Diary from the cabin, page 1

April 15, 2006;

You'll notice while reading that I had a problem with the charge controller hitting the absorption rate and not moving. I've ordered a new controller (Xantrex C-12) and will have it for my next trip, April 21, 2006. I've also ordered a DC/DC adaptor for my computer.

April 20, 2006;

Review; Infinigi.com. Infinigi at first glance appears to be a typical alternative energy power source web site. However, where they shine is their customer service. All questions answered, all points in the shipping process tracked. Unlike other sites, they provide UPS tracking numbers so you can see exactly where your product is. One of the areas where I've seen an another difference is their photovoltaic offerings. Like triangular shaped solar panels. One thing I would like to see at their site is the ability to sort items by price - for many folks like myself, price is the make or break rule of ordering from a supplier.

April 05-2006; 10:30 am

Well, here I am at the cabin for this years festivities. As with all battle plans, they lasted until I actually got to the place. I had my truck, Stinkerbutt, loaded with all the goodies I needed for a week of bliss - working my tail off.

As I got to the property, I already knew that there was 5 inches of snow on the ground. Not to worry, it's going to be almost 60 degrees the next day. I got in the driveway just fine, unloaded Stinker and prepared to go on my merry way into town for kero and propane for the heat. Not. After a 1/2 hour of snow blowing, I was off. What a waste of time and gasoline, most of the snow melted by evening.

The Solar panels in April

2:30 pm

Back at the cabin with my supplies of destruction from Lowe's, I began to work on my battle plan. First I hooked up my new cell phone antenna and tower, a Wilson "roadtrucker" which is supposed to have a 8 db boost in signal. Yep it works. Where to put the panels? I already knew that they weren't going to be in their final location until later in April, so I put them against the wall outside the kitchen as you can see in the photo above. Here's another photo of the panels. Bingo bango, we're getting power to the batteries! 12.50 volts....12.60...12.78...12.95....then the bank hit the absorption rate and things slowed to a crawl. No matter. Four hundred buck for 90 watts of panels that came with mounting hardware, 12 volt lights and distribution panels is a good deal.

4:00 pm

Began working on the new ceiling for the living area. The cabin has never been insulated, so now is the time. Along the way, I decided that drywall wasn't in the picture; the place is unheated in the winter and it would be damaged by moisture. So, I decided on suspended ceiling panels attached to furring strips attached to the rafters. This worked out very well. While I was at it, I also insulated walls and started to install paneling.

The photo above is how the ceiling is attached. Notice the plastic vapor barrier. The panels are a Class A fire retardant.

6:00 pm

Well, dusk is approaching and lo and behold the panels are still putting out. Not a lot, but some. Time to start the generator and test the final linchpin in the design. The generator is an el-cheapo that I bought for the kings ransom price of $150. It's not too loud but let's see what we can do to quiet it down. Everyone knows than in an exhaust system, bends in the pipes will reduce the sound wave pattern. So.....the exhaust is 1/2 inch....I've got lots of 1/2 inch conduit. Well, that worked. By the time I was done, I couldn't hear the generator in the cabin.

8:00 pm

I'm done for the day, time for beer and television.

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