Black Friday Deals - Tablets & eReaders

[Fbone]

Originally Posted by koland

A lot depends on the local power company (ours pays back a premium on all output, higher than you pay to get power used).

Properly designed, with batteries, etc, you'll have more into it, but will be able to sever ties to the grid when power is off (here, it's snow - been off for up to 5 days). That should mean you save on a generator (purchase, storage, maintenance and the fuel storage to use it).

Initial costs were very high even with Federal subsidies. Included was the cost of a new roof and maintenance plan. Also, I would have to pay extra to cut down trees that span over the roof. Removing the trees would increase my winter heating costs.

The solar panels would not cover all my energy needs. I would still need to draw from the local grid. Although, after hurricane Sandy and no local power for 10 days they may have provided enough for refrigeration, sump pump and lights. All my neighbors bought generators in preparation for the storm. Unfortunately, the 14ft surge overwhelmed them and they wouldn't start. (For future reference, generators need to be placed on a platform above flood plain elevation or relocated to higher ground and then transported back to your home after the flood.) Also, there was no gasoline available to run them anyway. Gas stations closed.

[tubemonkey]

Originally Posted by koland

Monkeys can't climb?

Try this one - easy to carry around and recharge: http://www.portableuniversalpower.co...lt-product.htm

Climb good - need tree friendly solar cells

That's one tough battery, but I'm more of the shirt-pocket-size type.

[kennyc]

Originally Posted by koland

Monkeys can't climb?

Try this one - easy to carry around and recharge: http://www.portableuniversalpower.co...lt-product.htm

[rgeorg]

Originally Posted by tubemonkey

I'm restructuring it to track sales all the way into January.

Great - thanks, appreciate it!

[Latinandgreek]

Originally Posted by Blossom

I love my passport! It's only 500GB which is why I want a 2TB too but I have to get it locally. I just don't trust Hard Drives being shipped here anymore. It seems every drive that is sent to me has failed at some point but everything I bought Local is still going. The problem is some drives I can only get online. It's only happened since I moved here 7 years ago so I have theories.

I wish solid state drives would come down in price!

Originally Posted by kennyc

I've had bad luck with external Seagate drives but great luck with WD Passport drives. FWIW.

Thanks for the input!

I, too, wish that solid state drives would come down in price! My current laptop has one, and it really makes a huge difference.

[booklover6]

If anyone wants a cheap android phone, here you go...

Pantech AT&T

It's $50 right now. You can use this as a wifi android device even if you never activate the phone part. A little pocket size Kindle!

I got one for $80 a couple weeks ago for my son. Just got another one for me!

[DreamWriter]

I skipped the Black Friday/Cyber Monday sales, but I bought this today: Wagan EL2402-5 Smart AC 200 Watt Inverter with 5V 2.1 Amps USB Power Port. It is currently $25.93, which is 45% off list price. It has two grounded AC outlets and a USB port. I'll use it to keep my Kindle, tablets, and other electronic gadgets charged while car traveling.

[koland]

Originally Posted by Fbone

Initial costs were very high even with Federal subsidies. Included was the cost of a new roof and maintenance plan. Also, I would have to pay extra to cut down trees that span over the roof. Removing the trees would increase my winter heating costs.

The solar panels would not cover all my energy needs. I would still need to draw from the local grid. Although, after hurricane Sandy and no local power for 10 days they may have provided enough for refrigeration, sump pump and lights. All my neighbors bought generators in preparation for the storm. Unfortunately, the 14ft surge overwhelmed them and they wouldn't start. (For future reference, generators need to be placed on a platform above flood plain elevation or relocated to higher ground and then transported back to your home after the flood.) Also, there was no gasoline available to run them anyway. Gas stations closed.

Removing trees will increase your summer cooling costs (but that can be offset with proper insulation and reflective barrier; plus the panels block heat gain). If it has any effect in the winter, it will be to decrease heat costs, due to increased solar gain (if you have windows/glass doors properly sited).

No, they won't cover all your needs. But they can easily keep your essentials running (frig, freezer, a fan and some lights). then again, even a 5KW generator won't do a whole lot more, at least not well or long term. And most buy much smaller ones; it takes about 3KW minimum just to run a single small air conditioner, for example (the startup compressor is more than a 2kw can handle). other than the A/C, though, I can run my entire camper with a 2KW unit (have to juggle to use the microwave, as it's 1.5KW on it's own). For the house, we have a 5KW diesel unit (so it doesn't have to be taken offline ever few hours and serviced; gas units simply aren't designed to run 24/7). For the house, we can run all the frig/freezer units, lights in the basement level and a number of computers (at one time, I had an office with 13 stations; it handled that with no sweat -- I really should redo our balancing, though, as we could probably watch TV and run the upstairs lights now, since TV's use less power and I don't have as many computers running).

Try to run something 220 on that, though, and you need to watch what else you run at the same time (it's a lot easier to use a propane water heater in the camper than try to run a house-size hot water heater along with the rest of the house). don't think I'd try the oven on it, either.

