What's on your PO shopping list?!

Ballard · Post by **Ballard** » 27 Oct 2005, 09:02

I bought a 1000W (3300W Peak) Inverter, and I've cadged a BMW seven series battery off a mechanic friend, (not ideal but 90AH, and he should be able to get me six more).
BTW garages often replace perfectly good batteries in posh cars under warrantee, so worth asking around.
I?ve tried it out and I can easily power enough lights, the Laptop + Broadband doodad, a small LCD tv, the fridge, and the CH pump, but I don?t know exactly how long for. The additional Batteries should help extend running time.
At the moment I will charge from the mains (the inverter is also a charger), and use a Solar PV panel to trickle charge. Later I might supplement with a turbine, I like the look of the Swift. For the Near future I intend to use the system to ?back up? the mains, and expect this to be used intermittently during the winter months, longer term I will gradually supplement and revise the system.
Usefully, the Inverter comes with a little control panel on a lead, this means that the kit goes in the shed, and in the house I will have a mains socket, a 12V socket and a control panel to turn it all on and off. (BTW I got the inverter from EBAY)

Not exactly ?off grid? but I?ll get there eventually, I guess we all will.

Sam172 · Post by **Sam172** » 27 Oct 2005, 19:47

skeptik wrote:
tattercoats wrote: Incidentally, has anyone heard *when* the hard winter is supposed to start?
11.33 am on November 7th

Hey, that can't happen on my 18th birthday, it's just not allowed

.

Anyway, back to the topic - would it be better value for money to stock up consumables and firewood, or to perhaps invest in some small scale electricity generation, such a mini-turbine, pv cells, etc..

I mean, am I more likely to need to fill in the blackouts with electricity, or take the edge off rising food prices? Not that both would be worthwhile, it's just that if we're limited for space & money, which would it be better to focus upon?

JLefrere · Post by **JLefrere** » 27 Oct 2005, 22:09

Wow, someone younger than me, I thought I was PowerSwitch's young'un, but at 17 you trump my 19

sorry I can't answer your question though, I'm not knowledgeable enough with that sort of thing.

Back to the initial thread title, this is on my shopping list: http://www.powerswitch.org.uk/forum/vie ... php?t=1038 (I'm briefly hijacking this thread as a sneaky bump of my post in transport)...

SherryMayo · Post by **SherryMayo** » 28 Oct 2005, 01:53

All I want for Xmas is....

...a solar & windup radio! It appeals to the techno-dweeb in me as much as for its sustainable energy qualities. I've told my other half so I live in hope! Just think, I'll be able to listen in the veggie patch without using batteries!

tattercoats · Post by **tattercoats** » 28 Oct 2005, 18:55

I've got one of those - they're spiffy. There's a torch bit on mine, though you have to wind it up every twenty seconds. Still, it's good for finding stuff in the garage at a pinch.

And a pthpthpthpthpthtph to Skeptik, as well...

Wanting to get some veggies in - spuds and onions keep pretty well, don't they? Anyone know?

T

aliwood · Post by **aliwood** » 28 Oct 2005, 20:35

tattercoats wrote:Wanting to get some veggies in - spuds and onions keep pretty well, don't they? Anyone know?

T

Yes, they do. Somewhere cool and dark. Store them in paper sacks or hessian type stuff, if they're in a plastic bag they'll sweat and go mouldy, we use ex-grain sacks (I have spares upon request). You can pickle the onions - if they're big then pickle slices. Pickles are ready in 2 to 3 weeks and you can eat them as is, or in stews. Do we have a food thread???

Bozzio · Post by **Bozzio** » 29 Oct 2005, 20:37

I've just bought something called 'The Logmaker' from CAT which arrived this week. This makes paper logs from old newspapers which apparently will burn for 1 hour - just soak the paper in water, put into the logmaker, squeeze until all water is removed and leave to dry.

We've not tried any of our newly made logs yet as a) it's not been cold enough to warrant the making of a fire and b) they actually take a long time to dry out. I'll let you know the result in due course.

www.cat.org.uk (as most of you will know) and type in logmaker in the search box and you'll see it there. (It's tiny in reality but effective). ?30 + ?4 shipping. We are now saving all our newspapers instead of recycling and friends of ours are now donating theirs.

aliwood · Post by **aliwood** » 29 Oct 2005, 21:40

Great idea, they sell them on the same site as the wonder washer, no idea how much, but t'other half had one when he was younger and he said it was really good. Let us lnow how it goes.

snowyorbit · Post by **snowyorbit** » 04 Nov 2005, 11:10

rather than spending money on filters for a water butt just tie an old tight over the end. (don't have time to read all 8 pages of posts so might already be covered)

newmac · Post by **newmac** » 04 Nov 2005, 13:26

About the log maker. You need to soak the paper for a long time - i.e. days is good. Get a big container to do this as you will might as well make a lot at once first. Secondly they do take a long time to dry out - summer is therefore the best time to make them as you don't want them inside and if this winter is going to be hard then trying to dry them outside may just end up in a lot of newspaper ice blocks.

There is also a smaller log maker that is used to make round logs. These can be made with dry paper and so obviously don't last as long but are a lot easier to make. See www.thegreenshop.co.uk

snow hope · Post by **snow hope** » 08 Nov 2005, 09:51

Got a letter from Easy Life last night apologising that they are out of stock of Wonder Washer and can not get any more stock. My order has been returned. I feel very let down as I was looking forward to receiving this product.

Any thoughts?

Andy Hunt · Post by **Andy Hunt** » 08 Nov 2005, 16:02

Not heard yet about my Wonder Washer. Getting a replacement washing machine on Thursday - was hoping to received my WW in the last few weeks whilst we didn't have an electric washer. Never mind.

Andy Hunt · Post by **Andy Hunt** » 11 Nov 2005, 10:07

My Wonder Washer arrived yesterday! I must have got the last one! (Sorry Snow Hope!)

Not used it yet, though. It looks for all the world like a table-top cement mixer!

MacG · Post by **MacG** » 11 Nov 2005, 11:14

I would really like one of these babies, but they refuse to ship outside the US.

peaky · Post by **peaky** » 11 Nov 2005, 13:55

MacG wrote:I would really like one of these babies, but they refuse to ship outside the US.

I'm sure it's lovely dear ... but what is it?

What's on your PO shopping list?!

Cheap water filter for rain water collection