Glenn's Underground Cabin Update

Started by glenn kangiser, January 30, 2005, 10:24:03 PM

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MountainDon

Well, there IS a cover on that box at least.

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

glenn kangiser

Don't forget the willow sticks and hot dogs, John. rofl

Had to put the cover, Don.  I was afraid if I didn't I would stick my fingers in the 110....and I needed a place to draw my schematic and to warn the wife that it was not a place to plug in her hair drier.

The tape I taped the two relays together with was UL approved though. d*

OK - It's like this --- It started small then kept growing as the pressure of power demands and desires of the material world kept growing. [crz]

The first two sets of batteries have 2/0 cable - copper --all with soldered ends by me - (2004).  I have no loose ones - no internal corrosion or any problems.  They each feed 2 positive and 2 negative 2/0 cables going to each inverter with a set of equalizing jumpers at the inverters. 

The third set of batteries was added in '05.  They are tied in with 8 gauge solid wire under the theory that they will slowly equalize with the 2 main sets that are direct wired to the inverters.  I have checked for heating - no burned fingers -no scars anyway..... no - really - no heat problem. [crz]

There is an axe in the woodshed for quick disconnect. ::)
"Always work from the general to the specific." J. Raabe

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glenn kangiser

I knew you guys would do this to me.   Why do you think I haven't posted full pix before. hmm

I may get to doing my upgrade and improve it some this winter. d*

May not.... it's still working.

Note the water hose hanging over the handrail in the first pix.  If careful the fire could be put out with that --- watch for stray voltage. d*
"Always work from the general to the specific." J. Raabe

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PEG688


WOW  :o  First we had Goldberg , as in Rube Goldberg , then TV had Mcgiver (sp) and here we have Glenn  Kangiser electrical genius , or idiot savant  :-\   rofl 


  I don't see a garden hose ???, maybe I missed it as there so much to look at  [noidea' , a twisted wreckage of tangled wires, hooked to batteries in series awaiting thermal run-away :o

Is that tree limb alive? Or is it a prop /  wire management tool? If the latter,   management may need some golden parachute pruning :)

But like ya said it works  ;) just keep the grand-kids out of the power house eh! 
When in doubt , build it stout with something you know about .

gandalfthegrey

Love wiring job,  looks like the network cabling at the last place I worked.    I did notice that your control boxes are very carefully placed at eye level for easy viewing.  I see you have your spare wiring and tools all neatly stacked on the shelving in the back. ( pic 1)

I figure the tree limb is an attempt at a classic Daniel Mack chair?? [cool]
Bad Wolf


glenn kangiser

d* You guys. ::)

The tree limb is the top guard rail around the stairs - set to code elevation of course. ::)

PEG  - I love your description --- I thought it was more like the control room of the Starship Enterprise. [crz]

The shelves in the back are the start  of organization. Things are getting moved to that side of the back room then the batteries will get a sheetrock wall on this side where the meters - controllers etc are hanging.  Maybe. d*

Garden hose is a white one hanging one loop over the gaurd rail - tree limb.

I had to go shopping for the limbs to fit.  I drew out the rail measurements then went to the woods to cut the proper ones.   Oak trees grow in all sorts of code rail configurations.  I am currently cutting long sections from the trees I downed for the fire.  More interesting structures coming up. hmm

It's the top part of this



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

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glenn kangiser

Quote from: MountainDon on August 23, 2008, 09:09:24 AM
Well, there IS a cover on that box at least.

rofl rofl rofl

Note that the screw slots line up just like my old dead uncle taught me too. :)

Precision and uniformity...the keys to success. d*

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

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ScottA

Glen that's a rural masterpiece.  :D

glenn kangiser

Thanks, Scott.  I love those positive comments.  ::)
"Always work from the general to the specific." J. Raabe

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John Raabe

Remember, the root word of "funky" is functional.  :D
None of us are as smart as all of us.

glenn kangiser

Thanks, John. 

I can't help the way it grew. d*
"Always work from the general to the specific." J. Raabe

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Sassy

Quote from: gandalfthegrey on August 23, 2008, 12:36:45 PM
Love wiring job,  looks like the network cabling at the last place I worked.    I did notice that your control boxes are very carefully placed at eye level for easy viewing.  I see you have your spare wiring and tools all neatly stacked on the shelving in the back. ( pic 1)

I figure the tree limb is an attempt at a classic Daniel Mack chair?? [cool]

Under the nurses' station counter at work - the wires are all over the place for computers, phones, monitors, computer towers, etc  every-so-often, we pull out a wire with our feet or bump the tower & turn off the power to a computer...   ::)  We have a safety module we have to do every year - one question has us look at a picture & identify all the dangerous things in the room - the "dangerous" wiring in the pic doesn't look as bad as the wiring under our counter, lol...  and we're Federal Gov't!   d* d*
http://glennkathystroglodytecabin.blogspot.com/

You will know the truth & the truth will set you free

glenn kangiser

...and I know what every one of them does...

