power grid/generator Q...

bluemoon541 · Post by **bluemoon541** » Mon Jun 28, 2010 7:09 pm

okay..last year was my 1st year...i camped with silicon village...i was lucky enough to be able to have access the genny....
im goiong again this year...but im not camping with a theme camp...
i dont have the $$ to pick up a genny of my own....

my questions: does the BRC pwer grip extend past the theme camps...

are there generators placed that the non theme camp people can use?
or maybe someone with a genny that will allow me the privilage of using it?
i really wanna light things up this year...but obvioulsy i cant if i dont have juice...

sputnik · Post by **sputnik** » Mon Jun 28, 2010 7:16 pm

Power is only available around center camp and the plazas, and only for theme camps there.

Be creative about lighting. Lots of people do it without gennies.

Rice · Post by **Rice** » Mon Jun 28, 2010 7:19 pm

Solar powered Xmas lights, patio lights, LED lights, etc. It can be done without access to a generator!

if you can find them, the xmas solar stuff should be super-cheap right now.

Good luck!

Rice

Jackass · Post by **Jackass** » Mon Jun 28, 2010 7:23 pm

Deep cycle batteries and an inverter, if you're using led's you'll NEVER kill that battery.

Playa Foot · Post by **Playa Foot** » Mon Jun 28, 2010 7:37 pm

Just bring a really long extension cord.

Rice · Post by **Rice** » Mon Jun 28, 2010 7:41 pm

Playa Foot wrote:Just bring a really long extension cord.

Like 600Km long??

bluemoon541 · Post by **bluemoon541** » Mon Jun 28, 2010 9:22 pm

lol...someone PMd me and suggested lots o ext. cord...no thanks to that...at this point ive pretty much spent my budget for BM...
not to mention that my wife is coming with me this year...shes gonna have her B-day on playa....itll be interesting....

some seeing eye · Post by **some seeing eye** » Mon Jun 28, 2010 9:51 pm

You might lower your expectations for power this year. Generators are a lot of work to fuel and manage, even small ones. A BORG grid connection is a huge privilege. But you might stop by the AEZ while you are here this year to learn about solar. I've camped 8 years, never once with a generator. Everyone wants an Emerald City experience, but it takes a lot of money and planning.

Token · Post by **Token** » Mon Jun 28, 2010 9:55 pm

Those old school Coleman lanterns work as well. You can find them cheap at garage sales and for a few bucks for new mantles they do a great job for providing a lot of light.

ygmir · Post by **ygmir** » Mon Jun 28, 2010 10:21 pm

maybe check into the German power experiment thread........

gyre · Post by **gyre** » Tue Jun 29, 2010 2:07 am

First question - How much power?

There are people that will share a generator for expenses.
There is a 3000EU here used and I can't afford it, so if you're interested?

Don't underestimate D cell packs for small projects.
Avoid rechargeable C and D cells unless willing to buy real ones.

And don't forget HID lights for high power, including colored HID, which I don't think I've seen used out there.
A terrific bargain.

Low pressure sodium will light an entire camp for 60 watts.

Risky · Post by **Risky** » Tue Jun 29, 2010 2:19 am

ygmir wrote:maybe check into the German power experiment thread........

http://eplaya.burningman.org/viewtopic.php?t=32690

phil · Post by **phil** » Tue Jun 29, 2010 10:39 am

The problem with personal generators is that they're noisy and aggravate the crap out of your neighbors who get all the detriments (noise and fumes) with none of your benefits.

bluemoon541 · Post by **bluemoon541** » Tue Jun 29, 2010 3:02 pm

i did find this video once of an ipod being charged by an onion soaked on Gatorade...i wonder if i could upscale that...lol...

gyre · Post by **gyre** » Tue Jun 29, 2010 3:37 pm

Where will you find a big enough onion?

bluemoon541 · Post by **bluemoon541** » Tue Jun 29, 2010 3:47 pm

several onions hooked up in series?....haha
but no..seriously....
how about this solar panel...

http://www.target.com/Sunforce-15-watt- ... wv_1_title

hooked up to a deep cycle battery...
things i have to power are:
3 strands of rope lights...
4 xmas light strands...
2 strands of bubblelights....
and every now and then an electric skillit and a blender...

would the battery and panel setup be enough to run it thru a whole night?

