Off-grid post, 6-12-22

 

The beast awakens

This latest purchase from Battery Hookup is called the "Super Beast". I like it because it is powerful, and it has a lot of extra features. For example, it has a 100 amp fuse, and a relay system. The relay allows a small 12 vcurrent to switch on/off this beastie. That's nice, because I may want to switch it off if I need to. Maybe in a hurry, too.

It's all wired up now. However, it is not installed in the place I want to put it. I want to do some tests and observations before I put it there. Where I have in mind is not easy to get to if I need to. There's little room inside of this travel trailer. Hopefully it will stay trouble-free for a long time. As for the tests...

For short periods, I had it hooked up to all 4 solar panels. It's all good so far. The inverter is running a small fan. Whatever it was causing the shutdowns with the other battery, isn't happening so far with this one. No, the battery on the other one was not low. But it did seem to shut down after running awhile. It would start right back up the next morning. Never did figure it out. Now that I have this other beastie. I can take the first baby beast to the workbench and check it out.

There may be some more hardware to get. A switch for the solar panels. You see, I have it set up to run as 2 plus 2, or 4 by itself. If I were to switch off the 2 panels to the big beast, the little beast gets all 4 panel's output. The little beast may get too much juice to handle, so that one needs to shut down too. Actually, shut it down first, which gives all the power to the biggie, and then shut that one down too. That's if it is needed.

I looked at some switches before. Don't have any handy around here, unless I tear something up and take the switch off that. I got one of my switches that way. But I may have to buy one this time.

By the way, power generation is no simple chore. You have to pay attention to it. It isn't as easy as turning it on, and forgetting about it. Living the sweet life has everybody spoiled. Power generation is a serious thing. These things can cause fires, and if you aren't careful, you can get electrocuted. It doesn't take all that much to kill a person.

That is why I am playing small-ball, and using low voltages. Gives me a better chance to stay out of a hospital or worse. Know what I mean, Vern?

Times like these makes me wonder if I would have done all this if I knew what a pain in the butt it can be. However, if I can get it to work properly, all this will be forgotten. I'd be fixed for power for awhile. But that is getting ahead of myself. A 400-watt system isn't enough to do much. If were to set up a second power bank just like this one, it still wouldn't do much. But it would get close to running a household without losing too many creature comforts. To bring it up to something THAT good would take a whole lot more. No money and no patience for that idea. Maybe another 400 watts, and that would be enough.

That's all for now.