Electrical Advice

And Other Ramblings

For two years, I wrote a series of articles for Wanderings magazine on the subject of Renewable Energy as it applies to installation in buses and trucks. The scope of these articles expanded to include nearly all aspects of a 'House Power' system, including connections to shore power, converters, appliances and more.

Chris Hillier of Wanderings magazine has graciously consented to allow me to post these articles which were written exclusively for his magazine so that many other viewers can benefit from the information they contain.

The chapters so far:

• Photovoltaics: This article describes the basics of photovoltaic solar electric panels, and gives some fundamentals of installing them.

• Batteries: Batteries are the only practical way to store power on board a vehicle. Here you'll learn the various types of batteries that are available, and which are best for your system.

• Battery Charging: Good battery health and life is dependent on regular and proper charging practices. Here you'll find the facts on keeping the electrons flowing.

• Loads - Part One: Taking power out of a battery should seem pretty simple, but with the right knowledge, you can make that stored power last longer and keep your cells healthy at the same time.

• Loads - Part Two: Electron servitude continued.

• Inverters: Ever since I was a kid, I always wanted to make utility-type power from batteries. Now the available technology makes my dream simple and affordable. You can do it too, here's how.

• Power Converters: In a parallel world, kids dream of making battery-type power from the utility. Power converters are the antitheses of inverters, but very useful in vehicles.

• Shore Power: When utility power is available, you may want to utilize it, be sure to do so safely and efficiently.

• DC Overload Protection: Batteries can pack a punch when overloaded or shorted. Special precautions and equipment is required to keep your system safe. Read about it here.

• Wiring Made ¿Easy?: Moving vehicles are tough on wiring. Paying attention to wire types can keep you out of trouble after many care-free miles.

• Connectors and Terminals: There's more to installing wiring than just mashing the end under a screw terminal. Spending some extra time making sure the right equipment is used to terminate your wiring will save time and trouble down the road.

• Wire and Cable Management: Rat's nest wiring is no fun to trouble shoot or modify, and can lead to intermittant and unreliable connections. The use of a few inexpensive products and observing good engineering practices will result in a system that is functional and a testament to the installer.

• Wind Power: Portable installation of wind electric equipment is a bit unusual, at least on land, but if you find yourself frequenting gusty areas, wind power can work for you 24/7.

• Refrigeration Basics: Keeping food from spoiling can be a major source of energy consumption. Learn about the various processes that make modern refrigeration work.

• Mechanical Refrigeration: Hotpoint and Coldspot aren't the only available refrigerators. See what other possibilities exist for keeping your beer cold.

• Engine Charging: Several common methods of refreshing the charge on your house batteries exist, but none of them listed in this article are the best. Find out why.

• Engine Charging - the Right Way: Everybody has an opinion. If you need one, here's an example of how to keep your house batteries and your starting battery charged properly while running the vehicle's engine.

• Biodiesel Fuel: A departure from discussions about vehicle electrical systems, here I explore making motor fuel from waste vegetable oil. Can you say "cheap ride"?

• Water Purification: Safe drinking water has been called "The First Need". Considering that the water in a bus or truck comes out of a tank which is filled from a variety of (questionable) sources, it makes sense to produce your own "bottled water".

• Communications on the Road: Whatever needs to be said, you won't have to shout it if you have at least some elementary two-way radios on hand to carry the word.