Is anyone else having issues clicking any links on source more? Every time I try and click a link it’s an error page now
Become a Patron!
Latest purchase thread
- Thread starter No Ash More Cash
- Start date
5150sick
Under Ground Hustler
Staff member
VU Administrator
Senior Moderator
VU Donator
Diamond Contributor
Press Corps
Member For 5 Years
Mod Team Leader
The site isn't working right.
New speakers for my laptop.
I got my first home computer in 2015 when I set up my office to work from home. I wanted something better than the tinny sounding built in speakers, but nothing that would disturb my neighbors, so I bought these dinky little "Frisby" brand speakers (chucked into the Bose box for now, until I can get them to the trash, don't think they can go in recycling, and I'm not putting failing speakers in the charity box).
I've been satisfied with the better sound, enough to put out good music for parties, enough for listening to podcasts, without booming through the walls to disturb my neighbors in this building. Lately though, they have lost volume. I tried to figure out if it was the computer, the speakers, or if I was going deaf. My research indicated sound can just start to fail on speakers, so I went with that.
Here are my new Bose, and they are a little more boomy than I would prefer in an apartment environment, but they put out good music and podcasts. I haven't researched yet how to remove that thumpy boomyness. I would think there's a way, but I can't even find these speakers in my computer files.
www.bose.com
The power cord is ridiculously short, so I had to switch them from what Bose designates as "right" to the left, and vice versa, so it would reach my power strip. The Frisbys had a USB connector and didn't require a wall plug.
Dust bunnies live with us until we have to move things, unplug and rearrange things, so I picked a slow afternoon yesterday to unbox these and put them on the 'puter, and of course that made Murphy's law kick in and the phone started ringing with client calls, and emails started flying in. After dust bunny wars and uncoiling connectors, figuring out which one went in which hole, while dealing with insane work, I needed a shower badly, but I fell asleep exhausted in my big chair, still in need of ablutions, but glad to have good sound now, glad to know I'm not losing my hearing.
Just editing to say: I did not pay the price seen on that link to the product description. I found a coupon code, which you almost always can find if you search for one. No conspicuous consumption here.
I got my first home computer in 2015 when I set up my office to work from home. I wanted something better than the tinny sounding built in speakers, but nothing that would disturb my neighbors, so I bought these dinky little "Frisby" brand speakers (chucked into the Bose box for now, until I can get them to the trash, don't think they can go in recycling, and I'm not putting failing speakers in the charity box).
I've been satisfied with the better sound, enough to put out good music for parties, enough for listening to podcasts, without booming through the walls to disturb my neighbors in this building. Lately though, they have lost volume. I tried to figure out if it was the computer, the speakers, or if I was going deaf. My research indicated sound can just start to fail on speakers, so I went with that.
Here are my new Bose, and they are a little more boomy than I would prefer in an apartment environment, but they put out good music and podcasts. I haven't researched yet how to remove that thumpy boomyness. I would think there's a way, but I can't even find these speakers in my computer files.
Companion 2 Series III Multimedia Speaker System | Bose
Upgrade your computer audio quality with the Companion 2 Series III Multimedia Speaker System for best-in-class computer speakers or PC speakers.
The power cord is ridiculously short, so I had to switch them from what Bose designates as "right" to the left, and vice versa, so it would reach my power strip. The Frisbys had a USB connector and didn't require a wall plug.
Dust bunnies live with us until we have to move things, unplug and rearrange things, so I picked a slow afternoon yesterday to unbox these and put them on the 'puter, and of course that made Murphy's law kick in and the phone started ringing with client calls, and emails started flying in. After dust bunny wars and uncoiling connectors, figuring out which one went in which hole, while dealing with insane work, I needed a shower badly, but I fell asleep exhausted in my big chair, still in need of ablutions, but glad to have good sound now, glad to know I'm not losing my hearing.
Just editing to say: I did not pay the price seen on that link to the product description. I found a coupon code, which you almost always can find if you search for one. No conspicuous consumption here.
Last edited:
I bought a Joyetech Batpack. I've been curious about them since I first heard about them a couple of years ago, because they use alkaline batteries. The main question was whether or not I could use it with my regular clearo and coils that I have hoarded in massive quantities.
I'm showing a stock photo, but this is the exact color I bought. It's purty.
