What Preps are you doing this week? Part 5.

How are you preparing
Yorkshire Andy
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Joined: Thu Oct 03, 2013 4:06 pm

Re: What Preps are you doing this week? Part 5.

Post by Yorkshire Andy »

Brushed up on my fire fighting skills again at work :? had one member of staff who in a past life used to do training in work place fire fighting for a national company said he couldn't believe how fast I acted .... And correctly/ safely... :mrgreen:

Was interesting to see how others reacted ... Or rather stood there looking as the flames grew :roll:
If your roughing it, Your doing it wrong ;)

Lack of planning on your part doesn't make it an emergency on mine
Yorkshire Andy
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Joined: Thu Oct 03, 2013 4:06 pm

Re: What Preps are you doing this week? Part 5.

Post by Yorkshire Andy »

Upgraded my sheds 12v system and doubled the original 30w solar unit to 60w by slapping another 30w panel on the roof and linked it to the charge controller .... Bingo 100% increase in charging looking at 4a on a bright day will be getting the clamp meter out and see what it's shoving out when I get chance..


Biggest pita was getting the 2 cables into the piddly little screw terminals on the controller which is screwed in the most awkward corner to get at in my shed ... (Intentional so I can kill the output side ergo the lights to make it hard for any scrotes who break in to see what they are about to fall over ;) )
19059575462_056d93a68e_k.jpg
Pic from old shed

The system is now as big as I can make it without replacing the control unit

https://www.photonicuniverse.com/en/cat ... clips.html




https://www.photonicuniverse.com/en/cat ... -boat.html
If your roughing it, Your doing it wrong ;)

Lack of planning on your part doesn't make it an emergency on mine
jansman
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Joined: Thu Dec 30, 2010 7:16 pm

Re: What Preps are you doing this week? Part 5.

Post by jansman »

I followed your links there Yorkshire Andy,and bookmarked them! Forgive my ignorance please; I assume that you charge a 12v battery.Is that a car battery,or leisure battery? If so ,you would have to use a step-up transformer to power 240v equipment?

What are your applications for this set-up,if you don't mind me asking? I can see this as a superb alternative to a noisy generator in a powercut.

I am no technology expert,and do everything on a need-to-know basis.Heaven knows I have wrestled with the computer system at work!
In three words I can sum up everything I have learned about life: It goes on.

Robert Frost.

Covid 19: After that level of weirdness ,any situation is certainly possible.

Me.
Yorkshire Andy
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Joined: Thu Oct 03, 2013 4:06 pm

Re: What Preps are you doing this week? Part 5.

Post by Yorkshire Andy »

jansman wrote: Sun May 27, 2018 6:15 am I followed your links there Yorkshire Andy,and bookmarked them! Forgive my ignorance please; I assume that you charge a 12v battery.Is that a car battery,or leisure battery? If so ,you would have to use a step-up transformer to power 240v equipment?

What are your applications for this set-up,if you don't mind me asking? I can see this as a superb alternative to a noisy generator in a powercut.

I am no technology expert,and do everything on a need-to-know basis.Heaven knows I have wrestled with the computer system at work!

Yes it's a 12v 110ah deep cycle leisure bettery ( better than a car battery for this application

http://batteryuniversity.com/learn/arti ... _batteries

To step up I use a pure sine wave Inverter which gives as close to mains type power so is safe on delicate bits and bobs eg phones / computers


My application is primarily power and lighting in my shed with the added back up power recourse if needed it will run most small appliances TV / radio / strimmer / lamp stand / telephone (upto 300w )
I prefer to use the 12v outlet and run 12v adaptors such as car chargers for phones etc as it's more efficient

It's other big use is using a 12v powered batter charger to charge AAA and AA batteries for torches etc

A generator has its place (my small system won't run a fridge (due to the power needed at start up ) for example
If your roughing it, Your doing it wrong ;)

Lack of planning on your part doesn't make it an emergency on mine
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Brambles
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Location: West Midlands

Re: What Preps are you doing this week? Part 5.

Post by Brambles »

Instead of trying to run the fridge, I'm looking at a 12v coolbox.
Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass, it's about learning to dance in the rain~anon
jansman
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Joined: Thu Dec 30, 2010 7:16 pm

Re: What Preps are you doing this week? Part 5.

