assemblies and using up a lot of space for a few parts. That doesn't mean you won't need the storage for other things though. Capacitors and inductors, especially in their more bulky variants would go well in such storage.

>I think first-order retrievability is a worthy consideration when it comes to tools, including dev boards.

if you don't need portability having tools directly accessible on the work bench can be a huge advantage. There is good reason woodworkers from the 1800's had huge walls of tools with the common tools right near their work benches.

The only thing that is different here is that makers often leave their benches for maker spaces or field work on their projects. That is when a portable tool box becomes so handy. These days though it doesn't even need to be a tool "box", it can just as well be a bag or even a tool backpack.

>At work I have plastic bins in all kinds of sizes and those work well. They offer good compartmentalization and organization but because they're open and have the shorter front they're easy to look into and access, or move to a bench, etc.

They are expensive though even at Wall Mart in the plastic variants. Plus you need a wall rack or shelving unit to store them. Stacking the plastic variants up one on top of the other is a pure trouble, believe me I've tried this with smaller units and it can lead to swearing and vulgarity when you want to take the bottom bin to the bench while avoiding spilling the rest. If you go with the cardboard ones or even the plastic ones you really need to build a shelving unit optimized for the size of the bins you buy. They are a good idea though, we have used the cardboard variants for stuff not used frequently at work.

Oh fun! $500 is a good amount to work with. I am going to assume he has absolutely nothing as you said full kit.

This folding saw is just awesome, and on sale! I've had one for many years. About $22.

This Knife is a lot more heavy duty than the Moras people will inevitably recommend (not that there is anything wrong with them). It's also a lot more expensive. I think it would make a nice gift. Also on sale. $104.

A pot $15.

A Silnylon tarp $63.

Gotta have paracord $10

There are a lot of firesteels out there but this one was uber cheap and looks just like the one I've had for years. >$2.

I would HIGHLY recommend a small forest of Hultafors, Wetterlings, or Gransfors Bruks make. I couldn't find a good link for them on Amazon. They'll be about $150

All told that list(including and axe) is about $360 before tax and shipping) Obviously a pack to put it would top it all off and bring you pretty close to $500 mark. It's just too personal a choice and I can't begin recommend one.

What stuff if any does he have already? A blanket or sleeping bag could be a good choice. A small alcohol stove too.

My lights are in the living room (aka dining room but it's one big room) and I'm pretty sure they'd be considered invasive (red/blue LEDs) 😂 Here's my newest set-up. I just got this rack today so since taking this ive been moving and rearranging everyone to find the perfect spots for each lol.


It really depends on how many plants you have. One arrangement/2-3 smaller plants would do ok with one of these. I'm considering getting one or two of these to supplement for my aeonium kiwi that refuses to develop the pretty stress colors like they do in direct sun. If you have more (5+) I'd suggest a light similar to the one on my lowest shelf--maybe a fixture with 2-4 6500k t5 bulbs. Make sure you get yourself a timer for the light(s) as well! Mine are kept on for 16 hours a day while they're stuck inside for the random cold nights.

I just bought a shelving rack like this one and these lights, but now I'm trying to make sure I set everything up properly and have questions x_x

• How many lights do I need per shelf and where should they be positioned?
  
  • I want to attach one on each side like this, but that would put them 14 in (35.5 cm) apart and might be too far.
    
• Is placing the lights 8 in (20 cm) above the tops of the plants too far?
  
  • I have a tall aloe that I've based one of the shelf heights off of, but the other tall-ish plants on that shelf would be about 8 inches away.
    
• Any advice on acclimating plants to their new lights?
  
  • They've been in an eastern window all year and are looking a bit sad and etiolated. Previous years I'd take them outside during the summer and then they'd be fine over winter, but I wasn't able to get them out this year ;\^;
    
  • They will still be positioned where they can receive what little eastern light they were getting as well.
    
• How long should the lights be left on?
  
  • I'm going to get an outlet timer, but not sure how long these particular lights should be left on.
    
• Should I add a fan for better air circulation?
  
  Thanks for any help! :)

GE switches are what I recommend.
They have switches, On/Off.
They have dimmers, On/Off and dim brighten (hold up to brighten or hold down to dim not too hard)
They have fan controller. Four speeds, low, medium, high and off. (sorry, no reverse)

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0035YRCR2/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1486773955&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=ge+zwave+switch&dpPl=1&dpID=41bCFFIGx8L&ref=plSrch

You might want to reconsider the double triple tap option. It nice to be able to control something unrelated using a "secret switch". Triple tap to restart a computer by chance. Triple tap to turn off all the light in your place.

I only have one of the homeseer switches and don't regret the purchase. My switch control the lights in our loft (on/off/dim/brighten), double tap controls lights that are connected to a plugin module. Triple tap is used to play a test sound that I use to test the volume of house alerts.

It's great that you are thinking of other folks who will be using the system. Not everyone wants to pull out a phone to turn on a light.

Edit.
I prefer dimmers to on/off switches. The light ramps up gracefully. Now, I find the on/off to be very jarring.

Motion sensors, I've found the monoprice units to be just fine. They've been reliable and include a temperature sensor. I've had a few of these for years and have yet to replace a battery. The best price I've found on theses.
https://www.monoprice.com/mobile/product/details/15271?maincategoryid=122&categoryid=12212&subcategoryid=1091804&cpncd=

Smartthings is a great, simple way to do this, but it will require buying the hub. Instead of a light bulb, I'd just buy a light switch like this one from GE.

This will allow an easy setup for "Turn on at Sunset and off at sunrise" and will also integrate with Google Home pretty painlessly. May not be the cheapest way to go about it, but it's certainly easy, and it will allow for adding whatever other smart-switches, security sensors, etc. in the future.

The power leads, assuming you mean from the battery, do take a bit more but that seems like way too long.

if you don't, you need something with adjustable temp...
I've reached the end of the life of the tip for this one

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01712N5C4/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

But i'm just going to try and find a compatible tip and keep using it, the iron works "well enough"... Obviously the $100 stations are going to be better.

The real secrets are

• Get tip tinner or w/e it's called. Absolute, 100%, required. I thought my tip was broken or something because it'd oxydize in about 2 seconds after cleaning with a sponge... Yea stick it in this and clean it on the next tip, and it'd stay shiny and nice for minutes... big improvement over wiping on a sponge every 5 seconds
  
• Use the gentle brass cleaning instead of or in addition to a sponge. It does wear the tip down, especially with these cheapo tips, but between this and the tinner i would clean my tip once or twice per solder instead of MULTIPLE times PER solder.
  
  Those two things, + use 350 - 400 C, and soldering is almost fun now!

It’s best to put them in a south facing window if you can but theres not much else that can be done. If you’re looking for something cheap in the meantime I highly recommend these bulbs. They’re $10 for 4 bulbs and are pretty inexpensive to run during the day! One bulb is definitely enough to cover the plants in the photo and it’ll fit most light fixtures. I got a big t5 light for my plants and it’s great but my plants don’t have the beautiful stress colors these cfl bulbs gave them

Step 1: Buy a multimeter. I prefer the Fluke 87v http://amzn.com/B0002YFD1K Sure it's $387, but it'll pay for itself eventually.

Step 2: You'll need to take apart the charger. A good set of screwdrivers would definitely help. http://amzn.com/B000NZ5QG0 It's only $40. Wiha maybe isn't the best, but I like them and they do offer a 100% satisfaction guarantee.

Step 3: Once you open it up, you can start testing it with the multimeter. Inevitably, however, you'll probably have to solder something. Hakko is a popular brand for good reason. This one is under $100 AND it comes with wire cutters: http://amzn.com/B00AWUFVY8

Step 4: After you put it back together and find out that it's still not working, buy a replacement charger.

If you want a knife, take a look at the Kershaw Leek it's an awesome, medium sized folder, it is a great value for what you get. Amazon puts them on sale for sub $35 sometimes, so keep an eye out for that. It also has some different colored handle scales if you want to personalize it more to your liking.

If you want something a little smaller than the Leek, you could take a look at the Spyderco Ambitious, which is also a high value knife (less so than it's $35 bigger brother the Tenacious).

If you want an even smaller blade, take a look at the Spyderco Ladybug, it sports a 1.94 inch blade, so very inconspicuous and not "scary looking" at all. It'll look even more fun if you get yellow handle scales on it. They also have a purple version.

These are just a few options for you to look at, it really is only the tip of the iceberg. These are low cost, high value for what you get, I'm recommending the lower cost knives specifically because someone who isn't into knives might not value them as much (and thus not willing to pay higher amounts of money) compared to a person who is into knives. A lot of people think "What do I need a knife for?", well buy one, carry it on your person for a month and get back to me, you will see what a useful tool it is after carrying one for a decent amount of time.

SmartThings Version 3 Hub (I have the Version 2 Hub...you will have to look around for this one):
https://www.amazon.com/Samsung-SmartThings-Generation-GP-U999SJVLGDA-Automation/dp/B07FJGGWJL/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?ie=UTF8&qid=1540989501&sr=8-1-spons&keywords=smartthings+hub+2nd+generation&psc=1

GE Z-Wave Plus On/Off Light Switch:
https://www.amazon.com/GE-Repeater-Required-Works-SmartThings-14291/dp/B01M1AHC3R/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1540989582&sr=8-3&keywords=z-wave+switch

GE Z-Wave Plus Dimmer Switch:
https://www.amazon.com/GE-Repeater-Required-Works-SmartThings-14291/dp/B07361Y54Z/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1540989582&sr=8-3&keywords=z-wave%2Bswitch&th=1

GE Add On Switch (if you have a 3-way or 4-way switch):
https://www.amazon.com/GE-Bluetooth-Wireless-STANDALONE-12723/dp/B00RKJS8MQ/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1540989718&sr=8-3&keywords=z-wave+add+on+switch

ZigBee Motion Sensors:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07F8ZHBLS/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

ZigBee Door Sensors:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07F956F3B/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&th=1

ZigBee Leak Sensors:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07F951JDP/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&th=1

ZigBee Outlet Plug (you will need to replicate your ZigBee mesh, I use to motion activate lamps, turn lamps on/off at sunset/sunrise, etc.):
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07F96JB63/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&th=1

Z-Wave Thermostat:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005EJ7YO2/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

ZigBee RGB Landscape RGB LED Strips:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00R1PB2ZY/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

ZigBee RGB Lightbulbs:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B073ZBYXKQ/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Z-Wave Deadbolt:
https://www.amazon.com/Kwikset-SmartCode-Electronic-SmartThings-featuring/dp/B004F1B24I/ref=sr_1_12?s=hi&ie=UTF8&qid=1540990126&sr=1-12&keywords=z-wave+lock

Z-Wave Garage Door Opener:
https://www.amazon.com/GoControl-Linear-GD00Z-4-Z-Wave-Controller/dp/B00M75TEIU/ref=sr_1_4?s=hi&ie=UTF8&qid=1540990160&sr=1-4&keywords=z-wave+garage+door+opener

Sonos One Speakers (Great music, and talking through SmartThings):
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B074XN1LH3/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Amazon Echo Show (for Voice Control...an Echo Dot will work just fine too):
https://www.amazon.com/All-new-Echo-Show-2nd-Gen/dp/B077SXWSRP/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1540990254&sr=1-1&keywords=echo+show

That's about all I can think of at the moment.

If you are going to do this, do it in stages. Z-Wave and ZigBee are mesh networks...meaning that the reliability of the network gets much better the more devices you have. Also, with these mesh networks:

• Battery operated devices DO NOT reinforce the mesh
  
• The only devices that reinforce the mesh are devices that are always powered from the mains
  
  I see so many people complaining about how the Z-Wave or ZigBee devices don't work, when they are relying on too many battery operated devices.
  
  For Z-Wave devices, choose Z-Wave Plus over Z-Wave...it's the newest standard, and has much better range.
  
  In the US, Z-Wave operates in the 900 MHz spectrum and ZigBee in the 2.4 GHz spectrum. Personally, I "prefer" Z-Wave devices as there is a lot of "junk" in the 2.4 GHz spectrum right now. However, the ZigBee devices are operating reliably as I have a strong mesh setup (with non-battery operated devices).
  
  Two great application for the Leak Sensors:
  
  
• Near your hot water heater (when they go, they always leak)
  
• Under your A/C drip pan (if you have central air)
  
  Great applications for door open/close sensors:
  
  
• Turn closet lights on/off when the door opens or closes
  
• Turn on entry and hallway lights when an entry door opens, but only when it's dark (30 minutes before sunset or after sunrise)...turn off 1 minute later
  
• Notify me when my gun safe is opened
  
  Great Application for Motion Sensors
  
  
• Turn on outside ceiling fans (but only if the temp is above 72 degrees)
  
• Turn on lamps while motion is active when it's dark
  
  The motion sensors I linked above are the new ones...the magnetically mount. What's cool is that the magnet is in the sensor, and it's strong enough to attach the sensor to a dry wall screw (no need to mount the adapter bracket).

I went to amazon and ordered these lights and this adaptor. I haven't gotten them in yet, but I'll let you know what I think of them when they do. They seem pretty straight forward but you never know with these kind of things haha.

As for preference of white vs warm (yellow), I used christmas lights and a white fluorescent lamp as different backlighting to see which I liked more. I picked the white because I felt it had a more mysterious/ night time feel (just my opinion haha), but all the Hari and Deepti ones use yellow light so it's all up to personal preference. Post pictures of yours when you finish! I'd love to see how it turns out! :)

This is making sense now, I'm pretty sure I'm following you. Black in your hot, white is your neutral, bare wire is ground, red wire is "load", this is the switch line. The fact that you have this in the outlet box coming from the ceiling is good.