It comes with a coil already loaded, and an extra coil. It comes loaded with two AA batteries (they were dead, but I have a charger for that kind of battery). The output of the Batpack is 1.85 volts, not much, but the coil is 0.5 ohms resistance. For those reasons of power and resistance, since the Aspire BVC coil doesn't come in a resistance that low, it won't work. It's okay. I could live with the power and vapor production, but I don't want to hoard tons of coils for it since I already have a lifetime supply of the Aspire BVC, so reliable, that I enjoy so much.
Vaping the Batpack with its native coil is satisfying. I could easily recommend it to a newbie. There was enough throat hit and vapor exhalation to mimic smoking, important to the experience of quitting cigarettes by vaping. So this was just a little experiment, not at all expensive with a coupon code I had, but I don't want to mess with it. Just want to get back to my eLeaf, so I'm saving it to give to the next person I encounter who is interested in vaping to get off cigarettes, as an inexpensive, easy to use open systems product.
My Vapor Store sent me a free Hyde blue raspberry with my order, rechargeable but not refillable, so what's the point. Another stock photo, though this is the exact one I received:
I'm not going to picket the industry or go on a rampage, but I really would like to see these trashy disposables disappear from the market. The liquid in this Hyde is 50 mg/ml, or 5 percent. If anything appeals to youngsters, it's the flashy disposables, not just this brand but many of them, in bright colors and artsy shapes. I believe they pose a real risk of getting vaping banned, with the combination of dangerously high nic levels and kiddie appeal. And as disposables they are just nasty landfill.
I'm showing a stock photo, but this is the exact color I bought. It's purty.
It comes with a coil already loaded, and an extra coil. It comes loaded with two AA batteries (they were dead, but I have a charger for that kind of battery). The output of the Batpack is 1.85 volts, not much, but the coil is 0.5 ohms resistance. For those reasons of power and resistance, since the Aspire BVC coil doesn't come in a resistance that low, it won't work. It's okay. I could live with the power and vapor production, but I don't want to hoard tons of coils for it since I already have a lifetime supply of the Aspire BVC, so reliable, that I enjoy so much.
Vaping the Batpack with its native coil is satisfying. I could easily recommend it to a newbie. There was enough throat hit and vapor exhalation to mimic smoking, important to the experience of quitting cigarettes by vaping. So this was just a little experiment, not at all expensive with a coupon code I had, but I don't want to mess with it. Just want to get back to my eLeaf, so I'm saving it to give to the next person I encounter who is interested in vaping to get off cigarettes, as an inexpensive, easy to use open systems product.
My Vapor Store sent me a free Hyde blue raspberry with my order, rechargeable but not refillable, so what's the point. Another stock photo, though this is the exact one I received:
I'm not going to picket the industry or go on a rampage, but I really would like to see these trashy disposables disappear from the market. The liquid in this Hyde is 50 mg/ml, or 5 percent. If anything appeals to youngsters, it's the flashy disposables, not just this brand but many of them, in bright colors and artsy shapes. I believe they pose a real risk of getting vaping banned, with the combination of dangerously high nic levels and kiddie appeal. And as disposables they are just nasty landfill.
So completely agree. And they are everywhere, sold in all the gas stations/convenience stores making matters worse.
Free market: They'll disappear if ppl stop buying them
Regulated product: Legal maximum nic percentage + enforced statute against sales to minors
Authoritarian control: Ban entire product category w/o hard data on direct & widespread societal harm
Freyja, I'm not saying I want government intervention. I don't like having the unelected bureaucracies at all, nor the politicians on soapboxes trying to stir things up. I'm just saying, just as I wish they'd remove artificial colorants and high fructose corn syrup from foods marketed to children, I wish these trashy disposables would disappear from the market. Many of them are counterfeit knock-offs too, and it will take one adverse event to get the whole vaping industry banned.
They got the PMTA bullshit banning vape mail to everybody, to stop vape mail going to children. There is no way to ban kids these days from getting anything without banning it completely. There are already laws in place declaring that people have to be of a certain age to buy vaping products. However, that does not stop shell purchases or stealing. Minors know that if they only get a slap on the wrist, the risk is worth the reward. For us, the punishment of being involved in a shell purchase is much higher.
