The Homesteading and Self-Sufficiency Thread

Hey Robie -- Thanks for the reply --

It seems to me that buying the smallest generator that suits our needs is the way to go because it'll use less gas to run a 1000W generator (esp. if it has an 'economy' mode we can use when the load is low) so our supply of 5-gal cans would last, say, twice as long as with a 2000W+ generator.  

One other consideration is that the generator has an inverter to avoid surges/etc. which could harm electronics (assuming one is going to use the generator to power electronics, which we likely would).  Or is the whole "gotta have an inverter" thing a myth?

I appreciate your help, RR!

Oh man, I'd love to have some wind or solar set up.  But the buy-in is currently beyond our means and if we get our way, we'll sell our house this year (not looking good these days ) and change location -- so we'd ideally set up wind/PV at the next location.

For us, the generator is a stopgap for either (a) severe weather-caused outages, like the 5 days we were down after that big storm here in the NE in Feb, or (b) a possible future of intermittent but common outages.  

But yeah, long term I'd love to have a freezer that could run off a PV array.  

Viva -- Sager

At a hurricane prep seminar last year, the presenter says he prefers the small Honda inverter generators that can be ganged together to handle heavier loads if needed.  They aren't cheap, but they are very quiet....to alleviate what he calls "generator envy"....but what I call "potential bad guys don't know you're running it and decide they need it more than you do."

I don't know have much personal experience with portable generators (never owned one), but I thought most of the portable generators that size all come equipped with an inverter for AC power (edit: I mean most portable generators of that size are "inverter generators").  I think maybe the thing you're looking for is making sure that the inverter generator is (pure) sine wave, not modified sine-wave.  I'm not even sure if they make many generators using modified sine-wave inverters anymore (or square-wave inverters for that matter) but it's something you'd want to check for just to be sure.  I think robbie made a good point about the ability to run power tools... it might be worth getting a slightly larger generator if you expect you'd ever use larger power tools around the house.

I will probably be looking into a generator that size (or maybe 2000W) myself when I get enough saved.  Right along with solar pv, deep-cycle batteries, solar water heating, wood-stove.... there is just too much.  At least I've got water, food, and short-term emergency heat (long-term if we stay at my dad's place) covered 

- Nick

Just found this option for LP/NG/Gas

http://www.generatorsales.com/honda-generators.asp

- JIm

Awesome! Thanks Jim.

thought some of you might like this-

http://www.climatewell.com/index.html#/innovation/how-it-works

Ran across this very good animation which describes where words fail.

Sorry I've been away folks, we ha a month of fiascos... check out the blog for more info.

Anyways, all the wedge-type foot-pump splitters were pretty underwhelming... ok if you absolutely can't swing an axe or do a maul and wedge anymore, or maybe if you have a lot to split and want to swtich from upper to lower for awhile.  However, I did find one hand-crafted that was AWESOME.  Basically, it's a pneumatic lift jack, welded to a oil drum that was cut in half, with a 4-way blade lattice at the end (like one of those nifty apple correr/splitters). Anyway, it's mounted at a slight angle with the jack on the bottom, you pump it up, roll the log into the barrel, then release the pneumo pin... and WHAM the ram rockets the log straight through the blades... then the lift falls back into position with a twist of a valve, then you close the valve and set the pin and do it all over again. Was wicked cool an very fast.

Sager -- dog food.  If you vac-pack kibble with an O2 and dessicant in mylar it will pretty much keep for the rest of your dog's natural life span (keeping it cool and out of the light will help keep it from going rancid). HOWEVER, I'd still recommend that you feed your dog more wet food since that is way more sustainable if TSHTF. It's pretty easy to make wet dog food from bits and ickies left over from our food prep an animal harvests. Just chuck it all in a grinder and can it like any other meat.  Small bones, organ meats, lips, older eggs, and other unmentionables can all go in and pup will love it.  Same goes for kitty, although you need to add taurine unless you're grinding up whole mice and rabbits.  Dogs need a bit of carbs -- either veg or a hypoallergenic starch (like rice, potato, or barley). Cats don't need carbs at all (obligate carnivores), so don't waste your time adding it in.

Anyone considering a generator of any fuel-type needs to keep in mind 1) whether that fuel or it's replacement will be available long-term (we went with gas for cold and because ethanol is easier for us to make); 2) everything breaks, so get two and double spare parts, and the manual; 3) make sure you get one that you can hot fuel (i.e. fill while running) or is continuous feed (from a large storage tank); and 4) consider getting the electric autostart feature on both your generator and inverter, that way when the batteries run low the inverter will use the last of the juice to kick off the generator (as long as it's fueled up -- see pt #3).

The electric autostart feature is next on our list... I am sooooo tired of the inverter alarm going off in the middle of the night ;)  Our little Honda EU2000i generator works pretty good and supplies us with plenty of juice... run a gallon of gas through every other day or so. The batteries would last a bit longer if we weren't running the satellite and wireless network 24/7. But we don't use a lot of power out here, and surprisingly don't miss all those electric gadgets. Other than the internet, the nicest thing was having overhead and porch lights that were bright and came on instantly... real important in the wilderness during the long long winter nights. Heck, in the winter, you get more juice from your PV panels from the moonlight than you do from the 2 hours of weak sunlight... it's crazy. Only issue with a small generator is that it doesn't like to run at -40F or below cuz the unit just won't stay warm enough to support combustion... it's even worse with diesel most times.

We have turned into our grandparents !   I find myself saving weirdest things! Like the rubber bands off the Asparagus and broccoli  .....  my husband  found my stash and  used a couple to strap a red light to my hand _ _ _ .

I   Save every newspaper for mulch  and egg cartoon to reuse . I take  home scraps from  a get together to feed to the chickens .... and got a call to take  home free rabbits from the thrift shop.  

I find myself  remembering following my grandparents  around also  trying to remember all the ways we did things  before  they had indoor plumbing .   And I tell you we have practiced the bath  schedule and I am the first one in the water !  I know why the outhouse had two holes  because no kid was brave enough to go in alone .

I remember a guy in a truck making his rounds to the farms to pick up live rabbits .    He must have done the butchering and had regular city people to buy them .  We put a list in the mailbox and  the mail man brought out our needs  next  visit . This I used last winter several times during the bad storms.     The grocery store kept a list and we settled up when we went into town .

I remember sleeping clear down under the covers (at my grandparents feet )to stay warm and never felt more safe in all my life .  Now when my grand-babies come over they still have aunts and uncles to climb into bed with , but I bet they still have that safe warm feeling .

At  times  it  seems we will hit hardest and  first  since we are already in the below 100k  income bracket .     Then I think ... We have a lot less to lose ....   we have a lot less changes to make .

I still like going into town to eat out once in a while and  the Challenge of seeing how long we can go without spending money is a flop .  

STILL  So not ready ...   Still not sure if we are going to go backward or just maintain .

FM .

found it !      http://www.kk.org/cooltools/archives/001011.php     it is a Lister  1930's model . Looks indestructible not many parts !  NO  Computer  to be venerable to EMP .

And since  we are here amongst the homesteading type .   I had bought the steam juicer from the Lehman cat.   Made jars and jars of juice ! But .... I not knowing my dad was going to the cellar and getting  his juice  himself  and my dad not knowing it was CONSENTRATE  .. Made for an interesting situation and almost a trip to the Dr.  before we figured out why he always had the scoots.   Life is never dull  for this gal .