3d Printing revisited

Roughly 5 years ago I bought a Monoprice Maker Select Mini ($200).  That broke in a fairly trivial way, I eventually got a full refund after some runaround...and spent $10 to fix it.  In the meantime I bought a Maker Select Plus for $399.  I had fun but when I decided to relocate them to our attic I never went through the process to calibrate them after the move and never printed with either of them again.  Eventually I sold them to a co-worker. 

Recently a couple of family members separately asked me about 3d printing which got me looking again.  I discovered the Bambu Labs A1 Mini--$200 for the basic printer, $350 with the AMS unit that allows multi-material printing.  Lots of good reviews, and it appeared to have substantially better features than either of my previous printers.  Rather than ordering, I went to Microcenter...where my wife talked me into the non-Mini version.  

The A1 Mini is a cantilevered printer--a single tower holds the printhead beam, while the A1 standard is a gantry system with two towers holding the beam.  This is typical for small printers-the single tower is cheaper, but it is harder to maintain accuracy over longer distances.   This was the case with my Monoprice printers as well, the Mini was cantilevered, the Plus was gantry.   The maximum print size of the A1 Mini is a 180 mm cube (the Monoprice Mini was about 120 mm) , while the Standard A1 is 250 mm cube, vs a 200x200x180 volume for the larger Monoprice printer.  

For the single color versions, prices are quite similar between the Monoprice and the equivalent Bambu--the minis were both $200, the full size were $400 for the Monoprice vs $379 for the Bambu.  The AMS module that lets you print with multiple filaments adds $150 to each of the Bambu printers with no comparable upgrade available for either Monoprice.  The AMS can be purchased separately. 

The AMS system is very worthwhile, letting you do 4 color prints, use different material for supports or automatically switch to a fresh roll when the first one runs out.  It isn't perfect--each change of material adds about a minute and wastes a bit of filament per layer, and it prints a purge tower (a rectangle of plastic) up to the height of your last color change.  This time and waste can be reduced at the risk of imperfect color changes.  The accuracy is extremely good--I printed some 2 color coasters that looked like a commercial product.  These work well with the limitations of the system--the color changes are all on the first 5 or so layers so the the extra time and filament is minimal.  This waste and time is per layer and doesn't increase with multiple similar objects.  If you stick with Bambu filament the AMS will automatically detect the type and color based on included RFID tags, this lets the slicer automatically set temperatures and speeds, and to pick the closest colors.  It is not particularly difficult to enter the settings for third party filaments, so you aren't locked into Bambu.  It is also trivial to move the RFID to a new spool--I did that when I re-spooled a tangled roll. 

Other differences between the Monoprice and the Bambu printers:

Automatic bed leveling--this is a major upgrade, measuring the bed height every inch or two and automatically compensating.  Monoprice was a manual system with the only adjustment being a screw in each corner that you adjusted so a piece of paper dragged slightly between the printhead and bed. 

Textured magnetic build plate vs plain fixed plate.  Prints are less likely to come loose during printing, but also far easier part removal.  No glue stick or tape needed for most filament.  You can either flex the plate to get stuff to come loose or let it cool naturally.  

Automatic tangle and end of filament detection--with Monoprice if the filament ran out or tangled the print job would be ruined.  The Bambu pauses the print and either changes the filament automatically or lets you fix the problem. 

Noise and vibration reduction--During setup the printer vibrates the various stepper motors to find the optimum setting to reduce both noise and vibration that could affect print quality.  I don't know how much difference this calibration makes, but the A1 is far quieter than the Monoprice printers and the noise isn't nearly as annoying.  The initial test is noisy, and my dog didn't like it at first...but it's relatively short vs hours of "singing". 

Color touchscreen interface--An improvement but minor. 

Built in camera.  Due to processor limitations the frame rate is a picture every few seconds, but that's enough to see if the printer needs attention.  It will take a picture from the same location at each layer to create a time lapse of the build.  This winds up being an enormous file for the short duration, and it requires that the print head move out of the way, which the manual says can create flaws in the print unless you also print a tower.  

