Once upon a time you could hook your Asterisk-based PBX to your Google Voice account to make and receive calls. How you hooked it up over the years changed (annoyingly). And at the end of 2018, support for accessing Google Voice via XMPP was dropped. Remember when we trusted Google to be the “for the better good” company? Oh, how times have changed.
I did it with the help of Nerdvittles and included several screenshots here for easy reference. I also used his advice when it came to picking a new VOIP provider. After looking at a few options, I’m going with Skyetel. Not because it’s the cheapest (it’s not), but because it has an important feature for our home phone: E911.
Pro-tip: don’t port your number over to Skyetel until you’ve made your first deposit into you Skyetel account. Once you make your first actual payment, they offer a 60-day free port-in service (normally $10).
Back when I had a land line from the local telephone company, it would cost at least $20/month. I expect the Skyetel monthly charges for a local number ($1) and E911 service ($1.50), plus call time, to be less than $5/mo. It’s worth it to me if I can reliably call the house and anyone can dial 911 in an emergency.
My initial deposit of $50, doubled to $100 should last me over 2 years.
It will cost $3 to unlock – worth it to me because it’s a cool number.
Once your purchase has been confirmed you’ll be emailed a receipt.
And now your number is unlocked!
Porting your number into Skyetel
From your Skyetel dash, go to Port Orders and click Submit New Order.
The process is fairly simple, but here are some key settings:
Port Type: Local
Assign to Endpoint Group: Out of Service Message – This is so we don’t need to do any SIP configuration up-front. I’m going to cover Skyetel setup in IncrediblePBX in a future post.
Current Provider: Google Voice
Account number with the losing provider: Your 10-digit Google Voice Number.
Port Out Pin: The PIN you use to access your Google Voice voicemail.
Phone Bill: I provided a screenshot of my Google Voice settings page.
Select the first available date for porting to happen, then submit. A support ticket will be automatically generated from your port-in request and you’ll get email updates during the process until it’s complete.
Stay tuned and we’ll go over tying all of the services and equipment together for a reliable VOIP-based home phone:
TL;DR? Don’t read the comments – they’re taking over the internet (and our lives).
Throwing the previous generation under the bus is a major generalization but – OK boomer – hold my beer.
Anonymous Trolling 1990s-2000s
Back in the day if you wanted to start a flame-war or express your true inner ugliness, you did it anonymously or with an unrecognizable internet handle. If you couldn’t comment anonymously, you registered your username as AssClown69 and went about your business.
One of the most prolific places for public trolling “locally” for me was our local papers. The Pioneer Press website, which publishes online under the misleading domain TwinCities.com, and the Star Tribune site.
Both papers have wrestled with moderating comments and they’re not alone, this 2009 article highlights some of the steps several local publications were taking:
With the rise in popularity and adoption of Facebook, several publications switched to Facebook-powered comments. Would the comments section calm down?
Now people would be commenting with their actual, legal full name and possibly an actual picture of their face! As some Pioneer Press and Star Tribune readers lamented, would there be “no fun” in the comments anymore?
Boomers connect
The generation that outnumbered and overpowered their parents from the Greatest Generation was now online in social media. The have anything you want generation turned into the say anything you feel generation.
The early internet trolls, which were seen as fringe zealots – hiding anonymously behind their clever username – were now joined by a majority of boomers.
You know those boomers who would look both ways before telling you a racist joke – they’re now empowered with social media. Anonymity didn’t matter anymore, as long as they could avoid the in-person confrontation. They could spew their hate from the comfort of their keyboard, or more conveniently, from their phone.
They forgot that anything they posted would be recorded on the internet forever.
Thus began a no holds barred approach to commenting on all platforms. On Twitter (which is a dumpster fire onto itself) there’s an account called Best of Nextdoor which highlights the vitriol from Nextdoor.com. How meta.
Nextdoor is a fantastic place to bully your neighbors about issues you don’t want to talk about in-person. Never mind that you’re doing this all under your legal name and also your address. š¤¦
Boomers conspire
Social media also has had a dangerous leveling effect where pseudo science and opinion can have as great of an influence as actual science and facts.