Disposables won't be disappearing from the market anytime soon. Every vape shop sells them. Most convenience stores and grocery stores sell them. The industry wants to outmode the types of mods we use, and make everybody use disposables, because there would be higher profit for them. Already, I cannot walk into a vape shop and buy an atty with a rebuildable deck. There might be up to 12 attys and 10 mods to choose from. There would be around 30 pod devices, and 50 or more different disposables. According to them, that is because the market wants that. I think the industry has decided what to tell the market what the market wants.
Oh, I wasn't suggesting that you or anyone was saying anything in particular about government intervention or such. Just kind of bemoaning how things are with vaping here in the land of the free. Sorry if that wasn't clear.
Interesting. Never thought of it that way.
Disposables DO have their place. Lots of smokers don't want to bother with the kinds of things we serious vapers use; they want something about as complex as a cigarette. That may have been the thinking behind the Batpack that began this conversation. It's about as simple as a replaceable battery mod can be. Just yesterday evening, while rebuilding an RDA and having trouble with the wicking, then being disappointed in the flavor of my latest e-liquid mix, I was asking myself why I put myself through this hassle. For some people, anything more than pressing a button is more complexity that they can handle.
Far as I can tell, most of us buy mostly online because we want to spend less and we know what we want or need while vape shop customers are more likely to be new or inexperienced. Maybe that's why there are more disposable than pod devices and more pod devices than mods.
Or maybe you're right.
It all started with the so called "cigalikes" but those had normal levels of nic you could choose from. It's hard to find the newer disposables without insane, dangerous nicotine content. When I speak of "kiddie appeal" I'm thinking of all the college students I witnessed sucking on them at the campus where I was volunteering until 2021, and all the newbies posting here and on ECF who say they are using them. It's practical self regulation I want in this industry, so we can keep enjoying it always.
You can find reasonable nic levels in the flashy disposables, but it isn't easy, which a quick search will show you, and newbies don't even know to look for that, or ask about it in the vape shops. When I started out in 2012, my good friends who were coming up to their first anniversary off cigarettes by vaping, counseled me to start at 18 mg. for the nic support to quell cigarette cravings. Once I was firmly, unwaveringly on the cig quit road I reduced to 12 mg, the level I still use now.
The Batpack came out about five years ago. At 1.85v with 0.5 ohms coil resistance, the vape experience is comparable with the first Ego-T upgrade to 3.7 volts, using 2 ohms coils, before Aspire came out with the 1.8 resistance BVC, then the perfect 1.6 ohms. Duracell makes a little recharger with built-in wall plug, which recharges AA and AAA batteries. Otherwise you can get a package of 40 AA batteries for about 23.00 at Costco. All inexpensive simplicity, which I hope to extend to the interested smokers I still encounter whenever people see me vaping.
I redecorated my niche. I found this iron candelabrum with hinged arms, so you can set it up however you want. It takes tealights, votives or narrow pillar candles. Second hand of course. I arranged it with the two taller cups at the back.
I took this 2015 pic for my landlord who was traveling while renovations were done. She wanted to see how things were coming, which is why the dang vacuum cleaner is in it, and some other piece of flotsam on the floor. Because of the electrical upgrade to 3-prong, with lots of drilling, patching and general havoc, I got to have my apartment repainted. The lighting was good in this pic, but doesn't show how things in the niche seemed to kind of disappear at a distance.
So I found the pretty candelabrum, very visible. Because of the shelf right above it, I don't want to burn real candles. I put in replaceable battery fake tealights. They look beautiful when "burning". Then the smaller candelabrum that used to be there went to the top shelf, and the compote dish that was on the top shelf is going somewhere else, maybe to the consignment shop. I still want to find a larger, more visible painting or print for the middle shelf. The one in there now is a watercolor of a moon gate I brought home from Bermuda.
Here's the finished niche now:
I took this 2015 pic for my landlord who was traveling while renovations were done. She wanted to see how things were coming, which is why the dang vacuum cleaner is in it, and some other piece of flotsam on the floor. Because of the electrical upgrade to 3-prong, with lots of drilling, patching and general havoc, I got to have my apartment repainted. The lighting was good in this pic, but doesn't show how things in the niche seemed to kind of disappear at a distance.
