Ideas for resources you would like on this site

[Wolvenar]

I have (very slowly) been working on building up some helpful web apps/calcs etc.

I am looking for ideas for what would be the most valuable things we would use here.
A few ideas of mine are a wire loss calc , metric converter, solar calc..

It would help if you have any links to such that is freely (legitly)  usable.

[Rover]

Wolv,

Just a thought, but if you put some home grown stuff, or links to others. Might be nice to place them not in a thread, but rather have them as static links.

Yep just a static old fashioned web page.

Rover

[philb]

I'd like to see the apps or static links be controlled by admins that reside here.

Common stuff we can use regularly like ohms law, wire loss, ampacity charts, NEC wire run stuff etc. all would be very handy.
It would be easier to point newbies and us forgetful older folks to them if they were local to the site.

Some charts like this would be helpful http://www.windsun.com/Hardware/Wire_Table.htm

I'll have more time this weekend.   

BTW, I've enjoyed 'My Bookmarks' you added.

[rossw]

Common stuff we can use regularly like ohms law, wire loss, ampacity charts, NEC wire run stuff etc. all would be very handy.
It would be easier to point newbies and us forgetful older folks to them if they were local to the site.

Or, since we have a quick one-click link to IRC, we could invite them in there.
RossBot already does most of these things, and the icing on the cake is there is usually someone in IRC who can talk to them about what they want to do and perhaps avoid some of the common mistakes.

(Dare I say, things like measuring the distance between PV and batteries, calculating voltage drop - but forgetting to DOUBLE the distance for 2 runs!!)

The 'bot instantly solves a good many questions that are commonly asked - eg:

What series resistor and power do I need for a LED running on 24V at 12mA?
<RossW> !ohmslaw 12ma 24v
<RossBot> 24.000 volts at 12.000 milliamps through 2.000 kilohms for 288.000 milliwatts

How much resistance does 10 AWG wire have?
<RossW> !awg 10
<RossBot> 10 AWG wire is 0.008155 square inches (5.261167 square mm, 2.588191mm dia), 3.189406 ohms per Km Cu (5.046409 Al)

What is 16 sq mm wire in AWG?
<RossW> !2awg 16
<RossBot> 16.000000 sq mm (0.024800 sq inch) wire is 5 AWG, 1.048750 ohms per Km Cu (1.659375 Al)

How far is 3.75 metres in imperial, or 2' 8" in metric?
<RossW> !m 3.75
<RossBot> 3.75 m is 12 feet 3.60 inches

<RossW> !ft 2 8
<RossBot> 2 feet 8.0 inches is 0.813 metres


How often do you get those trigonometry questions when making a tracker or support frame and can't remember how to do it? The bot can probably help.
(Two sides and an included angle:)
<RossW> !sas 3 60 4
<RossBot> Side a=   3.6  Angle A=60.0
<RossBot> Side b=   3.0  Angle B=46.1
<RossBot> Side c=   4.0  Angle C=73.9
 
Or two sides and a non-included angle even:
<RossW> !ssa 3 4 45
<RossBot> Side a=   3.8  Angle A=64.5
<RossBot> Side b=   3.0  Angle B=45.0
<RossBot> Side c=   4.0  Angle C=70.5

Even converts your currencies:
<RossW> !$ 215 usd to yuan
<RossBot> 215.00 USD = 1356.40 CNY      215.00 CNY = 34.08 USD (From United States Dollars to China Yuan)

if you don't know the codes, use the country name usually gets it:
<RossW> !$ 3.15 canada to australia
<RossBot> 3.15 CAD = 3.07 AUD      3.15 AUD = 3.23 CAD (From Canada Dollars to Australia Dollars)

Does so many things, I can't remember them all.

[Watt]

Common stuff we can use regularly like ohms law, wire loss, ampacity charts, NEC wire run stuff etc. all would be very handy.
It would be easier to point newbies and us forgetful older folks to them if they were local to the site.

Or, since we have a quick one-click link to IRC, we could invite them in there.
RossBot already does most of these things, and the icing on the cake is there is usually someone in IRC who can talk to them about what they want to do and perhaps avoid some of the common mistakes.

(Dare I say, things like measuring the distance between PV and batteries, calculating voltage drop - but forgetting to DOUBLE the distance for 2 runs!!)

The 'bot instantly solves a good many questions that are commonly asked - eg:

What series resistor and power do I need for a LED running on 24V at 12mA?
<RossW> !ohmslaw 12ma 24v
<RossBot> 24.000 volts at 12.000 milliamps through 2.000 kilohms for 288.000 milliwatts

How much resistance does 10 AWG wire have?
<RossW> !awg 10
<RossBot> 10 AWG wire is 0.008155 square inches (5.261167 square mm, 2.588191mm dia), 3.189406 ohms per Km Cu (5.046409 Al)

What is 16 sq mm wire in AWG?
<RossW> !2awg 16
<RossBot> 16.000000 sq mm (0.024800 sq inch) wire is 5 AWG, 1.048750 ohms per Km Cu (1.659375 Al)

