Michael Qulek

Nicolas Derome wrote:
So pawpaws are okay with the stems being covered in soils? I know some plants don't like that and it causes their stems to rot (happened once when I played peppers a little deeper than the cotyledons).

Since you have several deformed seedlings, try covering one deeper, and leave another as-is.  You can then determine for yourself if it's a problem.  In my personal experience though deeper stimulates roots.

I'm sorry, but why is this considered to be a solar myth?  Why does it need disproving?  Everyone in the solar community today knows about raising voltage to cross long distances.  I myself have recommended this in just about every solar conversation on this board.  Why is this guy acting like "he" discovered the secret?

Nobody has actually posted any kind of voltage drop calculator.  I use this one.

https://www.calculator.net/voltage-drop-calculator.html

For my own system, I'm running about 8A a total distance of 130 feet at 120VDC, with no measurable voltage drop through 10 gauge copper wire.  Just plug in your numbers into the calculator to see what you get.

I'd suggest that wiring 5-6 large 250W residential solar panels in series would give you between 150-180VDC that would cross that 200 foot distance with less than 2% voltage drop.

Of course, you need a charge controller (or AiO) that can handle voltage that high.

Remember though you are NOT measuring the working voltage making power, called the Vmp.  You need to be looking at the open-circuit voltage, which is what you measure when the array is disconnected from the controller.  That will be ~25% higher then the Vmp.  Also remember that the voltage of the panels goes up as the temperature goes down.  So, the panel Voc will be higher in below freezing winter weather then in summer.  You MUST take that into account when you are designing your system.  What are your winter lows like?

I think what you could do is to fill in the pots an inch or two deeper, and allow the curvy sections to produce roots.  Eventually, with roots forming above the curves, the curving will become irrelevent.

A modern type of solar steam generation is up and running out in the California desert.  This idea was not forgotten, though it's turning out that photoelectric panels plus battery storage is a more cost-effective method to generate electricity.

https://www.energy.ca.gov/powerplant/solar-thermal/mojave-solar-project

High-voltage residential solar panels are now dirt-cheap that anyone can build a functional off-grid solar system these days.  I'd recommend focusing your attention (and solar rays) in that direction.

I recently scored some recycled sliding glass doors from a contractor that was installing new ones in an apartment building I happened to be driving past.  I stopped and asked, and got to take twelve 72X36" glass panels for free.  I'm going to use those for the construction of a greenhouse on the side of my cabin.

I wonder if you could do something the same, building a small enclosure around your totes, with glass facing South, and the other three sides and the roof heavily insulated?  I would design the enclosure such that it could be sealed up in winter, but opened to the air come spring, so the water doesn't get too hot.

What's the ATCC # for "super ninja turbo" yeast?

I've never had an issue with wood removal.  I just drive a 4X4 into the wooded area, buck up the fallen trees for firewood in situ, and drive back out.  I supply ALL the year's firewood needs from winter storm blow-downs.  

If you want to drag whole logs out of an area, one thing that would help is the old hood of a car with chains attached to it.  Just dump the top end of the logs onto the hood, chain the hood to the back of your vehicle, and then drag it back to your operational location.  The scarifiction of the ground from the other ends of the logs dragging on the ground is usually conducive to the fresh growth of wind-blown tree seedlings.

I've attempted planting Black Locust on my own property, and the animals browsed it straight to the ground.  None survived.  Only orchard trees fully encapuslated in steel chicken-wire can survive.

Looking at the original article, I see a dearth of technical specifications, not even a BTU rating?  This leads me to believe it's a theoretical thing that may never see the light of day in a working system.  I've seen a lot of "ideas" on the internet bantered about that have NEVER been tested in any kind of real-world application.   So, good luck with that.

What I can tell you from personal experience, what WILL work is a high-voltage home-based solar system that can power a traditional air-conditioner.  High-voltage residential solar panels are getting dirt-cheap right now, with 6W/$ for panels in my local area.  I personally have built two systems now that HAVE run a 8000BTU air-con from at least 9am till 4pm with zero battery depletion.

My own personal strategy for solar cooling is to start the air-conditioner in the early afternoon with my 48V cabin system, allow West-facing panels to keep the air-con running off solar only till about 6pm, then start draining the battery after 6pm.  By then though, the cabin has been cooled off, and is only cycling on and off, so battery depletion is not as great as starting it after 6pm.  I selected a wall-mount air conditioner, and what has worked well is leaving the air-con on till about Midnight, then shutting it off and opening the windows.  In my Sierra Nevada location, I've never yet had to run the air-con all night till the next morning, so I can't say what it would be like in a deep desert location.

In terms of fire protections, you really should not be focusing as much attention on the walls as you should the roof.  Here in California entire towns are burning down even though they have stucco walls and clay roofs.  The biggest problems are exposed rafter ends that overhang the walls to keep the rain drip away from the foundations.  Blowing embers get lodged in the exposed nooks and crannies, and fire eats it's way into the building via the undersides of the roofs.  Keeping embers from getting caught is how you will stop a fire from spreading.  Also focus on ladder fuels right next to your building walls.  That means no plant grow immediately under the eaves of the roofs that can catch on fire, and bring fire up to the eave level.

Also have a fire-proof zone on the ground immediately off the walls.  I poured concrete sidewalks 360 degrees around my cabin to keep fire at least 4' away from the walls.

I think most of the strategies for keeping away fire will also help keep away pests.