Get Togethers..

[Larsongs]

I live in the Palm Springs, Ca. area.. Today I learned, on one of our Threads, that Phil Okeefe lives about 45 minutes from me..  I contacted him & we thought there might be other Forum members in the So Cal area resaonably close that might be interested in a Get Together.. To hang out, Play Guitars, Sing some Songs & talk Music etc.. 

If you're in the So Cal area & are interested let us know here.. 

I do this from time to time with some Guys on another Forum & it's always a good time.. 

I thought it might be of interest to some of you.. Let us know..

Larsongs

 

[duane v]

I'm down.

 

[tx-ogre]

Hmmmm.  While I live in the Austin, TX area, I have spent quality time in Palm Springs over the past 35 years and might be enticed back for a visit.  

[RBSinTo]

10 hours ago, Larsongs said:

I live in the Palm Springs, Ca. area.. Today I learned, on one of our Threads, that Phil Okeefe lives about 45 minutes from me..  I contacted him & we thought there might be other Forum members in the So Cal area resaonably close that might be interested in a Get Together.. To hang out, Play Guitars, Sing some Songs & talk Music etc.. 

If you're in the So Cal area & are interested let us know here.. 

I do this from time to time with some Guys on another Forum & it's always a good time.. 

I thought it might be of interest to some of you.. Let us know..

Larsongs

 

Larsongs,

Thanks for the invitation, but can't attend because the extention cord for my electric car is not that long.

RBSinTo

[Phil OKeefe]

2 hours ago, RBSinTo said:

Larsongs,

Thanks for the invitation, but can't attend because the extention cord for my electric car is not that long.

RBSinTo

I have two words for you:

Solar panels. 

You're welcome. 😉😆

 

 

 

[fortyearspickn]

I thought the solar panels were primarily recommended for Electric Airplanes. 

[DanvillRob]

We used to get to together at Old Fred's place once a year (for the anual "SANSJAM" concert.

It's a ways away from my house, so I always took my motor home there....and Fred could park me close by in his yard.

It usually took up a weekend.

If the date works out, I could drive the motor home down to SOCAL for a get-together.

When I go to Palm Springs for dog shows, I usually stay the night in Bakersfield, then on to Palm Springs.

So, keep me in the loop....I'd love to meet Phil, Lars, Duane and any others.

 

[Larsongs]

2 hours ago, DanvillRob said:

We used to get to together at Old Fred's place once a year (for the anual "SANSJAM" concert.

It's a ways away from my house, so I always took my motor home there....and Fred could park me close by in his yard.

It usually took up a weekend.

If the date works out, I could drive the motor home down to SOCAL for a get-together.

When I go to Palm Springs for dog shows, I usually stay the night in Bakersfield, then on to Palm Springs.

So, keep me in the loop....I'd love to meet Phil, Lars, Duane and any others.

 

Give us an idea when your Dog Show is & we can try to work around that.. I too enjoy getting together with Guys who share the same interest in Guitars & Music.. It's always a good time..

The next thing to work on is finding a Place in our Area to have it.. My Place isn't Set up for a big Get Together.. My Studio is good for 2-3 Guys.. 

We Rent a Sound Studio that's all set up in Santa Ana, near Rickenbacker, when I play at the Beach with the Guys from the other Forum.. It usually cost us about $25.00 each for 4 hours plus Setup & Teardown time.. Sadly, I haven't found anyplace like that here.. 

Any suggestions.. 

 

[DanvillRob]

2 hours ago, Larsongs said:

Give us an idea when your Dog Show is & we can try to work around that.. I too enjoy getting together with Guys who share the same interest in Guitars & Music.. It's always a good time..

The next thing to work on is finding a Place in our Area to have it.. My Place isn't Set up for a big Get Together.. My Studio is good for 2-3 Guys.. 

We Rent a Sound Studio that's all set up in Santa Ana, near Rickenbacker, when I play at the Beach with the Guys from the other Forum.. It usually cost us about $25.00 each for 4 hours plus Setup & Teardown time.. Sadly, I haven't found anyplace like that here.. 

Any suggestions.. 

 

I know of nothing in SOCAL.   

In SF there is the Lennon Studios where bands practice, so there must be places like that in the Los Angeles area.

[Larsongs]

There’s plenty in L.A. 

But, Phil & I were thinking about doing something in the Inland Empire & Palm Springs area.. If there’s enough of us in that area..

If not we’re open to suggestions.. 

By all means Guys everywhere should do this in their Areas.. It’s a lot of fun..

