Recent content by Charlie Woods

Exactly. The O.P. has not responded on this thread. I suspect he did some math and discovered how infeasible solar A/C is in Houston. Like mesquito_creek said above... 1. Find the best electricity rate for zip code 77494 on http://powertochoose.org 2. Work up a dollar cost to install the...

Again, there are no guarantees. That's my point. Just because things are trending in a certain way, it's not guaranteed that trend will continue. In 1983 my high school teachers told me the Soviet Union would eventually take over Central America. In 1993 I stocked up on exotic (at the time)...

I did not know that. Thanks! This may be the way to go. Perhaps this is what "solar generators" like the Bluetti AC200P are doing. My old Nature's Generator "solar generator" doesn't require a wall wart. 120VAC goes straight in. I need to tear into that thing and see how they accomplish...

Here are my victims awaiting Sacrifice. :)

I'm trying to build a box that will house my HAM radio, charge controller, and a LifePo4 battery inside a Craftsman tool box. Is there a small charge controller that does both charging from 120VAC and Solar? I want to leave the box charging on 120VAC in my ham shack, and be able to hook my...

There are no guarantees. 15 years ago I invested in downtown real estate near train stations and bio-Diesel because I could guarantee Peak Oil would make long-distance commuting from the suburbs impossible. My suburban neighbors now commute to their office jobs in Ford F-350 duallys. I was...

The less you pay for grid power, the less viable solar becomes.

These are the numbers you want. All A/C manufacturers publish them. --------------------- LRA - Locked Rotor Amps: The current you can expect under starting conditions when you apply full voltage. It occurs instantly during start up. RLA - Rated Load Amps: The maximum current a compressor...

You can monitor your grid electricity usage in 15-minute intervals by making a free account at https://www.smartmetertexas.com This website provides data from your meter. You can download the data for offline analysis. You will conclude that in Houston it does not make financial sense to use...

I believe I'm seeing more price competition in the 6 - 30 amp hour range of Lifepo4 batteries. I suspect demand is increasing because more Normies are discovering the benefits of Lifepo4 for outdoor applications such as portable HAM radio, kayaking, tent camping, and fishing. It could be my...

The Honda Element failed to sell well because of incorrect marketing. Honda marketed the Element to young Hipsters looking to camp at music festivals. The Element was such a brilliant, practical, affordable car that 50-something old farts like me bought them for the utility and value. This...

This has been my exact experience at O'Reilly auto parts. I walk in the store, set a battery in their bin of old batteries, and walk out. Also, stores like Home Depot and Lowe's often have a collection bin near the door for old tool batteries.

It depends on your application.

That's good to hear. I'm in the market for a Honda 2200 to suppliment my old 2000, but don't want one of the CO2 monitor can't be easily bypassed.

I bought this one last week. It's seems to be of fair quality. I haven't had time to play with it yet. $30 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B085ZQFVWH