Avida stuff

[Dot]

Never carried one, but have had to charge batteries on a winnie at Monto that had a gennie that would not start because of











a flat battery !
Just for interest sake, what would you need solar and lith battery wise to never need a genny for back up?
Enough solar and Liths you don't need a gennie !

[nut17]

We are now past the worst of the winter (shortest day a month ago) and have managed with a few conservation measures without hooking up to power. We have been stationary for the last two months so no charge feed from the tow vehicle. 1200 w Solar and 600AH LiFePO4. We are running a Samsung 255lt 230 volt fridge along with TV and all the usual 12 volt appliances. Portable induction hob has been stored in the cupboard until spring. With the sun getting higher in the sky we are getting up to 50 Amps from our solar in the middle of the day. I know it is not an Avida but more to do with wintering over off grid with solar alone. No mechanical fixings through roof. Just six alloy feet on each panel adhered with "Sikaflex"
Cheers
Chris

IMG_5559 (2).JPG

[Mrcoolabah1au]

Wow that was fun and I am sure you will have to come back to work

[Dot]

What about heating Chris?

[nut17]

We have a Webasto 2 Kw diesel heater. Over the last 8 weeks we have used about 10 litres per week leaving the heater ticking over all night set to 16 Deg. My nett diesel price is $1.22 / lt. We are getting 8 - 10 weeks from a 9kg bottle of gas. Overnight temperatures have been dropping to zero most nights, but have been predominantly followed by clear sunny winter days. Overnight draw down on our battery bank is averaging around 75 AH and yesterday the battery was full by 11.00 am. I was able to boost the hot water and Marg did a load of washing in the big 7.5 Kg Ariston front loader washing machine. Battery was back to 100% again before sundown.

Cheers
Chris

[Vik351]

Thanks for that info Chris, pretty much what I will have ,1 kw Solar and 600AH LiFePO4. gas and diesel humpy heater...

A washing machine yet to go in the space provided for one...

Dont know if Terry is gunna do the hot water heater element trick yet, so that can use solar as well and what are your thoughts on induction cooking to save on gas...???

Never even seen induction cooking in use , got to get out more...!!! only have gas at home, and love it...!!!

vik...

[nut17]

We use a 2000w portable induction hob every day for about 8 months of the year. The portable induction hob is brilliant and it will boil a litre of water in half the time it takes on the gas hob. We used a 4 element version for about 4 years in our last home and have a similar one ready to go in our new apartment.

Cheers
Chris

[Vik351]

We use a 2000w portable induction hob every day for about 8 months of the year. The portable induction hob is brilliant and it will boil a litre of water in half the time it takes on the gas hob. We used a 4 element version for about 4 years in our last home and have a similar one ready to go in our new apartment.

Cheers
Chris

Have heard ya need all new fancy pots and pans for em...??? fact or fiction...!!!

SS kettle, SS coffee maker and steel frying pans, is that ok...???

https://www.kitchenwarehouse.com.au/SOL ... illet-26cm

vik...

[T1 Terry]

Spent yesterday finishing wiring and programming controllers on the off grid house job, the last connections on Sat when the sparkie will be there to connect the monster generator up to the system as a standby. Needed to have one cause there is absolutely no other back up, but watching the rate the battery was charging while it was drizzling rain I doubt it will even be needed in anger but probably used in the huge workshop to power some of the flash gear they have.
As far as a generator in a motorhome or caravan, yesteryear stuff, all back up if needed is done via DC to DC chargers and the vehicle engine running for 30 min periods. Not a bad mix if you also have a calorifier hot water tank (heated by the engine cooling system or a heat exchanger in the exhaust) so you can warm the house area, the hot water and charge the battery at the same time when the weather is crook without the need for additional hardly used equipment that requires its own maintenance schedule.

Vik's rig has 17 x 60w panels, a total of 1020w of solar divided into two separate paralleled groups, each fed from the roof to the solid state relays via the 6B&S cable prs we have just run. There will also be a DC to DC charger and a mains charger that was already installed. It will be wired to only run when the 15 amp mains power is connected into the plug in power socket on the side of the M/H, otherwise it will be inoperative as all the M/H 240vac power will be provided via inverters or one big inverter, can't remember the eact plan off hand.
The battery will be 640Ah, 16 x 160Ah cells in 4P4S configuration on a slide out battery tray where the 2 x 100Ah lead acid batteries are now. They don't take long to run out of steam that's for sure, we had to plug in the life line just so we could have the lights on inside and drive the bed up and down. Maybe a night or so away from a power point but that would be the limit.

Back to construction/destruction work and more photos this afternoon ... maybe, it appears to be afternoon already

[Greynomad]

We use a 2000w portable induction hob every day for about 8 months of the year. The portable induction hob is brilliant and it will boil a litre of water in half the time it takes on the gas hob. We used a 4 element version for about 4 years in our last home and have a similar one ready to go in our new apartment.

Cheers
Chrisj

Have heard ya need all new fancy pots and pans for em...??? fact or fiction...!!!

SS kettle, SS coffee maker and steel frying pans, is that ok...???

https://www.kitchenwarehouse.com.au/SOL ... illet-26cm

vik...

Vik,
We installed an induction cooktop when remodelling house kitchen.
SWMBO had a set of Esteele copper-bottomed saucepans (21st present!) still as good as the day she received them.
Unfortunately they didn’t work on the cooktop... had to buy complete new s/s set.
Son-and-Heir was the beneficiary... he has a gas cooktop.