What was your most interesting recent non solar project?
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Daddy Tanuki
Emperor Of Solar
Psst local FD and ambulance, we need to pre-stage a unit out at this location... going to be an old dust farting Son of a gun on the ground in 5...4...3...2...1 CONTACT and I am not talking about close encounters of the third kind... steven spielberg be damned...
littleharbor2
Solar Wizard
If it were me I'd throw a couple braces underneath about midway up. That's a pretty long span and if the unit has any weight at all there's a chance that one of those 2X4's won't be happy with the load
Brucey
Velcro Man
Grab some of those surplus chinese factory anti suicide nets can catch him nice and safe
I considered that, have the wood available to brace it.
Just not sure if the load is going to stress the ramp.
HVAC weighs 80#, so 40# per ramp 2x4.
NC_hydro
Solar Wizard
The only way to do chickens IMO is Premier 1 electric fence net. No fear of racoons tearing through your fence. Can get it in 42" or 48" tall options and 162ft long sections. No more ground predator problems except Bobcat/Mountain Lion and in theory Coyote could clear the 48" fence. And we add a couple of geese (african or chinese) to handle bird predators. Saw a hawk come gliding out of the woods across the fenced area, the goose took off flying ground effect squawking towards the hawk.
Once we got three 162ft sections it was a bit much for solar fence charger so we switched to an AC powered one to make sure it was hot enough to discourage predators.
MattMan119
Solar Geek
I did the same thing getting my panel on the roof .. I just did not have the platform .. works like a champ .. (your is better construction then mine.. lol was spare wood for me .. )
fatjay
Solar Wizard
This was a low effort one.
String lights.
Under my solar panels.
It looks nice, I think.
String lights.
Under my solar panels.
It looks nice, I think.
CommandoJoe
Solar Enthusiast
Should have got some bifacials, then you could generate power at night!This was a low effort one.
String lights.
Under my solar panels.
It looks nice, I think.
/s
fatjay
Solar Wizard
I was actually wondering what bifacials would register that as.Should have got some bifacials, then you could generate power at night!
/s
sunshine_eggo
Victron's little biatch
fatjay
Solar Wizard
22 watts. So that's 2.64 watts regained. But will the string voltage reach 150v where I need to activate my mppt?Take the wattage of the LED string.
Multiply by .12.
There you go.
MattMan119
Solar Geek
Mine get 21v from street light and 29v from full moon .. lol .. led just don’t have the mmmph
Yep those volts are nice. Too bad the amps don't follow along
MattMan119
Solar Geek
Yeah amps would be nice…but that’s a big zippo on the amps…Yep those volts are nice. Too bad the amps don't follow along
When I had them all running in parallel (10*370w) over night in a casino.. they had parking lights that showed 12w or seam thing like that … we determined it was fantom and not real but was funny..
Dagoth Ur Does Solar
Solar Addict
I'll have to get another picture, but I was so pleased with this weather station, I bought their lightning detector and an enclosure for it, and mounted it to the pole.
Since the lightning detector actually picks up on EMPs, I am curious how many false positives I will get an how much tuning it will require (sensitivity is adjustable with dip switches).
I actually had one false positive installing it, I think from my Milwaukee drill that was an inch from the sensor.
Haven't seen any others yet. It supposedly can roughly judge distance, but I have no idea how accurate any of it will be. I mostly bought it for a fun experiment.
Hedges
I See Electromagnetic Fields!
- Joined
- Mar 28, 2020
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- 23,202
We were measuring current in cables and magnetic fields around equipment at work.
A big magnetic field spike showed up on the scope trace just as the engineer snapped a picture. With an iPhone, held close to the magnetic sensor.
Note to self: use a fixed-focus camera, not one with voice coil or motor driven autofocus, for this kind of work.
A big magnetic field spike showed up on the scope trace just as the engineer snapped a picture. With an iPhone, held close to the magnetic sensor.
Note to self: use a fixed-focus camera, not one with voice coil or motor driven autofocus, for this kind of work.
