Most reacted posts

Making a line equidistant from a non-flat surface (e.g., trimming a board to perfectly match a curvy wall):

Write the breaker circuit number on the back of the faceplate to easily identify what circuit it is.

Can't read the markings on your tools? Fill the indents with white-out and wipe the excess away.

Using an ironing board as back-rest (e.g., working under the sink without breaking your back):

Wiring Batteries in Parallel Here's a current representation of 4 batteries with the same internal resistance in parallel being charged with a 50 amp charger. Notice anything wrong? In order for the batteries to age at the same rate, they should be charged at the same rate. It's not to...

Other links you might find useful: From the FAQ: How many panels do I need? How big of an inverter should I get? Do I need Batteries and if so how many? Will a modified sine wave Inverter work for me? What tilt angle should I use? How much power do my devices consume? How much Solar Energy is...

Update: See Will's Video on the topic. MPPTs and String inverters can be quite perplexing at first as you try to figure out what the panel configuration should be. If you're not sure what's meant by serial and parallel in regards to solar panels check this link out first. Easiest of course...

Links to commonly asked questions with long explanations: Beginner Video Playlist How much power does my device consume? Energy Audit How much Solar Energy should I expect where I live? What does it mean to have solar panels in parallel and series? How to figure out how much Solar and inverter...

Posted a question, but no one has responded... how can I get help? Members typically don't respond to questions for a few reasons, avoiding those pitfalls can greatly increase the odds of getting a response. Did you need to post a Question? If a question is asked frequently readers may be...

Solar is befuddling enough! Why use acronyms? Well, we're lazy typists.... :LOL: xSyP - e.g., 2S2P, shorthand for how many cells in Series (S) and Parallel (P). A - Amperes or amps. A measure of current. See warning. AC - Air Conditioning, sometimes A/C. AC - Alternating Current, a waveform...

Wasn't me, I horde all my junk and never sell anything.... What Svetz sees: What Mrs. Svetz sees: Possibly whoever was selling it deleted the thread when it was sold.

You can hang panels overboard using ringlets to attach them to lifelines and a batten to hold them up.

How do you make holy water?

12¢ a gallon, two gas stations were having a "gas war", <sigh> never see those anymore.

AC & DC Voltages & Currents are Dangerous! Here's a chart showing it only takes a few milliamps to go from one hand to the other to have really bad things happen. Your skin is a pretty good insulator. The problem is your blood is a pretty good conductor. Your skin can be breached as low as...

Efficiency is only relative to the physical size of a solar panel; that is a 200W panel produces 200W at STC regardless of its efficiency or size. So, if all panels of an equal wattage produce the same power... how do you compare solar panels other than price, warranty, & physical size...

Wagos Note: The spirit of the thread is to talk about new technologies (or new spins on old technologies) that folks might not otherwise know about.

When solar panels are hooked up in series you connect the minus of one panel to the plus of the next panel. The voltages are summed, but the current remains the same: Putting panels in series is desirable as it keeps the amperage low, and amperage is the key factor in cost of the wire. Now...

These steps will help you to figure out how much solar you need to recharge batteries. Say, for example, you're going hiking for a few days and want to know how much solar you'll need to charge your critical devices. Measure how much power your devices use under actual conditions with a watt...

Selecting the proper wire gauge can be tricky. In the US, the National Electrode Code (NEC) specifies the rules around wiring including gauge, grounding, and even color. For the most part when you need wire for inside or to be buried underground you'll figure out the distance and number of...

Occam's Razor A) Conspiracy by battery manufactures that don't have lobbies, very little margin, and won't work together, B) Number of fires from DIY battery systems by people who watch videos and didn't use the correct gauge wire or have adequate breakers.

What rock group has four men that don't sing? When I was a kid, my mother told me I could be anyone I wanted to be.

Amy Beaudet, our very own Solar Queen, has passed away. AltE has a notice at https://www.altestore.com/blog/2021/05/it-is-with-a-very-heavy-heart-that-we-share-the-news-of-the-passing-of-our-beloved-solar-queen/#.YJRQA7VKiUk She was a great educator and I'll miss her wit and charm. I didn't...

Can't find a low enough wattage 120V water heater element? Use a 240V, at 120V it'll be one quarter the rated watts. Courtesy @Off Grid Circuits

What did the pirate say on his 80th birthday?

Mosquito Vacuum Camping and left the car door open to long? Fear not, the Mosquito Vac plugs into a cigarette lighter and uses special scents to suck them in and chop them up. Works in any small enclosed space (e.g., tent, car).

Solar Panel Tester State of the art tester allows you to test solar panel output in the convenience of your home, works with most panels up to 380W. Can simulate any angle from sunup to sundown and supports variable cloud formations and types. Uses LED arrays to duplicate exact solar frequencies.

The thread's gotten a bit long so figured it was time to build an index for some of the important issues... if I missed anything major please let me know. I'll also put it in the OP. System Operation Misc Physical Equipment UniRac Dirty Electronics & Twisted wires Monitoring Envoy API...

Hi all! It's not too uncommon to see people get into "arguments" on the forums, occasionally it makes great discussion, clears the air, and I absolutely love those threads. Sometimes a moderator has to step in. That's what this post is about. As you probably guessed from the click-baity...