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.
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…
A Surprise Inside the Wood Stove
One day I arrived home from work to a surprise inside the wood cook stove. My wife was cooking dinner on our propane stove, and left a note for me on the wood cook stove. It was a late fall day, and the chill in the air beckoned for a fire in the wood cook … Continue reading A Surprise Inside the Wood Stove
Ready for Winter and a string of bad luck
These past few months have been full of various trials with our vehicles. Our cars have reached that age in which we have to choose to repair them or sell them. It seems like nothing is going right, but despite all that has happened, I am grateful for my wife, son, our homestead, and the … Continue reading Ready for Winter and a string of bad luck
Autumn in North Idaho
My wife and I were blessed to take a date day and see autumn in it's full glory. No plans, just drive and see where it would take us. We followed the trees to my favorite spot in downtown Sandpoint. The colors were brilliant, the sky crystal blue and the lake pristine. Here's a video … Continue reading Autumn in North Idaho
Electric Chainsaw Work in the Forest (For prepper’s?)
I am using dyed diesel instead of gasoline to cut trees in the woods. The Winco tractor generator helps power my electric chainsaw. I wanted to see if it was possible to gather firewood with an electric chainsaw, and it was. However, I have found it more feasible to use the gas powered chainsaw to … Continue reading Electric Chainsaw Work in the Forest (For prepper’s?)
