Sunday (28) - Another hot day at 90°F by mid-afternoon. The two A/C units did a passable job. There is still a lot of heat that gets into the RV as the insulation isn't that great. And without a lot of wind, I could have the awning out to shade the refrigerator. It's been doing good with freezer temperatures around 3°F if I don't have the ice maker running. The additional load of making ice will raise the temperature by about 10°F.
Monday (29) - Today, we visited the Biosphere 2 site being operated by the University of Arizona. It is located about twenty miles north of Tucson. The purpose of the experiment was to replicate the biological processes on earth and see if humans can survive. They grew all their own food and had no physical supplies except what they brought in with them when the experiment started.This is the residential complex and the dome on top is the library. Apparently, it wasn't used much due to the long spiral staircase but from the pictures, the 360° view was pretty good. The glass pyramid structures are the different areas such as desert, rainforest, ocean, etc. They are full of vegetation all nicely labeled with the species and what part of the planet they were from.Monday, April 12, 2021
Day 28, 29 - Tucson, AZ and Biosphere 2
Saturday, April 10, 2021
Day 25, 26, 27 - Tucson, AZ
Wednesday, April 7, 2021
Day 22, 23, 24 - Benson, AZ - TT
Monday (22) - This morning, we headed back into Tucson for a birthday party. Bridget ordered a cake from Safeway and, I believe, she is picking up some pizza somewhere in Tucson.
Tuesday (23) - A test session this morning and another this afternoon. I began to pack up stuff in preparation for leaving here tomorrow. I figured that this afternoon was going to be a bit too hot to sit outside so the table, chairs, and outdoor “rug” are now packed.
The 5amp AC fuse on the refrigerator control board blew for the third time in 19 months. It just switches to propane when it blows so not a serious problem. I think it has something to do with direct sun on the outside wall and not enough airflow to keep the temperature down. Just a hunch…
Wednesday (24) - A short travel day today. Only 44 miles to the KOA in Tucson, AZ. We needed to be “out” of the Encore system for seven days. We will be returning here in Benson next week. There are other parks in Mesa and Casa Grande but we like this place.
Sunday, April 4, 2021
Day 21 - Happy Easter!
Friday, April 2, 2021
Day 18, 19, 20 - More Solar - Bisbee - Benson, AZ - TT
Wednesday, March 31, 2021
Day 15, 16, 17 - Visiting Friends and Solar
Monday (15) - After the morning test session, we drove into Tucson to visit friends at the KOA RV park. The place is huge. We have a reservation at this park in a week and a half for our week out of the Encore system. After a week, we can return to any Encore park including Benson. I believe that is the plan.
Yesterday, we replaced the Fan-Tastic fan in the kitchen/living room with a MaxxAir fan. This one has a built-in rain cover as well as a remote control and thermostat. The removed Fan-Tastic fan will be replacing the vent fan in the bathroom. I believe that is tomorrow’s project. I will cover the screws and the edges with Dicor and maybe re-install Eternabond tape over the Dicor.Tuesday (16) - We re-installed the Fan-Tastic vent fan in the bathroom. It is much quieter and has a temperature sensor but does not have the motorized lid like the new one. Still an improvement. We were done before lunch and I’m relaxing in the pool since it is a warm 81°F right now. I have a test session starting in an hour or so but for now, relax.
A few more solar pieces arrived. The DC shutoff from the panels to the charge controller. Since the max DC voltage with the three panels in series will be almost 80VDC, it was difficult to find a reasonably priced switch or breaker rated for that DC voltage. The current is only 10amps. I found a four-pole switch rated at 1000VDC and 36amps. Serious overkill. Other items include a circuit breaker for the charge controller to the batteries. I needed 60amps and up to 16VDC. I found 80amps at 48VDC. That’ll work. The next item is the Victron battery temperature sensor. It turns out that our friend, Garrett, had ordered one that he didn’t need. I could’ve bought it from him. The temperature sensor is needed for lead-acid batteries. Not needed for lithium. Only a few more parts and pieces.Wednesday (17) - Sitting outside on a sunny morning. It's only 63°F but there is no wind. The test session starts in a little under an hour so I usually join early to talk with some of the others. A little socializing.
My afternoon project was installing the charge controller and going through the configuration. The solar panel shutdown switch is to the right and it will disconnect both positive and negative cables.
The charge controller breaker is in the battery compartment, the next compartment to the right. It is wired before the main DC power switch as you need to remove the input from the panels before turning off the battery power. I plan on printing instructions for powering up/down the charge controller.Sunday, March 28, 2021
Day 14 - Solar Overview
I procrastinated ordering the panels themselves and they are now on backorder for about three weeks. They are being shipped to a friend's home in the PNW. Over the next month, I’ll be able to install everything except the panels themselves including the wiring onto the roof.
- 3x 210-watt Hi-Tec monocrystalline panels
- Victron Energy SmartSolar MPPT 100/50 charge controller (3rd picture)
- 100’ 10AWG UV resistant solar cable. This will run from the panels to the shutoff
- 2x Solar Cable waterproof entry gland (only need one) (3rd picture)
- 8x MC4 connector set for 10AWG solar cable (3rd picture)
- 2x 10’ 6AWG welding cable w/10 lug connectors and shrink tubing (3rd picture)
- 3x corner and side mounts to be glued to the roof (2nd picture)
- Sikaflex-259, a 1 component, moisture-cured, polyurethane adhesive?(2nd picture)
- Solar DC isolator switch. 1000v/32amp
- 80amp circuit breaker
- Victron battery temperature sensor
The 10AWG cable will be run from the MC4 connectors on the panels to the DC isolator switch. The estimated distance is 25’. Counting both positive and negative runs, the voltage drop over the 50’ of cable is under 1VDC. Reasonable considering the panel output voltage is around 75VDC.