Apple is Working on Improving the iPhone's Camera With Optical Image Stabilization, Better Autofocus
A recent patent application reveals that Apple is working on bettering the iPhone's camera with optical image stabilization and improved autofocus.
www.iclarified.com
Got the power for the garage diesel heater "finished".
Next project here is probably to connect the garage radio to this too.
The radio is currently mounted in a 3d printed case, printed in glassfiber reinforced ABS plastic. For power it just got a little 12V power supply.
The ring to the right of it got the same function as they ignition switch, so it will remember all settings when turned on and off, and easy to turn on and off without having to press and hold a button.
Next project here is probably to connect the garage radio to this too.
The radio is currently mounted in a 3d printed case, printed in glassfiber reinforced ABS plastic. For power it just got a little 12V power supply.
The ring to the right of it got the same function as they ignition switch, so it will remember all settings when turned on and off, and easy to turn on and off without having to press and hold a button.
Attempted to move the Starlink base unit more centrally in the house. Thought I could bring it in through the HVAC roof blower vent location,
made a drill extension on the lathe tapped set screws and welded on the drill receptacle, and then machined the weld down , nice perfect clearances and the drill bit ran true.
Great.
Measured and drilled down to route the dishy cable down to where the router will be going.
Great.
Wife comes out while I am still on the roof, and says you just drilled a hole through the shower ceiling....
Not Great.
There are days I shouldn't touch any power tools SMH.
On the other hand the chargeverter install went ok and made up the "missing" bracket and also a couple standoffs to increase the air movement around the verter.
made a drill extension on the lathe tapped set screws and welded on the drill receptacle, and then machined the weld down , nice perfect clearances and the drill bit ran true.
Great.
Measured and drilled down to route the dishy cable down to where the router will be going.
Great.
Wife comes out while I am still on the roof, and says you just drilled a hole through the shower ceiling....
Not Great.
There are days I shouldn't touch any power tools SMH.
On the other hand the chargeverter install went ok and made up the "missing" bracket and also a couple standoffs to increase the air movement around the verter.
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sunshine_eggo
Victron's little biatch
Sometimes it's just the stupid little victories...
I've been upgrading the same computer since 1992, i.e., I've never purchased a whole computer after that, but obviously everything has been swapped out multiple times.
It's basically the cadillac of 2012... an AMD FX-8350. At one point, it was liquid cooled - not for performance but for quiet.
TWO liquid coolers failed over the years, and I just stopped caring, so now it has a traditional cooler on it. A couple weeks ago, I noticed it was running pretty hot, throttling itself, and the CPU fan was working hard and loud.
My first solution was to use AMD Overdrive to cut the CPU frequency in half to 2GHz, so it didn't cook itself. Temps improved, but I really noticed the slowdown.
Tonight, blew the whole case out - SO MUCH DUST - and discovered two of the 120mm inlet fans needed lube. Pulled the CPU cooler and discovered dust packed into the fins immediately below the fan. This stuff was dense and hard to blow out... covering almost the entire area between the fan and the cooler fins. Fresh paste in between the cooler and CPU for good measure.
With everything back together, CPU temps are CRUSHED to just above ambient. At half speed and choked flow, my idle temps were 20°C higher. Can only conclude the CPU cooler was little better than passive with the blockage between fan and fins.
All this really means is that I'm more confident that I'll make it to the Win 10 end of support in October... Don't meet Win 11 hardware requirements...
I've been upgrading the same computer since 1992, i.e., I've never purchased a whole computer after that, but obviously everything has been swapped out multiple times.
It's basically the cadillac of 2012... an AMD FX-8350. At one point, it was liquid cooled - not for performance but for quiet.
TWO liquid coolers failed over the years, and I just stopped caring, so now it has a traditional cooler on it. A couple weeks ago, I noticed it was running pretty hot, throttling itself, and the CPU fan was working hard and loud.