So, I'm assuming that when you pull the fan down, you will see that there is a fan controller that is hooked up to the black and white wires. Making it permanently "hot" the fan controller then relays the fan on and off. You will find the red wire abandoned, it used to be used (or was intended to be used) to switch the light, it is still attached to the "load" of the switch.

You are in good shape.... GE makes a pretty good z wave fan control module. https://www.amazon.com/GE-Control-Z-Wave-12730-Amazon/dp/B00PYMGVVQ. You will remove the fan module and hook the black wire to the black wire of the fan and the blue wire to the red wire. The white wires should all be tied together and it should be capped off in the box the physical switch is.

Here is a diagram. http://www.do-it-yourself-help.com/images/fan-switch-loop.gif

Sure! I used these lights from amazon. I think they are supposed to be for garages but they met the specs I was looking for (CCT: 6500k and 2100+ lumens per square foot per light) and were relatively inexpensive. I have 2 on each shelf connected to eachother by cords that are included in the pack. The pack also comes metal snaps that screw in, but I opted to attach using large command picture hanging strips. I kept the metal brackets just in case the command strips didnt work but so far they have been working great and I dont have to put as many holes in the hutch. Plus I have run the lights for 8 hours straight and can still touch the aluminum housing. I would say after that amount of time its like touching one of those hand warmer packs right when they start. Its kind of hard to see from the pictures but I did have to drill small 5/8th inch holes so the lights could connect as a continuous unit. This was honestly just for me because I am forgetful and have them hooked up to this timer. I also have some mini fans that I would like to put in so I can keep the doors shut... but I havent quite figured that out yet haha

depending on your hub - I have smartthings
you should have several choices
you'll need to figure the max current draw of the fan or the HP
then install the appropriate switch

easiest would be the wall switch and some temp sensors, if it wil handle the load

I have the go control - originally for my old garage door (programmed as a momentary switch) - it will handle 20 amps and is cheap.

GE also has a 40 amp heavy zwave switch - for $150ish

with the smartthings hub you could program time on, time off , on for event, off for event , (event could be window opens , temp specified, etc) and then run time for specific period of time or if temp is satisfied with enough connected things you can control all kinds of things - fan included :)
good luck


direct load good for 20amps

GoControl Z-Wave Isolated Contact Fixture Module - FS20Z-1

https://www.amazon.com/GoControl-Z-Wave-Isolated-Contact-Fixture/dp/B00ER6MH22/ref=pd_sim_60_3?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=YX3EFBFRGMTV783BT193

GE Z-Wave Wireless Smart Lighting Control Smart Switch, On/Off, In-Wall
https://www.amazon.com/GE-Wireless-Lighting-Control-12722/dp/B0035YRCR2/ref=pd_sim_60_3?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=BB38NVA9J8T5JFDE3QTJ

Incandescent - Minimum Load: 40W, Maximum Load: 960W
Motor – 1/2HP
Resistive – 1800W

GE Z-Wave Wireless Smart Lighting and Appliance Control, 40 Amp, Large Load, Direct-Wire, Indoor/Outdoor

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00YTCZZF0/ref=twister_B017SOTBJG?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

You certainly can use that soldering gun but it won't be fun or easy because it is so large (that's what I started with and used for a few years). I'd suggest picking up a Hakko FX-888D or Hakko FX-951 if you have a desire to continue with electronics.

Definitely add more solder because it has flux in it which will clean the oxides and allow the solder to flow out. You will also need to use a bit of solder wick/desoldering braid to clean up the pad before fixing it. You'll want to get some Kester leaded solder to work with.

Watch these Pace soldering tutorials before you begin to understand the basics. Heat the pad and wire then touch the solder wire to the joint. If you add it to the tip of the gun/iron the flux will burn away and it will start to oxidize. Doing it that way certainly has it's place but it isn't for this type of work as you'll need to add extra flux to protect the joint.

>What do you guys recommend for a lantern?

Redundancy:

• Get a good LED lantern and test it out while camping, make sure it is bright enough to let you cook in the dark and also doesn't drain batteries super quick or inconvenient for some reason. If it sucks, try a new one.
  
• Get a headlamp. If you've had to cook in the dark while camping, you'll realize how damn useful it is to have. You've got both hands to work with and you see everything you look at. Test out while camping.
  
• Some non-electric alternative
  
• I love this thing. It can be a NOAA radio, it can charge a USB device, it can be a flashlight. It can be powered by charging through USB, through hand cranking, and through solar. Loved it when I was camping. Don't even have to worry about batteries.
  
  I've discovered camping is the perfect time to test out lots of your preps. You don't know how useful this stuff is until it's pitch black and trying to fry up some burgers and also mix your girlfriend a margarita and multi-tasking. I've found some things awesome (headlamp) and some things just impractical this way. It's made me remove and add stuff to my BOB. I highly recommend taking your BOB and other prep gear camping and trying it out for real.
  
  Going by amazon.com reviews is almost always a good idea in my experience. Whatever battery lantern has 4.5 or 5 stars and 150 reviews is almost always a good pick. Buy spare batteries too!
  
  Q2: Do you have a tub?
  
  I think the main thing here is you want >72 hours of spare water already without doing anything fancy. You should have some water ready without having to filter anything. If your faucet turns off, you're not going to go start filtering ocean water. The sidebar has info about requirements, suggesting 2 gallons of water per person per day, and 5 per if it includes hygienic purposes.
  
  Chances are you'll way more often deal with not having water for a couple of days rather than not having water ever again. If you can't go a few days without water comfortably, you should focus on that. Get something to store water and fill them. Buy a few packs of bottled water and keep it in the closet. Get that waterBOB. Have at least 72 hours worth for your family just directly from stocks. After you've got that done, then maybe consider "long term solutions"... but arguably you've probably got a lot of other stuff you should take care of before that, like extra beans and rice and cans of food.
  
  I don't think there's any easy way to handle ocean => potable. Here's the thing. Let's say you'd benefit from something like that. That means you have no more water? Your city is completely water-free, as in everyone is trying to get water? Shit will get hellish. What are you going to do, go to the ocean, grab a few buckets of water and take it home? Either you've got a stealthy way of getting a lot of salt water to your house (live near the ocean?) or you are going to be noticed and people will start begging you for water for their grandmother, infant, etc. Get ready to have families lining up on your door step, begging for your help, fighting over half cups of water.
  
  My point is, if you're prepping for never having water running again, you've got a lot more to handle and it'd be absolute chaos. It'd be better to make sure you can go 2 weeks safely at home without food and water, and if you've got that covered, then you can maybe consider long term homestead craziness. You prepare for a flat tire before you prepare for lightning striking your car, know what I mean?

hey man welcome to bushcrafting so far you have a pretty decent list but i'd like to give you suggestions from what I learned throughout the years.

knife- good choice for chopping and batoning but too much blade to use whittling and making small cuts. generally you want to use either large blade/small blade or axe/ small blade combos.

backpack- 65L is very overkill unless your doing 5 day+ with clothing for every day. I would suggest something in the range of 45L max.

compass- do you know the area your going to or do you really know how to use it? I know every person says to just have one just in case but if they already know their terrain or dont even know how to use the dang thing its just wasting space.

ferro rod- generally stay away from things like multi use gear. also just from my experience you want a long rod (5"+) for more surface area to generate more sparks for an easier chance to catch fire.


pillow- I would not use hammock pillows for on ground sleeping. they're extremely small and have almost no support on the count of your body is in a curling position in a hammock. I would suggest something like an inflatable pillow for you to adjust for your support and then covering it with something like a shemagh or t-shirt.


first aid- your going to get more cuts, scrapes and burns so I would buy extra of that stuff, but I would also add some quick clot just for the off chance of having a serious injury out in the field. and also some moleskin for your feet and pain relievers. and dont forget sunscreen.


now for some additions for your gear loadout.

saw and stay away from those stupid hand chainsaws


cooking vessal


cowhide gloves


Again; welcome and I hope you enjoy yourself and grow with your errors out in the field.

If you have about $60 you could just buy them and have some tools that will serve you well as a renter and then you could help out your friends (and maybe get free beers or food off them).

I think you mean a stud finder.

https://www.amazon.com/CH-Hanson-03040-Magnetic-Finder/dp/B000IKK0OI/

It's less than ten bucks.

An adjustable wrench is about the same price.

https://www.amazon.com/TEKTON-23002-6-Inch-Adjustable-Wrench/dp/B00FFUPS98/

For a cordless rechargeable you're talking about $40 for this one.

https://www.amazon.com/Cordless-Variable-Position-Masterworks-MW316/dp/B07CR1GPBQ/


I know you said borrow, but if you're renting it's good to have some basic tools for stuff like this and it's an investment to be honest. If you honestly can't get anyone to help, I already have the stud finder (metal detector), and wrench. It would be an excuse for me to finally get a drill. Let me know if nothing else works out.

I've done a little bit of research with LED strips, and the ones that have caught my attention in particular are the Cablemod ones (already linked), the NZXT Hue and Hue+, and the Bitfenix Alchemy. They're all from reputable companies and have good quality, it just depends what features and price you're looking for. The Hue+ is probably the most popular RGB lighting kit right now but it's pricey. The Hue is cheaper but only has adhesive foam instead of magnets (harder to move around and messier) and is meant for a 5.25" bay on your case, and is manually adjusted with the knobs on front. The Cablemod strips and the Bitfenix strips aren't controllable- they're just a color that is constantly on, I believe, but good quality. The Cablemod ones in particular are supposedly super bright, I've heard. As long as the features and price are alright with you I think you'd be okay with any of them, honestly.

Uh, 30cm and 60cm are 30 centimeters and 60 centimeters...

Warm up your kitchen space with a butcher block table, maybe something reclaimed? Consider moving your desk as its the very first thing you see when you walk through the door. The living room/kitchen is a long space so no matter what your living room furniture will be a focal point. It looks like a nice updated apartment, I think an industrial decor with a splash of bohemian conversation pieces would officially make this place baller. Below are two photos that I think you should marry together.

http://www.renopedia.com.sg/products/blogimg/4801Industrial-home-decor-furniture.jpg

http://www4.pictures.lonny.com/lo/Bohemian+Living+Room+white+sectional+neutral+Ju6Ho_WaJ1xl.jpg


You should find a desk with some character:
http://cdn.homedit.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/Rustic-desk.jpg
(and some wire management wouldn't hurt)

You have some space near the entryway beside the cabinet, I like having a table there to place my keys/wallet/phone when I come home.
https://img1.etsystatic.com/015/0/6671391/il_fullxfull.426696237_o5vl.jpg

You need some huge art. If you have a Buddha in the can, you should have one in the living room!
http://myoshka.files.wordpress.com/2012/11/buddha_mural_2.jpg?w=510

I like the natural light, but does it feel like an operating room at night with the lights on? You'll need some lamps:
http://2i.c-b.co/is/image/CB2/GroveFloorLampAVF14/&$web_zoomTrans$&/1406251340/groove-floor-lamp.jpg
http://www.homestreetdesign.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/Standing-lamp-designs-113.jpg
http://i00.i.aliimg.com/wsphoto/v0/1907182050/Vintage-Personality-font-b-Table-b-font-Lamps-Water-Pipe-Light-Props-Bedroom-font-b-Bedside.jpg
Pair them up with one of these bad boys so the ladies all think you're a rocket surgeon:
http://www.amazon.com/Etekcity-ZAP-5LX-Auto-Programmable-Function/dp/B00DQELHBS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1417982915&sr=8-1&keywords=remote+outlet

You need a place to check out the goods:
http://www.favething.com/uploads/images/main-fave-images/mirror_framed_in_large_reclaimed_boards-1.jpg

The bathroom just needs color, consider more vibrant towels and floor mat.

Last but not least, green. Studies show, people with plants are happier. Consider taking advantage of all the natural light with something like this:
http://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/static.brit.co/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Hawaiian-Umbrella-Bonsai-Tree1.jpg

Like others have said, the issue is more with space in the box behind the unit than it is side to side once you break off the heatsink tabs on the appropriate side. Here are a couple thoughts from my experience installing some a couple days ago:

1. Break off the tabs before connecting the wires to the switch. I forgot about the tabs on the first one I was doing until after I was ready to start screwing it back into the box. Also in a two-gang box you'll only need to break them off on the inward facing sides. On 3+ gang the central switches would need both sides done. Regardless, breaking them off before rather than after is much easier.
   
   
2. A good pair of pliers makes that much easier. I started out using a crappy pair of pliers from the toolkit that came as a "free gift" with the house because they happened to be closer at hand. The work could've been done with those pliers, but it became about 5 times easier and faster when I went out to the garage to get a better pair out of the toolbox.
   
   
3. On a couple of the switches I was working on, I noticed there was way more wire in the box than is actually needed. Normally I would be in favor of leaving excess extra in case it is needed for some future change, but a pair with a pair of wire cutters/strippers you can remedy much of the cursing other users are warning about when stuffing everything back in by removing some of the excess. Obviously only do that if you're confident you're leaving enough to work with both now and in the future.
   
   
4. Not related to the wiring, but I believe the one you linked to is not Z-wave Plus (just regular Z-wave). The Z-wave Plus version is available (looks like the same price right now, though the Plus version was actually slightly cheaper recently) here.
   
