simoin

I see on another thread, (http://www.electro-tech-online.com/a...nditioner.html) That you were having a crack at making an 12 Volt Evaporative Air-Con, how did that end up going or has it stalled behing the new workshop and various other projects?

Adelaide is heating up a few of these systems would be nice, I'm renting so I would probably just setup a small scale one.

bryan1

Hiya Simoin,
I remember seeing an evaporative cooler project years ago that worked off a 12 volt solar panel. Basically a minimaximer kit powered a heap of computer fans and a small 12 volt water pump replaced the 240 volt one. This would be an easy project to do providing you could find an old evaporitive cooler and a heap of computer fans. I'll have a hunt around and see if I can find the link that explains it better but like I say it was years ago when I saw it.

OK here is the link to the minimaximer with plenty of info on building it http://www.suburbia.com.au/~mickgg/minimax/minimax.htm you can even build it on veroboard so basically when the sun is shining the evaporitive cooler will be working without the need of any batteries. And here is the kink to the air cooler I was talking about above http://www.voltscommissar.net/competitive_edge.htm

Cheers Bryan

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" The only way to avoid human error is to avoid the use of humans"

audioguru

Do you guys live on the moon?
No electricity, running water, natural gas, telephone, cable TV and all the other comforts of home?
Where does your internet come from?

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Uncle $crooge

ljcox

Audio, has global warming reached the wilds of Canada yet?

These blokes are trying to do their bit to reduce green house emissions.

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Len

audioguru

I don't go into the wilds but I saw a deer near my house a few days ago.

My part of Canada is warmed by the air pollution from United States.
My electricity comes from water wheels (hydro turbines) at Niagra Falls and some nuclear ones.
My heating is with clean natural gas that is from the ground.
My car runs on cheap gasoline from Canadian tar sands mixed with bourbon from United States.
I have two solar powered garden lights that is my contribution to reduce global warming.

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Uncle $crooge

simoin

Well, we don't quite live on the moon and I don't know about anyone else but I just like making stuff if I can. I enjoy making little projects as and find the electrical and constructions skills I learn from the little project/challenges that I undertake are very useful in the rest of life. It helps me think outside my square for neat and simple solutions... Mostly!

Whilst I like the idea of being totally off-grid I recognize that it is both expensive and it would take a long time to pay for itself in terms of money and carbon emissions.

Someone once asked me why you would use solar panels and explained that the Aluminum used to make the frames and the whole process of making the solar panels would probably produce more carbon than the panel would counter-act in a long time. Not sure how right they were but I'd say it has a touch of truth about it.

But anyway, I like to tinker, that's why I build stuff.

audioguru

I noticed that the land in Oz looks dried up like in a desert. Most of Oz looks like the moon in Google Earth. Its few towns are pretty small.

I saw a huge rain water holding tank on a post here so I thought you might have a well to get water from.

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Uncle $crooge

bryan1

Hiya audio,
Eh mate that tank you saw was the 5,000 gallon rainwater house tank. This tank is one of 3 that I have and I have a 2,000 gallon header tank 1/2 way up the hill. So you might think we're backwards over here with no mains power, mains water, pay tv etc. My internet is only isdn thats the best I can get. But atleast we can go out and leave the house open, just go cut some firewood wood if we're running short and not have to worry about pesky noisy neighbours. Now just to give you an idea the size of my property compared to suburbia down the hill it's equivilant to about 3 suburbs where about 10,000 people live. The best part is I'll never get built out and in summer when the mains power goes off on a regular basis we'll be sitting nice and cool watching tv with the aircon running. So you still think this is backward living? In reality I pity the poor people living in dog box's where if you shout the person 4 doors away can hear you clearly.

End of Rant

Cheers Bryan

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" The only way to avoid human error is to avoid the use of humans"

audioguru

My tap water is very cheap and comes from a pipe under my street. The city pumps it from nearby huge Lake Ontario.

I can also go out and leave the house open because America's gettos are far away.

Our neighbours are our friends.

You can live on a farm or on the moon away from civilization if you want.

Why don't they fix your intermittent mains power?

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Uncle $crooge

ljcox

I don't know why Bryan's power goes off in SA, our's doesn't in Melbourne.

However, in summer most people switch on their air cons and it creates a large load on the power grid. So I presume SA does not have enough spare capacity.

Yes, Australia is mainly desert except for the east coast and the south west coast of WA and the tropical north. But the desert is very scenic. But a long way between drinks.

We use natural gas for heating also. I intend to install a solar hot water system when our gas fired one dies. We thought about solar power, but the cost is large.

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Len

bryan1

Hiya Guy's,
It was my choice to go 100% RE as mains power would of cost me over $100,000 for a single phase 10 amp supply at best and as far as drinking tap water just think the govt puts in thing to numb the senses of the mass's and our rainwater is the best tasting water I've every drunk. Well most of the spring water sold at great expense over here is taken from springs where most land holders have septic toilet systems so the water is basically **it.

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" The only way to avoid human error is to avoid the use of humans"

simoin

I heard that the power over in SA goes off regulalry in summer, it has not happened to me yet have not been here long enough... But I beleieve it is because we buy most of our power from Victoria and when the load goes up they stiff us, it was a little more complex a situation than that but the same principal probably stands...

tytower

I'm intrigued 16F877A is a smart card 2 eproms right? 16F88 is another Eprom? and the pictures are of ? So the DCmotor is driving a minature generator which has super power magnets on each face and is controlled by a some form of Eprom?

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mramos1

Tytower,

See microchip.com for details on the 16F877A and 16F88. They are microcontroller chips. EEPROM inside, RAM, program memory, RISC processor, etc.

williB

the generator / alternator will be powered by the wind
yes the neos are very strong magnets
what i am working on now is the stator support , and i've changed the motor with a bearing which is a VCR head