In a modern age when a flat-earth theory should be considered ridiculous, we’ve instead given that fringe a better way to connect and fuel their own fire. QAnon was started by an anonymous post on 4Chan – an image site that was dedicated to photochops and memes! Where is the credibility in that? It has baseless conspiracy theory written all over it.
I build websites using WordPress professionally, and the mission of WordPress has been to democratize publishing. I can’t help but wonder how many of those fake news sites were produced using WordPress & AMP – it’s terribly easy to set up.
How do you see it going? It doesn’t seem to be getting any better from my vantage point š
On carpet tracks, the owners are very particular about what traction compound youāre allowed to use. Rightly so as the tire rubber and compound ultimately work their way into the (expensive) carpet. On dirt and clay itās not as regulated for club racing because itās just dirt! This has unintended consequencesā¦ One popular ātire sauceā [ā¦]
On carpet tracks, the owners are very particular about what traction compound youāre allowed to use. Rightly so as the tire rubber and compound ultimately work their way into the (expensive) carpet.
On dirt and clay itās not as regulated for club racing because itās just dirt! This has unintended consequencesā¦ One popular ātire sauceā is liquid wrench. You can even find it listed on the pros setup sheets. While I admire the inventiveness, take a look at the Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS). With warnings like Use only outdoors or in a well-ventilated area and Causes skin irritation, it makes you wonder if thereās a better way.
When using liquid wrench I would wear nitrite gloves to make sure itās not soaking into my skin. Wearing gloves for tire chemical treatment is generally a good idea, but if I can also avoid irritating fumes, even better.
I ordered some TDK Gen 2 Traction Compound to test at the trophy race. They publish their MSDS (some companies do not), and things look great on paper. No harmful fumes or skin irritation.
FYI ā the TDK sauce āfreezesā at lower temperatures, so donāt be surprised if your bottle arrives in the mail during winter looking thick.
When Iām at the track my tire treatment routine goes like this. I have a tire washing station that I made by silicone gluing a scrub brush (upside down) to the bottom of a small container. At the track, I fill the container about halfway up with a half water/half Simple Green solution.
When coming off the track I take the dirty wheels and tires off the car, get the tread wet with the Simple Green solution and scrub the tread surface on the scrub brush to get out any dirt. I use an old toothbrush to get any dirt off of the wheels. Then I use the towel I put underneath the washing station to wipe the tires and wheels dry. Then I put them back on the car.
After cleaning the tires, and before going (back) out on the track to practice or race, Iāll apply some traction compound. TDK comes in a bottle with a dauber so thereās no aerosols to worry about. I use a nut driver to spin the wheel nut (and wheel) while applying the sauce. Iāll cover the entire tread area from inside to outside.
I try to time it on race day so it soaks into the rubber for about 5 minutes. After 5 minutes I wipe the excess off with a rag Iāve dedicated to tire sauce. If I timed it right it will be right when my next heat is starting.
At the track
The first day at the track after switching from liquid wrench to TDK went well. I didnāt qualify great as I skipped the first qual for repairs after sending my buggy into the boards a few too many times. I was living up to the MeatballRacing name for sure
With only one qualifying opportunity, I wound up qualifying last. INSERT RACER EXCUSE HERE It wasnāt due to the traction compound, but because of my lack of consistency coupled with the fact that I should have had fully treaded tires on this new clay layout.
But by the time the main race was on, a nice groove of rubber was laid down. Finally, my partially treaded tires and TDK compound were able to audibly ābarkā on the track as they gripped.
During the main I was able to drive by several pile-ups and move into second place.
I wasnāt able to hold second place, as it was nerve racking to even be there One thing Iāve discovered after returning to racing post-quarantine in 2020 is that I can turn fast laps ā I had the 3rd fastest lap time. I attribute it to playing VRC a lot during quarantine (of all things). I watch the fast guysā lines and follow their lead.
Ultimately, the TDK traction compound didnāt give me a distinct advantage. BUT, it also didnāt give me a disadvantage ā which is exactly what I wanted. Iām looking forward to having it as my go-to traction compound on dirt from here on out.
