Series-Parallel in Pictures
This popped up on Facebook and I had to borrow it. When combining batteries to…
Lithium 9: All Charged Up
This series of posts on a lead-acid to lithium battery upgrade(?) regards a fairly decent…
My Choices for Practical EVs
My choice is probably not what you think. A few years back I really wanted…
Lithium Upgrade 8: Smooth Sailing
The plan to use the boat as an EV charger is back on track and…
A Small Trend
A lady friend went to Pensacola the other day to buy some premix fuel for…
Lithium Upgrade 7: Lights Out
While I am generally pleased and optimistic about my Lithium Iron Phosphate (LFP) battery upgrade…
What Do You Need In An Inverter?
Last time I mentioned I was swapping out the inverter aboard Sun King and last…
Stand By
I’m changing out the 5kw inverter in my boat, installing a 3.5kw unit. Do I…
Does Size Really Matter?
What matters most in solar is how many watts you have to run your loads.…
John Kimball, Prophet?
John’s latest email ad blast warns of storms, fire, floods and just about everything short…
Lithium Battery Upgrade 6: Up the Creek
On a boat cruising forum I follow, one of the members has a tagline of…
You Snooze, You Lose–Savings From the Sunelec Email Bulletins
Are you on Sun Electronics’ mailing list? John does not send out many emails, but…
Lithium Battery Upgrade V: Gone to the Island
After much shifting of plans, The Sun King, newly equipped with a semi-massive Lithium Iron…
Sawmill Day and Solar Power
The Alger-Sullivan Historical Society, in Century, Florida, has its annual Sawmill Day coming up May…
Lithium IV, Cottonmouths and Gila Monsters
I think where we were last time was I had the starboard battery assembled and…
You Can Do This, Too
Lunch for two today at Arby’s cost 35 bucks. Can you believe that??? For that…
Lithium III….It Lives! Converting from Lead-Acid to LFP in an Electric Boat
It isn’t made pretty, yet, but the Sun King’s starboard battery bank is now a…
Lithium II…The Journey Continues
When I went to bed last night I was anticipating spending a Sunday afternoon working…
Everything I Don’t Know About Lithium Batteries
And a few things I do. Lithium batteries are everywhere and you probably have some. …
Such a Deal
John Kimball, owner of Sun Electronics, proclaims to offer the best deals on solar panels.…
Don’t Forget Solar Thermal Power
It is easy to get all excited about making electricity with solar panels, but electricity…
Mystery Dust
I laughed this morning as I read a news story about West Virginia and Maryland…
How Does Solar A/C Work?
A few years ago, John and I and another friend of mine looked into solar…
A Good Way to Get Started
A few posts back I went out in the shed and dragged out some examples…
John’s Gone Bonkers!
That’s nothing new. He gets excited about things, especially solar. At the top of some…
Keep It Simple
Simple cable management solutions are available locally.
Solar Farms Banned!
In recent news, some solar farm projects have been rejected for environmental reasons! Bear with…
Troubleshooting II
Last time I wrote of dealing with one of two recent issues that have come…
Troubleshooting
Sometimes things just don’t go right. Sometimes it is an easy fix. Sometimes it requires…
Poly, Mono or Thin Film?
My lifelong friend Courtney, based in North Carolina, is gradually retiring from his job and…
Emergency Power, Part 2–My First System
I have been promising Part 2 for a long time. In fact, I meant to…
Fake Solar News
After Hurricane Ian, John and Rich and I wondered how the massive solar farms held…
Emergency Power, Part 1
We are spoiled when it comes to power. When the lights go out, there are…
A Little Late
Hopefully, not too late. Last time I promised a series on emergency backup power, with…
Go Big or Learn to Make Do
Solar isn’t just for hippies anymore. You won’t see many 12v systems, powering just a…
Slow Down! Think Ahead!
A week or so ago, the big news was that California has banned gas car…
FREE-E-E-E!
How would John do this? FREEEEEEE STUFF. No, he’d probably expand that a bit. Make…
Fun With Microinverters
What is a microinverter and how can you use it? You have solar panels and…
EVs and Solar Charging
Electric Vehicles (EVs) have been around over a century and have been very popular and…
Used Panels?
Junk yards like to say that all cars run on used parts. It is true.…
One Moment, Please
I called John to fuss about the website and email. Yeah, there’ve been problems. In…
It’s That Time Again
Hurricane season had an ominous start this year, though nothing much has come of it,…
What Voltage Should My Battery Be?
As a rule, the Direct Current (DC) side of an off-grid or backup home power…
The President’s Analyst
I watched an old movie the other night. Re-watched it, actually. Gee, you’re getting old…
That Black Box
What’s that black box on the back of most solar panels? Is it just a…
Combining
Where I live, you use the word combining, the emphasis will be on the first…
Time for a Tune Up
I have been off grid for a while. Mostly. Things are great when the sun…
John’s Rants
John’s ranting about the shortage and price of solar modules over on his blog. He…
There’s An App for That
In early summer of 2015, I was on my solar expedition launch Sun King. Cruising…
Firmware Update and New Capabilities
Back when I worked for a living, I was the hardware guy and my partner…