Solar Power

[Clyde]

While in the desert camping over the Easter weekend I used my Goal Zero Escape Adventure Kit with an extra Boulder 15 Solar Panel and charged up my computer to stay in touch with the site and continue to post.

This is an item I highly recommend that everyone grab when they can.

 

[Krime]

holy crap thats awesome!
How much does it cost?
How much does it weigh?

 

[Clyde]

holy crap thats awesome!
How much does it cost?
How much does it weigh?

The main battery is about 10 pounds or so. the solar panels are about 2 pounds each.
the company is called goal zero. I picked the whole thing up for about $400.00. By going through Costco I saved some $200.00.

 

[Krime]

14lbs about then hu? thats alot to carry when shtf, but a hell of a convenience. ie you can take an electric stove top and heat food, water etc. a hot bath will be nice in those days! Not to mention the various other things you can do with it.
but $400-$600 Thats a bit much for this mans pocket.
Hell with $400-$600 i can buy a nice gun!

 

[Clyde]

14lbs about then hu? thats alot to carry when shtf, but a hell of a convenience. ie you can take an electric stove top and heat food, water etc. a hot bath will be nice in those days! Not to mention the various other things you can do with it.
but $400-$600 Thats a bit much for this mans pocket.
Hell with $400-$600 i can buy a nice gun!

Yes spending the $400.00 on this or a gun took some serious thought. But all in all I am glad I got the solar panels. It is my understanding you can even charge car batteries with it.

 

[Krime]

ya i bet its cool as hell! I just got a bunch of little, pritty much, dollar store lights that are solar powered and sensor activated. they've been sitting in the weather for a while so i dont know if they'll work, but im going to test them and if they do work im going to detach the sensor and run the wires together and try and create my own, cheap as heck, solar panel! (minus the charge pack) Ill get back to everyone on the results!

 

[Clyde]

ya i bet its cool as hell! I just got a bunch of little, pritty much, dollar store lights that are solar powered and sensor activated. they've been sitting in the weather for a while so i dont know if they'll work, but im going to test them and if they do work im going to detach the sensor and run the wires together and try and create my own, cheap as heck, solar panel! (minus the charge pack) Ill get back to everyone on the results!

please do keep us up to date on this. I see no reason why this wouldn't work quite well.

 

[goodselfme]

I just saw a program about alternative energy as being one of the top listed items on a preppers list. You did a great job in securing this.Next trip to Costco, I will be looking into this. Mother's Day and my birthday are coming up in the next two months. Guess what I will be saying I want for those gifts?

 

[Krime]

hahaha! i wish my family had that kind of money that i could ask for that. sadly im of a poor family and thats why im kinda more into the diy

 

[Clyde]

I just saw a program about alternative energy as being one of the top listed items on a preppers list. You did a great job in securing this.Next trip to Costco, I will be looking into this. Mother's Day and my birthday are coming up in the next two months. Guess what I will be saying I want for those gifts?

hahaha! i wish my family had that kind of money that i could ask for that. sadly im of a poor family and thats why im kinda more into the diy

The company is called goal zero. They have a website where you can see all of their items.
I wish I was more talented with the DIY. I am not good at wood working, welding, etc.

 

[Krime]

practice practice practice lol

 

[Clyde]

practice practice practice lol

Need the money for tools. And someone to show me how, especially with welding.
I can use a cutting torch with no problems.

 

[Krime]

i learned how to weld simply by doing it, i was sick of watching my grandfather and uncles do it, so i hopped on the ARC and went to town. mind you my first welds were ugly and pretty much useless, but now I'm the go to guy in the family when it comes to welding. don't get me wrong I'm by far no pro. but i do very well.

 

[Clyde]

i learned how to weld simply by doing it, i was sick of watching my grandfather and uncles do it, so i hopped on the ARC and went to town. mind you my first welds were ugly and pretty much useless, but now I'm the go to guy in the family when it comes to welding. don't get me wrong I'm by far no pro. but i do very well.

I know you can pick up some pretty inexpensive equipment by miller for home use.

 

[Krime]

harbor freight has alot of quality products for cheap, and they stand behind thier products with lifetime warrantys

 

[goodselfme]

harbor freight has alot of quality products for cheap, and they stand behind thier products with lifetime warrantys

See just knowing where to look for quality and dependable products helps the diy person too. The life time warranty is important nowadays too. This is really good prepper info. Thank you.

 

[goodselfme]

i learned how to weld simply by doing it, i was sick of watching my grandfather and uncles do it, so i hopped on the ARC and went to town. mind you my first welds were ugly and pretty much useless, but now I'm the go to guy in the family when it comes to welding. don't get me wrong I'm by far no pro. but i do very well.

Your profession is much in demand. You are to be commended for teaching yourself. It sure is great that you saw your uncles and Grandfather do some welding too. Watching someone do that welding well is a good teacher too. Welding has lots of benefits for the prepper too. What do you think is the best attribute for you being a welder and a prepper?

 

[Clyde]

harbor freight has alot of quality products for cheap, and they stand behind thier products with lifetime warrantys

Yes they are an interesting store! I have spent many an hour looking around. There is one down here in Orange County that keeps me entertained.

