checking in and taking the "pulse"

[SteveU.]

Hey Casey man,
If you still have your PV solar you are still a Producer man. Not just a mere consumer.
Even if they may not let you grid-tie it??
Charge up your cart batteries. Get some cheap HB inverters. Power up things daily
Be old, cranky and independent. Even if only to a small degree.
The importance if having to set aside the big dream, is that you still do something each, and every day.
Heck. Get one of those $500. HB suitcase inverter-generators. (DO GET THE EXTENDED WARRANTEE!)
Fuel it up on 'spensive pump dino. These critters are thrifty fuel sippers and EPA rated. Run the wife's big counter KItchen-Aid stand mixer with the ice-cream maker bowl to make up some ice's and sobets. Ha! I "forced" mine to buy herself a set for her Birthday last year. And I produce the electrical power to freeze the bowl in the freezer, and power the mixer.

Half the fun of getting old, cranky and independent minded is the fist in the air to the gate keepers in life saying - I MADE THIS. And ain't nothing you can do about it.
Watch Ed Asner in the movie "UP" floating away his house away to unfulfilled dream-land while eating the sorbet. I do. Or eating microwave Orville popcorn made in the electric microwave. Generator powered up just for the what-for of it.

Best Regards
(still in Washington State) Steve Unruh

[vdubnut62]

Hi Bob!
Yep, its been awhile. I'm still here in TN. taking care of my Wife, and the house remodel ( I have been in the camper part of the time and no internet for a while either), and the new wood/generator shed is still in the planning stage. Now waiting on my planned surgery the 3rd of next month, with a 6-8 week recovery time. Dammit,"they"are out to get me.)
Fight the good fight!
Ron.

[highwater]

Still here Bob.
Check in from time/time.
Randall

[AdeV]

Hi there Mayor Bob! Good to see you're still kicking about, it's been a while eh?

I've been overrun with paying work recently (last few months), and every single one of my projects has stalled. Race car, the lot. Now I'm having to move workshop again, so there's another dozen or so weekends down the pan, hey ho. Meanwhile, I check in here periodically, once every few weeks, I've rarely got anything useful to add though unfortunately.

I'd definitely be interested in your exhaust heatx ideas. The furthest I got with mine was turning a 3/8" spiral semicircular groove into a 3-foot length of thick-wall aluminium pipe, wrapping a bunch of 3/8" copper "microbore" heating tube around it, filling it full of water, then running the engine until it started boiling and spitting (then, switch off & stand well back, man that water was hot!) It only took a couple of minutes to boil, I wasn't brave enough to stick my hand in the exhaust to see how cool it was after the heatex, maybe that'd be the next check. I also wanted to wrap the whole thing in aluminium foil & put an outer sheet of steel around it to make a complete unit, but never got a Round Tuit.

Cheers!
Ade.

[veggie]

Hi guys,
Seems people a checking in to see whats new but forum activity is vertually zero.

Veggie

[glort]

I used to come here a lot but don't anymore. I might think to come have a look every few months now.
There are a lot of very smart and wise people here but unfortunately what I perceive as some overly pedantic moderation killed it for me.  If there is one thing that Shits me to tears, it's being told to "Keep it on topic."
On another related forum, the topics wander all over the place in the progression of the discussion yet the activity level there leaves this site for dead and there seems to be a greater sense of friendship and admiration.
I have seen similar things on other forums. Normal conversations move on as different points are raised which brings the relating of different experiences to light.  To try and stifle this on forums seems illogical to me and doesn't seem to have helped with participation here. It certainly killed mine.

You can never keep everyone happy, but given the low activity rate, perhaps I'm not the only one that had their experience spoiled and spends their time other places now?

[SteveU.]

Well I do not think the moderation level here on the MicroCoGen has a thing to do about the current posting activity.
The site visitors reading, versus members logging on shows a 17, even high 20's visitors reading versus members logging-on ratio.
This mean many are internet searching for DIY power solutions, and making knowledge and finding it here; already discussed; searchable.
The actual few contributing members out of the +1000 members now are pretty much DOing it for themselves and their families. Satisfied with their solutions. Posted up what they are actually doing. And why they chose their particular solution sets.

There are only so many practical daily usable solutions sets to any problem
As a very experienced  IC piston engine using guy I know that I weary of even reading anymore. anywhere, about all of the pita "new", "miracle", "saves fuel", engines that never-doers, never-users, drag up and expect jabber exchanging with me about.
Puke. Puke. Puke. Production IC spark ignition piston engines now in the 40% efficiency ranges, hitting 50% efficiency in some cases. WE ALL have daily heat needs year around. Quit engine and process's thrashing and focus on using those byproduct heats rationally, daily. And that is how to get your 90% plus efficiency's.
True MICRO CO GENERATING energy using.
Eat those process heats alligators. Get fat and happy.

