Nickel Iron vs. Lead Acid - Off Grid battery debate

[Offgrid]

Mike thanks for the link and info.I will let you know how it works out.If well then you can get nickel cheap from South Africa since its 7 Rand to a Dollar lol.

Sunking,yeah I guess.Solar is ridiculously priced here so I can't afford to tinker with something so expensive on a commercial level.Will just science experiment with one cell for now lol.

[Sunking]

Sunking,yeah I guess.Solar is ridiculously priced here so I can't afford to tinker with something so expensive on a commercial level.Will just science experiment with one cell for now lol.

Well there is a difference between a hobby and necessity. Granted I know a lot of people who can afford $2000/month or more for a hobby , it pocket change for them. Bu tI am not one of them. Wife maybe, but not me.

[Mike90250]

About this point now, I've spent the 100K the electric co wanted to plant half mile of 65KV poles on my property, and I could now have all the power I want to pay for monthly.

[Naptown]

Well there is a difference between a hobby and necessity. Granted I know a lot of people who can afford $2000/month or more for a hobby , it pocket change for them. Bu tI am not one of them. Wife maybe, but not me.

You got you a sugar momma?

[Sunking]

About this point now, I've spent the 100K the electric co wanted to plant half mile of 65KV poles on my property, and I could now have all the power I want to pay for monthly.

That is the point I was trying to make Mike. Sorry I used you for an example, but you make an excellent example. Sad part is you are not done paying for it.

People do not understand the expense and what they are asking for when they say I want to go off-grid. I think I am kidding when I say you will pay 10 to 20 times more for the rest of their lives, all up front in cash, in 5 year increments. I bet you could have put that $100K to better use like invest it and 5 to 10 years retire a millionaire.

[Mike90250]

That is the point I was trying to make Mike. Sorry I used you for an example, but you make an excellent example. Sad part is you are not done paying for it.

People do not understand the expense and what they are asking for when they say I want to go off-grid. I think I am kidding when I say you will pay 10 to 20 times more for the rest of their lives, all up front in cash, in 5 year increments. I bet you could have put that $100K to better use like invest it and 5 to 10 years retire a millionaire.

Well, if I invested it, I'd still be living with candles and flashlight. I had 2 choices, be my own power company, or pay another power company, to install poles, and then buy power from them forever. Either way, if the poles don't exist, you will pay dearly. It's the daily nickel and dime that never stops.... But it's very much like a boat, which is a hole in the water that you try to fill up with money.

[Offgrid]

Well Sunking,here in South Africa, we pay $189 for 1000kwh,that's HALF of what you get for almost the same price and it's said to increase again.To add insult to injury that load shed all the time and is run by the corrupt.That's why I want to get off grid...while I still can.

[Sunking]

Well, if I invested it, I'd still be living with candles and flashlight. I had 2 choices, be my own power company, or pay another power company, to install poles, and then buy power from them forever. Either way, if the poles don't exist, you will pay dearly. It's the daily nickel and dime that never stops.... But it's very much like a boat, which is a hole in the water that you try to fill up with money.

Mike I understand why, and it sounds justifed as there was no other economical alternative.

My comments are more aimed at people who are either already connected to the grid, or can be connected economically. It is foolish to go off-grid if you do not have too.

Only question I would have asked or look into if you were my client at the time is did you check with local contractors and recieve bids to set poles and line to a demarc to meet the POCO? The POCO's do charge very high fees for their crews to set poles, but contractors are much less expensive.

[Mike90250]

Mike I understand why, and it sounds justifed as there was no other economical alternative.

My comments are more aimed at people who are either already connected to the grid, or can be connected economically. It is foolish to go off-grid if you do not have too.

Only question I would have asked or look into if you were my client at the time is did you check with local contractors and recieve bids to set poles and line to a demarc to meet the POCO? The POCO's do charge very high fees for their crews to set poles, but contractors are much less expensive.

Contractors would have to purchase poles from PG&E, and then any repairs would be "my" responsiblity. 60Kv transformer on the last pole. It's rigged. I tried to put in underground phone line, but the AT&T spec was for concrete pull boxes that only 2 companies were authorised to build, at about $300 each, every 400', with a 4" condouit. Another rigged system. So now I'm looking to a cell phone 3G modem for the computers

[Sunking]

Mike hold off if you can on 3G before you get locked into a contract. If you can wait for 4G LTE.

3G data download speeds are on the order of 1mb/s. 4G is 12 mb/s.

Here is the other perk of a 4G phone you can use it as a WiFi modem for all you toys like your computer, Play Station, laptop, ect... So hold off if you can. Otherwise you are going to hate yourself in say 1 year from now when 4G is available and you are stuck in a 3G contract.

Right now Verizon has the best 4G network, but ATT has more of it in service at the moment. It is just a matter of time before 3G is antiquated like analog cell was 5 years ago when 3G came out.

[john p]

If he is that far from"civilization" and grid electricity and land lines for phone then it may be a lot longer than a year before he will get 4g in that area.. We have same problem in Philippines 4g is available and they claim now covers 40% of POPULATION but it covers about 5% of the country.
From what I have learned you need to be very close to the tower with 4g to get those high speeds,
He could have a long wait for 4g and really a 3g modem costs just about nothing .. just only sign up for 1 yr contract if thats how its done there.

[Mike90250]

4G is 90 miles away in the city. 3G is supposed to be active, a friend will be trying it out this week. and we'll see if a _G hotspot will be the ticket.

[Offgrid]

Get a long range wifi antenna,put that sucker nice n high with hopeful line of sight to a wisp on the edges of the city and you will be fine.I run with a antenna and it's cool,except that one darned tree lol.

[tandrews]

[john p]

Off grid. the idea of a long range wifi connection is not so good as it would be dependant on another person/business having a wi fi that you could connect into.? And if they turn it off???