Token · Post by **Token** » Tue Jun 29, 2010 4:09 pm

bluemoon541 wrote:

things i have to power are:
3 strands of rope lights...
4 xmas light strands...
2 strands of bubblelights....
and every now and then an electric skillit and a blender...

would the battery and panel setup be enough to run it thru a whole night?

Not a chance.

I assume all the stuff you listed is items you already have from long time ago using old technology.

Even if you went all LED with new lights the quantity you list is going to be over 15W worth.

The skillet is probably over 800W, the blender 400W. Forget about using those with solar.

For a good rule of thumb, using a small battery and small solar panel, the watts of the panel and the sum total watts of the gizmos running from the battery should be roughly the same.

gyre · Post by **gyre** » Tue Jun 29, 2010 4:09 pm

I doubt it, but first you would want to verify that it can produce 15 watts.

The LED strings I have are 7 watts, but they vary.

Any incandescent will draw more.
Blenders and heaters will draw a lot of power.
And it depends on the battery too.

Adequate solar is hard to justify if you aren't using it all year.

sputnik · Post by **sputnik** » Tue Jun 29, 2010 4:15 pm

For the skillet and blender you can hook an inverter to your vehicle and power them that way. I did something similar in 07

FIGJAM · Post by **FIGJAM** » Tue Jun 29, 2010 4:18 pm

Any appliance with a heating element is a controled short curcuit, that why they suck so much power.

bluemoon541 · Post by **bluemoon541** » Tue Jun 29, 2010 4:18 pm

not that i would be running everything all night anyways...whats the point to running it when im not there....and your saying that there wouldnt be enough power in the 12v battery to run things for a few hours....

what if i use a power inverter..the kind you put into the power outlet on a car....and use the solar panel to keep the battery charged?

gyre · Post by **gyre** » Tue Jun 29, 2010 4:22 pm

You still need to figure out how much power those items will draw.

Token · Post by **Token** » Tue Jun 29, 2010 4:23 pm

List the specs on all your stuff:

Volts, amps, watts, AC or DC.

List the spec on the battery:

Volts, AmpHours

We already know what the panel does.

Then we can tell you more.

capjbadger · Post by **capjbadger** » Tue Jun 29, 2010 4:44 pm

bluemoon541 wrote:several onions hooked up in series?....haha
but no..seriously....
how about this solar panel...

http://www.target.com/Sunforce-15-watt- ... wv_1_title

That panel is a total ripoff. $6.66/watt?? Insane.

Compare...

http://www.laviesolar.com/pro_list.asp?classid=5

You can get a 30 watt panel for the price of that 14 watt one.

-Badger

LeChatNoir · Post by **LeChatNoir** » Tue Jun 29, 2010 4:57 pm

We use that same panel. Got it about five years ago for $69. Feeding a 115 Ah deep cycle to run our camp lights... probably about 5 strings of LED's. If you leave it on all night every night, it'll drain it down. The panel sort of supplements the needs of the lighting, slowing the drain on the battery, but not breaking even.

Use a propane stove for cooking. If you hook up an electric skillet to your car several timesand don't start it up when in use, you'll likely have a dead battery end of the week. Hmmm... could you then call it a "Killet"?

gyre · Post by **gyre** » Tue Jun 29, 2010 5:29 pm

How much does it produce?

LeChatNoir · Post by **LeChatNoir** » Tue Jun 29, 2010 5:38 pm

Asking me?

I've never measured it, actually. Now I'm curious. I've got to get it out and clean it up sometime soon, though.

Post by **AntiM** » Tue Jun 29, 2010 5:40 pm

Yep, we use solar lights, a few off a 12V battery which lasts all week but can be charged with solar, propane for cooking, and our blender is a handcrank model.

bluemoon541 · Post by **bluemoon541** » Tue Jun 29, 2010 5:54 pm

so...i can do my cooking...if any... with my propane stove....a blender i can do with out...
so...
an inveter...800-1000 watts...hooked up to the car...with a solar panel helping out should be good for providing enough juice to light my stuff..lets say...4 hours of the night...i dont need it to stay on all night...lol..i will more than likely be elsewhere...and if i start and run my car for a short while say...every..2 days..should be good yeah?

bluemoon541 · Post by **bluemoon541** » Tue Jun 29, 2010 6:01 pm

idk...im trying to figure out right now the power and wattage ratings of everything....
non of the light as far as i can tell are LED...
3 strands of walmart xmas rope lights
2 strands of crayola(like the crayon) gold xmas lights...