[FaD] Well, as long as he don't wiggle... :)

[serlv ( Zippy )]

I may be able to catch him.

Less than a million points behind hob. Been a long time coming. If you had told me a year ago, I'd be closing in on him, I'd a toldya to fageddaboutit!


Of course, Mondo will eventually catch me...
that's the way the worm turns. :)

[sharder8]

Go get'm Zippy!! :D

Harder

[davidw]

Go zippy, go!

[A novice]

Hob is an old team mate and friend and has done a lot of work to get where he is now so when you do pass him that will be some achievement and shows your dedication to this project.
I wish I could catch him.
Rob
:D

[PresterJohn]

agreed....both you & Hob have contributed a helluva amount to cause.

there's plenty for both to be proud about!

[serlv ( Zippy )]

Thanks you guys. I appreciate it. And I know hob has worked long and hard putting out the effort to get "where he is".



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To tell you the truth, the cost, to me, in financial outlay, for electrical power , has becoming staggering. I'm paying twice what I paid just a year and a half ago. I need to do something. Know anyone who wants to buy half or 2/3s of a "farm"? Only the highest performing, quality components used. It is not so much the cost, the $$ outlay for them, though it would be nice to have some of that back; but the ongoing hit to my average, blue collar income, for power. It has become crippling, and viewed in lucid moments, quite "insane". I want to help, but I'm hurting me.

Soberly,
Scott

[davidw]

That is totally understandable. I'm just glad I'm saving money after I moved (about $40/month average) over the last place I used to live. Maybe I can afford one of your systems. I got the go-ahead to build my 1 year old a computer (using it for FaD of course)... :D

[Plum Ugly]

How well I know that feeling Zippy!!

[StandrdDev]

Ever considered solar, Scott?

For about $500 you can get a DIY Solar kit. Seeing as you live in Vegas, you couldnt ask for better solar conditions. Just make sure you get an inverter that has room for more panels, so you can upgrade as you go. The more energy rates go up, the more you save and the faster it pays for itself ( or a new dual build :D ) Just a suggestion...

Sigma

[PresterJohn]

i'd look into seeing if what Sigma suggested re:solar power is doable. i haven't really kept up with curent advances in solar energy...i remember reading that the efficiency is much better now and you're certainly in a good spot in the country where it might be possible.

if that doesn't pan out and if it's becoming a financial burden to continue to run up the electric bill...i'd seriously suggest then that you cut back. i know that might sound unwelcome but frankly speaking...while runnin FAD is a great cause, it's not enough to put yourself into fiscal straits over.

bottom-line, run what you can afford, try to recruit and to spread the word about FAD and you'll already be doing everything you possibly can do.

[StandrdDev]

Let me clarify that you wont be able to power your whole herd with one panel, but I would think your "Board Board" could be probably, certainly with 2.

As you all probably know rates here in California have skyrocketed to the tune of 400% (at least where I live). I order to prevent them from breaking my back, I've also slowly been investing in flourescent replacement light as the incandescent ones burn out. Since I've first started my power consumption has gone down by roughly one-third, which when coupled with the rate increases, it has amounted to serious real-world savings. While they are about 5x the price of incandescents, they use about 1/5th the energy and last about 7-10x longer. If you do the math, it makes alot of sense to make the switch. HTH

Sigma

[A novice]

Hi Zippy
I think I'm lucky because I don't have to pay for electricity. We get a free house plus electricity and heating with my wife's job but my wife's office is starting to ask questions about our high electricity bills. £500 to £600 every 3 months so we have got to start cutting back. I told the wife she is spending too long in the shower and we need a new freezer. :D
I have just given away one old computer and about three weeks ago I sold a 1.4 duron I have got 2 xp1800 to sell next. But for every 2 I sell I'm going to build a dual mp 2400 I have to do some research first as it will be my first dual build. So IM doing my bit to save electricity
:innocent:
Rob

[PresterJohn]

>>£500 to £600 every 3 months so we have got to start cutting back. I told the wife she is spending too long in the shower and we need a new freezer

i dunno if you meant to, Rob...but i got a good laff from reading this. :bunny: unless your flat uses an electric water heater, i don't see how long showers would affect your bill. :lol:


>>I sell I'm going to build a dual mp 2400 I have to do some research first as it will be my first dual build.

just be aware that the amd MP's run quite hot...these systems put out a fair lot of heat! if you leave one or two running 24/7 in a room in the winter time, i guarantee you won't need to open any heat vents there. make sure you get a good case w/plenty of fans and a robust power supply.

cheers.

[dannychuckle]

solar is perfect for where you are - in the UK you can get a grant to cover a large proportion of the cost of the installation - might be worth lookin to see if there's anything like that around where you are... (not that solar is much use in the UK!)

[A novice]

Hi PJ
Yes it was meant to be funny glad you had a good laugh :)
and our water heater for the shower is powered by electricity. Thanks for the advice about duals:thumb
dannychuckle I think water power would be better than solar power in Wales. :sheep:

Rob

[davidw]

Get this... if you go solar, and produce more power than you use, the power company HAS to buy the power from you. It's a law. Think of it as an investment that will "pay for itself" down the road.

[StandrdDev]

Get this... if you go solar, and produce more power than you use, the power company HAS to buy the power from you. It's a law. Think of it as an investment that will "pay for itself" down the road.

Yes, they have to buy it from you, but it doesnt say at what rate.
My PUD wont even pay market rates, but up the street they are on Seirra Pacific (a diffrent pwr Co) and they get $5 per Kwh!!! At those rates I'd cover every square cm with solar panels, but here it doesnt make sense to even produce as much as I use as I get a better return in reducing my net consumption. go figure!

"Only in California - leading the nation in screwedupedness for over 100 years!"

Sigma

[Win2Kuser]

Of course, you could always get Omardeth over there - he is a never ending resource of methane
:D

Electricity is the big killer over here (UK), once the baby comes, I will have to watch my lecky consumption very closely - having 14-15 computers running 24/7 is one thing, but it's the AC that mounts up.

I hope to go wireless in the next few weeks, so I can get some of these sources of heat out of the office, and around the house, then hopefully I wont need the AC on 24/7 then...

Plus, I'm an X10 nut, if I have at least one computer per room, I can then do fancy things like computer controlled lighting etc :D Automatically shut the lighting off after so long etc - that would save even more lecky :D

Thats if Wifey lets me :rolleyes:

[PresterJohn]

Zippy,

YGPM


>>our water heater for the shower is powered by electricity

Rob, in that case...yes, tell your wife to sstop taking those long showers. better yet, join her in the shower and save water that way. ;)

[Paul W]

Water heater?
Hmmm,
liquid-to-liquid heat exchanger on water world...

Anyone have any links to good solar 'how-to' sites?
The only solar stuff I've seen recently are of the 100 watt variety, meant to trickle charge RV batteries and such, but I haven't specifically looked.

I saw a few articles on solar powered/augmented cabins around the time of the blackout in the north east last year, but from what I gather, it takes a roof covered in cells, and quite a number of batteries, and that will only run the essentials, ie. fridge, freezer, and conservative lighting, with maybe an hour or two of television.