Site owner M.Bob has always said he will boot out any over-infinity talking. Unproven "other", out there, Hollywood dialithium-crystal energy talking. Doc Smith's eats-all garbage energy maker 2000 was a writers convenience.
We all better off focusing here on the MicrCoGen on the doing, how doing versus the WHY we are doing it.
Alt enrgy screeching, preaching WHY's "You All Need To . . " trying to drum up back-patting support will here always get a fellow in trouble and moderated out by one of us moderators sooner or later.

Steve Unruh

[glort]

There are only so many practical daily usable solutions sets to any problem

I agree but that's the same for any interest Group/ forum.
The same topics come up but people have new ideas and solution's and sometimes they don't but that doesn't put an end to the topic coming up and doing the rounds.

Site owner M.Bob has always said he will boot out any over-infinity talking. Unproven "other", out there, Hollywood dialithium-crystal energy talking.

Terrific!  No one would support that more than me.
But that wasn't what my comment pertained to in any way.

You can't search you tube for anything DIY or energy self sufficiency without coming across page after page of idiots and scammers running belts to fly wheels and pulleys or wire coils and claiming  miracles that they claim  re write science, and a gaggle of even bigger brain dead idiot morons that not only believe it, but will argue for it.
All you have to do to make these things work is put aside anything to do with laws of physics, Thermodynamics, logic, practacality and most importantly, reality.  Believing in the tooth fairy, the easter bunny and santa claus is highly recommended.

Free energy exits, it's called Solar, Hydro, biogas and wind.  Anything else is malarkey and BS. Such a pleasant change to see this "imagination" energy put in it's rightful place, in the rubbish.

One thing that is good here is the place isn't  greenwashed with save the planet type butt wipes that think everything you do has to be to go with their save the planet rot and garbage.  Lord forbid anyone should generate a watt of power that wasn't " renewable" or made from rainbows and unicorn farts. The lengths these clowns will go to which take more resources, generate more emissions and cost a fortune all so they can save some CO2, a drop of water or some other supposedly green stupidity is beyond ridiculous.

It's a pitty that the info level has dropped here. There used to be a LOT that could be learned and would be worth while revisiting again. It was interesting the first time and wouldn't be any less so the 2nd or 10th time around. 

[Jens]

It's good to see that people are still hanging about.
I have moved on and spend a lot of time on my sailing hobby but also end up putting various doctors kids through university (up here in Canada it's mostly free thank god). My shop looks like I hoard (well I do but ....) and there is no enthusiasm (at the moment) to do anything about it. Thumper is sitting in the engine room, neglected, rusting and with rat crap all over it but I still have some hope of eventually resurrecting things.
I only have microcogen linked on my boat computer so it only gets checked once in a while.
On the bright side, my boat has 700 Ah of 12V storage in lithium batteries and I am loving it. Eventually the plan is to add solar power and I can see a day coming when the house will get solar power and a very large lithium bank.Chances are that's when Thumper gets revived to use for both heat and electricity. Any thoughts of grid tie are truly dead.
I am excited to see what happens when Tesla gets their battery plant going. Hopefully the US dollar will be affordable by then.

[buickanddeere]

It's good to see that people are still hanging about.
I have moved on and spend a lot of time on my sailing hobby but also end up putting various doctors kids through university (up here in Canada it's mostly free thank god). My shop looks like I hoard (well I do but ....) and there is no enthusiasm (at the moment) to do anything about it. Thumper is sitting in the engine room, neglected, rusting and with rat crap all over it but I still have some hope of eventually resurrecting things.
I only have microcogen linked on my boat computer so it only gets checked once in a while.
On the bright side, my boat has 700 Ah of 12V storage in lithium batteries and I am loving it. Eventually the plan is to add solar power and I can see a day coming when the house will get solar power and a very large lithium bank.Chances are that's when Thumper gets revived to use for both heat and electricity. Any thoughts of grid tie are truly dead.
I am excited to see what happens when Tesla gets their battery plant going. Hopefully the US dollar will be affordable by then.

Location ?

[Jens]

It's good to see that people are still hanging about.
I have moved on and spend a lot of time on my sailing hobby but also end up putting various doctors kids through university (up here in Canada it's mostly free thank god). My shop looks like I hoard (well I do but ....) and there is no enthusiasm (at the moment) to do anything about it. Thumper is sitting in the engine room, neglected, rusting and with rat crap all over it but I still have some hope of eventually resurrecting things.
I only have microcogen linked on my boat computer so it only gets checked once in a while.
On the bright side, my boat has 700 Ah of 12V storage in lithium batteries and I am loving it. Eventually the plan is to add solar power and I can see a day coming when the house will get solar power and a very large lithium bank.Chances are that's when Thumper gets revived to use for both heat and electricity. Any thoughts of grid tie are truly dead.
I am excited to see what happens when Tesla gets their battery plant going. Hopefully the US dollar will be affordable by then.

Location ?

Victoria, BC, Canada

[mkdutchman]

still checking in occasionally, I have my 2 Metro 6/1s setup and running practically 24/6 (one or the other I mean) CHP plumbed in and working all ready for the winter months.....

Next step, fabbing an electronic PIC based speed and timing control........eliminating all those wear points

Mel