Solar and Wind power

**scrambler** · 19th October 2006, 01:01 PM

Originally Posted by Blknight.aus

JDNSW, if your interested I have seen a fairly simple sun tracker designed using a pair of LDR's, comparator and a servo controler and servo motor.

If your interested in the details let me know. My old man does Telsta installations and came up with the design of it, not sure if he has the full plans anymore but what hes done once I'm sure he can do again...

In theory it would be even easier to do with a laptop and a simple 2 input one output data board.

hope all the gear youve got keeps working for ya. I wouldnt mind having a decent look at it as Id like to set up in whoop whoop somewhere and be independant with some of the luxuries.

Knew I should have patented that solar tracking device when I thought of it in 1988. Not joking - have the Beyond 2000 footage to prove it.

It's deadset easy and you don't need any computers hanging off it to make it work.

Just read the rest of the thread - and have to confess it was a joint project (as anyone who can remember the show would recall

) and that I don't have a copy of the final circuit. But basically you have the same circuit twice over, with 2 LDRs which are compared and an output dependent on which has more light - dead easy. The prototype was on a small scale, but the only one we had made for sale used electric scredrivers for the motors. But you may have the motors JD?
Steve

**matbor** · 19th October 2006, 01:06 PM

Originally Posted by scrambler

Knew I should have patented that solar tracking device when I thought of it in 1988. Not joking - have the Beyond 2000 footage to prove it.

It's deadset easy and you don't need any computers hanging off it to make it work.

Steve

Come on, put it up on youtube, or google video... use to love that show

**scrambler** · 19th October 2006, 01:13 PM

Originally Posted by matbor

Come on, put it up on youtube, or google video... use to love that show

That would assume I had some way of getting the VHS into the computer... and could easily lay my hands on the tape...

It was the schools science award show, 1988. A mate and I took out the Queensland division with the solar tracking device (my idea and his mechano) but didn't make the national prize.

We made all the Brisbane news channels because the tracker would follow the TV camera lights so was much more photogenic than ant farms or cabbages grown in CO2-enriched tents...

Steve

**matbor** · 26th October 2006, 12:18 PM

saw this on one of my rss feeds today....
http://www.hackaday.com/2006/10/25/l...solar-tracker/

**robert42** · 28th January 2007, 12:39 PM

Hi Matbor and others , looks like your having a lot of fun ..we travel around a little and have seen some doosies as well as some good set ups..did travel in a motor home with solar, with a wind gen. as well. now we have a caravan and a td5 disco. much better. I fitted 2.110/80 watt. two face solar p. and two 120 amp AGM batt. also have a 12 volt 400 watt wind gen.Air-x ..have seen it charging 35 amps for a 10sec burst.then it shuts its self down..run a 60lt engel on freeze and a 190 lt.danfos fridge and light sat tv..carry one of them inverter gens .just in case..just love solar and wind power projects..good work ..will be watching for up dates..thank you for the input made good reading..

robert42

**rrturboD** · 28th January 2007, 01:35 PM

Great to see listers employing their 'I own a Land Rover' mechanical and electrical expertise that they practice everyday they drive!

I help my brother with a couple of unpowered rural blocks near Canberra. Have setup solar panels (old ex telecom) and old Dorman (ex DCA) gen set on one and currently looking to add wind rather than more solar on the other so have been lurking on this thread. Through the Land Rover Club of the ACT, I am able to get Jaycar stuff at a very good discount, so if other listers want stuff, let me know by (email or PM) and I'll see what I can do for you.

tombraider · 28th January 2007, 02:31 PM

Originally Posted by Quiggers

I'm on mains and the last quarter was $433, just keeps going up and up, but I'm trying to use less and less electricity. Like one less fridge, the electric coock top has gone etc, diligence on lights off etc.

Man, I wish!!!!

Our average power bill per quarter is $800+

In our last house it was worse... $1600+ a quarter

I'd love a $433 p.q. utility bill....

**George130** · 28th January 2007, 05:58 PM

Originally Posted by tombraider

Man, I wish!!!!

Our average power bill per quarter is $800+

In our last house it was worse... $1600+ a quarter

I'd love a $433 p.q. utility bill....

I thought ours was bad at $350 per quarter.

**abaddonxi** · 28th January 2007, 10:09 PM

Originally Posted by tombraider

Man, I wish!!!!

Our average power bill per quarter is $800+

In our last house it was worse... $1600+ a quarter

I'd love a $433 p.q. utility bill....

Ummmm,

You know that the solution is to turn off the heater rather than leaving it and turning the aircon to cool the place down, right?

Surprised the cops don't come to visit you looking for grow lights.

Cheers
Simon.

tombraider · 28th January 2007, 10:56 PM

Originally Posted by abaddonxi

Ummmm,

You know that the solution is to turn off the heater rather than leaving it and turning the aircon to cool the place down, right?

Surprised the cops don't come to visit you looking for grow lights.

Cheers
Simon.

Umm... well.. we dont use a heater....

And the A/C is lucky to run 20 times a year (evap)

And nope... No grow lights

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