Off The Grid

Bricking a farmer's combine at the beginning of the harvest could be considered extortion or terrorism??? Just asking. https://youtube.com/shorts/gyFIJMcU3kg

Overcast today... I got so close to 100% on batteries today... 99.9% a few times. never over the hump to 100%.

Saved by @InstantMediaBot Caged Crow Customs - Built this driveway gate to mirror a dead tree that’s seen its last s... Built this driveway gate to mirror a dead tree that’s seen its last storm. https://t.co/7Cw51rE40N

Check out a Steel gate that looks like a fallen tree! https://x.com/Rainmaker1973/status/2045766029507248555

Only about a dozen more trees and i can build livestock fence around the pond.

Today is the Johnkowski learing plumbing school. Basement grinder pump failed.... Had to drain the basement pipes into the grinder tank. Used a shop vac and a 5/16 hose.... next problem was disconnecting the discharge elbow that goes up 8ft to the sewer line. Past me did future me a favor and put a shut off valve about 6inches from the discharge elbow. The elbow has a check valve in it so it doesn't just dump all the sewage onto the floor... but it did drip a little. So I let it drip in a bucket until that 6" hose was empty to the shut off. I've hosed it off in the yard and as soon as things are dried off, I'll test to see it motor was plugged or it burned up. EDIT: washed it off in the yard to where I don't mind touching it. Pump seemed jammed, Rotated it by hand and now it runs. Could be a dead spot in the commutator? When it wasn't running it was humming and getting warm so that's not likely. Anyway I tested it a bunch of times in the yard and it's good.

I missed an opportunity when I was in germany... I went up inside a house that was being build and spoke to the workers but I never thought to pickup one of these blocks. Wish I had so I could know how light they are. For anyone wondering this is Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (AAC). It’s an expanded baked concrete that is 80% air by volume is 30% the weight but retains 50% the compressive strength of concrete block. It’s typically rated at 1,200 psi. It also has a very high insulation value and fire resistance due to all the small air pockets. The foam joints is not standard foam, but a specially designed foam mortar compound which contains a high amount of silica compounds. This is not usually designed as a main structural load bearing support. Usually they are constructed with concrete, steel, or wood main load bearing support, and these make up the building shell. They are commonly finished with a masonry or stucco exterior.

Fun stuff... gotta share. I'd like to give business to my local stores when I can. I need a fanbelt for a 25 year old 31hp kubota. Call my local dealer and he says they won't have a fan belt for that old of a tractor on hand, but he can order it for me. Hell, I can order it my self. So I get on internet and find out that it's the same fan belt as fits my 2 year old L2501. So I call him back and say, hey, it's the same belt... do you have one for a 2501? he looks it up and finally agrees it is the same belt... ok do you have it!!??? No but we can order it for you.

445w solar panels for $104 each... new. https://windandsolar.com/products/waaree-445w-bifacial-mono-perc-solar-panel?ct=t%28EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_5_1_2023_14_44_COPY_01%29

Bill in Florida legislature to end net metering for solar. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=harSOdBPaK8 I've been saying this is coming. Utility companies are in the business of selling power. The last thing they want is someone supplying the thing they are selling. This will lead to people simply disconnecting and getting batteries for their solar.