Stripe: No Such Customer

Stripe doesn't keep test data forever. If you have Stripe customers in your system and you get the message "No such customer", it probably means you are presenting an old customer ID to Stripe.
You may have to delete and recreate the customer data in your system.

Visual Studio and the Green Hat Cuckold Bug

Cultural differences are really tough to navigate. I had to chuckle over a "bug" report for Visual Studio 2019.

The complaints were about the following image:

Apparently a Chinese man wearing a green hat is considered a cuckold!

At any rate, the image was fixed. The Visual Studio Cuckold bug is gone!

Don't Try Using a Warn PullzAll Winch in Cold Weather

I recently bought a Warn PullzAll winch (24v) for snowmobile emergencies such as winching the sled out of deep powder or a snow bank.

It turns out that my tracked UTV was the first machine to get stuck in about 4 feet of very soft, slippery snow.

The PullzAll turned out to be useless because in the -10 degree Celsius weather the batteries were only good for a minute or so. Good thing I found out while I happened to have a bunch of guys to help dig the show from under and around the SxS.

The PullzAll was expensive and that was the only task I had for it. The item is going back to Costco.

Now you know.

https://www.warn.com/pullzall-cordless-winch-2-batteries-885005

2019 Ski-Doo 600 ACE Won't Start - Known Defect - Intermittent

My 2019 Ski-Doo Renegade Sport (Orange Crush) intermittently refused to start. The system electronics would boot up but the engine (600 ACE) would sometimes not turn over.

Stranded out on the frozen lake, I was about get the UTV to tow the sled home when the starter decided to work again.

At the Ski-Doo dealership, the machine started fine (as expected!). The service manager suggested this was user error - that I hadn't waited for the complete boot-up sequence before trying to turn the engine over to start it.

That was not the case. The mechanic  discovered there's a known issue with the throttles on 600 and 900 ACE engines.

Apparently the throttle misreports that it is wide open. The onboard computer refuses to start the engine under the assumption that the engine would race, become a hazard, and destroy itself.

The dealership replaced the throttle assembly (BRP part 512061256) under warranty.

Porta Puller Instructions (American Power Pull EZ2000)

Note: The poorly written the Porta Puller (EZ2000) operating instructions are printed in faint, miniscule text. Here's what I've inserted into the box for emergency use.

Raise the Handle

Straighten the handgrip and push the handle cylinder’s slot fully down over the spring-loaded button.

Do not use the holes in the cylinder. They have no purpose.

Unreel the Cable

Put the control lever (Up/Down Switch) into the forward position towards the long cable end.

Disengage the retainer pawl underneath by holding the lever (tail) of the retainer pawl against the frame, freeing the ratchet wheel to spin freely.

Tighten the Cable

Put the control lever (Up/Down Switch) into the reverse position towards the clevis end and away from the cable.

Pull the handle.

Honda Pioneer 500 Emergency Gear Change Selection

If something goes wrong with your gear shifting on a Honda Pioneer 500, you can use a tool under the seat to put the machine into a gear that will get you home.

I've scanned two pages from the Honda Pioneer 500 User manual so I can blow it up and keep these instructions handy under the seat.

Here's a picture of the diagram showing where the special tool goes:

You may also want the instructions of the two pages, scanned as PDFs.

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1oqsYdOm6x1v2w2U1qjOj_afvFW3ptwre
https://drive.google.com/open?id=1OAWSQCwhfhGohXAExJjga8oeKAAzhe9J

I haven't been able to find an online PDF from Honda. That's odd, because the dealer gave me links to the shop manual as PDFs.

Transport Canada Plans Major Restrictions on Small UAVs Like the DJI Phantom

Transport Canada is preparing to clamp down hard in 2016 on the use of "drones" by hobbyists and photographers. For example, it will be illegal to use a flying camera after dark or take pictures above 300 feet at any time.

Of course in the era of Internet trolls, this means foes of the hobby will be scanning social media for shots that prove you violated the rules. Police or Transport Canada inspectors can seize your aircraft and logs to prove a case against you.

The visual line-of-sight rule hits those of us in a forest setting where trees often block a clear view of the device even though we can fly safely with first person view.

The DJI Phantom models will fall under the Very Small UAV category which means these rules:

• Devices cannot be flown at night
• Operator must always be in visual line-of-sight of the device (even when under waypoint navigation)
• Maximum altitude 300 feet above ground level
• Must pass a knowledge test concerning air law, airspace, navigation and flight operations
• Owner identification permanently affixed to the UAV
• Cannot fly over people

The Model Aeronautics Association of Canada appears to have powerful friends at Transport Canada leading to proposals for major exemptions for members' model aircraft. Clearly, quadcopters are the main target of the new rules.

If you're concerned about what's going on, read the Notice of Proposed Amendment - Unmanned Air Vehicles (http://wwwapps.tc.gc.ca/Saf-Sec-Sur/2/NPA-APM/actr.aspx?id=17&aType=1&lang=eng) and send your comments to carrack@tc.gc.ca by August 28, 2015.