Living Off Grid- sort of

[Walks with dogs]

Someone once offered me one of those machines for free, that he was going to have built and distributed round the third world. I turned down his kind offer for two reasons.

1) He was clearly nuts.

2) I didn't recognise him to be honest but he was a very famous American comedian with a string of movie hits.

Never accept strange machines from crazy American comedians- as my father always used to say.

 

[jinx]

I sense some people think I may be a touch naive, or just touched!

By the way demographic, how much for the beans.

Jinx

 

[demographic]

I sense some people think I may be a touch naive, or just touched!

By the way demographic, how much for the beans.

Jinx

The're a tenner each, but you should see how big they grow

 

[V8Mondo]

I have been reading this thread with interest...

I would like to add something. I am not an engineer but I do read a lot.

Anyone heard of Nikolai Tesla?
Did you know Tesla discovered alternating current and without it you would have no electricity in buildings?
Did you know that Tesla invented the electromagentic coil?
When the first mass produced cars were produced, people had to sign a declaration that they would not remove the 'coil' to provide energy for their homes. The coil as most people with a car today would possibly know, boosts the current to the spark plugs.

It is possible I believe to utilise the same system used in modern cars to provide power for the home supply. I do not know the engineering for this, but I know that it can work.

Tesla also invented a 'over unity device' or free energy device. Meaning that it produced more energy than was used to start the device. This device also measures energy use. We have them in every home...they are called electric meters. I did read that some engineers tested the 'theory' that these were the same devices and apparently they managed to make them work in over unity. Dont as me how as I would be using them myself.

Read up on Tesla he was amazing. He mysteriously died after inventing a flying machine that used his free energy device??

Also did you know that 'Rudolph Diesel' was a vegetable farmer that invented the Diesel engine to run his machinery on his own vegetables? He was on a trip to America by boat to patent and sell his idea to the large car firms of the day...he mysteriously fell over board. His engine was re-designed to run on heavy oil. It is illegal to run your Diesel engine on vegetable oil as you would be evading tax.

The first Ford Model T cars had panels that were made from Hemp. They were almost indestructable. Hemp can be used for almost anything from paper to rope from sheet panels, building materials to fuel - yes you can run engines on the stuff and it is actually good for your health if eaten. Of course it grows everywhere and is naturally insect repellent. So that means - no pesticides, no oil industry, no paper industry, no managed trees, no carbon footprint, no rusting cars, no mining...well even a lack of taxes I guess!

We are denied it all because - you can smoke it and get high too!

 

[demographic]

I have been reading this thread with interest...

I would like to add something. I am not an engineer but I do read a lot.

Anyone heard of Nikolai Tesla?
Did you know Tesla discovered alternating current and without it you would have no electricity in buildings?
Did you know that Tesla invented the electromagentic coil?
When the first mass produced cars were produced, people had to sign a declaration that they would not remove the 'coil' to provide energy for their homes. The coil as most people with a car today would possibly know, boosts the current to the spark plugs.

It is possible I believe to utilise the same system used in modern cars to provide power for the home supply. I do not know the engineering for this, but I know that it can work.

Tesla also invented a 'over unity device' or free energy device. Meaning that it produced more energy than was used to start the device. This device also measures energy use. We have them in every home...they are called electric meters. I did read that some engineers tested the 'theory' that these were the same devices and apparently they managed to make them work in over unity. Dont as me how as I would be using them myself.

Read up on Tesla he was amazing. He mysteriously died after inventing a flying machine that used his free energy device??

Also did you know that 'Rudolph Diesel' was a vegetable farmer that invented the Diesel engine to run his machinery on his own vegetables? He was on a trip to America by boat to patent and sell his idea to the large car firms of the day...he mysteriously fell over board. His engine was re-designed to run on heavy oil. It is illegal to run your Diesel engine on vegetable oil as you would be evading tax.

The first Ford Model T cars had panels that were made from Hemp. They were almost indestructable. Hemp can be used for almost anything from paper to rope from sheet panels, building materials to fuel - yes you can run engines on the stuff and it is actually good for your health if eaten. Of course it grows everywhere and is naturally insect repellent. So that means - no pesticides, no oil industry, no paper industry, no managed trees, no carbon footprint, no rusting cars, no mining...well even a lack of taxes I guess!

