Epic solar boat adventurer - Watt meter?

Not so long ago I bought a watt meter online and it arrived as described.

I love it when that happens.

The best part isn't that it actually works, and works as advertised (which IS nice), but it tells me my Epic Solar Boat Adventure might actually work. 

I have 360w of solar, and it turns out my motor draws about that same amount of juice when running flat out. 

Hopefully that means I can cruise for a few hours a day at speed  4 of 5 on a sunny day, and still end the day with a full battery in case of snake bite, internet use, phone use, wanting to shine floodlights into the eyes of the local wildlife in that way that we humans tend to enjoy... whatever.

In all these years, I've never really known how much power my trolling motor uses on full power. My multimeter couldn't handle the amperage my motor draws, so I only knew the values for the first 2 of 5 power settings. 

Today is a happy day.

My trip is going ahead.

This stuff is going to work!

120 Things In 20 Years is a little surprised that the math(s) worked

Competition winner!

So according to Mrs 120 things in 20 years (also known as Mrs Bullwinkle, and also by her actual name in non-digital real life, the winner of the amazing solar charge controller competition - based (apparently) entirely on effort rather than anything else is ....

brbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbrb boom tish!

Mike Creuzer who suggested I hold a comp to get new ideas to learn or something.

To be honest I lost track a little :)

I don't really like prescription opiates, or competitions, and it turns out I hate hosting them.

Some ideas I've had are better than others. 

But I do like winning them, so if Mike is anything like me, he will like the fact that Mrs Bullwinkle thought his thoughtful thoughts were...

Winsome!

So congratulations Mike you seem to be the winner. I hope you put it to good use, or perhaps even better, I hope you hold a similar competition on your own blog and pass it on to someone else :) (not really - use it).

Please keep in mind I was conned when I bought it as it doesnt do the claimed 24v solar to 12v battery, so there is a slim to fare chance that it's filled with nothing but exported industrial waste rather than MPPT circuitry. 

Winner beware!

Pass the final test - guess my email address and send me your postal address and I'll send you your awesome prize. 

Why did Mrs 120 Things In 20 Years have to pick the post distant entry from the other side of the world instead of the guy I would have picked in my home town with the "most unfinished projects" entry, or my friend that suggested the cheese eating comp? I could have just handed it to either of them.

At least it will finally find a good home.

120 Things In 20 Years Congratulates it's most recent prize winner. Most of the rest of you are insane!

Epic Adventurer - Solar Boat - Bullwinkle III

I made some progress.

Actual progress!

I have a plan, some drawings, and newly found personal temperature control.

Which is awesome.

If you haven't had personal temperature control for a decade or so and then you get it, it's pretty much the most wonderful thing you could imagine.

I no longer need ice packs under my hat and in my pockets.

Awesome.

Yesterday I was cold for a bit.

Awesome!



120ThingsIn20Years... No really - Awesome!

Epic adventurer - Customs

I just received the ten pieces of paper I need to get my solar panels through customs.

Actually it was only nine, but I'm trying to make a point here.

What's with all this paper?

Why am I even involved with the process?

If someone has to send something to someone, and then they have to present that to someone else, just make it so the someone else can get it from the someone!

And make it all online.

And call it...like... "something something international import export clearing house"


120 things in 20 years thinks this might be why some people don't become major players in import export. I also think I might be wrong. But seriously, what do you do if you are a major international import export business, and don't happen to own a printer? Then what? Is my lack of printer ownership hindering my ability to be seen on the S&P 500? The world has gone totally crazy.

Winner - The great MPPT solar charge controller competition

So I asked the invention engine what kind of competition I should hold to give away that first solar charge controller I bought, and it said I should ask everyone else.

Helpful.

It said I should get a load of people to submit their ideas.

I asked it why people should spend their precious time helping me out with their ideas.

It said I should provide some kind of incentive.

Like a competition.

So the first ever 120 Things in 20 years competition is as follows...



Whoever can come up with the best idea for a competition wins.

The prize is that solar controller I had so much trouble with because it didn't match my solar panel's too high voltage.

There is only one rule*, and that is the winner wont be anyone who enters by simply adding another layer of competition to the competition to see what the competition should be.

