Since I built my home designed solar setup years ago, I’ve gone thru 2 sets of lead-acid batteries. I get maybe 4 to 5 years on a set and they are getting expensive. Yesterday I ordered a Rolls lithium-ion battery. Even more expensive, but should last me pretty much the rest of my life. (Or at least until I’m out if here and in the old folks home)
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Nice!
How many panels do you have? Watts? I can't remember what you've posted over the years about what your system is like.
After a couple years going back-and-forth in my head about do we even want a standard solar setup here, we decided on a completely different methodology: individual devices with their own solar input, and a solar AA/AAA/9v battery charger for radios, flashlights, etc.
IF it ever comes to the point of no grid, no gens, we still have options for water (hand pump), heat (wood) and cool (solar fans).
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I started with 4 100 watt panels and gradually increased to 12 panels. I have an 80 amp outback charge controller and a 2000 watt outback true sine wave inverter. Right now i have 700 amp-hrs of golf cart batteries. Soon I should have 1 300 amp-hr lithium ion battery. I also have other smaller chargers and inverters in storage in a garbage can faraday cage for “just in case”. The system is modest in size but made of good quality components. In a dire emergency it would provide a very basic level of service, but only basic.Comment
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After reading news sbout coming shortages of fertilizer, I checked my stock and today bought a little extra. Not a lot, but should be enough for two years of my gardening. Over the next week or two I will replace one of my rotted wood raised garden beds with galvanized steel beds. Then top up all the beds with fresh mushroom compost. Next week I start my sweet pepper seeds and prune the peach and apple trees. Blueberry bushes are already done.Comment
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I need to get a quote on 2 tons of fertilizer.Comment
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Articles the last day or so are preaching doom and gloom about fertilizer not being available. The USA is among the top 4 world wide producers so I’m sure it will be available but I’m also sure it will be expensive. World wide food production will suffer and I’m pretty sure there will be shortages and famine in some countries.Comment
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It's getting interesting for sure and prices are going up, but now that we are committed we need to keep bombing the shit out of the IRGC and finish it. 47 years of putting up with those religious fanatics is enough. Keep at it till the regime is dead and the Iranian people have their country back.
On another note: If we put boots on the ground in Iran look for China to make it's move on Taiwan. I am thinking that something wicked I feared was coming our way, has arrived. Get your ducks in a row now.
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MG and PO. Your solar powered fans……. Name, model. And where did you get them? Please and thanks.Comment
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Spent 3 hours this evening sorting silver coins. Haven't even scratched the collection.Comment
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I got two LED flaslights. Each one comes with it's own charger and 2 18650 Li batteries (4 total). Also comes with an adapter to run 3 AAA batteries.
Seem to be pretty good so far. 3 brightness settings, 2 strobes.
$30 delivered
I figured good deal since I got 4 batteries.
Anybody know of good options for chargers for 18650 bats using a USB or 12V source? I have a 12V USB adapter for the cig lighter in my truck to do my phone. I can wire that to a battery with a couple jumpers.
The chargers they came with are wall plugin.
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PO gave you the Amazon link in his comment above, but I wanted to tell you our thinking on 'em since they're pricey.
Their sole purpose is so we can sleep at night. If air conditioning is not available in this hot, very humid Texas we will at least have air blowing on us overnight. We got 2 so that one could be out charging up during the day while we still had one available to blow on us. And then we can switch them for charging so we've always got one ready. Their internal battery can also be charged from the wall or the generator if either are available, but I wanted something in case we were down to nothing.
We can both tolerate the heat, but something has to blow the humidity off of us so we don't just shoot each other and the dog.Comment
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Basements rock for natural cooling with a dehumidifier. At least around here need to be mindful of Radon...Politicians can kiss my ass!!!Comment
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MG. Concerning my solar set up ; I’ve never tested it to it’s ultimate capacity. I’ve used it numerous times to run the freezer round the clock. In theory, it should power the freezer for 3 days without recharge. But the batteries are wore out now, hence the new lithium battery ordered. I mostly just used the set up as a quick power source during power outages. The new lithium battery is only 300 amp hours but cost almost $1500. Expensive! But I can use this new arrangement like the new power stations being sold. Run a few lights and a fridge until the battery is discharged and then recharge from my generator if and when needed. This way I don’t need to constantly run the honda generators. The new battery should arrive in a week or so and I will start serious testing then. I checked out the solar fans. Most seem awful small, 5 inches in diameter.Comment
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