Notes for Wednesday – October 08, 2014

October 8th is the birthday of economist and libertarian commentator J. Orlin Grabbe. (Born, 1947, died March 15, 2008.)

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Today, we present another entry for Round 55 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The $12,000+ worth of prizes for this round include:

First Prize:

  1. A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate, good for any one, two, or three course (a $1,195 value),
  2. A course certificate from onPoint Tactical. This certificate will be for the prize winner’s choice of three-day civilian courses. (Excluding those restricted for military or government teams.) Three day onPoint courses normally cost $795,
  3. DRD Tactical is providing a 5.56 NATO QD Billet upper with a hammer forged, chromlined barrel and a hardcase to go with your own AR lower. It will allow any standard AR type rifle to have quick change barrel which can be assembled in less then 1 minute without the use of any tools and a compact carry capability in a hard case or 3-day pack (an $1,100 value),
  4. Gun Mag Warehouseis providing 30 DMPS AR-15 .223/5.56 30 Round Gray Mil Spec w/ Magpul Follower Magazines (a value of $448.95) and a Gun Mag Warehouse T-Shirt. An equivalent prize will be awarded for residents in states with magazine restrictions.
  5. Two cases of Mountain House freeze dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value),
  6. A $300 gift certificate from CJL Enterprize, for any of their military surplus gear,
  7. A 9-Tray Excalibur Food Dehydrator from Safecastle.com (a $300 value),
  8. A $300 gift certificate from Freeze Dry Guy,
  9. A $250 gift certificate from Sunflower Ammo,
  10. KellyKettleUSA.com is donating both an AquaBrick water filtration kit and a Stainless Medium Scout Kelly Kettle Complete Kit with a combined retail value of $304,
  11. TexasgiBrass.com is providing a $300 gift certificate.
  12. Two cases of meals, Ready to Eat (MREs), courtesy of CampingSurvival.com (a $180 value),

Second Prize:

  1. A Glock form factor SIRT laser training pistol and a SIRT AR-15/M4 Laser Training Bolt, courtesy of Next Level Training, which have a combined retail value of $589,
  2. A FloJak EarthStraw “Code Red” 100-foot well pump system (a $500 value), courtesy of FloJak.com,
  3. Acorn Supplies is donating a Deluxe Food Storage Survival Kit with a retail value of $350,
  4. The Ark Instituteis donating a non-GMO, non-hybrid vegetable seed package–enough for two families of four, seed storage materials, a CD-ROM of Geri Guidetti’s book “Build Your Ark! How to Prepare for Self Reliance in Uncertain Times”, and two bottles of Potassium Iodate– a $325 retail value,
  5. $300 worth of ammo from Patriot Firearms and Munitions. (They also offer a 10% discount for all SurvivalBlog readers with coupon code SVB10P),
  6. A $250 gift card from Emergency Essentials,
  7. Twenty Five books, of the winners choice, of any books published by PrepperPress.com (a $270 value),
  8. TexasgiBrass.com is providing a $150 gift certificate,
  9. Organized Prepper is providing a $500 gift certificate, and
  10. RepackBoxis providing a $300 gift certificate to their site.

Third Prize:

  1. A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21 (a $275 value),
  2. A large handmade clothes drying rack, a washboard, and a Homesteading for Beginners DVD, all courtesy of The Homestead Store, with a combined value of $206,
  3. Expanded sets of both washable feminine pads and liners, donated by Naturally Cozy (a $185 retail value),
  4. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security,
  5. Mayflower Trading is donating a $200 gift certificate for homesteading appliances,
  6. Ambra Le Roy Medical Products in North Carolina is donating a bundle of their traditional wound care and first aid supplies, with a value of $208, and
  7. APEX Gun Parts is donating a $250 purchase credit, and
  8. SurvivalBased.com is donating a $500 gift certificate to their store.
  9. Montie Gearis donating a Y-Shot Slingshot and a Locking Rifle Rack. (a $379 value).

Round 55 ends on November 30th, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and that articles on practical “how to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.

Backup Electric Power Design Considerations, by Duliskov – Part 2

Energy Storage

The only practical way to store electric energy is in chemical form, in batteries. There is loss of energy while it is being deposited into batteries, converted into chemical energy, and then also while the battery sits in storage (self-discharge).

The output will be DC current. Batteries are built from units of two volts each. Six of these units make a 12-Volt battery, et cetera. Physically larger batteries are more susceptible to damage from rough handling (drops, vibration) because they use larger plates. Some batteries are of sealed type and require no maintenance; some are of open type and will evaporate water while being charged, requiring a periodic refill with distilled water (manual or automatic). The open type also emit hydrogen gas, which may accumulate in the battery compartment and explode with a spark; therefore, adequate ventilation is needed, and because hydrogen is lighter than air, the battery compartment should be ventilated at the top rather than at the bottom. These open batteries can also spill acid more easily.

