Recent content by Woody

YES they chew cables! I’ve had to have multiple vehicles repaired because of rabbits/pack rats chomping on wires. I have friends who have rats in the walls of an old camp trailer that gets limited use. They don’t dare plug the trailer into the generator because of the possible fire from power...

These step up transformers make since when you really aren’t using or need the higher voltage very often. Years ago, it used to be hard or rather it was expensive to have linked inverters for generating 240vac single phase. Today there’s all sorts of inverters that can do this. If you need 240...

You kinda answered your own question. You get what you pay for….typically. The vendors who have done and post test results will often cost more than those vendors who claim their products are rated/spec’ed. Makes me think about those airplane parts that came from a vendor who falsified the...

Can you mix and match batteries….yes but you’re going to cause all sorts of system problems. First off NEVER mix batteries of different chemistry, capacities, or voltages. This can lead to various problems including catastrophic failure. Assuming all the batteries you’re thinking of joining...

Finally someone is using their brains. This article is about putting solar panel structures over the existing aqueducts. https://theconversation.com/first-solar-canal-project-is-a-win-for-water-energy-air-and-climate-in-california-177433 They are now looking to put solar panel structures over...

Suggest using a press brake (metal bending machine) if available for best results. Lots of YouTube videos on making metal bending tools out there if you want to make one. Shop vise and hammer works to but cruder results. I’ve had cracking doing this in the past because the vise jaws were sharp...

Warning- Don’t purchase too small of generator. Leave yourself some “headroom” (additional power capacity) when selecting the size of generator. Over stressing the generator can cause all sorts of problems from under voltage too over voltage issues, too voltage glitches/spikes as loads come...

Why 12V….because solar parts are everywhere! From Walmart, HD, Lowe’s, Autozone, Oriel’s, NAPA, Harbor Freight, Tractor Supply, Bass Pro,…. 12V systems in a disaster situation can help more people. Solar arrays based off 12v nominal panels even configured for other voltages (24, 36, 48,…)...

Solar Return On Investment (ROI) really comes down to how you define your “return” as monetary, learning experience, preparation,… Personally it’s been a mix of all these things with a bent to be self reliant. I’ve played with solar since the 80s. My senior thesis was on a solar power load...

A couple of years ago Curioscarbon discussed putting solar panels on cars in the “Can the electrical grid handle a boom in electric vehicles “ topic thread. Well someone actually did just that! No more WAG on estimating range either. They installed nine 175watt solar panels on to the Tesla...

A few additional pictures of actual solar farms currently operating in western states. quod erat demonstrandum Been in and around Texas. Yes. Nice once you’re out of the cities. Have any of you driven/visited the deserts of California, Oregon, Arizona, New Mexico, Washington, southern Colorado...

Here’s some pictures of an existing large scale solar system built in the desert. This is what they are doing and what they want to do to other locations. Such a sterile barren place compared to what was there. This is not minimizing man’s impacts upon nature. Pictures of the Tucson, AZ...

Got to love today’s “environmentalist” who support maximizing human impacts upon on nature in the name of “green energy“. It’s a desert or vacant land so it’s ok to strip the land clean and keep it sterile. There’s nothing out there. Wrong! There is life there, you’re just not looking for it...

I need more kool-aid or “re-education camp time” I guess in order to ignore the fact that cost of power generation is just one factor of many factors that need to be considered in the selection/decision process. So nice that someone claims 29% lower…blah blah blah so what. How did they...

If you’re concerned about EMP type events, purchasing spare electronics and wrap them up in their packaging in foil. Then wrap them with insulation aka paper. Then wrap again in foil and paper/insulator material. Place wrapped electronics in a tightly sealed metal container. Basically you’re...