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21
Users Projects / Re: Going off-grid in Idaho
« Last post by dochubert on August 11, 2023, 07:54:52 pm »

This is the first day in more than a week that I could access this site.  Got the 'Site not available - Try again?' message.  Tried both my computers. 

Glad it's back!  Happened the same way a couple of years ago, and when I mentioned it here, nobody else seemed to have the problem so can't explain it.

Ghosts?  Gremlins?

Oh well glad it's back.
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Users Projects / Re: Going off-grid in Idaho
« Last post by Wolvenar on August 05, 2023, 10:03:40 pm »
I'm of course still here but life has been stupid busy like normal.

Hey if it actually works great, if it don't let us know why.
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Users Projects / Re: Going off-grid in Idaho
« Last post by bj on July 26, 2023, 05:23:51 am »
Hey Doc
From one who still reads, thanks for sharing
BJ
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Users Projects / Re: Going off-grid in Idaho
« Last post by dochubert on July 20, 2023, 04:46:13 pm »

Hi to anyone still reading here,

All is relatively quiet in Southern Idaho.  Solar and powerjack inverter are working flawlessly 24/7.  Height of summer so plenty of power.

Winter and those short, poor sunshine days are on my mind.  I'm considering a "range extender" type small generator that puts out 48-60 volts dc at about 50a(that's what is claimed anyway).  If the grid is down in winter, I might be able to keep the batteries up enough to get by (with frugal power usage!).

Don't want to get ahead of myself on this, but I am working on a way to produce power without sun, wind, or hydro that looks promising.  I've tried some 'out there' ideas previously without success, but this idea uses off the shelf components in ways I don't think anybody else has tried, with the goal of charging my battery bank in winter.  When I have something concrete I will post it far and wide, starting right here.  Then people smarter than me can improve and spread it all over so nobody tries to make me disappear. 

I like being invisible but don't want to be gone entirely....
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Users Projects / Re: Going off-grid in Idaho
« Last post by Wolvenar on January 18, 2023, 01:30:27 pm »
David HK

<rant>
I'll partially answer that question about young people.
Because schools have taught them to not step out of line, be a good little consumer.
Why would anyone need to know more than the minimal skill needed for their desired trade?
Are we all supposed to spend our time only on social media, and legacy media where we can be told what to do and what to think?
etc
</rant>
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another Update,  has a LED as a heartbeat, whenever it picks up a proper signal from the transmitter. if goes solid, garbled data was recieved and will reset chip, else pulses. If it goes out of range of transmitter it will stop pulsing, again resetting chip to try connecting again.... also played with the timings ( more specific for my setup, but configurable) and put some upper/lower voltage limits on recieved voltage for more redundancy...
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OK, so found a minor fault, would after a undetermined amount of time, lock up and send full stops, so moved the watchdog reset flag into the" send " loop... so if it doesn't receive anything for 8 secs the WDT will reset chip... no more lock ups ...
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Hey all, been testing this for a bit now, and I'm confident it is achievable with a arduino and a nrf24l01 module,  I have a wotking prototype... I was thinking of a issue Clockman had, trying to regulate his GTI's from a significant distance and I've also come accross this need.. so Ill put up code for the arduinos and If anyone has comments or suggestions please let me know..

Ive added comments and left the original pinout description in the transmit INO.. personally tested these modules ( with booster and antenna)  to 700 meters open field / line of sight.. as this is a " bang bang " type pwm for my setup, it can also be easily modified for progressive pwm..

hope this helps someone .
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Users Projects / Re: Going off-grid in Idaho
« Last post by dochubert on November 15, 2022, 10:44:06 pm »

Thanks David,
I'll have to put the project on hold until I can come up with an oscillating switch anyway.  I have plenty of other projects I can work on in the meantime.
BBQ does sound pretty good!

We have managed to stay off grid for the last several days (since the snow days) since there's been enough sun.  That's something anyway.  Will have to start switching to grid overnight soon though.  Days are getting short.

Today I painted lamps for my wife, cut and split firewood, cleaned out a rain gutter, worked on cleaning up the back shed and repaired the cord on a heater (cat chewed it).  Enough for one day.
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Users Projects / Re: Going off-grid in Idaho
« Last post by David HK on November 12, 2022, 04:58:13 pm »
If you are as old as I am just give up the idea.

I have been working on a project for 26 years to design and build the finest combined all stainless steel roasting spit and BBQ in the whole of Hong Kong.

There are many accessories such as the circular dining table, BBQ forks with unusual capacities, scissors lift for high and low level, a Lazy Susan for the dining table, a cheese board to fit inside the Lazy Susan, four levelling legs that are a sight for mechanical engineers to behold, modified Bain Maries, a rotisserie, and much more.

This week I made four stainless steel S hooks to hold the support framework elements for the weather cover to sit on when the BBQ is in use.

How stupid of me not to have made these simple things years ago.

On Friday last I spend some delightful hours cleaning my work and yesterday (Saturday) my wife, daughter and I had a delayed BBQ to celebrate my recent birthday.

The good news is that I have I run out of useful ideas for new things and the entirety is only in the prototype stage at the moment.

Forgo your latest project, take a rest, and have a BBQ.

David

A couple of seven year old photographs are attached.





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