Due to low voltages, when supplying power to pumps, microwave ovens, welding equipment, and other large loads, the current flowing through the cables is very high, easily in hundreds of Amperes. This requires cables with very little resistance; these are beefy expensive ones. There is some good info on cables here: http://www.solar-electric.com/wire-cable-information.html. Generally, anything below 1.0AWG will be inadequate to power a 2kW or larger inverter. I suggest using welding cables, because they are pure copper with less resistance, instead of alloys; they’re built of hundreds of thin wires, which makes them very flexible, relatively speaking of course, and easy to work with. Also, their outer shell is multi-layered and much more durable. Thick cables require a capable crimping tool. If by any chance your connectors will be exposed to salt water, only use tinned copper; copper “rusts” in salt water quickly, while the tin coating protects the connectors and wire. Alternatively, you can cover the surface of your connections with dielectric silicone grease, but using the tinned copper will make re-arranging your batteries a little messy. You can buy premade connecting cables, but I suggest developing the skill and acquiring the equipment to do this yourself.

Batteries can generate, without damage, several hundred amperes of DC current for short periods of time. In fact, you can arc weld using a battery. There are welders designed to run, away from utilities, using battery power alone or are able to run either from internal batteries and/or supplementing utility power with internal battery power, which is useful if you wish to achieve higher amps than is possible via a single 120V household outlet. The higher the battery’s amperage, the easier the battery can start a car engine, but this requires a large surface area for chemical reaction to take place; therefore, these batteries tend to have thinner, less durable plates, leading to faster deterioration of battery over time. The batteries more suitable for power backup are the deep cycle variety, which have more robust architecture and can withstand many hundreds of cycles of deep discharge (below 50% of their full capacity). In the best case, good, quality, deep-cycle batteries will last about 10 years in a typical, daily charge-discharge scenario. Don’t forget to factor in the cost of replacement of your entire battery bank every 10 years. You don’t want to regularly deplete your batteries below 50% of their rated capacity, because that shortens their life significantly– 2x-3x times– so the useful total capacity is half of nominal amp/hours of your bank. Plan accordingly. The self-discharge rate, even for the best lead-acid batteries, is 3-5% weekly. Other battery technologies (lithium?) may have lower self-discharge, but they haven’t yet proved themselves in power backup systems.

When connecting multiple batteries for higher capacity or higher output voltage, wire them such that there is an equal number of batteries and length of wire in between the last battery terminal and the inverter input. There are multiple configurations possible, each with their own advantages and disadvantages. Some are better for running high loads. Some are better for more equal charging. Always put a DC breaker, using one at minimum, before the inverter. Size it so it is just a bit larger, in terms of amps, than your inverter. If you put a breaker on each battery, make them small enough so that their sum is just about equal the breaker in front of the inverter. You can use automatic breakers that you can reset after they are tripped, or use an ANL wafer fuse. None of these types will trip when you accidentally touch positive to negative and see sparks flying; they are not that sensitive, but they will abort a short that is longer than a second or two, preventing a meltdown in your cabling.

Batteries are heavy and will eventually need to be moved around. After you have connected them, it will be even more difficult to do so. Invest in a heavy duty cart, and prepare for the hefty shipping cost. Get a battery cart with six 12V batteries at the bottom, a shelf with a 2000W inverter that can be fully retracted to allow for easy access to your batteries, and two chargers mounted internally on the back. The top compartment will be used to add six more batteries in the future.

Here is a good page to look up battery manufacturers, and here You can simultaneously charge batteries and draw current from them. The appliance will be drawing current directly from the charger; whatever is left, the difference between the charging current and consumption of appliance, will be deposited in the battery. If the appliance uses more current than the charger can supply, then the battery may supplement the difference, depending on your system setup.

There is only one way to test the battery properly– with a significant load and a voltmeter. All other methods only estimate the condition of the battery. Fully charge the battery, wait at least six hours, apply load, and then measure the voltage as you apply the load. I suggest you record the video of the voltmeter as you may miss the reading in the 10-15 seconds that the test runs. Test your batteries periodically– at least once a year– to ensure you don’t have deteriorating ones in your bank.

