GoPro Hero7 Black Video Settings

I have been using the GoPro Hero7 Black action camera for many years, but I have used less than optimal settings. I am not planning to upgrade to GoPro Hero 9 yet (due to its much larger size).

After watching some videos, I have decided that these are the optimal settings to use:

• Res: 4K | 24 FPS
• FOV: Wide
• Low Light: N/A
• Stabilization: Auto
• Protune: ON
• Shutter: Auto
• EV Comp: -1.0
• White Balance: 5500K (for a typical day), 6000K for a Cloudy Day
  
• ISO Min: 100
• ISO Max: 3200 (to allow for stabilization to work)
• Sharpness: Medium (use Low if post-processing will be used)
• Color: Flat (Use GoPro for high-contrast scenes, like surfing)
• Raw Audio: High (creates a separate audio file)
• Mics: Stereo (do not use Wind as it's terrible)

Here is the video that explains the settings further:

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Exploring Half Moon Bay

The day after Thanksgiving, Inna and I decided to explore Half Moon Bay. She visited Half Moon Bay a few weeks ago and liked the immense beach and the surrounding restaurants.

The drive from San Jose was relatively short, taking about an hour. When we arrived,d we parked on Ave Portola. Near Surfer's Beach. Since Inna was a bit hungry (she didn't eat breakfast), we decided to eat lunch before walking a few miles on the Half Moon Bay beach.

Inna found a well-rated restaurant nearby - Sam's Chowder House. It seemed pretty busy and very popular but had some space available. We walked to the receptionist, who quickly found a table for two.

The weather was hot for late November, and we were delighted to sit outside and enjoy the sounds and smells of the nearby Pacific Ocean.

Inna ordered a bowl of the New England Clam Chowder (which we shared, as it was a massive bowl of soup). She selected the Combo Louis for her entree, which she enjoyed very much.

I ordered the Fish Sandwich, which was also quite delicious.

After lunch, we decided to walk south along the immense stretch of the Half Moon Bay beach. Walking, we observed many surfers (primarily beginners) trying to surf the shore break on the Wavestorm surfboards.

We had a long walk on the beach, never reaching the end. Eventually, we decided to turn around and return to our minivan for a stop for some coffee nearby.

We drove to the little town of Half Moon Bay, stopping by for some pastries and cookies at the Moonside Bakery and Cafe. For coffee, we decided to try Cafe Society next door. The pastries were quite delicious, but my mocha was decidedly average. 

After our quick snack, we returned home.

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Upgrading White-Rodgers Thermostat

My current home has a White Rodgers Thermostat, Model 1F82-261, installed to control the York Diamond 80 furnace and the air-conditioner. 

With the cover off, the White-Rodgers Thermostat shows the following wiring.

Original Thermostat Wiring (4-wire version) that runs on batteries:

• W  => white wire
• RH => red wire (tied to RC)
• B => n/c
• RC => red wire (tied to RH)
• C => n/c
• G => green wire
• O => n/c
• Y => blue wire

To learn more about the wiring of thermostats, I watched a handy YouTube video:

The color code for wires is as follows:

Thermostat Wiring

• W = Heating (white)
• Y = Cooling (yellow)
• G = Fan (green)
• Rc = 24V power for Cooling (red)
• Rh = 24V power for heating (red)
• C = Common (blue)

Furnace Wiring

• W = Heating (white)
• R = 24V power for heating
• Y/Y2 = Cooling (yellow)
• G = Fan (green)
• C = Common (blue)

Condenser Wiring

• R = 24V power (red)
• C = Common (blue)

To install the Ecobee smart thermostat, I will need to add the PTK converter to the York Diamond 80 furnace's control board (since the Common wire is missing):

Is replacing the White-Rodgers Thermostat worth all of the effort?

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LG CX 77 OLED TV

After 11 years (purchased on 10/2/2009) of using the Samsung PN58B650 58' Plasma TV, Inna and I decided to upgrade to an LG CX 77" OLED TV.  

We saw it at our local Costco and debated whether to purchase the 65" or the 77". 