So I found the pretty candelabrum, very visible. Because of the shelf right above it, I don't want to burn real candles. I put in replaceable battery fake tealights. They look beautiful when "burning". Then the smaller candelabrum that used to be there went to the top shelf, and the compote dish that was on the top shelf is going somewhere else, maybe to the consignment shop. I still want to find a larger, more visible painting or print for the middle shelf. The one in there now is a watercolor of a moon gate I brought home from Bermuda.
Here's the finished niche now:
Last edited:
Got this for my nephew for Christmas. He has always liked ninja themed things. His mom will probably throw out the included cookie mix and make her own from scratch, but he'll keep the cookie cutters.
I love Big Lots. The kit was 6.79 there. It's over 13.00 on Amazon, but looking at the listing and the customer reviews with pics, I saw this cutest icing idea, better than any of the ideas shown on the box:
I love Big Lots. The kit was 6.79 there. It's over 13.00 on Amazon, but looking at the listing and the customer reviews with pics, I saw this cutest icing idea, better than any of the ideas shown on the box:
The vintage anodized aluminum pieces are so pretty. I had a set of the copper color cold drink mugs given to me by my aunt, which I later gave to my brother who wanted them, and a 13" red serving tray I inherited from my grandma.
The tray was so useful to me. You don't put food directly on it. You might put a plate of appetizers on it, or set it out with drinks or shots on it, whatever. Because I used it so often for entertaining, I later got one in gold color at a thrift shop, and after that a silver one. Then I put the silver color one in the dishwasher when something got spilled on it. Big mistake. It completely ruined the finish and made it look like junk. I was just glad it wasn't my grandma's red one that I ruined, whew.
So I found this to replace the ruined silver one. You can see me reflected in it as I took the pic, which gave me a bit of a paranoid jolt when I noticed. This one looks like sterling silver.
This is a red one just like mine, snipped from a current Ebay listing (I'm too lazy to get mine out and try to make them stand up for pics):
and a gold one like mine, also snipped from someone's listing:
Wonderful, beautiful old used stuff. I'd a thousand times rather have it than new things.
The tray was so useful to me. You don't put food directly on it. You might put a plate of appetizers on it, or set it out with drinks or shots on it, whatever. Because I used it so often for entertaining, I later got one in gold color at a thrift shop, and after that a silver one. Then I put the silver color one in the dishwasher when something got spilled on it. Big mistake. It completely ruined the finish and made it look like junk. I was just glad it wasn't my grandma's red one that I ruined, whew.
So I found this to replace the ruined silver one. You can see me reflected in it as I took the pic, which gave me a bit of a paranoid jolt when I noticed. This one looks like sterling silver.
This is a red one just like mine, snipped from a current Ebay listing (I'm too lazy to get mine out and try to make them stand up for pics):
and a gold one like mine, also snipped from someone's listing:
Wonderful, beautiful old used stuff. I'd a thousand times rather have it than new things.
Last edited:
My new bar cart, which I finally assembled just now after having it sitting around in its shipping box for a couple of weeks.
It's cute, but the wheels don't turn, which is disappointing because the ad said they turn.
It's cute, but the wheels don't turn, which is disappointing because the ad said they turn.
I love the Dollar stores, all of them, Dollar Tree, Dollar General, Family Dollar, The 99, and Big Lots, because they often have surprisingly good values, and because they're always interesting, with merchandise you don't see anywhere else.
I got these at Dollar Tree, all which I have never seen in any stores before:
100 percent cotton knock-off of Fat Chef oven mit, 1.25.
Peppermint Sage dish soap, 1.25 for 16 oz. I bought two bottles.
Suave Rosemary Mint antiperspirant, aluminum free. 1.25.
True North cucumber lime seltzer, 4 cans, 1.25
That was a Dollar Tree haul, plus a bunch of other stuff.
The 99 Cent stores are all closing due to losses from theft and shoplifting. This puts at least 14,000 people out of work, and may extend to the Dollar General Stores, which are also under their aegis.
www.latimes.com
What a shame. The 99 Cent stores often had organic produce. I tried to do a last haul after finding out, but the one here is already shuttered.
I got these at Dollar Tree, all which I have never seen in any stores before:
100 percent cotton knock-off of Fat Chef oven mit, 1.25.
Peppermint Sage dish soap, 1.25 for 16 oz. I bought two bottles.
Suave Rosemary Mint antiperspirant, aluminum free. 1.25.
