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12 Comments

  1. Comment for Mountain Mans EDC: If you are interested in stories of mountain men read from the author Terry C Johnston. Though he has passed his series on the character Titus Bass is exceptional. Some of the titles of his books are Border Lords, Carry the Wind, etc… There were nine books in the series. Great reads.

  2. Total agreement on the book Gunsmithing the AR-15: the Bench Manual, by Patrick Sweeney. It’s a valuable resource for anyone building an AR or planning to keep one running over the long term. Bear in mind that it is NOT a step-by-step build guide, but rather it covers each component — barrels, bolt carrier groups, etc. — in depth and tells how to uninstall and install new ones.

    This book also saved me a lot of money via Sweeney’s insights on topics like torquing a barrel nut, and what those numbers really mean. Thanks to Sweeney, I learned that a strong man can nearly reach the low end of the range with this bare hands, so I get the nut as tight as I can with bare hands, then apply the wrench gently. No problem, and no expensive torque wrench just to install one part.

    Highly recommended!

  4. Request for Recommendations:

    1) Small wind turbine, HAWT, 500W, 24v, 5 blade, low wind area, or something better.

    Not a permanent installation, supplement for solar, for use at a remote site, the summer cabin, RV, or grid down.

    2) Charge controller, 24v turbine [low wind area] to 12v batteries

    3) Portable tower, 50ft, [telescopic], something like this one, http://aprsworld.com/masts/

    4) Any recommendations on a VAWT Wind Turbine?

    5) Ground Anchor Tool, something better than a crowbar…

    I have been watching this video series, he has a component list.
    Genuine 500 watt 5 blade Micro Wind Turbine, The Installation build
    (YouTube Video)
    John Daniel
    Published on Apr 26, 2019
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rWKr6th-goE

    2019 GE-500 http://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/Igjt80g 3 or 5 blade, 12,24,48 volt
    https://www.aliexpress.com/store/product/HAWT-500W-Wind-Turbine-Generator-With-Controller/4663061_32958450500.html

    I was going to wait, but the China Tariffs caused me to expedite.
    This AliExpress web site is problematic, took over an hour to process an order,
    then my credit card company denied it as a fraudulent transaction…

    I’ve been reading, Wind Power For Dummies Paperback – October 5, 2009, by Ian Woofenden (Author), but it seems like there are some new more reliable systems?

    Can the mast be used for a [Repeater] radio antenna as well, or does the A/C wire interfere?

    1. Unless you live in a snowy, northern clime on a windy hilltop, then wind turbines are now more trouble than they are worth. The cost of PV panels has dropped so low that they beat nearly all other alternative power sources — in terms of purchase cost and maintenance cost, per KW/Hour produced. There is also the safety factor of working up on a tower to consider.

      1. I have to agree with James about wind generators. VAWTs are a waste because they are turning against the wind for half their rotation, even with some gee-whiz engineering it’s just not even a little bit efficient. If you’re really fired up for wind power check out http://www.otherpower.com – at one time they offered blade kits and neodymium magnets, along with detailed instructions and even classes to build your own.

    2. How about an actual small boat/pleasure craft anchor. Some are aluminum or steal which are not as heavy as the old ones used to be. And, depending on the weight of the tower, which is what I presume you would like to anchor, remember Five, Five, and Alive. Put the tether rope 5 feet high on a living tree of least 5 inches around. Perhaps there’s an idea here that could help, buy yeah, solar is light and quick to setup.

    3. I’ve lived off grid in the Northern Redoubt for 14 years. A few things to keep in mind with PV arrays. Obviously try for southern exposure. You will need many more panels in mid-October to mid-March than the rest of the year. Place the panels where you can get to them easily. I have cleaned snow up to three times a day to get just a little bit of charge. Depending on the temperature, 18-24” of snow isn’t going to come off by itself. There is also freezing ice. It’s nice to be able to reach the panels by hose with warm water. Be careful about hitting them with too hot of water or too fast. Where I live December 21st is approx. 8hrs of daylight, June 21st is approx. 16 hrs. That doubles the number of panels without taking into account more overcast days in winter months.

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