If one of the batteries in your bank is dead and they are connected and you charge them together, the dead battery will draw all the charge current and cause your bank to charge very slowly. The solution to the above problem is to disconnect batteries before charging them. (This is doable if you have a manual system and circuit breakers on each of them.) Alternatively, you can use a battery isolator. This can get expensive with large banks quickly. A good charger can analyze and optimally charge multiple batteries simultaneously and simplifies installation. Charging many batteries with a poor quality charger (low output current and only one or two ports) will require using a generator for longer periods of time.

Partially discharged batteries can freeze in winter cold. I don’t know if this will actually damage them or not, but I am assuming it is not beneficial. A fully charged battery will not freeze in the harshest winter weather; however, it will seemingly “lose” part of its capacity, and the colder, the weaker it will be. Do not keep your battery bank in an outside, unheated box, if you live in the north. In cold weather, the voltage will also drop; at 0 Celsius, for example, a fully charged battery may measure 12 Volt instead of 12.7 Volt, so don’t overcharge them. If your charger supports external temperature sensors, it makes sense to install those near the batteries, to prevent overcharging, which is very damaging to batteries.

For a good source of information on deep cycle batteries, scroll down to the white papers. Another source of information for charging cycles.

DC to AC

So how can the energy stored in batteries and available in DC form power tools requiring AC? The answer is “via inverters”. The cheaper version of an inverter is generating alternating current that has significantly different waveform from utility power. This may be sufficient to run resistive type appliances and lights, but motors will run less efficiently and heat up quicker and electronics and computers may or may not run at all. If uninterruptable power systems (UPS) is used to protect sensitive electronics from brownouts or voltage fluctuations, they may not like this type of “dirty” input and will switch to internal batteries, depleting them despite availability of AC power. These cheaper inverters may also generate radio frequencies that will interfere with wireless phones, cell phones, Ham radios, satellite communication, WiFi routers, and terrestrial TV signal.

The more expensive type, typically three to five times more expensive, of pure sine wave inverters generate AC that is as good as utility power and will not cause any of the problems discussed above.

Internally, inverters may have totally isolated inputs and outputs, or they may have one of the leads connected “through” to common ground. The later can present a problem with some inductive loads, for example, with isolation transformers, because the DC voltage offset may saturate the windings of the transformer, resulting in full power load on the transformer, if there is not anything plugged into it. The transformer may burn out rather quickly, not to mention it will consume maximum power constantly. So, if you need to use an isolation transformer for a medical appliance, like an oxygen concentrator, it is best to charge the battery and then power it from battery, or you should be sure to use a fully-isolated inverter.

An inverter that has common ground and “through” connection between input and output is not suitable for feeding into a transfer switch to distribute the power to the entire house.

Inverters usually generate one phase AC. There are expensive models that can generate split phase by having 240 Volts outputs, just like a typical gasoline or propane generator. Also, there are inverters in the few thousand dollar range that can generate a two-three phase AC current, too. However, to operate a dryer or a powerful motor that runs on 240V or multi-phase also requires a compatible battery bank, which would not be in price range of an average person.

To measure DC current flowing through a wire, you will need a clamp meter, and to measure an AC current without splitting the power cord you will also need a line splitter.

Inverters typically monitor the charge condition of the battery and shut themselves down when the voltage drops significantly. Some inverters can be configured by the end user to shut at a specific voltage threshold; most can not. The voltage at which inverters shut down are between 10.5-11Volts, which essentially corresponds to a totally depleted battery bank; this is no good for reasons explained above. A simple voltmeter will allow constant monitoring of the battery status. There are automated tools that can do that for you at a more useful 11.7V threshold. Here is another option.

Check to see if the inverter fans are triggered by the load or internal temperature. If they are triggered at a certain load, they will kick in, make noise, and consume your precious energy even when the inverter is ice cold, which of course is not ideal.

Many inverters are equipped with ground fault protected outlets (GFCI– circuit interrupters). These are handy if you happen to touch a hot wire; they will shut the circuit open in less than 30 milliseconds, which might save your life. However, they can also keep randomly tripping, if there are other GFCI devices on the same circuit or you have a very small leakage into the ground somewhere. A tester comes in handy if you want to be sure that your ground fault protection works. Use cushioned clamps to fixate your electrical cables or plastic clams for lighter wires. Use cushioned clams to protect your wires.

Letter Re: Rust on a Stainless Steel Colt XSE Government Model

Good afternoon,

I am reading the post regarding corrosion on Colt stainless handguns. I believe your response needs to be understood by all. Stainless steel was not developed as a permanent solution to corrosion, rather as a base metal that is able to withstand harsher environmental conditions longer. Another problem is that there are numerous types of stainless formulations which comprise the “pool” of available metals from which to choose. Unless you have a decent connection at Colt, you may never know what type of stainless was used to produce your pistol. If you knew what type of stainless was used, you could be better armed (no pun intended) to protect the pistol for future use.

