I had no idea there were now ham radio satellites. Many years ago I was told that you can talk to someone beyond the horizon since the signal is reflected down off the top of the atmosphere which I'm not sure is true but I can see satellites doing a much more efficient job. I was reading on Wikipedia that they also bounce signals off the moon which is pretty astounding; surprised the signal doesn’t get absorbed but then again light bounces off it from the sun. Can’t believe how little wattage they can do that with because I think it said most countries restrict to less than 100 W. I wonder how far you could communicate with someone without using a satellite?Well Homer... there will be lots of antennas.. not just one. There will be at least 2 sets of rotatable beam antennas, one set also doing a vertical rotation so that they can track the ham radio satellites and the space station and there will be a set of wire antennas stretched across the back yard that will provide me with a fixed 40 and 80 meter beam that I can direct either east or west. It doesn't sound like much to those not in the know, but this wire antenna system will be the envy of any ham who sees it, and having the space to do this was a prerequisite when looking for property... a single lot just wouldn't be able to cut it.
The solar project has run into a couple of snags that need to be worked out. First, the local power company doesn't want to sign off on rebates on the 11kw system we have been designing up, they say the maximum that I need is 3kw. We are still negotiating to determine what I really need and if the solar company was trying to take advantage of my exuberance. Also, there seems to be a rash of feedback problems with these types of systems, where at times appliances in the home are seeing unexpectedly high voltages... enough to blow out modern fridge and environmental control panels. Recommendations are to install a $75 power surge protector for each major appliance served on a system such as this. There are many hidden dangers and gotcha's in this solar energy game... we are presently being educated before we pull the trigger on a system.
Building up the grow room has been put off for a week since we are having a house warming party next weekend and I really don't want to advertise to everyone that will be attending, exactly what that room upstairs is going to be used for. After the party, the indoor grow room will be rapidly put into operation.
The well project has also been put on standby for a bit as moving in things took priority over our time and there has not been an urgent need for that water yet. The new fridge showed up yesterday and that was a project, but now we have an old large 2nd fridge in my radio room, that I will be able to dedicate to storing and low and slow drying of product without my housemate complaining since she has a new high tech side by side in the kitchen. The new guttering with leafguards was also installed yesterday... each day has been a project unto itself.
Now we get to the girls...
Veg, Day 8
Last night we had some thunderstorms with more expected today and tonight. The girls have been brought inside so as to not have to deal with all of that water. Katherine Tipburn has more to complain about... something has chopped the end of one of her first fan leaves off, and there it was, laying in the soil down below. She looked too sad to sit for a picture this morning, so I just apologized to her and told her I would make it right later. The indoor grow room is taking on more and more of a priority as the days go by and I find myself glad that I don't have to rely on the outdoors to grow my medicine.
I’m definitely not in the know but I certainly can’t say the system you are planning doesn’t sound like much; it’s grand. I thought I heard years ago NASA changed their system so civilians cannot listen to the astronauts anymore or can you actually hear them? I can’t help wondering what your 40 and 80 m beam antennas will pick up that your rotating-beam antennas won’t. Are they up to 80 m in length because you are receiving low-frequency signals that are very long? In dystopian post-apocalyptic movies, novels and such often the characters communicate with ham radios so they seem smarter than ever today.
Unfortunately I can’t see a power company wanting to help you very earnestly with a solar system that replaces their service so I can understand them deviously wanting to underestimate your needs and 3 kW does seem pretty low. I was curious so I looked it up and central air conditioning is 3.5 kW alone. I’m sure the solar game is like the Wild West so you are smart to educate yourself; no doubt there’s lots of shifty characters out there.
10 or 15 years ago the electric company, which here is owned by the government, tried to get people to go solar so we had a bit of a spurt there where people were putting them up so I know it can be done it’s just a matter of finding the right system and a trustworthy company and I am sure you will eventually find your way. I hear they have really come down in price in the last few years also; the panels I mean.
My sympathies to Katherine Tipburn; she certainly is having a time of things. Hopefully, her star will be rising soon!
I find your projects interesting because I retired recently from being a construction millwright and I can just envision them digging your foundation, putting down stone and putting up the forms pouring the concrete anchoring your equipment and assembling it. That’s the kind of stuff (mechanical) I used to do for a living but usually on a much bigger scale. Now that I’m retired and in lockdown, I’m tinkering to keep myself entertained. I have a compulsion to make the perfect chef’s knife and this weekend I built a little still to recover the alcohol I use for my tinctures. I did a test run where I ran some alcohol through it and to clean up any flux left over. It worked pretty well so this week I am going to make another batch of tinctures. Best part of that project is everything I needed I already had!