Edited May 16 by Larsongs

[DanvillRob]

55 minutes ago, Larsongs said:

There’s plenty in L.A. 

But, Phil & I were thinking about doing something in the Inland Empire & Palm Springs area.. If there’s enough of us in that area..

If not we’re open to suggestions.. 

By all means Guys everywhere should do this in their Areas.. It’s a lot of fun..

We usually stay at the Polo Grounds there.    

[RBSinTo]

On 5/15/2024 at 9:46 AM, Phil OKeefe said:

I have two words for you:

Solar panels. 

You're welcome. 😉😆

 

 

 

Phil,

I just finished converting my car from  wood-burning to electric, and the roof is where I duct-taped the batteries, and there ain't no room up there for no solar panels.

So I have two words for you:

No dice.

( Bet you didn't think those were the two words I was gonna use)

RBSinTo

Edited May 16 by RBSinTo

[DanvillRob]

On 5/15/2024 at 6:46 AM, Phil OKeefe said:

I have two words for you:

Solar panels. 

You're welcome. 😉😆

 

 

 

Phil, I got solar panels many years ago, (not on the roof, but an array on my upper lot).

I only pay for gas all year, then in January there's a "true-up" where PG&E pays me or I pay them.

One year I had to pay them @ $1k in January..... the next year, they paid me, (I think it was about $50).

I just got my power bill.... $111 for gas last month....and they the "estimated true-up"  will be @ $40 this year.

My power bill used to around $1K/month May through September.

[fortyearspickn]

On 5/15/2024 at 6:03 AM, RBSinTo said:

Larsongs,

Thanks for the invitation, but can't attend because the extention cord for my electric car is not that long.

RBSinTo

I plug my extension cord into my neighbors outside electric outlet when they are gone. Usually they get  "Six months and time served." 

[DanvillRob]

Just now, fortyearspickn said:

I plug my extension cord into my neighbors outside electric outlet when they are gone. Usually they get  "Six months and time served." 

Reminds me of when I first moved in my house, (1994), and I washed my cars using the hose bib that was right in my driveway....I used it for a few weeks, then one day I went to use it, and my hose was disconnected  and the handle was removed!    Turns out, that hose bib was my neighbors.

[RBSinTo]

1 hour ago, DanvillRob said:

Reminds me of when I first moved in my house, (1994), and I washed my cars using the hose bib that was right in my driveway....I used it for a few weeks, then one day I went to use it, and my hose was disconnected  and the handle was removed!    Turns out, that hose bib was my neighbors.

DanvillRob,

Qurious if the neighbour is a Rectal Orifice?

A good neighbour would cross the lawn, introduce himself and kindly ask that you don't use his hose bib, rather than do what he did.

RBSinTo

 

[Phil OKeefe]

2 hours ago, DanvillRob said:

Phil, I got solar panels many years ago, (not on the roof, but an array on my upper lot).

I only pay for gas all year, then in January there's a "true-up" where PG&E pays me or I pay them.

One year I had to pay them @ $1k in January..... the next year, they paid me, (I think it was about $50).

I just got my power bill.... $111 for gas last month....and they the "estimated true-up"  will be @ $40 this year.

My power bill used to around $1K/month May through September.

 

I put solar panels on my current house about five years ago. I even put in a secondary system (with batteries) on one of my outbuildings so I have power out there, too. It was a great decision, and I don't have any electric bills anymore beyond the "grid access" stuff. I over-engineered the system specs in terms of capacity so that I'd never have to pay for electricity for the 25+ year guaranteed life of the system, even if my usage increases by 15%. But California is always trying to change the rules for solar. Even though I typically have $600-$800 in credits at the end of each year, I never get paid back for that. I can guarantee they'd charge me if I went over on use, but Edison has never refunded me anything beyond a $70 check I got after the first year, when I had over $700 in credits for the year for the excess power I produced.  Yes, I've tried complaining. It hasn't changed a thing, unfortunately. 

I used to run the AC at 78 all summer long for the sake of conservation. Now I use it as much as I want, and keep it set at 75. Why should I pay $20k for a solar system, and then give SoCal Edison free power that they can turn around and sell to someone else? 

I'm tempted to put in a few Tesla batteries and a backup generator and then call Edison and tell them to come get their drop line off my property. Once battery efficiency and capacity improve a bit more, I probably will. 

[DanvillRob]

36 minutes ago, RBSinTo said:

DanvillRob,

Qurious if the neighbour is a Rectal Orifice?

A good neighbour would cross the lawn, introduce himself and kindly ask that you don't use his hose bib, rather than do what he did.