   
5. Also not related to wiring, but I've noticed there is a brief delay with the GE switches (I got the z-wave plus version, but I don't think that is the problem) between pressing it and the lights activating. This was even before connecting to any hub, so it's not a delay there. I'm assuming it's something I'll get used to in time, but it's worth being aware of before you buy them.

I had an Ontario RAT-5 for a while. About the same size as an ESEE 5, but with a thinner blade and full-flat grind. The handle was uncomfortably bulky and although it held up to my abuse, I just didn't like it. The blade was thin enough to do finer carving tasks, but it was too wide and the edge profile was terrible. I ended up using my Mora knife and Fiskars hatchet more and the RAT-5 was relegated to batoning duty and even in that I preferred the hatchet. In fact, I carved my first bow drill kit with that Fiskars.

I was considering stepping up to an Ontario RAT-7, but instead I traded the RAT-5 for a KaBar Becker BK7, which is a BEAST of a knife. Longer than an ESEE 5, but just as thick and with a similar profile. It really impressed me with the amount of work it could do and how easy it was to use, but it was heavy and just too fat to do anything but chop and split, so again, I was using my Mora and hatchet for most stuff.

I finally decided to try a different direction and traded the BK7 for a much smaller ESEE 4. Around the same time I bought a Bahco Laplander, and I am in love with this combo. The Bahco eats through 1-2" branches with ease (while generating plenty of sawdust for tinder) and the ESEE is just long enough to baton them into kindling and carve up some feather sticks. The best part is, the ESEE 4 and Bahco together weigh about as much as the BK7 in its sheath, and take up about as much space, but they are FAR more versatile.

I realize the ESEE 4 may be just out of your price range, but Kabar makes a similar knife called the BK16. However, the ESEE comes with a lifetime warranty.

I still take my Fiskars with me occasionally, but for weekend camping, I can process plenty of firewood with the ESEE and Bahco faster than I ever could with any of the bigger knives. If I needed to build a shelter or was venturing into unfamiliar territory, I'd want the hatchet because it's such a capable tool.

The ESEE 5 was designed for downed pilots who can't fit a hatchet or folding saw into their kit but may need to build a shelter, so they made it big and heavy. I understand first hand that big knives are appealing and certainly have their strong points, but their size, weight and thickness can make them difficult to use in a lot of ways and in reality, a big knife will never chop as well as a decent hatchet, because the knife's weight is centered just above the handle, not directly behind a huge wedge that drives into the wood. What you really want in a survival knife is versatility and I've spent a lot of time, money and energy figuring out that size doesn't add versatility.

This is my system:
Network Diagram

I have several switches like this: Zwave Switch, some are on/off like that, some are dimmers. For my dining room I have a hanging light with 5 bulbs. I can control all 5 with one dimmer.

I use a SmartThings hub to control everything. So I can walk in to the room and hit the switch like decades of muscle memory has taught me, or I can say "Alexa turn on the dining room light". Google integrates with SmartThings too, I just have a Echo Dot and Ecobee 4 already. Guests don't have to guess how to turn on and off a light. It looks and acts just like the switch that used to be there.

If you have WiFi bulbs that you control through Google it still gives you the same end result but there are more points of possible failure in that path. If you leave the room and turn off the switch they are useless until you turn the switch back on. Any WiFi device answers to it's home base server. Each and every bulb has to ping home to check in and ask for commands. So each bulb is working separately. Even if you create a group in Google home, it's still 10 bulbs. All 10 have to be working perfectly for them all to turn on together. You may end up with one bulb that didn't get the memo and stays off, or more likely they will turn on at slightly different times due to latency. You ask Google to do something, Google has to ask the bulb server to do something, and the bulb server has to ask the bulb to do something.

A hub may still call home the same way, but it's a single point. The hub then sends the command locally to the device directly. It should be more reliable and faster that way.

The only time that smart bulbs make sense to me is if you really really want color changing bulbs. Otherwise it's simpler and more cost effective to use a switch. Bulbs will always burn out, even LED bulbs. Dumb bulbs are cheaper to replace down the line. The switch shouldn't ever need to be replaced.

Many new people resist getting a hub. See it as an unnecessary expense. But over time the limitations of a hubless system will show up, and the hub often doesn't work well with the WiFi devices, so you end up re-buying everything. So in the long run it's cheaper and easier to just bite the bullet and get a home control hub that uses Zwave or Zigbee. You can still add voice control with Google or Alexa to most hubs.

Many companies make Zwave devices, it's a standard and there is competition to keep prices in check. And if these companies go out of business tomorrow the Zwave devices they already made still work. If the company that made a WiFi device goes out of business the device stops working. That's a real risk for a cheap Chinese made WiFi device, it can be abandoned without notice.

If Samsung killed SmartThings tomorrow, my entire Zwave network is portable. I could get a Wink, Vera, HomeSeer, HomeAssistant, etc and only have to replace one piece of hardware to be back up and running. So it's a scalable and portable methodology.

Edit:
I thought of another analogy. A hubless system of WiFi devices is like organizing a pot luck with a group of friends. You have to get them all to agree to a certain time, organize who is going to do what, carpools, etc and pray no one forgets something or flakes or breaks down. A hub based system is like giving a command to an Army general. You give one command and they get it done. You can give the general standing order and they will act on their own, when such-and-such happens, do this-or-that.

All your eggs are in one basket, but lots of people make baskets, and the eggs can be moved easily.

A calculator: TI36X Pro, Casio fx-115ES PLUS, or HP 35s (these are the 3 best calculators allowed on the FE and PE)

If you get a graphing calculator, either get the TI-84 Plus C (which can be used any time graphing calculators are allowed), or get an HP Prime or TI Nspire CS CAS (which are WAY more powerful and useful).

Pencils: Pentel Graphgear 1000, Pentel Kerry, or Rotring Rapid Pro (include an eraser such as the Sakura Foam Eraser). The rapid pro pen is also pretty popular. 0.5mm led is more popular than 0.7mm.

Engineering paper.... especially with some pressboard report covers. They make nice notebooks (albeit expensive), and pair really really well with looseleaf textbooks.

A whiteboard and markers.

a copy of K&R2.

Pricey: a nice soldering station, a multimeter, or a used oscilloscope (such as a Rigol DS1052e).

^^^\The ^^^HP ^^^is ^^^more ^^^expensive ^^^because ^^^it's ^^^targeted ^^^at ^^^professionals, ^^^rather ^^^than ^^^students.

Don't cheap out on an iron. It's one thing if you absolutely can't afford something from hakko or weller, but if you're going to be doing any amount of soldering a better iron is going to be worth the money, even if you've got to save up a bit.

For someone who anticipates doing a decent amount of electronics, I'd generally recommend the Hakko FX888.

Advantages:

• Heats up in moments (not 10 minutes). This is good because it means the iron recovers more quickly.
  
• Build quality. I've been using an old Hakko 928 that I received second-hand since like, 2006-7 and haven't even needed to replace a tip

​

Motivation behind this setup: There are no overhead lights in the living room. So the lights we use are regular floor lamps. The wall outlets are not connected to any wall switches. So we use the etekcity remotes and outlets. It's nice because the remote sits centrally located in the living room on the coffee table.

Here is my setup:

- Etekcity remote controlled outlets, 5pk set, with 2 remotes: amzn link

- I wanted more remotes, so I bought more: amzn link

But you'll notice that the remotes are not paired to the outlets. Yes, the outlets have a "learn" button, but ... You have to think of it like this, the outlet learns the remote's code, not the other way around. So what if your remotes (the transmitters) have different codes? it doesn't work. So the only way to fix that is to make all the remotes transmit the same codes. So that's where you go to this review on amazon and do some soldering "It's about a 5 minute job if you're handy with a soldering iron." If you're not confortable with soldering, this is such an easy job that you could find a friend that does solder and show them the amazon review and have them do it for you.

So now I have 4 remotes (transmitters) controlling 5 outlets. Each transmitter has 5 pairs of on/off buttons and each transmitter operates the same way.

Outlet 1: Living room light 1

Outlet 2: Living room light 2

Outlet 3: Something

Outlet 4: small reading lamp in bedroom

Outlet 5: Main light in bedroom

Transmitter 1: living room coffee table

Transmitter 2: on the wall by the door to the bedroom

Transmitter 3: My side of bed

Transmitter 4: Wife's side of bed.

(Bonus: if I'm in the bedroom in bed and forgot to turn off the living room lights, I can use the same remote to turn off the living room lights)

Then, I paired the RF transmitter/outlets with a "Hook". (This particular smart home device does not appear to be available for sale any more, but it's still working for now. An alternative appears to be the Broadlink or Sonoff). The "hook" connects to the internet and converts internet commands to RF so that my Alexa can communicate with the RF outlets/lights.

So in summary, I have a wife-approved smart home situation. The wife can use the remote or Alexa to turn on or off these 5 lights. Nothing gets messed up if a light is turned on with one method and off with another. The setup doesn't care.

• Save yourself a few bucks and get the Hakko / Snip Combo.
  
• I beat the shit out of my 10 yr old radio shack fire starter, and now i LOVE my Hakko. To be prepared I found this video on how to take care of tips. I've been doing this guys method from the start and HOLY BALLS my tip is still in good condition after several months of use. I even bought extra tips from HK thinking i was going to need them. LOL.. maybe down the road or precision soldering.
  
• I know you said you have hex drivers, but i picked up this set due to my original hex set stripping. The Titanium apparently keeps from stripping.. have yet to strip them, so we'll see. Also good to have something at the bench, and an on the go set for the field. I actually have a multi-tool from HK for the field.. it's not titanium but it works.
  
• I also have a multi-tool ratcheting hex nut driver for my props.
  
• zip ties
  
• blue lock tight for motors
  
• personally i have yet to use or need a heat gun, if it's for shrinking heat shrink i simply use a lighter.
  
• little baggies for small parts. I label mine where these parts came from but not necessary.. e.g. Cobra motors, Naze32, Strix frame, etc.
  
• i picked up a cheap helping hands from Harbor Freight for like $3.. it comes in handy.
  
• Lipo Checker.. i personally got a Hyperion EOS Sentry 3 for $11.
  
• XT60 male/female connectors
  
• 12/14/18/20/22/26 AWG wire..
  
• Car bulb for smoke stopper.. this should be the FIRST thing you build.. it's saved me sooooo many times.
  
• electrical tape.. lots and lots of electrical tape.
  
• double sided tape.. foamed/padded
  
  probably more.. but all i can think of right now..
  
  
  

A more focused on 'workstation' tasks, but you'll still easily play games like Overwatch on ultra 60+ fps at 1080p with a 1050ti.

The E5 1230 is very similar to an i7 6700, but without integrated graphics (which won't matter). 32gb's of memory might be a bit overkill, but if you plan on having the entire Adobe suite open at the same time it'll help. Another thing that will help a lot is the 950 PRO, it's expensive but damn it's fast. I suggest you install your OS and software there and store your projects / games on the 2tb hdd i included. The case isn't anything special, but it's white and it has a Window. If you're looking for LED's, a cheap option would be DeepCool's magnetic rgb strips for $20, or you can go all out and get the NZXT Hue + for $60.

It's maxing out your budget at $1000, but gives a pretty powerful workstation.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

Type|Item|Price

----|:----|:----
CPU | Intel Xeon E3-1230 V5 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor | $251.99 @ SuperBiiz
Motherboard | Gigabyte GA-X150-PLUS WS ATX LGA1151 Motherboard | $90.46 @ Amazon
Memory | Crucial 32GB (4 x 8GB) DDR4-2133 Memory | $145.99 @ SuperBiiz
Storage | Samsung 950 PRO 256GB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive | $183.99 @ B&H
Storage | Seagate Barracuda 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive | $66.60 @ NCIX US
Video Card | EVGA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti 4GB SC GAMING ACX 2.0 Video Card | $129.99 @ Newegg
Case | BitFenix Comrade ATX Mid Tower Case | $29.99 @ NCIX US
Power Supply | EVGA 430W 80+ Certified ATX Power Supply | $14.98 @ Newegg
Operating System | Microsoft Windows 10 Home OEM 64-bit | $81.89 @ OutletPC
| Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts |
| Total (before mail-in rebates) | $1035.88
| Mail-in rebates | -$40.00
| Total | $995.88
| Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-11-17 14:32 EST-0500 |

TL;DR: Is 2000 lumen (daylight CFL and red & blue LED combined, 4" above the plants, giving 10000~15000 lux) enough for succulents like Echeveria?

The picture is from last week. Now I have about a dozen 2" succulents, in addition to a few successful propagations, including Echeveria hybrids, Lithops, Haworthia hybrids, Baby Toes, Key Lime Plant, Graptopetalum, colorful sedum-looking ones, Baby Necklace, really cute red Jade, Moonstones, ... And hopefully the Oscularia deltoides cutting grows some roots soon.

Unfortunately, my apartment gets almost no sunlight indoor or in the balcony. If the succulents are anywhere near the windows, my cat thinks they are all hers. Thankfully she doesn't play with anything on my desk, and having the chubby leaves on my desk makes me really happy, so I decided to keep the plants on my desk.

The problem is that the plants don't get any sunlight at all. I set up one 23W CFL, 100W-equivalent and one 5W LED grow light right next to each other, about 4 inches above the plants. According to a light meter app on my phone, the plants get 10000~15000lx. Both of the lights are on for 14 hours a day. These are the only light source for the plants, since they don't get any sunlight.