I am aware of a product sold under the trade name Bore Coat, made by Dyna-Tek Coatings. This product is sold by Brownells. The manufacturer uses the term “nano ceramic technology”. The product was first sold under the name UltraShield. The trade name aside, I have used this product to protect firearms that have been color case hardened. Case colors are quite sensitive to UV light, so exposure to direct sunlight diminishes the colors seen on newly color case hardened steel.

One thing that impressed me was how smooth parts were after applying this product, even from a single application. Nothing seems to stick to the parts treated with this product, which I see as beneficial as well.

If it does nothing but slow the degradation of case colored parts refinished at a high price, I will be a happy camper.

I would recommend that the owner of the stainless Colt pistol give it a try. – D.G.

Economics and Investing:

The new-new subprime is with auto loans. More data reflects a troubling trend. Repossessions are up 70 percent in the last quarter, but what can we expect when one-third of new auto loans are now in the form of subprime debt? This is a $920+ billion market here: The new subprime is in auto loans: One third of all new auto loans are of the subprime variety. Repossession are up 70 percent.

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Bankers Manipulation of Gold & Silver: Proof in The Demand Data

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U.S. And Australia Chasing Qatar for LNG Supremacy

Odds ‘n Sods:

Michael Savage: 1 month left to save America. – J.W.

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A piece that hits big pharma pretty hard and is short on facts but does put forward an interesting hypothesis that your immune system is pretty important in fighting Ebola. Perhaps it’s time to break out that Elderberry syrup with N98 and Ebola floating around near you. I’m not completely sold on the story, but keeping your own immune system in tip-top shape is never a bad thing. ISIS, Ebola Uncut: Why the Mainstream is Late Wrong and Corrupt

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Disease plagues illegal immigrants; lack of medications, basic hygiene blamed

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DHS to intensify attacks on freedom oriented citizens. – B.B.

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This is HIGHLY suspicious. Without a single case of Ebola within their state borders, The Connecticut Governor Declares State of Emergency Over Ebola as a Precaution. So now, apparently, the state of Connecticut can suspend your constitutional rights as a precautionary measure.

Hugh’s Quote of the Day:

“Whenever the private sector introduces an innovation that makes the poor better off than they would have been without it, or that offers benefits or terms that no one else is prepared to offer them, someone in the name of helping the poor will call for curbing or abolishing it.” – Thomas E. Woods

Notes for Tuesday – October 07, 2014

Seed for Security is offering a great sale. Their Spring Security Collection is now 25% off. This collection includes five varieties of open pollinated, non GMO, cool hardy vegetables– a total of 2,100 seeds. This collection comes in a vapor proof pouch with a desiccant and planting instructions. The offer is for a limited time.

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Ready Made Resources only has about 50 Positive Pressure protective gas mask hoods left, and their supplier has no more. If you have a beard, wear glasses, or if you have to sleep while wearing a mask, then this is the unit for you.

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Today, we present another entry for Round 55 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The $12,000+ worth of prizes for this round include:

First Prize:

  1. A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate, good for any one, two, or three course (a $1,195 value),
  2. A course certificate from onPoint Tactical. This certificate will be for the prize winner’s choice of three-day civilian courses. (Excluding those restricted for military or government teams.) Three day onPoint courses normally cost $795,
  3. DRD Tactical is providing a 5.56 NATO QD Billet upper with a hammer forged, chromlined barrel and a hardcase to go with your own AR lower. It will allow any standard AR type rifle to have quick change barrel which can be assembled in less then 1 minute without the use of any tools and a compact carry capability in a hard case or 3-day pack (an $1,100 value),
  4. Gun Mag Warehouseis providing 30 DMPS AR-15 .223/5.56 30 Round Gray Mil Spec w/ Magpul Follower Magazines (a value of $448.95) and a Gun Mag Warehouse T-Shirt. An equivalent prize will be awarded for residents in states with magazine restrictions.
  5. Two cases of Mountain House freeze dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value),
  6. A $300 gift certificate from CJL Enterprize, for any of their military surplus gear,
  7. A 9-Tray Excalibur Food Dehydrator from Safecastle.com (a $300 value),
  8. A $300 gift certificate from Freeze Dry Guy,
  9. A $250 gift certificate from Sunflower Ammo,
  10. KellyKettleUSA.com is donating both an AquaBrick water filtration kit and a Stainless Medium Scout Kelly Kettle Complete Kit with a combined retail value of $304,
  11. TexasgiBrass.com is providing a $300 gift certificate.
  12. Two cases of meals, Ready to Eat (MREs), courtesy of CampingSurvival.com (a $180 value),