Then again, I'm not trying to stay on that generator all the time (if I were, we'd have to redesign a bit and bring propane gas back, on a permanent basis; no natural gas here, but it went out in the NE, too, so not something you can count on).

Oh, and I'm at 1340 feet - one of the highest points in the county, atop a ridge in the foothills north of the valley the town lies in. Our property alone has over 400' of elevation change, so I'm not worried about any floods. Tornadoes are a small concern, as in most of the country where they occur, but we seem to be off the main path for those. Lightning can be an issue (we had one tree about 75 feet from the house with a burn scar all the way to the ground, when we built; most trees are well away from the house and it's well grounded, with underground utilities, so we've done well the last 25+ years in that regard).

Hey monkey - get cargo pants. sure, it might bang your thigh and cause a bruise, but it should fit!

[kennyc]

Originally Posted by koland

...
Hey monkey - get cargo pants. sure, it might bang your thigh and cause a bruise, but it should fit!

or pj's

[Fbone]

Originally Posted by koland

Removing trees will increase your summer cooling costs (but that can be offset with proper insulation and reflective barrier; plus the panels block heat gain). If it has any effect in the winter, it will be to decrease heat costs, due to increased solar gain (if you have windows/glass doors properly sited).

No, they won't cover all your needs. But they can easily keep your essentials running (frig, freezer, a fan and some lights). then again, even a 5KW generator won't do a whole lot more, at least not well or long term. And most buy much smaller ones; it takes about 3KW minimum just to run a single small air conditioner, for example (the startup compressor is more than a 2kw can handle). other than the A/C, though, I can run my entire camper with a 2KW unit (have to juggle to use the microwave, as it's 1.5KW on it's own). For the house, we have a 5KW diesel unit (so it doesn't have to be taken offline ever few hours and serviced; gas units simply aren't designed to run 24/7). For the house, we can run all the frig/freezer units, lights in the basement level and a number of computers (at one time, I had an office with 13 stations; it handled that with no sweat -- I really should redo our balancing, though, as we could probably watch TV and run the upstairs lights now, since TV's use less power and I don't have as many computers running).

Try to run something 220 on that, though, and you need to watch what else you run at the same time (it's a lot easier to use a propane water heater in the camper than try to run a house-size hot water heater along with the rest of the house). don't think I'd try the oven on it, either.

Then again, I'm not trying to stay on that generator all the time (if I were, we'd have to redesign a bit and bring propane gas back, on a permanent basis; no natural gas here, but it went out in the NE, too, so not something you can count on).

How do you heat your home? I do have natural gas and the gas company does install natural gas generators that kick in when local power goes out. It does cost $5,000 - 10,000 depending on size but again they need to be installed somehow elevated. Everyone lost their central a/c units also. So things can't be placed on the ground in areas where flooding can occur.

I never realized how destructive salt water was until Hurr Sandy. My water and gas meters had to be replaced. The salt corroded the cast iron casings.

Regarding solar: it just wasn't worth the initial expense with the 30 year payback especially as I don't plan to stay here nearly that long.

[tubemonkey]

Originally Posted by koland

Hey monkey - get cargo pants. sure, it might bang your thigh and cause a bruise, but it should fit!

Monkey doesn't like loose cargo pants. I like tight jeans.

Originally Posted by kennyc

or pj's

Who's the hot babe in the blue jammies. Never saw her before.

[silverraven]

Totally absolutely off topic (of course most of this thread has been!)
I had sock monkey's growing up, loved them. My grandmother used to make a smaller than normal one with embroidered eyes for safety. Now I have a grandbaby and need a sock monkey for him. Unless someone has seen where I could buy one?? I really don't want to learn how to sew!
S

[kennyc]

Originally Posted by silverraven

Totally absolutely off topic (of course most of this thread has been!)
I had sock monkey's growing up, loved them. My grandmother used to make a smaller than normal one with embroidered eyes for safety. Now I have a grandbaby and need a sock monkey for him. Unless someone has seen where I could buy one?? I really don't want to learn how to sew!
S

https://www.google.com/search?q=sock...w=1215&bih=716

I'd go with Think Geek though cause I like 'em!
http://www.thinkgeek.com/product/362...FctcMgodJE0AeQ

Of course this place has got it all: http://www.sockmonkey.com/index.html

[silverraven]

Of course this place has got it all: http://www.sockmonkey.com/index.htm

Wow, a whole site dedicated to sock monkeys!! Wow!
Thanks for the links, will check them out later!
S

[KimberlyFDR]

Originally Posted by silverraven

Unless someone has seen where I could buy one?? I really don't want to learn how to sew!

Walmart used to have the 3 1/2 foot Maxx the Sock Monkey, too.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/nda5150/4235102545

My friend bought up 50 of them for a craft project, then realized she had 50 huge sock monkeys filling her home and decided to distribute them to her friends Mine's sitting on my guest bed, looking quite at home.

It looks like K-Mart might still carry them.