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Forum Index : Off topic archive. : RE Daintree style
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| windlight Guru  Joined: 03/03/2007 Location: AustraliaPosts: 331 |
For those who have not seen it. power to the Daintree And Bob is my southern neighbor bar one and up stream of me and I swim in that! My 10 Kw of solar is doing just fine but it's not the wet season yet, now where did I put that jerry can. Allan of the jungle "I like this place and willingly could waste my time in it" - (Act II, Scene IV). |
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Gizmo Admin Group  Joined: 05/06/2004 Location: AustraliaPosts: 5036 |
Fixed that link. Thats a crazy situation. Glenn The best time to plant a tree was twenty years ago, the second best time is right now. JAQ |
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| windlight Guru Joined: 03/03/2007 Location: AustraliaPosts: 331 |
Thanks Glenn. I also should have mentioned the imbedded video, just to wade through much of the dialog "I like this place and willingly could waste my time in it" - (Act II, Scene IV). |
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| windlight Guru Joined: 03/03/2007 Location: AustraliaPosts: 331 |
This is my systems state of charge (SOC) for the last month, so solar can work up here if designed right. 
Allan "I like this place and willingly could waste my time in it" - (Act II, Scene IV). |
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| Gizmo Admin Group Joined: 05/06/2004 Location: AustraliaPosts: 5036 |
Living in the tropics all those years, I do remember thinking to myself on a few occasions about how little energy can be harnessed from the environment during the wet season ( late summer to autum ). The Mackay winters were dry, no rain for a few months, good sunshine and nice south easterly winds. Great for solar or wind power. Summer was a different matter, thick cloud for a week, 2 to 4 inches rain every day, then a couple of days sunshine, but no wind and humidity over 90%. By 8am your shirt was wet with sweat. Very little power to be had during the cloudy days, no sun or wind. Glenn The best time to plant a tree was twenty years ago, the second best time is right now. JAQ |
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| windlight Guru Joined: 03/03/2007 Location: AustraliaPosts: 331 |
Glenn, I agree which is why I put my hand deep enough to install 10Kw, the batteries can not take more than 7Kw but for those non sunny days. This morning we had, after rain all night, light drizzle with some dark clouds and some lighter but fully overcast and I had 1.7Kw coming in at 0900 hrs. The proof is of course in the pudding but no matter who I ask as a "local" I get fifty different answers but the truth lies in the fact that no two wet seasons are the same. I have lived and worked in the tropic before but always with mains power in company housing, to be sure I am under no illusion as to what the wet brings but I have to have something to do. It is a little sad that most people up here had 750 watts installed back in the days of 50% subsidy, someone told them that was enough  therefore they believe the sun is no good and run generators all day.
My northern neighbor has batteries, inverter and little petrol generator it used to run from 0800 hrs until around 2100 hrs much of that time with no load. Over a cupa one day I mentioned the futility of this to him (he is an electrician so once told that I understood), thankfully now he runs the generator enough to recharge the batteries only. They are nice people, I believe he just was taking the easy (to him) path, but armed with some more information he has amended his charging routine, which I suspect is rejuvenating the batteries. Allan "I like this place and willingly could waste my time in it" - (Act II, Scene IV). |
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| VK4AYQ Guru Joined: 02/12/2009 Location: AustraliaPosts: 2539 |
Hi Windlight With the amount of rain up there is should be a good spot for some form of micro hydro system, is anybody using water power or is it impractical in the area? All the best Bob Foolin Around |
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| windlight Guru Joined: 03/03/2007 Location: AustraliaPosts: 331 |
Bob yes some do, I am helping one person ATM. Some come direct off hydro at 240V. Personally I am waiting to see my creeks in flood, before deciding as logs , three eyed mountain men and much other rubbish float down in the wet. I have seen pics and looked at the tide mark but what I have to evaluate is how to cope with wildly fluctuating levels and rubbish. As I have the rest of my life I may wait out one season before installing hydro. We had 2 1/2 " night before last and 1 1/4" last and the creek came up 3 fold, enough to cause me grief as I recovered silt for cement, got the quad and trailer stuck, guess that's why I have a come along. If it was not for blondie I would be enjoying my retirement. Allan of the creeks "I like this place and willingly could waste my time in it" - (Act II, Scene IV). |
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| VK4AYQ Guru Joined: 02/12/2009 Location: AustraliaPosts: 2539 |
Hi Windlight I did some small turbines years ago using a 15 inch 3 blade boat prop in a tube with a good two stage junk strainer on the intake, it could drive a 1KW generator with power to spare and was cheap and reliable. My friend has a property up there so may come up at the end of the year will drop in and say hello if time allows. All the best Bob Foolin Around |
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| windlight Guru Joined: 03/03/2007 Location: AustraliaPosts: 331 |
Hi Bob that is the possible hydro I am looking at, if you make it up here let me know far enough in advance and I will leave a pass at the ferry otherwise it costs you $12 one way. By the way we live by Cow Bay time, runs a lot slower than most. Allan of the jungle "I like this place and willingly could waste my time in it" - (Act II, Scene IV). |
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norcold Guru Joined: 06/02/2011 Location: AustraliaPosts: 670 |