We are denied it all because - you can smoke it and get high too!

Err, I think you will find that a coil either boosts the voltage (at the expense of the amperage) or the amps at the expense of the voltage.Depending on how its wound.
Nikolai Tesla was indeed a very bright chap but he is best described as a showman scientist, there was a little of a showman about the man

They are also called a step up or step down transformer and do not provide free energy.
Diesel first built his engine to run on peanut oil, as diesel from the petrochemical industry is cheaper thats what gets used, its perfectly legal to run a car on vegetable oil in the UK, you just have to pay tax on that vegetable oil like all vehicle fuels.

As for the hemp? Its the better idea out of that list and is at least usable. Don't smoke too much of it cos otherwise it makes the brain believe all kinds of unscientific things

 

[British Red]

Not quite so any more demographic.

No tax is payable if you produce or use less than 2,500 litres per year of SVO in the UK

Red

 

[demographic]

Not quite so any more demographic.

No tax is payable if you produce or use less than 2,500 litres per year of SVO in the UK

Red

Thanks for that, I wasn't sure if that legislation had gone through and before I get pulled up on it I do know that the coil in a car isn't quite the same as a step up or down transformer, but suffice to say that it still doesn't provide free energy though

 

[jinx]

For the conspiracy theorists amongst you, follow this link.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uWOxnXKB8VQ

Personally I wonder if there is something in this Tesla generator that is driven by magnets. The magnets push the coil round and create 5 times more energy than it takes to start it up, apparently. I know s*d all about engineering, but it seems logical, any engineers out there that can offer an opinion?

Jinx

 

[gregorach]

The First Law of Thermodynamics is probably the most solid and reliable scientific principle ever discovered, and electro-magnetism is the best understood of the four fundamental forces. Whenever somebody claims to have invented a perpetual motion machine, especially one that works on electro-magnetism, there 3 possibilities to consider:

1. Some bloke in a shed has just proved that all of the basic scientific principles that underlie more-or-less all of the technology invented in the last 100 years are completely wrong.
2. They're crazy.
3. It's a scam to bilk gullible investors out of their money.

There have been many attempts over the years, and in every single case so far, it's turned out to be 2 or 3. Option no 1 seems extremely unlikely, on the grounds that we have all this technology that's been developed based on those scientific principles, and it all works as designed.

 

[Walks with dogs]

America and Europe are spending vast ammounts of cash trying to generate nuclear fission that will geberate vast ammounts of energy. These same nations are embroiled in conflicts over Oil, and the energy that provides. Assuming the conspiracy theorists are correct, why would they be doing this if they had the secret to free limitless energy already?

I'd love to think these things exist. I'd love to think that next week some boffin will email thousands of people with the design and that i will be able to build the machine myself out of old egg boxes and some duct tape.

But I don't think they do exist, I think the conflicts we are already seeing over the last energy reserves are attempts to shore up nation's interests and abilities to function whilst boffins race desperately against time to come up with the next big thing.

 

[British Red]

Hi WWD,

Did you get what you wanted to know about PV solar set up from earlier?

I can photograph all the various components if that helps (but I guess you can find what they look like on Google anyway)

Let me know if there's anything else you want to know

Red

 

[Walks with dogs]

Thanks Red I did. Its going to be a summer project (funds depending - the woodburner comes first) but I plan to put together a small system based on what you have described. If it runs a laptop and a couple of lights I'll be well pleased - for starters.

I expect I'll be pestering you with more questions then. In the meantime , I have found most of the stuff I need can be easily sourced at Maplins, I expect it can be obtained cheaper elsewhere though.

I really appreciate the advice you and others have given. I've learned lots on this thread.

 

[jago25_98]

I have a 12v lesuire battery, regulator and solar panel on my camper van.

The panel is ~1m square but takes 2 days to charge the battery,
1hr laptop use to deplete.

I'm going to go outside now and see if the battery needs topping up with deionised water. I might get a new battery.

The camper also has a wood burning stove but it's very small and so is a lot of work to take the ashes out and restock with wood.

In terms of water I have Iodine. I have used this for a month in Nepal.

