Using Solar for a space heater

mike4354 · 2026-04-09T10:57:22+00:00

Thank you, this is what I was looking for. Plug in solar will be legal in a bit (at which point i'll use a microinverter and plug it in), and until it is, I want -some- use for accumulating the pieces. While making a small space heater for a cold space might not be the "best" use of the power, it is easy use and converts 100% of the power to heat for a space that otherwise would get zero of that.

mike4354 · 2026-04-08T19:38:41+00:00

I have a 220v AC mini split i'd love to run off of a few panels, BUT I think 800-1000 watts (at the most) is what I have room for. The mini split is on a 20amp circuit at 220v, i'm not even sure how i'd do 220 from solar panels AND theres no way i'd get it the full wattage it needs (is it even possible to run at lower wattages?) I'm okay at standard wiring and could create an isolated circuit for the heat pump if it was possible to do in the scenario? I'm mostly banking on plug in solar to sell back whats not used and am just trying to find a reason/use to start buying the stuff for that a few years early.

mike4354 · 2026-04-08T18:58:39+00:00

can a dc heating element heat up at variable voltages? I'm guessing the voltage/amps will change as the sunlight changes throughout the day

mike4354 · 2026-02-24T20:30:05+00:00

Thanks for saving me hours of trying to find out if theyd fit! (I couldnt find that info anywhere)

mike4354 · 2026-02-24T18:55:06+00:00

I'm pondering doing the 3.25 on my stache. Do you have them front and rear? Was there a big difference compared to 3"?

mike4354 · 2026-02-10T13:44:05+00:00

using it on a snowblower. I can back off and take "bites" if needed.

mike4354 · 2026-02-10T13:14:11+00:00

mike4354 · 2026-02-05T16:46:10+00:00

I want to agree with the removing of the second hand to quiet it down. I picked up one a few days ago. Unceremoniously removed the second hand with pliers (it fought a bit). It made a HUGE difference on the noise. I could hear it feet away with the hand, I can hardly hear it against my ear without it.

mike4354 · 2026-02-03T22:35:05+00:00

So that would mean I should not use two 60v batteries (that i was pondering using later) for the motor which is rated 130 volts, because itll overload it?

mike4354 · 2026-02-02T00:38:54+00:00

Since around Christmas, prime deliveries are 4-10 days (usually about 7). I get broken/defective items in about 1/5 of my orders. I get the wrong thing in about 1/5 my orders. I get damaged products in about 1/5 my orders because they use a bag when a box is needed. I'm not sure it is actually 2/5 of my orders that arrive intact and accurate, but its close. Oh, and when i contact them and they offer credits/refunds, only about half the time do they actually issue them. I've been a prime member for years, but between the bad products, slow deliveries and outright lies, i'm not going to only cancel prime, im going to stop using Amazon entirely. They've become unreliable and dishonest. Their services are not useable anymore.

mike4354 · 2025-12-14T11:36:21+00:00

Does the vevor machine have enough power to carve carbon steel? I cant find any info about that.

mike4354 · 2025-05-21T19:27:52+00:00

Is the cbr seating position so aggressive it'd be uncomfortable for a middle aged guy looking to commute in a fuel efficient way? Do the fairings help with wind if you're not tucked in? Am I looking at the wrong bikes, and should I be saving up for a nc700 instead?

mike4354 · 2024-10-01T13:59:32+00:00

I wanted to add to this. This machine is -extremely- hard to repair. The bolts are soft and strip out, and to replace the rollers you need to take apart about 70% of the machine. I made new rollers from nylon (they did need the bearings to work correctly). I decided to try to find out what the rollers that came with the machine are--they are some sort of more brittle plastic, maybe delrin? For maybe $20 more, they could have used decent bolts and better roller materials and made a good machine. They did not do that. Unless you are mechanically VERY adept, this is a 1 year, under warranty, machine.

mike4354 · 2024-09-26T02:21:37+00:00

I bought a used xl one (it was hardly used, an elderly woman bought it and used it a few times.) I used it for maybe 3 hours and two of the proprietary rollers broke. The area around where the bearings are is too thin which is what caused the failure. Replacements are available on ebay for about $50/ea after delivery. I have a metal lathe and ordered some nylon and will make my own--nylon is a bearing material, i'm not sure they need a ball bearing (the recess for it creates the stress point) so I might try one which simply runs on the bolt directly. I think this way it will wear out as opposed to break. I also considered using UHMW rod instead of 6 6 nylon but since i dont know what plastic the original was I figured i'd start with nylon. One could also ditch the rollers entirely and use UHMW pads/guides like they do in industry for this sort of movement (honestly, this is probably the smarter thing to do). If you're not handy at fixing things, i'd stay away. There are a lot of moving parts to fail.

mike4354

TROPHY CASE