Jarret TT Camp

Archive for February, 2010

So you are interested in installing some solar panels to try and help out with your ever increasing fuel bills. This may be to a shed, garage or outhouse that is too far away from your main building to effectively have an extension laid out or maybe you just wish to try out solar power on a small scale first before perhaps moving onto a large scale project.

Ok, first lets start with a very basic solar power system. You buy a 20 Watt solar panel, an 8 amp charge controller, a 75 amp/h leisure battery and a few low wattage lights (2 x 16 watt flourescent) just to ensure your workshop has enough light for those late nights. At present prices (Summer 2008) this will set you back approx $350 or 200GBP or 300Euro.

But what does this all mean…
Lets start easy, your 12V 75amp/h battery will supply (12 x 75)watts = 900 watts of energy according to the basic electric law (Volts X Current = Power), BUT this is not necessarily the case. Losses are introduced that will remove around 20% of this figure, so your 75amp/h battery will supply 720 Watts before losing all of its energy.
It is best to think of the battery as a water tank, with the solar panel as the flow coming in, and your lights as the flow leaving the tank.

A friend of mine belongs to a community garden p-patch. Each member has their own little garden plot and they share some community resources like compost bins and the tool shed. Recently it has been noticed that rats have been living beneath the shed. Everyone pitched in to clean the shed out, hoping that would help with the rat problem, or at least make it easier to deal with. But recently it seems to be getting worse. My friend hadn’t seen the rats before, but in the last month three were spied; one going under the shed, one in the compost bins, and one running through someone else’s garden.

Rats can be rather unpleasant, and a little disturbing when seen next to the fresh produce you have so lovingly cared for and planned to eat. There are a number of ways to deal with rats, and each has its merits, but which one would work best depends largely on the situation.

Keeping your gutters in great shape is important to the structure of your home. If left unrepaired for too long, it could cause a great deal more damage that will be very expensive to repair. It doesn’t have to cost a lot of money to fix holes in your gutters. There isn’t a need to replace them, patching the holes is the cheapest solution to the problem. Be careful while climbing up to the gutters.

Here are step-by-step instructions for repairing holes in gutters:

Tools Needed

You will need the following items to assist you in the repairs: Wire brush, mineral spirits, wire cutters, scrap wire screening, roof cement, trowel, sheet metal, sheet metal cutters and pliers.

1. Use the wire brush to clean off any rust or dirt that is stuck to the damaged area. After you have wire brushed it, clean it well with a rag that has been soaked in mineral spirits. If the spot is very small, you can simply use the cement to cover the area. Spread it evenly over the area and the job is complete. If the damage is larger, you will need to follow the next steps to repair it properly.

If you live in an apartment or any area where you have limited outdoor space for a garden, don’t despair. With a little planning, you can become a hobby gardener and enjoy the fruits of your labor.

Container gardening offers many possibilities. One advantage of containers is that they are portable. You can take advantage of good weather by placing plants on a window ledge, in a window box or on a patio. During severe weather, they may be moved to a protected area. Most small to medium sized plants can be grown in containers. As long as you provide sufficient room for root growth and control nutrients, water and light, you can achieve marvelous results in container.

Types of containers can run the gamut from plastic or metal pots, ceramic pots to wooden planters. It is important to have pots that can drain. If placed in an area where water could damage a surface, set the planter in a tray. The tray may be filled with gravel to raise the bottom of the planter above the tray surface to allow good drainage. Stagnant water may”drown” a plant and cause it to die or perform poorly.