 

[Krime]

weilding pre-shtf i can make vertually anything i want, giving theres enough scrap metal to go around, post-shtf, not much untill true homesteading begins and people quit looting and killing everything in sight. an ARC weilder uses 220 electricity, its kinda like hooking up battery cables except in the positive side you have your rod, then use the electricity to melt the rod. but post-shtf 220 will be hard to come by untill we make alternative electricity. However there is the MIG weilder that runs off of the standered 110 electricity (the regular plugs in a house) and runs wire feed instead of the rod, which i would recomend to beginners (you can buy them at harbor freight for around $100) the MIG is used for smaller weilds, like sheet metal or thin metals that an ARC would burn right through.

 

[goodselfme]

weilding pre-shtf i can make vertually anything i want, giving theres enough scrap metal to go around, post-shtf, not much untill true homesteading begins and people quit looting and killing everything in sight. an ARC weilder uses 220 electricity, its kinda like hooking up battery cables except in the positive side you have your rod, then use the electricity to melt the rod. but post-shtf 220 will be hard to come by untill we make alternative electricity. However there is the MIG weilder that runs off of the standered 110 electricity (the regular plugs in a house) and runs wire feed instead of the rod, which i would recomend to beginners (you can buy them at harbor freight for around $100) the MIG is used for smaller weilds, like sheet metal or thin metals that an ARC would burn right through.

Your wisdom and knowledge is so valuable here. I think that must be the reason why it is so important for people to choose like minded people to partner with for the emergencies coming to us. It is the teamwork that will build what is needed to survive and then to rebuild too after any destruction.

 

[Clyde]

weilding pre-shtf i can make vertually anything i want, giving theres enough scrap metal to go around, post-shtf, not much untill true homesteading begins and people quit looting and killing everything in sight. an ARC weilder uses 220 electricity, its kinda like hooking up battery cables except in the positive side you have your rod, then use the electricity to melt the rod. but post-shtf 220 will be hard to come by untill we make alternative electricity. However there is the MIG weilder that runs off of the standered 110 electricity (the regular plugs in a house) and runs wire feed instead of the rod, which i would recomend to beginners (you can buy them at harbor freight for around $100) the MIG is used for smaller weilds, like sheet metal or thin metals that an ARC would burn right through.

Thanks for the info! I will be taking a trip to Harbor Freight this week I am sure!

 

[Krime]

the MIG is a wire feed, a good tip to using it is to hold the gun closer, and not let so much wire run out, or you'll burn up alot of wire, its hard to explain without showing, but if you buy it you'll see what i mean.

 

[Clyde]

the MIG is a wire feed, a good tip to using it is to hold the gun closer, and not let so much wire run out, or you'll burn up alot of wire, its hard to explain without showing, but if you buy it you'll see what i mean.

I worked with a bunch of pipe fitters so i am familiar with all of the tools. If i recal with the mig, like you said, if you're too far away you will waste wire, too close nd you will screw up tips.

 

[Krime]

i never knew the "to close" part but good to know! but I stay just far enough where i can see the wire come out and hit where im weilding

 

[Krime]

OMG! i just found this online! i wasnt sure where to put it, under here or bug bags but check this out:
http://store.sundancesolar.com/vosobabada.html

these guys also have really cheap solar panels, i think they had a 60 watt for $200.

 

[goodselfme]

OMG! i just found this online! i wasnt sure where to put it, under here or bug bags but check this out:
http://store.sundancesolar.com/vosobabada.html

these guys also have really cheap solar panels, i think they had a 60 watt for $200.

What a find! My common sense tells me why would I want such an item when the grid goes out to use on my ipod, cell phone or video game? To me when the grid goes these items are obsolete. If the cell towers are ok, there might be enough interference that these devices won't be working. They might be good for a fun time at the lake or up in the mountains while we still have the grid, but I would be interested to know if I am thinking straight or not???

 

[goodselfme]

I worked with a bunch of pipe fitters so i am familiar with all of the tools. If i recal with the mig, like you said, if you're too far away you will waste wire, too close nd you will screw up tips.

What a great skill to know or learn to know. It is nice you have some knowledge of these. My daddy was a welder, but being interested in boys and not welding, I never saw him work in the basement on projects. You know now I wished I had paid a little attention to know something.

 

[goodselfme]

the MIG is a wire feed, a good tip to using it is to hold the gun closer, and not let so much wire run out, or you'll burn up alot of wire, its hard to explain without showing, but if you buy it you'll see what i mean.

That is so nice of you to share your wisdom! I might even be learning some tiny specs that will someday help me after the crisis. I think we will need all the skills we can even do a little with after all the SHTF. I will be willing to learn even the small tidbits I read here. Thank you.

 

[Lee 1965]

Tip on solar power... look up solarobotics.com... then contact me... I can assemble custom electronic packages far cheaper and more rugged and reliable

 

[goodselfme]

Tip on solar power... look up solarobotics.com... then contact me... I can assemble custom electronic packages far cheaper and more rugged and reliable

Thank you. I looked at this site and it said it is no longer available. It recommended to see another site which did not have any info on solar power gadgets on it. Can you send me more info so I can find this info, please?