u/PeaBrilliant4917

Hopefully requests to hear what the various vendors on here have available are ok in the sub? I didn't note a rule against.

Anyway, a friend has an absolutely lovely *deep* blue sapphire-i-think ring, maybe emeraldish or at least oblong, with a narrow halo. I would love to get something similar for my wife for our upcoming anniversay.

I was going the usual online browsing, as well as contacting my local jeweler, when I came across this sub - seems like you are a lovely group of people, and if there's a match I would love to support.

I can't give you a ton of additional specs than that, it's probably a Know-it-when-you-see it type of thing. It's a bit of a tight year, so budget is probably around $2k usd, give or take, but ideally take :-)

Thank for any consideration!

Hopefully requests to hear what the various vendors on here have available are ok in the sub? I didn't note a rule against.

Anyway, a friend has an absolutely lovely *deep* blue sapphire-i-think ring, maybe emeraldish or at least oblong, with a narrow halo. I would love to get something similar for my wife for our upcoming anniversay.

I was going the usual online browsing, as well as contacting my local jeweler, when I came across this sub - seems like you are a lovely group of people, and if there's a match I would love to support.

I can't give you a ton of additional specs than that, it's probably a Know-it-when-you-see it type of thing. It's a bit of a tight year, so budget is probably around $2k usd, give or take, but ideally take :-)

Thank for any consideration!

My OL machine is dying. Not interested in refurbing it.

Any one have strongly held opinions on what great machines are?

I do not need major bells and whistles, as I drink neat espresso, no frothy milky stuff, and I'm the only one that uses it (re discard storage)

Thanks for any experienced thoughts!

I'm a happy consumer of the Russian banya style (city spa and voda here in LA) but I'm wondering if I'm missing something, in that I've kept my focus narrow towards that style.

Are there sauna that people quite like in the LA area?

(Or course, the one at home is best, but that must come in the future.)

The fix (do this first):

> Settings → Network \& internet → SIMs → \[your SIM] → Preferred network type → LTE
> Do it on each SIM if you run dual-SIM. Turn 5G back on when you're home.

If your problem is what mine was, this turns constant drops into a stable connection.

It would be nice of USM made this crystal clear for those of us that buy Pixel's from them, since they provide such great deals on them, and presumably have high sales there. Otherwise, not USMs fault.

---

The symptom this fixes: Your data connection doesn't just get slow abroad — it disappears entirely, then comes back after a wait or a manual nudge (toggling airplane mode, etc.). If it's only slow, that's probably carrier deprioritization and this won't help much. If it's gone and recovering, read on.

The one-paragraph why: Pixels (and international Samsung Galaxies) use Samsung's Exynos modem. In weak/fringe 5G coverage — which is most roaming — these modems have a well-documented tendency to cling to 5G and push transmit power trying to hold a signal they can't keep, instead of cleanly falling back to LTE. Forcing LTE-only takes the flaky 5G roaming path out of the equation. (Honest version: it might be the modem's 5G behavior, or it might be that your line is provisioned for LTE roaming more cleanly than 5G roaming — either way, LTE-only sidesteps it.) iPhones and US-model Galaxies use Qualcomm modems and generally don't show this.

Honesty up front: This is the fix that worked for me — single device, two trips, no lab controls. It's strong enough that I'm posting it, but it's not proof. Two caveats: (1) LTE-only might also just be parking you on the more complete LTE layer abroad, which helps on its own; (2) "it's 5G-related" is well

This started out on the US Mobile sub, but is more relevant here. Just pasting it in in the below.

[Update 6.5.26] This "US Mobile roaming sucks in Spain" post was wrong about the cause. It's mostly not the carrier — it's fringe 5G + the Pixel's Samsung modem. Here's the mechanism, and why iPhone / US Galaxy users don't hit it. USM could step up a bit by proactively sharing the fix for this so that no-one else encounters it.

Why am I still posting about this? To help the next person that has the problem. And to thank the people that gave supportive information in the comments that helped lead to this info.