Second Prize:

  1. A Glock form factor SIRT laser training pistol and a SIRT AR-15/M4 Laser Training Bolt, courtesy of Next Level Training, which have a combined retail value of $589,
  2. A FloJak EarthStraw “Code Red” 100-foot well pump system (a $500 value), courtesy of FloJak.com,
  3. Acorn Supplies is donating a Deluxe Food Storage Survival Kit with a retail value of $350,
  4. The Ark Instituteis donating a non-GMO, non-hybrid vegetable seed package–enough for two families of four, seed storage materials, a CD-ROM of Geri Guidetti’s book “Build Your Ark! How to Prepare for Self Reliance in Uncertain Times”, and two bottles of Potassium Iodate– a $325 retail value,
  5. $300 worth of ammo from Patriot Firearms and Munitions. (They also offer a 10% discount for all SurvivalBlog readers with coupon code SVB10P),
  6. A $250 gift card from Emergency Essentials,
  7. Twenty Five books, of the winners choice, of any books published by PrepperPress.com (a $270 value),
  8. TexasgiBrass.com is providing a $150 gift certificate,
  9. Organized Prepper is providing a $500 gift certificate, and
  10. RepackBoxis providing a $300 gift certificate to their site.

Third Prize:

  1. A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21 (a $275 value),
  2. A large handmade clothes drying rack, a washboard, and a Homesteading for Beginners DVD, all courtesy of The Homestead Store, with a combined value of $206,
  3. Expanded sets of both washable feminine pads and liners, donated by Naturally Cozy (a $185 retail value),
  4. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security,
  5. Mayflower Trading is donating a $200 gift certificate for homesteading appliances,
  6. Ambra Le Roy Medical Products in North Carolina is donating a bundle of their traditional wound care and first aid supplies, with a value of $208, and
  7. APEX Gun Parts is donating a $250 purchase credit, and
  8. SurvivalBased.com is donating a $500 gift certificate to their store.
  9. Montie Gearis donating a Y-Shot Slingshot and a Locking Rifle Rack. (a $379 value).

Round 55 ends on November 30th, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and that articles on practical “how to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.

Backup Electric Power Design Considerations, by Duliskov – Part 1

This article covers a complex area, and to keep myself focused I will break it into three sections. In the following I would like to share what I learned while researching and building an emergency power station. The content below assumes that the reader understands the basics of electricity (AC and DC), batteries, and solar power. I have no affiliation with any of the sellers of products I provided links to; the links are for your convenience only. I have no engineering degree and reserve the right to be completely wrong. However, I did build everything that I am writing about, and it works. It is possible to build the systems in many different alternative ways. My approach may not be the optimal one, but this should give you ideas.

General Advice

Building a flexible backup power station is an expensive proposition, and you would want to understand your power consumption and true needs, how the system is sized and configured, how to optimize its use, and how to build a low-maintenance system. You would benefit from building it yourself, because this will allow easy re-configuration, extension, and troubleshooting. Also, in the process of acquiring equipment, materials, and skills, you will establish valuable relationships with suppliers and professionals that could benefit your other projects as well.

You will be working with strong DC currents and high voltage AC, so be very careful and thoughtful how you approach your work. Plan ahead each step. If possible, have someone with you who can give you a hand or call help if you get yourself in trouble.

The most important decision you will have to make is what type of disruption you are planning for. It is unlikely that electronics in chargers and inverters will survive an EMP event, so prepping for that with any substantial power generating capability is basically out of question for an average person. You may wish to live off-grid, and then you need a self-sustaining system with renewable energy source. If you prepare for short duration outages, at most for a few weeks, you can make compromises and rely on a single source of energy to replenish your batteries or you may not even need a battery bank and just store enough fuel for a good quality generator. You may want to use the system only in an event or you may want to reduce your electrical bill by running your alternative energy producing equipment constantly. The easiest way to see how much energy you are currently using is to lookup your average daily consumption over a period of one year to account for AC and heating needs. I can assure you, you will not be able to generate that much energy on your own consistently! You will have to make choices. Also, do not count on the system paying for itself; emergency power backup is an insurance policy. You will be disappointed at the rate it can save you money. It may not be much, and it can be protracted over a long period of time. All those considerations are tough ones. If you have a set budget, whatever you spend on electric backup, you would not be spending on food, security, or other necessities. Make sure you have your priorities set right. You may also want to think about mobility, covering your roof with solar panels, or erecting a huge wind turbine, which will not help you if you have to abandon your compound.