Remote control--you can print from computer, Android or IOS.  There's even an app for Linux.  The Android and IOS versions are fairly limited, effectively requiring that someone has already set up a print profile and published to Makerworld.  This means 1 item at a time with little control of other settings.  It appears that the Linux version is  not identical to the Windows version.  The only missing feature I've run into is repairing an imperfect 3d scan requires Windows or a third party website.

Almost all of the current "best beginner 3d printer" recommendations are for one of the Bambu A1 printers, and this appears to be accurate.

Beeline Moto II initial review

The Beeline Moto II is an easily mountable smartwatch sized device that works with a companion app to show navigation on your motorcycle.  (It works on bicycles too, but the Beeline Velo is a cheaper version for pedal bikes)  Fairly expensive for the hardware...but I haven't found better functionality at a better price. The display shows a very simplified map--Your route with stubs to indicate intersections, the number of miles and an arrow for the direction of your next turn and a bar indicating how much of your trip is remaining.  It announces upcoming turns with a flashing light and a beep on both the Beeline and your phone.  The beep is a bit quiet compared to other sounds on the phone, and the beeps seem optimized for bicycling rather than motorcycling-The upcoming turn beep is at around 0.1 mile from the turn, barely enough warning for even fairly low motorcycle speeds.   I haven't used it enough to see how it deals with complicated intersections or interstate ramps.

The Beeline comes with a universal mount that attaches to your bars with O-rings as sturdy rubber bands.  It charges via USB C, and the screen is bright enough to see in full sun.  Control is by pushing the bezel in the obvious four spots, easy even with gloves.  There are options to show trip miles, speed (turns out my motorcycle speedometer is 4mph slow at 60mph) and speed limit signs--limits can be shown on the map display, speed and miles are on their own screens.  Speed limits are not reliable in my town, usually showing 25 even when the limit is 35.

The app gives the options of "fast" (minimum time) or "Fun" (more turns and fewer interstates-.   You can add waypoints.   A $5/month subscription gives the options of voice guidance and loop routes--tell it how far you want to go and any stops, it will plan from there. 

Before the Beeline I would use just the audio prompts of Google Map to navigate, but this had some issues.  When I choose something other than the default fastest route I'd often get a voice partway into the ride "I've found a faster route, if you want to stay on the one you chose, click the screen"...when my phone was in my pocket and my hands were gloved. I very much like the concept of just a beep to get your attention for a turn, I wish Google Maps had that option instead of choosing between "talk too much" or "don't alert me to turns at all".   The device requires the phone app, but apparently can import routes from some other apps.  The planning is reasonably sensible, but it doesn't know about temporary detours...and the minimalist map doesn't help in finding a route around a closed road.   I'd like less city streets in fun mode.    

As I said, the Beeline is fairly expensive for the hardware's capability.  Also expensive are the accessories.  There is a powered mount insert for $60...and it is incompatible with the stock mount.  That means an accessory mount of at least $25 more for the flat surface mount, or $40 for a bar or mirror mount.   It is possible to charge via USB while riding...but Beeline says that may cause damage that won't be covered by the warranty.  Battery life is pretty good, I'll just charge mine at home.  You can't turn the unit off before you end a ride, so that's 4 clicks and a hold.   It will go to sleep, and standby time appears to be decent. 

Nice shoe care

 This will be about basic smooth leather shoe and boot care for traditional non-sneaker shoes.  Some of this may apply to sneakers, but sneaker leather is usually different than good quality dress/casual/boot leather, often having plastic coatings on the leather. (There are "dress shoes" with plastic coatings as well, those aren't good quality for the purposes of this post.  If polish doesn't stick or conditioner doesn't soak in a bit it's probably coated) 

TLDR version:  Don't wear the same shoes every day, once or twice a year put some Bick 4 on, let it dry and wipe it off.  That's enough to maximise longevity, the rest is cosmetic. 