The 6AWG cable will be run from the output of the charge controller, through the 80amp circuit breaker to the batteries. The voltage drop would be about 0.7VDC if the charge controller was 10’ from the batteries. 6AWG is the largest cable that the Victron 100/50 supports so the controller could be closer to the batteries. The temperature sensor replaces the power cable on the 500amp shunt for the BMV-512 battery monitor that I had installed over a year ago. The temperature and battery voltage is fed up to the battery monitor and relayed to the charge controller via Bluetooth. This allows the charge controller to modify its charging parameters depending on the battery temperature and the actual voltage at the battery terminals.On the “average” dry camping day, we use about 240 amp-hours. These panels should keep up on most days. But we always have the diesel generator for cloudy days. At our last HH overnight, we used 175 amp-hours including some microwave and Keurig use. The majority of the power was used by the two propane furnaces with temperatures in the high 30s (°F). So we use much more power than we did with the 5th wheel RV. For now, we will continue to use the 4x flooded, 6V golf cart batteries which give us 210 amp-hours of useable capacity.
Saturday, March 27, 2021
Day 11, 12, 13 - Benson, AZ - TT
Thursday (11) - Today was stressful for me. We drove into Tucson to the convection center for their walk-up COVID vaccination. Tons of traffic and lots of road construction plus the uncertainty of parking at the convention center. At least I was stressed. Moderna dose 1 is now done and a follow-up appointment has been set up a little bit over a month from now. We will be in the southern AZ area for longer than planned but at least the vaccine will be done.
Friday (12) - The weather has been really nice though it has been getting windy every afternoon. I'm guessing that this is the normal weather pattern for this part of the southwest. Extremely clear skies especially when looking straight up. I was looking at the moon the other evening and it hasn't looked that sharp in a while.
I have two test sessions for today and we need to pick up some groceries as well. Just a normal day. I met another couple whom we parked next to in Harlingen. They both work full time on the road and were getting ready to head out on the road. And had conference calls scheduled for later this morning. Not a bad way to work full-time.
Saturday (13) - After the first test session, I went for a walk through all of the streets in this RV park as well as the next two to the south. The goal was to walk at least 5K. I then uploaded the info to the RunDisney website. I must admit that I do like these virtual events as they motivate me to get out and about. I fell several days ago onto the pavement at a gas station and my right knee has been pretty sore. I really needed to get out walking. Time to visit the jacuzzi again. I think I've been there twice a day since we arrived on Wednesday.
I've started accumulating all the bits and pieces to install some solar on the motor home. Especially since we plan to store it over the summer in a humid climate. I want to have enough battery power to provide ventilation for the interior. I'll have more information in tomorrow's post.
Right now, I'm waiting for the next test session to start.
Wednesday, March 24, 2021
Day 10 - Benson, AZ - TT
The video is dash cam footage showing the Guadalupe Mountains.
Tuesday, March 23, 2021
Day 9 - Deming, NM - HH
Tomorrow, is a 180 mile day to an RV park in Benson, AZ, where we will be for a couple of weeks.
Monday, March 22, 2021
Day 8 - Carlsbad Caverns National Park
These were mostly taken in the "Big Room" at the bottom of the descent. All of the lighting was warm so I'm not really sure what color the formations should be so no color corrections even attempted. There used to be names assigned to many of these features but the park removed the signage to allow visitors to use their own imaginations.
Sunday, March 21, 2021
Day 6, 7 - Carlsbad, NM
Friday, March 19, 2021
Day 5 - Fort Stockton, TX
A long driving day today. Around 360 miles. We arrived at a Walmart around 6pm and we did call ahead and ask if we were allowed to park overnight. This will be the longest driving day of this leg. Our next stop is only 150 miles. Carlsbad, NM. We have Carlsbad Cavern tickets for Monday morning so we will be at the RV park there through the weekend. I haven’t been to Carlsbad Caverns in over forty years. I’m sure it’ll be different especially with the COVID restrictions.
Dinner was just wings from the Walmart deli. I did not feel like cooking anything. I’m amazed that we’ve been in Texas for 124 days so far. Longer than I expected.
Thursday, March 18, 2021
Day 2, 3, 4 - Georgetown, TX
Monday, March 15, 2021
Day 1 - Enroute to San Antonio
Sunday, March 14, 2021
Fairbanks, AK
Friday, March 12, 2021
Welcome Home
I arrived back in Fairbanks a little after midnight and it was around -20°F. This morning, it’s a bit colder but the forecast is for warmer temperatures. Note that sunrise is at 7:18am. The last time I was here it was around 11am. Quite the change.
By mid-afternoon, it had warmed up quite a bit. All the way to -5°F. Right now I’m at a coffee place in downtown Fairbanks where I’m meeting Scott, a fellow ham who I’ve talked to numerous times on dmr. He even had a dmr repeater running on UHF for a while in Fairbanks. I believe he took it offline due to lack of use.
We had an enjoyable discussion and I think his wife was completely bored by the digital radio discussion.
Tonight, it's supposed to be cold again. John, another ham from Delta, mentioned that it's supposed to hit -45°F. Maybe I did bring some cold from TX.
Thursday, March 11, 2021
Day 88 - San Antonio Airport