Lmst

📢 Eco-Libre's Life-Line v2025.10 is now available 🚀

👉 https://www.eco-libre.org/life-line-2025-10-released

Guide to build a self-cleaning #water intake system for your #offgrid #sustainable community 💧🚰

The thing about #solar computing and #offgrid living is that on sunny days, even most days, there's plenty work to do outside / around the house. So, things like poking around net are left to night time and battery power. But thanks to cell hotspot, #rpi and a #lowenergy display, I can now stay online for well deserved hours of #smallweb #retro #futuristic #community fun!

#solarpunk #hexe #bithexe

Yall talk about #solarpunk, so here's a glimpse of my new LE setup to raid BBSes at night. And srsly, 15" is more than enough if you know what you are doing 😏

Shoutout to paulie at #20forbeers . I'll get ya that 20 mate, promise honest to godess 🤘

#rpi #rpi4 #offgrid #hexe #bithexe

I'm considering going with an all in one inverter/charger when I swap to 24V on my solar system. Specifically: https://www.amazon.com/Inverter-Charger-Converter-Use%EF%BC%8COff-Grid-DC60-500V/dp/B0DRVCL5K3

It would certainly simplify my wiring layout to lose the charge controllers and the massive AIMS inverter I'm using for supplemental charging from camp's backup solar system on stormy days.

The MPPT controller in it allows for PV inputs up to 500V which would allow me to series more panels and place them further away where there's fuller sun without losing power in the cables. My current charge controllers are limited to 150V which means I can only have 2 panels in series.

The dual AC outputs are kind of cool too. All my heating/cooling and cooking loads could be on the main 3600W output, and the computer on the 1200W output. If battery voltage goes below a set level, the main shuts off but my computer would still have power for a while.

Curious if anyone has experience with this unit. There are several rebranded versions of essentially the same AIO inverter.

#OffGrid #DIY #Solar

Preparing for as much as 3" up here on pine mountain tonight & tomorrow by rejuvenating my infiltration pond system.

Problem: Water flows down the hillside, and across our upper driveway then through the mesa of pine trees before flowing onto the lower driveway where it causes ruts and other erosion.

Solution: Slow and sink the water where it has maximum benefit by sinking in to allow the pines to get enough water to fend off bark beetles, and direct it such that it doesn't get onto the road.

I initially created this system of infiltration ponds a few years ago and they've been working great. But the first pond especially fills up with silt during every heavy rain. So I'm digging out the silt and moving it to level out a spot for a 250 gal water tank to live.

We're transitioning to a system where the people fill water from a visible tank during gatherings rather than a spigot feed by out main tank. City folk are too used to turning a faucet and water just comes out, we want them to be more connected with the concept of limited resources that need to be conserved when living #offgrid

6 gorilla carts full of silt have been removed so far.

#Permaculture #Water #erosionControl

First infiltration pond in a grove of pine trees that has filled up with silt and is partially dug out. This overflows across a walkway into a second infiltration pond which then flows into a final much deeper pond heavily bermed to keep it off the road visible in the distance

view from the downhill side. I've augered a bunch of holes in the lowest and deepest infiltration pond to get further water penetration into the landscape. The auger is laying in the middle pit. A gorilla cart is next to the uphill and first infiltration pit

Over the weekend @meph added some mind blowing new features to lorapipe.

- APRS over LoRa
- Ethernet over LoRa

https://social.treehouse.systems/@meph/115365077448221139

#hamraadio #radio #lora #meshcore #meshtastic #lorapipe #aprs #ax25 #kiss #tnc #packetradio #networking #cybersecurity #offgrid

About a week ago, i was complaining on here that we got an assignment in my sustainability class to track our water usage, and the worksheet they gave us to fill out was not applicable to my off-grid situation: https://tilde.zone/@mk30/115303060938000673

well, i did my own tracking and the results are in (see image below).

so in case you're interested in seeing water usage of an off-gridder with a water catchment and dry composting toilet, here ya go.

PS - i sent this to my parents because i thought they'd be interested in my water usage. mom said: "239 L! that's a lot", and dad came back with nitpicking comments about the chart itself (classic dad. i even guessed the things he'd complain about). lol.

#offgrid #water #sustainability #hawaii

a table showing 4 days of water usage based on different household activities

Exploring an Off-Grid Cottage with Modern Connectivity in England

The article discusses a supposedly off-grid cottage in western England, which, despite its remote setting, offers modern amenities like fast broadband, multiple USB charging points, and reliable mobile phone signal, as highlighted by Janet Thompson from West Runton, Norfolk. This juxtaposition of ru... [More info]

My finances are going to improve shortly, so I think I'm going to pull the switch in a couple weeks on switching to a 24V system instead of 12V.

