OAUSA Net - Alternate Power in the Wilderness - 9/13/12

DaveK · Post by **DaveK** » Thu Sep 13, 2012 10:45 am

If your goal is to get as far from civilization as roads or your feet will allow, sooner or later you will need to consider the benefits of some alternate power options. For many back country travelers, the necessities of survival means an increased need for power. The average vehicle battery can only supply so much before it dies or the engine must be started to recharge it. When you add up the power needs of things like freezer fridge units, charging batteries for various electronics, Ham radios, APRS, computers and the like, it is very easy to run the vehicle battery down in a hurry. For extended trips, where fuel is scarce, starting your motor just to charge your battery, may not be a wise choice. This is where alternate power options can help.

If you attended any of the recent Overland Expo events, you will know that solar power is an attractive option for wilderness travel, whether vehicle based or backpacking.

This weeks net will be a follow up to an Alternate Power Net we did many months ago with an update on the solar panel vs. wind turbine

It will include a discussion on the benefits and effectiveness of portable wind turbines and solar power, individually and in combination with each other. We will also discuss inverters, controllers, different types of solar panels, batteries, dual batteries and more.

Here are some pictures of different ideas for remote power installation. If anyone has an alternate power suggestion or pictures of a particular set-up, post up!

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