It certainly hasn't been easy. I have to rush this reply because I know my computer will be shut down in just a few minutes, then I have to switch to my Chromebook. I had to get out of bed an hour early so I can have hot water in my shower, just to name a couple inconveniences.
Living in the countryside this is not too much of an issue, we have a generator, solar power packs, and a gravity-feed water system which was all put in place a long time ago because when you live in the countryside here this is part of life.
In Quito, the power is off for a couple of hours in the afternoon (2 hrs.) and for a couple of hours (2 hrs.) in the middle of the night, generally midnight to 2am. I was in Atacames on the coast a few weeks ago. The power is out on the coast for a longer duration of time.
I’m in Vilcabamba same same. I have 2 ups boxes and a generator I don’t use it. Gas is ration to 3 gallons a day. It’s ok… I go to bed early. Schedule outages???😂😂
An Old Car Battery, free $0 2 amp trickle charger.$25 a 75 watt 12/120volt inverter $10 plus a 60 watt led light bulb $3 in a lamp and you have lights with no concerns. The 2 amp trickle charger feeds the battery when the power is on and that led light bulb will go for days even without the battery being charged. Cost fifty dollars for comfort. That is my standby light source so can read a book and enjoy life when everyone else is in darkness during power outages.
Back in the late 90’s I knew a guy who ran standard Christmas lights straight off his car battery during the evenings when his power was turned off. Battery was outside with the lights ran thru the window. He would charge the battery when he drove his truck the next day. They weren’t leds. Probably bad for the battery.
It is an old car battery that can no longer start car, so if it does die completely who cares? Hydrogen gas, this is not an enclosed space and the draw from a 60 watt led bub is 4 watts that is a draw on the battery of only 0.3 amps . ( OHMS LAW 12 volts x .03 amps equal a draw of 4 watts. ) In North American we use little travel trailers to go camping in remote areas. Those travel trailers use a lead acid batteries are powered by low amp solar panels with no connection to the grid. I have one that has gone though seven years and is still going strong. To release Hydrogen gas you need an overload to boil the acids within the battery, like a dead short across the terminals. A .03 amp draw on the 12 battery will not produce this overload condition. It will drain the battery down over time. @@benchoflemons398
Hydrogen gas you can also produce this by over charging a battery, so use a trickle charger that is also called a car maintenance charger ( charge rate about 1.6 amps and does not allow an over charge above 14.5 volts on the battery $24.00 at Harbor freight, and a 150 watt inverter is $ 6.99 ).
An always interesting story for me due to my occupational past of operating UPS power systems in a commercial setting. One thing that always irritated me is the belief by building tenants is that with a power generator on premise, there should be no electrical interruption at all. Ever. No matter how brief. Even angrily going toe-2-toe with me to justify why things went black for several seconds. That would always cause me to reluctantly have to go through the whole rigmarole over and over again explaining the technical side of it to those who where essentially non-receptive brick walls. Spinning vs. non-spinning reserves, stable RPM, phase alignment and amplitude... bla bla bla. All those things and more that must be perfect before dropping the entire load through the transfer switch of the building onto the generator. Usually by that time, their eyes just kinda glazed over like a deer in the headlights as they shuffled sideways quietly out the door.
I can't answer specifically but I know for a fact that the fumes have had a profound impact on me since this all started. I don't know what I'm going to do when it's too hot to close my doors and windows and not have AC. That's probably going to be the last straw for me.
Dear Dan….yes, the power outage must be annoying…but there are other things in your beautiful Ecuador which counterbalance it! Have more patience…all will be fine in a while! Many of us, would be glad to be living in Ecuador now rather than than crime ridden , soon politically corrupt county US…Just saying…. Have a good life Don….
What’s the interest in solar panels over there in Mexico? Seems like all that sun and only a few hours of blackout a day that I would make sense to hook up some on the roofs
great reporting from the grumpy gringo...you sound in good spirits Don..you have now fully ingrained yourself to life abroad...keep up your great work
How are you managing Don.
.I hope this can come to an end soon😢
This shouldn't happen to my birth country,but I find it deplorable....it's like saying.any day now.
When was the last time there was light all night😮😮😮
Thanks. It's called Scotch.
It certainly hasn't been easy. I have to rush this reply because I know my computer will be shut down in just a few minutes, then I have to switch to my Chromebook. I had to get out of bed an hour early so I can have hot water in my shower, just to name a couple inconveniences.
Thanks for showing us the reality. I love your channel. I was going to take a birding vacation to Mindo in March, but I think I'll wait a year.
I understand your concerns. I'm sure it will be much better in a year.
Living in the countryside this is not too much of an issue, we have a generator, solar power packs, and a gravity-feed water system which was all put in place a long time ago because when you live in the countryside here this is part of life.