Have anybody tried a setup like this? Would this be enough to keep the succulents happy and healthy? Will the Echeveria hybrids get etiolated? Approximately how many lumens do I need to cover one square foot area?

SRM 710 is officially seconded. For a bit more money (link is $100), MCusta makes some nice looking knives. That's VG-10 and a beauty, my friend. The Kershaw Leek could work as well. The CRKT Drifter is very similar to the SRM 710, but a bit faster and easier to obtain. Higo no Kami knives are potentially pretentious, but beautiful. My final recommendation, the Spyderco Centofante 3 is a great choice for slightly over $50 ($52 on Amazon, right now) and also uses VG-10 but for less, though the Spyderhole isn't appealing to everyone.

For more expensive options (I have multiple on my Amazon wishlist alone), just ask, though since they all break your price limit and I've already done that twice I'll wait for further questioning first.

I purchased the Leatherman Skeletool for my groomsmen. In retrospect, I'm not sure if they all use them since some of them live out of town, but I bought myself the Leatherman Skeletool CX and carry it daily. I think it makes a great pocketknife replacement since it's small, and having the added tools is very handy. I did have the pliers break on me, but Leatherman replaced the entire unit through their lifetime warranty. Fill out a form and send it in; I didn't have to provide proof of purchase.

If you go the Zippo route, it might be nice to have them engraved with the groomsmen's name and a short note. My wife did something similar for me as part of gift one year.

I think a Leatherman is a good pick, and I'd get the same thing for everyone. A personalized item for each person is nice too (i.e. each person gets something completely different), but that makes the selection process longer. So it depends on how much work you want to put into it.

If you currently have two switches, one for the fan and one for the light, you can get these. I have this setup in my living room and it's pretty sweet. You just need to set up the fan switch as a dimmer so that you can remotely adjust the fan speed just like you would a dimmer.

GE Z-Wave Wireless Smart Fan Speed Control, 3-Speed

GE Z-Wave Wireless Smart Lighting Control Smart Dimmer Switch

> I'm okay buying a hub

IF that's the case, then I'd get a hub. It gives you a lot more flexibility in smart options, more options for home automation, and you're not stuck just doing hue or through Wifi. I like SmartThings; plenty of people around here want something more sophisticated, and that's fine, but if you're just getting started it's a perfectly viable solution. The SmartThings hubs will allow you to get any Zwave or Zigbee switches. I'm a big fan of the GE switches; there's also a dimmer version. I haven't done much cross comparison, I've just never had a problem with any of the GE switches I own (~20). That said, the price keeps creeping up, so I've picked up some of the old Jasco ones, which is the switch that eventually became the GE Switch. The old ones are only Z wave, not Z-wave+, but I haven't had issue with those either.

the buy it for life crowd will always argue for superior quality and buying a good tool. However another random redditor once summarized a different pragmatic:
"Buy a cheap tool, if it does the job you win. If you use it enough to break it you now are justified on buying the good version that might last you a lifetime."
I love harbor freight for economy cheap hand tools.

My exception is buy a good drill/driver. My current house might be close to 50% held together by work from my Milwaukee at this point.

Other tools no one mentioned that will come in handy: Outlet tester/live circuit detector, A stud finder, a set of allen wrenches.

So you would realistically do smart switches instead of having smart bulbs. The only reason I would see to use smart bulbs is because you don't own the property or because you want the ability to change colors of a color lightbulb.

> Do smart switches always keep the smart bulbs powered?

It depends on what you mean by smart switches. You would realistically just use a smart switch like this. The light switch itself would always have power no matter if you turn the light on or off (unless you kill the breaker), so you could control it no matter the state of the light.

Your best bet if you want to continue using the smart bulbs, and not smart switches, is by buying the Philips Hue Dimmer switches. You would still need the power for the light to be on (meaning don't touch it/block it off if needed). They would still be at the mercy of people using the light switch itself.

But, unless you rent or need color control, it doesn't make sense to keep dropping money on this path.

You could do this using zwave devices. It will cost some money up front but you'll have a solid base to build out more complex home automation tasks if you want to.

You can turn any computer into a local "hub" with a Zwave USB dongle. This one is pricey but works really well. Plug that into a spare laptop lying around the house or buy a Raspberry PI.

Install the Home Assistant package on the computer or PI that you plugged the dongle into. This makes it easy to send and receive signals from Zwave devices without having to learn a bunch of low level APIs. You can write automation commands using YAML markup or write complex, custom tasks using Python. Home Assistant is just a bundle of open source free software, so I don't think of it as a "service", but you could roll your own software if you like that replaces it. It all runs locally, not in the cloud, so you own and control it.

Now you can buy any Zwave switch you want. GE has a bunch of reasonable priced switches.

You can get an "add on" switch that does not hook into your home power but controls smart light bulbs like Hue using over the air signals.

Or you can buy a real switch that does control existing lights through the power in your home -- this will let you send signals to your switch using your Home Assistant "hub" to turn lights on or off and dim them without having to replace existing bulbs.

Have fun.

I'm pretty new to soldering, but I picked up a Hakko FX-888d and love it. It's got 300+ great Amazon reviews and only costs $100. Any complaints I saw were about it being complicated to set the temp, but this was not my experience at all.

http://www.amazon.com/Hakko-Digital-FX888D-Soldering-Station/dp/B00AWUFVY8

Edit: Yeah, the color makes it look like a toy... But I assure you it is not.

Not a true jade, but rather portulacaria afra, aka Elephant Bush. Super cute, though. If you want it to last for a few years, it will need to be on the sill of a bright window or get supplemental lighting with a good grow light. You could buy a dedicated grow lamp (but then you’d have to put up with that awful purple light), otherwise a gooseneck desk lamp with a 100 watt equivalent CFL daylight (6500k) bulb (not LED) placed a few inches above the plant should work ok.

Oh for sure! What's your price range?

For under 40$ some great options would be the Kershaw Leek , the Kershaw Cryo (the Cryo II is a bit larger for almost the same price if you prefer) or anything Kershaw really. You could also look for Sanrenmu knives, they're good for the price.

If you're really serious and you're looking for better quality, I recommend the Spyderco Delica (smaller), the Spyderco Endura (larger) or the Benchmade Griptilian (mini or full size, your choice). I own a mini Griptilian and I love it, I really recommend it if you can justify the price.

If you are driving alot of screws get a good driver with Torx or square bits. Phillips or flat head screws should be outlawed.

I have tons of 18 volt tools. But 90% of the time I use my 12 volt stuff. It is lighter and plenty strong enough for most all jobs I throw at it.

https://www.amazon.com/Milwaukee-Electric-Tools-2598-22-Hammer/dp/B077ZXR2GN/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=milwaukee+m12+fuel&qid=1563798041&s=gateway&sr=8-3

​

Get a good tool bag, To keep all your tools organized.

https://www.amazon.com/DEWALT-DG5543-Inch-Tradesmans-Tool/dp/B001P30BO6/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=dewalt+tool+bag&qid=1563036747&s=gateway&sr=8-3

​

This little screwdriver is my most used electrical tool.

It will take off a faceplate in seconds without scratching it.

https://www.amazon.com/Interchangeable-Screwdriver-Klein-Tools-67100/dp/B003FC75YE/ref=sr_1_7?keywords=klien+screwdriver+fast&qid=1563037724&s=gateway&sr=8-7

​

This works great also.

https://www.amazon.com/Milwaukee-9-IN-1-RATCHET-BIT-DRIVR/dp/B07N2XRJKN/ref=sr_1_5?crid=3S4QWUWTNOHH0&keywords=milwaukee+ratchet+screwdriver&qid=1563797885&s=gateway&sprefix=milwauke+ratchet+%2Caps%2C216&sr=8-5

​

These work great as stud finders, not sure how they build your houses but in america we have 2x4 wooden studs behind our walls every 16-24". This is a strong magnet that finds the studs by finding the screws that attach the drywall to the wooden studs.

​

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000IKK0OI/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1

​

If you are moving any water lines or doing any plumbing look in to Pex, It is very easy to do and you can same alot of plumbing costs.

https://www.amazon.com/IWISS-Crimping-Crimper-Stainless-Clamps/dp/B019DPYQZM/ref=sr_1_4?crid=LGQIZBR2PEXY&keywords=pex+crimping+tool&qid=1563798123&s=gateway&sprefix=pex+crimp%2Caps%2C201&sr=8-4

​

If you are moving your toilet, look in to a wall mount. They are very modern and save you a lot of room.

Happy Birthday!! Sushi makes me happy...but you know what makes me even happier?? Seeing my new puppy befriend a cat! cutest thing ever<3

I would love this for my keychain (: ^^

Hey RepTime, with my watch cases almost full, I thought it would be a good time to post full collection pics of my watches. The imgur link has full collection pics and up close shots of each watch with full title from the TD. I tried my best with the pics, many of the watches look better in person than what my lack of photo taking skills can display.

Why did I get into replicas?
About 2 years ago, I was in the market for a gen Rolex or Breitling, but then I stumbled upon this subreddit and here we are. I've been collecting for a little more than a year now. Currently at 54 watches with another Tudor on the way.

WTC:
I've only purchased from Intime and Trustytime. Overall, they are about the same, but Trusty time email response times are faster.
I usually bundle about 4-5 watches per order to save on shipping costs, been only buying from trustytime lately due to their lower shipping costs and promo code coupon. I haven't seen any difference in watch prices between the TDs.
Each order usually takes about a 3-4 weeks from order date to delivery. Haven't had any major issues with either TD, customs or watches arriving DOA.

Experience so far:
I don't have any one favorite watch, I like having variety and sometimes change watches throughout the day.
I have not serviced any watch yet, but each watch gets little and infrequent use.

Also, be great if you guys can recommend what my collection is missing!


Links to watch cases, LED light kits, cleaning cloth, and watch resizing tools:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01MV3E5PY/ref=oh_aui_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B013GX030E/ref=oh_aui_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B075CKX85S/ref=oh_aui_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00HSF65MC/ref=oh_aui_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07CYPVGWY/ref=oh_aui_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B076M6NBWB/ref=oh_aui_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01LIJED4U/ref=oh_aui_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

1. Go to a homebrew store, buy a 5lb tank for $90 or so, it will cost $5 to refill in the future and might last you 6 months depending, likely less in a 55gal tho.
   
2. buy this: https://shop.glassaqua.com/products/uns-mini-co2-single-gauge-regulator
   
3. then this: https://shop.glassaqua.com/collections/co2/products/inline-co2-atomizer
   
4. then a timer like this: https://www.amazon.com/Century-Plug-Mechanical-Timer-Grounded/dp/B00MVFF59S?ref_=Oct_BSellerC_495340_&pf_rd_p=1f7ed03e-6b56-52da-837f-50a4f94e13b7&pf_rd_s=merchandised-search-6&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_i=495340&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=DF50PCP11P6M4SRKZV11&pf_rd_r=DF50PCP11P6M4SRKZV11&pf_rd_p=1f7ed03e-6b56-52da-837f-50a4f94e13b7
   
5. but preferably this: https://www.amazon.com/Smart-Enabled-Google-Assistant-HomeKit/dp/B01NBI0A6R/ref=pd_bxgy_107_img_3/141-4234734-0750431?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B01NBI0A6R&pd_rd_r=7997e8e9-6f56-11e9-8d62-07ed84270f12&pd_rd_w=TOZXS&pd_rd_wg=mtJni&pf_rd_p=a2006322-0bc0-4db9-a08e-d168c18ce6f0&pf_rd_r=8GW94BPKJ41S91G2319H&psc=1&refRID=8GW94BPKJ41S91G2319
   
6. Then this: http://greenleafaquariums.com/co2-bubble-counters/atomic-bubble-counter.html
   
7. Then this: https://shop.glassaqua.com/collections/co2/products/co2-pressure-proof-tubing
   
8. Then this and fill it with the juice it comes with, and hang it over the edge of the tank. You will turn on the gas then check it every couple hours and adjust that tiny knob until you get what you need, which means likely that it turns lime green/yellow midday but goes back to dark green at night, its a balancing act until you get it right. https://shop.glassaqua.com/collections/co2/products/glass-co2-drop-checker-set
   
   ​
   
   Setup (in case you want this extra guide):
   
   
9. Fill the bubble counter with water from the topside (not the side with the red check valve, which is the bottom)
   
10. Plug in the timer, then tubing, then bubble counter, then inline diffuser.
    
11. Turn the big valve knob all the way to the right (clockwise / closed)
    
12. Pull out the tiny valve (fine adjustment) on the regulator and turn it all the way clockwise (closed)
    
13. Turn the big valve knob to the left (counter clockwise) until the gauge reads .3 MPa
    
14. Then turn the tiny knob to the left (counter clockwise) until you get to about 4 bubbles per second, i would recommend at least that for a 55gal heavily planted
    
15. Set timer turn on 30m before the light, and turn off 30m before the lights go out.
    
    ​
    
    It ain't cheap and won't likely solve all your algae issues (i have all manner of thread algae currently but it comes and goes) but it makes all the difference in overall plant health and growth, you will be trimming weekly if all goes well.
    
    Success, now just wait until the plants get wildly healthy in a week.

I'd recommend going with a SmartThings hub. The Echo can easily interface with it, and you can control it from both your iPhones and Apple Watch (I find the utility of controlling things from my Mac to be pretty low, and so don't really bother -- but I'll mention one possible solution below).