When Black Friday sales at Costco rolled out, I initially planned to purchase the LG CX 65" version (which was on sale for $1849), but it was quickly sold out. After also looking at the Sony XBR-77A9G 77", I decided to purchase the LG 77" due to a couple of reasons:

1. Costco Return Policy (much lower risk than purchasing from anywhere else)
2. LG uses HDMI 2.1 ports, unlike Sony XBR (which has only the previous generation)
3. LG panel is overall brighter (though Sony also uses LG OLED panels)
4. Experience of seeing the LG TV at Costco (never saw the Sony)
5. Free extra 5 years warranty (courtesy of Costco)

The Sony XBR had significant advantages, too:

1. The XBR includes a much better remote control
2. The XBR uses Google TV as the TV interface (just like our Nvidia Shield)
3. The XBR would be easier to mount on my TV Stand

As the LG TV is a 4K TV, I must also upgrade my Onkyo PR-SC886 preamp (which only carries HDMI 1.3 signals). After much research, I settled on the Denon AVR-3700H due to the following reasons:

1. The retail price for the Denon AVR-3700H is $1199 on Amazon. I hope Video Only sells at a lower price. I can't afford the Emotiva XMC-2 (which would have been another great choice at $3,000)
2. HDMI 2.1 support for 8K TVs
3. Dolby Atmos, Dolby Vision
4. Audyssey XT32 support
5. 1 Amp Trigger (though 2 would be better for my two Parasound Amps)
6. The speaker amplifier section can be disabled so I can use it as a pre-processor for my Parasound HCA-2205 amplifiers.
7. A very positive review on Audio Science Review here.

After some thought, I ordered the Denon AVR-3700H on Amazon (even though Video Only offered it at $999  + tax).

I installed the LG TV on the stand that previously held the Samsung 58" Plasma TV. I was able to reuse the stand completely!

 

Costco offered a free $100 Hulu credit, but it didn't work. I called both Costco and Hulu, but neither could resolve the issue.

Dear Customer -

Thank you for purchasing LG 77in Class - CX Series - 4K UHD OLED TV - Allstate Bundle Included from Costco.com. Your LG TV purchase qualifies you to receive a $100 Hulu eGift Code credit.

After receiving your TV, please follow the instructions below to receive and redeem your eGift code. eGift code must be redeemed by 12/31/2021. Limit one per eligible LG TV purchase. Hulu eGift Code is not suitable for a refund. Visit www.getbonusrewards.com for details and terms/conditions.

To redeem your code:

1. Please visit www.getbonusrewards.com
2. Enter all applicable information (including TV serial number) and receive your code with instructions
3. Enter your code at www.hulu.com/start/gifting
4. Register your payment information
5. Register your Hulu account

Order Number: 332932482 Item Number: 9770010

 

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Celebrating Thanksgiving

For this peculiar COVID-19 Thanksgiving, we decided to skip the standard Turkey preparation. We decided to grill fresh Ribeye steaks instead (along with asparagus and mushrooms), freshly prepared cranberry sauce, and salad.

Alex, Inna, and I enjoyed the delicious Ribeye steaks, cooked to Medium-rare on the Weber grill, while Vladik ate his grilled chicken.

 

It was a somewhat melancholy occasion, as I remembered when I shared Thanksgiving dinner with my Mom, Dad, and Bella.

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Hiking Sanborn County Park

On Sunday, November 22, 2020, Inna and I decided to hike the trails of the nearby Sanborn County Park in Saratoga, CA. We drove to the Costanoan Group Area parking lot and parked our car there.

We walked to the Sequoia/Person Grove Picnic area from the parking lot, taking photos of the beautiful trees.

The fall's yellow and red leaves were tantalizing, and we marveled at the beauty around us.

We embarked on our hike by walking west to join the Nature Trail, which turned into the San Andreas Trail until we intersected the southern heading of Peterson Memorial Trail. 

The Peterson Memorial Trail was heading uphill for over a mile, and Inna and I struggled to walk uphill. We often needed to stop to rest, as the trail had a never-ending ascent. Inna's heart raced to its max, and she sometimes felt a bit light-headed.

Eventually, we reached the intersection with the Sanborn Trail. After resting, Inna and I decided to walk the Sanborn Trail to see if we could make it another mile. We must have gotten used to the elevation as we proceeded well enough to reach the San Andreas Trail, which descended to Walden West.

Though there were many switchbacks and steep descents, the downhill walk was infinitely more pleasurable than the uphill walk. 

Still, we had to avoid slipping on some of the descents. Our hike was now overwhelmed by several other hikers who were all descending.