Have you tried it? Let me know what you think. Iād especially like to hear if any carpet racers have tried it.
Iām liking the fact that TDK is clearly dedicated to improving their products as theyāve already released the 2nd generation of traction compound. I want to support them in their endeavor to get Liquid Wrench off of the RC racerās workbench!
Unfortunately apple cider was very out of season at the time. As we get back into the height of cider season, I want to tell you how easy it is to make hard cider with three (3!) ingredients and have it ready to drink in about a month.
The Brooklyn BrewShop kit is an easy single fermentation kit that contains a gallon jug, airlock, siphon, sanitizer, and enough yeast to make three batches.
The only other thing you’ll need are bottles. I like the swing-top E-Z Cap bottles. You can get them at your local brew shop.
Ingredients
Like I said, this is super-simple, there are only three ingredients:
Apple Cider with no preservatives (no potassium sorbate or sodium benzoate)
Champagne Yeast – the kit includes 3 packets of Red Star Premier Cuvee yeast
Finding apple cider with no preservatives can be tricky. I’ve noticed that almost all ciders use it. Luckily, the SugarBee brand, which is available at my local grocery store, contains no preservatives. And it makes fantastic hard cider!
Brewing
Brewing is as simple as pouring in room-temperature cider and adding yeast. You should follow the kit instructions to make sure your equipment is sanitized. But it’s really as easy as pouring in a gallon of cider and a packet of yeast.
Put the airlock on and set a reminder for two weeks later. Maybe give the bottle a light shake after a week to re-activate any live yeasts that have settled to the bottom.
Bottling
After two to three weeks of fermentation, we’re ready to bottle. During bottling, we want to make sure a majority of the yeast stays on the bottom and doesn’t get transferred during the bottling process. You should be carefully moving around your fermenter to keep things settled.
Before bottling, we need to decide how you’re going to add the priming sugar – are you using honey or fizz drops? If you’re using honey, follow the instructions and heat it with water. Then you need to combine it with the cider.
Since you don’t want to stir the cider in the fermenting vessel and get all the yeast off the bottom, you either have to:
Siphon the cider into a sanitized bucket or pot and combine with the priming sugar OR
Put equal amounts of priming sugar into your bottles.
If you’re using fizz drops, just add a drop to each bottle for 12-16oz bottles – the E-Z Cap bottles I like are 16oz, and a gallon of cider fills eight (8) of these.
Either way, watch this video on How to Bottle to get used to their simple (but effective) siphon:
I suggest following their instructions by trying out the siphon with some water first. It goes fast, so you’ll want to know how it works before spilling your precious cider (that you’ve waited weeks for) onto the floor, making a huge sticky mess.
Pro-tip: I like to keep the jug or bucket on the counter and put my bottles on the dishwasher door while it’s open. That gives me the elevation I need for the siphon to work, and if I spill it will stay in the door, and go down the drain once I close the door when I’m done.
Bottle Conditioning and… drinking!
Leave the bottles condition at room temperature for two weeks. I like to put my E-Z Cap bottles back in the box they came in. The box will make sure no UV light gets to our cider, which can impart off flavors.
After two weeks I put one bottle in the fridge to test drink. I’ve never had to condition longer than two weeks, but in the spirit of science we must test! Once I’ve verified that the carbonation is good, I put them all in the fridge to prevent further fermentation (which can lead to explosion).
When you pour, go slowly and use the shoulder of the bottle to trap sediment (excess yeast) before it goes into the glass. Alton Brown does a darn good pour here:
There it is, from the package to your glass in one month. It’s super-easy and has turned out great every time I’ve done it.
Have you found any other brands of no preservative cider you like? Let me know in the comments!
Whatās a Backslash, besides this: ā\ā? Itās a nickname for a RC buggy made from the chassis of a Traxxas Slash. Some people call it a Backslash, some people call it a Sluggy (Slash + Buggy). Whatever you call it, the original 4WD variation is the most popular because itās extremely simple to mount an [ā¦]
Whatās a Backslash, besides this: ā\ā? Itās a nickname for a RC buggy made from the chassis of a Traxxas Slash. Some people call it a Backslash, some people call it a Sluggy (Slash + Buggy). Whatever you call it, the original 4WD variation is the most popular because itās extremely simple to mount an 1/8 scale wing to the shock tower and change the body to a 1/8 scale buggy one.