Here's what I recommend:

1. Get and install a SmartThings Hub along with the iOS and watchOS apps (if you install SmartThings Classic, your phone can send and install the watchOS app to your watch through the Watch app).
   
2. There is a SmartApp for SmartThings you can install to connect to and control your MyQ garage door
   
3. Ring already works with SmartThings, so nothing to really do here.
   
4. For the lighting, I recommend installing smart switches, replacing your existing light switches for the lights in question. I like the GE switches myself.
   
5. If you really want to be able to control everything from your Mac(s), install and configure HomeBridge. This bit of software will emulate Apple HomeKit for the devices connected to your SmartThings Hub. Then you can simply use the Home app built into macOS 10.14 to connect to and organize your devices for use on your Macs, iPad, iPhone, and Apple Watch.
   
   HTH!

I didn't want to (or wasn't ready) to replace ceiling fans, and my light and fan were wired separately, so I opted for the Lutron Caseta in-wall dimmer for the light and the GE smart fan controller for the fan.

This setup works perfectly with Wink and Echo if you ignore Wink sees the fan controller as a light (just name it ceiling fan) and therefore, doesn't understand low, medium, or high (so I say off, 25%, 50%, or 100%).

I'll warn that I was quite happy with my Lutron switches until I saw how sleekly GE incorporated dimming into their Decora-style rocker switch ... which people are more accustomed to. Average Joe walks in, and although the Caseta is clearly labeled, they have a tendency to freak out.

On the other hand, what filthy peasant is still using their hands? ;-)

Do yourself a solid and buy a stud finder. The magnet kind is too cheap not to. This one at Amazon is $7 and is great: https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000IKK0OI/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1479919614&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=magnetic+stud+finder

Also, it's smart to double check what your finder tells you before actually trying to screw anything. I usually use a finish nail to probe the spot and be sure that there is actually a stud where I think there is. You never know what craziness is going on behind drywall and if you were wrong, it's super easy to repair a finish nail hole.

Good luck!

> I've heard the term discrete levels

I'd need context to be sure, but if I had to guess I'd say that term describes traditional mode groups (low, med, high).

>What does the lighted switch on the Mini GT do, indicate battery level?

It can if you fiddle with the settings a bit. By default it's just there for looks.

>With these unprotected cells, will I have to monitor their levels every time I use them? I am worried about the lights draining them below their safe levels, also I'm worried about over charging them.

Every flashlight you mentioned in your post has built-in low-voltage protection, like your Zebralights and your Armytek light. The flashlight monitors the voltage, and shuts off before the battery gets too low. With a good charger, like your D4, overcharging isn't a concern.
I understand your apprehension about unprotected cells, but these lights are all FET driven, meaning the output will depend on the resistance of the cells. High drain unprotected cells are necessary for high output, and in the case of the D1S at least, necessary to even fit in the flashlight.

>Is banggood pretty reputable? I haven't heard of them much.

Yes. In fact, if you don't mind the wait, they're one of the best places to get unprotected button top Samsung 30Qs.

>Where can I buy the Mini GT and D1S?

Banggood and International Outdoor, respectively. Or Amazon and Mountain Electronics if you're impatient.

I've got 4 of these over my 300L and the two extra are in my garage over part of my aquaponic system:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B01HBT3BVM/ref=ox_sc_saved_image_3?smid=A1V31LM9AH9FRH&psc=1

As for the floodlights on my other tanks, I can't find the exact ones I've bought anymore and they're a lot more powerful than you'd want, but there are plenty of 20W 6500k LED floods on Amazon. Most are around 2200 lumen each, and come in 2-packs which would be a pretty perfect amount for yours. If you scan over the reviews, you can often find other people using them over planted tanks with great results.

You are welcome, as far as the camera goes I search on eBay and use the keywords "Vivint ping camera" (I am unsure how to link an auction from my phone. As far as add ons to my system I use 2gig PIR1 Passive Infrared Motion Detector https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003TZ73C6/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_Ng.CzbM9GCJSE for the motion sensor, GE Z-Wave Wireless Smart Lighting Control Smart Dimmer Switch, In-Wall, Includes White & Light Almond Paddles, Works with Amazon Alexa, 12724 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B006LQFHN2/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_wi.Czb8H4K514 for my dimmers, Previous Model: GE Z-Wave Wireless Smart Fan Speed Control, 3-Speed, In-Wall, Includes White & Light Almond Paddles, Works with Amazon Alexa, 12730 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00PYMGVVQ/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_1i.CzbBD0V1RF for my ceiling fans, GE Z-Wave Wireless Smart Lighting Control Duplex Receptacle Outlet, On/Off, In-Wall, White, Works with Amazon Alexa, 12721 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0013V1SRY/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_Lj.CzbQAY9KV4 for my outlets. I have found home automation to be addicting and expensive haha.

Here is my CR-10S.

I added the Petsfang fan fang. Added this fan to the fang.

I added these Z-Axis braces. Added these LEDs to the Z-Braces.

I'm printing on a mirror tile with a sheet of PEI bonded to it.

Last week I added the TH3D EZABL and have been encouraged by the results. It creates a Z-offset map of the build plate before every print. I can see the Z-steppers move during X-Y moves so I can tell it's working. Manual bed-leveling was working OK for smaller prints, but I could never get all 4 corners to agree with the center height. I suspect my aluminum bed plate is shaped like a Pringles chip.
I really like the Marlin Firmware over the OEM version. I don't mind not having auto-resume since I plugged my printer into a UPS system.

Right now my printer is about 20 hours into a 60-hour print of a T-Rex skull. I've been really happy with this printer! It was my first and I've been having a ball with it.

Hey just in the nick of time!

I would love to put the mass of 18650's I have left over from before I quit vaping to use. This light seems super cool!

Thanks for the opportunity brotha, some good karma coming your way!

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07H5CQY41/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_UOg3CbXHCACZE?th=1&psc=1

I used these guides to help plan and build this.
https://docs.keeb.io/build-guide.html
https://github.com/nicinabox/lets-split-guide

I got the majority of my keyboard parts such as the diodes, case/plates, pcb, and TRRS jack/cable from keeb.io, and sourced the pro micro and switches from mehkee.

The Let's Split and the Nyquist are basically the same, but instead the Nyquist has the extra row, allowing numbers to be on the base layer.

Before starting the build, you'd want to get an adequate soldering iron. I didn't have the funds to get a Hakko FX888D when I got into this with my Clueboard, so I instead bought a Station 60 and a 2.4mm Chisel tip to replace the included tip. Don't forget the solder wire! I used some old solder wire that I found laying around, but something like Kester 44 63/37 solder wire will serve you well. Fairly thin solder wire around .031" will be adequate, but some people use thinner ones; it's all preference. Just avoid lead-free solder, they are a pain to solder with. If you think you will mess up, I recommend either getting some soldering wick or a desoldering pump. I heard that desoldering irons are also pretty good, but I never tried one to give a proper opinion.

Then you want to check out a tutorial regarding soldering, if you don't know how to do it already. I learned from EEVblog (warning: it's a lengthy video!), but you can probably find some other video about it.

After you have all your parts and double checked the parts list, you can start building. It's pretty much just following the guides step by step. The Let's Split guide that I linked is the most detailed for the build process, but the official Nyquist one seems to still be under construction at the time I am writing this. If you have any trouble, you can contact bakingpy here on reddit or on keeb.io, or just make a thread here or on /r/olkb. Someone will help answer your questions!

Without the keycaps, I spent around $75 on the project. Overall, around $150.

Edit: cost

Those usually put out a lot of heat and hot plants are crispy plants. Manufacturers put different ratings for wattage because as bulbs become more efficient you can get the same lighting effect with less power draw... it’s all in the name of energy efficiency. In terms of cheap bulbs the ones below have pretty good specs and a few people here have had great results with them
Philips 433557 100-watt Equivalent, Bright White (6500K) 23 Watt Spiral CFL Light Bulb, 4-Pack https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00M6SR1JM/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_W6lhAb0WCK6KM

I actually ordered everything individually from Amazon. I’m sure you could probably find everything locally as well but it was easier for a newbie like me to get it all from the same place.

Aluminum CO2 Paintball Tank https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0008G2WAW/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_J3vBDbY97P8E0 - $22 ( + $5 to fill with CO2)

Aquarium CO2 Regulator with... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07F7P8TL3?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share - $53

AQUATEK CO2 Paintball Tank CGA... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004M49QDC?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share - $12

aFe Power Magnum FORCE 54-11473... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N36MAO4?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share - $18

AQUATEK CO2-Proof Tubing 16 Feet https://www.amazon.com/dp/B008UCOFJW/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_z6vBDbMW07193 - $8

Century 24 Hour Plug-in... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00MVFF59S?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share - $9

Aquarium Carbon Dioxide CO2... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01C9DGXV0?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share - $11

Total: $148

Again, total newbie and this is the bare minimum of quality and price I was comfortable with. I plan on upgrading to a bigger tank and a better regulator in a few months. Do your own research too.

Overkill for you, I think but I'm grabbing a non-playa tested WaterBOB and yes you can use it without a tub. Seems decent. We shall see. I'd totally spring for a military bladder if I could, but, I can't. For you, I'd just get gallon jugs to supplement what you have. It makes it easier to distribute the weight in your car as well. The homer buckets aren't food grade IIRC, so, your milage/smell may vary. You'd probably be alright. If you want to do that, you'd be best off swinging by a restaurant or bakery and asking them for some food grade 5/7 gal buckets.

i'm gonna go with what everyone else says: get a decent temp adjusting iron. it makes a world of a difference...add to that a small chisel tip (usually not provided on a cheap pen iron)...such much easier and enjoyable soldering. though, its not worth spending 80-300 dollars on a soldering iron for one project..

i use/recommend:

• an x-tronic station/iron $90 sponge+light/magnifier+tips+replacement heat element
  
  
• a hakko soldering tip cleaner $10
  
  also another good affordable iron:
  
  
• hakko fx-888 station/iron $90 sponge+cleaner
  
  everyone says weller...and its because they dropped the money on one and want other people to do the same haha...if you have the money, sure go for it. if not, many stations in the 80-100 range are excellent quality to begin on.
  
  also get a helping hand, tweezers, needle nose pliers, snips, and maybe a wire stripper.

That set up will do all right.

Helping hands are good, solder looks fine (although if you do a lot of soldering you'll burn through that quickly), and the wick is fine.

One other thing you should get is some flux (probably paste or liquid, maybe someone can recommend a specific flux?). Flux makes soldering a million times easier if the parts are dirty.

Soldering iron wise, that's an alright iron. The tip it comes with is fine for large/medium components. However, consider how much soldering you plan to do. Is it a lot, possibly on small things?

Both the Weller WES51 and the Hakko FX888D are both popular, quality soldering irons. Basically, the handles are smaller (easier to control and maneuver), and the temperature is regulated (more consistent/stable). Additionally, the range of available tips with the WLC100 is not as large.

In conclusion, that's a perfectly fine setup (with the flux), but think about how much you anticipate soldering in the future and considering a higher quality soldering iron. Hope that helps.

These are basically the best budget LEDs I could find and I tested a lot of different brands around that price range. I have 10 strands of these on my setup, essentially one per shelf, tied along the front edge, but hidden from direct view. That casts an even light across the whole shelf, as opposed to if you put them behind one of the TVs, the light was casting more of an aura effect that I didn't quite like.

These are also really great for casting a larger volume of light, say if you want to bounce a color off your back wall behind your monitor. Then put all your lights onto the same power switch and put them on a controller like this one. That's essentially the cheapest way to get a nice effect of whichever color you'd like.

The Z-Wave system is designed for interoperability, with management by a local hub that reaches out to the cloud as necessary. Hence there are many manufacturers, competitive pricing, interchangeable components, flexible control modalities. Also, a huge range of sensors, modules, controllers, locks, remote controls, and thermostats in addition to switches.

Wi-Fi smart devices are focused on ease of installation. Without standardized interfaces, the only way to offer remote control is through cloud management. Configuration and automation could be provided through a switch-hosted web server, but since the whole point is remote control and Echo/GH integration - and since the manufacturer has an eye on your data and your possible future income stream - the cloud solution wins. Wi-Fi power requirements means that in general these devices must be hardwired.

Non-cloud Kasa support requires an always-on computer running node.js, with manual device installation and static IP addresses everywhere. This is only an issue if TP-Link abandons the product or starts charging, in which case you have to decide whether it's worth the hassle...

I have a bunch of GE/Jasco switches and dimmers and one each of Leviton and Evolve - and also door/window sensors, motion sensors, thermostat, door lock, lamp modules, remotes, wall controllers, and garage door sensor.

The switches are all pretty much indistinguishable. GE/Jasco and HomeSeer 3-ways require a proprietary companion switch but you can dim from the companion and up always=on, down=off. Zooz and Inovelli 3-ways use your existing remote switch but no remote dimming and remote setting is random.

Look at the Kershaw Leek, its got a good 3 inch blade, it practically disappears in your pocket, is basically a modern gentlemen's folder, and can get it in several different colors. Its one of the most popular knives out there and is well made. Only thing to watch out for is the tip, its very thin and can break off if you try and use it as a pry bar. You can find the leek for about 40-60 bucks depending on the model.

Link - Kershaw Leek

If you're looking for something heavier duty, the Kershaw Blur or Freefall would be good buys. I use a freefall as one of my EDC knives and think its a great buy for the money. The blur is very well regarded as well, though I don't have experience with one myself.

