Now you have to make sure your car has a radio (at least AM)?

[redpoint5]

Originally Posted by JSH

Most people don't take even the slightest bit of effort to prepare for weather emergencies. The average TV consumes 150 watts and an inverter sized to run a TV and a fridge is $70 to $200.

I recently picked up an 800 watt Sportsman inverter/generator for $95. Supposedly runs 6 hours on half a gallon of gasoline.

It was somewhat of an impulse buy as my dad has several generators, but they aren't the inverting kind. It's the smallest and lightest genset around, and fairly quiet.

Originally Posted by freebeard

I like the Ecoflow Delta, but way misunderestimated the price. Here is more power for less money.

I've been critical of every powerstation "deal" on Slickdeals recently, because what are the odds that a powerstation has exactly the capacity you need, and exactly the power output capabilities?

Better to have a separate inverter and battery, than an all-in-one unit that will get tossed in the garbage once the batteries wear out. Cheaper, and you can size it to your needs.

Then again, I'm the sort of person that can't stand combo modem/routers. Most people prefer them for the simplicity though.

Originally Posted by Isaac Zachary

Generators can also be deadly. Even making sure it's outside isn't enough. 50% of carbon monoxide deaths from generators were from generators that were outside.

Edit. Of course using a car with an ICE for the same reasons is also dangerous.

This does bring up a question though. What battery would work in a cold climate like mine? Or what can be done to keep one from freezing? We still have several feet of snow and quite a while before it's warm again.

Many (most?) gensets have CO detectors. You can buy a battery operated one for like $5. Generators are the way to power people who live in CO, not batteries... and I just realized Colorado is Carbon Monoxide. That's unfortunate.

[Isaac Zachary]

Originally Posted by redpoint5

Many (most?) gensets have CO detectors. You can buy a battery operated one for like $5. Generators are the way to power people who live in CO, not batteries... and I just realized Colorado is Carbon Monoxide. That's unfortunate.

I'm not saying that someone who know's what he or she's doing shouldn't be able to use a generator. But we live in a society that had things like FM on phones and AM and FM in cars, but since "nobody cared" it's being taken away. There doesn't seem to be any classes that I know of for emergency preparedness. People in general don't have a clue. And when things go wrong, they'll have been set up for failure. How much that's their own fault and how much that's big corporations' fault, I don't know. All I know is that the general public doesn't care and nobody seems to care about the general public.

On the point of the batteries vs. generator for cold weather:
For radio anything, batteries hooked up directly (no inverter at all) are better. You get no RF noise compared to an RF noisy generator, especially an inverter generator. This is especially true if you want to be an amateur radio operator and get the most out of your system.

[JSH]

Originally Posted by Isaac Zachary

Generators can also be deadly. Even making sure it's outside isn't enough. 50% of carbon monoxide deaths from generators were from generators that were outside.

Edit. Of course using a car with an ICE for the same reasons is also dangerous.

I have no idea where you got that stat but the Consumer Product Safety Commision says only 15 of the 526 carbon monoxide deaths caused by portable generators in homes between 2004 and 2013 are from generators being used outside. In the overwhelming majority of fatalities the generators were being used in the basement, garage or inside the home.

https://www.cpsc.gov/safety-educatio...onoxide-deaths

Originally Posted by Isaac Zachary

This does bring up a question though. What battery would work in a cold climate like mine? Or what can be done to keep one from freezing? We still have several feet of snow and quite a while before it's warm again.

The LFP batteries I'm buying discharge from -4F to 140F and charge from 32F to 113F. Some LFP batteries have internal heaters to keep themselves in their operating range. Lead Acid batteries have an operating range from -40F to 131F.

Unlike gas generators you can store batteries inside to keep them warm.


Before I had solar my back-up system was my Prius as a generator: 12V Prius battery attached to a deep cycle battery - attached to 12V inverter. The Prius steadily charges the 12V batteries with a DC to DC inverter. When in Ready mode it will cycle the engine automatically on and off to charge the hybrid battery.

