John Weiland

Allen Jackson wrote:......Since the placement on the end is also where I was hoping to be able to install the solar input connectors and AC charger connectors, I have to know if that spot is available or if it will be best served holding the charge controller... Can't tell if the charge controller gets hot during use without good sunlight to heat it up...

Are both ends of the box slated for connectors and/or outlets?  If you were to use the lid, then perhaps on hotter days you could prop the lid open in a way to allow the controller to orient vertically and promote the air upward siphoning effect to aid in cooling.  I can't recall....are the PV panels fixed in their location or something that you desire to be mobile?  Looks like it will be  nice unit when completed!

Good to see that build coming along, Allen, and to hear of your experiences adding practical loads to it that we can all relate to.   I'm finding myself wishing that I would have known more about the RV world of using 12-24V appliances sooner....it may have altered my choices of purchasing such appliances for hope use in earlier days.

I'm at the stage now of fitting everything into the case.  It won't be pretty, but I feel still quite functional.  The battery terminal posts will go on top after all at opposite sides of the lid.  At this point I plan to just leave the BMS on top of the battery cells and fill in gaps with pieces of packing styrofoam, cut to fit.  In order the keep the BMS somewhat immobile, I'm planning to lay a sheet of styrofoam across it and then the lid will press gently down when closing to keep the BMS in place.  HOWEVER!...if this BMS placement is judged to be thermally dangerous or not recommended then I will reconsider and may just use tape to keep it in place.   The temperature sensing wires will be placed between the case wall and the side of the battery and the on/off button fixed into a hole on the side of the case to allow access from outside of the case. The cables that will attached to the battery posts from inside of the case are stranded 4 AWG which I'm thinking should suffice for my anticipated loads.  More updates soon....

Not to be too critical here, Eric, but I think you need to grade them on their efforts.  I mean, that's a mediocre toilet-papering job, no?  Did they even make an attempt to Saran Wrap your desk drawers closed?  And I would take the coffee cans as a hint that I needed to jazz up my lecturing a bit more.....a veiled commentary by the students that each needed a full can of coffee to remain awake.  No gum sticking the feet of your chair to the floor?.....No drawer full of rotten apple cores after a semester of school lunches?  Hmmmm....what's with students these days??  :-)

All in jest!  ... LOL

I worked in a lab once where the supervisor kept getting on us, his students, for leaving test-tube labeling tape stuck on the lab benches....little odds and ends that didn't fit on the tube.  Over and over again he would come in when each of us was trying to focus on our experimentation and give us the grind.  So we finally tracked down his favorite set of micro-pipettors, the little hand-held tools that you use to transfer small volumes of liquid when setting up experiments, and in one fit of mock retribution, duct-taped all of them into one mass of tape and pipettors and placed them back in his drawer.
To his credit, he thought is was pretty amusing when he found them!.......

Here's to the end of another school year!....

Not being in any type of organizational role with Permies.com or other permaculture concerns, I nevertheless feel this to be a very important post.  The OP noted variation in several experienced permaculture programs and tested the waters in each.....perhaps with no apparent guidance on the part of the organizers to define the main thrust or over-arching philosophy(s) of their particular program.  That's not to say that one should not test out how each approach 'fits' their interests and goals because very often one finds this out along the way.  Still, I do feel from my own experience in past student mentoring that keeping cognizant, on the part of the trainers/organizers, that some may be more suited to one discipline over another would be beneficial to both parties.  Maybe this happens already and organically....I'm just musing at this point.  My perspective here is that others have noted how smaller tribes seem to find a 'fit' for all of their members....and that appears to come from both the experimentation of the pupil -and- the observations of the mentors.  That 'mechanism', if you will, for finding a productive and sometimes even harmonious outcome might be worth deliberately integrating into the different global programs for training new disciples into permaculture perhaps.   Again, this may already happen quite naturally, but I'm just picking up on a sentiment expressed within the entry of the OP.

Allen Jackson wrote:
A minor annoyance about the JK BMS - it doesn't display charging current at all... I knew it was charging because I saw the cell voltage rising, but until there was an active load, the displayed current was "0" ☹️

Do you mean just the particular model of JK BMS?   Because if you look back up a few entries at my screenshot while charging, mine was displaying 7.4A.   Since the charger itself was set for a 7.5A delivery, I assumed the BMS was reading the input properly....... or no?

With multiple dogs, the clue is that you will never get one to 'rat out' the location of any of the other dogs on the property, no matter how urgent the situation.  No "Lassie, tell Timmy where the injured bird is located no matter how far away..." for these guys.   The unspoken dog code is that the caretaker never gets to know......their lips are sealed as part of an ancient pact.  One can only imagine what other plans are afoot!   ;-)

Daniel Andy wrote:

John Weiland wrote:I love millet as a hot cereal....now looking forward to trying this bread recipe.  Thanks!.....

Please share your hot cereal approach as i have a half cup millet remaining and dont need more bread!

Soak millet overnight at room temperature to soften and to swell grain, then pour off excess water just leaving a small amount over the grain surface.
Add pinch of salt, bring to a boil and reduce heat.  Simmer for ~15-20 min.
Next step is up to you as for additives.  I like to add dried currents, walnuts or hemp hearts, a pinch of cinnamon and either oatmilk or flaxmilk.  If
sweeter is desired, maple sugar or syrup or sweetener of your choice can be used.  I really like the flavor and nutrients of millet as an alternative or complement to
oatmeal or farro hot cereals.

I love millet as a hot cereal....now looking forward to trying this bread recipe.  Thanks!.....

Allen Jackson wrote:On the topic of the measured voltage when the balancer is off - is the balancer actually off, or did it just shut off charging?

On a related note, if anyone installs any additional balances to their systems, MAKE SURE to also install a switch on them to disable the balancer during any long-term storage, or they'll probably kill the entire battery - use them when you need to, and then turn them off!

The app still showed that charging and discharging still were enabled, so only the balancer was shut off.  With regard to shutting it off manually, are you indicating that an active balancer that is always "on" might constantly drain other cells to serve one bad one and eventually drain all past a point of repair/rechargability?  Yeah, that would suck.  At this point I'm waiting for other items to arrive in the mail and occasionally turn on the BMS to see what parameters may have changed.....but if the BMS is turned completely off when I'm not using the battery, the balancer also should be deactivated, yes?

Daniel Andy wrote:Caravans are objectively superior, for one simple reason: your motor transport is not permanently connected to your home.

......

I was wondering about this option as the discussion unfolded.  I'm not in the market for an RV type of dwelling,  but if I were, I would consider a pick-up truck that could couple with a 5th wheel hitch and also have a car dolly off the back of the towed trailer.  As noted, you can always park the trailer if the truck is needed, but additionally with a car dolly, you have another vehicle for buzzing around while the truck/trailer takes a rest.  The trailer may still have all of the squeaks and clanks while it's moving, but if most driving is done with all passengers riding in the truck, you won't hear all of that noise!  Finally, I've heard that 5th-wheel trailers are easier to back up than standard bumper ball hitch rigs...assuming of course the car dolly is not attached.