--------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 272 HOME POWER Ref: DDA00011 Date: 09/01/96 From: CHRIS HARPER Time: 04:17pm \/To: ELVIS HARGROVE (Read 2 times) Subj: Building Codes On Saturday August 31 1996, Elvis Hargrove of (1:397/6) wrote to Russ Williams: EH> Seriously, when we have bad weather we generally have a FLOOD associated EH> with it. We got troubles enough trying to keep the water out of the EH> HOUSE without having a dang HOLE under it to fill up and waste a lot of EH> time trying to keep IT dry. It's so flat around here the water has no EH> place to flow TO! I had three inches in my back yard a few minutes ago! I'd seriously be considering building a mini-dike. Raise the level of the ground around the perimeter of your property. RYL, Chris --- GoldED 2.40+ * Origin: The Grizzly BBS, Wadsworth, OH, USA (1:2215/10) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 272 HOME POWER Ref: DDA00012 Date: 09/02/96 From: CHRIS HARPER Time: 08:55pm \/To: ROY J. TELLASON (Read 2 times) Subj: Steam On Saturday August 31 1996, Roy J. Tellason of (1:270/615) wrote to Chris Harper: RJT> More in keeping with the subject line, I got out to a local happening RJT> yesterday that was involving a lot of very old steam-driven equipment. RJT> Lots of interesting old machinery there, including some farm quipment, RJT> an operating sawmill, thresher, etc. RJT> I had *no* idea that there was still as much of this stuff around and RJT> still functional! Old tech was before "planned obsellessance" became widespread and manufacturing started building in the "wear-out factor" by using sub-standard parts. A 1955 car was expected to last at LEAST 10 years. A 1995 car is expected to start falling apart in just over five. Some progress, eh? RYL, Chris --- GoldED 2.40+ * Origin: The Grizzly BBS, Wadsworth, OH, USA (1:2215/10) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 272 HOME POWER Ref: DDA00013 Date: 09/02/96 From: CHRIS HARPER Time: 09:03pm \/To: ROY J. TELLASON (Read 2 times) Subj: LOOKING FOR THE SCHE On Saturday August 31 1996, Roy J. Tellason of (1:270/615) wrote to Chris Harper: CH>>> I used to have several LEDs mounted to things like the bottoms CH>>> of the legs on the bed, desk, etc..., in my bedroom, and ran CH>>> them off a 9V battery so I wouldn't have to turn on the light RJT>> Sounds good, except for the part about the 9v battery. A couple of RJT>> penlight cells would probably last a *lot* longer, and you're not RJT>> wasting most of the power in the dropping resistor. CH>> Just use an extrusion process to make vinyl baseboards with the CH>> wiring for them inside, and "sockets" for the LEDs. RJT> For regular manufacturing, yeah, but I was actually wondering about some RJT> simple way that a mounting could be arranged for such stuff as a thing RJT> that an individual could do, without a whole lot of special tools or RJT> equipment. Somehow the idea of wiring up a harness for this sort of thing RJT> doesn't have a whole lot of appeal... I suspect that my "wiring harness", which was very thin wire, was acting as the current limiter you speak of. It was quite a length, all totalled probly well over 100 ft. As for the fishing pole, I suspect the thin wire played only a small part, and that the led had some sort of limitter built in. They were Radio Shack LEDs in multi colors several in a single pack. RYL, Chris --- GoldED 2.40+ * Origin: The Grizzly BBS, Wadsworth, OH, USA (1:2215/10) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 272 HOME POWER Ref: DDA00014 Date: 09/05/96 From: TIM HUTZLER Time: 01:51pm \/To: RUSS WILLIAMS (Read 3 times) Subj: Re: Underground RW> The inspectors are only enforcing compliance with the building > code... TH> Which is not positive law, BTW. RW> True, it is not law in of itself, but is when adopted by a > jurisdiction. A building official is appointed and he/she *has* > the power of a law enforcement officer. There is *some* fact in the above. However, to say that an inspector has the *same* powers as a(ny) law enforcemenmt officer, ie. police... that is false. For instance, building inspectors can not make arrests, they can only make complaints and forward them to whatever *jurisdiction* they deem appropriate. There are other differences, but I don't care to delve into that on this forum. And your statement regarding 'a jurisdiction' adopting the UBC or other zoning laws. You are correct if, and