Am just over a few hills from you, well ok bloody big hills, you can site your solar panels here and wire the power down. Your own grid, possible run down Quads road. Just a light hearted suggestion that won`t involve any political correctness. Sun up here is 10/7/52 almost. That link shows the one type of craziness I`m suggesting another.  We come from the land downunder. Vic |
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| VK4AYQ Guru Joined: 02/12/2009 Location: AustraliaPosts: 2539 |
Hi Allan I think my friends property is at Cow Bay also so we wont be far away. All the best Bob Foolin Around |
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| windlight Guru Joined: 03/03/2007 Location: AustraliaPosts: 331 |
Vic just so long as you are not too high otherwise you will be in the mist too often, and of course you would want a percentage of output. Now where did I put that wire size calculator. Allan "I like this place and willingly could waste my time in it" - (Act II, Scene IV). |
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| norcold Guru Joined: 06/02/2011 Location: AustraliaPosts: 670 |
Allan, Think you`ll be able to cut down on cable size, cost you a few bottles of Irish whisky. I`ve got 2 Irishmen ready to tender for the job. On initial interview they claim one will start laying the line at your end one at mine. I queryied them at that stage and asked what happens if they don`t meet up in the middle. Pat answered "You`ll get two lines for the price of one than." Even a flagon of Daintree Moonshine or two `ll do. We come from the land downunder. Vic |
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| windlight Guru Joined: 03/03/2007 Location: AustraliaPosts: 331 |
Vic, I think I may pass on Irish cable layers, I had two Irish graduate civil engineers planting posts once Their first row was like a dogs hind leg, so with a little practical teaching they did improve, but by the time they finished 8' posts were only 1' in the ground. How hard can it be tractor + post hole digger = 2' hole put post in the bottom and fill in. I had the last laugh, immigration at Sydney airport rang to confirm the number of weeks they worked, they were applying for their second visa. On an earlier occasion a prospective employer rang me, I don't know if they got the job but I was not full of praise. I may contact the roos that do the Cow Bay mail run, they are fairly reliable. Allan "I like this place and willingly could waste my time in it" - (Act II, Scene IV). |
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| VK4AYQ Guru Joined: 02/12/2009 Location: AustraliaPosts: 2539 |
Hi Allan Sounds like the Irish mine detectors, they do a fire dance in the mine field, and give accreditation certificates post humorously. Bob Foolin Around |
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| windlight Guru Joined: 03/03/2007 Location: AustraliaPosts: 331 |
Vic, I have done a preliminary study of this project of ours, I estimate some 150Kl between us, so that comes out at 250mm sq wire to transfer 2A @ 750 V. Perhaps we could use a ground return? Now this does not take into account any detours necessitated by Tribal land, shire land, endangered species habitat etc, I am trying to get a full list of departments from whom permission will be necessary. Unfortunately I have used up all my paper on this list and it will now have to wait until my next trip to town. I have been thinking it might be best to shift the responsibility back to your two Irish contractors, at least then we don't have to worry about the red tape, here I am assuming they will just plead ignorance, which after all is a quit reasonable defense for Irish. Allan PS our PM has given approval to the project provided that it can be included in the current nauseating advertising campaign about, er well whatever it is about, personally I am at a loss to work it out. "I like this place and willingly could waste my time in it" - (Act II, Scene IV). |
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Bryan1 Guru Joined: 22/02/2006 Location: AustraliaPosts: 1211 |
G'day Allan, Just aswell all you tarzan guys and Jane's up there aint got the grid and got gipped into buying pv panels purely for grid feed. I did see a small article in last weeks paper today where the fed's have told ALL STATES to abandon all grid feeds from residential properties when that BULL*HIT tax comes in law next year. The best that come out of that is real cheap pv panels and a heap of grid tie inverters to strip for that next project. O and a heap of people who got sucked in being totally red faced when most went into debt just so they thought they could be green. It would of been easier to go to the hardware and buy a can of green paint...... |
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| windlight Guru Joined: 03/03/2007 Location: AustraliaPosts: 331 |
Hi Bryan, I never could see much logic in that scheme, as the payback/unit drops and equipment fails I suspect many people will not want to buy a new inverter and just let it rot. So keep an eye on 'e' bay for those panels. In reality our tax dollars would have been better invested in continuing the subsidy to areas where there is no mains power, but realistically there are no votes in those areas. But there you go politics has reared it's ugly head again. Things are a bit tough up here, yesterday I was mixing cement and I broke into a sweat, nearly had to call the ambulance but thankfully I made it down to the pub and was re-hydrated. Allan of the jungle "I like this place and willingly could waste my time in it" - (Act II, Scene IV). |
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| brucedownunder2 Guru Joined: 14/09/2005 Location: AustraliaPosts: 1548 |
Hi Allan ,, Made it down to the pub ,Eh? -- I can just see you sitting on the far end barstool ,suckin on a pot an drawin on a camel -pass the peanuts ,mate .. have to jack myself outa this joint and sniff my way up your way for a visit -u are welcome down here , if you have to come big smoke way , anytime. By the way , I'm so excited with my solar "experience" nearly wet my pants when I got the lectricty bill --$21 solar credit .. Hahah, could not get down to centerlink to tell em fast e-nough.. Stagger home mate don't drop the bundy... Bruce. Bushboy |
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