the view may have been "if you blow up the tracks you can't use it either" but i have always wondered this. even today you still see armored trains but in "peace" time you probably have to worry less about sabotage of the tracks and more for surviving ambushes

i didn't downvote but 17v on a 12v battery maybe seems a bit high. I'm more used to about 7-14% over (maybe up to 14v on a 12v batt) when charged/floating but i don't use solar anywhere currently, and i usually work on 48v systems. i normally expect to see about 54v on a fully charged battery string (13.5v per battery x4) with the rectifiers running.

i also second the opinion of running an automotive PSU for this situation.

edit: i looked it up since i was curious, some "12v" solar panels can output between 16-20v, but it's recommended that you would use a charge controller, especially if you have lead-acid batteries

99% of the time im not in a situation where i am being confronted by cops, but crossing a border or a traffic stop it is nice to know

PSA FOR IPHONE:

if you press volume up, then volume down, then hold the power button until the power slider comes on, then it will disable biometrics until next unlock

that didn't have any list of states, but my curiosity lead me here https://propertyclub.nyc/article/apartment-air-conditioning-laws#what-states-require-air-conditioning

i was pleasantly surprised to find 24 states that do require it, with some other states that have some loopholes.

i think it is disingenuous to represent that AC is a standard or required by law for a rental anywhere, at least in the US. I do find it shitty that the AC included with the unit is damaged, and land(slum)lord won't fix it, but again, unless it's in the lease there really is no requirement that the LL provide it in US. I think it is good to start a discussion on if AC for a rental should be the law, (edit: i also would strongly support this) but i doubt we will see that become the case, especially in southern states which probably would need it most.

i wish the govt was in charge of maintaining the infrastructure, and i wish the govt owned the infrastructure then prioritized passenger traffic over freight so we could get some semblance of a working regional rail system.

i think the issue is not necessarily that voters who are disappointed by biden on this issue would vote for trump directly, or even think he would make a different or "better" choice but instead may not turn out, or vote for a 3rd party candidate. with the race as close as it is now, that might be all it takes.

if it's required then the cars around you probably have it as well. i have driven several vehicles with the auto brake tech and the new vehicle have consistently gotten better compared to some that got it "early" and even the 2016/18 implementations I have driven didn't seem to have any issue with highway driving.

if you are on an expressway, and often roads smaller, usually grade crossings are avoided if possible. either the rail is on a bridge, and the road dips under, or the road is on a bridge and crosses the rail. it won't show as a hazard on the route in either of those cases.

get a male kitten! (the older cat will teach it how to act a certain amount, you won't really be able to identify how a kitten will act later, it's a kitten and it will change)

it looked like it was a US marshal. it doesn't justify a life, but i would be hard pressed to find a marshal that would react differently to an attempted car jacking.