--------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 272 HOME POWER Ref: F3K00006 Date: 03/15/98 From: KEN ORRIS Time: 06:11pm \/To: JIM DUNMYER (Read 2 times) Subj: RATING BATTERIES JD> Roy, JD> You're probably correct that an automotive battery is better for a UPS JD> that doesn't cycle the battery very deeply, at least not often. Besides JD> initial purchase price, an auto battery is likely to be 'fresher' than JD> the slower-selling 'trolling' or 'RV' batteries. I'm strongly JD> considering using auto batteries next time I replace those on my UPSs. Jim, You might check out the Delco Voyager, its a deep cycle marine battery at about the same cost as a auto battery. I use one at the cabin to run a small 12V TV and radio. I made a simple recharge wire out of a cigarette lighter plug, and alligator clips on the other end of the wire. When I go into town, I plug it in,(after starting the truck of course), hook up the clips. This keeps the battery usable quite a long time until I get home and put the "real" charger on it overnight. ...Ken * Q-Blue 2.3 * --- FLAME v1.1 * Origin: Telnet toltbbs.com or call 313-854-6001, Boardwatch #55 (1:234/2) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 272 HOME POWER Ref: F3L00000 Date: 03/13/98 From: TIM HUTZLER Time: 11:44am \/To: RON TAYLOR (Read 2 times) Subj: Re: Y2K RT>The Y2K situation has been ruled off topic for this conference, so RT>I'll try to focus on the Home Power side of the issue. [hee-hee] How sneeky. [grin] Anyway, I read oyur post, thanks. I can see that you are not on the extreme (did I ever that say you were?) If Y2K is off topic, then so be it. I will withhold my comments. They would be mostly in aggrement with you anyway. Have a good day. ___ Blue Wave/QWK v2.12 --- Maximus/2 3.01 * Origin: Madman BBS * Chico, California * 530-893-8079 * (1:119/88) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 272 HOME POWER Ref: F3L00001 Date: 03/16/98 From: CHARLIE YOUNG Time: 12:26am \/To: DAY BROWN (Read 2 times) Subj: Little Rock > Maybe you can suggest how I can join fido Roy. the nearest hub, > in little Rock only handles mail... Looking for a Fido BBS in the Little Rock area? Try the Ethernet 501-455-0628. Obviously carries the homepower echo. --- PCBoard (R) v15.3/M 2 * Origin: The Ether Net Amateur Radio BBS (1:3821/7) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 272 HOME POWER Ref: F3L00002 Date: 03/16/98 From: CHARLIE YOUNG Time: 12:27am \/To: JIM DUNMYER (Read 2 times) Subj: UPS COLD START > I had a Tripplite that would cold-start, but > most of the others I have won't. Guess that is a question to ask before you buy if that feature is important to you. I like to know that if there is an extended power failure, I will be able to run some light loads anytime. If need be I can take the big marine battery out to the car for recharging. --- PCBoard (R) v15.3/M 2 * Origin: The Ether Net Amateur Radio BBS (1:3821/7) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 272 HOME POWER Ref: F3L00003 Date: 03/16/98 From: CHARLIE YOUNG Time: 12:29am \/To: ROY J. TELLASON (Read 2 times) Subj: UPS cold start CY> I have run a small UPS CY> at about half its rated output for several hours with no ill CY> effects. As long as it doesn't get too hot, everything is fine. > I have a whole *bunch* of batteries here, > and it sure would be nice to be able > to put some of them to use! The 10 > AH that's in there now doesn't cut it, and > only powers the computer for less than an hour at best... > Anybody out there done this? That is exacly how I did it. The UPS certainly would not have run several hours on the little battery that is inside. --- PCBoard (R) v15.3/M 2 * Origin: The Ether Net Amateur Radio BBS (1:3821/7) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 272 HOME POWER Ref: F3L00004 Date: 03/14/98 From: DAY BROWN Time: 10:46pm \/To: JIM DUNMYER (Read 2 times) Subj: Rating Batteries On 03-12-98 Jim Dunmyer wrote to Roy J. Tellason... Jim, I built my homestead off the grid in 75, and have used lots of batteries; IMHO: the deep cycle and other custom types have a higher energy density all right, but for watt/hours/*dollar* of storage, nothing else comes close to standard vehicle batteries. While thoeretically the deep cycle should last years longer, I haven't seen it in practice; to be sure, I have had accidental discharges that abused them and glitches with the various kinds of recharging systems that overcharged them, or whatever, but I don't see that they resisted sulphation much better. ___ * OFFLINE 1.58 --- Maximus 3.01 * Origin: * After F/X * Rochester N.Y. 