There are different levels of care.   There isn't all that much you can do for most soles.  For leather soles, sole guards (thin rubber sheets glued to the soles by a cobbler) wear longer...or at least switch the wear to an easily replaceable rubber layer.  If the soles are durable or worth replacing keeping the uppers in good shape makes more sense.  Even minimal care will help with looks.   Note, the look I'm going for is "well cared for" rather than "first time wearing".  If you are going to replace soles and heels, pay attention to the layers.  If you catch the wear at the first layer of sole or heel the job is easier and cheaper, the second layer (in most shoes) somewhat more expensive.  If the wear gets to the welt the job becomes much more difficult and expensive, and likely not worth the cost.  

Preventative:  Number one is rotate your shoes--Give your shoes or boots time to thoroughly dry out between wears.  Alternating between two pairs will give more than twice the life of the uppers compared to wearing one pair daily.   Use shoe trees for storing dressier shoes to reduce wrinkling, curling and creasing.  Trees don't have to be fancy.  Cedar trees will absorb moisture and help the shoes dry faster but plastic or metal will still help hold the shape of the shoes.  Trees also make polishing easier.   

Keep your shoes reasonably clean.  Brush dirt and dust with a horsehair brush, use a damp rag for salt or dirt that the brush won't get. Don't let salt sit on your shoes.  I often see diluted vinegar recommended for salt stains, haven't needed it yet since hearing of it. 

A good conditioner, applied about twice a year under normal use.  Shoes that are in severe conditions will need conditioning more often, but unworn shoes still need periodic conditioning--If the leather is stiff, it probably needs to be conditioned before wearing to prevent cracking.  Bick 4 is probably the most widely recommended all purpose conditioner among shoe snobs--it protects well without darkening most leather, it is relatively inexpensive but still used by some of the best cobblers.  Boot oil, mink oil or neatsfoot oil give more protection in severe use but are likely to darken the leather and prevent a high shine, and over-conditioning is possible. Oils are usually limited to workboots (and similar styles of fashion boots) where durability is more important than shine. 

To use Bick 4--Apply with whatever--sometimes I use fingers, a rag, an old toothbrush gets into crevices better.   Let it soak in for 15 minutes or so.  If it soaks in instantly, add more.  After it dries brush it with a horsehair shoe brush or a soft cloth for a slight shine.  

If you want more gloss, a cream polish in addition to conditioner.  Venetian Shoe cream is a good neutral cream--another inexpensive product used by some very good cobblers.  Neutrals are great when you don't have color damage, and especially if you have different colors of leather--a natural welt on a black shoe for example.  (If you're wearing spectators...you don't need advice from me)  Creams will give more shine than Bick but not as much as a wax.  If there's color damage I use a colored cream, sometimes only where the scuff is depending on how closely the polish matches the shoe.  Saphir has the best reputation, Tarrago and Kelly's are also brands I'm happy with.  I use mostly Tarrago because it's available at a local shoe store at about half the price of similar quality polish from Amazon.  Apply with an applicator brush (a toothbrush works) or cloth, let dry, buff with a soft cloth or horsehair shoe buffing brush. 

For a high gloss, a wax based polish.  Kiwi is a low quality example of a wax polish.  I use Allen Edmonds for colored wax because it has a good reputation and it was on sale.  Saphir for neutral--I don't need much, and it works with all colors.  I like to let waxes sit overnight if possible especially if trying to fix scuffs and scratches.  Wax polish will build up and crack if over-applied.  Cracking is mostly a problem with mirror shined shoes...which I don't do.  I concentrate on the toes and heel area, avoiding wax buildup on flexible parts where it might crack.  You don't always need more polish to get a shine, just buff what's already there.  You also may not need a colored polish to fix a scuff, sometimes just some conditioner or neutral polish will blend in the damage. 

Not all leather shoes can be realistically polished.  Oily leather boots are difficult to make shiny. Conditioner still helps with oily leather, and a pigmented polish can help with uneven color. Plastic coated leather is essentially maintenance free...not that it doesn't need maintenance, but rather it won't do much good.  

Avoid getting dark polish on lighter colored areas--you don't usually have to polish with color right to the edge.  An exception is for decorative perforations--some people will use a darker polish wiped off immediately to highlight the perforations.  Stitching may or may not absorb the color.  