I wanted to do one for my 2WD Slash. There are a couple of extra hurdles on the 2WD, like the gearbox being behind the shock tower, but it still seemed do-able. So here is what I did to mount an 1/8 scale wing to my 2WD Slash.
(2) 3x18mm button head screws (wing cross bar) ā TRA2583
(2) 3x23mm button head screws (wing mount top) ā TRA2591
(2) 3x16mm button head screws (wing mount bottom) ā ASC89203
(2) 3x12mm button head screws (wing fasteners) ā TRA2578
Tools
Youāll need your standard set of RC tools, plus a drill and these bits:
3mm drill bit
7mm drill bit ā optional, only needed if you didnāt buy the HPI Trophy wing.
Iāve been able to find metric bits at my local hardware store, but if you canāt the standard equivalents should be fine ā 1/8ā³ and 9/32ā³ respectively. Youāll also need a dremel or cutting device to trim some of the wing mount plastic where it interferes with the gear box.
Wing Mount Holes
Assemble the wing mount. Unfortunately the HPI wing mount plastic comes with none of the needed fastening hardware. From the Trophy 3.5 Manual I was able to determine that it would need (4) 3x18mm button head screws to attach the crossbar, and (4) 3mm lock nuts pressed into the recesses.
I suggest buying a new rear shock tower because 1) itās only $5 and 2) weāre going to drill some holes in it that will prevent you from being able to reattach the stock body mount.
The HPI wing mount is the exact width as the body post holes on the Traxxas rear shock tower. Weāll be able to use the top set of holes to fasten a wing mount.
Drill out the top body post fastener holes with a 3mm drill bit.
Temporarily fasten the wing mount to the shock tower using the 3x23mm button head screws and washers.
Turn the mount around and use the wing mount as a guide to drill two new holes through the lower wing mount and the shock tower.
Use the 3x16mm screws to come through the back of the wing mount and secure them to the shock tower with the remaining washers and lock nuts.
Gearbox Clearance
You wonāt be able to fasten the shock tower and wing mount to the gear box yet, because the spur gear section of the gearbox hits the new wing mount.
While holding the shock tower with wing mount up to my gear box, I drew a cut line on the right-side wing mount.
I used a dremel to cut the plastic. I had to cut almost all the way down to the lower wing mount screw because of the part that sticks out from the gear cover. Weāll see if the strength of the mount is compromised to the point of failure.
Pro-tip: before attaching the shock tower to the gear box, attach the rear upper camber links as the screws go in from the back and cannot be reached once the shock tower has been attached to the gearbox.
Attach the wing
The Pro-Line wing has a handy grid on the bottom which will prevent your drill bit from wandering when you start to drill. I marked the alignment on the grid with a sharpie.
Once the holes are drilled, test fit the wing to the mount.
Use the 3x12mm screws and the included wing buttons to secure the wing in place.
Iāll post all of the parts that I used to complete the Backslash transformation in the next post!
I picked up a HobbyMate HB298T AIO FPV Camera for my Tiny Whoop. Itās discontinued, which is a shame, but you might be able to find them on eBay. I got it because of this very specific feature most micro-FPV cameras donāt have: Built-in Microphone. BUTā¦ I havenāt installed the addition to my FPV goggles [ā¦]
I picked up a HobbyMate HB298T AIO FPV Camera for my Tiny Whoop. Itās discontinued, which is a shame, but you might be able to find them on eBay. I got it because of this very specific feature most micro-FPV cameras donāt have: Built-in Microphone.
Since this camera is somewhat unique (read: unpopular), I had to model a camera holder myself for 3D printing. Download it here: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4590025
I modeled the holder separate from any mounts so this component could be added to other rigs: a Tiny Whoop, a glider or plane, maybe even an RC helicopter. I added pegs to the side so you can secure the camera in the mount with a small rubber band.
