Offgrid living

They say that people who don't build battery banks while wearing a sweater will cry about the lack of battery banks in double fur coats. :)

Since today was possibly the last "sweater" weekend here, morning frost is a reality and snow has fallen 500 km northwards...

...I decided that I would be among the first and not the second group. :)

Coincidence has given me an almost unused (43 000 km driven) battery bank of a Mitsubishi i-MIEV (a crap car, don't buy unless you are an EV mechanic).

But in my house, there is already a 24V battery bank made of Nissan Leaf cells and I'm worried about lack of space and fire hazard (if lithium batteries burn, you typically need tons of water to make them do anything else - I have only one ton and pumping it requires that same battery bank).

So I decided that I'd build a new 48V battery bank outside my house, start it up with the MIEV cells and maybe migrate the Leaf cells there later too, after checking and reassembly.

However, winters are cold here and MIEV cells (as I mentioned, the car is crap) lose 30% of their capacity when cold. It thus follows that I must keep my battery warm in winter - and later on, cool in summer. This requires energy. Spending less energy on battery care allows using more energy for useful things. :)

Thus it follows that I need a battery enclosure. :) It must have wheels so construction bureaucrats can be waved away with an explanation (a generator on wheels doesn't need a building permit either). And it must have thermal insulation.

The insulation is PIR foam, 10 cm thick. Maybe I'll make some parts even thicker. The wheeled platform was salvaged from a bankrupt boat factory, I don't know its original purpose. The bottom plywood is 20 mm waterproof ply, and the top layer (PIR is very delicate, don't put batteries directly on PIR) is 9 mm waterproof ply.

The design I stole from an anarchist squat which existed in 2009, where styrofoam was used for a similar purpose, with the difference that squatters used lead acid batteries and their battery room was indoors (now it's advisable to imagine the sound of clattering teeth, it was cold there in winter).

Inside the box, there will be:

• balancers / equalizers
• some DC heating ribbon
• a thermostat or a microcontroller-driven thermometer + relay
• a circulation fan (thermal stratification is bad)
• battery monitors with an alarm function
• a smoke alarm

Since PIR aborsbs sound, the piezo buzzers of the alarm devices will have to be unsoldered and brought to a plastic box on the surface of the enclosure. :)

The arrangement of cells has been chosen to provide access from outside, get a reasonable ratio between volume and surface (avoid flat shape) and to minimize the cutting of materials (several sides are made of PIR sheet cut to length only).

Some more pictures:

• Main tools for working with PIR
• Test fitting
• Closing up
• Securing with fiber tape (you can tow a car with a roll of it)

End result of today's work:

(Note before reading: I am aware it is very unlikely people on here can build one of these systems, so I am just posting it for those who find it interesting)

Evaporation of water from reservoirs and irrigation canals is a problem that many places struggle with today, but one desert solution was used approximately 3000 years ago.

“Throughout the arid regions of Iran, agricultural and permanent settlements are supported by the ancient qanat system of tapping alluvial aquifers at the heads of valleys and conducting the water along underground tunnels by gravity, often over many kilometres. The eleven qanats representing this system include rest areas for workers, water reservoirs and watermills. The traditional communal management system still in place allows equitable and sustainable water sharing and distribution."unesco.org

To make them extra interesting, they could be paired with a wind-tower. This technology could cool a house through evaporative cooling; or even to keep ice from melting too quickly in the middle of a desert.

(Image Sources: Image 1 | Image 2)

More Info:

• https://youtu.be/8lS_ar5UpiU
• https://youtu.be/Itr8I-zgepc

I understand that not everyone will have access to a stream/river with fish, but I thought people might find this interesting anyways.

Do you have videos that stick with you? "Through the Kitchen Window: A Town Living with Water [Harie, Shiga] " is one that occasionally pops back in my mind.

In Harie, Shiga(Japan), water canals run through much of the town, and the people there use it to develop a mutually beneficial relationship with fish. 🐟

Imagine a pool of water that people use for washing fruits, vegetables, and dishes. That same pool has carp that call it home, and the carp eat the scraps and keep the water crystal clear. This could be inside the home or outside, but it is constantly added to by natural spring water, and the water exits in to a canal. This system is called “Kabata,” and has been used for over 300 years.

(Both images above are from this website)

That running water then heads to rice flats, which benefit from the natural fertilizers the fish provide. That water then heads to wetland area, where the water is cleaned by reeds and other vegetation before entering a lake.

More Info:

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_rwxsjzjDhs
• https://youtu.be/THcKJpXwqVM

Within Arizona(USA) is a beautiful cliff-dwelling built by the Sinagua people in 1100-1425 AD. Montezuma Castle (renamed to this by colonizers) has around 20 rooms, and is built using a method that today people call “passive solar building.”

