OFF GRID POWER; various thoughts on...

Started by MountainDon, January 13, 2009, 02:18:39 AM

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Dave Sparks

Nice Glen  d*    There are many ways to do all of this and I think I learned the most from my sailboat when it did not sink!
We always planned on ditching her if we got in a jam in some nasty ocean storm out near the Galapagos, or somewhere...
Ended up the 3rd best day in my life when I still had and sold her :)
"we go where the power lines don't"

glenn kangiser

Thanks for the vote of confidence Dave... I think....   ???
"Always work from the general to the specific." J. Raabe

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Dave Sparks

Not only a vote from me but I printed a few extras because it is an election year  :(
"we go where the power lines don't"

glenn kangiser

We all know the vote is not legitimate... it is controlled by the computer programmers of the PTB (otherwise, how could there be more votes than people? ).... But it does do it's part in the pacification of the masses... makes them feel they actually had a say and slightly responsible if things go wrong at a later date... :)

Oh I love military industrial complex rule... [ouch]
"Always work from the general to the specific." J. Raabe

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glenn kangiser

My Bergey wind generator failed about 8 years after I put it up. 
that was about 6 years ago I think.... I had Myanmar friends here the last couple weeks learning welding, and they wanted to help me repair it so we took it down to check it out.



We found the slip ring brushes had broken a spring so I fabricated one from a spring clip and ordered a new set of 2 (4 brushes on 2 holders) after we put it back up with the Mariposa rigged ones installed.

We used my Harbor Freight remote controlled winch to lower and raise it.



The guys did most of the work transferring the cables to the Gin Pole and back.



My wife and Kho Lar are electrical engineers.  Saw Tun was a mechanic in Ship Yards.  Looks like I have enough qualified help.... :)



It's up and running awaiting the delivery of the brushes and rubber bushing nuts for the Nacelle. :)

"Always work from the general to the specific." J. Raabe

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Dave Sparks

Very nice Glen !   Good to have a crew and even nicer at happy hour! 
"we go where the power lines don't"

glenn kangiser

I miss the boys .  They passed their welding certification tests and went back home to Florida. 

I think the Mariposa rigged brushes are failing now as I am not getting full power on the wind generator but I kind of expected it anyway. Original design is quite poor with a single wire spring holding the brushes to the slip ring. The new ones will be here soon and Moehnin and I can drop the tower ourselves now that some of the tree interference has been removed.  I think I can manage with only one electrical engineer, or maybe I can call Dave in a pinch if I need 2.....  ???

We need to check out that happy hour one of these days, Dave.  :)
"Always work from the general to the specific." J. Raabe

Glenn's Underground Cabin  http://countryplans.com/smf/index.php?topic=151.0

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glenn kangiser

$100 worth of wind generator parts arrived today.  :)  Time to take it down again. 





Some day.... [ouch]
"Always work from the general to the specific." J. Raabe

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glenn kangiser

Well, cool....  [cool]

The wind generator was putting out 15 amps the other night so I guess the brushes are currently OK.  Don't have to take it down yet.  That is about 360 watts when we normally would not have any solar power... there is one advantage of having a wind generator also.   :)
"Always work from the general to the specific." J. Raabe

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Dave Sparks

Looking forward to next month when the 97 year old leaves for 3 months!  Will call you then Captain Glen!
I guess you could come over and help me weed wack or cut oak :)
"we go where the power lines don't"

glenn kangiser

Looking forward to seeing you Dave... Weed Wack.... Cut Oak.... two of my favorite things... yes... you and I could do that while the girls enjoy happy hour... I'll bring over my new (used) DR self propelled Weed Wacker and a couple chain saws...  [chainsaw]
"Always work from the general to the specific." J. Raabe

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Dave Sparks

#1336
Still got some vibration in that chainsaw....

If this is not OK to post some used gear you guy's can delete this.  Cleaning the garage out....

SW + 2524 Xantrex Inv/Chg 10 years old in excellent condition used for 3 years.  $800



6" pole mount -  The pole mount can be expanded for more solar. Mount is adjustable and made by Direct power and water. Model TPM2H $200. You can text the phone, e-mail, or voice. 209 813 0060

2" gasoline powered water pump - DuroMax XP652WP 2-Inch Intake 7 HP OHV 4-Cycle 158-Gallon-Per-Minute Gas-Powered Portable Water. Used for 10 hours and oil was changed. Runs well. replaced with electric pump. $160

A bunch of Outback MX-60's in unknown condition (probably need fans only)  make offer

Solar hot water drainback tank (heat exchanger) New  $200
"we go where the power lines don't"

glenn kangiser

It's an old chainsaw, Dave.  I always buy used.   [chainsaw]

I have no problem with posting some solar bargains here for the members.  You are not a commercial company ..... besides I have bought bargain items from you myself.  The controllers I assume are 60 amps at up to 150 VDC input? and variable charge voltage output?

