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brucedownunder2
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Joined: 14/09/2005
Location: Australia
Posts: 1548

Posted: 09:13pm 17 Feb 2019

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Good morning ,

Yesterday,Sunday ,was an interesting day . Ilda(my wife), an I visited Aaron ,out towards the great dividing range on the way ,I suppose towards Toowoomba,but sort of not that far.

First , the scenery of the surrounding mountains and the Fassifern valley ,it was ,is, spectacular ,something most suburban dwellers can only wish to view. Well worth a visit ,the area from Gold Coast hinterland west to the Cunningham Gap area..

We were greeted by Aaron.s 5 white ponies , something that Ilda was thrilled to see, very friendly and Aaron,s Dad ,who lives with him , actually talk,s to them ... They were down the back paddock ,he said ,watch this, and gave a whistle, called out ,and 5 white ponies came running from down the dam, lovely.

Aaron and his Dad have done some remarkable solar work , two big Solar arrays on seperate trackers, producing all their household electricity.

They have built everything themselves, and there is more to come ,they tell me.

His battery bank took my attention , two of them , all made up of those 4volt LiPo triple A cells . They are soldered in flat sheets of maybe 20 or so and fed into his inverter 24/7 .

He is building a "Mad" inverter ,From instructions ,from the madness posts. Looks good.

It was a lovely visit and Ilda and I wish to thank Aaron and Ron(his Dad), for their hospitality..

Into hospital today, to check my bladder ,,hope ,like hell, that the cancer is cured or killed ,horrible procedure..

Take care,

Bruce

Bushboy

Boppa
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Joined: 08/11/2016
Location: Australia
Posts: 814

Posted: 10:45am 18 Feb 2019

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Sounds like ya drove right past me on the way lol

brucedownunder2
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Joined: 14/09/2005
Location: Australia
Posts: 1548

Posted: 10:56am 18 Feb 2019

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Oh,sorry Boppa,
I,d love to visit. You .

Send me a pm and we,ll arrange a time.

Bruce.

Bushboy

Revlac

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Joined: 31/12/2016
Location: Australia
Posts: 1023

Posted: 02:00pm 18 Feb 2019

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Hi Bruce

Thanks for dropping in.
It was a good day and thoroughly enjoyed talking with you.
Stay safe, hope all is well.

Cheers Aaron
Off The Grid

brucedownunder2
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Joined: 14/09/2005
Location: Australia
Posts: 1548

Posted: 09:16pm 18 Feb 2019

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It was a good day .

One interesting bit of machinery that Aaron and his Dad have made is the following.

The big ,something like 5 inch did pipe that supports the solar array ,is actually inside his adjacent undercover room to his house.

Sort of imagine ,like a submarine periscope,lol. So, it's fitted with a big ring gear ,sort of at chest height, and turning handle Etc.

I liked it , could be blowing a gale, raining cats and dogs, outside ,but head be completely comfortable at the bottom of his "periscope" winding on the azimuth and elevation handles while watching the power meters cool.

I could just imagine his Dad ,the Captain of the sub ,,,, Dive-Dive-Dive ,,, up periscope,, I didn't,t see any torpedoes ,lol.

Truly something amazing ... I want one!!!!.

Bruce

Bushboy

Boppa
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Joined: 08/11/2016
Location: Australia
Posts: 814

Posted: 12:47am 19 Feb 2019

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Many years ago, I had a rotating mast for a huge 7 element quad on 11m, which is a huge antenna- basically the width, height and length of a bus, up about 50ft in the air...

Problem was it was far too large and heavy for any rotator I could afford at the time

Solution- bury a ford transit diff half in the ground with a rim still attached, mast attached to the upper axle stub (very easy as that diff had full floating hubs, and thus a series of bolts around the axle hub) and at two different levels, there were supporting guys on the mast, with mercedes truck/bus front hub bearings (perfect fit on the mast with a single bolt through it to hold it in place, and short lengths of chain welded to the outer race to attach the guy wires to...)

To turn it, there was the steering column attached to the input shaft of the diff (where the driveshaft originally fitted) through the wall, and inside there was the original steering wheel fitted- turn it and the whole mast turned...

Crude, but it worked- and it survived winds that literally tore the front wall of the house loose....
Later I upgraded it to electric- a wiper motor took the place of the steering wheel, attached with some welded on bike sprockets and a chain...
Aussie bush mechanicing...

BenandAmber
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Joined: 16/02/2019
Location: United States
Posts: 961

Posted: 02:07am 19 Feb 2019

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You guys sound like you'd be right at home in West Virginia USA. I've always wanted to go to Australia hopefully one day before I die I'll get there I have been all over the United States and West Virginia is my home so I may be a little bit biased but I think it's the most beautiful state with natural beauty I would really like to get a chance see Australia though I've watched specials on the Discovery Channel about it it just seems so beautiful there it seems like the people are so nice and inviting

be warned i am good parrot but Dumber than a box of rocks

brucedownunder2
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Joined: 14/09/2005
Location: Australia
Posts: 1548

Posted: 02:26am 19 Feb 2019

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Thanks for the nice things you are saying about us Aussies.

We're a fairly laid -back rough and funny bunch of buggers down this way -it takes a while to figure us out ,and a few beers helps!!.

One of my boys went for a trip out your way some years ago ,picked up a Shiela in Bolivia and they now live in Salt -Lake City -he just plain forgot to come home, something like that .
Anyhow, he loves it over there, two teenage girls in school and he is doing well as a consulting geo scientist .

Hope your dream comes true and come down under one day.

Bruce and Ilda,we.re a mixed family ,my misses is from Brasil .

Bruce

Bushboy

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