 

[gunslinger]

I remember back in the late seventies there was a chap who lived in Ealing who had designed and made a carburretor that increased mileage and performance on Ford cars.
I went to his house and he showed me his workshop and TBH he had the persona of a mad proffessor but I bought one and it worked.
It looked awful all rough castings but the bit that mattered did the job.
In those days I worked for Andrews of Ealing a Ford main dealer and he was in a side street opposite,they went out of their way to discredit him. I was sacked for a false complaint when they found out I had bought one.

At the time he advertised in all the car mags and I believe E&M he would certainly be dead now but I often wonder what happened to him.

GS

 

[pete79]

Checking up on this thread fom time to time has really prompted me to think about when I was living off grid. I loved it and I'd love to do it again (but my lady had issues with it; largely issues with the limited amount of running water). We rented our off grid shack to be off in the middle of no-where for a while, but thinking about it and some of the posts here (particularly the words "shaking off our sense of entitlement"), I'm thinking everyone should try it (a sort of national service for the 21st century). It really put me in touch with my own ecological footprint; everything you use when living off grid you can see as a tangible entity before your own eyes, and you have to work for it all (firewood and heat, water supply, the sun to charge your batteries). Because you're in touch with what you're using, you make a conscious effort to use it efficiently, without waste, and reduce the amount you use. It's a humbling experience. Modern living has become easy, and that time lag beween having every appliance in the house going at once and receiving a massive gas and electricity bill detaches people from their own impact.
I love this thread guys. Thought provoking stuff.

 

[swyn]

I will recommend www.barden-batteries.com for a good range of batteries and in particular the yellow top Optima deep cycle unit. I have been using these for ten years now. My friend has one red top that he uses to start his Gardiner which is nearly 12 years old. These batteries can be mounted in any position ie on their sides as they are sealed, this is sometimes useful! I am not ready to try solar on the house but do have a small panel on my fishing boat. This also came from Barden. My house wiring would leave an electrician sleepless! (1930's)
My son and I had much pleasure in restoring the Victorian rainwater system this summer and also improved it to work the outside loo and wash area. I still have to repair the hand pump. Our woodburner has been going since October although gathering the resulting amounts of firewood has been quite hard work even with equipment to do so.
Next step is to insulate the roof area and try not to put feet through the reed celings! Maybe my ditch digging exploits will pay for this? Some of this may seem backwards but there have been prorities such as simply keeping the rain out!
Swyn.

 

[demographic]

America and Europe are spending vast ammounts of cash trying to generate nuclear fission that will geberate vast ammounts of energy. These same nations are embroiled in conflicts over Oil, and the energy that provides. Assuming the conspiracy theorists are correct, why would they be doing this if they had the secret to free limitless energy already?

I'd love to think these things exist. I'd love to think that next week some boffin will email thousands of people with the design and that i will be able to build the machine myself out of old egg boxes and some duct tape.

But I don't think they do exist, I think the conflicts we are already seeing over the last energy reserves are attempts to shore up nation's interests and abilities to function whilst boffins race desperately against time to come up with the next big thing.

Just a small point of order but we have been doing nuclear fission for donkeys years now, its nuclear fusion that we have not managed to get to energy break even point on reliably as yet.

Well, other than in thermonuclear warheads that is.

 

[Scots_Charles_River]

I'm surprised more CH systems don't have the 'cold in' pipe exposed thru the house so that the ambient temp warms it up, before it goes thru the bolier thus replicating, not as well as ,the ground source method,

A small 1 ft wind vane like used on keel boats could easily charge enough Hydraulic Plant batteries for lighting.

Nick

 

[smoggy]

Not quite so any more demographic.

No tax is payable if you produce or use less than 2,500 litres per year of SVO in the UK

Red

Just to clarify......

any individual has an allowance to use 2500lts of duty free fuel (svo, bio, etc) in any 12 month period, but one must keep a record of usage for 6 yrs.

any more and you are liable for tax and duty on the full amount.

very interesting thread this.......carry on chaps....

Smoggy.

 

[gunslinger]

Smoggy do you have a link for the book keeping for six years bit.
I have been using oil for years and post on a couple of oil forums,and I have never heard of this.
I dont know anyone who keeps any records at all.

I do however only use filtered oil and dont make biodiesel.

GS