RBSinTo

 

He turned out to be a good guy....we kinda live out with the chickens and the goats....so his house is a good walk away from ours.....and my driveway crosses over the boundary of his yard....just the way it worked out....all happened 15 years before I moved in.    He moved away over 20 years ago, and has since passed.

There are only 6 houses on our street....it's a private street..... there used to be only 5, but one neighbor build an ADU for his parents...so now 6..... we are all friendly, not friends.

One retired scientist, (Lawrence Livermore Lab) 2 retired PhD's (who live in the house in question), one landscape architect, I don't know what the new people do (with the ADU)...and the poor one is me....

[Sheepdog1969]

So I am a constitutional conservative, and similarly a financial conservative...   ....because I am cheap (sic. Frugal) 

I learned long ago that you will always find a need for something you had,  but threw away, only minutes after the garbage truck drives away. Reuse, Repurpose, Recycle was a Great Depression thing, only after they stole the idea from us Hillbilliys. Waste not, want not, (and hide your junk from your wife, lest she waste your time wanting to throw out your sh!t.), was what some guy named Ben said. 

I've been gathering power from the sun since the first commercially available mono crystalline mini solar panels became available. I still own and use a Sun Systems bi-fold two panel solar charger from the late '90's which I used on multiple back country backpacking solo trips, (Isle Royal, Glacier National Park, Porcupine Mountain Wilderness State Park, etc.) This solar device allowed me to charge batteries during week long trips that insured my ability to use my hi-powered two way radio to call for help, if needed, long before cell phones existed. I currently own multiple portable, packable, yet powerful solar arrays that are quite capable of powering the multiple lithium-ion energy storage devices I own. As a rural home owner, I have relied on these power sources for a week on average once every two years, due to catastrophic weather events. I keep hearing that new panels exactly the size of mine are now 40%+ more efficient than my 2 year old tech.

Would I buy an EV?  No. Why? Because my 155 year old home is only wired for 60 amp service. Additionally, per my civil engineer friend in town, our grid could not support even 1/8th of our 9,000 population town attempting to charge EV's. (The average US household possesses an average of 4 vehicles. To charge a single EV requires one 220v outlet, which combined with average household electrical consumption, requires a minimum of 110amp residential electrical service, (2 phase). In order to charge two/three EV's simultaneously, in combination with normal US household electrical consumption, said household would require 3 phase electrical   service. Based on my small town's electrical supply availability via our state's electric provider AND  the multiple solar farms servicing our community AND our town's grid capability AND the transformer stepdown capacity per neighborhood, even one EV per residential property would exceed our grid's capability. This does not even account for the rural travel mileage requirements compared with the 15+ hour recharge average hour time based on said daily mileage vehicle use, (per single light weight duty vehicle estimates). I can go on and on about the rural impossibilities for EV's, without ever getting into heavy load rural vehicle needs. (Simply put, "Do you want to eat??")

Are EV's good for short haul, light weight transport within urban environments? Defiantly, if said urban grid is capable of supporting their charging needs and weather conditions permit. Are EV's reliable nationally, in all seasons, even for light weight short haul transport with grid capability? No.  Based on optimum environmental conditions, is long distance, time efficient intercontinental EV travel possible today in the US? No.

Not judging, just saying.

[DanvillRob]

1 hour ago, Phil OKeefe said:

 

I put solar panels on my current house about five years ago. I even put in a secondary system (with batteries) on one of my outbuildings so I have power out there, too. It was a great decision, and I don't have any electric bills anymore beyond the "grid access" stuff. I over-engineered the system specs in terms of capacity so that I'd never have to pay for electricity for the 25+ year guaranteed life of the system, even if my usage increases by 15%. But California is always trying to change the rules for solar. Even though I typically have $600-$800 in credits at the end of each year, I never get paid back for that. I can guarantee they'd charge me if I went over on use, but Edison has never refunded me anything beyond a $70 check I got after the first year, when I had over $700 in credits for the year for the excess power I produced.  Yes, I've tried complaining. It hasn't changed a thing, unfortunately. 

I used to run the AC at 78 all summer long for the sake of conservation. Now I use it as much as I want, and keep it set at 75. Why should I pay $20k for a solar system, and then give SoCal Edison free power that they can turn around and sell to someone else? 

I'm tempted to put in a few Tesla batteries and a backup generator and then call Edison and tell them to come get their drop line off my property. Once battery efficiency an   d capacity improve a bit more, I probably will. 

I considered a couple of Tesla Batteries for my place....but the initial cost plus the projected life of the system caused me to install a home Generator, (22kW).