“In passive solar building design, windows, walls, and floors are made to collect, store, reflect, and distribute solar energy, in the form of heat in the winter and reject solar heat in the summer. This is called passive solar design because, unlike active solar heating systems, it does not involve the use of mechanical and electrical devices.” Wikipedia

For the cliff dwelling, that included a design that ensured the buildings were hit with the heat of the low-winter sun, but protected from the high-summer sun by overhang. It also made use of ventilation, small windows and doors (to reduce temperature loss), and more.

This ancient knowledge is making a comeback in houses, but is really helping for greenhouses. Even in colder climates where temperatures can reach -40c(-40f), passive solar designs are enabling greenhouses to run all-year.

(Image source)

(Image Source)

More Info:

• https://youtu.be/F2Pg3gY7wQ4
• https://youtu.be/8qtQgH7DQF0

I know very few people in the world have access to hot springs, but I just thought people here might find this information as interesting as I do.

Japan:

Cooking Eggs:

In some other places, hot-spring pools can become a neighborhood egg-cooking spot. In Japan, these eggs are called Onsen Tamago (温泉卵), and are slow-cooked in the natural spring water.

The result is a unique custard-like texture in the yoke, while the whites are soft.

“It is said to have originated in Onsen Towns in Beppu, Oita prefecture. It is said that the first Onsen Tamago was made over 300 years ago when a traveler left his eggs in a hot spring by accident and found them cooked when he returned." MyFormosaFood

More Info:

• https://youtu.be/PBDNjOLPnkg

Steam Cooking

“It is a cooking method using high-temperature steam heat gushing from hot springs, and it has been used in Beppu since the Edo period. Just put the ingredients in a basket, put them in a pot where steam of about 100 degrees called “Hell Steaming Kettle” and cover it.” | Jigoku Mushi

At tables equipped with timers and hot-spring powered steam cookers, you can steam your own food.

Heating Greenhouses:

“Hot springs are used to heat greenhouses for different types of fruit and vegetables. At Atagawa Spa on the Izu Peninsula, the Atagawa Tropical & Alligator Garden cultivates tropical plants like banana trees and bougainvillea.” | Nipponia

By piping the heat into radiators, they can heat and humidify the greenhouses with no electricity.

Iceland:

Volcano Bread

Cooking rye bread with the help of a volcano has a long history in Iceland. All you had to do was dig a hole near a hot-spring, place the dough (which is in a container) in the hole, and burry it.

The boiling water will steam the dough to a dense but soft texture.

Hopefully you remember to mark where the hole is, but if you did, you will have freshly cooked bread with no need of an oven. As an extra bonus, you can also cook some eggs when you are there.

More info:

• https://youtu.be/NXwuJlY3uy0

(Image Source)

While it might look like those grapes are in weirdly-shaped bread, they are really in clay. A pair of clay bowls are made, and left to bake in the sun. When they are dried, they are ready to use.

“When each pair of rustic “earthenware bowls” is completely dried, around 1kg of ripe unbruised fruit are put inside, and then sealed with another serving of mud to form a single closed, air-tight vessel.” Farmizen

This is called a “Kangina” and is an ancient preservation technique still used in Afghanistan to this day.

The kangina are put somewhere cool (sometimes buried) and will remain fresh for up to 6 months. They are both eco-friendly, and effective.

Crafted by a potter named M Sivasamy, this clay pot was designed to help keep produce cool for days.

He made a cylindrical pot made out of clay with a tap on one side and an outlet to pour water on the other side. A smaller pot fits inside the bigger one where you can place your vegetables which is then covered with a lid. The technology is simple — the water in the pot remains cool keeping the vegetables fresh and cool. - BetterIndia

For places with no or limited electricity, this could help immensely. Especially considering terracotta(earthenware) clay is almost used worldwide.

More Info:

• https://youtu.be/Pr-FxgNTXtA

I just thought people would find this interesting:

Within the Ukraine lives the Hutsul people. They are masters of a specific type of wool blanket technique called “lizhnyk,” which is made from Carpathian sheep wool.

Creating the blankets is a long and difficult craft, but the results are beautiful.

One of the most ingenious parts of their craft involves help from the river. A valylo is a river-powered wooden washing machine; which will beat the blankets until they are soft and lose their sheep-smell.

More info:

• https://youtu.be/pMinqwDy40c

Thought to be a system over 100 years old, the valtoare/vâltori (whirlpool) in Romania works by channeling water into a large wooden funnel-like barrel. The funnel has gaps wide enough for water to flow out, but not wide enough for the cloth to slip through.

The force and angle of the water hitting the wood creates a spiral of water, which tumbles the clothes thrown inside.

Historically, people would rent the usage of these from the owner, with money, grain, or by working the land for however long it took the clothes to wash. Today, they are free.