If anyone else has a problem with this they can let us know.  :)
"Always work from the general to the specific." J. Raabe

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Dave Sparks

YES ! No fan convection cooled 140VDC working and 150 Max @ 60 ADC.They will current limit above 60ADC.
"we go where the power lines don't"


glenn kangiser

Great, thanks for the info.  If I get rich I may check back but... don't wait for me..... We are pretty good right now.  :)
"Always work from the general to the specific." J. Raabe

Glenn's Underground Cabin  http://countryplans.com/smf/index.php?topic=151.0

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glenn kangiser

After the initial questionable start, the brush repair we did on the wind generator seems to have smoothed out and the generator is daily adding around 15 amps of power a couple times per day as temperatures change in the valley and microclimate winds go by.  Saving the new parts until needed.  :)
"Always work from the general to the specific." J. Raabe

Glenn's Underground Cabin  http://countryplans.com/smf/index.php?topic=151.0

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Dave Sparks

Glen,  Thanks for hooking me up with Matt (whitlock). He got some great equipment and I have some pocket change.

It was great seeing him again! We live so close and he (and you) were such a big help in the Telegraph fire. Fun stories and serious adrenaline.

We are taking the 97 year old to here summer home for three months soon.  I will call!
"we go where the power lines don't"

MountainDon

Just because something has been done and has not failed, doesn't mean it is good design.

Dave Sparks

He seems fine and knows so much about the gold mining here.  I heard her name but now I can't remember it either. :o
"we go where the power lines don't"

glenn kangiser

My pleasure Dave.  I thought he could use a bargain or two.  Matt and Donya were doing pretty good, Don.  He sometimes gets a bit of back trouble... just don't make the young guys like they used to. :)

We try to look out for each other a bit up here in the hills.

Fires and mining... always exciting. [ouch]

Looking forward to hearing from you, Dave.  :)


"Always work from the general to the specific." J. Raabe

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MountainDon

Say Hi to them.

Did the mining museum close as was scheduled to happen a few years back?

Just because something has been done and has not failed, doesn't mean it is good design.

Dave Sparks

Yes and no on the Cal mining museum. It did close after it was robbed of 2 million. I think it was 4 guys with crowbars. They did not get any of the really historic gold.
The Fricot 13 Lb gold rock was safe, but they got enough. They melted it down and I think all of them were caught in a couple years or so.
Museum is open now and probably a little better secured now d*
"we go where the power lines don't"

glenn kangiser

Will say Hi Don.

Yes... the museum is open again now.  Quite a fiasco out here in the wild wild west... I think the closing thing was a ploy to squeeze more money out of the public or something.

Just took our two Myanmar/Florida visitors through the museum a month or so ago.  Pretty decent displays again.  I wish the old model moll was in operating condition yet. It was cute to watch the things in it working.  :)
"Always work from the general to the specific." J. Raabe

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MountainDon

A couple of weeks ago I noticed the blue indicator LED's on one of the Midnite Solar SPD's was not illuminated when it should have been. FYI, the SPD is a surge protection device that can suppress power surges caused by nearby lightning strikes. They can not protect against a direct strike. Everytime they suppress a surge they wear out to some degree. The Midnite SPD's have LED's that remain lit when power is present and when they are functional.

So anyhow, back to the story... The SPD at the top of the hill was the one I noticed being non illuminated. I hiked the 325 feet down to the solar array. The SPD down there was non illuminated as well. As a double check I removed them and connected them directly to the batteries. Both remianed non illuminated.

I got out my spares (2 DC and 1 AC version are kept as spares).  I installed both DC spares, one at each end of the power wires from PV and uphill to the cabin and the charge controller. Both set of LED's illuminated brightly as they should.  Just as a side note, the SPD's on the AC circuit side were working fine.

**** Midnite covers lightning hits under warranty.****   Just a $20 UPS cost to send them to Midnite.  I got an RMA# and shipped them off to Midnite for refurbishing. They pay the return shipping. When they return them they will be the spares until next time.

We've been in away most of the time since that and I left the cabin system PV array to CC lines disconnected as we are getting into lightning season. I have a pole 12 feet from the cabin where the underground PV feed comes up to a Midnite box with a MNEPV breaker. I pull the breaker to disconnect power to the CC and then disconnect/remove the cable that runs from the box to the cabin and the CC; remove the connection at the box. Then I roll up the cable and place it in the enclosure that holds the CC. I hope that 12 foot jump to the cabin is too much for lightning to jump. The ground wire from the SPD at the boxes connect to a grid of copper clad ground rods and a copper sheet ground plate.

This works for short absences as we do not have any electrical devices that need to run when we are absent. When we are at the cabin, June through August  I disconnect the PV when I hear thunder in the area. It is a bit of a bother, but less bother than replacing the arm's length list of electronics that were toasted.

.... in case anyone is interested... if you are in a locale that receives lightning you should be interested.  :)  Relacing things like CC, invertes, etc can be not only tedious, but expensive.
Just because something has been done and has not failed, doesn't mean it is good design.

Dave Sparks

Good advice Don !  I just worked on a system that an overflowing toilet drained in the power system. There was the smell of burnt electronics and a little something extra  :P
"we go where the power lines don't"