Platform
To attach the camera to the Prerunner body, I modeled a platform that uses a body clip underneath to secure it to the roof. Download it here: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4590027
I used a body reamer to cut a small hole in the roof for the platform post to go through. I added some velcro to the back of the platform to secure a small FPV camera battery.
Combining Both
I used CA glue to permanently attach the mount to the platform and make them one piece. To speed the dry time I used some CA kicker.
Then I fastened the finished mount to the body with a body clip from the underneath. Thereās some tape there to reinforce the back of the roof after it got ran over by an E-Maxx more than twice itās size.
Hereās some footage of us tooling around in the neighborhood. The recording is made at the googles, so you see all of the interference from trees, cars, etc. At the end the signal cuts out because I forgot to fully charge the FPV camera battery
WordCamp US 2020 was canceled, citing online event fatigue. But the organizers of WordCamp Minneapolis / St. Paul did not. Would we just be another notch in the bedpost of 2020 online event fatigue?
To be honest, the organizing team did contemplate canceling WordCamp Minneapolis / St. Paul as the Coronavirus pandemic continued to linger. But everyone agreed that pivoting to a single-day virtual event was a better idea – and we stayed the course.
When we had a real-life venue selected, there was an excellent computer lab available with over twenty computers. Going virtual meant re-thinking the game-plan. With WordCamp US canceled, it looks like WordCamp MSP’s KidsCamp might wind up being the only virtual KidsCamp of 2020.
Since it was uncharted territory, we cut the attendance in half, to 10 available spots. We reserved them for locals only, as our regular in-person conference is truly supposed to highlight pillars of our local community. With 80% local speakers at the conference, I think our organizers nailed it.
Swag
SWAG – Stuff We All Get. Virtual swag? š¤ That sound silly – kids like real stuff. So we mailed the attendees some stickers and a KidsCamp Activity Book. Michelle from Marktime Media made amazing coloring books as attendee swag for WordCamp Minneapolis 2015. She repurposed that book into an evergreen KidsCamp Activity Book:
Check out the inside pages – including the first page which has a place to write down all of your new hosting and WordPress site details.
Dry-Run
To make sure things would run smoothly, I went through the entire curriculum with my 11 year old son. We did it the same day the rest of the team was doing their streaming dry-run, two days before the live event. I even had my son go to his grandma’s and log in there via Zoom so we could simulate teaching remotely.
What did I learn from that experience? While I can power through a 3-hour zoom call with no issues, kids need to take a break. When my son asked to take a break I realized that I also was hungry, thirsty, or needed to use the restroom. So I added TAKE A BREAK in all-caps to my schedule notes in various places.
The Live Event
The day of the event went off without a hitch. We had 8 registrants and only 6 showed up. A 25% no-show rate is typical for WordCamp, so I didn’t sweat it.
Safety
We talked about online safety – I cited a lot of information from NetSmartzKids – which is what the Cub Scouts Cyber-Chip merit is based on (also it’s a WordPress site š).
Brainstorming
We did some self-reflection and brainstorming. We talked about people we follow on YouTube and social media and what we like about them. My son cited DanTDM who plays a variety of games, not just Minecraft. When it came to self-reflection, I was pleasantly surprised that my son listed gaming as one of his interests, not just Fortnite. He wound up setting up a site with the central ideal of helping people with their gaming strategies. I likened it to Chris Lema’s mantra of Be Helpful – it warmed my heart š
Other kids chose different central ideas based on their interests: Animals, Music, Gaming – it was good to see a variety from the group.
WP Setup
We went with GoDaddy as our KidsCamp hosting sponsor, and they provided slick managed WordPress sites that didn’t require us to FTP any zip files to get started. This was one of the most important pieces of doing the camp virtually. We literally had zero technical issues to troubleshoot. šŖ
One of the first things we did once we were into the WordPress dashboard was to reset our account password (GoDaddy generates a random one). We talked about password security and choosing something long-ish to make it hard to guess. This is my favorite reference for increasing password strength with length.
Then we were off, publishing an about page and our first post. Then customizing our themes to reflect our tastes.
Lessons Learned
Besides taking breaks, doing the event virtually was challenging because I wanted all of the kids to stay in sync. When you’re in a lab, it’s easy to see what screen someone is on and help them move forward.
