Junk's Growing Log

[UncleRomulus]

This isn't the most snow I've seen accumulated here but this the most persistent set of snow storms I've ever experienced at this elevation. I'm only at 2350ft. At this low level we'll get a weekend of snow from time to time but this has been a couple weeks so far of repeated dustings. Grass Valley is only a few hundred feet higher and I'm betting they have a couple feet by now. Can't find out, my truck is rear wheel drive and my front wheel drive van is down right now. Cant get into town till it stops. Hills are too steep in town without good traction.
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Starting to look like my yard! Can’t wait for spring brother. ‘Warmed up’ to -29 right now. At least the sun is out.

 

[SmithsJunk]

Starting to look like my yard! Can’t wait for spring brother. ‘Warmed up’ to -29 right now. At least the sun is out.

I hear ya. 60F+ warmer than you guys but I don't have the vehicles to traverse the snow anymore. When I lived up around 3000ft I had several 4x4s. Up there it wasn't uncommon to get 2-3'. I miss my Mountaineer. She looooved the snow. I had to work at for her to break loose. I can drive my Chevy in the snow cause she's heavy enough to grab but the morons flying around here in their Subarus will run me off the road.

 

[SmithsJunk]

OK Mr. Weather Man, that's enough with the drinky-drinky.

Yeah right, 20% chance of snow with localised accumulations of "Oh, Sh*t!!!"

 

[MeanGreen420]

OK Mr. Weather Man, that's enough with the drinky-drinky.

View attachment 857726

Yeah right, 20% chance of snow with localised accumulations of "Oh, Sh*t!!!"
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Nice lawn chair weather there brother :)

 

[SmithsJunk]

Nice lawn chair weather there brother :)

 

[MeanGreen420]

View attachment 857756

Would of been better pic if you were out there in a lawn chair lol :)

 

[MeanGreen420]

You got any plants going right now? Indoor?

 

[SmithsJunk]

Would of been better pic if you were out there in a lawn chair lol :)

I try not to even walk in it. Once I get cold it's hard for me to get warm again. Because of my nerve damage walking in it hurts my feet too much. That's part of the reason I moved below the snow line (not that you can tell right now).

You got any plants going right now? Indoor?

Nah, havent grown fully indoors yet and my solar system will be used by my trailer till at least spring. Too expensive for me to run the lights on grid power.

My first four panels mounted on a temporary stand till I can do a roof install this summer.

My goal is 10 panels on 2 circuits for a total of 1k watts. 800w will be on a 1500w inverter for grow lights.

 

[JWM2]

I try not to even walk in it. Once I get cold it's hard for me to get warm again. Because of my nerve damage walking in it hurts my feet too much. That's part of the reason I moved below the snow line (not that you can tell right now).



Nah, havent grown fully indoors yet and my solar system will be used by my trailer till at least spring. Too expensive for me to run the lights on grid power.

My first four panels mounted on a temporary stand till I can do a roof install this summer.
View attachment 857761
My goal is 10 panels on 2 circuits for a total of 1k watts. 800w will be on a 1500w inverter for grow lights.

That’s awesome. What’s the cost on one of those?

 

[MeanGreen420]

I try not to even walk in it. Once I get cold it's hard for me to get warm again. Because of my nerve damage walking in it hurts my feet too much. That's part of the reason I moved below the snow line (not that you can tell right now).



Nah, havent grown fully indoors yet and my solar system will be used by my trailer till at least spring. Too expensive for me to run the lights on grid power.

My first four panels mounted on a temporary stand till I can do a roof install this summer.
View attachment 857761
My goal is 10 panels on 2 circuits for a total of 1k watts. 800w will be on a 1500w inverter for grow lights.

Awesome Smith that’s really cool!!

 

[SmithsJunk]

That’s awesome. What’s the cost on one of those?

Newpowa 100w monocrystalline panels are about $110 ea. on Amazon. But you will also need a charge controller, mounting kits, mc4 connectors, kill switches/breakers, fuses, tray cables, mc4 splitters, grounding straps/stake(s)/wire, batteries, AC pure sine inverter, etc... Sealed gel solar batteries can get pretty pricey depending on what you use them for but they last a long time and can store a whole lotta power for their sise. They can be mounted in any position, unlike lead acid. My 100ah (amp hour) batteries were $175 ea. and can be used down to 50% charge (or batt life is severely shortened). So two 100ah batts will run 1a x100hrs, 2a x50hrs, 100a x1hr, 200a x30min, etc... With 800w of panels and 4-6 more batts I can run a 400w-600w (or more) grow completely off grid. That'll run about $3.5k-$4.5k complete.

This is not a grid connectable system and batteries must be used to run an AC inverter. The charge controller can run a separate direct DC load but the charge controller bases the output voltage on the battery bank voltage so batts are still needed (though they can be small and inexpensive, like little 18ah or 22ah, or even 6v+6v in series to make 12v sets in a parallel batt bank).

