I just found your channel and I really enjoyed this video. I'm about to look at more. What's particularly enjoyable is watching you do and struggle with things just like the rest of us. Thanks for your time and effort!
Hello, can I honestly say thank you so much. I've been considering giving up as the algorithm shows my stuff to barely anyone. If it wasnt for the few good people that watch every video, I would call it quits. Thank you so much and glad you enjoyed it, it means a lot to this little channel. Best wishes.
@@ourkilkennyhomestead2006 I certainly hope that you won't let the algorithm win - I will do what I can to spread the word. I've started building my system during the pandemic and I've read a lot and seen many, many, many (you get the idea) youtube videos and I can honestly say that your channel is an honest and very informative description of how to DIY a solar system. I mean, I just watched the video where you had to stop because the new batteries wouldn't fit. I had to laugh because that's being honest to the viewer and something we've all done. Well done sir and please hang in there.
Nice pragmatic engineering solution. Frustates the hell out of me that our professionally installed system on the roof doesnt move! Presumably next step is some kind of sun tracking mechanism although what you have got is a lot better than fixed panels. Good on you anway, looking forward to the next installment!
I only have a small solar panel for proof of concept purposes. Here in Victoria Canada, I can solar cook too, because we get the Sun. (steaming soil, boiling weeds, dehydrating herbs). I "invented" an airlift pump-waterwheel-capstan drive as one method to rotate it. (saw a video about capstan drives in robots) No need for actuators or motors. Anyway, it works! So looking at your setup, if you can rope around the outside of your rotating stand, and attach your motor to a capstan drive instead, you can easily rotate it way more evenly. You probably need to use good climbing rope or sailboat rope for the capstan, but I bet everything will work way better, and it will be a lot more steady in the big winds. I'm originally from a farm near Rathvilly, Co. Carlow
@@Brians-Easy-Low-Tech-Solutions hello Brian. Do you know what? I love these rare occasions where a fellow inventor comes accross my stuff. Had a quick look at some of your vids, hope you don't mind, and all I can say is "nice, very nice!" Rathvilly seems a nice beautiful spot in the Midlands, have only passed through it on many occasions unfortunately. Never had the chance to explore. I hear what you're saying about a rope setup. Increase the leverage and gearing ratio between driven and driver to smooth out the motion. Ideally I need a driven wheel/sprocket around 40" diameter with a driver somewhere in the parish of 2-4". The larger sprocket is hard to come by "off the shelf so I've been considering a linear actuator setup for the next gen as the total range of motion is only 100 ish degrees of rotation. Fair play for your energy and constant inventions, isn't it frustrating how youtube doesn't promote creators like you and I more and instead focuses on "the current thing". Best wishes from piltown.
@@ourkilkennyhomestead2006 Thank you for saying (Fair play for your energy and constant inventions, isn't it frustrating how youtube doesn't promote creators like you and I more and instead focuses on "the current thing".) You are totally right, I am very frustrated. RUclips only let people see what they want them to see. It's quite brutal and their algorithm rules. But people are to blame too. They need "guru's" and "influencers" to worship and only listen to science and engineering if it comes out of a big lab or a big company and is very polished, commercial and flashy, and delivered by a photogenic newsreader. Sustainable development and doing stuff on the cheap is the enemy of big advertising, because at the end of the day, they are trying to sell people more and more "stuff" and we are helping people do more with less. The algorithm will weed us out. "High precision speed reducer using rope" is the video you should check out. He is doing robotics so he needs the highest precision. But you don't need much precision at all. Your motor stops and starts when the light sensor tells it to. As long as you keep a rope or chain in tension, and keep your gear ratios somewhat within a range, you will get great results. My tracker uses masons line to rotate the small reflector (and a small solar panel too) while the timing/tracking is done by compressed air. It is so different than everything out there that nobody can get their heads around it. My tracker is more accurate at tracking the sun than 95% of the commercial trackers, and yours is more accurate than 90% of them! You should be very proud of what you did especially because you did it on a large scale and your accuracy is in the sweet spot for tracking solar panels, plus you are being honest about repairs. (I have greater accuracy because I am doing solar cooking, and that needs more precise tracking, I am not in any way dishing your project).
Not sure of the exact figures tbh. It's main objective is to increase hours of maximum input as opposed to a fixed rig where max input would be short lived.
Thanks for sharing what we all struggle with! Love these kind of video's. Keep them coming... ;-)
Thank you, glad you enjoyed it 😎
I just found your channel and I really enjoyed this video. I'm about to look at more. What's particularly enjoyable is watching you do and struggle with things just like the rest of us. Thanks for your time and effort!