only if, that jurisdiction is legally competant; that is to say it really has such jurisdiction, and not simply assume it. Of course, assuming jurisdiction by planning commissions, board districts, and etc. has become so common that the system has become quite corrupted. This a result partly because of human nature, and partly out of plan. Again, this is not the forum for this discussion. cya --- Maximus/2 3.01 * Origin: Madman BBS * Chico, California * 916-893-8079 * (1:119/88) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 272 HOME POWER Ref: DDB00000 Date: 09/06/96 From: ROY J. TELLASON Time: 08:26am \/To: WAYNE RAY (Read 2 times) Subj: LEDS (Help WR> LED's come in all sorts of voltage ratings, with different WR> current ratings too. Eh? Most of what I've seen is spec'd in the 1.6 - 1.8 volt range, with the exception of the stuff that's designed with a built-in current limiter, but that's not the same thing at all. WR> If wired in series (N of one hooked to P of the next, and so WR> on) 3 volt LED's can have four across a 12 volt circuit. Where do you find 3 volt LEDs? And what's going to limit the current in that setup? Have you ever seen the voltage vs. current curve of one of those parts? It's damn near a vertical line! --- * Origin: TANSTAAFL BBS 717-432-0764 (1:270/615) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 272 HOME POWER Ref: DDB00001 Date: 09/06/96 From: ROY J. TELLASON Time: 08:06am \/To: CHRIS HARPER (Read 2 times) Subj: Steam CH> I'm probly going to convert an old lawn-mower motor into a CH> steam engine. Sounds a lot easier to me. Just change the cam's CH> valve timing. There are many auto speed shops that do custom CH> cam work here in the USA. Yup, all you need to do now is find an old lawnmower that uses a V-8! :-) CH> The first stage is made out of metal and a large diameter CH> because of the high temp and volume of the steam. This will CH> have many heat sinks soldered/brazed to it, both inside and CH> out, to bring the temperature down rapidly, turning the steam CH> into a vapor/steam mix, reducing volume and pressure. Don't expect solder to work well at steam temperatures... <...> CH> The whole thing will be built in several stages. After the PV CH> system is up and running to provide initial power, the solar CH> furnace will be built. Once it's built, I can use it to melt CH> metals for use in building the boiler and coils. I'll melt down CH> lead from old batteries and add tin to make solder which will CH> be used to coat the steel drums to prevent oxidation, and CH> install the heat sinks. It will also be used to heat the CH> soldering irons used in many stages of developement. This is a real *BAD* idea. Every so often I see the suggestion come up of using lead from old car batteries to make bullets. I usually jump on that when I do. You're not talking metallic lead, for the most part, but lead sulfate and lead dioxide, alloyed with Antimony or Calcium or other metals. They add stuff to reduce water usage and there's no easy way you're going to separate it out. From what I understand, battery mfr's like Exide have smelters to recycle the materials from junk batteries that come in, and everything I've heard about those places says that they're rather *nasty*. Not something that an individual would do well trying to set up. And, they shut 'em down during the middle of the summer. CH> The high pressure water tanks will have to be welded, so it CH> won't help there. However, the furnace can be used to melt down CH> old batteries to reclaim the metals, for sale or use. FWIW, they also recycle the plastic case material to make new batteries (why do you think so many of them are black?) and the acid gets processed somehow to make fertilizer... --- * Origin: TANSTAAFL BBS 717-432-0764 (1:270/615) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 272 HOME POWER Ref: DDB00002 Date: 09/06/96 From: ROY J. TELLASON Time: 08:18am \/To: CHRIS HARPER (Read 2 times) Subj: Steam CH> GMTA! ;-) Huh? <...