Good morning!!!!

[jbrumberg]

Good Morning Everyone!!!

A sunny 23ºF for today’s low temperature; a sunny 38ºF presently; and I anticipate a mostly sunny afternoon with temperatures in the mid40ºF’s. The wood stove and coffee got started a little early this AM. I spent a good part of yesterday working on the herb garden; everything else dead. I still need to dig up my 2 rosemary shrubs and bring them indoors. When I do sleep I run on cosmic time = I get up with the sun. I really have no established plans for today other than moving some wood around and ultimately ending up napping in my easychair with TV football blather in the background.

BEF- Nice job on the bracing. Nice video. Thanks for sharing

David- Good luck with the battery installation project. The way my Tundra is acting I think I will be taking a picture of it on the AAA flatbed taking it to my mechanic.

Rick- I am envious of your burn piles I really have no safe place here to burn brush around here. I do make a lot of “rabbitat piles.“ For all my efforts I rarely see any rabbits nor hares around here.

Kyle- I really appreciate you sharing your knowledge about all things electrical and David for all the off the grid operations. I see breaking out my electric wood splitter in the very near future.

Don- I like your suggestion of using a chainsaw to start the wedges.

Phil- Good luck dealing with those Beantown M@$$h*le$’s and those dysfunctional traffic patterns.

RonJH- I am happy to read about all your ongoing natural supports.

Randy- I wish Ellen and stepdaughter safe travels.

Steve- I rarely went to concerts, but I have seen Chicago play 2X at PSU. They are amazing seen live. I even remember it.

“… Have tried to use passive solar by opening all shades on sunny side of house; the kitchen bay window lets so much light in it will warm the kitchen by five degrees.”- Drew. I need to wear sunglasses in our kitchen some mornings with all the glare in the house, but I appreciate the “free” heat. It can get awful warm in the LR with the wood stove going and the solar gain offering supplemental heat.

Ted- Have a good day supervising.

“… you can use your smart phone cellular connection via hotspot software”- RNG I was pretty amazed when Wifey started doing that during our road trips. It really made traveling easier. That and Waze.

 

[RedNeckGeek]

We have a lot of battery PhD's at work. But they're up to their ears in lithium small battery improvement production research right now. They all say to avoid battery backup if you are connected to the grid. Many projects we have are trying to adapt fuel cells to systems to try and get away from batteries. Listening RNG? I have been told to spend your money on generators, if you are connected to the grid, to deal with blackouts.

The problem with generators is that they take time to start up, and I don't want any power interruption when the grid goes down. It's hard on electronics, and I don't like the idea of well pumps going off line at the precise moment I might need them to put out a wildfire. Belt and suspenders, please: Battery and generator backup. Those design goals are contrary to why most people get solar power systems, they want to save money on their electricity bill. I want to survive a wildfire, and have a house to live in when it's over.

 

[toppop52]

Good morning to all! Low only to 29, going up to 65 today. Next 2 days up to 67... WOOHOO! Then maybe a few sprinkles on Wednesday.

My son will be pouring a concrete slab tomorrow and again on Tuesday. Weather will cooperate for him. I will be again supervising, probably from the seat of the tractor! Forms all set/level, rebar in place....should be ready...

Randy, I too thought that I wouldn't be able to make a transition into a 'tiny home'. I kept telling the wifey "I can't live in a closet". Well, we are now 1 month in the tiny cottage. We went from 3600 sq ft home down to a 600 sq ft cottage. The first week was a learning experience, just trying to find where we put things... The new house is actually a tad smaller than my shop/garage. At this point, I am now asking myself "why didn't we do this years ago?". My electric and gas bills are less than 25% of what they were for the big house. Property taxes are 80% lower....there are a lot of 'pros' to it. All in all, I still don't think we could live in one of those road-able tiny houses. That's what the travel trailer is for!

Lots of stuff going on here...solar project, marshmallow toasts, road trips....hard too keep up!

Now having internet problems... The site keeps "reloading" on me, causing loss of 1/2 of what I'm typing....frustrating at best.

Everyone have a quiet, peaceful Sunday. Prayers for all sent out.

600 sq ft is livable, but 250 isn’t in my book, and that’s what a lot of them are.

 

[RedNeckGeek]

Yesterday afternoon, on 2nd burn pile, the wind came up when the pile was at full blaze. The grass, near the fire, started burning a bit and while putting it out with a shovel, I felt like my marshmallows were getting roasted. So ... yes?

Glad you're OK and the fire didn't get out of hand. Out here, we're required to maintain a 10' wide perimeter of bare mineral earth around any fire we start, be it burn pile or camp fire.

 

[RedNeckGeek]

So looks like I got me a big erector set. Remember those? Always wanted one, but guess it was not in parent痴 budget, but there was one at my grandparents house that I enjoyed for years

Loved my erector set as a kid; mine had a little AC motor to make stuff like elevators and cranes. Mom gave me heck every time her vacuum cleaner found a nut or screw in the carpet, though.:laughing:

Watching your battery rack progress closely, David. I was shocked by what some companies were asking for store bought racks, and am planning to build my own. Never gave steel a thought though, thinking wood, as an insulator, would be safer. But wood is also flammable, so maybe it's not such a good idea after all?