Subsequently, you need to decide how much power you wish to use (power your entire house, just a fridge, or just your cell phone/radio) and what type of power (115 Volts, 240 Volts, multiple phases, or other). I do not think that very powerful generators are truly necessary unless you know for sure you will use their full power all the time. They are heavy, noisy, fuel hungry and costly. You can always add a second generator as needed, especially if they are of variety that can synch together. You can easily plot power consumption using computerized meters, that will allow you to plan for peak power (driving your inverter decision) and how much, on average, each appliance uses (determining useful capacity of battery bank).

Figure 1. Example of energy consumption of my Haier 1.5cft HLP23E Compact Pulsator Washer on Cycle 04 Quick Wash program. You could see that it only used 46 Watt/Hours, but the peak wattage was over 800 Watts. I also measured its water consumption (17 gallons on High, 9 gallons on Medium, and 5 gallons on Extra Low per each rinsing cycle).

There are on-line calculators as well, but best practice is to measure your own appliances you are actually planning to use.

The next question is how automated you want your system to be. There are transfer switches that will instantaneously engage a battery bank, in case utility power is gone, and in the meantime start your generator. When it stabilizes, the switch will transfer the load to the generator and start charging the batteries, automatically. This will ensure unattended, instantaneous failover. Alternatively, if you protect your sensitive equipment individually with an UPS, then you can get away with a manual transfer switch, because the beeping of the UPS will wake you up at night and give you at least 10-15 minutes to switch your loads to the battery bank and subsequently to a generator in the morning, or you can let your solar panels take over as the sun rises. A transfer switch is a must to protect utility workers who might be working on the lines. A transfer switch ensures that your generator cannot be fed back into the line, thereby hurting anyone. Please, never ever plug the generator/inverter into your home electrical outlets, bypassing a transfer switch. This is very dangerous. Even if you know what you are doing, you may not be around when someone else makes a mistake, costing a life. Manual transfer switches are relatively cheap. The outside power inlet box will let you connect your split phase generator to feed your critical loads safely with a single, properly-rated cable. Lastly, the budget will restrict what you can do. I suggest going slow on a tight budget but buying quality parts and tools. Start with the component you will see a return on immediately. For example, if you plan to lower your electric bill, start with solar panels, wind turbine, or hydro-power and an inverter, self-synchronizing to the grid. If you are primarily concerned about functional sump pumps and refrigerator, start with a battery bank and inverter that has a built-in transfer switch, and then add the ability to generate power later. If you want to survive a short outage but don’t have the skill to build a complex electric system, just buy a good inverter generator and focus on storing fuel and a transfer switch. Don’t forget to rotate gasoline and stabilize it. Propane can be stored indefinitely, and there are tri-fuel generators that will run on any fuel. Never store flammable fuel in the garage or basement; always store it in an outside shed, away from your living quarters.

If you are just planning to build a retreat location, consider adding DC wiring in addition to AC wiring. This will afford flexibility to run your DC appliances without any intermediate conversion of energy.

Not all energy must be centralized. For example, having small, motion-activated, battery-powered lights throughout your house or headlamps will save you from running wires in each room. Battery-powered tools will allow you to work as long as you have the ability to recharge them. Make sure you have enough chargers to charge all your batteries simultaneously, if you go that route, because it makes little sense to run a generator for eight hours just to charge several sets of AA batteries. Also, make sure your chargers like the quality of the power from your generator. (I have more on this later.)

Before you invest in alternative energy, check the availability of U.S. Department of Energy incentives and other local programs that may help offset the cost.

Electric Energy Generation

The four basic forms of electrical energy generation are solar, wind, hydro, and thermal (internal combustion, not geothermal, which is not covered here). All of them utilize at least one transformation of energy, such as chemical into thermal, thermal into mechanical, and then mechanical into electric energy. Solar converts photon energy directly into electrical power. There is loss of energy starting with capturing the initial energy fully, then subsequently at each transformation, and lastly in the electrical wires connecting the source to the load. If the energy is stored and retrieved later, there is an additional loss. The electrical power is typically converted in the end into mechanical motion, light, and heat also with less than 100% efficiency. As you can imagine 95% of the wind power hitting the turbine or solar energy may be lost in the process.

From the perspective of preparedness, solar and hydro generation are the most “concealable”, while wind turbines are visible landmarks and gas/propane/diesel generators attract attention with noise.

