craig howard

And there is N-type. To consider.
I hear they are supposed to degrade less.
Which could be important if you buy used panels.
I'm not sure how it affects the original output.
There were some used REC N-types on craigslist.
They didn't last long.
I've seen a few people on craigslist selling their old 12 volt setups.
I assume they are moving up to 48 volts equipment.

I give garden tours pretty often.  I grow extra and usually grab a bag before the tour.

I gave another tour this morning.
Wow you have mullein?
I didn't plant it.
So he was excited to get one of those in a pot.
Also went home with a Bob Gorden elderberry that I potted last year but didn't have a spot for.
He brought me a couple dozen eggs from his chickens.

I kinda laugh when I take someone on a garden tour and they reach down and start pulling a few weeds.
Now that's a real gardener.
Doesn't happen very often.

I heat and cook with wood so have a bunch of ash to deal with.
Last winter it was getting dumped near the railroad tracks to keep weeds from growing in the rocks where I can't mow.
If there are no weeds, they lift the sprayer arms and go right past without spraying.

In years past it got thrown in an evergrowing pile.
This year that pile is getting put on garden paths.
I pulled the weeds and grasses in the paths, dug it down and put the soil on the nearest garden beds,
then piled about 3" of ash, which was covered by about 4 more inches of wood chips.
Plan is to stop using carboard to reduce weeds in the paths.

I have used it to keep the ice in front of the house from being so slippery and noticed it killed the grass come spring.
So maybe it can be used to kill weeds by the tracks and in my garden paths.

Most items in a house can be run with 12 volt batteries.
But the large loads like water heater or welder would work better with 48 volt batteries and inverters.
It might be a good idea to have both a 12 and 48 volt setup.
I think the idle wattage is less on 12 volts. On some 48 volt 12Kwatt inverters the idle wattage can be 100 watts and hour.
But is commonly 50-60 watts on a 48 volt 6K inverter, which is all I'd need.

I have one of those dual foot controlled sink valves. Thought it was for a hospital.
Not sure how I will use it, but I might need it some day, ha.

Another instance of a food service sink where you can't touch a shared handle:
If there's no water pressure; I have seen a 5 gallon bucket full of water, with an empty one on top.
A fuel primer bulb is plumbed into the bottom one, with some tubing
and you step on the primer bulb to get water to rise into the bucket on top, which is basically the sink.

Sometimes I see very dark maple syrup.
I've tasted some like that and it was nice.
How do they get it so dark?

The 4 batteries are shipped and on their way but I am getting messages that the shipper says I live in a remote village and need to send an extra $30.
Not true and that's the first time I've heard that.
We'll see how it works out.

12 Volt sodium batteries can be charged to a higher voltage.
I think they like 15.6 volts.
I'm not sure what most lead/acid battery chargers go to.
I have an old one that goes to 16 volts.

There was a guy on utube who charged/discharged a sodium motorcycle battery.
Charging it to 14.4 (or something close to that) didn't seem to change the power curve when he discharged, compared to a 15.6volt charge.
A couple fewer AH (amp hours).
The curve isn't as flat as lithium so using voltage as a reference for charge level will probably work well.

I don't think I've ever been ripped off on alliex.

The new sodium ion batteries can handle very cold weather, -40C and still have plenty of power.
They are becoming affordable,.. compared to lead acid car starting batteries.
And sodium beats lead, or even lithium as far as toxic gick.

They are about the same price as LA starting batteries now:
https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256808924809169.html?spm=a2g0o.order_list.order_list_main.4.54d31802bpcON7&gatewayAdapt=glo2usa
4 of those will get you 12 volts.
That's kind of a kit so you'd have to build the box.
And use a BMS (battery management system) if you don't use it in a car.

Because they are new and expanding.
You could easily watch the price drop substantially after you buy them.