 

[RedNeckGeek]

I was pretty amazed when Wifey started doing that during our road trips. It really made traveling easier. That and Waze.

Be careful when using Waze. I was once routed around a traffic jam by Waze, straight into the waiting arms of a cop. He had stationed himself at a "T" intersection that was signed "no right turn, no left turn, 3 - 7 PM weekdays". I made a 3-point turn of my own before I got to the intersection. Lots of fun on a residential street with the crew cab/8'bed F250, but better than getting a ticket.

 

[RedNeckGeek]

Good Morning!!!! 54F @ 7:15AM. Abundant sunshine. High 77F. Winds light and variable.

We have much in common, Drew. I share your love of wood splitters, at least the gasoline engine powered kind. It only took three swings of a splitting maul to send me to the computer and order the Ariens from Home Depot.:laughing:

And I'm very fortunate to have to pay as much tax as I do. Income tax, sales tax, gasoline/Diesel tax, electricity tax, property tax, the list seems to go on and on. I just wish the way those taxes were spent made more sense. And I'll stop right there.

Long time friend and adult mentor (he taught me most of my vices:laughing Louis arrived for a weekend stay Friday afternoon, and we've spent some time on the van, and even more time eating and drinking too much. He pumped the accelerator pedal while I checked the throttle body linkage, finding it wasn't going full stroke. A simple cable adjustment fixed that. That's when I noticed that the linkage was hanging up on a vacuum line and an electrical cable, and rearranging them was lots of fun in the very cramped space. The vacuum line was hard, and too short, so it got replaced. Then we got the garden hose out, and he watched for leaks on the inside while I slowly moved it along the door and window seams. And leak it did, at the top of both driver and passenger doors, and through the sliding windows. I'm hoping the local glass shop has the felt seals for the windows, but I'm not sure they'll be any help for the rubber ones. Then we took a ride up the canyon for lunch at Belden, where the hotel has a nice patio right on the Feather River. On the way back, the Check Engine Light came on again, the Idle Air Control Valve complaining about a low idle. Got it to go out with a little tweak, and dropped by my bodyshop neighbor to let him bend the top of the door frames in to stop those leaks. Then home to watch the sunset, and all three of us enjoyed Louis' guitar playing and a little wine. So it was a very nice day indeed!

Hope everyone enjoys the rest of their weekend...

 

[sodamo]

69° F and no rain.

Pretty much a social day ahead. Birthday brunch for my friend Rich. Hand and Foot later but we are forgoing the dinner portion as all of us will have been at bunch and likely stuffed.
May get a bit of time with my erector set in between but doubtful.

Prayers for all
Be safe
Have a great day

 

[sodamo]

When we lived in our 640sf cottage didn’t feel confined at all and that was with 2 cats & 2 dogs.

 

[ronjhall]

Forgot what I had on To-Do list for today. Setup Wireless Invisible Dog Fence. Got it out of the box and read the instructions. First problem, put in a area where it will not fall below freezing (like a garage, shed or closet). Huh, my enclosed porch and garage and shed will freeze. I set it up on the porch to see how it will work. Take the test light they provide to start setting up outler imit. Nothing on test light. Take it back in house and reread instructions. I as I am walking to table where manual is. I notice a faint light on the test light. But can not be seen in the daylight on a cloudy day. Shade the light to see it outside. There is suppose to be a beep also. Must be in the range of my tinnitus. Get all setup per instructions. Set sensor level to 2. Fit it on Sassy. Take her for a walk. Nothing. Try level 3 and 4. Still no reaction from Sassy. Move setting to 5. Highest setting is 6. Take Sassy for a walk again. Got out to the white flags. She started screaming like she was being killed. I have a feeling this thing is going back to Amazon for several reasons. Sassy is hiding in a closet until I get rid of it.

 

[sodamo]

RNK. I think you have a good plan, especially with your erratic grid.

That’s a great price on your batteries. When I was weighing alternatives that led to my Aquions I was hopeful for the Powerwall but also didn’t consider the other Lithium options ready, especially at the cost.
I could have replaced my Rolls Surettes but prices had doubled to over $2k each plus installation. A second alternative was used 2v submarine batteries for $250 each, but installer wanted over $2k for install and wouldn’t sell for self install. Hindsight either may have been wiser option. My 1st Rolls lasted 9 years and the submarine bats should last 3-5. Either a more cost effective route to where I am. If only we could turn hindsight into foresight

Racking is insane. While we often concentrate on the major components the in between parts add up fast. When I redid our PV I repurposed the original rack and added to it with aluminum, 2x2 angle and square tube for adjustable legs and stainless steel fasteners. Had I the luxury of time most likely would have gone similar route for the batteries but installation could occur as early as Wed and the rack is only part of my prep work. Minimum work for installer, delivery, wire to existing combiner, and commissioning. All with my help of course.
I would not use steel for my PV due to wx. Know it would rust out. The batteries will be in my tractorshed, protected from wx. I do plan on priming and painting to delay the rusting.

