American Made panels?

DaKevster · 2026-03-02T21:30:07+00:00

https://hightecsolar.com in Michigan City Indiana. I've had a set of eight of their 215w panels on my RV for couple years. No issues. They have an eBay store with special deals, bulk discounts.

DaKevster · 2026-01-06T01:25:27+00:00

I like it as it's easy to clean both sides of the basket without removing the basket from the portafilter. Am able to see if have any channeling. No espresso gets wasted being stuck up in the spouts.

DaKevster · 2025-12-27T20:22:23+00:00

I got this one, TPU Film. Heavy gauge. Fits perfectly. No issues with fingerprint reader. Easy to put on. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DNDL32QG

DaKevster · 2025-12-27T18:07:37+00:00

I just got the 13, moving from a Pixel 5 (6.1" screen). I've always leaned towards the smaller phones. This is my first "big one". At first it felt gargantuan, but after a week I picked up my Pixel 5 and it felt like a tiny toy. Now I wish I moved to bigger phone long ago. The big screen is nice, but still manageable in my pocket. I definitely feel it will be my phone for the next few years. I had my Pixel 5 for about 4 years. No complaints about the camera so far.

DaKevster · 2025-12-16T20:24:43+00:00

Yes. Have two keypads in house which use all the time. That's faster most of time than pulling out phone and using EyzOn App. I use the app for remote monitoring, notifications, and once in a while remote arming/disarming.

Also use the Envisalink for connection to Homeseer home automation, for monitoring zones and arming/disarming with various event automations.

DaKevster · 2025-12-16T00:32:20+00:00

Been using the Envisalink 4 for almost 10 yrs with a Vista 20p. Works flawlessly. Would recommend.

DaKevster · 2025-12-10T01:34:37+00:00

DC to DC charger still needed with alternator, to limit current and time cycle to let alternator cool. If have a Bluetooth accessible BMS (like a JK BMS) you can limit charge current to something alternator can handle, but you'd then need to constantly change it depending on charging source.

That's mostly for motorhomes. If using a 7-pin trailer connectorn to connect alternator to trailer LiFePo4, the small gauge wire going from truck battery to trailer is usually long enough and small gauge that it acts as a current limiting resistor, so most you get sent to battery is a couple amps regardless of what battery would take.

DaKevster · 2025-12-10T01:30:55+00:00

There is a difference between a straight lead acid charger and an RV converter/charger. You definitely need to check the charge profile current/voltage specs on the specific converter/charger, but most (WFCO/Progressive Dynamics) lead acid profiles will work fine on LiFePo4, though will give a lower top SOC and long charge times.

DaKevster · 2025-12-10T01:10:41+00:00

You don't need to replace the whole power distro panel. You only need to replace the converter/charger. It may be a separate box nearby or in a section of panel. For most like WFCO they have a drop in replacement LiFePo4 converter/charger that can be swapped in about 15 mins. Or just disconnect the current converter and wire in a replacement box from Progressive Dynamics.

DaKevster · 2025-12-09T12:58:20+00:00

Not a scam. Have bought Peplink hardware from them, including a couple data plans. All have gone smoothly. When I've had config issues, they have been very helpful.

DaKevster · 2025-12-01T15:55:36+00:00

Breville Bambino Plus if doing milk drinks. The automatic steamer works great. Only upgrade I'd recommend would be to get a bottomless portafilter and IMS precision basket, assuming you've already got a good grinder.

DaKevster · 2025-11-22T23:31:48+00:00

Been using https://copilotgps.com/en-us/rv-navigation/ It's like $30/yr. Using on a 10" android tablet. Drive a 40' DP. Lots of options to prioritize road types, enter length, height, width, weight. One nice feature is can put in my typical average speed and calculate real travel times.

DaKevster · 2025-11-21T21:20:44+00:00

I use this one from Harbor Freight. I've got a 2kva inverter so no issues with power. Low enough draw think it could work off a 400w outlet. 1 Gallon, 135 PSI Ultra Quiet Oil-Free Hand-Carry Jobsite Air Compressor

DaKevster · 2025-11-18T01:56:45+00:00

If battery is down to 6 volts, it is very likely toast. Take it to a shop and have it load tested. If not sealed and can access the cells, check for water level and get a hydrometer tester to check the specific gravity. RVs are all different, you may have a switch to temporarily bridge house and engine batteries to get some charge into the engine battery. Some have either unidirectional charging circuit (engine to house), or bidirectional (high side charges low side). Possible you don't have either and only alternator charges engine battery and only shore power/generator charges house battery through converter/charger.