Before someone yells "AI slop": yeah, AI was all over this — but driven, not generated. I set the questions, scenarios, and drill-ins; multiple frontier models (4.5 sonnet max, 4.8 opus max, gpt 5.5 pro) ran adversarial review against each other's claims and sourcing, so the errors and overclaims got caught and fixed instead of posted. Everything factual is sourced. The full adversarial back-and-forth .MD is available if anyone wants to take this further on the drill-in — I wrapped once I had a good lay of the land.

TL;DR: My data wasn't dropping in Spain because US Mobile is a bad MVNO (deprioritization is real, but it only throttles — it doesn't make your connection vanish and fail to come back). The likeliest culprit is the 5G roaming path on my Pixel — either Samsung's Exynos modem clinging to weak/fringe 5G instead of cleanly falling back to LTE, or how my line is provisioned for 5G roaming, possibly both. Forcing LTE-only in the UI nearly eliminated it. iPhones and US-model Galaxies (Qualcomm modems) largely don't see this. Full write-up below; happy to be torn apart on the parts that are still inference — and a couple of them genuinely are.

---

What I got wrong the first time. My original post blamed US Mobile vs Fi - the issue was more that in the interim of my switching from Fi to US Mobile, 5g has hit a greater roll-out in Europe, exposing a flat in the Pixel that previously was not. Deprioritization is genuinely a thing for a US MVNO roaming abroad — you're a downstream customer of a roaming carrier, so under congestion your traffic gets a lower priority and you eat slower speeds. But that's a throughput problem. It does not explain what I was actually seeing: losing usable data entirely — not slow, gone — and then needing a manual nudge or a wait to come back. Those are two mechanistically different failure modes. Throttling slows you down; it doesn't make the connection drop and fail to recover.

The thing that actually flipped it. Settings → Network & internet → SIMs → [SIM] → Preferred network type → LTE. After forcing LTE-only on both lines, the constant drops reduced dramatically. That's the key diagnostic: removing 5G removed the failure. So whatever's wrong lives in the 5G roaming path — 5G acquisition, retention, and how 5G roaming is provisioned — not in LTE, and not in raw signal strength. (Important nuance I'll come back to: "remove 5G and it works" does not by itself prove the modem is the culprit, because forcing LTE changes a whole stack of things at once.)

The mechanism (the "5G hunt"). This is a well-documented criticism of the Pixel/Exynos modem line: in weak-coverage areas, the radio clings to 5G instead of settling onto a more stable LTE connection, and pushes transmit power trying to hold a 5G signal it can't actually keep. When it loses that fight, the data band can drop out entirely until the modem recovers. In fringe 5G coverage — which describes a lot of roaming — that behavior shows up a lot. It's reportedly the reason behind the (leaked, not officially confirmed) plan to move the Pixel 11 off Samsung's modem to MediaTek. To be clear so nobody calls me on it: that's a documented criticism and a supply-chain leak, not a Google confession.

The iPhone next to me didn't do it — but that's a tell, not a controlled experiment. My wife's iPhone 13 on the same US Mobile account didn't have the drop problem, which is consistent with a device-level cause. I'm not going to oversell it as a clean comparison, because it isn't one: (1) my two lines ride different underlying networks (Lightspeed/T-Mobile and Darkstar/AT&T), which use different Spanish hosts, so the iPhone may not even have been on the same network path as the failing line; (2) a Pixel and an iPhone differ in 5G mode support, bands, and carrier config — the network can treat them differently (so no, "it's the same account" does not mean identical treatment); (3) my Darkstar line was pinned to Orange manually. So the iPhone holding up points toward a device/path difference, but it doesn't prove one.

Why iPhone and US Galaxy users don't see it. One word: Qualcomm. iPhones (13/14/17 are all Qualcomm X-series modems) and US-model Galaxies (always Qualcomm Snapdragon for the US) use modems whose weak-signal 5G→LTE behavior is more graceful. The Exynos modem only ships in international Samsung variants and in Pixels. So a US Galaxy buyer was never exposed to it — and interestingly, an EU/international Galaxy on an Exynos chip could plausibly see the same thing I did.

