Letter Re: Advice on Photovoltaic Power Systems

Greetings! I’m a long time reader, first time writer. I have been interested in “off-grid” photovoltaic power systems as a way to generate power should the grid go down. I’m pretty well versed on electricity and concepts, but what name brands would you recommend for the main components (panels, charge controller, batteries and inverter)? Though I have heard of things like Trace, Xantrex, gel battery and pure sine wave, my practical knowledge is limited. I apologize if this has been covered before – point me in the right direction and I’ll check the archives. Also, have you ever heard of a dual setup where one could run their house the standard, “on-grid” way and then flip a switch near the breaker box to have all the outlets in the home powered by solar? Keep up the good work! – Josh in Illinois

JWR Replies: All of the major brands of monocrystaline weatherproof photovoltaic (PV) panels are essentially comparable in terms of their rated output, service life, glazing strength (impact resistance), and ability to withstand the weather. Most have similar warranties (although some are slightly better). For these reasons, PV panels should be considered a commodity, and as such, the price per watt should be the main determining factor in picking a brand. (Although if you are like me, you might prefer to buy an American-made product.)

Batteries are another commodity, at least if buy traditional lead-acid deep cycle (“golf cart” type) batteries. Because of their high shipping weight, I strongly recommend that you buy the batteries for your system from a local dealer, such as your local Interstate Batteries dealer. Be sure to do some comparison pricing before you buy. If the dealer offers a “core” credit and you are buying an entirely new system, be advised that dealers are often not particular about what you provide them for your trade in. (They are essentially just looking for a source of lead plates for recycling.) If their core refund terms are based strictly on battery weight or the combined number of Amp hours capacity, one trick is to ask around locally at venues such as Craig’s List, for free used car, truck, and tractor batteries. (Batteries that are so old and sulfated that they will no longer hold a charge.) Part-time mechanics often have a dozen or more such batteries available, free for the taking. Depending on the size of your system, if you have a strong back and aren’t afraid to get your hands dirty, this can save you several hundred dollars.

As for inverters: Inverter technology varies considerably, depending on maker. The Trace brand inverters are now sold under the Xantrex Technology name, and they still control a large portion of the market. Their major competitor in the US is Outback Power Systems, an up-and-coming company that was started by a group of former Xantrex engineers, following some serious disagreements with the Xantrex corporate management. The Outback brand holds a slight margin in inverter technology.

Charge controller technology is still advancing, but all of the major brands are roughly comparable. Just be sure to get a controller that can handle your anticipated needs, even if you eventually add a few panels. Also keep in mind that the more “bells and whistles” on a charge controller equals greater vulnerability to EMP. (They are fairly inexpensive, so it is wise to keep a spare, stored in a Faraday cage enclosure, such as a a steel ammo can.)

Ready Made Resources (one of our most loyal advertisers) offers free consulting on alternate power system system siting, load requirements/system sizing, and so forth. Be sure to take advantage of this very generous free service. They can design true “turn key” system for you that will require no upkeep other than periodic battery maintenance. A grid-tied system can be set up to provide “automatic failover””–meaning that there will be no interruption of power to your home or retreat more than at most a few moments, in the event of a power failure.You can also design a system that will allow you to sell power back to your power utility–the much-touted “meter running backwards”–depending on your local laws and power company policies.

Letter Re: The Importance of Pistol Holster Selection

I ‘lurk’ a lot and by doing so, learn a bunch but a discussion came up in another environment and made me think and I wanted some feedback so here goes…
In responding to someone who planned on getting a hand gun as a part of their survival planning and was seeking advice I said this:
This topic however hits home as I’ve been in training over 20 years and am still a certified ‘pistol’ instructor. I spent a lot of time doing law enforcement, corrections officer and even civilian hand gun / shotgun training. With that said, getting a hand gun is a big step and will require a lot of time and effort to truly make it worthwhile.

So, get the weapon and supporting materials (ammo, cleaning stuff etc.) and very important, the training. Then practice – lots. A .22 [rimfire] conversion kit with what ever you get, while extra expense will be well worth the investment. A good holster, belt (and mag pouch if you go auto) are also necessary – don’t skimp on the holster/belt. Many cops and civilians training with the ‘off duty’ gun or weekend carry civilian style try to get by with an inexpensive holster on the belt they got at Macy’s in men’s clothing. I’ve got a holster, belt and mag pouch that set me back $300 made by a pro and custom cut – but the gun always fits, always comes out when I draw, never shifts all day long, and is very secure. You may be betting your life on your gear so get the best you can for your situation.

To wrap up: If you do this, you must commit to training and continued practice with re-training for as long as you carry a sidearm. That’s at least monthly and not a simple box of shells once or twice a year. That means time, money and serious (very serious) mental and physical effort on your part. Good luck and stay safe.