For buffing I have a brush for black, and a brush for everything else.  Applicators are specific to that type and color of polish, dark brown and light brown use different brushes, cream and wax are also different.  For oddball colors (I've got one pair of navy blue loafers...that I've polished but never worn) I'll usually use a clean spot on a rag. 

2022 Ford Maverick truck 3000 mile review

 A while back I started shopping for a new vehicle.  Wife was driving a 1998 Ranger--still reliable, but getting old and lacking modern safety features.  I was driving a 2018 Honda Fit bought new.  I wanted to keep the ability to haul our quad pedal bike around, to haul plywood and such from Home Depot--more than a car can hold by volume, but rarely more weight. We were thinking of a Civic and putting a roof rack or trailer hitch on one car.  I saw a video review of a pre-production Maverick that didn't include a test drive.  Based on that it looked almost perfect--Front drive unibody 4 door with a useful bed instead of a trunk, with a standard hybrid projected to get 40 mpg city.  The only problem was that they were taking orders before any were available for test drives. It turned out that my local dealer wasn't requiring deposits (and others were refundable) so the only real risk was getting harassed by salesmen.   I ordered an Ecoboost in early August, then when I found out how the E-CVT worked (It isn't a traditional belt and pulley system) changed my order to a Hybrid on August 10.  I had to get the top Lariat model with the top Luxury trim package to get adaptive cruise, a feature I won't willingly go without, I didn't get any stand-alone options other than Area 51 as the no-charge color.  

Then the wait.  Ford has a system to inform customers of progress in their order, but that requires the dealer to properly input your email address. Apparently mine didn't.  Months passed.  I read  r/FordMaverickTruck on Reddit, and Maverick Truck Club forums.   Journalists started reviewing pre-production models, details were finalized. 2.0 Turbo (non-hybrid) trucks were being built and shipped to customers, but hybrids were delayed.   Finally the hybrid EPA ratings were released and they became OKTB (Okay to Buy)...but almost immediately hybrids sold out for the 2022 model year.  All Mavericks sold out in January.   Finally at the beginning of April my truck arrived. 

The Maverick is based on the same platform as the Escape and Bronco Sport crossovers The base model is a front drive hybrid, combining a 2.5 liter Atkinson cycle engine and 2 electric motor-generators through a planetary E-CVT transmission.   This results in 191 combined horsepower, and gas mileage of 33 highway, 42 city, 37 combined.  1500lb payload and 2000 pound towing.  Upgrade to the 2.0 Ecoboost turbo and horsepower goes to 250...but city mileage drops 20mpg!  With the turbo you can get AWD, with AWD you can upgrade to a 4000 pound tow capacity. 

The hybrid takes a bit of getting used to--push the start button, some clicks and whirrs, but no engine, just a ready message on the dash.  Twist the shifter dial and go. The engine never really idles, and there's a power meter instead of a tachometer.  If I had to guess, I'd say minimum RPM is around 1800.  Engine noise is only vaguely related to throttle in normal use, although it will rev up when you floor the gas pedal.  I'm happy with the power--it has substantially more power and acceleration than the econoboxes I'm used to driving despite being bigger.  I'm also very happy with the mileage--according to the dashboard readouts of my Fit and the Maverick I'm not sure which one is better...but it appears to be the Maverick.   For comparison, my one way commute is about 10 miles of 70 mph interstate, 5 city and 5 back country roads, I typically set the cruise at 5-8 mph over the speed limit.  Not an "all city" mix that favors the hybrid.  The Fit in the summer got 36-38 most trips (It did best on country roads to , the maverick is 38+ since I reset the 2nd trip meter shortly after I got it.  

I've got experience with the driver assist systems on Hondas, mostly my Fit but also newer Accords, CRVs and an Odyssey.  The Fit works about the same as the other Hondas except it beeps and turns off below 25mph where the more expensive Hondas can follow a slowing car to a complete stop.   Ford is far more prone to beeping at you--It is much more likely to give a "put your hands on the wheel" message when your hands ARE on the wheel, and when the lane centering can't see the road well enough to center, it beeps at you as it shuts off...then it silently goes back to work, then it beeps again...  On the other hand, Honda is more likely to complain about drifting out of your lane.  Every few months the Fit would mis-judge either oncoming traffic on a curve or someone turning as grounds for an alarm and a BRAKE message on the dash, that hasn't happened on the Maverick.  It is also moderately common for the Fit and I to both decide to brake at the same time resulting in much more braking force than I intended, I haven't felt that in the Maverick.   