Link for Blur

Link for Freefall

If you don't absolutely need the spring assist, another idea would be a Spyderco Delica 4, or perhaps a Spyderco Persistence if you want a little cheaper price. Both are solid knives for the money and aren't too bulky in the pocket. You can get the Delica in colors too!

Link for Delica 4

Link for Persistence

I’m also new to the game and I’ve found tayda to be a much more accessible site than Mouser — I get overwhelmed by the apparently galactic selection and can’t figure out what to get.

Also u/preppyprepface had really important advice— don’t skimp on your stock. I had to go back to tayda almost immediately and order a bunch more stuff because I initially ordered exactly what I needed for a specific PCB and then got really excited about other potential projects, and the shipping takes a while (weirdly, at a certain point if you order enough it comes DHL from Thailand which for some reason is faster than however they ship from Colorado. Who understands these things?). The most important thing to remember is that things will get screwed up — last week I ruined a 3PDT and shorted an LED and it was great to just reach into the bin for another one and keep chugging. Resistors in particular are so cheap that you can’t even buy less than 10 at a time (10 resistors = $0.12 so it makes sense)

You’ll also want a way to keep things organized — I bought this and this and these. In retrospect I wish I had bought two of the first one, but they’re all useful. Some of the bin walls are removable so you can make different size spaces for different kinds of parts. I then used regular sticky labels (Avery 5160) to label the outside so I could see what went where — for the smaller parts like resistors and capacitors I grouped them, so all the x10kΩ resistors went in one bin (in their little ziploc bags), all the x100kΩ in another bin, etc. it still requires some fishing through (vs buying a big table top organizer) but I live in a small house :)

I'm going to recommend knives I own. All of these are pretty high-value.

KA-BAR Dozier Folding Hunter

Manual opening. Own one myself, it's a tank... for 20$? Comes in different colors. Very light.

SOG Flash II

Assisted opening, comes out very forcefully. There's a little "wiggle" in the blade, but if you can get passed that... it's excellent. Somewhat light.

Kershaw Leek

Assisted opening, doesn't come out with as much force as the Flash II. Non-threatening, very well-made. The only thing to watch out for is the delicate tip. It's not like it'll break instantly, though. Just don't pry with it... It's great for detail work. Very thin as well. Very light.

For Shelter-in-place:

• Admittedly, I'm a little slack on foodstuff... i have ZERO dehydrated emergency provisions (I want gluten-free, non-GMO, but all the choices are confusing so I need guidance on the best BRAND to purchase???). I have 3 travel totes filled with granola bars, trail mix, luxury snacks for the kids, coffee, bulk rice, bulk beans, bulk flour, bulk salt, canned chicken, canned tuna, assorted canned meats, sardines, spices/condiments... about 30days worth. I need 90days PLUS powdered milk brand recommendations.
  
• For water, I have 4x30gal food grade plastic containers with spigots. The water is recycled every 3 months and disinfected by unscented bleach (8 drops/gal). I also have 3x100gal WaterBOBS (http://www.amazon.com/waterBOB-Emergency-Drinking-Storage-Gallons/dp/B001AXLUX2) for a total capacity of 420gal of fresh water.
  
• For waste disposal, I have a hassock for 5gal bucket (and 50lbs of lime) as well as a full portable latrine.
  
• Some medical supplies (advil, tylenol, benadryl, plus left over meds) and Iodine tablets
  
• Basic supplies (disinfecting, cleaning and first aid) - 10x Bleach, 10x Hydrogen Peroxide, 10xIsopropyl Alochol, 10xWhite Vinegar, 10xApple cider Vinegar, 10xBaking Soda, 10xBorax, 5xAmmonia, 5xlaundry detergent, 5xcooking oil
  
• All my camping gear is packed in crates, ready for travel
  
• All my construction tools are packed in crates, ready for travel
  
• All my self-defense gear is packed in crates, ready for travel
  
• I have a small 5'x8'x trailer (plus tie-downs) to transport all my gear to my safer location
  
• Out of habit, I stockpile toilet paper, paper towels, plastic baggies, kitchen and contractor bags
  
  What's missing from my shelter-in-place plan??? A LOT, I think...
  
  
• No plastic sheeting for the inside/outside of the house (chemical/biological protection)
  
• No gas masks/MOPP suits - If it comes to this, I dont know if I want to survive - what are your thoughts???
  
• 4-5 5gal 'Jerry Cans' and manual transfer pump for gasoline (remember Katrina???)
  
• A larger first aid kit with surgical needle/thread (enough to perform minor surgery or major trauma care)
  
• I need many more medical supplies (antibiotics, muscle relaxers, painkillers, steroids, topicals, bags of saline, etc.)
  
  any guidance on this list??

There are no SmartThings branded switches. SmartThings is a central hub that is capable of controlling a vast array of third-party smart home devices. When you link it with Google Home, voice commands to the Home will be sent to the SmartThings hub, which will then trigger the smart home device based on how you set it up in the SmartThings app.

For example, you have a smart light switch installed in your kitchen that is labeled "Kitchen Lights" in the SmartThings app. When you say "Hey Google, turn off Kitchen Lights" the SmartThings hub will trigger the smart light switch to the "off" position. No need for smart bulbs, just swap out your current "dumb" light switch for a smart one and you'll be able to control your light fixture.

I personally have several GE 12722 Z-Wave Switches installed in my apartment, which are controlled by SmartThings and Google Home. The light fixtures have regular, run-of-the-mill LED bulbs in them. I issue voice commands like "Turn on/off Kitchen Lights" or "Turn on/off Bedroom Lights" and the switches activate near-instantly. Delay can be measured in milliseconds. Much better than the laggy IFTTT.

Check out the Works with SmartThings page to see the vast multitude of smart home devices that can be controlled by the hub.

>Blems from the factory ( like kershawguys) are perfect for someone starting out. It allows them to see first hand the quality of work a made in the US knife is at a fraction of the cost. Most are not or can not shell out $50 for one that is new and has the warranty that is highly unlikely to be used.

You are free to believe what you want to believe and are under no obligation to agree with me or not. I do not agree. First-time buyers would be better served with having the option of warranty, I think, in case they run into any issues or concerns.

And, frankly, I don't agree with your cost savings argument either. Amazon has Kershaw Leeks brand new, non-blems, with free shipping for $40. A mere $5-15 more than the blem Leek from Kershawguy.

Now - I'd rather support Kershawguy myself. I've bought from him in the past. I'll do so again. But the option is what matters. And you base your argument on cost savings. Cost savings that aren't really there.

> Look up what KAI has for the tolerance. Every blem that goes out of the warehouse is 100% cosmetic.

Absolutely false.

From Thomas W. of KAI/Kershaw:

THG, I always cringe a bit when there are concerns/complaints and even reviews with our blems that hit market. Product that does not pass QC can land in the warehouse sale for a variety of reasons, a sticky lock being one of them. Our blems seemingly have a reputation that they only have scratch and dent issues, which is certainly not the case.

You get what you pay for, and when you get conservative on the purchase of a high dollar titanium piece and go with a 2nd, know that there potentially can be issues with the lock, action, grinds, and/or finish.

>They do not have ANY blems out of the door that are "unsafe"

Consider this: if non-blem Blurs with lock issues have made it out the door (this has been an issue in the past, regardless of whether you want to acknowledge it or not - ironically enough, TheLateBoyScout almost amputated his fingers with a blem Blur that suffered actual lock failure) despite Kershaw doing its best to make sure they were solid, you can get issues with blems.

Is it likely? No. Does it happen? Yes. And to say that they "do not have ANY" when even factory warranty knives have had lock failure problems... No. Just no. No generalization that ridiculous may stand on its own two feet and at this point you're basically straw manning my statement.

>There is a reason I linked to kershawguy. I have used him time and time again for knifes and have talked to him on a personal level more than once. It is the only place I ever recommend a blem to buy from.

This is irrelevant, because I didn't claim you recommended "to just buy a blem from anyone anywhere." A word of warning and a cautionary message to anyone that saw it was all it was. It actually wasn't directed at you at all.

Well heres a list of some from amazon.

• Opinel No8 Carbon Pocket Knife | $12 | 4.6 Stars
  
  
• Kershaw Chill Serrated Pocket Knife | $21 | 4.8 Stars
  
  
• Kershaw Brawler Speedsafe Knife | $23 | 4.5 Stars
  
  
• Ontario RAT Folding Knife | $27 | 4.8 Stars
  
  
• Kershaw Cryo Speed Safe Folding Knife | $30 | 4.4 Stars
  
  
• Spyderco Ambitious Plain Edge Knife | $33 | 4.5 Stars
  
  
• Spyderco Tenacious Plain Edge Knife | $34 | 4.7 Stars
  
  
• Camillus Carbonitride Titanium Folding Knife | $37 | 4.8 Stars
  
  
• Kershaw Ken Onion Leek Folding Knife with Speed Safe | $39 | 4.7 Stars
  
  Hope that helps!
  
  PS if you aren't sure about your knife laws check out this PDF just scroll to your state and check. Also /r/Knives can probably help you if you have more specific questions about knives. Although going to that sub-reddit will also probably mean spending more than $30 so be forewarned.

If you google "zwave switch" (not dimmer) you'll find tons. Not to sound mean, but did you try searching?

• This link has tons of different brands: https://www.zwaveproducts.com/shop/z-wave-lighting/z-wave-wall-switches
  
  
• https://www.amazon.com/GE-Wireless-Lighting-Control-12722/dp/B0035YRCR2
  
  
• https://store.leviton.com/collections/z-wave/products/decora-smart-switch-with-z-wave-technology-dz15s-1bz?variant=33948827971
  
  
• Not in the first page of results, but I know of this one as well: https://shop.homeseer.com/products/homeseer-hs-ws100-z-wave-plus-scene-capable-wall-switch?variant=20302954182
  
  There are also plenty of zigbee or wifi switches (not dimmers) out there as well.
  
  Also, if you want a fan controller that can handle both the light and the fan, you can put something in the box above the fan, though it looks like this one is discontinued. You may be able to find something similar:
  http://www.homedepot.com/p/Hampton-Bay-Wink-Enabled-White-Universal-Ceiling-Fan-Premier-Remote-Control-99432/206591100?keyword=206591100
  
  
  

highqualitysuggestions.jpg

Your verdict: 8/10

Kudos to you for being ahead of most of your college peers in the exciting field of interior decorating! The lion poster really ties the room together. Keep the place this clean and score big points with the females.

Buy some plants and put them on that windowsill and your desk. Please don't over water them.

When you buy art make sure it's majority black or white. Colored accents are fine but something too loud can mess with the black and white feng shui you got goin' on.

Buy these LED lights. Better yet buy two of 'em so you know all the wall is covered. Slap in the corner between the wall and the ceiling and get some additional light in there - you're going to want something besides the overhead light and your lamp.

Go crazy and experiment with colors. Here's what the place looks like with an orange tone. Here is the place with a cool blue tone. You can also keep it a bright white light if you're a more minimalist person.

Get a place to store all the junk you have on top of your desk. Get some books in there too.

Not sure if this is common knowledge, but you can flush a toilet by filling the bowl with water. Obviously water will be scarce, but you can reuse any gray water you may have, i.e. from washing.

If you're planning to bug in, or at least want it as an option, I highly recommend getting a water bob. That link is to Amazon, but I'm sure you can get it a little cheaper. Well worth every penny and can help in any situation. For example if a big storm is coming, you can fill up one of your tubs and have fresh potable water just in case something happens, i.e. power outage or contamination.

Also, if you're worried about Potable water, check out local camping supply stores for a LifeStraw (or similar) water filter. I use one while camping instead of lugging ten gallons of water into the woods. It'll clean up the scummiest pond water into clear drinkable stuff.

It doesn't filter out things like oil contamination, though, so fill up your bathtub. They're sold out for obvious reasons, but something like this really helps.

Raid your recycling for containers, too. Fill up all you can while you can.

Best wishes.

I am controlling wireless sockets with my pi and a 433 MHz transmitter and it works flawlessly, so might be worth a thought

If you are looking into wiring them to the gpio pins, you have to make sure you find a dedicated relais that is able to switch the voltage and current and can be used with the pi. But please be careful when handling those. Don't just cut the cable and drill and place the wires into the relais. Use something like this to make sure you get a good contact. You are dealing with a lot of power afterall.

Sorry, English is not my first language :D

Clearing things up a bit here, what folks are trying to do is:

A) Not be rude and say that's a garbage knife. The Golden Rule of Knives as far as I'm concerned is that the best knife you have is the one you have on you when you need it. If you have nothing else - high five - that'll do.

B) If you like the skull pattern and whatnot, that's awesome - whatever floats your boat. Most knives you'll see posted here aren't as gaudy or 'mall ninja' (see /r/mallninjashit for an idea of what that means). Knives like that though generally tend to be cheap in both the materials used and the QC for the finished product.

C) There are much better knives you could purchase for $35. Where did you even find that for $35? I wasn't able to find it on Amazon for that price and, relative to what I was seeing listed there, that knife should be ~<$20.

The Spyderco Tenacious is $35 from Amazon right now and is a great starting knife. Some options from Kershaw include the Leek, Skyline or a variety of other models. Someone also mentioned the Ontario Rat 1 which I don't have experience with myself, but is a widely loved knife at the price point. You can also check the $0-100 suggested knife guide for more options.

TL;DR: I don't want to make you feel bad for having that knife, but the $35 could have gotten you better steel, ergonomics and end product quality spent elsewhere.