Wind, solar, and hydro are renewable but are not available 24/7. Generators can run day and night, as long there is fuel. If you chose to use a gas-powered generator, make sure you store ethanol-free gas. Find stations selling it using “Pure Gas” in your iPhone or Android app, and then add a gas stabilizer. Store fuel away from house and rotate it at least annually. Note that the fuel components differ in the summer and winter versions of the same grade of fuel. I don’t know which is better from a long-term storage perspective, but I store fuel that I buy in autumn.

Operationally and to extend the use of stored fuel, it is best to have multiple energy sources. For example, solar can power utilities and charge batteries during the mid-day, and a generator can supplement that and charge batteries when there is less sun and the wind picks up. Larger generators, above 3KW, can simultaneously charge a large battery bank and supply energy to utilities. Generators run most efficiently near full capacity; they consume a bit more fuel, but the energy produced will require less fuel per kWh. Therefore, it is best to run them for a short period of time– at most for a few hours– but load them with charging batteries and powering the fridge/freezer, water heaters, lights, washer, power tools, and so forth to full capacity. Then, switch to battery power, and only use the minimal load to last through the next generator cycle or solar/wind opportunity.

For any significant solar power generation, plan to cover your entire roof with panels. Consider installing a few panels on the roof of a trailer, if you have one, that will give you mobile power and better concealment. If you make panels tilt or slide out from under each other, you can significantly increase the total surface exposed to the sun, while stationary. Alternatively, install the panels on ground support, for easy access and scalability. Make sure (by taking photos in different times of the day and during different months) that the selected location does not have the house or trees casting a shadow over it. If you don’t have the luxury of time, you can use an application to simulate where the shadows of each object will be at any given moment in time– summer or winter. One, for example, is “Light Trac”, an iPhone app.

The distance between the panels and battery bank is essential, especially in case of low voltage 12-24 Volt transfer to the battery charger. The cable will dissipate part of the current as heat, wasting it, and the cables will be extremely expensive. A better option is to use higher voltage, for example 96Volt, or install an inverter at the panels and send an AC current down the line to the battery bank. Another option is to install individual self-synchronizing inverters for each panel. These inverters will synchronize frequency with each other and the utility power, so you can simply plug them into your house grid via a transfer switch and feed your house simultaneously from solar panels and utility power at the same time. The battery bank will be charged from any outlet in your house. This will make solar contribute to your energy bill without re-arranging your incoming utility lines and will be transparent to your utility company. Alternatively, it is possible to isolate a few circuits to be only fed by solar.

Wind power is noisy. If you install wind turbine on a mast connected to the frame of your house, you will hear the grinding noise throughout your house, especially with larger turbines. Smaller turbines are not going to satisfy your power needs of a larger bank, but they can supplement a solar array or generator. Specialists in wind energy say, “Go big or forget about it.” They says this because wind energy is extremely inefficient in case of small scale generators. I have never installed a wind turbine but have read many books and distilled for myself the following– don’t do wind under 5 KW; for the cost of installation and maintenance, you could buy a larger solar system and have less trouble over time.

If you are lucky enough to have a creek or river flowing through your property, you can tap into hydro power. Obviously, in summer the creek may dry up, and in the winter it may freeze up; otherwise, it is a constantly available source of power. Be mindful of the ecosystem of the creek, when deciding how much water to divert to your project. Also, make sure local regulations allow for what you are planning to do. The water/energy of the river flowing through your land may not be legally yours. Check with local authorities, before you invest in hydro generation.

Generally, there are two most important considerations in selecting the micro-hydro turbine. First, consider how high is the water column; this depends on the steepness of the terrain or the height of the dam. Twice the height gives you twice the energy the water will produce. Second, note the volume of water you can divert to turbine. Again, power output is proportional to volume. This will drive to either go with an impulse turbine, which is optimal for the high velocity low volume, or with a reaction turbine, which is low velocity of water but high volume. Unfortunately, I don’t have direct experience with hydro myself. Interestingly, the 5KW rule seems to apply here as well, based on literature; forget about it if you can’t go big.

Gas/propane generators sometimes have a 240V split phase output. It is best to load both sides equally, otherwise you will only be wasting half of the power of your generator. Be careful buying cords; the majority incorrectly only tap into one side of a 240V outlet. Buy something like this to optimally use generator power. Also, when wiring into your house using a transfer switch, ensure that the circuits you wired to one side or another are about equal under normal conditions.