My first solution was to use AMD Overdrive to cut the CPU frequency in half to 2GHz, so it didn't cook itself. Temps improved, but I really noticed the slowdown.
Tonight, blew the whole case out - SO MUCH DUST - and discovered two of the 120mm inlet fans needed lube. Pulled the CPU cooler and discovered dust packed into the fins immediately below the fan. This stuff was dense and hard to blow out... covering almost the entire area between the fan and the cooler fins. Fresh paste in between the cooler and CPU for good measure.
With everything back together, CPU temps are CRUSHED to just above ambient. At half speed and choked flow, my idle temps were 20°C higher. Can only conclude the CPU cooler was little better than passive with the blockage between fan and fins.
All this really means is that I'm more confident that I'll make it to the Win 10 end of support in October... Don't meet Win 11 hardware requirements...
fatjay
Solar Wizard
I'm still running windows 8.0. Best os. no forced upgrades or patches. Everything works.
I built everything from scratch since the late 80's up until about 15 years ago. Then I bought alienware machines. Never looked backSometimes it's just the stupid little victories...
I've been upgrading the same computer since 1992, i.e., I've never purchased a whole computer after that, but obviously everything has been swapped out multiple times.
It's basically the cadillac of 2012... an AMD FX-8350. At one point, it was liquid cooled - not for performance but for quiet.
TWO liquid coolers failed over the years, and I just stopped caring, so now it has a traditional cooler on it. A couple weeks ago, I noticed it was running pretty hot, throttling itself, and the CPU fan was working hard and loud.
My first solution was to use AMD Overdrive to cut the CPU frequency in half to 2GHz, so it didn't cook itself. Temps improved, but I really noticed the slowdown.
Tonight, blew the whole case out - SO MUCH DUST - and discovered two of the 120mm inlet fans needed lube. Pulled the CPU cooler and discovered dust packed into the fins immediately below the fan. This stuff was dense and hard to blow out... covering almost the entire area between the fan and the cooler fins. Fresh paste in between the cooler and CPU for good measure.
With everything back together, CPU temps are CRUSHED to just above ambient. At half speed and choked flow, my idle temps were 20°C higher. Can only conclude the CPU cooler was little better than passive with the blockage between fan and fins.
All this really means is that I'm more confident that I'll make it to the Win 10 end of support in October... Don't meet Win 11 hardware requirements...
I'm careful about which ones I buy and have had excellent luck. All are liquid cooled except the laptop/notebook computers.
The only problem I find with the newer stuff is the overclocking they all do to cheat the numbers now. Most are actually 2.2 or so processors which overlock up to overheating point and back off.
Watching a 2.something ghz processor running at almost 5ghz is like watching a train wreck just waiting to happen.
I usually slow them down a bit manually to lower the fan racket if nothing else.
My favorite case of the alienware is the one with the moving hackles across the top of the case. Raises and lowers according to temps. Liquid cooled. I've owned it since 2012 or so. Still my main machine.
My "gaming" rig which is only for gaming is the amd 5ghz machine from them. Ryzen 10 or something is the model. Slapped a 3080ti in it and it plays anything I want at max frame rate.
I had to cut the front out of the metal part of the case to allow the video card to poke thru its so large. Luckily the plastic out shell hides it.
Anyways if someone wants a great buy on the alienware machines then ebay is the place to shop for them. Its not as good right now since the video card shortage is over but I bought a few of mine during the height of the shortage. KILLER deals.
I was able to purchase the top of the line models for pennies on the dollar by buying from cypto miners. They were buying the top end machines to get the video cards and then putting the brand new machines on ebay. They had never even been booted up. So you could pick up $2000 to $3000 machines for $400 to $600 minus the video card.
Fun times.
Loved windows 7 but HATED windows 8.
10 sucks but with mods its ok. 11 is just 10 with more stuff needing to be modded
The sledge hammer program is a must for 10 and 11. Lets you turn off windows update and then manually update only what want to update. Nothing microsoft can do about it either. Love that part
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