Might be time to get a generator

[Thales]

While we are on the topic, I think three levels of power readiness are a good thing.

Battery powered stuff: Penn Plax makes a battery powered pump that turns on if the power goes off and it will run for DAYS on 2 D batteries. I have them connected to rigid tubing in the tank and sump for circulation in a power outage. I also have a single powerhead on a UPS, actually on a wavemaker on a UPS to stretch the on time in a power outage. I think these systems handle most of the issues we have in the Bay Area. They won't help with heating and cooling issues, but they will keep everything alive for a day if the power goes out while you aren't home.

Car battery inverter: Never ran it, but if there is an evening outage, I would rather run the car and run the inverter than run the generator.

Generator: incase something really bad happens. Good for the entire family, not just the tank.

 

[sfsuphysics]

Now this would have been a great meeting type topic (probably still would be... Norm! ).

Anyways yeah, I got warning of power going out and went nuts finding a solution, luckily though I have a nice car that has a lot more battery power than the average car, and a smart engine system that will only turn on long enough to charge the batteries back up then shut off. (Toyota Prius ) That being said it's only useful if I'm home at the time of the power outage (luckily I will be). I can just imagine what would happen if I didn't know it was coming.

Just a FYI if people are looking, Kragen Auto Parts stores have a sale on a Champion 3500watt generator now for $329. Now I don't know if this is a good one or not, but 3500 watts should be enough to keep all but the most hungry of tanks going! (Smart move is to hook your wiring in such a fashion that all the "essentials" are on one circuit and ready to plug in. But looking at their website they have generators as cheap as $129 (1000watt). Now I don't know if they have any in stock, but should be a place to look since most will probably look to homedepot/walmart type places.

Just a sad thing that it takes the disaster to happen first for people to start worrying about it. Ich, Flatworms, Redbugs, Power, things that make or break a tank.

 

[Vincerama2]

Maybe we need a club group buy on PennPlax B11 air pumps? (Typically they are only $10-$15, but I've not seen them in LFS)

(I have 3 already, I'm just saying it might be a good group buy)

I like the idea of a "tank preparedness" meeting. We can discuss preventative measures (batteries for fans, air pumps, etc, storing RO/DI for floods (and drinking))etc, etc. We have power outages and earthquakes to make the meeting worthwhile!

V

PS. I'm torn between a Prius and a Mazda 3 ...

 

[Ti]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7818316#post7818316 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Vincerama2


PS. I'm torn between a Prius and a Mazda 3 ...

NSX.

 

[Kinetic]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7818330#post7818330 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Ti
NSX.

+1

 

[Elite]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7818316#post7818316 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Vincerama2
Maybe we need a club group buy on PennPlax B11 air pumps? (Typically they are only $10-$15, but I've not seen them in LFS)

http://www.petsolutions.com/Silent+Air+B11+Battery+Back+up+Pump-I-30129045-I-C-10106-C-.aspx

$11 but cost about $9 for shipping. I bought 2 last time. I'm in for couple more.

Maybe setup this groupbuy before the August meeting so we can pick up there (if it's ok)

 

[Vincerama2]

NSX ... A friend had one, drove it at Laguna Seca on a few track days. Drove it for a few years (main commuter was a 13 year old Isuzu POS). Then sold it for something like 3 grand less than he bought it for!! (ie; it's value doesn't drop much, if at all, considering it was over $40K (used))!

Though commuting in an NSX in Bay Area rush hour doesn't sound like a well thought out strategy!

Anyway ... is there an official BA Reefer group buy organizer?

V

 

[Thales]

From the BAR discussion forums

Bay Area Reefers does not sponsor group buys and is not responsible for the organization of any group buys posted in this forum. The Group Buy Forum is only provided as a convenience to forum members

So, if you think that a group buy on a readily available 11 dollar item is something that is worth the time and effort to structure and facilitate a group buy, and you feel like doing the legwork to get a supplier to give a discount on an 11 dollar item, go for it!

 

[Kinetic]

I always dreamed about an NSX, but the new NSX's just aren't the same anymore as the old ones.


There's no official group buy organizer, someone just has to take the initiative and take one to completion.

 

[Sparkss]

like thales said, on an item that inexpensive there is likely not much markup and little to no room for a group discount. The only advantage would be in combined shipping, and what with current gas prices that minimal savings would be outweighed by the time and gas required to meet somewhere to pick it up (from the group buy).

 

[Vincerama2]

Well, what I was thinking of was, rather than as a cost saving "group buy" it would have been like the IC Gel thing. It's an item that is cheap and, given awareness, we should all have.

Like I said, I have 3 of them already so I wasn't looking to save a buck, just thought it was one of those things... but I understand the club policy as well.

Well, actually, I was kind of expecting one of the retail/LFS guys on tihs forum to say "OK, come to my store, I just ordered 20 of them"...

V

 

[Sparkss]

well, on the "generator" topic I just got back with our new Interstate D-8 batteries. Each one will power our return pump (which feeds all our equiptment and tanks, so no hydrogen buildup concerns in our calc, phos reactors, etc) and our chiller (which only draws 40 watts anyways) for about 4 days. We got 2 batteries, one for the tank and one for our refrigerator and fans in the house (by my calculations should also last about 4 days). On about the 3rd day I would start to panick and go looking for a generator, or just fill the car with gas and port the exhaust outside and run the invertors directly off of our SUV, I guess.