Well - OK - so after a few years it get's blurry, but I can pull off a cover and figure it out.[crz]
"Always work from the general to the specific." J. Raabe

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Redoverfarm

Sassy all I can say is to not let Glenn come to work with you to straighten out & organize the wiring. ;D  If he does have him bring the sauce ,sprinkle cheese and a spoon if he is into twirling his pasta rather than cutting. :)


glenn kangiser

hmm ...and I thought itwas all about getting juice from point A to point B.

That's probably where I went wrong. d*
"Always work from the general to the specific." J. Raabe

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Sassy

Quote from: Redoverfarm on August 23, 2008, 09:00:35 PM
Sassy all I can say is to not let Glenn come to work with you to straighten out & organize the wiring. ;D  If he does have him bring the sauce ,sprinkle cheese and a spoon if he is into twirling his pasta rather than cutting. :)

rofl rofl
http://glennkathystroglodytecabin.blogspot.com/

You will know the truth & the truth will set you free

glenn kangiser

While taking the pix of the power generation plant of the underground complex, for your viewing pleasure, I also took a couple pix down the filler holes of the desulfated 2004 battery - about 1 month on desulfator, and the undesulfated 2005 battery.



It seems there is a noticable fuzzyness on the undesulfated battery.  The plates of the desulfated battery appear to be cleaner (#1)



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

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considerations

They can laugh all they want Glenn, but your power stayed on all through the recent fire. 

You can laugh all the way to your still stocked freezer.

Also, you said you had a propane clothes dryer?  What kind?  I'm considering a change, but would like some input from a "user".

MountainDon

Quote from: glenn kangiser on August 24, 2008, 12:04:44 AM
It seems there is a noticable fuzzyness on the undesulfated battery.  The plates of the desulfated battery appear to be cleaner (#1)


The key is have you been able to discern any improvement in performance?
Just because something has been done and has not failed, doesn't mean it is good design.

glenn kangiser

#894
Quote from: considerations on August 25, 2008, 07:36:42 PM
They can laugh all they want Glenn, but your power stayed on all through the recent fire. 

You can laugh all the way to your still stocked freezer.

Also, you said you had a propane clothes dryer?  What kind?  I'm considering a change, but would like some input from a "user".

Yup - it does work and keep working, considerations.

We happen to have a Kenmore because it is what was in our rental house and we moved it over here.  The only new machine I had trouble with and our renter sent theirs back, last week, was a Maytag.  Lowes wouldn't make it good (2 repair trips by what I assume was an unqualified Lowes technician from the story I got) but Maytag actually sent a new one right out to the renter.  They bought a new one so they would not have trouble with it. d*
"Always work from the general to the specific." J. Raabe

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glenn kangiser

Quote from: MountainDon on August 25, 2008, 07:36:56 PM
Quote from: glenn kangiser on August 24, 2008, 12:04:44 AM
It seems there is a noticable fuzzyness on the undesulfated battery.  The plates of the desulfated battery appear to be cleaner (#1)



The key is have you been able to discern any improvement in performance?

The short answer is yes....but I did several things at the same time so a bit unscientific.  We were short on power at night with the new fridge and pool so I started tweaking things -- I ran the new MPPT controller up to 28.9 volts before cutoff so it will charge the batteries better.  It was dropping off early in the day when the sun was high and system voltage was up however in reality the batteries needed more charge.

I was losing charge in my forklift battery so put a charge and desulfator on it- no more problem at this time.  More testing is required but what I have seen so far agrees with the testimonials/feedback on the Ebay site.  I read 3 pages of them before I was convinced that these cheap desulfators would work.  I noticed the cleaner plates on the first set of batteries I tried them on too - as opposed to the newer batteries.  Many places on the net claim up to 3 times the life of the batteries - so 15 years instead of 5? Sounds good to me.

We are no longer short on power at night unless there is a good reason for it - such as excess use during the day.
"Always work from the general to the specific." J. Raabe

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MountainDon

Maybe I ought to add them to my (lengthy) list of things to get for the cabin. Why wait.    ???
Just because something has been done and has not failed, doesn't mean it is good design.

glenn kangiser

They use very little power as they take it but they put it back in a pulse.  I haven't noticed any draw down from them and run then on one set full time.  I'm ready to buy 5 more for me (4 for the other batts and a spare for other individual batteries) and one for a friend when my ship comes in.
"Always work from the general to the specific." J. Raabe

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glenn kangiser

Digging continues sporadically on the area for the shop.  I got a dump trailer from a friend and am started moving dirt from the new entrance excavation down the hill to a spot where we need a wider turn area (below the RV garage). 

Tried to tip it over last night with 4 yards and a slight angled dump area.  Maybe 3 next trip. d* d*
"Always work from the general to the specific." J. Raabe

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glenn kangiser

Here are a couple pix of the digging.  Some of the rock is so hard it just wears the tip off  the end of the jackhammer without going anywhere.  [frus]



Why do I bother?  Because I need to keep my reputation as the crazy man on the mountain with guns and a tractor.  [crz]



How many hundred yards?  Not a clue - but each yard dug loose seems to make about 3 to haul out.
"Always work from the general to the specific." J. Raabe

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