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06-15-2017, 12:40 PM
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#21
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Leeward Oahu
Posts: 17,794
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Newventurer
Regarding your nest thermostat - be aware that there are settings, presumably to allow the unit to sense you in the home, that activate a microphone in the unit, which of course opens you up to unauthorized snooping by hackers. You may want it to function as designed but just be aware.
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I've mentioned in passing to a couple of folks that I would not be interested in voice activated systems (cable co. wanted me to use the one on their remote to set up my TV recently - I said "no!") They look at me as if I'm from another century (which is, of course true.) That's when I recite to them my tag line. Of course, I get more blank stares.
I often wonder how many "criminals", "cheaters", accident "participants", etc. were surprised to find just how much info could be retrieved about them from new technology such as cell phones, car computers, Google trucks, etc. I've heard that there have been folks sent ads based on what they talked about in front of their voice activated TVs (though can't confirm that without a search - heard something recently along these lines.)
So when all else fails, see my tag line, but of course, YMMV.
__________________
Ko'olau's Law -
Anything which can be used can be misused. Anything which can be misused will be.
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06-15-2017, 12:43 PM
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#22
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Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Oct 2009
Posts: 1,984
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I wouldn't be concerned about the Nest listening in on me. But I would be concerned if the electric company had access to remotely control my thermostat.
__________________
You do not have a soul. You are a soul. You have a body.
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06-15-2017, 12:50 PM
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#23
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Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Oct 2008
Posts: 2,776
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Quote:
Originally Posted by frank
brakes are a pretty straight forward fix unless you have bad lines or calipers. anyone can do it with a little help from you tube.
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Ummmm. I have yet to master drum brake shoe replacement. Read the manual, talked to parts store guys, and still I could not get the dang springs to go back on right. I even bought the stupid tong tool that is supposed to make it easy. I had to give up before I bent something permanently. I got the car driveable, sort of, drove it to my mechanic and had him do it. Awful experience. I do all sorts of other work on my car. Front (disc) pads are easy to replace. Even replaced a few calipers and rotors, but I stay away from those drums and shoes. Argghhh!!
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06-15-2017, 01:25 PM
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#24
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Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Apr 2016
Location: Dutchess County
Posts: 1,599
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Newventurer
Regarding your nest thermostat - be aware that there are settings, presumably to allow the unit to sense you in the home, that activate a microphone in the unit, which of course opens you up to unauthorized snooping by hackers. You may want it to function as designed but just be aware.
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As far as I know the at home sense is a motion sensor, please provide a link showing that there is a microphone in the thermostat.
Nest smoke detector, yes.
Nest camera, yes
Thermostat no microphone as far as any spec sheets I have seen.
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06-15-2017, 01:27 PM
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#25
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: May 2013
Location: ATL --> Flyover Country
Posts: 6,649
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Ah, drum brakes...what a joy...NOT. Last ones I changed were on a 1970 Dodge Dart...what a PITA they were.
Speaking of car maintenance, my fabulous Infiniti G37 is right at 100K miles, so I thought it was a good time to get some maintenance knocked out. I priced the following at the stealership and through a mobile mechanic just for an idea:
Oil/Filter
Change/Flush Fluids in: Differential, Power Steering, Brakes.
Replace Spark Plugs
Clean Throttle Body
New Air Filters.
The estimate from the stealership: 1275
The estimate from mobile mechanic: 1080
Well, I thought about it and decided that if I could turn wrenches on AF planes for 6 years and my own plane for 5 years, I could knock this out. So, over the period of a day and a half (yes, I took my sweet time...but hey, I am retired, so I have ALL the time in the world!) I did all that work myself. Total cost: 258.97
__________________
FIRE'd in 2014 @ 40 Years Old
Professional Retiree
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06-15-2017, 01:30 PM
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#26
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Recycles dryer sheets
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: in the sticks
Posts: 473
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Just_Steve
As far as I know the at home sense is a motion sensor, please provide a link showing that there is a microphone in the thermostat.
Nest smoke detector, yes.
Nest camera, yes
Thermostat no microphone as far as any spec sheets I have seen.
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Doh, my bad...I have the nest camera as well and that is the culprit. I apologize for the misinformation.
Apparently there is an interface though, through internet connection, that allows voice commands to the thermostat through a smartphone.
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06-15-2017, 01:34 PM
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#27
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Moderator Emeritus
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: Conroe, Texas
Posts: 18,642
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Quote:
Originally Posted by W2R
That's great! Sounds like you earned almost $93/hour by doing your own brake repair.