In Quito, the power is off for a couple of hours in the afternoon (2 hrs.) and for a couple of hours (2 hrs.) in the middle of the night, generally midnight to 2am.
I was in Atacames on the coast a few weeks ago. The power is out on the coast for a longer duration of time.
I’m in Vilcabamba same same. I have 2 ups boxes and a generator I don’t use it. Gas is ration to 3 gallons a day. It’s ok… I go to bed early.
Schedule outages???😂😂
An Old Car Battery, free $0 2 amp trickle charger.$25 a 75 watt 12/120volt inverter $10 plus a 60 watt led light bulb $3 in a lamp and you have lights with no concerns. The 2 amp trickle charger feeds the battery when the power is on and that led light bulb will go for days even without the battery being charged. Cost fifty dollars for comfort. That is my standby light source so can read a book and enjoy life when everyone else is in darkness during power outages.
You cannot use a car battery for small loads over time. You also cannot discharge a car battery to a low soc or the battery will release hydrogen gas.
Back in the late 90’s I knew a guy who ran standard Christmas lights straight off his car battery during the evenings when his power was turned off. Battery was outside with the lights ran thru the window. He would charge the battery when he drove his truck the next day. They weren’t leds. Probably bad for the battery.
It is an old car battery that can no longer start car, so if it does die completely who cares? Hydrogen gas, this is not an enclosed space and the draw from a 60 watt led bub is 4 watts that is a draw on the battery of only 0.3 amps . ( OHMS LAW 12 volts x .03 amps equal a draw of 4 watts. ) In North American we use little travel trailers to go camping in remote areas. Those travel trailers use a lead acid batteries are powered by low amp solar panels with no connection to the grid. I have one that has gone though seven years and is still going strong. To release Hydrogen gas you need an overload to boil the acids within the battery, like a dead short across the terminals. A .03 amp draw on the 12 battery will not produce this overload condition. It will drain the battery down over time. @@benchoflemons398
Hydrogen gas you can also produce this by over charging a battery, so use a trickle charger that is also called a car maintenance charger ( charge rate about 1.6 amps and does not allow an over charge above 14.5 volts on the battery $24.00 at Harbor freight, and a 150 watt inverter is $ 6.99 ).
An always interesting story for me due to my occupational past of operating UPS power systems in a commercial setting. One thing that always irritated me is the belief by building tenants is that with a power generator on premise, there should be no electrical interruption at all. Ever. No matter how brief. Even angrily going toe-2-toe with me to justify why things went black for several seconds. That would always cause me to reluctantly have to go through the whole rigmarole over and over again explaining the technical side of it to those who where essentially non-receptive brick walls. Spinning vs. non-spinning reserves, stable RPM, phase alignment and amplitude... bla bla bla. All those things and more that must be perfect before dropping the entire load through the transfer switch of the building onto the generator. Usually by that time, their eyes just kinda glazed over like a deer in the headlights as they shuffled sideways quietly out the door.
You should try explaining AI to some of these people.
beautiful manta love your videos Dan
Appreciate it. Manta is a great city, but it's got its problems.
Beautiful Manta! 😃
Not so bad if you were an avid night sky watcher but this is a bit scary. Hang in there
That's some third world s***
It wasn't when Rafael Correa was around.
@butterflybeatles beautiful country. Damn shame things are going in the wrong direction
Must be hard on appliances? Or do you unplug them before scheduled outage?
Nope, gave up on that idea a long time ago. I just make sure everything is off and I have a surge protector for my PC stuff.
Have there been any cases of carbon monoxide poisoning due to so many people running generators?
I can't answer specifically but I know for a fact that the fumes have had a profound impact on me since this all started. I don't know what I'm going to do when it's too hot to close my doors and windows and not have AC. That's probably going to be the last straw for me.
oy vey
What does it take to buy a gun for self defense there?
Don't even think about it. Do you want to spend the rest of your life in a jail cell? Not even open for discussion.
@DonShader thank you.
If you don't know just say so.@DonShader
@@sidethorn3754 I do know and it's NOT going to be discussed on this channel.
@@DonShader How do you feel about having a gun in the U.S. ?
Dear Dan….yes, the power outage must be annoying…but there are other things in your beautiful Ecuador which counterbalance it! Have more patience…all will be fine in a while! Many of us, would be glad to be living in Ecuador now rather than than crime ridden , soon politically corrupt county US…Just saying….
Have a good life Don….
What’s the interest in solar panels over there in Mexico? Seems like all that sun and only a few hours of blackout a day that I would make sense to hook up some on the roofs
I'm in Ecuador. Not Mexico. I have no idea what they have.
@ same difference.