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Hi all, looking for some input regarding corrosion on NiCd for main ship batteries. I have experience with lead-acid batteries but am new to NiCd chemistry. I’ve already torn down a few and am used to the familiar whitish-yellowish-greenish-bluish powdery corrosion/electrolyte remnants on the...

So I’d been sitting here at Dulles for hours thanks to a late aircraft causing a missed connection, and just before I was due to board another flight, a ground stop was issued. From what I gathered from LiveATC, there is/was an equipment/comms outage at the Potomac tracon. Out of curiosity...

So I have a question I can’t seem to find an official answer to in writing: I took and passed my commercial written exam a couple of years ago. Unfortunately stuff came up and I wasn’t able to finish my training in time, and that exam has since expired. Now that I’m able, I want to (finally)...

Metallurgists and engineers among us, I have a question/puzzle for you. So I have this cheap stainless pot in a camping cook set. It’s a cheap set from Wallyworld so that probably has something to do with it. I used it for a few boil tests when test driving a new (white gas) backpacking...

So here’s my(currently hypothetical) situation: thinking about spending the next couple of years grinding hard, paying off all debt, and getting all the “golden ticket” certs I need to set myself up to be able to work anywhere. At that point, I’d like to buy a small travel trailer to live and...

So I have a hydraulic test bench with multiple outputs/drains. I'd like to wrap a bit of colored duct/gorilla tape around the ends of each hose for quick identification as the outputs and drain lines are shuffled between ports on various parts being tested. Tracing out the spaghetti bowl of...

Hey all, taking a total shot in the dark here, and wondering if anyone can help identify the manufacturer of a toolbox that a friend of mine got second- or third-hand. It has no factory decals/badges on it except a blue “Ball Bearing Sliders” badge in the upper left corner of the upper box...

So I'm trying to figure out some problems with a very old fuse box in my garage. The first indication of an issue was that a GFCI outlet didn't work at all. Not sure if that's related yet, but possibly. Opened the 4-circuit fuse box and read the voltage in all sockets, three read around 120V...

I posted a while back about transferring my skills as a satellite communications tech over to the aviation world. Well, the planets lined up just right and I nailed down a job about a month ago as an electromechanical technician at a regional MRO! Not working on actual aircraft yet, but on...

Hey all, Shot in the dark here, I've been trying to run down a problem with my old '95 Nissan Skyline's tachometer(electronic, not cable driven). Sometimes it's dead and resting on the stop, sometimes it's jumpy and random, and most often it works kinda "normally" but chooses an arbitrary zero...

Hey all, Thinking out loud here(as usual). So I'm exploring a career change in the near future, and starting to put out feelers in aircraft maintenance land. A bit of my background: I'm currently a satellite communications technician with over 10 years' experience between Army active duty and...

Hey all, so I ordered a new iPad finally, as my trusty ol' mini 4 is really showing its age lately, in terms of battery life and storage capacity. Needing a constant tether to ship power or battery pack is getting old. Frankly surprised 32GB and wifi-only got me as far as it did for so long...

My job sent me out to CA for a couple of weeks, so of course I couldn't help but explore in my downtime. Naturally, I looked up the display locations for SR-71s(nothing anywhere near me in the northeast) and came across March Field Air Museum. Man...I've seen all of the videos, read the books...

So I had a flight recently wherein I was out shooting some approaches in actual IMC. Just a quick out-and-back from A to B and went missed back to A. (A) is a towered field and tracon. I picked up my IFR clearance on the ground before taxiing out. Launched into the cloud deck and went on my...

Hey all, just wanted to ramble on a bit about how worthwhile the instrument rating is IMHO. Both to hear myself type, and also maybe encourage some students slogging through the IR gauntlet. For all the endless hours of training in the summer heat, in a flying greenhouse, under foggles, with...

Hey all, So my job sent me out to California for a couple weeks, and seeing how many planes I'm seeing buzzing around, I'd be terribly remiss if I didn't at least try to fly while I'm here. Can anyone point me somewhere nearby to rent a decent, (relatively) cheap VFR machine for a flight or...

Hey all, Super excited to finally cross the Hudson SFRA off my bucket list next week. Anyone with experience have any pointers on the best way to go about it? I'll be coming from the north, so think I'll take the VFR corridor south, turn around the statue of liberty, head back northbound and...

Just a reminder to all (especially newer) instrument rated pilots not to be lulled into ticking off easy approaches just to be legal to file IFR. I went up today to shoot a couple approaches, and decided to try a VOR approach(not the one I posted about yesterday) since I honestly hadn't done...

Hey all, having a brainfart and looking for a sanity check. I fly in and out of KBGR all the time and realized have never requested a VOR approach there. The only ones they have published are the HI-VORs (KBGR is shared with an Air National Guard base). I like practicing new/abnormal...

Hi all, just thinking out loud a bit and casually wondering about others' opinions/experiences: After a few hundred hours of flying, I recently went up with a friend who is a much newer pilot. This was quite a new experience for me, as not only was I not used to NOT being PIC, it was my first...