 

[LouNY]

Years ago when building battery racks for ups systems for process control rooms we used welded angle iron and square tubing,
after priming and painting we sprayed on rubberized auto undercoating,
never saw any corrosion on those racks several years later when going back in for upgrades on the controls.

 

[Looking4new]

jbrumberg; "The way my Tundra is acting I think I will be taking a picture of it on the AAA flatbed taking it to my mechanic."
When I first read your statement I was expecting 'scrapyard' instead of mechanic.

 

[jbrumberg]

RNG- Thanks for the warning on Waze. The one time we did not re-route as Waze advised a 6 hour PA trip took 11. Things were not helped by a motorcycle fatality on a tertiary road. The poor guy; he T-boned an oncoming car that turned into his lane. The driver of the car never saw him. Your generator and solar back ups make sense for your needs as David's off the grid power sources make sense for his. Both setups are fascinating.

RonJH- I feel badly for Sassy and you. Poor Sassy. I do not believe in them nor do I think that it would work with Brogen with his animal aggressiveness. A shock would probably just agitate him. I read some caveats on one particular brand. They actually admitted that their unit will not work for some breeds (Huskies in particular). A local lady who owns Bull Mastiffs told me they really did not work on her dog . Her dog got the shock and took off and would not return to the 吐ence.

Bill- Thanks for the laugh. Who knows maybe the Tundra will be heading to some scrap yard after the visit to the mechanic . I think/hope it is a wheel bearing failing w/o the usual failing bearing noises. I've already replaced both rear wheel bearings before the Tundra hit 60K. Now I have +80K on the odometer.

 

[jbrumberg]

I just can not help myself.:embarrassed: The first weather maps that make sense for the Thursday-Friday timeframe.

 

[txdon]

Ron thanks for the update on the wireless fence. Too bad about the reliability and lack of shocking control. I think Whipper would respond the same way as Sassy.

David my Sunday afternoon H&F have come to an end now that the weather is just too good to sit inside.

Kyle I wish the golf cart people would soon come out with a battery that can do 30 miles on a charge. I'm still waiting on technology before I buy a gasoline model. I'm thinking a Prius battery might work.

 

[Looking4new]

jbrumberg; I had to replace both front wheel bearings on the '13 Dodge with only 78,000 miles on it. Yes, I switched the fuel management system readout over to mpg, while keeping the speedometer in k/ph.

 

[Kyle_in_Tex]

Costco had a lot of this second dose of the vaccine. The first shot didn't have negative side effects, but both my wife and I were feeling flu like all day yesterday after this one...might have been the combination of getting the flu shot at the same time.

Just this past week, I got my flu shot and the pharmacist tech said I was eligible for the shingle shot but the head guy said better to parse them out a week or so.

What I was doing wrong finally dawned on me.

LOL!

Ron thanks for the update on the wireless fence. Too bad about the reliability and lack of shocking control. I think Whipper would respond the same way as Sassy.

David my Sunday afternoon H&F have come to an end now that the weather is just too good to sit inside.

Kyle I wish the golf cart people would soon come out with a battery that can do 30 miles on a charge. I'm still waiting on technology before I buy a gasoline model. I'm thinking a Prius battery might work.

Obviously, car companies are placing their bets on lithium. One big advantage besides weight, is that it will hold a charge a long time if there are no drains.

Ron, glad you have family there for support. Prayers.

At church today, our pastor got the phone call about his aged, bed ridden mother about to pass. She's been in this condition so long that she cried to him that "the Lord must've forgotten about her". She hasn't been able to do much of anything for a while, and was ready to go to the Lord. She has many other family members there in person. They put him on speaker phone and he said his words to her in private. He has peace about it he said.

 

[txdon]

New store opened up this Fall down the road on IH35.
This was in the foyer. My kind of store.

 

[RedNeckGeek]

If only we could turn hindsight into foresight

Well, instead we can benefit from our shared experiences, even if they were somewhat less than enjoyable or successful, and I very much appreciate you sharing your insights and plans.

So far, the county here hasn't levied any requirements on the battery rack, but they did insist that the solar panel grid be approved by an engineer with a wet stamp and signature. That cost $900, and now the panels specified don't seem to be available from the supplier any longer. In fact, the supplier seems to have gone MIA and is no longer returning phone calls or emails. I share your pain, but of a different sort and a much lower magnitude.

But back to the batteries, with each battery weighing 124 lbs., each leg of a four post rack would be carrying close to 800 lbs. I'm planning a rack with two rows with twelve batteries per row. The space where the batteries will go is 89" wide, the batteries are 7" wide, so that leaves 5" for the legs. I have a bunch of 1"x2" steel tubing that I think would make great racking, so I could have legs at each end and one in the middle as well, reducing the load on each leg to about 500 lbs. The weight between legs would be 744 lbs. which sounds like a lot, depending on how many lateral supports are used. I'd like to just use two, but may end up with three to be safe. I'll get some strength from the 2x4 studs in the wall as well, to which the rack will be bolted. But again, I'd like to see what you end up with, and listen to why you did what you're doing.