My system was designed to handle my "normal" needs....but after the solar system was installed, I put in all new double-pane windows, I installed all brand-new appliances in the kitchen, and replaced the electric cook-top with gas....but I still run 4 air conditioners during the summer....so my usage is pretty high.   I thought I'd be ahead of my original usage....but not so much.

As far as EV's go..... they're like the windmill farms we have all over California....the manufacture, installation and maintenance on each windmill exceeds the "green" savings by a long shot....another boondoggle perpetrated by our government!

[Larsongs]

My Son in law & I drove a new Polestar a few days ago. I’m not an EV kind of Guy.. But, I was impressed with how nice it was & how good it rode..  They have an amazing deal on them right now.. He needs it for a 3rd Car.. They have 2 Teenagers that drive. They might get 2.. 

If I ever buy another House it will have complete Solar & the Back up Battery.. 

[Larsongs]

Are there anny other Guys near us who are interested in a Get Together?

Thanks

[Sheepdog1969]

19 minutes ago, DanvillRob said:

I still run 4 air conditioners during the summer.

Ok, last "non hook up" comment/question. My older home literally has a furnace made by Coleman. Since there was no central air based on this antiquated system, I did a bunch of research and learned that "zone" heating and cooling tended to reduce cost/energy use because homes with multiple "zones" of climate control were more efficient than homes that simply heated/cooled the entire structure to a specified temperature, regardless of where any of it's occupants were located. I employed 3 "air conditioning" zones for the summer months, which allows me to "feather" A/C needs within zones that are occupied each hour of each day. Unoccupied zones are "closed off" but still maintain an internal air temp of 75 degrees F. Occupied zones are adjusted to maintain 72 degrees F when occupied, or 75 degrees F when occupied but when external humidity/dew points are less than 67 percent.  Since you have 4 AC units, are you doing the same as we are? And, yes, we do have an AC in each bedroom, which we use small fans blowing cold air from,  to circulate cold dry air to our three large common rooms by day, but we tend to close off our bedrooms at night. Per the square footage of my home, we seem to be very efficient per other homes of similar square footage by using this zone cooling method. Are you not experiencing the same efficiency?  

[RBSinTo]

On 5/15/2024 at 12:45 PM, Larsongs said:

Give us an idea when your Dog Show is & we can try to work around that.. I too enjoy getting together with Guys who share the same interest in Guitars & Music.. It's always a good time..

The next thing to work on is finding a Place in our Area to have it.. My Place isn't Set up for a big Get Together.. My Studio is good for 2-3 Guys.. 

We Rent a Sound Studio that's all set up in Santa Ana, near Rickenbacker, when I play at the Beach with the Guys from the other Forum.. It usually cost us about $25.00 each for 4 hours plus Setup & Teardown time.. Sadly, I haven't found anyplace like that here.. 

Any suggestions.. 

 

Larsongs,

Another reason why I wouldn't travel to your musical get-together:

No self-respecting sound studio would allow me to play there.

About 12 pico-seconds after we started jamming, the engineers would shut everything down until I was banished to the parking lot, likely destroying the vibe.

And who needs that on their conscience?

RBSinTo

[DanvillRob]

2 hours ago, Sheepdog1969 said:

Ok, last "non hook up" comment/question. My older home literally has a furnace made by Coleman. Since there was no central air based on this antiquated system, I did a bunch of research and learned that "zone" heating and cooling tended to reduce cost/energy use because homes with multiple "zones" of climate control were more efficient than homes that simply heated/cooled the entire structure to a specified temperature, regardless of where any of it's occupants were located. I employed 3 "air conditioning" zones for the summer months, which allows me to "feather" A/C needs within zones that are occupied each hour of each day. Unoccupied zones are "closed off" but still maintain an internal air temp of 75 degrees F. Occupied zones are adjusted to maintain 72 degrees F when occupied, or 75 degrees F when occupied but when external humidity/dew points are less than 67 percent.  Since you have 4 AC units, are you doing the same as we are? And, yes, we do have an AC in each bedroom, which we use small fans blowing cold air from,  to circulate cold dry air to our three large common rooms by day, but we tend to close off our bedrooms at night. Per the square footage of my home, we seem to be very efficient per other homes of similar square footage by using this zone cooling method. Are you not experiencing the same efficiency?  

My house just has one big unit…it’s old and not very efficient, but keeps the house cool.    I have another A/C unit in my ADU.   We call that the dog house, although it’s used more now for a grooming room.   Then we keep the motor home plugged in all year…..set to 78 degrees.   I keep a stand-alone A/C unit in the motor home to keep the motor home unit usage to a minimum.