Got the tractor protected, not to do a service on the generator this weekend and lift it up onto a pallet while I'm at it.  Then maybe do the EMP Shield on it too!

Heading back to the cabin today!

Hope to get the generator lifted onto a plastic pallet (until I can get the concrete poured next spring/summer) and a service done, burn some slash and mill some lumber.

Also will be interesting to see how the LiFePo4 batteries are doing but so far I am SUPER HAPPY I got them!!!

Cheers

Turkey's, Coyotes, Horses, Bucks and Cougars oh my

Got the baffle for the solar heater so I think I may be able to solve that issue!

More to come!

and for those wondering....

After ten years something had to be done!

Ten years!?  Wow!  Now that I think about it, that's just, well, crazy!  Ten years!

Here's a quick cabin update for everyone

Great weekend at the cabin!

Got some milling done and will have some new cabin update videos as well! Here's a few pics from this weekend thanks to Adam for working on the gallery!  Whoohoo!  A place RIGHT HERE to store pics so I can share them again!  Woot!

New video out today!  However, the weather is going to get COLD again like it hasn't since the winter of 2013/14!!!  That worries me as I did not get my batteries into the back room.  My solar heater was doing ok and I insulated the floor of the porch and thought I'd slide by this winter and now I'm hearing temps could drop to the minus teens!!! 

I'll call Big Battery today and see what they think but may need to get up there and turn everything off while the super cold weather hits.

 Meanwhile...

Quote from: OlJarhead on January 08, 2024, 06:15:54 PMthanks to Adam for working on the gallery!  Whoohoo!  A place RIGHT HERE to store pics so I can share them again!  Woot!

Glad you're able to post directly to the forum now! (as should be true now for all members)

If anybody else still has a problem posting images/files please send me a direct message and I'll try to get it working for you.

Best!
Adam

Thanks!  I appreciate that feature!

So I'm in trouble  These temps are a worry for my fancy new LiFePo4 batteries and I now will have to quickly head back to the cabin to move the batteries from the porch where the pop can solar heater isn't working well enough to keep them above 20F in extreme cold temps and move them into the back room where I planned to move them anyway...I just need to do it NOW!

Kinda worrisome really but at least I have a plan to get it done (I think) as long as I can get the help I'll need to transport them to the back room as they weight in at 80lbs each!

The saga continues with -15F predicted tomorrow night now!!!  Yes folks, the race is on!  Tim Flaten and I will at least try to move the batteries from the porch into the back room where I have a heater that keeps the room from freezing.  If we can do that we will then move the 24v to 12v converter so the fans in the back room will run as they are needed to keep the heat circulating inside the room (otherwise it just rises to the roof and the floor freezes.

I figure we can place the batteries on some insulation blanket (the silver stuff) to further insulate them from the floor and hook up the converter.  Then we just have to run some 10awg wire from the Morningstar charge controller to the back room, move the DC Connect panel and hook it all up so they will get a charge from the ground panels which is really all they should need when we are not there.  Of course, then we could run from the Outback Charge controller and the roof panels as well just because that would be better.

If that's all we manage it will be enough to save the batteries.  If we don't want to try to do the rest I can do it in warmer temps.  Or, if we have the energy we can move the inverter etc to the back room and start changing out the wiring to make it all work.

Meanwhile here's the latest cabin video!

Meanwhile at the cabin

Free Heat?  Sure!  But I have this issue...

A link to the baffle?

Good catch!  DOH!  Fixing now!

https://amzn.to/3u403D6

I forgot to add this into the video but thanks to MD I just did!

A little 'cabin life video'

Little chilly eh....haha....Glad you got it worked out..

 Yup!  Met too!

Just got back from another trip working on the new location.  Lots to do but getting there!  Now, about the water seeping into the back room... 

and we went back!

I forgot to post this one...meanwhile, since moving everything, I'm finally forced to make the console I planned on making so I can have my Tri-Metric meter, Autogen start switch and AIMS Inverter remote all located inside the cabin where I usually sit.  So, I'll be working on that this week (already started) and hope to get at least some of it installed this coming weekend!  Wish me luck!

Finally after all these years I am working on a console for my solar power and car stereo.  I'm not a cabinet maker by any stretch but I think this will turn out fine for my uses

Once the glue dries I'll give it a light sanding and stain it and with luck, maybe even get some varathane on it before we head to the cabin with it Friday.  Otherwise I'll have to leave it as is (stained anyway).   

The open space below is for fire starting stuff (papers, dryer lint, tools etc).  The top will just be a place to set things.