Propane has indefinite shelf life versus gasoline, which has a short shelf life as mentioned earlier. Keep in mind that in winter the propane tank will have less pressure inside. If the propane is used at a high rate, the expansion cools the tank further. You may end up having access to only about half of the propane in the tank, unless you warm your tank while using it with something like this, for instance. The 120Volt heater with magnetic head does not make good enough contact with convex surface of the tank to transfer enough heat to keep it warm. I tried two 400W versions attached to a 20lb tank, and they barely raised the temperature by few degrees– not sufficient. They work well on flat paramagnetic surfaces though.

When selecting the solar battery charger make sure you pick an MPPT (maximum power point tracking) type . They will allow for fluctuation in the input voltage, while flexibly adjusting the voltage conversion ratio, so they utilize the full power of the solar panel, not wasting any energy; in other words, their peak conversion efficiency is close to 100% no matter how much sun is hitting your panels. Here is a good technical explanation of PWM vs MPPT technology. The same goes for wind turbines. However, many wind turbines come with a built-in battery charger; pay attention to what is built in, as not all are equal.

Lower quality generators may not operate at exactly 60 Hz (50Hz in other countries) and can cause clocks to run slower or faster; electronics to misbehave; or UPSes to switch to internal batteries, due to low quality of current produced. You may want to consider protecting sensitive equipment with an isolation transformer.

If your batteries have multiple types of posts, it is usually cheaper and more secure to use the ones with holes in them to connect wires. Cover the car-type posts with short pieces of garden hose that are just a bit longer that the post itself; this will prevent shorting, if you accidentally drop a wrench onto the battery.

Cover battery posts with pieces of garden hose, and use shrink tubing on cables to reduce the risk of shorts.

Some battery manufacturers provide a max torque rating for screws attaching cables. Be careful and measure because you can ruin your battery by twisting the soft lead post with excessive force. Apply shrink wrap to cover as much of the exposed conductor as possible to prevent shorts.

It is a good idea to install a 12-volt outlet right next to your batteries, for instance where you connect them to the inverter, so that you can power a 12-volt tool or light directly without power conversion back and forth.

A 12-volt outlet can be used without powering an inverter. If you have power tools, it is useful to have a car charger to recharge your tools without running the inverter, which can use as much power as you deposit into batteries.

Letter: Rust on a Stainless Steel Colt XSE Government Model

Mr. Rawles:

I am an avid reader of your books and site. I purchased a stainless Colt XSE government model, per your recommendation and your use of the Gold Cups. After 3 1/2 months, I began having rusting issues under both grip panels. The unit is on the way back to Colt for repair. The pistol has been stored properly and cleaned after each range session. I think the manufacturing process was flawed, as there have been no issues with my blued model. Have you ever encountered this? If so, what precautions do you take to prevent the issue? Do you use lube under the grips?

HJL Replies: I have seen this on many occasions. Stainless steel is not impervious to rust; it’s just more resistant to it. In most cases, it is caused by sweat from a concealed carry holster and sometimes from coastal air that is high in salt content. Once in a while, I see cases where there just doesn’t seem to be any reason for it. The fix is to make sure that the gun is well oiled, just like you would for a blued gun.

Due to Browning’s design, considerable soot seems to make it into the mag well during use. When I was attending gunsmithing school, we were taught to take the pistol down as normal and remove the grips. The frame was then cleaned under running, hot water (as hot as you could stand it); also, a toothbrush helped. The heat from the hot water helped clean out stubborn deposits and helped the the pistol air dry quickly. If you live in a high humidity area, you can also help the process along with a hair dryer. After the pistol dried, we would give it a light squirt of a water-displacing oil and wipe it down. A heavier lube was used on contact surfaces.

Following this procedure, I have never had any pistol (blued or stainless) develop any rust. Browning’s designs like to run somewhat wet with lube (contrary to many modern plastic guns). If you run a metal gun as dry as the plastic ones, you will end up with issues.

JWR Adds: I’d like to chime in with one other important point– never use a mild steel brush or mild steel wool on a stainless steel gun. This is because these will leave microscopic particles of steel that can rust in the pores of what is otherwise fairly rust-resistant stainless steel.

Hugh’s Quote of the Day:

“It is amazing to think after all that has happened in this country in the last few years, the last few decades, that so many people have this blind faith that government is our friend and therefore, we don’t need protections against it.” – James Bovard

Notes for Monday – October 06, 2014

October 6th is the birthday of Thor Heyerdahl (born 1914, died April 18, 2002). Although his east-to-west theory of Pacific Ocean transmigration was later disproved by genetics studies, his many adventures were still remarkable.

Today, October 6th, is also the birthday of science fiction author David Brin, who was born in 1950. He wrote The Postman, which was very loosely the foundation of a movie by Kevin Costner.