Originally Posted by Isaac Zachary

I'm not saying that someone who know's what he or she's doing shouldn't be able to use a generator. But we live in a society that had things like FM on phones and AM and FM in cars, but since "nobody cared" it's being taken away. There doesn't seem to be any classes that I know of for emergency preparedness. People in general don't have a clue. And when things go wrong, they'll have been set up for failure. How much that's their own fault and how much that's big corporations' fault, I don't know. All I know is that the general public doesn't care and nobody seems to care about the general public.

https://www.redcross.org/get-help/ho...ergencies.html

Completely free - people just need to take a bit of time to research

From the local extension agency (Every state has one) - how to prep my water supply in case of a major earthquake:

https://catalog.extension.oregonstate.edu/em9285/html

[freebeard]

Originally Posted by Isaac Zachary

This does bring up a question though. What battery would work in a cold climate like mine? Or what can be done to keep one from freezing? We still have several feet of snow and quite a while before it's warm again.

A sand battery, but they store thermal energy. You could recharge it by firing a rocket stove every other day.

Originally Posted by ibid

the Consumer Product Safety Commision says only 15 of the 526 carbon monoxide deaths caused by portable generators in homes between 2004 and 2013 are from generators being used outside.

It might be helpful to know how that's even possible.

Originally Posted by ibid

There doesn't seem to be any classes that I know of for emergency preparedness.

Notice what happened to the Boy Scouts since 2019.

[redpoint5]

Emergency preparedness? People don't even plan ahead by bringing water with them when they travel. Instead they buy bottles of it as needed.

Most aren't interested in how things work, and that includes emergency preparedness. Planning is someone else's job. Trust the experts, they have your best interest at heart because they care so much about you.

[JSH]

Ford dropped AM radio from the 2024 Mustang.

https://www.thedrive.com/news/2024-f...m-infotainment

[redpoint5]

What percent of people opt in to satellite radio? I was always surprised to find that was not optional equipment, but included. Perhaps Sirius subsidized that cost?

[Isaac Zachary]

I'm considering trading in my Pixel 4a without FM radio for a Nokia G400 5G with FM radio.

Yes, a lot of new cars no longer come with AM radio, just like a lot of new phones no longer come with FM radio. Good by radio, we (I and about three other people, more or less) will miss you.

[JSH]

Originally Posted by redpoint5

What percent of people opt in to satellite radio? I was always surprised to find that was not optional equipment, but included. Perhaps Sirius subsidized that cost?

About 25% of people with satellite radio in their car have an active subscription. Yes, Sirius XM pays for the cost of the equipment.

Sirius XM is going to sunset their Sirius system in 2027. Since the Sirus + XM merger they have been continuing to maintain and broadcast over two sets of satellites to honor their agreements with automakers. in 2027 those original contracts expire.

[redpoint5]

Originally Posted by Isaac Zachary

I'm considering trading in my Pixel 4a without FM radio for a Nokia G400 5G with FM radio.

Yes, a lot of new cars no longer come with AM radio, just like a lot of new phones no longer come with FM radio. Good by radio, we (I and about three other people, more or less) will miss you.

That was among the reasons I never owned an iPod. Main reason was they were twice as expensive as alternatives. Secondly, you had to use iTunes to put music on the device instead of simply plugging in and the PC seeing it as a mass storage device. Third, alternatives could be used to shuffle files around (thumb drive). Lastly, they offered FM radio.

I just got a Pixel 7 for my wife for $310. This is the first time I've bought a new phone for her, and the most I've ever spent on a phone.

Just replaced my Dad's Pixel 2XL with a Pixel 5 for $160.

Originally Posted by JSH

About 25% of people with satellite radio in their car have an active subscription. Yes, Sirius XM pays for the cost of the equipment.

Sirius XM is going to sunset their Sirius system in 2027. Since the Sirus + XM merger they have been continuing to maintain and broadcast over two sets of satellites to honor their agreements with automakers. in 2027 those original contracts expire.

The sats already exist, so it seems the best plan would be to take subscribers until they malfunction. Kind of like a nuke plant, the expensive part is building it in the first place, and it's super cheap to operate afterwards.