> RJT> hydrometer will also reveal any shorted cells so you won't have to RJT> bother with trying to charge those. CH> How so? Well, the one I have here has different colors on the float, red, white, and green for rundown, ok, and really charged... In a battery that's only moderately run down, you may see all of the cells in the middle of the red. If that's the case with five of them and one is at the extreme end of the red, yer probably looking at a shorted cell. In fact, if hydrometer readings vary all over the place the odds are pretty good that the battery is scrap, anyhow. RJT> Anyone who's giving any serious consideration to messing around with RJT> large quantities of automotive-type batteries also needs to RJT> consider the potential hazards involved with the fact that RJT> you're generating hydrogen gas during the charging process, RJT> which is more explosive than gasoline, CH> Than ANYTHING! They make fusion bombs with Hydrogen. The most CH> powerfull bombs on the planet. That's not the same thing as what I'm talking about here, which is a simple straightforward chemical reaction. Fusion bombs typically require a fission bomb to set 'em off! RJT> All in all, this sort of endeavor isn't really something that I'd RJT> recommend for people to get into on a casual basis. There aren't that RJT> many batteries out there to be had, anyway, as lead is considered RJT> "hazardous waste" these days and almost everywhere you go to buy one RJT> needs to get one in return as a "trade-in" or "core" or they RJT> charge you extra. CH> Not in Ohio! You can't GIVE an old battery away! You have to CH> pay them to take them, because they are "hazardous waste". Hmm. Sounds like some dealers in those parts are into screwing people when they get the chance. I always took all the junk batteries that people wanted to come up with... CH> But many places will still charge you extra for no trade in. CH> They get you coming and going around here! CH> I knew people that'd find people who were going to buy CH> batteries without trad-ins, and would get them ones from junk CH> yards and make money from both ends! The yards would pay to get CH> rid of haz-mat, and battery buyer would pay for a trade-in, and CH> save more than they paid. If finding those who were buying CH> without trade-ins were easier, they'd have been rich! Heh... --- * Origin: TANSTAAFL BBS 717-432-0764 (1:270/615) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 272 HOME POWER Ref: DDB00003 Date: 09/06/96 From: ROY J. TELLASON Time: 08:24am \/To: CHRIS HARPER (Read 2 times) Subj: Steam RJT> I had *no* idea that there was still as much of this stuff around and RJT> still functional! CH> Old tech was before "planned obsellessance" became widespread CH> and manufacturing started building in the "wear-out factor" by CH> using sub-standard parts. CH> A 1955 car was expected to last at LEAST 10 years. A 1995 car CH> is expected to start falling apart in just over five. Some CH> progress, eh? Yeah. What's wrong with this picture? --- * Origin: TANSTAAFL BBS 717-432-0764 (1:270/615) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 272 HOME POWER Ref: DDB00004 Date: 09/06/96 From: TIM HUTZLER Time: 11:45am \/To: CHRIS HARPER (Read 2 times) Subj: Re: photovoltaic air con TH> And it only works if the average temperature is within the > confort zone. Yuma, Arizona might work, but Fairbanks, Alaska > would not. TH> Still, in principle I'm with you. I don't know about that. If you insulated around the outside of > the thermal mass as well, it'd be possible. Whether or not it'd > be economicly feasible, is another story. Yes, it's the *other* story that ones pocketbook *has* to read. --- Maximus/2 3.01 * Origin: Madman BBS * Chico, California * 916-893-8079 * (1:119/88) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 272 HOME POWER Ref: DDB00005 Date: 09/04/96 From: CHRIS HARPER Time: 03:28am \/To: TOM KOSTEN (Read 3 times) Subj: LEDS (Help On Saturday August 31 1996, Tom Kosten of (1:2003/7.59) wrote to Chris Harper: CH>> One question though. Do LEDs ever "burn out"? I've yet to CH>> hear of it. Anyone know the average life span? TK> I would also be interested in knowing if they burn out. I would also like TK> to know how many you can hook up to a 12-volt battery or even a 9 volt TK> battery for starters. Do as I did and hook up more LEDs than you think it will light in series, then remove one at a time until they light. Then remove another and see if they brighten, and repeat as needed till they don't brighten anymore. Then adjust the number to the desired brightness, as long as it's at least one more than maximum brightness, so they aren't totally over loaded. (I went 2 steps down in brightness, and they outlasted my use for them. Hope this helps, Chris --- GoldED 2.40+ * Origin: The Grizzly BBS, Wadsworth, OH, USA (1:2215/10)