So, am I ‘on target’ with this or am I missing something? I know it always pays to have a second set of eyes look over anything critical going out and something like this I think is very important to get right. The other point is that I see all over the place information on this or that gun, this or that cleaning stuff and lots and lots about ammo but almost never anything about a carry system (holster for sidearm) and that concerns me as stuffing a .45 in my back pocket or waistband may work but it’s not safe, good or effective. Comments? Thanks! – Paul

JWR Replies: I agree wholeheartedly. I have often met consulting clients that invest $170+ in custom holsters from a fine holster maker like Milt Sparks, yet they expect a lightweight”dress” suit belt to suffice. The belt is almost as important as the holster. In general, the stiffer and wider, the better. In most cases you will want a sturdy belt to provide support and to insure that the holster, spare magazine pouch, and flashlight pouch stay securely in place. Parenthetically, I’m a believer in carrying a small tactical flashlight (such as a Surefire) at all times. They are useful for shooting situations and more mundane things like car maintenance, and finding a key slot in a dark hallway. Also, in these days when windowless “tilt-up” slab architecture has become the norm, when visiting an office building or a “big box” store, you might find yourself very much in the dark, in the event of a mid-day power failure.

Odds ‘n Sods:

SF in Hawaii sent this: Top 25 things vanishing from America: #1 — The family farm

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SF in Hawaii also found this interesting product with a novel design: The WASP Knife. I haven’t had the chance to try one of these, so I’ll reserve judgment. The concept certainly seems novel. Note that if you use a compressed air knife in a self-defense situation in which your opponent meets his maker, and if you subsequently meet his heirs in court, then you can expect to have your motives questioned.

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Kevin A. sent us an AP news article: Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson Paulson Warns Of More Tough Times, but Paulson also sought to reassure an “anxious public” that the banking system is sound. he said: “…our economy has got very strong long-term fundamentals, solid fundamentals. And you know, your policy-makers here, regulators, we’re being very vigilant.” Upon reading that, Kevin’s wife suggested Paulson sounded like the politicians during the Great Depression. And she was right. Here are some similar-sounding quotes from the Great Depression.

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KT recommended Mayberry’s Keep It Simple Survival! blog.

Letter Re: Pre-Assembling Charity Food Packets for Storage

JWR –
I am putting together food stores, and collecting food grade buckets for bulk storage (local store lets them go for 60 cents each), but I had a question come across as I was planning this out.
Based on my own sense of charity, as well as your comments, I thought about a self-contained package that could be handed out, some rice, wheat, dried veggies and more, all sealed with a gamma lid using your dry ice method. Not only would this be good to avoid having multiple bulk cans open at once, but also as I said if people in need come asking, you can hand of 3-to-5 days food in one package.

Then I started thinking about comfort foods, pretzels, chips, candy bars and the like, and I wondered if you can actually put all of these different food products in the same can, separated into baggies, and if so, can you keep some foods like pretzels/chips or candy in their original packaging or repackage them in baggies? – Geoff in North Dakota

JWR Replies:

Using separate clear plastic baggies–or better yet mylar bags–within a sealed container is a practicable solution.

Distributing whole wheat is only marginally workable, since most folks are used to baking with wheat flour. But this raises two issues: If distributing flour, does the recipient have access to a working baking oven or Dutch Oven? In most disaster situations, that would be a rarity. And, if distributing while wheat, does the recipient have a access to a wheat grinder. Of course you could instruct them to make wheat berries (soaked wheat to eat as hot or cold cereal). But then they must have water available and at least 10 hours to soak the wheat. Because of the much shorter shelf life of flour (versus whole wheat), you might consider packaging the wheat in the form of freshly-ground flour, only on an "as-needed" basis, after the onset of an emergency.

Letter Re: Satellite Images and Your G.O.O.D. Route

Hi James,
While they are still available, now might be a good time to use one of the satellite image sites (like Google Earth) to download and print out detailed satellite images of planned bug-out routes. Having those images with you during a bug-out strikes me as a great way save time and energy by knowing exactly where important survival-related features are located. For example, my own route includes a stretch of rather barren territory with no lakes or streams shown on the topo map, but the satellite images show ponds and small reservoirs too small for inclusion by the map makers. As they may only be seasonal irrigation ponds I wouldn’t want to depend on them, but at least I would know where to start looking, if it became necessary. The images also show features that flat maps only approximate. And, while nothing takes the place of actually checking the route personally before it is needed, one could take a “virtual walk” of their route to get an idea of what they might encounter, and adjust their plans accordingly.

