Ra .. Ra .. Ra

There are, of course, many names, myths, legends and Deities of ancient civilisations devoted to that bloody big hot thing that travels across the sky each day - but won't go into that, look 'em up for yourself.

What does fascinate me is the attitude of us Australians. We "worship" it, of course - surf, suntans, sport .. but bury our heads in the corpses of ancient dead trees deep underground when looking for energy to switch on a light .. or cappuccino machine, microwave oven, plasma TV set, toothbrush ..

Am going to make some guesses with the percentages here but let's say that a land mass roughly the size of the USA - or Europe - is 90% flat - ish, and more-or-less uninhabited. 80% of it receives direct sunlight for 100% of the day for 80% of the year.

Am slightly bemused by the fact that a country - Germany - with far less "available space" and "solar hours per year" - has a far more radical and progressive Solar power policy.

In fact, water in Australia is so scarce the (previous) Government was offering a "grant" of $150,000 for farmers to "walk off the land". What are they going to do with that money? Buy a one way ticket to China and work in a factory?

Doesn't make much sense to me, if one considers this story. German farmer makes better income.

Here, the over-stressed Murray Darling Irrigation system is on the verge of collapse. Dozens, if not hundreds of "small holding" irrigators are contemplating "walking away" - with the subsequent collapse of local communities and infrastructure.

If the Gummint is prepared to "grant" $150K .. why not offer to "lend" them another $xK to set up a "Solar" farm? They can't use the "too far away from the Grid" excuse that has been used in the "hot rocks" situation.

Don't particularly want to get all carried away with discussion re "geothermal" - but if we can afford - in recent times - to build a bloody railway line from Alice Springs to Darwin - shit, it's only 1500klm (1000 miles?) (or, previously, in a rather more "cash-strapped" era - a telephone line from Adelaide to Darwin [2000 miles?]) .. I can't figure out how the proposed [but ignored] Geothermal plants are "too far away". Shit, Roxby Downs is a stone's throw away .. in outback distances.

[and don't get me started on the benefits of Geothermal .. apart from everything else, does anyone really comprehend how much WATER a Nuclear Plant uses??].

Oh, where was I .. ah ..
.. back to the personal. I wuz gypped .. or rather "misunderstood the marketing". Was under the impression that this little baby out-putted 2 Amps in full sunlight. Not so .. barely 0.5 Amp .. but that's not a problem, have the 60 Watter on the caravan, this is sort of "Back-up". Neat package, though, look at all the "bits 'n pieces" it comes with. Manufactured in Canada, or so am led to believe, and only $140.00 from Tandy.

[side cutters not included - relative size reference only]

seems to work quite well in the shade, also - but am not going to mention any angst regarding Sliver Cell Technology . (which seems to have been invented/developed in Australia, and all but died due to previous Gummint dis- interest). Sheesh, 11 years wasted .. one can only try to not weep.

So ..
Am slowly getting organised ..






Ah, that last pic didn't quite turn out as it should have. The battery (80 amp deep cycle) is at the bottom, the "inverter" [converts 12 volt DC to 240 Volts modified sine wave AC] is poking its front out of the little rectangle just above it.

Hey, am not a complete "Greenie", just yet .. i do like some of the comforts and indulgences that 240 volt appliances provide. [heh]