“Today, whirlpools remain popular, especially among people from rural areas. They are used for washing wool fabrics free of charge, but people still like to contribute a small fee to the budget for repair and maintenance.” Peasant Art Craft

More Info:

• https://youtu.be/L26U35Rkl54
• https://youtu.be/qjK2GwSJUbM

Not sure if this is useful to off-gridders but I guess if you are in an area with voice towers that do not offer data, this could be useful.

I wonder if a software fax app on a GSM phone would be able to send faxes without needing data service. Or in fact, might it have to? Otherwise I guess if it were to use mobile data it would have to run over VOIP, perhaps with sketchier results.

cross-posted from: https://infosec.pub/post/8864206

I bought a Silicondust HD Homerun back before they put their website on Cloudflare. I love the design of having a tuner with a cat5 port, so the tuner can work with laptops and is not dependent on being installed into a PC.

But now that Silicondust is part of Cloudflare, I will no longer buy their products. I do not patronize Cloudflare patrons.

I would love to have a satellite tuner in a separate external box that:

• tunes into free-to-air content
• has a cat5 connection
• is MythTV compatible

Any hardware suggestions other than #Silicondust?

This bbc episode covers an area of Portugal that’s said to be ideal for off-grid living, at least in part due to being sufficiently south to have plenty of sun light.

Living off grid often correlates with poorly accessible locations - because that's where the infrastructure is not.

On certain latitudes, especially near bodies of water, especially in remote locations - do not ask who the snow comes for - it always comes for you (and with a grudge). So, what ya gonna do?

Over here, a tractor being incomplete (it is great folly to go into winter with an incomplete tractor), snow is handled by an electric microcar. Since the microcar is made of thin sheet metal and plastic, it cannot carry a plow... but the rear axle being solid steel, it can pull one.

The plow is one year old, and was previously pulled by a gasoline car. It is made of construction steel: 8 mm L-profiles shaped like a letter A with double horizontal bars. The point of connection on top ensures it doesn't lift too much while plowing. It's currently fixed with an unprofessional and temporary C-clamp (there will be an U-bolt soon). It is pulled with a chain.

If snow is heavy, the L-profiles lift the plow on top of snow, and you have to plow the same road many times. Sometimes it veers off sideways. Generally, you have to catch the snow early with this system - if you're late, you're stuck. :)

Not many advantages, but dirt cheap. Don't go plowing public roads with such devices - it is nearly invisible to fellow drivers, and cops would get a seizure.

The Amish are often thought to object to the use of electricity, but actually they only have a problem with the grid due to being interconnected with the outside world. They use solar, wind, generators (fossil fuel based), and various other clever hacks.

IIUC, there’s a self-reliance value going on. The grid makes it quite unclear who provides the energy from where, and being reliant on unknown entities outside the village is a non-starter for the Amish.

But what about within the village? I get the impression the Amish are quite okay with transactions and interconnectedness within a village. So my question is - do they ever have a village-wide micro grid? Or even shared power between a couple households? Or are each of them always off-grid on a per-household basis?

Canonical YouTube link

To make no excessive claims, I have to admit I burnt a fair bit of wood during the night. In the morning however, around 9 o'clock, the solar fence (nominal power 2400 W) was giving 600 W and steaming vigorously. By 10 o'clock, it had thawed and gave 940 W. Later, other panel arrays took over and wattage decreased. The energy was used to run a heat pump.

P.S. Knowing that server resources aren't infinite, I hosted the image externally, I hope that hosting on "postimages.org" works smoothly.

My rainwater collection begins with a first-flush and debris removal tank, but it is not ideal; all the water flows through it and in a big rain it can stay stirred up. So it has debris and because it is necessarily open to the roof this means some bugs in there. The outlet to the storage tank is wrapped with three layers of window-screen cloth, but the overflow is open to the drain. Frogs (cute little coqui tree-frogs) come up the drain and inhabit the tank. The storage tank overflow ties into the first flush overflow, so once in a while there is a tree frog in the first storage tank. There are no bugs in that tank so the frog will die if I fail to capture it (which they are very wily).

How can I keep a frog from climbing up the pipe while being sure I do not obstruct water going down the pipe?

I've been chatting to another user on here (https://slrpnk.net/u/JacobCoffinWrites who does the cool photobash images of solarpunk scenes) and it really got me thinking about solar concentrators so i went on a bit of a binge learning about them, there are so many really cool designs and so many things a source of heat like that can be used for.

One idea i especially like is using it to power absorption refrigeration (like off-grid gas powered refrigerators use) so when the sun is hot you can focus it's power and use it to cool your house -- then when it's starting to get cooler switch it to heating, ideally heating a medium which will retain the heat so you can distribute it through the night. For agricultural use it could heat greenhouses and drying rooms, industrially there's an endless amount of possibilities. Even recreationally it could be great, cutting out the cost of heating a pool or hot tub - could really make some off-grid luxury.