I already thought of that one, and I've decided I probably wont give the prize to me, although I am currently in the lead so I may change my mind.



Mrs 120 Things and I will judge the winner at our own discretion, in our own time, whenever we feel like it, if we feel like it, and reserve all rights to do whatever we want without reservation or regard for others.



120 Things in 20 years thinks the invention engine may have just gained consciousness, or at least the beginnings of a consciousness-free sense of humour.



click the comments thingy to enter or offer derisive laughter

Epic adventurer - New solar panels

Bullwinkle III is about to be born.

Bullwinkle was the first incarnation of my little boat. It was originally a SunDance 4.3m one man racing catamaran.

I went halves in it with a friend.

It was old and slow but built solidly.

We broke it.

We fixed it up, but it wasn't strong enough to put it under the kind of strain that a boat sees when it's under sail, so the sail had to go.

I put a 1.8m square of marine grade plywood on it and turned it into a fishing barge. I added a large deep cycle battery and an electric trolling motor. This gave me a range of around 6km which is surprisingly enough to catch lots of fish and more importantly, lots of blue swimmer crabs. This incarnation was Bullwinkle II. With the aid of some rope, and some plastic hand reels as pulleys, two empty milk crates as seats, and a pram wheel as a steering wheel, it was quite comfortable. the only downside was that people kept boating up to us to see if we needed help because we looked like a sinking dingy. A sinking dingy with two people standing on it fishing.

Then came Bullwinkle II.V which was essentially the same as Bullwinkle II but it also had a 3hp two stroke motor, but that was just annoying.

So today I spent the money I've received from you nice people clicking my blog's ads on two new 180w solar panels. They have apparently been built, and are now being put on a ship in China.

Thanks clickers.

Thanks China.

Thanks boats.

So now I can finally build Bullwinkle III.

I have the hulls, the decking, a motor, the frame of my 1.8m grow house (the one that let the sun dissolve it's cover), and an office chair.

That should be plenty enough junk to solar boat the length of the mighty River Murray.


120 Things in 20 years just remembered that I hadn't ever gone camping alone, so the night before last I drove to the river with my swag, and tried it. Nothing bad happened.

Epic adventurer - Solar fail-safe kill switch

I've been worried about all my dodgy electronics on my solar boat, so I figured I should have a master kill switch that couldn't fail, and came up with a fuse holder and a 6mm bolt, tied to some artfully arranged paracord in the form of a survival bracelet that my brother made for me.

Cut the threaded bit off the bolt, tie a nice grippy paracord handle to it, then put the bolt in the fuse holder that connects all the electrics to the positive terminal.

One pull and everything stops.

It should work.

If it does, I should also be able to clip onto it with with a 2m bungee cord when I want to move around the boat if I'm under way. That way if I fall off, the motor will stop. I think it's called a dead man's switch. I was originally planning to create one digitally, and I still might if it turns out to be a pain, but if I need it, I'll build it on the boat. If I did it digitally, I'd make a simple sonic tape measure with a PICAXE chip that would notice if I left my chair. Then it would beep in 60 seconds, then kill all power to the motor if I didn't wave my hand in front of it within 15 seconds.

I think I prefer paracord and my bolt fuse.



120 Things in 20 years realises a solar deadman's switch sounds like safety overkill, but I'll have junk everywhere, no side rails, and 2000km is a long way to chase a boat moving slightly faster than I can swim on the Murray River.

Solar hot water - Thermosiphon

With enough time on your hands its possible to make water go round and around with the power of sunshine.

If you connect one end of a hose to the top of a container of water and connect the other end to the bottom of the container, you will have made a bucket with a loop of hose.

If you fill it to the top with water, shade the end of the hose that is attached to the bottom, and drag the entire contraption out into the sun, you will have made a solar powered thermosiphon.

A thermosiphon is better than a bucket with a loop of hose attached to it.

Because hot stuff rises, the part of the hose that is exposed to sunlight will make the water inside move up. Once the water moves up, some water in the bucket moves down. The water cycles around for as long as the device is in the sun.

The best part is, when the hotter water gets into the container, it rises to the top. This means that its the coldest of the water that flows back out into the hose, and the hottest water remains in the container.

This also means we have collected some solar hot water. Not much and not very efficiently yet, but we are on the right track.