Whiskey is absolutely not too boring. :)

Otherwise:

• Skeletool http://www.leatherman.com/skeletool-18.html
  
• Gerber Shard: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B002ZK45IQ
  
• Chocolate Coated coffee: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00C70BXOI (assuming they drink coffee....)
  
• Cake of almost any form.
  
• Ice cream if appropriate to the local climate.
  
• Shiny things. (Cree XM-L torch) https://www.amazon.co.uk/d/t8g/Portable-Tactical-Flashlight-Simpeak-Aluminum-Lighting-Waterproof/B01M3PVPLM/ - just be wary because some of them use unusual batteries. The 18650 variants are really awesome because the batteries are rechargable, but it works a lot better if it comes bundled with some batteries and a charger! :) (https://www.amazon.co.uk/Battery-with-AccuPower-Storage-Box/dp/B00NAPH7DA and https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00MEFOHAS)
  
• Auxiliary power for phones/USB devices. Anker PowerCores are awesome: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B019GJLER8 (they also do different sizes based on budget. 10000mAh is a 'weekend of fairly heavy use of a phone' sort of a quantity)
  

• 433mhz Transmitter with Etekcity Outlets
  
  -I followed BRUH Automation's tutorial to set this up. I immediately reprogrammed the outlets to custom codes. Home Assistant now has sole control over the outlets and I can re purpose the remote to be used for other commands
  
  
• 433mhz Receiver with Etekcity Outlet Remotes
  
  -I currently use the remotes to control automations within HomeAssistant. When I push a button on the remote, it is received by the 433mhz rx that is connected to a NodeMCU. The NodeMCU takes the signal received and published the rf code to an MQTT topic. Home assistant is subscribed to that topic. I look for the payload of each published topic and if it matches the button I pressed it will run an automation.
  
  
• 433mhz Motion Sensor
  
  -These broadcast a rf signal that is also received in the same fashion as the Etekcity Remotes do. Then published via MQTT from the NodeMCU.
  
  
• Hue Bridge
  
  -I am currently using 2 white bulbs, 1 bloom, and 1 colored bulb. They are spread out across multiple rooms. I absolutely love the control you have with this product!
  
  
• IR LED
  
  -The NodeMCU is subscribed to a topic that Home Assistant will published to when I tell it to trigger. This is currently in use to turn on the TV, Soundbar, and tower fan via Alexa. "Alexa, Turn on the tv" - runs a script in HA to publish to a MQTT topic. NodeMCU grabs the payload, my code determines the device, and blasts the signal - turning the TV on/off
  
  
• IR Receiver
  
  -The TV remote has many useless buttons on it. I use these to also send commands to Home Assistant. For instance, I push button '1' on the remote. The NodeMCU processes the value received, publishes it via MQTT, Home Assistant looks at that payload and runs the corresponding automation - turning on the lamp in the living room.
  
  
• Amazon Echo Dot
  
  -I currently use this with the emulated hue component. It works great for what I currently want it to do!
  

Does your vanity have a built in mirror? If not, Amazon Prime has lots of mirrors with LED lights already on them. They range from like $20+ and all have pretty good reviews!
I've been considering this one:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00B9QUDZG/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_mlHOybKHX2WDJ
($29.99)

It is a little more than I wanted to spend but I'm starting my vanity from scratch so I'm gonna need to buy a mirror and lights anyway, this seemed like the best deal in that sense.

But like someone else said, if you already have a mirror these strips are pretty cheap! Plus they're a lot more space-efficient than a lamp!

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00HSF65MC/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_7qHOybK6DP04J
($7.99)

Little on the smaller/pocket size but a great tool non the less is the leatherman juice. The S2 has a good selection of tools, the blade is uk legal if that bothers you, and there in your price range at about £55

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Leatherman-S2-Purpose-Knife-Orange/dp/B00NHBLZIU/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1467055435&sr=8-2&keywords=leatherman+juice

Alternatively theres the leatherman wingman. Its one of the cheaper made leatherman tools but still decent with outside opening tools(blae not UK legal). in your price range.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Leatherman-Wingman-Multi-Tool/dp/B006FMPZPW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1467055529&sr=8-1&keywords=leatherman

Or for something more minimal theres the skeletool which is in your price range and a rather cool tool.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Leatherman-830846-Skeletool-Multitool/dp/B000XU9NXW/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1467055529&sr=8-5&keywords=leatherman

OR you could pick my fav the rebar. No outside tools but a solid tool with everything you should need.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Leatherman-LTG831560-Rebar-Multi-Tool/dp/B007ERHK3M/ref=sr_1_12?ie=UTF8&qid=1467055529&sr=8-12&keywords=leatherman

Maybe a pocket watch for the architect? They vary in styles, and range from fairly inexpensive to pricey, depending on the money pulled together from the office. Here is a unique wrist watch option for the engineer.

Here is a multi-usb charger that either of them might like and use.

This keys mart 2.0 might appeal to their architect and engineer sense.

Do either of them have an appreciation for liquors? Here is a set of unique whiskey glasses.

I've heard many people rave about Leatherman pocket tools if anyone in the office is certain neither of them own one already.

Hope this helps give you some ideas. Good luck!

There is no 2 device single gang zwave switch on the market at the moment. Most people here either:

• expand the box to be a double gang box and then install a z-wave switch for the lights example, and a z-wave switch for the fan. example It's dimmable (3 speeds)
  
  
• Put a single zwave switch in the wall for the lights, and then put a remote dimmer unit for the fan that hides in the electrical box above the ceiling fan. This limits control to an app, voice with google home/alexa, or getting some sort of zwave multi button scene control to stick on the wall.
  
  
• A modification of the previous. Put remote dimmer/switch for BOTH the light and the fan in the electrical box above the fan (may not fit) and then put a zwave scene controller in the original single gang box switch location.
  
  I was fortunate to have double gang boxes in my house, so I was able to use the seperate GE light and fan switches. Both work well.

Check out the Marbles axe offerings on Amazon. They're solid little numbers and are cheap enough that you can spend a little bit more on your knife and maybe add a saw as well.

For a beginner, I'd go with a more versatile knife until you find what you like and dislike. The TOPS B.O.B. knife is a bit more than you want to spend but has a lot of smart features that will help inform future knife purchases.

If you decide you want a saw (I think they're a wise choice) the Bahco Laplander is tough to beat. Small, light, efficient, and dirt cheap.

http://www.amazon.com/Marbles-Outdoors-American-Hickory-Handles/dp/B008PPZO94/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1462247202&sr=8-1&keywords=marbles+axe

http://www.amazon.com/Tops-Knives-BOB-Hunter-Wood/dp/B004GAM1UC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1462247669&sr=8-1&keywords=tops+BOB

http://www.amazon.com/Bahco-396-LAP-Laplander-Folding-9-Inch/dp/B0001IX7OW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1462246674&sr=8-1&keywords=bahco+laplander

Hue ecosystem uses the Zigbee protocol. The Hue app can only control lights out of the box. There is only 1 fan controller for HA that I'm aware of and that's the GE zwave fan controller which requires a z-wave hub similar to SmartThings which also integrates with Hue and it works pretty well.


GE Z-Wave Wireless Smart Fan Speed Control, 3-Speed, In-Wall, Includes White & Light Almond Paddles, Works with Amazon Alexa, 12730 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00PYMGVVQ

Most recipes will probably be fine with an additional 2-4 hours. Crock pot recipes aren't very fussy. But that counts more for beef than chicken, because chicken dries out easier. A couple tips:

For chicken, use thighs instead of breasts. The thighs have more fat and will keep from drying out longer. And yes, chicken can still overcook and become dry while in a sauce. It's just less noticeable.

Beef will probably work great it's a bit more forgiving than chicken.

One other solution many people here do is to buy a timer you plug your crock pot into like this. That way, you can program it to turn on 4 hours after you leave. And especially if you're using frozen dump recipes this is a great solution.

Or I'm sure there's programmable crock pots you can buy to skip the plug timer.

a cheap hps kit is a good start. Can grow plants through all stages. Just need a decent sized space like 6' tall, 4 x 4

want to spend more / better quality? get a cmh kit.

want to diy? build a LED COB kit

looking for more shelf compatible that are good for seedlings? get LED shoplights at your local lowes / depot

yeah you will want a timer. they are cheap / normal timers u see for like christmas lights

• With EI dosing you want to just dose the water column. They will make their way around the tank. For good measure I pull some of the water out in a cup, dissolve the powders in that water and then just dump it back into the tank. I aim it right for the filter flow so it gets spread around the tank.
  
  
• Here is the timer I use ($8) Link. You can set as many on-off segments as you'd like. I don't use screens or tops on my tanks.
  
  
• Fish don't really give off Co2 at all. Especially to the level that your plants need.
  
  
• Flourish Excel will eliminate the black beard algae if used consistently. You can dose it directly onto the spots that have the algae using a syringe.
  
  
• Be careful when "super-cleaning" your substrate. You will release large pockets of decaying matter that can dramatically shift the water parameters and temporarily crash your cycle.
  
  
• I exclusive buy all my plants from Amazon. The fact that the sellers have a reputation to maintain means that if you receive any dead or less-than-desirable plants they will replace them free of charge. When you decide who to buy from, buy multiples from them as the shipping charge will only be charged once (nothing is available on Prime as Amazon isn't about to stock live aquatic plants in their warehouses). My favorites that I have had very good results using are listed below. Aquarium Plants Factory regularly offers buy 2 get 1 free deals which I would recommend. They are the ones who I bought my Repens from:
  
  
  • SubstrateSource (Also have a website at Substratesource.com)
    
    
  • Aquatic Plants Factory
    
    
  • Mainam Aquatic Plant
    
    

I bought

This mobo

with

This case

Ram and Air Cooler and This Lighting kit and These fans x3 for back and two on top

paired with MSI Gaming X 480 8GB gpu so that everything matches.

Yes overkill for this cpu but fuck it, I love the color scheme. I'll just benchmark the system and throw in a Kaby i5 7600K for the real CPU intended for this build right after and use the G4560 for an ultra cheap build I will gift to my son's friend so they can play some games together.

Lots of great options. This is great if you change the temp a lot or forget to turn it off. This is great if you never change the temp (like me). This is great if you're on a tight budget.

Needs to be delivered by hand by Friday.

​

Based on information I've gotten here and from friends, the guy screwed up the order and that's probably why he bailed on the job. I guess 5v is weird? And they are purple instead of white because he didn't order RGB-W. I've ordered these 12v white LEDs.

​

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00HSF65MC/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01__o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

​

By my calculation I'll be using 90 feet per light box. Just need to figure out how to battery power those. There's a chance there will be outlets on site but the client wants battery just in case. Feel like I've got two options here, got for wall plugin and include plug in batteries. Which my friend said was a lot of necessary conversions... or find a no-nonsense easily rechargeable battery. I won't be operating these, sales people will so I need to make it simple, plug and play, either way.

​

​

Thanks to both of you!

I think I've gotta go with a RovyVon myself. Mostly so I can ceremoniously exorcise the cool white XP-G3 from its tainted soul. I haven't decided if I want to use one of my SW45 219B's, or if I should go with a LH351D. Either way, I promise to give it a comfy pocket to sleep in, a nice steady stream of electrons whenever it wants, and a gorgeous 90+ CRI neutral white emitter. Because it deserves better.

Hello and welcome back!

I love this Bob Rivers Christmas song!

My under $5 item!

Also, whats your favorite song? Merry Christmas!

If you’re sure 15 minute cycles are good, then mechanical timers work great and are super easy to program. I’ve used these in the past:

Century 24 Hour Plug-in Mechanical Timer Grounded https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00MVFF59S/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_cqeYzb0HS34MQ

However, except price, digital timers are pretty much better in every way. I once had an issue where 15 minutes was too long for an ebb and flow I built. Pump was too strong, overflow didn’t drain fast enough. I switched to digital to do a shorter interval and the problem was mostly fixed. Not exactly a common scenario, but for a couple bucks extra, the convenience of digital can certainly be worth it.

For what you are trying to achieve, z-wave and/or zigbee will do you best. The first thing you are going to need is a smart hub that has z-wave and/or zigbee radios. I use Samsung SmartThings, and it's decent and has both radios. There are other options on the market, but I think SmartThings is probably the most popular one on the market.

I can link you some products that I have in my house that work great with my SmartThings hub, and will work with various other hubs on the market.