My prayers are with your wife for a speedy and full recovery. My best, – John in Colorado

Letter Re: Springfield Armory XD Pistol Accessories

James-
I wanted to thank you for the great web site! It’s fantastic!
I was on the Springfield Armory web site yesterday, and noticed that they are having a 20% off sale on all accessories, including XD magazines, through July 31st. I picked up four more, and thought I’d pass the info along.

Keep up the great work, and I pray for a healthy recovery for your wife. – Kristopher in Afghanistan

JWR Replies: Thanks for your prayers for The Memsahib. We are now hopeful that she will make a complete recovery.

I am enthusiastic about the XD pistols. Now that spare parts for the XD pistols are available, they are my top pick for self defense pistols.

An important reminder to all SurvivalBlog readers in North America: Front Sight’s Gun + Gear + Training special offer (that includes a free XD pistol in your choice of calibers) will be ending soon, so don’t hesitate!

Odds ‘n Sods:

I was recently doing a web search on “Asymmetric Warfare” and I came across this interesting article (in PDF) from Military Review magazine in 2001: America’s Frontier wars: Lessons for Asymmetric Conflicts.

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Reader Michael H. suggested this article from Bob Chapman’s The International Forecaster: The Formula For Hyperstagflation

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Trent H. sent us a link to an article summarizing a recent speech by Congressman Ron Paul: “Some Big Events Are About To Occur”

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Pyotr in the Czech Republic wrote me to mention that he was researching custom-built intrusion detection systems for rural retreats, and he found this interesting reference: Perimeter Security Sensor Technologies Handbook.

Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“If … …Fannie and Freddie are flat-out taken over entirely by the US government (and remember the Federal Reserve is not the government), then the national debt will roughly double overnight — which will pound the US dollar down a rat-hole.” – James Howard Kunstler

Letter Re: Rampant Inflation in Steel Products

Hey Jim,
I used to make my living as a construction electrician and had several big steel Greenlee brand tool boxes with my tools. There is usually one in the back of my
truck all the time.

Price of gun safes has continued to rise, so I took one of my boxes and cut out a plywood rack for my guns, then filled in around the rack with polyurethane foam. After it was set and cured, I painted the urethane foam flat black.

The fit and finish on my Greenlee tool box/gun safe is good enough to protect my weapons, keep them locked and secure. It also has the advantage of handles and skids so it can be loaded into a pickup or bug out trailer to get to the remote retreat in a hurry. If necessary, I can load it with a forklift, or a chain hoist, or muscle it on with three other men.
Anyway, I thought you might be interested in my improvised gun safe.

The steel tool boxes can still be bought from Lowe’s [hardware store] for $199. Regards, – Lawrence, editor of SurvivingTheDayAfter@yahoogroups.com

JWR Replies: Thanks for that cost-saving suggestion. Just keep in mind that “portability” works both ways. It is essential that you secure your vault, box, or chest to a floor or a very sturdy wall, to prevent burglars from hauling off “The Whole Shebang.” Be sure to use heavy duty lag bolts!

Letter Re: A Reminder to Readers About Botulism

I think that the author of “Letter Re: A Reminder to Readers About Botulism” [posted on July 18th] is a little mistaken about the deadliness of “even a single small whiff of Botulinum toxin.” The video in the link he provided is a discussion of the effects of weaponized botulism toxin. In the video, it’s stated that botulism doesn’t make a very good open-air weapon, although it may have potential as a weapon in enclosed areas or by infecting food.

According to the Botulism Handbook for Epidemiologists, Clinicians, and Laboratory Workers:

…botulism can be picked up by (a) eating contaminated food, (b) through intestinal colonisation in infants fed contaminated-honey (though apparently not in adults fed the same honey), and (c) through open wound contamination when cleaning up contaminated surfaces or substances. In a later section, it states that “Botulinum toxins are extremely poisonous for humans. Minute quantities acquired by ingestion, inhalation, or by absorption through the eye or a break in the skin can cause profound intoxication and death;” however, I believe that in this section, they are referring to refined botulism toxin in a laboratory environment.

On the CDC “Botulism > Botulism Associated with Canned Chili Sauce, July 2007 > Questions and Answers” page, they describe the cleanup procedure for suspected or known-contaminated canned food as follows:

Do not open or puncture any unopened can of the recalled product.
Dispose of food that may be contaminated by placing in a sealable bag, wrapping another plastic bag around the sealable bag, and then taping tightly. Place bags in a trash receptacle for non-recyclable trash outside the home and out of reach of humans and pets. Do not discard the food in a sink, garbage disposal, or toilet. Avoid splashing and contact with the skin. Wear rubber or latex gloves when handling open containers of food that you think may be contaminated. Wash hands with soap and running water for at least 2 minutes after handling food or containers that may be contaminated.
Wipe up spills using a bleach solution (use 1?4 cup bleach for each 2 cups of water). Completely cover the spill with the bleach solution. Place a layer of paper towels, 5 to 10 towels thick, on top of the bleach. Let the towels sit for at least 15 minutes, then put the paper towels in the trash. Wipe up any remaining liquid with new paper towels. Clean the area with liquid soap and water to remove the bleach. Wash hands with soap and running water for at least 2 minutes. Sponges, cloths, rags and gloves that may have come into contact with contaminated food or containers should be discarded with the food.

