Buggy For Emergency Power?

[BobBoyce]

Originally Posted by yurtle

I have a paper library, which my son - 27 - makes fun of. In the event I have to survive for a while on my own, I'm covered.

I got an old school hand crank megger, that I can charge a cell and maybe a laptop from, with a little circuitry. I also have a '94 Accura, which I can cannibalize to rig up a bicycle and alternator...

I think I'm drifting off topic, into the crazy survivalist mode. I was really just thinking about weeks or months. Puerto Rico is beyond that.

People that think it can never happen to them suffer fron "Normalcy Bias". At least that's the official term assigned to it. Being prepared is obviously much better than not being prepared. The topic is not so far off, using your rolling battery bank as an emergency power source shows that you are thinking outside of the box of most who own golf carts. It's not good or bad, just different. If you find that you need any assistance, I may be able to help. I have a lot of experience with alternative energy equipment and systems. I can recommend equipment and sources. I recently designed suitcase power systems for Puerto Rico that can accept multiple solar panel inputs. FEMA is awarding a $15 million contract to the company. I volunteered my time to that project because it's for a good cause. Your golf cart has a fairly large energy reserve that you can take advantage of if you ever need it.

Generators are only good for as long as you have fuel for it. Past experience has proven that fuel is hard or impossible to get in a true crisis. Being a former Red Cross volunteer, and a RACES (an amatuer radio emergency services group) member, I have been on the scene during many emergencies. I have had one of my generators commandeered by the government when I would bring it and fuel with me. But that was why I brought it... for them to use, not for me. I always brought solar panels and battery banks for my own use. Just like I brought all of my own food and supplies to avoid placing more of a demand on the limited resources in those locations.

I bought and set up a retired ambulance as an emergency response vehicle, with 1,230 watts of solar panels on the roof, 484 Amp/Hours of golf cart batteries, and a 3,600 watt grid grade sinewave inverter.

[yurtle]

Kewl. I served in the Peace Corps for 2-1/2 years, and water and sewage treatment were the most important things for public health. Even in the US, those are taken for granted. I then spent weekends building a "package" water treatment plant, and spent a month installing and commissioning it, while teaching the local folks how to operate and maintain it. A lot of missionaries built wells and hand pumps, but never told the folks that the gaskets need to be replaced, and any shoe repair shop could fabricate them. Once the gaskets wore out, the village went back to drinking contaminated surface water.

[yurtle]

Obviously a prerequisite for water and sewage treatment is electricity. I can handle our needs without power indefinitely, but cities can't.

I want my MTV (joke).

I retired as director of water and sewage treatment, so we are #1 on diesel deliveries. Hospitals and dialysis clinics need our water, as they have ZERO storage. First responders come next. Cell towers are pretty low on the totem pole.

[BobBoyce]

Originally Posted by yurtle

Obviously a prerequisite for water and sewage treatment is electricity. I can handle our needs without power indefinitely, but cities can't.

I want my MTV (joke).

I retired as director of water and sewage treatment, so we are #1 on diesel deliveries. Hospitals and dialysis clinics need our water, as they have ZERO storage. First responders come next. Cell towers are pretty low on the totem pole.

[yurtle]

Remember 9/11? My cell phone was useless, as all circuits were jammed. I live in Hartsfield/Jackson's flight path - the busiest airport on the planet. I never remember looking in the sky and not seeing a com-trail.

Wild.

Just bought a new cable modem, as my old one struggled at 75 Mbps. Can't wait to see what the new one does. As it's 12 volts, it should be easy to power, assuming cable company has juice.

[BobBoyce]

Originally Posted by yurtle

Remember 9/11? My cell phone was useless, as all circuits were jammed. I live in Hartsfield/Jackson's flight path - the busiest airport on the planet. I never remember looking in the sky and not seeing a com-trail.

Wild.

Just bought a new cable modem, as my old one struggled at 75 Mbps. Can't wait to see what the new one does. As it's 12 volts, it should be easy to power, assuming cable company has juice.

I went with satellite internet. It's more expensive, but can get it out in the forest and requires no local infrastructure. I control what can connect to it, so no spyware (in smart devices) can report in.

[sformal]

Originally Posted by yurtle

...I know, why not just use my smart phone instead of the laptop. Well, I just like a full sized keyboard.

Have a bluetooth keyboard/mouse and that is it!