716-359-1662 (1:2613/415) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 272 HOME POWER Ref: F3L00005 Date: 03/14/98 From: DAY BROWN Time: 11:19pm \/To: ROY J. TELLASON (Read 2 times) Subj: Y2k This is just one of the design problems facing anyone who wants to set up a home with an independent power system; in the event of an economic crash, it would be a real waste if some critical part of your home power system went down, and because of the IC failure, and the likelihood of it no longer being available from a disrupted socio/economic system, you are unable to repair it. For instance, the new inverters are highly efficient, and put out a pretty good sin wave. However, if the PWM chip goes, it is dead and useless. the older designs used heavy single winding primary transformers and RC tank circuits. You can protect the windings with fuses and/or some small guage wire. You can strip the BJTs out of old TV power supplies and get it running again. Moreover, you can understand how the damn thing works. Whether you use solar, wind, geothermal, or water power, prudence would seem to suggest that you select a design that you can keep running without a high tech parts distribution system. ___ * OFFLINE 1.58 --- Maximus 3.01 * Origin: * After F/X * Rochester N.Y. 716-359-1662 (1:2613/415) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 272 HOME POWER Ref: F3M00000 Date: 03/16/98 From: RON TAYLOR Time: 08:33am \/To: MIKE ROSS (Read 2 times) Subj: Re: Y2K MR> RT> Having said all that.... First, no computer is gonna _explode_ ecause > RT> of a software glitch! The ones spouting doom's day and hysteria are > RT> those that have only a cursory view of data processing. MR>My instructors always said that software can not harm hardware. Sort of >like Asimov's "Laws of Robotics". I always considered it rather naive. My point exactly. >However, anyone can easily see a problem with division by zero as most >computers will hang on this error. Certainly, but the "00" in the date "2000" is not likely to cause a divide-by-zero situation. I don't personally remember encountering a situation where a date was divided. Added and subtracted? Yes, and multiplied occasionally, but not divided. Most likely the routine will work, it will just compute to 1900 instead of 2000. I can see where you might get into such a problem in a weird reverse amortization or some such... maybe. The most insidious problems will be leap year related. It'll be interesting what will happen on 2-29-2000 when many programs think its 3-1-2000 and the programmers think they've made the software Y2K compatible. Some industrial and utility type equipment might have maintenance schedules programmed into their software and when the date gets fouled up in extreme cases a machine might shut down, but otherwise, I can't imagine how a date routine will affect them. The turbines are gonna keep pumping out the kilowatts regardless of what date it is. MR>This is a symptom of an even more insidious problem than the Y2K thing. >The problem is programs are written with the philosophy of a positive >goal outcome. Each programming step is dependant on a previous result >for its output. There is not enough thought given to the case when a >program suddenly finds itself in an undefined state. Error handling is one of the most difficult areas to get new programmers to do properly and thoroughly. Strangely enough, a programmer always thinks positively and writes his programs to work, not to fail. . --- * QMPro 1.02 42-7029 * Please handle carefully, this tagline is fragile. --- WILDMAIL!/WC v4.12 * Origin: Crime Bytes: Take A MegaByte Out of Crime 1:135/5 (1:135/5.0) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 272 HOME POWER Ref: F3N00000 Date: 03/18/98 From: BARRY SMITH Time: 06:59pm \/To: JIM DUNMYER (Read 2 times) Subj: RE: EMP So thats why the satalite receaver run hot and has kit the paloraion, I had t in for factry service they sent it back it fine, but it aint. I gone thoght three off them in years. c band --- Maximus/2 3.01 * Origin: Madman BBS * Chico, California * 530-893-8079 * (1:119/88) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 272 HOME POWER Ref: F3N00001 Date: 03/18/98 From: BARRY SMITH Time: 07:06pm \/To: MIKE ROSS (Read 2 times) Subj: RE: EMP So do any of you guys know what the exeltech sine wave 125 watt takes in the way of amps at 12v operating, my 24 v rotery moter gen takes 27 amps hr which I use on the conputer and I am only on once a week charging the two 12v battery at 12v for 5 days. --- Maximus/2 3.01 * Origin: Madman BBS * Chico, California * 530-893-8079 * (1:119/88)