For the past few months, I have been trying to build our own bicycle generator. Soon it became a sort of obsession as I tried to take an old exercise bike and convert it to a human powered generator. These past few weeks, I could finally see the light at the end of the tunnel. … Continue reading It Really Works… Introducing the Bicycle Generator.
Solar, Energy, Solar Panels, Batteries
Off Grid electricity is NOT free.
I believe I am guilty of promoting free energy on the off grid homestead, and during the summer months it appears that way. However, during the winter months cloudy skies make solar energy creation improbable, and it's the battery bank that keeps the home's electricity going from day to day. When the fog and inversion … Continue reading Off Grid electricity is NOT free.
When the Battery Bank Dies…
At the end of this past summer, our battery bank of seven years decided to die. It was an interesting cascade failure event. One batter cell went dead and could not be revived, then another battery flagged a similar problem. Pretty soon I was isolating batteries that would no longer hold a 6 Volt change. … Continue reading When the Battery Bank Dies…
Changing a Side-Mount for a Top Post Battery
Here is a quick video I did on changing the vehicle design from a side mount battery to a top post battery. When I was filming this video, my cistern pump went out a day before, and when I got home from work, our Suburban was dead. No connection, except a string of bad timing. … Continue reading Changing a Side-Mount for a Top Post Battery
Tractor + Generator = Power
Before we even bought our land and were planning our off grid homestead, we wanted a diesel generator as our backup power system for those endless cloudy days. Why? Because, the cost of dyed diesel is cheaper, and, most importantly, I don't have to worry about the fuel going bad after a few months of … Continue reading Tractor + Generator = Power
Working alone on the homestead
Today, I am spending much of the day alone. I decided what a perfect time to write a post about working on the homestead alone. During the rush to build our tractor shed, I did much of the prep work by myself. My wife and son went to the local farmers’ market while I began … Continue reading Working alone on the homestead
I cannot “generate” the words to express my frustration…
A month ago I posted "Generating Repairs," and after it was all said and done the generator worked great until, not even, a week later. My wife and I were procrastinating on starting the generator hoping for the next sunny day, but to no avail we were socked in with clouds. While sitting on the … Continue reading I cannot “generate” the words to express my frustration…
Are you grounded? Electrical issues with the plow truck
Our plow truck has been let's just say a challenge since we bought it. First, I have had to rebuild the transmission and rebuild the plow head last year. This year, I decided I wanted to use the rear lights mounted on the bed of the truck to make sure I wasn't reversing into a … Continue reading Are you grounded? Electrical issues with the plow truck
Wrapping up the Fall Harvest
These past few weeks we have wrapped up the fall harvest. We salvaged what we could from the garden and took the hoop houses down. Our back room has the tomatoes strewn about, so they can ripen. Our garden did not produce much this year. We planted late, the heat wave shocked the plants, and … Continue reading Wrapping up the Fall Harvest
Cut “it” till it hurts is power conservation
I have spoken about our battery bank, appliances, solar panels, and backup generator, but I haven't put it altogether to explain the efficiency of our system. When designing an off grid power system, the first thing to do is know your current use of power and cut it till it hurts either because you can … Continue reading Cut “it” till it hurts is power conservation
Living a Sustainable Dream 