Tonight I am logged on for the first time using a Telstra USB wireless modem on the nextG network and its working surprising fast even up here on the Central Coast. I've set this up in preparation for moving on the property in 2 days where we will have no power, phone or septic for another 2 months.
As we have will not have our solar power for another 2 months ( at least) and the caravan can only be powered by 240 volt cable, we were faced with the prospect of having to run a generator every night for a couple of months to power the water pump (shower/toilet/sink), the laptop for internet access, charge the mobile phones etc etc. Even if I re-wired the van and set up a battery, the battery would have had to be charged for a few hours each day to use each night.... not only is the generator noisy, it seemed like unnecessary carbon emissions.
So, I've done what I'd always wanted to do for work... carry my own power source for Xrays, Ultrasounds etc just in case the power was unavailable at the horse. We've been meaning to do it for years, but this seemed the right excuse... I've installed a large 90amp 12V second battery into the work car with a 1000W inverter which will convert the 12V into 240V. The batteries will be wired so that as I drive around all day for work, both batteries will get charged. When I get home, I can plug the caravan directly up to the inverter in the back of the car. Although the battery won't stay charged for very long if a lot of appliances are used, if we are conservative, it should last each night and be useful for the laptop, phones, light and water. This way we will only use the generator occasionally for tools, vacuum cleaner etc. The first battery in the car will be protected so that it won't be used for the inverter and eliminate the risk of having a car with a flat battery in the morning! This option definitely eases my conscience when it comes to the amount of driving I do each day (~250km).
The Protector 1000W inverter cost about $420 and the lead acid battery was $187 (a gel battery or a fully sealed one is around $330). Add another couple hundred for the battery case and wiring by the autoelectrician. Will report on how it works next time!
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5 comments:
How did the move go?
You must be busy with all the flu that's going around!
Mary
Equine Influ sounds terrible in NSW at the moment, the move sounds incredibly tough, the work on the house seems like extremely hard work, the batts in the car is fantastic but my biggest curiosity, which you may be embarrassed that I ask is: how do you live without a septic tank? This concept intrigues me....
(apologies for my cluelessness)
YEAH :-( We've got about 15 cofirmed infected PROPERTIES and heaps of infected horses. Rob is the DIRTY vet attending definite sickies and I'm semi-clean, taking samples from primary and secondary contacts with horses from the original sources and Brett is trying to stay cleanish so that our practice can attend to emergencies. I'm very sick of changing and chucking out disposable overalls and washing myself raw with disinfectant (though soap, detergent, detol and bleach is quite effective.)A move's a major stress on relationships isn't it? Lots of fighting!! We have now moved. Tomorrow we should exchange... the Berkeley Vale property looks spotless thanks to Annette (though i wouldn't have gone to nearly as much effort)! Now we just have to sort out a mountain of stuff into a little caravan and a full shipping container. We still have half a storage room to bring to the property too! Anyway, better go ..... VERY early start tomorrow and probably just as busy as today!
Tomo: we have a porta loo which we've had to have on-site the whole time for workmen. I use it but annette doesn't like it. She uses the loo at work etc. We also have a porta-loo in the caravan so its not a big deal!
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