True North cucumber lime seltzer, 4 cans, 1.25
That was a Dollar Tree haul, plus a bunch of other stuff.
The 99 Cent stores are all closing due to losses from theft and shoplifting. This puts at least 14,000 people out of work, and may extend to the Dollar General Stores, which are also under their aegis.
99 Cents Only to close all 371 stores and wind down its business
The City of Commerce deep-discount retailer, for years one of the few true "dollar" stores, calls it quits after more than four decades.
www.latimes.com
What a shame. The 99 Cent stores often had organic produce. I tried to do a last haul after finding out, but the one here is already shuttered.
I decided I wanted a watch good enough for the rainy season, that I could clearly see the time on. After a few hours of looking at different brands, and reading reviews to weed out the bad apples, I went with a men's watch. The ladies watches all sucked.
This one even has a purple tinted band and purple tint on areas of the case.
This one even has a purple tinted band and purple tint on areas of the case.
Was hunting for wire the other day and comparing prices along with shipping fees between wire optim and coil society. Decided to browse around and thought what the hell, what do other places have. Ended up getting wire from coil clout. I added up the cost of the wire at wire optim, would've been close to $60 for around 1050ft total wire. CC had a 30% off discount if you bought 10 spools, I really only needed 8. Grabbed a couple extras and spent $40 more but ended up with over 3x the wire.
It's been delayed a few days but they reached out immediately to let me know and offered to split the shipments if I wanted. Much better customer service than I've experienced in a long time from pretty much anywhere.
Also picked up a timesvape heavy hitter with a discount code off sourcemore, $33. Tax and shipping had it right back up to $50 but still not a bad price. First mech, why I decided to get different gauges of kanthal and nichrome (usually run stainless in my regulated mods). And spotted a dead rabbit pro over at 3f. Got it in gunmetal with silver beauty rings for it and one of those ag+ drip tips (for the looks more than the antimicrobial properties). Ended up getting some wire sliders from wire optim. So far the heavy hitter is the only thing that's shown up.
Last week I got some 500ml bottles with twist tops for my juice, tired of using a mason jar for bigger batches. And a larger set of funnels. The only funnel I had was a plastic one small enough to fit the small throat of a typical 120ml juice bottle with needle tip spout. What a pain pouring thick juice through that. And when pouring vg into the pint jar I've been using I've just been pouring straight out of a gallon jug. Trying to pour fast enough it doesn't drip down the bottle but not so fast I cause a mess.
The only other recent purchase - and hopefully it helps with building my coils. Finally happened, I finally needed a pair of glasses. Went and got the eye exam, starting to wonder if I wouldn't have been better off at lenscrafters or something. They suggested I get no line bifocals and sold me on some digital lens b.s. They sucked, I couldn't view more than a few words at a time in focus on the screen without moving my head back and forth. They focused all their attention on long distance viewing and up close reading. Leaving me with this ridiculous tiny area of focus for anything in between (monitor is 24" away). And I went with what the optometrist suggested, almost $900 for a single pair. They gave me another exam and went through a ton of lenses while he made some notes. They're replacing them with a pair of single vision lenses ditching the bifocals. At this point $900 for a single pair seems excessive, getting far less than I paid for originally so hopefully some of that comes with a refund on the difference. The first ones were so terrible a pair of cheapo $10 cheaters worked better from wally world. I already had a bad feeling when the woman started things off with the air puff test in the eye and couldn't get the machine to turn on. Then had me looking into it one eye at a time but had my eyes in reverse order so had to do the test again. And then when she's showing me various lens options, she got her left and right mixed up again. She says oh sorry, I normally work in a different location. Oh, is left and right different over there? Scary.
It's been delayed a few days but they reached out immediately to let me know and offered to split the shipments if I wanted. Much better customer service than I've experienced in a long time from pretty much anywhere.
Also picked up a timesvape heavy hitter with a discount code off sourcemore, $33. Tax and shipping had it right back up to $50 but still not a bad price. First mech, why I decided to get different gauges of kanthal and nichrome (usually run stainless in my regulated mods). And spotted a dead rabbit pro over at 3f. Got it in gunmetal with silver beauty rings for it and one of those ag+ drip tips (for the looks more than the antimicrobial properties). Ended up getting some wire sliders from wire optim. So far the heavy hitter is the only thing that's shown up.
