On Wed, 21 Feb 2018 11:22:46 -0500, "Jim Wilkins"
wrote:
"Larry Jaques" wrote in message
.. .
On Tue, 20 Feb 2018 09:36:39 -0500, "Jim Wilkins"
wrote:
These look interesting to use with solar/battery power:
https://www.aliexpress.com/store/pro...842967793.html
I'd find another distributor who doesn't go through DHL if I were
you.
Some shippers gouge the spit outta ya while others don't. I
strongly
suspect the overseas shippers of taking baksheesh.
Through Foshan Alpicool on Alibaba: https://is.gd/xj41FC Maybe call
to see if they can set up shipping. $79-240.
https://is.gd/CkmZjC Here's a brand new (smaller) C15 for $268
delivered.
Does anyone have anything good or bad to say about them, or buying
from AliExpress?
I have purchased from 4 vendors through AliExpress and have had zero
problems. Shipping can be as short as one week or as long as seven.
I won't be bouncing it down rough trails, although the car is 4WD
and
has a 12V outlet in the back for a powered cooler.
Sounds cool. groan
I forgot to tell you that I talked with my friend Phil and his
experience had been entirely positive with the compressor type. He
inherited one from his FIL and it's still working for him 9 years
later, so it's likely 12+ years old. He set it to freeze (it's one
of
the fridge or freezer types) and he says it stays at zero on 120vac
or
13.5vdc. Also, most of the truckers he knows have had horrible luck
with the peltier types, with few opting for the compressor style.
Those all had positive reviews, too, regardless of the brand. Phil
also said to look at the propane/12v style of RV fridges, which are
spendy but reliable. I had forgotten they lived in SoCal for 3
months
in their 5th wheel while the truck was repaired after a freeway
accident.
If I can't find an AC/DC powered compact refrigerator priced as
reasonably as the AC-only ones I may be able to make the fridge
thermostat turn the inverter on and off. The real issue is the APC1400
UPS inverter's 1.5A idle current, which consumes more battery capacity
than the fridge does.
Your fridge takes less than 20w?
My present simple answer is add more batteries and let the APC and
fridge operate the way they were designed to. That's looking like it
might be the safest and lowest cost solution too. The APC's default
float voltage setting for sealed batteries also works for flooded deep
cycle ones. It's below the hydrogen generation level though they
recharge rather slowly.
It's time for all of us to upgrade to LIPO (or better), huh? LA is
just not worth the effort and hassle. But 14kW goes for $6200
installed. I hope that price drops dramatically when the Giga Factory
opens and gets up to speed, or when new tech hits the markets. My
single kilowatt will likely not be enough to satiate it, though.
The fridge power cord could connect to the center contacts of a DPDT
relay so that the NC side senses thermostat closure and the NO side
applies 120VAC. I already have a clip-on current transformer to sense
when the fridge turns off.
OK.
The APC1400 can be turned on or off by serial port commands, except
that it refuses ("NO") to turn on without AC present. Startup on
battery is an abnormal condition that requires pressing and holding
the On button until the buzzer sounds. I could probably wire to the
switch and buzzer to do that with an Arduino controller if simpler,
less intrusive methods fail.
I'm guessing that you want to retain the computer control rather than
just hotwirin' logic to the SOB?
Internet comments suggest that the non-standard serial port pins also
have control and status functions that might be useful, though battery
24V appears on one of them and a slip could destroy the unit. APC
doesn't document the functions, which I suspect are for production
line testing rather than some user accessory they sell.
Has APC released pinout info?
Yesterday I received this DB9 breakout adapter to probe or make safer,
better insulated temporary connections to the port pins. It might be
useful for tinkering with CNC controllers too.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00WW6YU5G...oding=UTF8&me=
Not a bad price, I guess. ($1.93 direct from China, 6wk dlvy time)
DB9, wow. I remember waaay back when computers came with those!
Despite all the proclaimed concern about CO2 and alternate/renewable
energy it doesn't seem like many people are DOING anything about them.
Yeah, I've noticed that, too. 12v products are few and far between
while being ghastly expensive. Ditto point-of-use inverters.
For now, going 100% solar is really expensive and far too many places
either won't let you on the grid, won't let you put up solar, or they
REQUIRE you to be on grid with your panels. It's a mess.
The sun just came out and the glare is horrible, what with all that
snow out there. About 5" came down overnight and this morning. It's
up to 35F so it should be gone soon. The storm should reach you by
early next week. And if it snows here, you know it's going to be much
heavier elsewhere. G'luck.
--
However beautiful the strategy, you should occasionally look at the results.
-- Sir Winston Churchill