PV Gap

Helen Said:

portable Air Conditioner unit in arizona.?

We Answered:

You know, it's interesting..
Air conditioners don't really make the air cold as people think.
They remove the heat from the air before the fan blows it inside.
Pretty interesting.
And they are making A/C units more and more efficient all the time.
Some of them run on less power than you think.
But a solar generated power system can be pretty pricey.
Then you might have days in a row when it's overcast, sunless, and hence, no power.
Have you considered putting that money into better insulation and weatherstripping?
That might be more cost-effective.
I don't know how well you insulated when you converted, but there's always more you can do.
Such as replacing regular doors with insulated fiberglass ones.
Or planting shade trees on that side of the house...
There's literally thousands of things you can do.
Sometimes, you can even get a reduction on your bill from your electricity provider.
All I'm saying is- check out all your options before you go and spend all that money on something that might or might not pay off.
Good luck.

Warren Said:

Telescope buying help?

We Answered:

There are several different kinds of telescopes and all of them have some excellent features. Refractors and Reflectors, plus Schmidt-Cassegrain, APO refractors, Mac-Cass, and many more. There are also several mounts to chose from and the mounts are just as important, if not even more important, than the scope is. All of the different scopes and mounts have some features that some people like and do not like. No two eyeballs are the same and the perfect scope for one person might be completly wrong for another person.

There is no one scope that is "better" than another ---except for the junk scopes out there which are all just a waste of money. Never, ever buy from Walmart, Costco, Target, or any other discount store like that. Junk scopes are flooded into the market from those stores. You will be buying nothing but bad optics and plastic.

If you are new at this, then stay away from anything used from any site. If you don't know what you are buying and who you are buying from you will most likely be getting someone else's headache---with no warranty either. Buyer beware you know. Some great deals on used equipment, by people who know how to use and take care of scopes, are out there, but if you don't know what you are doing, you might be spending a lot of money on junk.
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I recomend:

http://oriontelescopes.com/

Orion is the very best for value and for customer service too. I have 2 of their scopes and I will only buy from them from now on. My first scope was a manual controlled scope and I am very glad that it was because it forced me to learn where things are in the night skies. Go-To type scopes can be frustrating to use. If you do not have them aligned exactly perfect, they do not find the targets. If you are a beginner, you will be frustrated unless you spring for a GPS Go-To. An object locator is just that---it will locate objects for you (must be aligned first) but an object locator is not a tracking motor. It will not keep the scope on the target.

The Orion site has some excellent diagrams and explanations of all types of scopes and mounts.

Things to consider are size--can the user lift and transport the scope to the viewing site easily? Does it fit in your car? If not, then it will gather dust in a closet. I recomend a carrying case too so it is protected in storage and transport. Can the viewer reach all the knobs and buttons? I have a long tube large manual refractor and it is very dificult for me to reach the knobs when I am pointed to Zenith. I am not a tall person.

Take your time in making your decision.

+++ I would like to suggest that you join a local astronomy club or astronomical society BEFORE you spend your money on a scope. There are many different kinds of scopes and what is perfect for one person is not perfect for another. Everyone has their own set of eyeballs and no two are the same. If you join a club, you can attend a few of their star parties and try out members scopes to see what works best for YOU, before you buy a scope. The members can also help you when you get your scope and show you how to get the most out of your new scope as well as to help teach you where the treasures in the sky are located. Most clubs have loaner scopes and extensive libraries that you can gather more information from too. Most clubs will have monthly membership meetings with informative presentations given by members and by guest speakers. You can really learn a lot from these clubs and an added plus is all the great new freinds you make there too.

Some people will suggest that you purchase binnoculars. Not a bad idea but dont buy anything less than 10x50 and you must have a tripod too or you will not be happy with your astronomical views because they will be too shakey from your movements. Personally, I prefer a scope to binos because if binoculars are not aligned properly at the factory, then you get double images and distortions that cant be fixed. Most of the cheaper binoculars are not properly aligned. That is not as important for terrestial viewing but it is a killer for astronomical viewing. Binos can also be bumped out of alignment and become useless for astronomy.

When you buy go Orion and you wont be disappointed. Don't try to learn everything all at once or you will be overwhelmed and discouraged. Patience is the key to Astronomy.


You will need a good star chart program too.
http://www.stellarium.org/
This is great freeware that you can download. Tell it where you are and it will tell you what you see. Ask it where something is and it will show you.

I wish you all the best! Enjoy!

Bruce Said:

Solar panel question?

We Answered:

You need to calculate how much power you need. Take the watts times the number of hours used a day, that will be watt hours. 60W x 4 hours = 240wh. Find out how many sun hours are available where you will be, keep in mind a lot of places have half of the hours in the winter than in the summer, so use the lower number if this will be used in the winter. http://www.altestore.com/howto/Tools-Cal…

240Wh / 5 sun hours = 48 watts. Add 30% for losses = 62W panel needed. You never want to use more than half the battery power, so multiply 240Wh times 2, add 30% for losses, divide by 12V system = 52ah battery bank.

Or go to an off-grid calculator like http://www.altestore.com/store/calculato…

Panels, batteries, and systems are generally grouped into nominal voltage, 6V, 12V, 24V, etc. A 12V battery is actually about 14.5V, 12V panel is about 20V. But because they are all nominal 12V, they are designed to work together.

You then need an inverter to convert the 12V DC to 120V AC.