These systems are designed by us and can be tweaked in a million ways to fit our growing needs. Whole independent systems can even be run in parallel sets to charge large batt banks. It is possible to make a home completely off-grid with enough batteries, charge controllers, and panels. While still living in a fashion most are accustomed to.

 

[JWM2]

Newpowa 100w monocrystalline panels are about $110 ea. on Amazon. But you will also need a charge controller, mounting kits, mc4 connectors, kill switches/breakers, fuses, tray cables, mc4 splitters, grounding straps/stake(s)/wire, batteries, AC pure sine inverter, etc... Sealed gel solar batteries can get pretty pricey depending on what you use them for but they last a long time and can store a whole lotta power for their sise. They can be mounted in any position, unlike lead acid. My 100ah (amp hour) batteries were $175 ea. and can be used down to 50% charge (or batt life is severely shortened). So two 100ah batts will run 1a x100hrs, 2a x50hrs, 100a x1hr, 200a x30min, etc... With 800w of panels and 4-6 more batts I can run a 400w-600w (or more) grow completely off grid. That'll run about $3.5k-$4.5k complete.

This is not a grid connectable system and batteries must be used to run an AC inverter. The charge controller can run a separate direct DC load but the charge controller bases the output voltage on the battery bank voltage so batts are still needed (though they can be small and inexpensive, like little 18ah or 22ah, or even 6v+6v in series to make 12v sets in a parallel batt bank).

These systems are designed by us and can be tweaked in a million ways to fit our growing needs. Whole independent systems can even be run in parallel sets to charge large batt banks. It is possible to make a home completely off-grid with enough batteries, charge controllers, and panels. While still living in a fashion most are accustomed to.

That’s awesome. Thanks for the info bro. So do you work with a solar panel company?

 

[SmithsJunk]

That’s awesome. What’s the cost on one of those?

It'd cost about $1k for a system that can run a 200w-250w tent. That seems expensive, but really it's not if cost of grid power is considered. It should pay for itself within 10mos use. Then you've got free power probably for the next 40-50mos or more. That's at least $4k in savings and far more eco friendly than grid juice.

 

[SmithsJunk]

That’s awesome. Thanks for the info bro. So do you work with a solar panel company?

Nope, figured it out from researching the web over the last couple years. Used to be a telecom tech.

 

[SmithsJunk]

That’s awesome. Thanks for the info bro. So do you work with a solar panel company?

...oh, and "by us" I meant you, me, and all the other suave MacGyver like weednecks on here.

 

[SmithsJunk]

Oh sh*t, I just got a killer idea. I can grow plants near the panels to catch reflected light on their dark side.

 

[SmithsJunk]

This got a little unnerving last night when the blizzard was dropping an inch of snow about every 10min. The recent snow and wind already tore the top layer of vinyl off.

 

[MeanGreen420]

This got a little unnerving last night when the blizzard was dropping an inch of snow about every 10min. The recent snow and wind already tore the top layer of vinyl off.
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What is that a snow catcher 2000? :)

That mc guy from mc adventures thread said he had shovel snow off his trailer. I think he said he’s at like 3500 elevation though.

 

[SmithsJunk]

This is why I like living below the snow line. It'll be gone by noon. We may get hit over and over, but for the most part it resets every day with no accumulation.

I love these panels. They are super slick. The snow slid right off em till it started building up at the base. If they were elevated they'd be clear.

The Windy Nation and Renology panels are $30-$100 more. The only difference I can find between them and Newpowa is the gauge of wire. The more expensive ones use #10 (30a) and Newpowa uses #12 (but I read it might be a type that can handle 30a as well). It doesnt matter though, because you fuse them all when running in high current parallel configuration anyway. Each one's output is only a fraction of the wire rating. Only a shorted unfused parallel panel would be a problem and that is not a correct setup.

All around me I can hear sheets of snow sliding off my neighbors greenhouses. Hahaha.

 

[MeanGreen420]

This is why I like living below the snow line. It'll be gone by noon. We may get hit over and over, but for the most part it resets every day with no accumulation.
View attachment 857778
I love these panels. They are super slick. The snow slid right off em till it started building up at the base. If they were elevated they'd be clear.

The Windy Nation and Renology panels are $30-$100 more. The only difference I can find between them and Newpowa is the gauge of wire. The more expensive ones use #10 (30a) and Newpowa uses #12 (but I read it might be a type that can handle 30a as well). It doesnt matter though, because you fuse them all when running in high current parallel configuration anyway. Each one's output is only a fraction of the wire rating. Only a shorted unfused parallel panel would be a problem and that is not a correct setup.

All around me I can hear sheets of snow sliding off my neighbors greenhouses. Hahaha.

You think you’ll be doing a greenhouse in the future?