All I really need to do it is an inverter. I've been super happy with the Renogy 2000W. So this seems like the way to go: https://www.amazon.com/Upgraded-Inverter-Outlets-Vehicle-Control/dp/B0DNMGNFD2

I'll also be getting a mini-split and hope the heat pump will get me through the winter. So I should also upgrade to 3000W. It would suck to have to turn off the 750W of heating from the mini-split to be able to use 1500W or so long enough to cook something in the toaster oven or on an induction stovetop without tripping the inverter.

I'll try to get by with my two 12V 300Ah batteries in series this winter. If that's insufficient I'll purchase a 24V battery to add in parallel. Then next year I'll see if I can sell the 12V batteries and replace them with a native 24V. I do prefer having at least 2 batteries in parallel so I can pull one off at any time to do a slow cell balancing charge on it.

I also now know that it'll be worth spending a little more to get a battery that has a bluetooth enabled BMS or at least a readout screen that shows the voltage each cell is at.

#OffGrid #DIY #Solar #LessonsLearned

Took apart the very short 1/0 welding cable that was getting hot and had to be replaced. Looks like it was a few broken/twisted strands near the center that caused the problem. probably via arcing under the insulation.

The heat in the wire then caused thermal expansion/contraction loosening on one end of the cable (note the heat oxidation) on the copper - both on one of the lugs and the discoloration near the center.

Good reminder to periodically check your wiring and equipment for hot spots - by hand, with a laser thermometer, or a FLIR camera.

The wire didn't get hot enough to melt the insulation, but it was starting to melt the yellow electrical tape strand wrapped around it. Another week or two unnoticed and it could have started a fire.

#OffGrid #DIY #Solar

a 10" length of 1/0 copper stranded welding wire with copper lugs crimped on the ends. the insulation has been cut off and lies next to it. the bottom 2/3 of the stranded wire shows discoloration, as does a yellow strip of electrical tape around the insulation.

a 10" length of 1/0 copper stranded welding wire with copper lugs crimped on the ends. the insulation has been cut off. the bottom 2/3 of the stranded wire shows discoloration, as does the lower copper lug

swapped all wall warts for usb-c power in the shed. Now the AC inverter is off by default and I no longer have inverter loss converting back and forth. That should buy me enough battery headroom for the shorter charging days ahead #offgrid

Et en-dehors de #gaulix , si vous faites un peu/beaucoup de #lora , vous utilisez quels paramètres ? Dans quel coin ?

Histoire de tenter l'un ou l'autre contact si ça se présentait

#tsf #offGrid

Now I just gotta get the reflectix cut into window shades, weatherize the seams, finish building the compost toilet properly, and move under the snowshed that's currently being built. Then I'll be set for winter.

(The French drain is not happening this year, so daily outside pee-bottle emptying adventures await. But I'm still better off than I was this time last year. By a long shot.)

#RVLife #OffGrid #Recovery2025 #DarkSojourn

Their wealth came from building the future; their home must reflect it.
Net-positive energy, water reclamation systems, and food production via vertical farms. The goal isn't just low taxes—it's full resource independence.

#SustainableLuxury #OffGrid #TechWealth #Canada
www.youtube.com/@Metaciya

Went bananas and bought too many power stations.

#offgrid

3 Ecoflow River 2 Max Pro & a River (base).

So... I have a solar powered watering fountain for the birbs, cats, raccoons, opossums, and other animals. I added an activated carbon filter to keep the water clean and fresh day and night.

But the raccoons love to soak their nuts in the fountain, clogging it up. When it clogs up, they use their opposable thumbs to open it up and drop their nuts and seeds in the pot, making a real mess.

I need to engineer a better solution to this...

#offgrid #solar #raccoon #feeder

A solar powered water fountain for birds and accessible for ground animals

Dear solarpunks, hackers, and off-grid nerds of all stripes, i have a solar related question for you:

a friend has a 24V solar setup with an mppt charge controller and inverter. unfortunately the batteries regularly go down to 24 (and overnight, sometimes even below that 😭 ). the inverter only gives a screaming alert when it's way below 24 and generally the people who use the system don't have a way to know if the batteries are getting too low.

do any of you have suggestions for how we might set up an alert for when the batteries are around 24.2? ideally it would send a text or something, but if it makes a really loud sound, that might be ok as well.

the inverter does make a sound when the system is too low, but that's when the batteries are way lower than 24 and we don't have a way to set any options for it.

the charge controller is a victron and there's a victron app, but i haven't seen an option in the victron app that's like... "alert if battery voltage hits x value."

anyway, our budget is limited, but any ideas you all might have would be most appreciated 🙏 🌞 ⚡

#solarpunk #solar #offgrid #diy #tech #SolarPower #hack #hardware