The Maverick is substantially smoother in both adaptive cruise behavior and lane centering than the Fit.  One factor may be the type of system, Ford has lane centering and lane keeping, while Honda has lane keeping--Ford tries to center you, Honda only tries to keep you from leaving your lane but lets you wander from side to side.  Sometimes the Fit would lose sight of a car on a winding road or a hill and accelerate when it shouldn't, and the lane keeping assist would wander if it was wet enough for tire marks to show up.  The brakes on the Fit are a bit grabby--I'm not sure if that's some of the driver assist functions or due to it's rear drums.  The Maverick's cruise handles curves and hills better. Brakes on the Maverick are also uneven but in different ways, more at slow speeds--I haven't been able to memorize the pressure needed for a particular amount of deceleration.  I've had a few trips in an Accord hybrid, the transition between regenerative and normal brakes is much better.  Honda's lane assist is a separate feature from adaptive cruise and must be turned on every trip.  The Maverick's lane centering is tied to adaptive cruise, but can be disabled.  The separate lane assist can be left on, it works without cruise at speeds above 45mph.   Honda remembers Eco and Cruise control modes (not your set speed, but whether it's ready to set a speed) between trips, Ford has a couple of other drive modes besides normal and eco, but defaults to Normal and Cruise off for every trip.  That's fairly annoying, I prefer Eco--a bit more regenerative braking when you let off the gas, a more gradual throttle, and the cruise control doesn't accelerate as hard.  The steering wheel controls are shuffled and cruise control function is a bit different--I think I like Ford's better, but the differences sometimes have me doing things the Honda way, in particular I often set the cruise to the current speed instead of resuming. 

The Mavericks seats are more comfortable for me on long trips. I'm not sure I will like the ActiveX seats (artificial leather) in the summer, but they were part of the package required for adaptive cruise. I do like the electric seat's ability to adjust in very small increments. I've got a very wide range of comfortable positions--I can reach everything with the seat all the way back, but unlike most cars I'm better off a few inches forward, and I can go quite a bit forward with only a tiny difference in comfort.  I like heated seats far more than I thought I would .  The interior style suits me-not trying to disguise that it's plastic, but nicely done with a variety of colors and textures.  Instead of covering bolts with plugs, they put Ford logos on the bolts and made them attractive.  (I remember 80's dashboards where fake allen bolts were a thing...)  The one exception ( other than seat material) is the bronze accents on the Lariat package--I like the interiors of the lower trim models better. 

I suspect I'll really like remote start in the winter, especially combined with the heated seats and steering wheel--it has been nice on the few moderately cold days so far.  (I'd love a version that would let me run only a heated seat back, without having a warm butt, call it "old man mode".)  The hybrid affects the air conditioning in a good way--the AC is electric, and the engine doesn't have to run continuously for the AC to run, although the engine will start up briefly every so often to keep the battery charged.  

Navigation isn't available.  Instead all trims have Android Auto and Apple Carplay to show your phone's maps on the truck's Infotainment screen.  

The bed is about 4 1/2 feet long, probably 50 inches wide.  There are slots for lumber in several places to use as a bed divider or to support 4x8 sheets, and the tailgate has a middle position where it can also support a 4x8 sheet at wheel well height  There are multiple tie down points--D rings in the front corners, 4 at the tailgate opening, sliding tie downs on rails on the bed sides, and combination tie downs/bottle openers on the tailgate.  I wasn't sure I'd like a tonneau cover so I got a cheap tri-fold. I keep wood in the "plywood hauling" slots--partly to keep things from sliding forward, partly to hold a folding plastic crate to have a place to put stuff where it's less likely to get leaked on if my cover isn't completely water-tight.  The combination of the tonneau and locking tailgate is nice--of course someone could slash the cover open fairly easily, but they would have to know there's something worth the trouble.  If this cover gets shabby or breaks I'll get a better one but so far it's doing fine. 

