Author Topic: Going off-grid in Idaho  (Read 11986 times)

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Offline dochubert

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Re: Going off-grid in Idaho
« Reply #90 on: August 21, 2022, 04:09:10 pm »

Had an odd failure yesterday...
Went into my 'power room' and about half of my voltage and temperature displays were off!  Inverter was running fine, batteries were charging, water heater was up to temp, but no indicators!

Turned out it was one of my (formerly) faithfull 12v dc-dc power supplies.  Oztules pointed me to them years ago for low cost, trouble free, reliable 12v from 48v power to power my controls and indicators.  I'm using 5 or 6 of them for various things.  They used to cost about $5 USD.  Just looked and the cheapest comparable I found is this one at about $7.50;

 https://www.ebay.com/itm/314046054255?hash=item491e9a7f6f:g:3nIAAOSwv8xdAjy9&amdata=enc%3AAQAHAAAAoGHzSpuJw3WGn2UOm4Gta7PZb%2FzQ8eyRBxJKqmnYsa1J0xZ%2BpmEVoxT1AIR56qypMD2NV8tDiqXN5pttfpf3o8LiA93PI0JAMxJpGOOZ2jlqt%2F3uRgkz9Tnhe71pJFZ66PDxgTPNu9msiB2UPkFOndsA4xQ4Gv8pSHJ3vDI9EZo0wImzFu9KMpzGNB1jp3KLZeiNKsBvcwj%2BgRdAHH0%2Bu9E%3D%7Ctkp%3ABk9SR-CL5aHYYA

There are some without a enclosure for about $4.50 but they are differently built, and possibly not as stable.
The one that died looks like this;
9267-0
9269-1
It had been working for over five years. Not smoked so suppose the 12v regulator just quit. 
Interestingly, the new one I tried wouldn't work on my 24v bank like the old one had been doing, so had to power it off of my 48v bank.

So indicators and fan controls all working again.  Hopefully won't lose another one for five more years.  I have a couple more that have been operating for 3 or 4 years so will have to keep an eye on them....
We're all going to DIE!  (eventually)

USA = Communist former republic
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Offline dochubert

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Re: Going off-grid in Idaho
« Reply #91 on: November 06, 2022, 11:07:25 pm »

Since there has been no activity since I last posted in late August, I guess I'm just posting for myself.  Oh well...

Had two straight days of no sun and rain.  Absolutely no charging all day so had to switch over to grid.  Bums me out even though I know I did well for the season.  Mid March to November 4 staying off grid 24/7.

Still looking for a way to produce enough power to stay off grid even in winter, but no luck so far.  I'm even revisiting some things I looked at (and discarded) years ago.  Over unity devices and such.  Mostly scams or at best someone succeeds in powering an led.  Whoo hoo!  Not usefull in the real world of charging a large battery bank like mine.

Tesla supposedly produced power from an antenna.  So did T.H. Moray.  Played with a couple of circuits I found with at best about 2.77v output.  There's that led again!  A couple more seem worth trying but not getting my hopes up.

High voltage pulse charging of batteries seems interesting, but looks to be something that would damage my inverter or other electronics if connected to my working battery bank.  So possibly a second 'auxilliary' battery bank kept charged with pulse charging that then runs a motor/generator set that in turn puts a charge into the large main battery bank.  Gives isolation but creates a lot of losses.  The pulse charging would have to produce enough to be worth the effort (and the losses).  If it could run a couple of hours at night to hold the main bank voltage above 52v overnight that would be enough.
I have a couple of dc motors out of treadmills to rig the motor/generator.  4 100ah gel batteries for the second 48v battery bank.  Easy enough to rig some controls to make it automatic.  Just need to produce enough to supplement my existing setup overnight and/or on cloudy days.  Who knows till I try it?

Haven't written off Bedini or Don Smith either but I'm no genius so taking some time to try and absorb the info.  The obvious answer is that if it was that simple, why isn't everybody doing it?  Tesla claimed it worked so it probably does (somehow!) 
We're all going to DIE!  (eventually)

USA = Communist former republic
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Offline bj

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Re: Going off-grid in Idaho
« Reply #92 on: November 07, 2022, 03:54:08 am »
   Doc---just to let you know that you aren't just posting for yourself.
   Personally, I think you've done pretty well.  Wife, myself, and this place are getting to an age
that all we can do is keep up with keeping things running.
   BJ
"Even a blind squirrel will find an acorn once in a while"
bj

Offline dochubert

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Re: Going off-grid in Idaho
« Reply #93 on: November 07, 2022, 10:53:00 am »

Thanks Bj,
Not so young myself.  The time is coming when we won't be able to do the work to keep our place in shape.(already much slower getting done!) 
The increasing world troubles make it possible there might not even be a grid to switch to, let alone being able to afford to use it.  Sure wish I had a stream on my property.  Anyway, my quest to supplement my solar continues.