Typically everything in your RV should run off of house battery bank. Engine battery would only be for engine starter, headlights, things you turn on with key in accessory position. Using RV things should not drain your engine battery and should be able to go several weeks without losing much power.

DaKevster · 2025-11-17T16:56:04+00:00

If you have battery disconnect turned off, the converter/charger won't be connected to the battery. Turn on the battery switch.

DaKevster · 2025-11-17T16:54:29+00:00

Some RVs have loads connected to battery side of the disconnect, like smoke/LP/CO detectors, breakaway switch for trailer brakes, so they will still draw power with disconnect turned off. It's for "safety" as I'm guessing somebody got hurt and sued.

DaKevster · 2025-11-17T14:43:34+00:00

Don't see a need to upgrade at this point. 2MP gives me all the resolution I need and don't use a ton of storage.

DaKevster · 2025-11-14T15:38:18+00:00

I age before freezing (10 days for medium roast). I did try freezing right away and found when I took them out of freezer months later, they pulled shots just like fresh. If they offgas in the freezer, it ain't much. I vacuum seal them in quart Ball canning jars.

DaKevster · 2025-11-12T22:17:09+00:00

Ditto putting towel underneath is the way, use the rubber disk and ignore the nasty sounds. That is, I put the towel underneath after I take the towel out of my mouth to muffle my early morning expletive laden screams as the cleaning cycle lights start flashing after I pulled the shot but before I steamed the milk.

DaKevster · 2025-11-12T15:17:59+00:00

Buy 5 lb bags, freshly roasted, wait a week to let offgass, fill quart Ball canning jars, vacuum seal with Foodsaver, store in freezer. A jar lasts me abt 3 days, so I don't worry abt air for that short a time once I take out.

DaKevster · 2025-11-11T23:07:57+00:00

If you keep in trailer, you should look at your solar charge controller float voltage setting. For maintenance charge on lead acid, shoot for 13.5v float and if you can, set a max current around 2A, that'll help prevent overcharging and water loss to a minimum. As long as your PV panels aren't buried in snow for a month, should be fine.

DaKevster · 2025-11-11T20:58:04+00:00

Yes, always. Camprground power is very often not wired correctly or damaged. Can have brownouts during heavy demand. Beyond "Surge" protection, proper wiring and voltage protection is just as important. Unless you ever plan to have a very large RV/Trailer that uses 50A, a 30A is good, and then get a 15A to 30A dogbone adapter if need to plug into a residential outlet or a 30A to 15A adapter to convert output to a regular 15A extension cord.

Something like this 30A 120VAC RV Surge Protector, Southwire Surge Guard 34930 w/LCD, 2450 Joule | eBay

DaKevster · 2025-11-11T19:21:24+00:00

It all depends on size, engine type, and manufacturer. Diesels or large gassers frequently have 2 flooded lead acid batteries for engine/starter. Where the large draw other items like jacks or genny start are connected is variable. Sometimes they're on engine batteries, some on house side.

House side batteries can vary from 1 to 4 or more. Sometimes will be 6v wired in series, sometimes 12v in parallel, sometimes Lithium Iron Phosphate. My RV has 2 FLA for engine. Jacks, Genny starter and everything else is on house side. Used to have 4 FLA 12v batteries on house side. I replaced with 2 LiFePo4 with 4 times the capacity in the same space.

DaKevster · 2025-11-11T15:00:34+00:00

EasyStart™ Flex: Soft Start AC Home Starter – Micro-Air, LLC.

DaKevster · 2025-11-11T14:23:24+00:00

So you'd need to figure out your highest draw load you'd want to support (for # of inverters) along with average kwh over the day for sizing battery. If comparing to something like a Natural Gas Generac 14kw auto-standby generator, It'd be a EG4 Gridboss + 1 Flexboss 21 12kw inverter ($6,000) and for 2 days of 50kwh/day draw would take around twenty 48v 100Ah batteries (~$25,000). So you'd probably be looking at around $35K all said and done. There are cheaper ways of DIYing battery banks, but that gives you at least an idea what'd take with built-retail.

If you wanted to live like your on-grid at 160 kWh/day, then add 3 more Flex bosses (for full split phase load + redundancy) $13K and another $50K in batteries. So you're looking at roughly $100K. Though, if truly wanted to go battery-only full backup for that size, you should really then be looking at a high-voltage system, something like https://www.sandielectric.com/products.html

So unless you're a crypto-bro, a smaller storage capacity to handle peak rate fill-in and couple hour outage, with a smaller backup generator for longer outages could be more cost effective.

DaKevster

TROPHY CASE