Hello, can I honestly say thank you so much. I've been considering giving up as the algorithm shows my stuff to barely anyone. If it wasnt for the few good people that watch every video, I would call it quits.
Thank you so much and glad you enjoyed it, it means a lot to this little channel. Best wishes.
@@ourkilkennyhomestead2006 I certainly hope that you won't let the algorithm win - I will do what I can to spread the word. I've started building my system during the pandemic and I've read a lot and seen many, many, many (you get the idea) youtube videos and I can honestly say that your channel is an honest and very informative description of how to DIY a solar system. I mean, I just watched the video where you had to stop because the new batteries wouldn't fit. I had to laugh because that's being honest to the viewer and something we've all done. Well done sir and please hang in there.
@@mannymota3442 wow fantastic! What kinda system have you built?
Nice pragmatic engineering solution. Frustates the hell out of me that our professionally installed system on the roof doesnt move! Presumably next step is some kind of sun tracking mechanism although what you have got is a lot better than fixed panels. Good on you anway, looking forward to the next installment!
Thank you, it's rough and ready and could do with higher powered panels but it works for the moment. How it takes the winter will tell all.
Panels are cheap and tracking systems are complicated, moving things break down and don't last the life time of the panels. Not worth the overhead.
I only have a small solar panel for proof of concept purposes. Here in Victoria Canada, I can solar cook too, because we get the Sun. (steaming soil, boiling weeds, dehydrating herbs). I "invented" an airlift pump-waterwheel-capstan drive as one method to rotate it. (saw a video about capstan drives in robots) No need for actuators or motors. Anyway, it works! So looking at your setup, if you can rope around the outside of your rotating stand, and attach your motor to a capstan drive instead, you can easily rotate it way more evenly. You probably need to use good climbing rope or sailboat rope for the capstan, but I bet everything will work way better, and it will be a lot more steady in the big winds. I'm originally from a farm near Rathvilly, Co. Carlow
@@Brians-Easy-Low-Tech-Solutions hello Brian. Do you know what? I love these rare occasions where a fellow inventor comes accross my stuff. Had a quick look at some of your vids, hope you don't mind, and all I can say is "nice, very nice!" Rathvilly seems a nice beautiful spot in the Midlands, have only passed through it on many occasions unfortunately. Never had the chance to explore.
I hear what you're saying about a rope setup. Increase the leverage and gearing ratio between driven and driver to smooth out the motion. Ideally I need a driven wheel/sprocket around 40" diameter with a driver somewhere in the parish of 2-4". The larger sprocket is hard to come by "off the shelf so I've been considering a linear actuator setup for the next gen as the total range of motion is only 100 ish degrees of rotation.
Fair play for your energy and constant inventions, isn't it frustrating how youtube doesn't promote creators like you and I more and instead focuses on "the current thing".
Best wishes from piltown.
@@ourkilkennyhomestead2006 Thank you for saying (Fair play for your energy and constant inventions, isn't it frustrating how youtube doesn't promote creators like you and I more and instead focuses on "the current thing".) You are totally right, I am very frustrated. RUclips only let people see what they want them to see. It's quite brutal and their algorithm rules. But people are to blame too. They need "guru's" and "influencers" to worship and only listen to science and engineering if it comes out of a big lab or a big company and is very polished, commercial and flashy, and delivered by a photogenic newsreader. Sustainable development and doing stuff on the cheap is the enemy of big advertising, because at the end of the day, they are trying to sell people more and more "stuff" and we are helping people do more with less. The algorithm will weed us out. "High precision speed reducer using rope" is the video you should check out. He is doing robotics so he needs the highest precision. But you don't need much precision at all. Your motor stops and starts when the light sensor tells it to. As long as you keep a rope or chain in tension, and keep your gear ratios somewhat within a range, you will get great results. My tracker uses masons line to rotate the small reflector (and a small solar panel too) while the timing/tracking is done by compressed air. It is so different than everything out there that nobody can get their heads around it. My tracker is more accurate at tracking the sun than 95% of the commercial trackers, and yours is more accurate than 90% of them! You should be very proud of what you did especially because you did it on a large scale and your accuracy is in the sweet spot for tracking solar panels, plus you are being honest about repairs. (I have greater accuracy because I am doing solar cooking, and that needs more precise tracking, I am not in any way dishing your project).
Do you know how much more power you produce with a sun tracker vs a well placed static solar panel?
Not sure of the exact figures tbh. It's main objective is to increase hours of maximum input as opposed to a fixed rig where max input would be short lived.