Have you decided what to do with the money you saved?
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I don't view this DIY "work" as earnings or savings. It's just not spent or paid to a mechanic.
__________________
*********Go Astros!*********
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06-15-2017, 01:39 PM
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#28
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Recycles dryer sheets
Join Date: Aug 2013
Posts: 275
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ExFlyBoy5
Ah, drum brakes...what a joy...NOT. Last ones I changed were on a 1970 Dodge Dart...what a PITA they were.
Speaking of car maintenance, my fabulous Infiniti G37 is right at 100K miles, so I thought it was a good time to get some maintenance knocked out. I priced the following at the stealership and through a mobile mechanic just for an idea:
Oil/Filter
Change/Flush Fluids in: Differential, Power Steering, Brakes.
Replace Spark Plugs
Clean Throttle Body
New Air Filters.
The estimate from the stealership: 1275
The estimate from mobile mechanic: 1080
Well, I thought about it and decided that if I could turn wrenches on AF planes for 6 years and my own plane for 5 years, I could knock this out. So, over the period of a day and a half (yes, I took my sweet time...but hey, I am retired, so I have ALL the time in the world!) I did all that work myself. Total cost: 258.97
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Always liked the G37's. Hard to find good RWD cars that are not European ($$)... 100K miles, just broken-in ... I have a 2002 Tundra with 104K miles. Thinking doing timing belt & water pump soon. I usually wait for water pump to go bad, but it is a interference engine so if the belt breaks it will damage the valves ($$). Is your G37 a belt or chain drive? If belt you may want to check if the engine is a "interference" engine.
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06-15-2017, 01:51 PM
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#29
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Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: Cincinnati, OH
Posts: 4,353
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Quote:
Originally Posted by aja8888
I don't view this DIY "work" as earnings or savings. It's just not spent or paid to a mechanic.
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I would call it a cost avoidance
__________________
The problem isn't artificial intelligence, it's natural stupidity.
You can't spend yourself to prosperity.
Semi-Retired 7/1/16: working part-time (60%) for now [4/24/17 changed to 80%]
Retired Aug 2, 2017; age 53
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06-15-2017, 04:09 PM
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#30
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Sarasota, FL & Vermont
Posts: 36,263
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The avoidance of a cash outflow is as good as a cash inflow.
__________________
If something cannot endure laughter.... it cannot endure.
Patience is the art of concealing your impatience.
Slow and steady wins the race.
Retired Jan 2012 at age 56
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06-15-2017, 04:11 PM
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#31
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Sarasota, FL & Vermont
Posts: 36,263
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__________________
If something cannot endure laughter.... it cannot endure.
Patience is the art of concealing your impatience.
Slow and steady wins the race.
Retired Jan 2012 at age 56
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06-15-2017, 04:16 PM
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#32
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: May 2014
Posts: 7,322
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Quote:
Originally Posted by folivier
<snip> I would be concerned if the electric company had access to remotely control my thermostat.
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Actually, that's the deal. I got a Honeywell from the same utility 2 years ago in return for agreeing that they could cycle my A/C on and off in 15-minute intervals during peak periods. They'd let me know in advance, it would be a few times per season and I could opt out from a particular session. They estimated the temperature might go up 2 degrees. We never noticed any difference through 2 A/C seasons. This deal is similar except that they give me $25/year- not bad, since they cut down on how much power they have to buy when it's in high demand.
Both the Honeywell and this one are controllable from cell phone apps. I love that- I can turn the heat or A/C way down when I travel and bring it back to normal when I'm a few hours away.
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06-15-2017, 04:45 PM
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#33
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Laurel, MD
Posts: 8,309
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Quote:
Originally Posted by SpinDr
Good job.. Drum brakes can be tricky. Those springs and shoe pad adjustment can be a PITA... I get a lot of satisfaction doing my own car maintenance too, not to mention the big $ saved...
Disc brakes are pretty straight forward but I agree, drums, with all the small bits and pieces can be confusing. One trick I use is to take pictures on my cell phone of the brakes before dismantling that I can reference when putting them back together.
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I remember when disc brakes were new to domestic cars and they charged extra for disc brake service. When I finally got a car with discs up front I couldn't wait for 4 wheel disc systems. So easy to service.
__________________
...with no reasonable expectation for ER, I'm just here auditing the AP class.Retired 8/1/15.