The hardware, briefly. Pixel 9 and Pixel 10 both run Samsung's Exynos 5400 modem (the Pixel 10's is sometimes called the 5400i) — two flagship generations on the same modem silicon. That same modem IP is what's in the international Galaxy S24/S24+. The 5400 was actually the improved modem — reviewers said it finally fixed a lot of Pixel reception/battery/thermal complaints — so I'm not claiming "Exynos = garbage." I'm claiming that even the improved modem keeps the 5G-hunt tendency in the worst case, and fringe-coverage international roaming is exactly that worst case.

Where I could still be wrong (and where you can pile on).

• It's one device, two trips, no controls. Strong signal, not proof.
• LTE-only might also just be parking me on Spain's more complete LTE layer, which would help on its own regardless of modem behavior. (Spain's time-connected 5G is a lot patchier than its LTE.)
• "5G is the trigger" is solid. "The Exynos modem is the culprit" is not the only read. Forcing LTE changes many things at once — NSA/SA behavior, band selection, carrier aggregation, and the 5G roaming entitlement path. A clean alternative that needs zero modem defect: my line may simply be provisioned for LTE roaming more cleanly than 5G roaming. That alone would reproduce everything I saw. That said, with my original contact with USM support early in the trip they "did something" on their end that they thought would fix it, which didn't - so perhaps they worked on that already
• It could also be the modem firmware or the Pixel's RF/antenna tuning for Spanish bands rather than the modem core.
• The iPhone comparison is confounded (different underlying network, different capabilities, manual selection), so don't read it as proof, it's just a data point
• The tests that would actually settle it: a same-location PLMN / band / RSRP log on the Pixel vs. the iPhone, and a native Spanish SIM/eSIM in the Pixel (if it works fine on native Spanish 5G, the problem is US Mobile's roaming provisioning; if it still fails, it's the device/modem/config). I couldn't run either as we got to this point in assessment as I was taxi'ing out of the country. If anyone's roaming on a Pixel and can run these, please post.

Bottom line: If you're on a Pixel (or another Exynos-modem phone) and your data keeps dropping out entirely while roaming, try forcing LTE-only before you blame your carrier. It's free, reversible, and you're rarely getting real 5G speeds while roaming anyway.

So, lightspeed and darkstar backup this time in UK and Spain. Warp and lightspeed backup last time in UK and

Italy.

I'm a highly technical 51yo that knows his way around tech. Used autoswitch, force select, every permutation, on both trips.

At the end of the day, my prior 7 years of traveling with Google fi never once had the non-stop repeat problems that usm does. Complete drop of wireless, getting only 3g signal, worse. No confidence that I'll even be able to get maps or whattsapp to work.

I love the company for the price, but if you're traveling just do yourself a favor and buy a local sim as your secondary. Usm just freaking sucks here.

This is on a pixel 10 this time, and I think latest model iPhone last time.

Say: if commenting otherwise, indicate device, country, network and year, so that we're comparing apples to apples .

Current status: support has suggested disable 5g (pinning to lte), as there are cases of a present but not stable enough 5g signal, you can see these types of drops. And if you have spain that's a laggard in infrastructure sometimes and UK that's just likely over saturated, combined perhaps with a pixel 10 that may not be as efficient or effective at spectrum management as the iPhones other folks are referencing, this could be the scenario. My experience of everything just working in the past (figure fi) was early 5g rollout when the phones were likely at lte all the time, so error not exposed. Making the adjustments and we'll see how that goes.

In Spain and the UK. l'or, nescafe, others are more really available here than in us.

Any faves that you pick up here that aren't available in other countries?

So, 6:30am pacific time, palladium, phone call. Got to a person in less than 3 minutes and had the charge reversed by 5 minutes.

Now that said, this tiny $2 interest charge shouldn't have showed up, as I paid the amount in full 3-4 days prior and saw it clear both my bank and bilt prior.

So, a plus on one side, but a concern on the other that I'll be keeping an eye out for.

Subject says it all - There are generally rotating opinions on the most useful companies.

Saving $5 isn't worth bad service - who would you get?

