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