My approach to doing it virtually was to share my screen and have everyone let me know when they’re on the same screen so we can all move forward together. It was challenging at times because some kids would give a thumbs-up on their camera, some would type “done” in chat, some would confirm aloud, and others wouldn’t respond. I left plenty of breathing room and we managed to stay together.
I’m glad we were able to put this event on, and I’m hoping dearly that we can do KidsCamp again in person at Metro State in 2021 š¤
Looking at it made me think that a similar, but more useful application of vertical bike rack storage, would be for fishing rods. Moore Lake is just down the hill from where I live, and it’s stocked with Bluegills and Bass š£
I made this fishing rod holder that attaches to my bike rack for less than $20, mostly from scraps I had in the garage. It holds four rods, but you could adjust it for as many as you’d like, as long as your bike rack setup will accommodate them.
I chose 1-1/4″ PVC because all of our rod handles will fit into that size pipe – you should test fit your thickest fishing rod before you buy.
I attached a PVC coupling to the pipe and then cut the pipe (with the coupling attached) using a hacksaw to 9 inches. This was both the size of my scrap wood and the size of the longest rod handle. You should go longer if your handles are longer than 9 inches.
To make a permanent connection, I used PVC primer and cement to bond the couplers to the pipes.
The couplers are there to serve as stops for the tubing straps – so they don’t fall through them.
To fasten the tube straps to the board I used #10 x 1/2″ sheet metal screws. I pre-drilled holes in the wood with a 1/8″ drill bit, then used a screwdriver on the screws.
I designed 3D printed hangers because I couldn’t find any readily available hooks that I liked at the hardware store. I like Topeak racks because of how their bag systems attach. I designed the hangars to conform to the Topeak’s 10mm rod construction – which I believe is a standard size for many bike racks.
To fasten the hangers to the board, I used #10 x 3/4″ sheet metal screws.
Backing and Hangars
The board I used was some leftover 1/2″ plywood. Mine was 9″ wide so I went with that – luckily that’s how long our rod handles are. You can cut the width to however many rods you want to hold. For my 4 rod holders it wound up being 15″x9″.
To make sure everything lines up well on the back, I used my Thule panniers as an example. The metal plate that sticks to the magnet is approximately 9″x4″ – so I cut a piece of sheet metal that size. You can use a hacksaw to (slowly) cut it. I used a cutting wheel to make quick work.
I also used the Thule pannier as a reference to gauge the placement of the metal backing position relative to the hangers so they’d be generally in the right place. It will ensure the steel plate is the right place so it will line up with the rack magnet without having to move it around on the rack.
I used 3/4″ screws to fasten the hangers, and 1/2″ screws to hold the steel plate. I pre-drilled the steel with a 3/16″ drill bit, and the wood with a 1/8″ one.
There’s no provisions on this rack for bait and tackle, but you can use the opposite side of the rack for a pannier, or just put your bait and tackle in a backpack.
When I’m fishing while paddling, I keep a very small tackle box on the boat with me, and that is also perfect for local fishing by bike.
Usability tips
Riding around with 6-foot fishing poles is like riding around with a whip antenna – it’s real tall. Just beware of any low tunnels or doorways, tree branches, etc.
Also, you’re not going to be able to put a leg over the back like you normally would. A pole (and hooks) will prevent you from doing that. Be mindful while you’re getting on and off.
I (perhaps stupidly) tried out the purple worm seen in my tackle box above – set up as a Texas Rig. I felt some serious bites, but I didn’t land anything. In the end I’m lucky because I didn’t bring a net if I actually had caught a tenacious bass.
While I didn’t bring one, you could certainly put a net in one of the holders. This is more of a catch-and-release type of rig, and I wasn’t planning on any big bites my first time out, just a couple of sunfish š
It wasnāt due to the traction compound, but because of my lack of consistency coupled with the fact that I should have had fully treaded tires on this new clay layout.
One thing Iāve discovered after returning to racing post-quarantine in 2020 is that I can turn fast laps ā I had the 3rd fastest lap time. I attribute it to 
