Brain Flash! Maintaining a local newspaper during the apocalypse!

[michaelrc]

Hmmm... I sure like the way you further explained your passion and how it might just keep you centered (my interpretation), when Hlat, ask you to consider the downside if your news is counter the official narrative (my interpretation).

Then of course my filters could be askew and you are presenting news of local interest and events etc. Knowing what you know about the affairs of this earth and humanity's fate how would this not filter into your reporting? Having a tool such as this and reporting on just local affairs without a tinge of real truth being provided (especially with your passion) is a slippery slope. I don't understand how you can do it?

 

[michaelrc]

I'm just learning a little about battery back up and I think open cell might be the best way to go, rather than sealed. From what I've learned so far the learning curve of maintaining batteries is more entailed than most of us realize and open cell batteries are much more forgiving of mistakes made from over 50% discharges. You need some ventilation for open cell and distilled water to top them off though. The distilled water can be stored easily.

Solar after an earthly event (more airborne particulate) could be problematic. Wind generators if I understand correctly is an iffy proposition when used to charge batteries. That could change after an earthly event though. I think some sort of petro back up and generator needs to be in the mix. One more thing, I know we're trying to save some bucks here but don't try to save as far as the batteries are concerned (used deep cell batteries) as the history of deep discharge is unknown. I have read that the open cell deep discharge batteries can be brought back from the dead. Check out some Youtube vids.

 

[LQB]

I have read that the open cell deep discharge batteries can be brought back from the dead.

The attached method will work if the batteries have not been mistreated or destroyed.

 

[Woodsman]

I have read that the open cell deep discharge batteries can be brought back from the dead.

The attached method will work if the batteries have not been mistreated or destroyed.

Man. Just read the .pdf -I'm glad somebody tried just adding EDTA without first draining and disposing of the sulphuric acid, (which sounds like a difficult and dangerous procedure).

In any case, a couple of days ago, I'd ordered a fully sealed deep cycle AGP (Absorbed Glass Mat) type battery; the kind which costs more but which can't spill dangerous fluids or emit toxic fumes. -And which is apparently the only type rated for indoor residential use, which since this is still "Before the Apocalypse" is an issue with a commercial/retail space. (And frankly, probably ought to be the case afterwards as well; the world may be falling apart but that does not, young man, mean you can throw safety precautions to the wind or run with scissors. Heaven help us!).

It sounds like I'll have to do some teaching of battery basics to anybody using this system so that the battery isn't destroyed through misuse. From what I gather, the best way to ruin a battery is to run it all the way down, and the best way to keep a battery lasting a long time is to do only light-to-moderate discharges and keep topping it up. That may be challenging for the people using this system since I won't be there to babysit it all the time.

I'll have to add Battery Lessons to the "details" list.

Maybe I could put the main switch on an auto timer. -There must be some electronics available which can manage charges and perform auto-switch offs when current runs low...

 

[Tui]

Yes, Woodsman, communication is very important in an emergency situation. You are doing good research and preparation.

kalibex Reply #2 on: April 03, 2015, 03:24:28 PM »

Sounds like a good idea - just make sure you have enough spare parts (including for the solar setup) for a while in case they're needed.

I do find myself wondering what would be an alternative in case the tech simply isn't available after all...

If there is no technology whatsoever left, as remarked by kalibex - say something flattened everything and hardly more than rubble is left - one could go back to a type of town crier system. Maybe giving him/her some kind of noise maker like a police whistle, drum, bugle or bell to walk around (or on a bicycle if one is available), sounding it to get everybody's attention, calling them to the "town square", wherever that is decided to be. When everybody has assembled, the "editor" tells the people the latest news in headlines, perhaps jotted down with chalk on a piece if slate, while the "journalists" who worked on specific news items can go into the details. Comments from the hearers can then be discussed on the spot, while difficult issues that need a decision can be sorted out in a follow up meeting at sunrise or noon the next day or so, depending on the urgency. When imminent danger looms, a type of siren, big bell or gong need to be sounded to round everybody up with their emergency supplies at the predetermined safe shelter for the community.

Hope the PTB don't shoot the messenger/s.

Hopefully all guns and bombs will be destroyed too. But I suppose very soon someone will start making spears and bows and arrows again.

 

[LQB]

It sounds like I'll have to do some teaching of battery basics to anybody using this system so that the battery isn't destroyed through misuse. From what I gather, the best way to ruin a battery is to run it all the way down, and the best way to keep a battery lasting a long time is to do only light-to-moderate discharges and keep topping it up. That may be challenging for the people using this system since I won't be there to babysit it all the time.