While extreme care should be taken to limit exposure to contaminated food, including immediate disposal, wearing rubber gloves, and surface cleanup with bleach, again, the CDC doesn’t seem to be advocating the use of a respirator or warning to avoid breathing in “even a single small whiff” of the air from the can. Botulism is dangerous, but a botulism-contaminated food source is unlikely to kill you unless you touch it with an open wound or ingest some of the food. That said, I probably wouldn’t try and sniff around a bulging can of bad food; but if I did, and later suspected botulism, I wouldn’t be terrified I might die, either. – M.C.P.

Odds ‘n Sods:

Thanks to Eric B. for potting this: Study shows fuel cell cars still 15 years away at best

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SF in Hawaii forwarded this video link: Jim Rogers Speaks the Truth about Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac

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Wolf sent us this: Merrill Drops After $4.65 Billion Second-Quarter Loss, the same day that Cheryl sent us this: Citigroup posts $2.5B loss, but beats expectations. It seems neither the brokers nor the banksters are faring well in this credit-starved environment.

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JT flagged this one from The Daily Telegraph: Africa’s Oil Boom Shifts Balance of Power

Note from JWR:

I’m posting things early today, since we are going in to town where The Memsahib will be seeing the doctors. Thanks for your many e-mails of support and your continuing prayers.

Letter Re: The Tomato Rebuild–Machining Technology is Crucial to Modern Society, by Thomas G.

Jim,
After reading the recent letter by Thomas G, I felt compelled to offer a response to demystify some of the technologies he talked about. First, I am a tool and die maker for an ammunition manufacturer. If it’s broken, I fix it, if we need it, but can’t buy it, I design and make it.

From reloading dies, case feeders, powder measures, primer feeders, cold header press parts, I have done a lot. So I feel somewhat qualified to shed some light onto how things are done. I’ll start basic, and then work up to complex.

Aside from the technology of making metal, the most basic component is arguably the screw, or the nut and bolt. While these can be made on a lathe, that’s simply not practical in the world of mass production. Since at least the turn of the previous century (1800-1900) bolts have been made using machines called headers and rollers. Headers come in two forms, cold and hot. A cold header is typically used for making bolts, these take wire (and by wire, I mean form, not size) the wire is then cut, and pushed into a die. A forming die will then come down and crush the wire that sticks outside the base die, this forms the bolt head, this can also be done for nails, rivets, screws etc. In the case of bolts and screws they are then dropped into a thread rolling machine. This is a device which has two panels which have flattened threads cut onto them, the bolt rolls between the two panels and is threaded.

Nuts are made by hot-heading. A slug of wire is heated until it’s pliable, and is then smashed into a form. When it’s cooled it’s then threaded using a tap.

Gears are made on machines called hobbers, but can be made on a horizontal mill, or a shaper with an indexing head. The hobber works by holding a gear blank between centers, and then has a cutter that rotates above the gear. Once a gear is made, it can be used as a template for casting more, either die cast, or sand cast, depends on size and material.

A lathe is a fairly basic machine, if anyone has ever seen a wood lathe, a metal lathe works on the same principle. If you can build a wood lathe, you can build a metal lathe in a number of iterations. Given the scrap available from even a post-collapse society cobbling a functional lathe together should be fairly easy. The same applies to a mill.

For those who have interest, I suggest checking out the gingery machines web site, and perhaps even buying the book set. While a long time ago I decided it was easier to buy and rehab an old lathe than to build a new one, the books will give even the novice user a good idea about how machines are made.

It is important to note that most machine tools were conceived back in the 1800s. With a few decent measuring tools, almost anything can be made. The greatest thing about the age we live in currently is our ability to measure. If you have a few decent sets of dial calipers, a few dial indicators, a pyrometer (for heat treating) and a stop watch, you can produce just about anything you need.

At times after reading “Patriots” I laugh at the [refugee] character who was the machinist, (Lon Porter) since he carried his tools around in a bicycle trailer. While one tool box may satisfy the storage space required for some measuring tools, it would take a truck to move all of the various tools (tool bits, drill bits, mills, punches, indicators, angle finders,
etc) that I would consider ideal for a post-apocalyptic machine shop.- AVL