Post by jansman »

Thanks Yorkshire Andy!
In three words I can sum up everything I have learned about life: It goes on.

Robert Frost.

Covid 19: After that level of weirdness ,any situation is certainly possible.

Me.
Yorkshire Andy
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Joined: Thu Oct 03, 2013 4:06 pm

Re: What Preps are you doing this week? Part 5.

Post by Yorkshire Andy »

Brambles wrote: Sun May 27, 2018 12:59 pm Instead of trying to run the fridge, I'm looking at a 12v coolbox.
They draw about 60w so a 110 ah battery run to 50% dod. (depth of discharge take them below 50% capacity you drastically reduced their life)

So

60w/12v = 5a

So assuming no loss

A 110 ah battery gives 55ah useable power


So 55a ÷ 5a load = fridge

Will give 11 Hours run time. .

As for charging assuming good conditions your looking at needing a 10a charge (run fridge during the day and top the battery back up so about a 200w panel and charge regulator...


Best short / longer term is a 3 way fridge..

https://newquaycampingshop.com/products ... 5398278181

http://royal-leisure.co.uk/product/3-wa ... on-cooler/

And running it on lpg aka calor gas

Which the above uses 15g per hour on medium power so

7000g (7kg bottle)

7000g /15g = 466.66 hours use best part of 20 days continuous useage

(That and thermo cool boxes are shit in warm weather unless you stump up the cash for a igloo model )


Short term a igloo maxicool cool box and ice is brilliant ime last summer camping got shopping in including beer and wine / pop and 2 bags of ice from Aldi 48 hours later there was still some ice floating in the box
If your roughing it, Your doing it wrong ;)

Lack of planning on your part doesn't make it an emergency on mine
jansman
Posts: 13622
Joined: Thu Dec 30, 2010 7:16 pm

Re: What Preps are you doing this week? Part 5.

Post by jansman »

Brambles wrote: Sun May 27, 2018 12:59 pm Instead of trying to run the fridge, I'm looking at a 12v coolbox.
https://news.nationalgeographic.com/201 ... -Africans/

My elderly neighbour buried a large clay pot in a permanent shady spot,covered with slate,back in the 70's three day week.I measured it once at a steady 9°c.When you realise that the EU legal limit is 8°c,it's not bad.
In three words I can sum up everything I have learned about life: It goes on.

Robert Frost.

Covid 19: After that level of weirdness ,any situation is certainly possible.

Me.
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Brambles
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Joined: Sat Oct 08, 2011 8:09 am
Location: West Midlands

Re: What Preps are you doing this week? Part 5.

Post by Brambles »

jansman wrote: Sun May 27, 2018 1:24 pm
Brambles wrote: Sun May 27, 2018 12:59 pm Instead of trying to run the fridge, I'm looking at a 12v coolbox.
https://news.nationalgeographic.com/201 ... -Africans/

My elderly neighbour buried a large clay pot in a permanent shady spot,covered with slate,back in the 70's three day week.I measured it once at a steady 9°c.When you realise that the EU legal limit is 8°c,it's not bad.
Why do I keep forgetting about this?!? :roll: :lol: I must like complicating things. :oops:
Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass, it's about learning to dance in the rain~anon
jansman
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Joined: Thu Dec 30, 2010 7:16 pm

Re: What Preps are you doing this week? Part 5.

Post by jansman »

Yesterday I blitzed the garden planting.Squashes,beans,outdoor tomatoes etc. Long range forecast showed no frost,and I desperately needed to move plants on.Lifted a good crop of Japanese onions,grown in containers ( Brambles :D ).

Today I am cutting up a few bits of firewood- I WILL keep on top of it! :lol: I have a couple of jars of pickled eggs to deal with,and chives,mint and oregano to dehydrate. Mrs J wants to go to B and M/Home Bargains ( much against my Bank Holiday principles) ,BUT,we do have a few gaps on the pantry shelves.With the new job,I have precious little time ,so I shall tag along.

After sorting my kit for fishing in the morning ( first trip in a month!),I am going through the LED lamps and lanterns and changing the batteries.In fact,I may just have a couple ready to go and ' fire ' the rest up in the Autumn.
In three words I can sum up everything I have learned about life: It goes on.

Robert Frost.

Covid 19: After that level of weirdness ,any situation is certainly possible.

Me.