With the COVID-19 fears, we had to stop and put on our masks, letting the faster hikers by us. I prefer the sounds of silence - to the endless chatter of large hiking groups. 

However, we were unsuccessful in evading the many hikers descending Walden. We made good progress, but it was less enjoyable.

We enjoyed our hike, but it wouldn't have been much better with a more accessible uphill section.

Here are my Stava stats for the hike:

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Ditching ADT for Ring Security

After many years with ADT, I switched to Ring Security System with an indoor camera. On November 18, 2020, I called ADT to disconnect my service. I was tired of paying $24.95 per month for an obsolete system.

The straw that broke the camel's back was the following ADT incident. After remodeling my house, the upstairs window sensor started malfunctioning. I called ADT to ask for help repairing the window sensor (which prevented me from arming the ADT System), but the company offered to send someone for a fee of $160. 

I was floored by the high quoted cost and the ADT's unwillingness to cover the repair cost for a system I've been using for so many years! As a result, I decided to call local, independent ADT dealers to see if I could get a lower repair estimate. Unfortunately, the result was even worse. Though I contacted 3 separate ADT dealers, they failed to call me back! I decided this unprofessional attitude was unacceptable and switched to another security system.

After reading many positive reviews of the Ring Security System (and the Amazon Black Friday sale), I decided to try it, as it was inexpensive and had a reasonable $10/month monitoring fee. Before installing the Ring Security System, I followed a YouTube video to power down my ADT Security System. I was even able to remove the DSC Front Panel but discovered a large hole behind it (so I decided to keep it for now).

Installing the Ring system was relatively easy, but learning to use the Ring App on the iPhone took longer.

After plugging the Ring base into a power outlet, the iPhone Ring App enabled the rest of the devices and sensors. It was easy! The indoor camera was also relatively easy to install and configure.

I am also enjoying the new Amazon Echo Show 5 video speaker (offered for free on Amazon). It's nice to have a display in the kitchen.

I did have to figure out what type and brand of video doorbell to purchase next. I was deciding between the Ring Video Doorbell 3 Plus, Ring Video Doorbell Pro, and Nest Hello Video Doorbell. After further reviews, I noticed that Amazon had a Black Friday promotion for the Ring Video Doorbell 3 Plus. Instead of $159.99, it was now $129.99 (if ordered using Alexa). I decided to call it!

Now that I received the Ring Video Doorbell 3 Plus, I connected it to the Ring Security system but wasn't sure where to install it. I suggest mounting it in the location currently occupied by the NuTone IS-70 speaker. Kyle Switch Plates (in Livermore) sold various cover plates for NuTone speakers and ordered one.

I plan to install the Ring Video Doorbell 3 Plus on the new cover and try it out. The battery can last the 6 months that Ring is promising.

I also installed a Schlage Smart Connect Smart Lock BE469, which works with the Ring Security System and can be locked or unlocked with the phone. It replaced my Schlage lock, which was damaged by me (when I tried to replace the 9V internal battery).

I like verifying whether my Schlage lock is locked using the Ring Security system.

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Switching to Google Fi

On November 19, 2020, I decided to switch from AT&T cellphone plans to Google Fi to save on my cellular bill (usually about $160/month for 4 lines). With COVID-19 still raging, our cellular use has declined significantly, and we no longer need to pay for 10G of data per month.

I selected the $50 per 3-line build with $10/GB of data use. I don't expect to use more than 5Gbytes/month, which should save me money.

AT&T Wireless yearly cost = $160/month x 12 months = $1920.00/year (for 10 GB of shared data)

Google Fi yearly cost = $100/month x 12 months = $1200.00 /year (for 5 GB of data)

I started the phone porting process (moving my cell number from AT&T to Google Fi on 11/19/2020) and ordered the sim cards for Inna's and Alex's iPhone 8+.

Initially, my telephone porting process failed. It took me a day to contact Google Fi, and then AT&T. I figured out that I provided the wrong pin to Google Fi. Once I reset my AT&T pin, the porting process worked well (within 30 minutes). 

I am now running on Google Fi. So far, it's working acceptably well. I have not noticed any issues yet, but it's too early to tell.

I also moved Alex's and Inna's iPhone 8 Plus to Google Fi without issues. Likewise, I had to unlock each AT&T phone before inserting the Google Fi sim cards, but it was flick and painless.