The Lariat Luxury package comes with 110v outlets in both bed and cab, limited to 400w.  I haven't used them, and like a lot of that package it isn't something I'd have bought separately.   Ford includes DIY 12v wiring in the tailgate so you don't have to run your own wires to add an accessory.  There's also a cubby on the passenger side that can store tie down straps or similar.  

The Fordpass app lets you start, stop, lock and unlock from anywhere you have cell coverage to anywhere the truck has cell coverage, can tell you where it is,  how much gas is left and how long before the next oil change.  It turns out that if you try to use it while riding a bike it makes you verify that you aren't driving. (The bike in question is a two person four wheeler, and Wife was steering)

For my uses, the Maverick is exceptional.  Even though it's the cheapest new truck available, I don't know that I'd prefer any of the more expensive ones at the same price.  I don't need much of a truck, I don't need a truck that often--but the Maverick is pretty good as a car while being plenty of truck.  It's actually a bit more truck in cargo capacity and towing than the Ranger it replaced. 

The hybrid continuum

At one end of the scale, there's a pure ICE--Internal Combustion Engine.  This is the normal gasoline or diesel engine everyone knows about.  At the other is pure electric--Tesla, Rivian, etc.   A hybrid is a mix of the two. 

Why add the complexity of a hybrid? 

Conventional brakes just turn speed into heat.  Hybrids have regenerative braking--this runs the generator, slowing you down as it charges the battery so you can use that charge to get moving again.  ICE engines are generally most efficient at a particular speed...but that speed is rarely the one you want to use for normal driving.   They are often particularly inefficient at speeds you need to use most often.  Atkinson Engines are an extreme version of this--They tend to make less power per liter/cubic inch of engine size, do more work per gallon of gas, and by themselves do not have enough power for normal driving at low engine speeds.  Conveniently, electric motors are best where the Adkinson is worst, so a blend of the two works well.  Hybrids also make it more practical to power accessories with electricity so the engine doesn't have to run to keep the AC on for example. 

A mild hybrid system has a relatively small electric system.  It recovers power from braking, but the hybrid motors and batteries may not be capable of powering the car alone.  An early BMW system merely charged the normal 12v battery to reduce the load of the alternator.  The first generation Honda Insights had "Integrated Motor Assist" a 13 hp electric motor sandwiched between the  67 hp ICE and the transmission.   This allowed regenerative braking and gave a bit of extra power to the ICE--but the engine had to be running if the IMA was running.  Honda continued using IMA with bigger electric motors until fairly recently.   There isn't a clear line between mild and full hybrid.

A full hybrid will have a bigger electrical power system, generally with the capability of running on pure electric for short periods.  The Ford Maverick pickup I have on order has a 162 HP Atkinson cycle ICE,  plus 131 hp electric from two motor-generators.  Electric motors have peak power at low speeds, while the ICE peak is at a higher speed.  Since the peaks don't align the total is lower than just adding the two, in this case 191 hp.   The ICE will attempt to only run at it's most energy efficient speed.  If that's not quite enough power, the electric can help.  If that is too much power, the extra goes back into the battery. When the battery nears full, the ICE will shut off, and the electric motors will take over.  Under hard acceleration both ICE and electric will run until the battery is depleted, then it will be ICE alone with reduced power.   Note, the electric motor-generators on the Maverick are always used even when battery power isn't, it is the various combinations of "motor" and "generator" that "shift" the transmission.  In some circumstances one motor generator will generate electricity and send it to the other motor generator to keep the ICE at it's optimum speed and load.  Reverse is entirely electric. 

A plug in hybrid has more batteries than a full hybrid with the ability to run some substantial distance on battery alone.   It is intended to be plugged in and run off that charge for most trips, but with the ability to use gasoline for longer trips.  This may be similar to a full hybrid with bigger batteries, or closer to a full electric, with a relatively small ICE that only charges the battery with no connection to the wheels.