Marooned in the desert
- Thread starter Dontknowsquat
- Start date
Hedges
I See Electromagnetic Fields!
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Batteries are the most expensive part, the most work, possibly the most hazardous.
It is possible to run things in the daytime with PV but no batteries.
If you have an existing well pump, you may need batteries to provide the starting surge. If you have a well casing, you can get a pump which runs PV direct.
Some of the hybrid inverters are batteries optional. With enough PV attached you can run many loads. Perhaps a very small battery would give lights at night but little else.
As Sandals said, BMS is only if you have lithium cells. For a very small battery, lead-acid is simple. Doesn't give the same cycle life, but could serve well, or could be used for a while to start out simple, upgrade later.
It is possible to run things in the daytime with PV but no batteries.
If you have an existing well pump, you may need batteries to provide the starting surge. If you have a well casing, you can get a pump which runs PV direct.
Some of the hybrid inverters are batteries optional. With enough PV attached you can run many loads. Perhaps a very small battery would give lights at night but little else.
As Sandals said, BMS is only if you have lithium cells. For a very small battery, lead-acid is simple. Doesn't give the same cycle life, but could serve well, or could be used for a while to start out simple, upgrade later.
MrNatural22
?SW sunshine =⚡️⚡️lit up thru the darkness✌️
I learned a surprising lesson when living in Tucson. I installed a 12k btu Frigidaire
Window ac with a 10 seer, in the house and was shocked to find our electric bill went down ??.
During the 100+ deg summers the swamp box ran basically 24/7 our bill ran <$100>
plus the water bill.
Electric bill dropped to <$90> ?
After the first month using the ac set at 80deg and with a well placed fan to distribute the cooler, drier air around the house our electric bill went DOWN!! ?
This on top of a lower water bill.
Never went back to that yearly scraping oiling, pad changing crusty maintenance demanding wet box of cooling cube again.
I do use a roll around side draft swamp cooler I built out in the garage though and a small one out on the porch. They have their purpose for portable cooling. ? (until that humidity rises above 25% and efficiency drops like a wet sweater. ?
Q-Dog
¯\_(ツ)_/¯
It sounds to me like the 40 acres and the vehicle are two different problems. Is the vehicle a permanent residence or is it just to get out to the site?
I have a small property with no address in Canada. RCMP couldn’t even find us when the COVID enforcers couldn’t reach us by phone one afternoon.
OnTheRoadAgain
Solar Enthusiast
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Marooned in the desert.......
But man! That peace and quiet....and those sunsets and sunrises ! (Not to mention that breathtaking night sky).
But man! That peace and quiet....and those sunsets and sunrises ! (Not to mention that breathtaking night sky).
This was a huge factor in selecting our spot in ENE AZ in the high desert @ 6700 ft elevation. Using the light pollution maps, this was one of the least polluted areas in the country. We get a little glow at the horizon from two small towns about 20 miles away, but the vast majority of the sky overhead leaves one gobsmacked.
Tell us about the fridge.
full size? Dorm style tiny? What are the consumption figures on it?
tell us all the details you can, travel needs, house needs, etc.
full size? Dorm style tiny? What are the consumption figures on it?
tell us all the details you can, travel needs, house needs, etc.
Links to portables you have used please ?
OnTheRoadAgain
Solar Enthusiast
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Sounds wonderful. Would love to see a few pics of that sometime.
DerpsyDoodler
Solar Addict
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Yep, and that picture looks like (I’m guessing) about 20 acres?40acres? That's a really big school bus!
Whatever you decide, I would make it ground based (not fixed to the bus) so you can just unplug and go without having a massive solar array on the roof. 40 acres is a lot of solar panels....
View attachment 46376
I live in Phoenix AZ (not in an off-grid RV). I love camping and try to keep myself acclimated to the climate. So I sit out on my patio after work. Through summer. That little swamp cooler on wheels is how I am able to do it. Uses a lot of water so not sure how useful it is for dispersed camping. If you have a water source or a big water tank, then no problem. They come bigger also.
Want to hold a star party? I have an 8" SCT.
I will be building a permanent observatory for mine when I retire to Sierra Vista in 4 years. I have a 4" refractor also. No more packing and unpacking or risk of dropping something important.
I fantasize about doing the same at HBR.
OnTheRoadAgain
Solar Enthusiast
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Are the taxes for that much land reasonable there?