I ordered a Motorola G Power phone for Vladimir for $150 (as Google Fi was offering a $100 discount and a $150 service credit). It's an impressive Android phone for $150 with a beautiful screen, fast operation, and lightweight. The fingerprint sensor didn't work as well as I expected, but it's a minor issue.

Inna spent some time teaching Vladimir how to unlock the Motorola G Power phone and call on it.

 

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Returning to Hollister Hills SVRA

After almost a year of being unable to dirt bike, I finally got to ride my Yamaha WR250F at Hollister Hills SVRA on Saturday, November 21, 2020.

On Friday, before my planned ride, I loaded my off-road gear into my Sienna minivan and attached the bike carrier. On Saturday morning, I strapped my Yamaha to my van and prepared a couple of sandwiches to eat after a hard day's riding.

The drive to Hollister Hills SVRA was uneventful, but I was worried that due to COVID-19 restrictions, I might be too late (and have to return home without riding). Fortunately, I arrived around 8:50am, and there were no restrictions. 

I was, however, surprised by the business of the Vintage Track parking (where I usually park). I found a spot for my dirt bike, but I prefer to park my minivan near a picnic table. I unloaded my Yamaha WR250F and started it up to warm the engine. It's been a long time since I last rode it, so getting dressed and assembling all the riding gear took a bit longer.

At first, to warm up, I decided to ride a few loops around the TT track. I was out of practice, and it took a few loops to start getting the hang of riding. My shifting wasn't smooth, but I began to feel the rear brake bite more than before. The ground wasn't parched (due to the recent rains), but it was not muddy either - almost perfect, and I felt excellent traction.

For my first ride, I decided to try a leisurely lap on Harmony Road. It was an easy trail, but today, it had a lot of deep bumps. I felt like riding over a never-ending sequence of mini-craters! I have never seen so many. It was unsettling for my first easy ride. After riding a bit, I returned to my van for some refreshments. I felt a bit hungry and immediately devoured one of the two apples.

I decided to try the exciting ride following the Four Corners Trail for my second ride. It was just as expected, and I did very well. Nothing was unexpected on this trail ride, and I started to feel my bike a bit more. I returned for more refreshments. Looking closely at the Hollister Hills SVRA map, I decided to try the Lake Trail. I have always wanted to try it but felt apprehensive about it - what if I couldn't handle it? What if I got lost?

I had plenty of gas in my Yamaha and felt physically OK. Let's go for it. How hard could it be? It's only a blue-rated trail. So, I started riding the Lake Trail. It was definitely more challenging than Four Corners, with steep ascents and a lot of loose sand. However, I handled it fine, though not as fast as I would have liked.

Halfway through the trail, I stopped at an intersection. Having no map, I wasn't sure which way to go. I decided to follow North Canyon Road. I didn't know then, but this was the most extended possible way back! I followed the trail for a while and started to get a bit worried. Did I get lost? I stopped at one of the main intersections and waited for another bike. I asked the rider, who told me to follow the North Canyon Road. 

Eventually, North Canyon Road merged with Harmony Road, so I returned without problems. After I returned, I finished lunch and decided to ride one more trail - the Middle Field Trail.

The ride on the Middle Field Trail was easy, and I followed it up with a ride on Tank Trail, followed by Adobe. It was a nice, easy ending to a fabulous day of riding. And I was so excited that my bike was still relatively clean (so the one hour of clean up would not be necessary)!

Here is my GoPro Hero7 video of my ride on Lake Trail:

On November 29, I returned to Hollister Hills SVRA for another day of off-road motorcycle riding. This time, I rode the Lake Trail correctly.

Here is the GoPro Hero7 Black video of my ride on the Rancho Road:

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Replacing Dead Car Battery

For the past year, Alex has not been driving his 2008 Lexus RX-350 AWD very often, and the relatively new Interstate Battery has not been getting charged. When Covid-19 hit us in March 2020, Alex stopped driving his Lexus to Bellarmine High School altogether, as all his classes moved online.

After 3 months of not driving, the battery died ultimately. However, I could recharge it on a battery tray, which worked fine for a while.

Yesterday, November 8, 2020, when Alex tried to drive his car to pick up some school items at Michael's, the Lexus wouldn't start. I took the battery out of the car and hooked it up to my battery tender, but this time it didn't work. The battery tender reported an error (blinking red and green lights).