I haven't had to worry about it for years because of my carriers (Fi, now usmobile), but my companions all have legacy carriers 😄

Tl;Dr. My thoughts on Groove & Arcade & Grip6 for my personal needs on travel belt. Bought 4, returned 3. Kept Groove OG, but begrudgingly. (51yo, decades of travel)

I've made this thread for future seekers. If you have a great belt that I missed, let these future people know!

Objective: A good looking belt for European travel that involves nice dinners in Bluffworks Grammercy pants, that'll also serve for holding up my more relaxed Kuhl style pants, that compresses/folds down extremely well. TSA friendly is nice, but not needed. A bit of stretch so that it's comfy on planes and carrying an extra 15# bodyweight.

ANTI-objective: Cheap, DIY, hiking anything, tactical/ballistic/camo anything, too rigid or not stretchy enough.

SO, for me at least, this removes leather, most of the belts that have the embedded ratchet system (Anson, slidebelts and its kin, mission belt, etc).

From reading all of the belt reviews on here, it came down to the Arcade family, Groove Belt family and the Grip 6's. And unfortunately, none hit every desire, but one is 'fine enough'.

* Grip6, I'm just not into their aesthetic. That's just me. Didn't get one. There are many adherents to them on this sub, likely for good reason.

* Arcade. Pictured are both the Motion (black) and A2 or Atlas (I think, it was an Amazon mis-delivery). Both are a little janky to wear with nice clothing. I'm guessing that the major Arcade lovers on this sub care more for comfort & utility than aesthetics.

The A2 or Atlas belt is quite soft & pliable and I'd probably like it for hiking. Might get a black one for times when comfort matters more than looking dorky.

The Motion is probably the best looking belt for Arcade (but still janky with dress pants), but a little too small and I dislike that the 'extra' being on the outside of the belt, like a normal belt. The strap is much stiffer than the atlas, and much less rigid than the Grooves.

* Groove. The OG and the Ultra.

The OG is the best looking buckle in the batch, super novel and very easy to get on and off. Strap was my compromise, though. The reviews that you read about it being hard to get through belt loops are incorrect, at least for a slightly overweight 33" person in grammercy dress, bluffworks chino and Levi's - threaded in and out fine. This belt was originally designed for carrying drills and guns - as noted, not all that relevant nor beneficial for the travel space. But, it looks the best of the batch from a buckle perspective, compresses, etc. I'm thinking that if someone adjusts their belts by 1/2" to map to different pants type, that the 'slip protection' for the belt will fade over time. I'm going to try to find a less 'ballistic/tactical' strap that meets needs and I'll be happy.

Ultra is TSA friendly, slightly narrower band, slightly smaller buckle. The design though just looks like tech travel gear - just another entry in a crowded space of "almost right". Strap is still rigid enough to hold a gun, which isn't useful in the travel belt space - quite the opposite, in my opinion. While the buckle may pass TSA, there are enough indentations on the inside (both blunt and narrow), that it might be uncomfortable for some people (pictured). I think that they missed the boat on this one. Just take the original OG, maybe shrink by 10%, maybe not, go TSA-friendly if you want, and get a strap on there that's more supple & classy - THAT'S a travel belt. What this is is a techy small thing to strap equipment to.

https://preview.redd.it/cyr5wfl7flxg1.jpg?width=4000&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=5cd11d0b7b5ecb63e991493284b951230ca6443b

https://preview.redd.it/u835rdl7flxg1.jpg?width=3648&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=0cd0149e465ea934f374b830af59770163ab6729

https://preview.redd.it/iyq67dl7flxg1.jpg?width=3648&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b0bd0731b43c0963e481ad1f80045c927bf8326a

https://preview.redd.it/a2131el7flxg1.jpg?width=3648&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=bdc674eb9c247d9fa2b2d95eccb93b2c8d17e954

https://preview.redd.it/i79sdfl7flxg1.jpg?width=3648&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=8aaaf29a2a782dbe5f71c856699653d3e1a3e0f1

https://preview.redd.it/6h47lel7flxg1.jpg?width=2736&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=4065e06ce36fc18fb94ac72975df3bad16216ff0