How far is 3.75 metres in imperial, or 2' 8" in metric?
<RossW> !m 3.75
<RossBot> 3.75 m is 12 feet 3.60 inches

<RossW> !ft 2 8
<RossBot> 2 feet 8.0 inches is 0.813 metres


How often do you get those trigonometry questions when making a tracker or support frame and can't remember how to do it? The bot can probably help.
(Two sides and an included angle:)
<RossW> !sas 3 60 4
<RossBot> Side a=   3.6  Angle A=60.0
<RossBot> Side b=   3.0  Angle B=46.1
<RossBot> Side c=   4.0  Angle C=73.9
 
Or two sides and a non-included angle even:
<RossW> !ssa 3 4 45
<RossBot> Side a=   3.8  Angle A=64.5
<RossBot> Side b=   3.0  Angle B=45.0
<RossBot> Side c=   4.0  Angle C=70.5

Even converts your currencies:
<RossW> !$ 215 usd to yuan
<RossBot> 215.00 USD = 1356.40 CNY      215.00 CNY = 34.08 USD (From United States Dollars to China Yuan)

if you don't know the codes, use the country name usually gets it:
<RossW> !$ 3.15 canada to australia
<RossBot> 3.15 CAD = 3.07 AUD      3.15 AUD = 3.23 CAD (From Canada Dollars to Australia Dollars)

Does so many things, I can't remember them all.

RossBot is a show off!   

Ross give me a cheat sheet once on the commands.  I've saved it as a bookmark.  Very handy.

[Wolvenar]

Yeah I like Rossbot too, but there are some who think IRC is evil 

[rossw]

Yeah I like Rossbot too, but there are some who think IRC is evil 

Who?!!  Name and shame!!   

[David HK]

I have constructed a ready reference Excel table which shows equivalent values for:-

Metres head of water,
Kilo Pascal,
Bar,
PSI,
Mercury mmHG,
Celsius,
Fahrenheit,
Kg/cm2,
and Mpa,

all based on sea level pressure ~ 14 PSI and boiling points.

Might be helpful for solar hot water. I can e-mail the file if anyone wants it.

By the way, can attachments be sent with PM’s?

David in HK

[Watt]

Oh you know, the ones who can't see past the end of their nose or is it someone else' nose?   

[rossw]

I have constructed a ready reference Excel table which shows equivalent values for:-

Metres head of water,
Kilo Pascal,
Bar,
PSI,
Mercury mmHG,
Celsius,
Fahrenheit,
Kg/cm2,
and Mpa,

Like I said, does more than I can remember.... it quite possibly does many of the other conversions too!

<RossW> !kpa 220
<RossBot> 220.000 kPa is 31.908 psi

<RossW> !psi 61
<RossBot> 61.000 psi is 420.579 kPa

<RossW> !bar 4
<RossBot> 4.000 bar is 58.015 psi

<RossW> !f 40
<RossBot> Too bloody cold, move to Australia!
<RossBot> 40.0 F is 4.4 C, 277.6 K, 499.7 R

<RossW> !c 32.2
<RossBot> 32.2 C is 90.0 F, 305.3 K, 549.6 R


Oh, and just while I'm here:
<RossW> !w 350
<RossBot> 350.0 Watts is 0.5 horsepower, 1194.5 BTU/Hr, 55.4 dBm

<RossW> !cuf 350
<RossBot> 350.0 cubic feet is 9.911 cubic metres (12.963 cubic yards)

<RossW> !sqm 880
<RossBot> 880.0 square metres is 9468.8 square feet

<RossW> !ftlb 50
<RossBot> 50.000 foot pounds (600.00 inch pounds) is 6.9127 kilogram metres

[philb]

I'm on here and the IRC as time permits these days.
I cannot access the IRC at work. No chance. No way.

<philb> !where is your cheat sheet? <RossBot?>
<philb> let's see if I can find it.   
I gotta try this one!

[rossw]

I'm on here and the IRC as time permits these days.
I cannot access the IRC at work. No chance. No way.

If you can access the forum, you can access IRC through the forum's web-interface-to-IRC.

<philb> !where is your cheat sheet? <RossBot?>
<philb> let's see if I can find it.   
I gotta try this one!

<RossW> !help
<RossBot> Too much to show here, see http://tinyurl.com/2azgcm

[rossw]

If you can access the forum, you can access IRC through the forum's web-interface-to-IRC.

I see you found it...

09:30:02-11/04/12| <RossW> !help
09:30:02-11/04/12| <RossBot> Too much to show here, see http://tinyurl.com/2azgcm
09:30:38-11/04/12| *** philb (philb@68-190-97-145.dhcp.stcd.mn.charter.com) joins #otherpower
09:32:14-11/04/12| *** Quit: philb (Quit: CGI:IRC (EOF))

[philb]

Had to get off. The connection was very slow. I'll try again.
Thanks for the <!help> RossW! 

[Wolvenar]

Admittedly the web client is certainly not up to comparing with a local client.
Its like a competition between a Learjet  and a biplane.
But with that in mind, it does the job when other means are not available, or someone does not have the ability to set up such local client.