I decided to take the Interstate MT-24F battery to the local Interstate Service Center, located at:

211 Phelan Ave, San Jose, CA

The salesman I talked to tested my battery and said it needed to be charged before any warranty claim could be made. The battery has a 2-year Free Replacement Warranty.

After waiting a day for the battery to charge, the service center tested it, and it passed. Argh!

I decided to purchase a new car battery from Costco and return the old battery (the core is worth $15.00).

Two weeks later, on November 21, Alex tried to start his Lexus RX350 with his new Interstate battery, and the car was completely dead. There was not even enough power for a door light! I exchanged the dead Interstate 24F battery at Costco, but I now believe that a short circuit in the Lexus' security system is causing the battery to discharge when the car is turned off.

After I contacted the Foreign Affair auto shop, I scheduled a repair visit for Tuesday, November 24, 2020, at 7:30am. After dropping off the Lexus RX350, we eagerly awaited the call from Foreign Affair explaining what the mechanic had found.

The electrical issue was relatively straightforward. The map light switch was in the "ON" position and drained the battery when the ignition was off. The mechanic tested all other systems and noticed the current was over 30mA when the switch was ON. Hopefully, all will be well now.

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Repairing Kitchen Aid Dishwasher

On Thursday, November 5, 2020, the upper rack of my Kitchen Aid Dishwasher KUDS35FXSS2 broke. The wheels that slide in the upper rack fell off. After I removed the rack, I noticed that the tabs that hold the wheels in place had broken off.

Using Repair Clinic, I was able to find replacement (S-Union) parts on Amazon for $23.99

4. W10253546 (W10712394) - Adjuster
5. W10195839 (WPW10195839) - Adjuster

6. W10195840 (WPW10195840)- Positioner

I also inquired locally about the cost to replace parts by a service technician (Kyle from ASE Appliance Tech in Los Gatos), who quoted me $180.00

On Saturday, November 6, I received the parts from Amazon and proceeded to install them. It took me about 30 minutes, and I did watch the video below to help me understand the whole process.

After some fiddling, I was able to remove (5) and (6) by watching the following YouTube video:

It took some trial and error to replace all the parts.

The basic instructions to remove the broken Adjuster (4):

1. Remove (5) Adjuster by pushing it in
2. Remove (6) Adjuster by sliding it
3. Push the clip inside (4) in using a flat screwdriver
4. Pop the cover (9) from (2) using a flat screwdriver

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Applying to Colleges

After Alex completed his EdX class - MIT Introduction to Computer Programming using Python - he experienced a eureka moment. He decided that Computer Science is the area he'd like to study in college.

Looking at various Computer Science programs at multiple universities in the United States and Canada, he settled on the following programs:

1. Stanford - Rejected on 4/9/21
2. Columbia - Rejected on 4/6/21
3. Cornell - Rejected on 4/6/21
4. Duke - Rejected on 4/5/21
5. Carnegie Mellon - Waitlisted on 3/27/21
6. UCLA -Rejected on 3/19/21
   
7. USC - Rejected on 3/30/21
   
8. UC Berkeley - Rejected on 3/25/21
   
9. Rice - Rejected on 3/30/21
   
10. UC San Diego - Waitlisted on 3/19/21
    
11. UT Austin  - Rejected on 2/1/21
12. UC Santa Barbara - Rejected on 3/16/21
13. UC Irvine - Waitlisted on 3/12/21
    
14. Northeastern University (early action) - Admitted on 1/27/21 - Enrolled on 4/15/21
    
15. Santa Clara University (early action) - Admitted on 12/15/20
    
16. University of Washington - Admitted on 3/11/21 (for prescience)
17. Cal Poly University - Waitlisted on 3/4/2021
18. UC Davis - Waitlisted on 3/18/21
    
19. UC Santa Cruz - Admitted on 2/22/21
    
20. UC Riverside - Waitlisted on 3/25/21
    
21. San Jose State - Admitted on 2/22/21
    
22. San Diego State - Admitted on 12/18/20

For his main essay in the Common App (used by the majority of universities), he wrote the following about his surfing experience in Santa Cruz:

Flashing Water 

As the enormous lip of the wave crashed over my head, I was pushed under the surface of the water. I struggled to come up for air, but as the wave continued to push me deeper, its rotational force trapped me. After almost two minutes, the air within my lungs was seeping out and I was losing hope. Like a piece of rag caught in the washing machine, I feared I would drown. Surfing at Steamers’ Lane had always been a dream of mine. But as I surfed in the Lane that day, I found myself hesitating for fear of the gargantuan waves. It is this hesitation that ultimately caused my accident. My hesitation threw off my timing and I found myself caught under the wave instead of riding its crest.