Yes, 50% discharge of the amp-hour rating is a good rule of thumb. This is why a solar charging system works so well as long as the battery bank is large enough to easily deal with the daily load. Today's charge controllers do a good job and can be programmed for battery type. They can also go into pulsed mode to keep the batts de-sulphinated. Many inverters can be programmed to shut down at a desired battery bank voltage.

 

[michaelrc]

I think i missused the term "open cell", when I meant "wet cell". Still learning about batteries and their usefulness.

 

[Woodsman]

I think i missused the term "open cell", when I meant "wet cell". Still learning about batteries and their usefulness.

I understood what you meant. I'm still learning the terminology myself, and Open Cell to me means, "Needs an air hole", which is the same as a Wet Cell.

Wet/open cell batteries seem like a smart choice for long hauls where reliable infrastructure and spare parts may not be available. Being able to repair damaged cells by adding an inexpensive food grade chelating agent like EDTA is pretty cool, but not something you can do with a sealed AGM battery.

-I know a fellow who installed a solar energy system in his house, and he keeps a bank of quietly bubbling wet cell batteries in a sort of mud room with enough ventilation to deal with their toxic out-gassing. -That was where I learned the raw basics of solar energy. It was really cool!

Instead of ambient lighting systems like those we are used to, he used spot-light halogen bulbs, putting them over specific important locations and work spaces. One over the sink in the washroom, for instance.

The thing which I found most noticeable was that his house, wired for 12 volts DC, didn't 'buzz'. His house, well off the main road and in a heavily wooded area, was quiet and yet powered. The buzz of our standard residential 60 Hz wiring, even when nothing is drawing power, is still there and perceptible on a certain level which so many of us are just used to thinking of as 'normal'. It really isn't, and when the power goes out for some reason, the resulting quiet I find to be amazingly refreshing and very noticeable, like an over-taxed part of the body is suddenly able to relax.

I'd wanted an excuse to experiment with my own system since then, but just couldn't justify it.

 

[Woodsman]

Holy smokes!

I just finished building a "proof of concept" LED spotlight out of a coffee mug.

I needed to learn how to drill through ceramics; an $8 carbide drill bit was required, easily available at the hardware store.

I'm using DC 12 Volt LED bulbs in the 5 to 10 Watt range. (They're built to the same plug specs as those little silver cone-shaped halogen bulbs for some types of track lighting). The 10 Watt bulb kicks out 500 Lumens! That's more than a regular 40 Watt incandescent, plus it's a directed beam so it creates a really great wide-angle spotlight effect. -AND it remains cool to the touch. They're going to look really nice, draw very little power and seriously brighten things up. While they're primarily an excuse to get a foot in the door, so to speak, I'm really feeling jazzed about what can be done with low-power DIY lighting.

People are already beginning to talk about the project.

Though, I was doing some more math, and I think I'm going to need a second battery and second solar panel to make things really run smoothly. It's expensive, but it's a one-time cost with a lot of payback, (during a period where money still holds value). Get yer projects done while you can.

The more I learn about this, the more confident I am about what can be achieved.

 

[Shared Joy]

I can sit quietly on my reserves of food and survival goods and (wishfully) hope that the gun-toting thugs overlook me until my supplies run out and then, with luck, eke out a survival based on the only thing we have left; community.

Or I can attempt to ease into a functional community with fewer bumps along the road by planning ahead, and openly preparing and talking about difficult things; (I think a discussion about why I'm building solar panels in front of a newspaper office is a great way to painlessly lead into discussions of food security). The more people who prepare in advance, the less desperation is out there, the more security I'll personally have, so in a fairly direct way, it's a selfish action. -One less panicked, starving and confused person is one less to worry about having my back turned to, and more importantly, one more I can turn to for support when times get tough.

I've explained my thinking above with regard to this.

The thing which makes a world hellish or utopian is ultimately the people and their collective choices and actions. If I'm going to die, (as we all must), then I'd rather reach that goal post having done my level best to educate myself and others and vibrate the way I'd like to see the world vibrate. Living in fear and distrust sounds miserable. Why do it if there may be another way?

Maybe it'll fail. Fair enough. All there is is lessons.

You are right Woodsman,
- the more aware and prepared people are, the less confusion, panic, and chaos.
This is the way I'm seeing it too. It is not easy to take people to the level they can grokk the situation and their role in it, but by showing them what to do, one can break the stiffness of habits and routines. Also, telling them what are the consequences of not doing. Not just simple ordering about, but showing example and making them aware of situation, and their responsibility for choosing between alternatives.