Remembering how active this forum was when Oz was teaching Powerjack (and all of us) how to build inverters.  Those were the days, eh?
We're all going to DIE!  (eventually)

USA = Communist former republic
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Offline David HK

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Re: Going off-grid in Idaho
« Reply #94 on: November 07, 2022, 08:24:52 pm »
I can echo  the previous sentiments.

I celebrated my 74th birthday a few days ago. There was no celebration as I would have liked.

We are still wearing face masks in Hong Kong.

I have virtually been imprisioned in my own home for four years:- 2019 had the riots and did not dare go out except for essential needs.

The years since 2020 January have been the same. Don't leave home except for essential needs such as food shopping, banking, doctor, dentist, other family related matters.

Some 15 years ago this website was a hive of activity.

Its interesting to speculate why young people have not inherited the renewable energy zeal to experiment and build their own generating equipment.


David

Hong Kong

Offline dochubert

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Re: Going off-grid in Idaho
« Reply #95 on: November 09, 2022, 10:21:24 pm »


Happy Birthday David!  Sorry to hear you are still dealing with the pandemic fraud.  One of the reasons we chose rural Idaho when we left commie california, was to be among people who simply ignored the 'mandates'.  Not everybody sadly.  I had to turn around and leave places where they required face diapers during the worst of it.  Luckily, it's pretty much gone around here now.  Crazy as it sounds, the holdouts are doctor's offices and hospitals.  Places where a thinking person would imagine sanity and common sense would prevail.  I'm so disillusioned with most doctors now that I'll be in trouble if I ever need one.  I don't think I'll ever trust one again considering they pretty much all went along with the obvious fraud.  Many, many people are dead or will die sometime soon or are permanently injured because those doctors went along with the fraud.  And I've said too much already.

I mentioned previously trying a couple experiments using an aerial to harvest power, with little success.  I have one more to try.  Tesla claimed it could be done and has a patent on a method. Looks like this;

9271-0

Snowed all day today so didn't get out there to try it.  Hoping to work on it tomorrow.  Also need to work on setting up the motor/generator set to provide isolation to protect the batteries and inverter.  Not helping myself if I blow out my inverter.

We're all going to DIE!  (eventually)

USA = Communist former republic
---  dochubert --

Offline dochubert

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Re: Going off-grid in Idaho
« Reply #96 on: November 11, 2022, 07:00:28 pm »

Ok, now that I've stuck my neck out there and said I'm going to try the Tesla experiment, I find I'm kinda stuck.  :-[  The metal plate, no problem.  The transformer, I have a couple to try.  That vibrating switch, which I hardly glanced at before, is something else again. 
Seemed simple at first glance.  I'm an old electrician, not an electronics whiz.  The best thing I could think of was a rotating magnet and a reed switch.  Not very practical.
I have a ne555 relay, but it stays on too long to be useful.

Any suggestions appreciated.
We're all going to DIE!  (eventually)

USA = Communist former republic
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Offline David HK

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Re: Going off-grid in Idaho
« Reply #97 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.






Offline dochubert

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Re: Going off-grid in Idaho
« Reply #98 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.
We're all going to DIE!  (eventually)

USA = Communist former republic
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Offline Wolvenar

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Re: Going off-grid in Idaho
« Reply #99 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>
Trying to make power from alternative energy any which way I can.
Just to abuse what I make. (and run this site)

Offline dochubert

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Re: Going off-grid in Idaho
« Reply #100 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....
We're all going to DIE!  (eventually)

USA = Communist former republic
---  dochubert --

Offline bj

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Re: Going off-grid in Idaho
« Reply #101 on: July 26, 2023, 05:23:51 am »
Hey Doc
From one who still reads, thanks for sharing
BJ
"Even a blind squirrel will find an acorn once in a while"
bj

Offline Wolvenar

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Re: Going off-grid in Idaho
« Reply #102 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.
Trying to make power from alternative energy any which way I can.
Just to abuse what I make. (and run this site)

Offline dochubert

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Re: Going off-grid in Idaho
« Reply #103 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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Offline Wolvenar

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Re: Going off-grid in Idaho
« Reply #104 on: August 13, 2023, 11:34:09 am »
Sorry we have had multiple severe storms lately, it took down the system a couple times.
I wasn't home the last time for a couple of days. I had to get someone to go get things online the last time.
Trying to make power from alternative energy any which way I can.
Just to abuse what I make. (and run this site)