Hesitation wasn’t only a problem for me in the water. I had trouble getting involved in volunteering because I always had second thoughts about choosing a particular site. I couldn’t speak in public because every time I tried, I constantly questioned whether or not I had memorized all the information. I sometimes did poorly on math exams because I would become anxious every time I encountered a new problem. In so many situations, my anxiety led me to second-guess my every move.

My near-death experience helped me realize how disastrous hesitation can be. Hesitation prevents me from being in my “flow state”: a state of tranquility in which I feel like the world is my oyster and that I can do anything without question. But in the midst of hesitation, my mind becomes consumed by anxious thoughts that lead me to question my every action. As a result, I seize up.

I realized that at the root of my hesitation or tentativeness is fear of failing. It took many times to go back and facing the 12-footers to overcome my fear of failing. I realized that greater than my fear of failing is my desire to improve and master everything that matters to me. And more than the judgment of others, I care more to not disappoint myself. Taking a few more tumbles during my surfing ventures taught me that failure is not the end of the world. A true failure comes when I fail to analyze what I did wrong so I can improve next time.

Luckily, I’m catching more waves than ever. Just yesterday, I caught a terrifying 8-foot wave! As I was riding it, I felt I was on top of the world. Hesitation, I learned, ensues from self-doubt and fear of failing. It tempts your mind to become consumed by negative thinking and forces you to hold back your potential. In my world, hesitation forced me to back down from waves. However, I’m slowly making my way out of this dark tunnel of self-doubt into a world of endless possibilities.

 

Now, it's time to wait for responses from multiple colleges. Some interviews may also be required for the Ivy League colleges.

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Biking John Nicholas Trail

The last time I mountain biked on the John Nicholas Trail was May 3, 2020. I had a fantastic time; this is one of my favorite bike trails in Los Gatos.

I really enjoy biking on the John Nicholas trail in the fall. The leaves are turning yellow, red, and all the shades of the rainbow. The temperature is cool - in the high 60s - not too hot or cold. In addition, the steep ascent to the top is compensated by a thrilling downhill ride to the bottom. 

 

 

The single track here is exciting: there are bridges, steep ascents and descents, narrow trails, and sharp 360-degree turns. The scenery is stunning, with beautiful trees, steep ravines, bridges, and rocks. 

I recorded the ride's downhill (the more thrilling portion) using my GoPro Hero7 mounted on my helmet (as the bike mount offers a less compelling point of view). 

Here is a high-definition video:

Here are my Strava stats from my November 3, 2020, ride. My overall time has improved from 1:24 to 1:18 (a 6-minute decrease)

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Back to The Hook

After surfing for many days in the Laguna Beach area (at Rockpile Beach, Trestles, San Clemente Pier), it was time to return to surfing near my home. Since Surfline.com predicted 4-5 foot swells on Tuesday, November 3, and I had a company day off, I decided to try surfing in the early morning when the wind and wave forecast was most favorable.

The drive to Capitola was uneventful, and there was plenty of parking in the usually busy parking lot with the Hook Public Restrooms. When I looked over the cliff, the tide was high, and a few surfers were out, but swells were rare. 

I decided to give it a shot anyway, so I put on my new Promotion 4/3mm wetsuit and booties and took my Wavestorm 8'. The waves didn't look large enough for my Firewire Spitfire 6'6" FST shortboard. I paddled out, and the water felt nice. It was not as chilly as I expected. Perhaps the icy water hasn't come yet. 

I paddled to the line-up and waited for a few sets. Luckily, a few nice swells did arrive eventually, and I managed to catch and ride 4 charming waves. I had some nice rides, turning my board and riding the waves to the beach. At about 11:30am, the swell frequency diminished, and I decided to call it a day and returned to my minivan.

I managed to practice proper paddling technique, and it helped.

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