Browse Forums Owner Builder Forum Re: EcoStay building project 115Jun 13, 2021 1:55 pm Accessible Carpentry & Cabinets accessiblecarpentry@gmail.com accessiblecarpentry.com.au https://www.facebook.com/pages/Accessible-Carpentry-Cabinets/583314911709039 Re: EcoStay building project 117Sep 26, 2021 4:19 pm We're off-grid here, running from batteries that are recharged by solar panels. The success of all this is based upon management of our power system. We run loads such as the dishwasher, washing machine, electric oven etc based upon the state of our batteries and the incoming solar power. The electronics in the inverter allows me to monitor what is going on via an app on my smartphone. That's all great but I loathe having to pull out my phone, log-on to the inverter, scroll through data to find out if it's a good time to start the dishwasher or to schedule it for a few hours time. There are fancy colour LCD panels you can mount on the wall that give all manner of data, useful and not so much. But, they are expensive and look ugly in the context of our home. So, in the spirit of just about everything else here, we designed and built our own version. I found this old bakelite analogue multimeter that I liked the look of. It has that old fashioned steampunk vibe that would fit with the feel of our place. Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ However, as cool as it is, it's quite small and doesn't show the sort of data we're looking for. Between the bathroom door and the fireplace there's a space about 800mm wide. So I cut a hole through the pallet wood cladding. Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Then put together this microcomputer to process the data from the electronics in the inverter room downstairs. Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ I then built a custom set of meters to display exactly what we want to see. We used clock hands for the pointers, made the MDF backplate look like bakelite with "no more gaps", used old brass screws to hold it together and even made the plaques. Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ The end result fits nicely with everything else and gives us the numbers we need at a glance. Re: EcoStay building project 118Sep 26, 2021 4:50 pm Genius! Have to agree it fits in nicely, anything 'modern' would look out of place. Following these simple steps will help you mitigate unwanted costs, have your expectations met and give… 0 4652 DIY, Home Maintenance & Repair That laser level looks lovely! We bought one for less than a quarter of that price off eBay. It worked really well for us and it's still going now, five years later. After… 1 16959 |