If power grid failed....

[churchmouse]

So, the brown truck brought this today....

How many batts.

 

[indyjohn]

How many batts.

Working on that..

Looking seriously at 125 AH x4 https://www.vmaxtanks.com/SLR125-12Volts-125AH-Deep-Cycle-Solar-AGM-Battery_p_38.html

 

[churchmouse]

Working on that..

Looking seriously at 125 AH x4 https://www.vmaxtanks.com/SLR125-12Volts-125AH-Deep-Cycle-Solar-AGM-Battery_p_38.html

Oooooooooooooooooo sweet. You do know that 2 of those will keep your light bright for an entire weekend right. If you are putting them where I think you are.

 

[indyjohn]

Oooooooooooooooooo sweet. You do know that 2 of those will keep your light bright for an entire weekend right. If you are putting them where I think you are.

Yes, I'm starting with two, planned for 4 because well, I over-engineer everything. And yes, all this is for that project.

 

[churchmouse]

Yes, I'm starting with two, planned for 4 because well, I over-engineer everything. And yes, all this is for that project.

4 would be perfect. Coffee maker, lights etc and so on with no serious hit on reserves.
Coffee maker might be a push depending.

 

[indyjohn]

Coffee maker might be a push depending.

OMG - We've actually looked at moving to a French Press for this very reason. Coffee maker draws 1500 watts.

 

[indyjohn]

And, every light is LED. Saves so much on energy draw.

 

[churchmouse]

OMG - We've actually looked at moving to a French Press for this very reason. Coffee maker draws 1500 watts.

Well there you go. This is why I put 2 inverters on the banks I built up.

They make some decent 12V lamps as well. Pulling directly off the bank has less loss.

 

[churchmouse]

And, every light is LED. Saves so much on energy draw.

Bingo. We have went totally LED in the hose save for the ones on dimmers. I see that now they offer dimmable LEDs.

I have 7 of the shop lights swithed up to LEDs as well. Downside is lees heat from the lights in the winter but also less in the summer.

 

[indyjohn]

Well there you go. This is why I put 2 inverters on the banks I built up.

They make some decent 12V lamps as well. Pulling directly off the bank has less loss.

This whole thing is not my wheelhouse, so I've limited my scope to what I can wrap my head around. So for now it's solar and wind DC to stored power (AC genny if needed in line), then stored power through the blue behemoth to the AC load center. Traditional load center to the building.

 

[churchmouse]

This whole thing is not my wheelhouse, so I've limited my scope to what I can wrap my head around. So for now it's solar and wind DC to stored power (AC genny if needed in line), then stored power through the blue behemoth to the AC load center. Traditional load center to the building.

Again, if you need a hand let me know.

 

[indyjohn]

then stored power through the blue behemoth to the AC load center.

Okay, it's kind of a gunmetal grey (fitting).

 

[indyjohn]

Again, if you need a hand let me know.

Ya, you'll be doing final inspection before I call the county to sign off on closing it in with drywall (not Marion county of course).

 

[churchmouse]

Ya, you'll be doing final inspection before I call the county to sign off on closing it in with drywall (not Marion county of course).

You have my info yes.
Will you be at the upcoming 1500..??

 

[indyjohn]

Did I mention you're replacing my HVAC in the spring on 2018? You probably need to know that.

 

[indyjohn]

You have my info yes.
Will you be at the upcoming 1500..??

I do.
I'm not sure about the 1500.

 

[bwframe]

You really need a solid security plan for the long term power outage. One that involves recruiting the friendlier threats that you encounter.

You can have the best power loss program there is, as stealth and or efficient as can be. Eventually, hard as you try not to be seen, others will see that you are living well when they are not.

Even the best of friends and neighbors will eventually give into "doing whatever necessary to feed their kids." If you can successfully avoid killing them initially (good luck,) they need to be on your "payroll," guarding your perimeter and burying bodies.

Sad but true, people will have to die for your family's security in the long term power outage.

 

[Thor]

Sad but true, people will have to die for your family's security in the long term power outage.

This is true. Starting in the pretty near term...from a day hopefully far away.

 

[Trigger Time]

Building a solid network of people who have skills and knowledge is the most important prep one can make. If you live in a city and are running generators past week 4 of a end of the world as we know it scenario then you are gonna be ****ed unless you have a large defensible structure with plenty of people willing to die to defend it and you'll all still probably die if the masses want or need what you have bad enough. Look at countries and conflicts around the world where this has happened. Masses of starving people will rush machine guns
And they won't stop because you won't be able to kill them fast enough to stop them. Not to mention if they just want you dead or a gang doesn't want you in their AO they'll just burn you out.
A plan to shelter in place for basic disasters lasting even weeks with known emergency services help coming soon from outside is fine, but if if it's a grid down scenario affecting at least 1/3 of the nation and prolonged a month or more where life will be altered possibly for years, you had better have a plan to become Mobil and adapt. A set location outside of major population areas where you will be off the grid and out of sight smell and sound. Far enough away that the masses cannot reach without long term supplies. And you will still need capable and trained bodies to defend it.
Even a special operations weapons squad with resuply cannot defend a known static possition with a city coming down on it.
Prepping in order to ward off diseases that spread via animals and people and rodents due to thousands of un-burried bodies or improperly handled bodies, and no running water or sewer or trash services will end you if you aren't prepared and trained.
I think the only way to survive in a city will be basicly to be part of a citizens coalition or gang or to be such a small and unnoticed group with the skills to avoid other people and still resupply yoirselves and survive the elements. Long enough to outlast the massive die off period from the sick and elderly and the mass disease kill off event after that,which will take out the hungry and weak and the strong that think they are untouchable and don't take precautions. After all that if you can reach an agreement with the power structures that emerge the maybe you can return to your home but everything you own Wil be gone and anything you bring back will be confiscated and dispersed.

 

[avboiler11]

EMP just might fry yo' charge controllers and inverters, too...

On a tangential note, I'm considering a small semi-portable solar setup for a boondocked camper; two 215AH 6V golf cart batteries in series with (initially) 150-200W of panels to a Renogy Rover 40A MPPT controller, adding panels up to about a 520W array.

"Buy Once Cry Once" has me pointed toward an Outback 80 so I could eventually grow into 1Kw 12V/2Kw 24V system...but for starting that's a big step.