A great youtube channel with various diy examples is Sergiy Yurko, who's still managing to make great videos despite living in Ukraine - https://www.youtube.com/@sergiyyurko8668/videos

and https://www.youtube.com/@GREENPOWERSCIENCE/videos has some really cool videos too, like demonstrating using a fresnal lens to melt metal

After some rather unsuccessful attempts at reusing some large lead-acid batteries I got for cheap (which were not fully broken when I got them, but I managed to break them in the process), I caved in and bought a 5.2kW LiFePO4 battery pack (was 25% off at a local store).

Still needs some more hooking up, and due to some stupid regulatory reason I can't install solar panels yet, but I hope to already use it as a backup power supply over the winter.

The hybrid inverter is quite cool as it allows hooking up two individual strands of PV and also export a lot of very detailed data to the open-source Home Assistant software. Also seems to have a built in UPS feature for connecting servers, but I need to test that first (by default the emergency backup power only kicks in after a few seconds).

So, not really offgrid living, but the system would allow an off-grid setup at least.

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.dbzer0.com/post/1867431

Lately I’m running into more and more situations where I am forced to patronize a private company in the course of doing a transaction with my government. For example, a government office stops accepting cash payment for something (e.g. a public parking permit). Residents cannot pay for the permit unless they enter the marketplace and do business with a private bank. From there, the bank might force you to have a mobile phone (yes, this is common in Europe for example).

Example 2:

Some gov offices require the general public to call them or email them because they no longer have an open office that can be visited in person. Of course calling means subscribing to phone service (payphones no longer exist). To send an email, I can theoretically connect a laptop to a library network and use my own mail server to send it, but most gov offices block email that comes from IP that Google/SpamHaus/whoever does not approve, thus forcing you to subscribe to a private sector service in order to do a public transaction. At the same time, snail-mail is increasingly under threat & fax is already ½ dead.

Example 3:

A public university in Denmark refuses access to some parts of the school’s information systems unless you provide a GSM number so they can do a 2FA SMS. If a student opposes connecting to GSM networks due to the huge attack surface and privacy risks, they are simply excluded from systems with that limitation & their right to a public education is hindered. The school library e-books are being bogarted by Cloudflare’s walled garden, where a private company restricts access to the books based on factors like your IP address & browser.

Where are my people?

So, I’m bothered by this because most private companies demonstrate untrustworthyness & incompetence. I think I should be able to disconnect and access all public services with minimal reliance on the private sector. IMO the lack of that option is injustice. There is an immeasurably huge amount of garbage tech on the web subjecting people to CAPTCHAs, intrusive ads, dysfunctional javascript, dark patterns, etc. Society has proven inability to counter that and it will keep getting worse. I think the ONLY real fix is to have a right to be offline. The power to say:

*“the gov wants to push this broken reCAPTCHA that forces me to share data with a surveillance capitalist

no thanks. Give me an offline private-sector-free way to do this transaction”*

There is substantial chatter in the #fedi about all the shit tech being pushed on us & countless little tricks and hacks to try to sidestep it. But there is almost no chatter about the real high-level solution which would encompass two rights:

1. a right to be free from the private sector marketplace; and
2. the right to be offline

Of course there could only be very recent philosophers who would think of the right to be offline. But I wonder if any philosophers in history have published anything influential as far as the right to not be forced into the private sector marketplace. By that, I don’t mean anti-capitalism (of course that’s well covered).. but I mean given the premise is that you’re trapped inside a capitalist system, there would likely be bodies of philosophy aligned with rights/powers to boycott.

This is a video of my off-grid house in the Dominican Republic, which is featured in this community's title background. It is for sale, so buy it and you can be famous! lolz https://drive.google.com/file/d/16s22L6fgJRtxPQ-a6_aEWy8QJsgsWexN/view?usp=sharing

cross-posted from: https://waveform.social/post/290343

I love using #mythTV to grab TV schedules right from the broadcast signals themselves-- no need for online access, and having stuff recorded with automatic commercial removal.

What about radio listeners? There are great periodic programs like #MusicalStarstreams (which I think is broadcast in Hawaii but gets mirrored around the world).

Sadly, I looked into the digital info that’s embedded in audio broadcasts, and unfortunately it only contains the track playing right now; no scheduling info. In principle that’s not a total show-stopper. We should be able to get scheduling info online. But so far I have found nothing. The closest thing is this:

https://www.radio-browser.info

That’s great for finding stations that play genres you like, but it does not have program-specific scheduling info. No way to search for “musical starstreams” and get back a list of times & places where it is broadcast.

Crossposting here because an off-grider is relying on milk and potatoes for nutrition completeness. I suppose getting nutritional completeness with as few ingredients as possible is generally interesting to off-grid living.