Fan Control (speed only, not light)

Motion sensor (You can normally find these for $30 or less)

Door/window sensor

Dimmer switch

Garage door opener

Plug in outlet

GE makes good z wave plus smart switches capable of 3 way switching. You would buy one of these

GE Z-Wave Plus Wireless Smart Lighting Control Smart Switch, On/Off, In-Wall, Includes White & Light Almond Paddles, Works with Amazon Alexa, 14291 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01M1AHC3R/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_K4LZzbMEWM70Q

And one of more of these

GE Add-On Switch for GE Z-Wave, GE ZigBee and GE Bluetooth Wireless Smart Lighting Controls, NOT A STANDALONE SWITCH, Includes White & Light Almond Paddles, 12723 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00RKJS8MQ/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_y5LZzb3VB99ZF

I got this cheap temp control soldering iron. Its pretty nice. It comes with a few tip sizes and they are all pre tinned. It has a dial on it for temp control but its really only a wattage control that gives you an approximation of temps. But its better then not having a dial. Its not as good as something like one of those 90 dollar hakko stations but this would make a great portable iron with a DC to AC car adapter inverter.

https://www.amazon.com/Vastar-Full-110V-Soldering-Iron/dp/B01712N5C4

Giantex Indoor Grow Tent Room Reflective Mylar Hydroponic Non Toxic Clone Hut 6 Size (32''X32''X63'') https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00PXK7ICK/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_UhVuybY2C4CHS

Roleadro 2nd Generation 600W LED Plant Grow Light Upgraded Full Spectrum Indoor Growing Light with 120pcs 5W Chips https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01IVQ96MW/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_diVuybHJCV7XV

VIVOSUN 4 Inch 203 CFM Duct Inline Fan with Variable Speed Controller https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01CTM0H6I/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_BiVuybSGHVZTE

Century 24 Hour Heavy Duty Plug-in Mechanical Timer Grounded https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00MVFF59S/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_nkVuybNGBW6PS

MacDoDo PH-02 Digital PH Meter Tester Best For Water Aquarium Pool Hot Tub Hydroponics Wine - Push Button Calibration Resolution 0.01 / High Accuracy +/- 0.05 - Large LCD Display - 100% Guaranteed https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01JOHTMEO/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_MkVuybZ08V91M

VIVOSUN Pair of 1/8" Adjustable Grow Light Reflector Clip Hanger Rope Ratchet with Zinc Alloy Internal Gears 75lb Each https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00P7TZNPQ/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_nlVuyb1Q8670K

This is my setup, my fan is coming in today and my seedlings sprouted this morning. I did quite a bit of research and The light is a little underpowered but I was on a pretty tight budget and can always add more light later.
I spent $40 on seeds and super soil mix from Mephisto genetics, going a more organic route and won't require nutes.
I also spent about $30 on peat moss, perlite, and compost. I already had some ducting and pots.

This is a fun idea.

Assuming you carry a separate knife:

Gerber Shard - $6.82

Fenix E01 - $12.73

Total: $19.55

The Shard does so much for so little, and the Fenix is a very reliable, functional flashlight (with the added bonus of using easy-to-replace AAA batteries).

Assuming you don't carry a separate knife:

Leatherman Style CS - $16.79

Generic button cell light - $3-$4 at Walmart or wherever

Total: $20.79 (assuming the $4 price on the button light, it's a little over, but you can probably find one for $3 if you look)

OR

Victorinox Rally - $11.60

LRI Photon II - $8.27

Total: $19.87

This kinda depends on your needs. The Style functions better as a knife than the Rally (in my opinion), and offers essentially the same tools plus a great pair of scissors. But in return, you sacrifice a little in terms of your light. Personally I'd opt for the Style + generic.

Buy a proto board PCB (a printed board with just a bunch of copper-lined holes in it), and some cheap components (resistors, caps) and have at it. Even better if you have a friend who might have some old stuff like that laying around. Digikey.com will have anything you need. Radioshack should too, but a bit more expensive.

And for a soldering iron if you don't have one, I recommend this one from amazon. Really good for its price and a perfect first soldering iron: https://www.amazon.com/Vastar-Full-110V-Soldering-Iron/dp/B01712N5C4/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1487451518&sr=8-5&keywords=soldering+iron

There are plenty of Youtube tutorial videos. It's not very hard to get the hang of, and opens up a lot more DIY projects to you.

Night time hikes through the forest with a quality flashlight is fun. Several modes from dim to turbo. Amazing how the forest wakes up when humans go to bed. (which includes mt. lions in ca)

Yes, mosquito repellent. Also, buy a tent for 4 or 6. Two person tent is way too small. Sleeping pads (thermarest are good) A Coleman type camp stove is nice to have, and a set of camp pots and pans. These particular ones are what I bought, and work really well. If you camp in an area that isn't picked clean of dead tree limbs, one of these comes in handy to cut up small stuff for fires. Get yourself a good camp knife like a Morakniv, and a good locking cooler to keep the trash panda's out.

This was my first iron, though under a different branding. It's only $16, and it has a knob you can spin that at least loosely correlates w/ the iron's temperature.

I wouldn't recommend it, though. I splurged for a Hakko FX-888D a couple of months later and haven't regretted it once. It truly is a night-and-day difference. Working with my old iron was like pulling teeth. Working with the Hakko is effortless.

I'd definitely recommend an upgrade. If you're un(willing|able) to spend $100+ on a soldering iron, I'd recommend still getting the first one I linked, along with some Hakko tips. Hakko tips are about 10-20x as expensive as their no-name counterparts, and you absolutely get what you pay for.

Easily the most frustrating part of using my first iron was how quickly the tips would oxidize, even though I kept them tinned religiously. Hakko tips, when cared for, will last indefinitely. I wouldn't be surprised if nice tips + cheap (but temperature controlled) iron got you 70% of the performance of the all-Hakko kit.

I'll interpret "guy stuff" as "EDC stuff".

• A Flowfold Minimalist slim wallet
  
• A Zebra F-701 stainless steel pen with a Fisher Space refill so it can write anywhere. This isn't a "tactical" pen by LE/TSA standards, but is a solid stainless steel tube, if you know what I mean.
  
• If you prefer something smaller, a Fisher Space Bullet Space Pen and/or a Zebra Mini mechanical pencil TS-3.
  
• You might also want something to write on, and a 3-pack of Field Notes, Pitch Black Edition in Dot-Grid isn't a bad choice unless you're into fountain pens, in which case you'd be better served with a Clairefontaine or. Rhodia pocket notebook. (They will feather fountain pen ink less, resulting in finer lines.)
  
  Bonus item: This isn't under $30, but $45 wil buy you a Leatherman Skeletool, which is one of the most universally useful items I own.
  
  Edit: "EDC" stands for Every Day Carry. To paraphrase the /r/EDC sidebar, EDC means the essentials that I carry a daily basis. Things that I either use every day, or want to have with me in case I might need them. Sorry for the confusion, /u/ForgottenEcho and /u/Sanctitas.

[This (Keshaw select Fire)] (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002IVPKOU/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_.6azybTTQWBH1) has easily been the most useful knife I've owned. The blade itself is good, not great, but certainly good enough for everyday tasks. With typical knives I found myself using the blade to do things that I should have just gone and grabbed a screwdriver for and would end up chipping the edge.

However if you just want something with a good blade I'd recommend [Kershaw Leek] (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0009VC9Y0/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_SlbzybWEZ68XA)

Generally foam tips block noise better since they expand in your ears, but if you get the wrong ones they can ruin the sound of the headphones from what I've seen. I cannot speak to the sound change on either set yet, since I haven't gotten the foam tips.

I'd honestly say try the mod yourself - it's very rewarding at the end of the day. I used this soldering iron, blue tack to hold down the ear buds while soldering, and an xacto knife to pop open the casing. The biggest challenge was getting the wire through the strain relief, but that is because I didn't take the time to stretch them out for the cable. Despite my anxiety making me shake really bad during the mod, the soldering was a breeze and while its not pretty it works. All said and done I spent $25 to learn a new skill, and can now make more pairs for friends and backup sets. If you don't want to learn the skill, $35 isn't a bad price but I'm way more satisfied DIY'ing it.

Check out /u/darkrecess guide for the mod here. Feel free to PM me with questions as well, I can point you where to buy everything I used.

I've never soldered before, but I was embarrassed by how ridiculously easy it is. I still practiced on a $10 kit first.

Soldering kit

Tip cleaner

Thin solder wire

Solder wick optional, but way easier than a vacuum for a beginner.

Practice kit optional but nice for initial confidence boosting

I pretty much bought the cheapest LED strip I could find on amazon with prime: https://www.amazon.com/Flexible-Non-waterproof-Christmas-Decoration-Daylight/dp/B00HSF65MC/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1491780767&sr=8-5&keywords=led+strip

You gotta do a bit of soldering after cutting up the strips but it was honestly pretty easy despite being my 2-3rd time soldering.

I think boards are a safe bet!

What does he usually do with his pieces? Does he hang them, make them into magnets or pins?

Do you know where he gets his beads? A gift card to Joann or Michaels would be an awesome idea, because he could get his own beads with that.

If he doesn't have anywhere to store them right now, maybe a drawer set like this one is a good idea!

Personally, as a nurse myself, I don't carry a knife while at the hospital, but instead trauma shears and maybe a pry bar like a Gerber Shard. I haven't run into a situation yet that the shears or the pry bar haven't able to do and it isn't as intimidating to patients or visitors.



However if you do need a small knife, just like everyone else suggests, the Dragonfly 2 is exceptional.

I have the ZDP-189 version of the Dragonfly and it is perfect for EDC.

If you looking for an even smaller folder check out the Manbug which also does come in a [ZDP-189 variant]
(http://www.amazon.com/Spyderco-British-Racing-ZDP-189-Plain/dp/B0089DFLSQ/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1420580166&sr=8-5&keywords=spyderco+zdp-189). Just be aware that these do not come with pocket clip (I think).

I can see how in your case zooming is beneficial. I’m a security supervisor, in my case I use flashlights for patrols and searches. For a throwy light I’ve convinced one of my officers to get the BLF GT Mini it’s a great searchlight type light that can fit in a jacket pocket.

I convinced another to get a Wowtac A1S it’s a good EDC sized floody light with 1100 lumens output. It’s great for those who haven’t used higher end lights as it comes with an 18650 that has a build in micro USB charging port.

I haven’t come across a zoomie that I’d be willing to recommend to anyone but maybe someone else will chime in.

Yeah mines definitely not there yet either lol

I’ve picked up fallen leaves at Home Depot twice and now I have a lot of them that I’m going to try to grow! I’m sure he will be impressed when/if they grow!

Someone here linked some bulbs that were 4/$10 on amazon and I think they could go into a regular lamp you might already have!

Edit: these

Philips 433557 100-watt Equivalent, Bright White (6500K) 23 Watt Spiral CFL Light Bulb, 4-Pack https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00M6SR1JM/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_Gy2eAbN1WVNB5

Looks like a nice space! It might be worth looking into some inexpensive LED tube lighting on Amazon to brighten it up a bit. Check these bad boys out! Super affordable and easy to install and makes a world of a difference on dark winter days.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01HBT3BVM/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Do you think you'll use the features of the Hue bulbs? Like do you need the different colors or are you just looking to remotely control the lights?

I originally went with LIFX but decided that I didn't like the idea of having to replace every light bulb in my house with smart bulbs. Instead I've been opting for the GE Z Wave Plus switches and I've been loving them.

This way it doesn't matter what bulb is used, the whole switch is smart.

I have the Hakko 888 and it is awesome but overkill for my needs and for most people probably.
I also have the same $18 soldering kit and agree, it is really nice functionally (the blue plastic handle is lightweight.

I had done a lot of searching after i got my Hakko and the Ayoue models are supposed to be really nice, about on par with Hakko and more affordable.

I use a Phillips Grow bulb and a clamp lamp, but that’s because I’m growing my mushrooms in the same room I’m growing my weed, and that room is locked down like Fort Knox against light.

But indirect sunlight should be just fine, my friends growing mushrooms in her craft room/office, and her tub’s only getting indirect sunlight and they’re doing fine. Bod even tells you that sunlight isn’t necessary, mushrooms just look weird apparently without any.

I have a Gerber multi-tool Suspension GE22-41471. I like it but it's pretty heavy for its size and, as others have said, you don't need half the tools in the wilderness.

Go Outdoors have a selection. Might be cheaper on Amazon.

I have a folding saw which is light.

You could try a wire saw. I haven't tried one myself.

I find my folding trowel very useful.

Don't get this trowel - it's flimsy

I also have a bushcraft knife. I'm not sure it's legal to carry around (UK) all the time but I think it's ok if you're using it while camping etc. (better check if you do buy a knife).

This is going to format like shit because I'm copying it straight from an email I wrote my sister.
The important bits: the hub is Samsung Smartthings, switches are mostly GE zwave switches, voice control provided by Amazon Echo.
Rolling it out across the whole house isn't easy or cheap, but it's worth it when you have someone over and you give the "turn on everything" command and you watch every light pop on, then do it in reverse.
This will get you started :)
>
> Switches: http://www.amazon.com/GE12722-Z-Wave-Wireless-Lighting-Control/dp/B0035YRCR2
>
> Add-on Switches (for 3+ way): http://www.amazon.com/GE-12723-Add-On-Switch/dp/B00RKJS8MQ
>
> Dimmer:  http://www.amazon.com/GE-Z-Wave-Dimmer-In-Wall-12724/dp/B006LQFHN2
>
> Fan: http://www.amazon.com/GE-12730-Z-Wave-Smart-Control/dp/B00PYMGVVQ
>
> SmartThings: http://www.amazon.com/Samsung-SmartThings-Hub-2nd-Generation/dp/B010NZV0GE
>
> Door Locks: http://www.amazon.com/Schlage-Connect-Camelot-Touchscreen-Deadbolt/dp/B00AGK9KOG/ref=lp_511306_1_2?s=hardware&ie=UTF8&qid=1461284077&sr=1-2
>
> Thermostat:  http://www.amazon.com/Nest-Learning-Thermostat-Generation-Works/dp/B0131RG6VK/ref=sr_1_2?s=hi&ie=UTF8&qid=1461284145&sr=1-2&keywords=thermostat+smart
>
> Echo (for voice control): http://www.amazon.com/Amazon-SK705DI-Echo/dp/B00X4WHP5E/ref=sr_1_1?s=hi&ie=UTF8&qid=1461284177&sr=1-1&keywords=echo
>

There are other things like motion sensors and garage door controllers that start opening up some really cool "routines."