My longer-term plan for the property is to maintain some independence from grid-tied utilities. It’s not that I specifically mistrust the local utilities, but I don’t see prices dropping any time soon. For instance, it would cost me over $14,000.00 to connect to city water (plus monthly costs that will be going nowhere but up).
Last fall I purchased a solar power system that I will be installing as it warms up this spring. I purchased the parts from a mail order place – The altE Store. I got a 5.28 KW Residential solar power system that can be seen HERE.
I also got an option that included 2 ea SimpliPhi LFP (Lithium Ferro-Phosphate) batteries. Model: AmpliPHI-3.8-48 (AmpliPHI 3840 Wh 48V) batteries can be seenHERE.
Below should be a 3 page PDF file that diagrams how it is all hooked up
File Name: KITOFFGRIDBASE2_16-panels.pdf
PDF Loading...
The actual hardware is currently stored in preparation of better weather next month.
16 Solar PanelsSolar Battery Charger/Electronics consoleBatteries; 48v; 3.8 kWh, or 7.6 kWh total
Given the bouts of below-zero weather, you will note I moved the batteries & chargers inside the storage container last fall.
I would certainly welcome any comments (especially from any electrically trained nuclear officers, Jon)
The first week was that I was in Pensacola, Fla working with my two brothers on fixing up my nephew’s house in order to put it on the market.
Three Bros Construction
David, Jon & I were working on David’s son, Michael’s house as he prepares to move back to Calif (and back to the reserves from Active Duty in the Navy). David was responsible for creating the shirts, with the inscription created by our sister Jill. I’ll spare you the somewhat politicized front of the shirt which offer encouragement to some unknown Brandon. This is the first time, I think, that all 3 of us worked on a project together.
I didn’t take any pictures of the actual work we did, I’ll leave that to Jon, but it was basically reworking the downstairs bath and making it an ensuite bath (since there was another bathroom downstairs).
I too had a connection to Pensacola, in 1969-1970 I spent a year there, after ET-A School, learning the ins and outs of being a CT(M). (If you’d like a detailed explanation of what the bundle of acronyms actually means I could arrange it; but it will cost you at least 2 and possibly 3 margaritas)
We took Wednesday off, and I revisited Corry Field where I was stationed back in 1969. Back then it was a disused subsidiary airfield of NAS Pensacola, used for training during WWII. After the war it was converted to training the various branches of Communicatons Technicians in the big brick hangers that were left over from being an airfield. (Hangers also served as emergency shelters when Hurricane Camille blew through, with the emphasis on “blew”).
Corry Field is obviously changed in the last 53 years, the runways are gone; supplanted by Navy Exchange and Commissary for the whole region, but the old buildings are still there, tucked in amongst the newer stuff. We also drove over to NAS Pensacola to visit the National Naval Aviation Museum. The Museum was truly amazing. It has representative of all the aircraft flown by the navy, and others. In my first pass through the ground floor, while examining a WWII era PBY (with sections cut away so you can see the insides) I completely missed an adjacent Messerschmidt Me-262. I noticed it on our second pass through the area. One sad part is that post-9/11, the general public no longer has access to it since it was built directly adjacent to the Blue Angels compound and the initial pilot training area. Since both Jon & I have retired ID’s and David has a disabled veteran ID we had no problems.
We finished up Saturday morning (19 Feb) and Jon gave me a ride to the airport. I noticed that morning I woke up with a scratchy throat. I got back to Casper a little after 8:00PM to cold snowy weather. By the next afternoon I definitely had case of influenza (pre-COVID idiocy) symptoms, low grade fever, coughing, and general malaise. I treated it like I did for every cold for the past 60 years: OJ, supplemental Vitamin C, rest and gin & tonic (for the additional Vitamin C from the limes and anti-malarial properties of tonic water-just in case). I didn’t get any worse and now it’s Friday and I am back to reasonable health (other than being on Day 2 of the War in Ukraine).
Speaking of the Ukraine War, I had gotten some stuff from The Great Courses website over the years, and today they sent me a link to a section of their Eastern European History. It’s only a half hour in time but explains an enormous amount. See LINK Here.
Looks like I finally figured out how to embed & publish videos.
May be some pauses while it downloads the video, depending on your transfer speed. Note this was while it was snowing with no wind, not a common occurrence. Let me know if you encounter problems.
I was updating an e-mail correspondent on the status of my homestead (hi Fred!) and I realized I haven’t updated the blog so below is an update of where we stand today (Feb 9, 2022).
Below is a view of the homestead during the recent snowstorm. Also shows my pick-up truck and the side-by-side utility vehicle.
Non-snow view (side-by-side parked inside)
A night view which shows the lights installed. Also shows the stairs over the Storage Container.
Below is the back of the container with both rainwater storage containers.
Cat is out exploring, even in the snow.
The storage container (blue one) holds the stuff I moved out of the apartment, until I get the house built. It is also where the Solar Power & Batteries will be installed.
Storage container.
Below is the Workshop container (dark grey one), with workbench and tools starting to be organized.
Workshop; also, there is more storage area behind me.
Upcoming projects:
Ramp up to front door (with guardrail) to help with steep stairs (also for the sisters with bad/new knees & hips).
Workshop French Doors behind end doors for summertime use.
Solar arrays – Currently planning to install behind the containers, between the orchard and rainwater containers.
Gravel driveway out to road (I expect 10-15K in gravel)
Septic system & house, expect to begin construction in March/April time frame.
Well, the week has flown by but we have made progress. The missing tank mysteriously appeared and was delivered Monday. I got it hooked up and (more importantly) got the tank heater installed.
Two tanks (and cat)
The cat was out exploring, apparently not unduly bothered by the snowfall. Below he is investigating the top of the trailer. he apparently leaps from the stairs to the slide out extension.
I’m closing this out on Tuesday the first of February. I awoke to snow flurries and dropping temperatures. Below is the weather warning:
2/1/2022
It was snowing heavily by midmorning: but with calm winds and large flakes.
Feb 1, 2022 snowstorm
We only got 6-8 inches, and the snow stopped by mid-afternoon, with the clear weather it will drop down to very cold overnight. See below for the (frigid) forecast through the end of the week.