Last week I got some 500ml bottles with twist tops for my juice, tired of using a mason jar for bigger batches. And a larger set of funnels. The only funnel I had was a plastic one small enough to fit the small throat of a typical 120ml juice bottle with needle tip spout. What a pain pouring thick juice through that. And when pouring vg into the pint jar I've been using I've just been pouring straight out of a gallon jug. Trying to pour fast enough it doesn't drip down the bottle but not so fast I cause a mess.
The only other recent purchase - and hopefully it helps with building my coils. Finally happened, I finally needed a pair of glasses. Went and got the eye exam, starting to wonder if I wouldn't have been better off at lenscrafters or something. They suggested I get no line bifocals and sold me on some digital lens b.s. They sucked, I couldn't view more than a few words at a time in focus on the screen without moving my head back and forth. They focused all their attention on long distance viewing and up close reading. Leaving me with this ridiculous tiny area of focus for anything in between (monitor is 24" away). And I went with what the optometrist suggested, almost $900 for a single pair. They gave me another exam and went through a ton of lenses while he made some notes. They're replacing them with a pair of single vision lenses ditching the bifocals. At this point $900 for a single pair seems excessive, getting far less than I paid for originally so hopefully some of that comes with a refund on the difference. The first ones were so terrible a pair of cheapo $10 cheaters worked better from wally world. I already had a bad feeling when the woman started things off with the air puff test in the eye and couldn't get the machine to turn on. Then had me looking into it one eye at a time but had my eyes in reverse order so had to do the test again. And then when she's showing me various lens options, she got her left and right mixed up again. She says oh sorry, I normally work in a different location. Oh, is left and right different over there? Scary.
This piece of shit decided to be 6 hours fast one day, and an hour slow the next day. I am sending it back for a refund, and never buying another Invicta ever again. I don't care what their reputation used to be, or how pretty their merch is. If you can't figure out the time of day on it, it ain't worth any money.
Latest purchases, yesterday it was heating elements for the water heater, today it was thermostats for the water heater. Should've tested it, was thinking about the old water heater that used to go through heating elements like candy. This one goes through thermostats. Fml. At this point I think they need to revise them and instead of screw terminals have the terminals wired up and screwed to some sort of base. With a quick connect thermostat that plugs onto power spades or something. Instead of having to swap all the damn wires. Which ordinarily isn't too big of a problem other than the heater manufacturer left so little wire on a couple of leads they just barrrrrrrely reach. Been that way since I bought it new so it's not altered, just from the factory that way. Pain in my ass.
Update: After back tracking and checking everything I can possibly think of and using 2 different multi meters, now have a call to the power co to come check their side of things. Can't even get 220v at the terminals above my main breaker on the pole immediately after the meter. And since I can't access what feeds those 2 legs it'll be up to them to start checking stuff.
Update: After back tracking and checking everything I can possibly think of and using 2 different multi meters, now have a call to the power co to come check their side of things. Can't even get 220v at the terminals above my main breaker on the pole immediately after the meter. And since I can't access what feeds those 2 legs it'll be up to them to start checking stuff.
Last edited:
Well as it turns out my water heater purchases may have been for nothing. Called power co yesterday, this morning someone showed up to take a look and sure enough. Power wasn't getting through from the meter to the lower main breaker on one leg. In a short time it was burnt looking and heavily corroded, not sure why. Was installed by an electrician recommended by the power co last time around.
The guy was awesome, took some pics and phoned it in. The power company took care of it. Even with the initial parts swaps I consider it a win.
Everything was so corroded I ended up with a new meter, whole new service box with new 200a breaker. The box with breaker alone would've run me around $1000 if I'd had to replace it myself. Now I've got 241v solid and the water heater is working. Took them around 4-5hrs with two guys, handy power tools and a bucket truck. No doubt that shit would've taken me all day fighting it the whole way.
The guy was awesome, took some pics and phoned it in. The power company took care of it. Even with the initial parts swaps I consider it a win.
Everything was so corroded I ended up with a new meter, whole new service box with new 200a breaker. The box with breaker alone would've run me around $1000 if I'd had to replace it myself. Now I've got 241v solid and the water heater is working. Took them around 4-5hrs with two guys, handy power tools and a bucket truck. No doubt that shit would've taken me all day fighting it the whole way.