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06-15-2017, 04:52 PM
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#34
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Laurel, MD
Posts: 8,309
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bradaz2488
Totally agree... I was surprise to see how much I could get new Rotors/Drums online. They were not original MFG parts, but they were good quality brand name OEM parts that it made more sense to buy new vs having rotors/drums turned at a machine shop... I take the old rotors/drums to recycle drop-off vs ending up in landfill...
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I had a tough time finding a shop to turn my rotors since they usually just sell new ones. The shop I found only had one tech that could operate the old fashioned lathe so I had to wait a few days. I think it cost about the same as new but it's for my hobby car that I prefer to keep original. Some of the replacement parts are made to wear out (since no one turns them anymore anyway).
__________________
...with no reasonable expectation for ER, I'm just here auditing the AP class.Retired 8/1/15.
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06-16-2017, 12:51 AM
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#35
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Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Midwest
Posts: 1,789
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ExFlyBoy5
Ah, drum brakes...what a joy...NOT. Last ones I changed were on a 1970 Dodge Dart...what a PITA they were.
Speaking of car maintenance, my fabulous Infiniti G37 is right at 100K miles, so I thought it was a good time to get some maintenance knocked out. I priced the following at the stealership and through a mobile mechanic just for an idea:
Oil/Filter
Change/Flush Fluids in: Differential, Power Steering, Brakes.
Replace Spark Plugs
Clean Throttle Body
New Air Filters.
The estimate from the stealership: 1275
The estimate from mobile mechanic: 1080
Well, I thought about it and decided that if I could turn wrenches on AF planes for 6 years and my own plane for 5 years, I could knock this out. So, over the period of a day and a half (yes, I took my sweet time...but hey, I am retired, so I have ALL the time in the world!) I did all that work myself. Total cost: 258.97
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Well done!
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06-16-2017, 06:07 AM
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#36
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Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Sep 2016
Location: Acworth
Posts: 1,214
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jazz4cash
I had a tough time finding a shop to turn my rotors since they usually just sell new ones. The shop I found only had one tech that could operate the old fashioned lathe so I had to wait a few days. I think it cost about the same as new but it's for my hobby car that I prefer to keep original. Some of the replacement parts are made to wear out (since no one turns them anymore anyway).
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Rotor turning here is $20/rotor which is about 1/2 the cost of the cheap rotors for my G37.
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06-16-2017, 10:30 AM
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#37
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Laurel, MD
Posts: 8,309
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AC Delco rotors for my Fiero are $20 + shipping at Rockauto.
__________________
...with no reasonable expectation for ER, I'm just here auditing the AP class.Retired 8/1/15.
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06-17-2017, 08:19 AM
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#38
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Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: Syracuse
Posts: 3,501
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Quote:
Originally Posted by pb4uski
The avoidance of a cash outflow is as good as a cash inflow.
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Better if you pay income taxes.[emoji3]
__________________
“No, not rich. I am a poor man with money, which is not the same thing"
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06-17-2017, 10:43 AM
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#39
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Recycles dryer sheets
Join Date: Mar 2006
Posts: 194
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We have saved a ton of money on vehicle maintenance and repairs in the past few years. I have helped hubby change out bearings on our Avalanche. The rear bearings required the removal of the rear axles. It's amazing what two brains and youtube can do. LOL
Hubby just replaced all the brake lines in the same vehicle. He managed to do that without my help. $100 in brake lines vs paying someone $1000+ to do it. Required lifting the truck off the frame! Chevy had used inferior brake lines for several yeaers that literally rusted away. They called it "normal" wear and tare. We had 2 Chevy trucks that this happened to. That is why I traded one of the trucks in on a Ford last year.
__________________
There is a fine line between a hobby and mental illness.
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06-17-2017, 11:06 AM
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#40
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: May 2013
Location: ATL --> Flyover Country
Posts: 6,649
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bradaz2488
Always liked the G37's. Hard to find good RWD cars that are not European ($$)... 100K miles, just broken-in ... I have a 2002 Tundra with 104K miles. Thinking doing timing belt & water pump soon. I usually wait for water pump to go bad, but it is a interference engine so if the belt breaks it will damage the valves ($$). Is your G37 a belt or chain drive? If belt you may want to check if the engine is a "interference" engine.
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Chain, FTW! And the car was actually built in Japan...which I think is a rarity these days.
__________________
FIRE'd in 2014 @ 40 Years Old
Professional Retiree
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