Thanks Mike ,
I didn’t get to take off , I had to work 
Hi All
Just had the FOURTH grid power outage event this winter heating season.
This time “because of an equipment failure”. 1189 valley services out for ~18 hours. Only maybe 200 hundred of those houses still bulk heating with wood.
Been lots of folks got cold, cold this winter here with these four events dependent on electric furnaces, heat pumps, propane and wood pellet heating systems dependencies.
Strange.
Been a wet, wet but overall milder winter. Two windstorm events. One car into poles. Now a transformer blow out.
I noticed last Spring they did add in telemetric antennas to the area cut-in and out stations grid.
Now OUR within valley problems will no chain or ripple out but we get cut off isolated FAST.
Previous years at least half the valley would stay grid powered up.
Inter-connectivity and dependencies suck.
I’m still just fine and dandy with my literal one match light wood heating, battery lights and wall clocks.
Got it down to just three have to electronic clocks reset pieces on the whole place. Microwave and the one kitchen range. And those reset more to kill the irritating eye level flashing displays than to make functionable.
Yes. Yes. And many of my other stuff IS grid power clocked dependent. THEY all just re-power start up fine.
This is the evidence of a good designer. One who designs for power interruptions as a normal expectation.
This has not been the case for most PC’s for years. Automotive systems now for years now too. Pull their electrical power unexpectedly and they freak on power back up.
Makes them then geek-tech dependent. Auto - I was that geek-Tech. l lost respect for the post ~2003 newer dependencies built-in designers.
So you fellows insisting on electronfying your woodgas systems . . .
power plug pulled, battery interrupts, or, just battery drain dead: WILL THEY POWER BACK UP without a lot geek-tech tickling??
If not then you just building more enslaving Dependencies systems.
NOT building Independence personal Freedom systems.
You are just part of the Problem, not part of the Solution.
From the Land of Gates, Jr and Senior - tech dependencies makers supreme
Steve Unruh
Steve,
That’s the freedom I am working towards. It must be nice to not be under the thumb of the utility companies.
I am with you there Bill. I guess since finding this site I could get buy without the power co if need be. At this time I have still never herd my generator run even on gasoline. but brought it in the shop last week and a work table for it today. I think I could even weld at full capacity to build for others if need be. I have my eye on a 480 volt 3 phase gasoline generator. 3 phase not available here but is always the first to go back online. In the bad storms a few years back many around here were without for weeks, Our power was restored within 20 minutes. Still at this time to use grid for me while still available. Till then build build build many will need help!
Jim / Steve / Wayne, Sooner or later they will stop the gasoline wars. Seems to me they got down to around 20 cents a gallon in the 60’s. They finally passed a law that the stations had to add a fixed figure to their wholesale price … Sooner or later the earthquakes will cause enough of an outcry that the fracking will have to at least slow down. I don’t get why diesel is a whole dollar higher. Opium of the masses. We’ll do what we got to do … Winter only began a few weeks ago … Jim, I hope you got to look at those Czech bikes … Mike
I really enjoy reading your posts Mike, You are one of the few people who actually “get it”.
Diesel is also heating oil always highest in winter lowest in summer gasoline high in summer low in winter. Used to be safe bet in the markets. Now money is best spent on what you know you will need, not saved. Monopoly money you can use for now. Best to trade for cheeseburgers while you can.
Hey MikeL
Here currnetly road pump diesel is consistently 50-60 cents higher than even premium grade gasoline. Yep makes it ~$1.00 USD higher than regular unleaded gasoline.
I’ve heard three different explains for this:
carbon taxed higher (true in Washington state and others)
energy content value priced higher - true anywhere
retail diesel driven higher now with more of the barrel of crude with advanced reforming refining shifted into kerosene’s and gasoline and higher value distillates and plastics. Probably true too. Price camping fuel and lamp oils.
Regards
Steve Unruh
Hi Steve, When I lived on the Mexican border in the mid 70’s I would go to Agua Prieta once a week or so to buy tequilla, cigarettes, vegetables and fruits, car parts, and the such. I rarely drove a vehicle there for obvious reasons. I’d leave the car at the border crossing and walk across. The main reason I mentioned this was all the old women headed home with their milk jugs full of kerosene for their lamps and stoves … Now people think that is fashionable … The train line and the old fruit market no longer exist … I would always get a bunch of those Mexican bananas … They wouldn’t let us bring back avocados unless we took the pits out so I always got to eat one of those … :o) Last time I was there, the Mexicans were coming to our side to shop … Mike
I had a conversation with a guy last week about the diff in price. He believes the high price of diesel is the chemicals, processing and additives used so it performs well in the new computerized engines and environmental equipment required to meet emission standards. I haven’t got a clue, but suspect greed!
Pepe
Hi Pepe, I think you are right … It’s greed on both sides … My daughter got rid of her diesel VW a while back. Tough to deal with in the winter if you don’t have a heated garage … She bought a Toyota not too long ago but is selling that soon as she is headed to China for a couple of years … Not what I would like to see her do that but she’s been there before and at least has a clue what she is getting into … I’d like to make a pile of comments but this is not the place … Hope you can get back up in the air some day … Regards, Mike LaRosa
To all our friends in the northeast US .
Hope you are safe, dry and warm though the predicted blizzard this week
We’re hunkered down. We usually don’t lose power unless there is ice involved. That trashes everything. No ice expected this time around. 25- 30 inches of snow. Fun fun.
If you’d left last weekend, you could be here in 70 deg this week. Enjoy the adventure and be safe.
Today is a red-letter day - January 27th and I had to turn on the AC in my car during lunch. It’s going to be 150 in July …
AT in TX
Need to put a gasifier on this!
For those of you who know Robin R from Maine, I talked with him this morning and he is down with the flu. Of course, blizzard on top of that … Keep him in your thoughts and prayers … Thanks, Mike L
A field of dreams.
I am unable to load pictures on this thread today either from my phone or computer so here’s a link to my pictures.
Today I went to pick up a disc blade at an implement dealer. When I arrived there I found out it was also a salvage yard. Plus side, it’s only 30 minutes from my house. Everything is dismantled and in pieces laying in rows of red, green and blue.
Sure made it easier to to feed my impulse purchase of a baler gearbox. They were asking $350 but accepted my $300 counter offer. They even loaded it in my truck.
https://plus.google.com/103502610058401762360/posts/5ReeRaobwvU
For some reason I am able to load this on this thread but no my own
Did you get one that has the accessory drive pulley on the side? I am wishing mine had one to run a genset or conveyor.