Need some advice (add to safe vs add to sustain)

[1krr]

Ok just wrote a long peice describing the ins and outs of our preps, future ideas, and some random musings and realized I was cursing you guys to skip to the bottom with a "tl:dr'. What I really want to know is should I buy an AK i've wanted for a while which will fill the "long gun per shooter in the house" need but will really just be a toy for me. Then there is the need for a solar system setup and I can get 500 watts of panels for the same money as that CZ I originally wanted. House is already built to provide for a very comfortable life in a grid down scenario. So safe queen or better self-sustainability? Awesome defensive weapon or more creature comforts? What would you do?

 

[Lurker66]

So the choices are:
AK
Solar System
CZ

Id buy a 10/22, Some batteries and take the family to dinner n movie.

 

[Glocktogo]

So the choices are:
AK
Solar System
CZ

Id buy a 10/22, (as much .22lr as you can find online at a reasonable price), some batteries and take the family to dinner n movie.

Added an important caveat.

 

[jrusling]

Ok just wrote a long peice describing the ins and outs of our preps, future ideas, and some random musings and realized I was cursing you guys to skip to the bottom with a "tl:dr'. What I really want to know is should I buy an AK i've wanted for a while which will fill the "long gun per shooter in the house" need but will really just be a toy for me. Then there is the need for a solar system setup and I can get 500 watts of panels for the same money as that CZ I originally wanted. House is already built to provide for a very comfortable life in a grid down scenario. So safe queen or better self-sustainability? Awesome defensive weapon or more creature comforts? What would you do?

A decent solar system will cost a lot more than an AK. Be careful of cheap solar cells from China, they have had problems with the failing in less than 5 years. Then you need a good charge controller, combiner box with DC rated breakers, master disconnect, batteries, good inverter. This will probably run close to $5K, unless you can find some good used ones. You can save quite a bit if you build a vented battery box and use regular lead acid deep cycle batteries, other wise you will need to get AGM or gell batteries. I have a small solar system on my shop that has 4 140 watt panels and a 2 KW sine wave inverter. If you are in the OKC area and want to see it drop me a PM.

 

[1krr]

Sorry, by long guns I meant defensive/mid-sized game capable weapons. Got lots of .22lr along with my Marlin 60 and my 10/22 with spare parts/mags. I buy 22 everytime I stumble across it now. What I don't have is a shotgun which probably makes more sense than an AK since I already have my AR. I enjoy handguns and have several and at least a few hundred rounds for each caliber. Food stocks could definately be better but I live about 20 miles east of Tinker so it's a wash on whether we bug in or out. I basically stock what I'm capable of carrying in case tinker gets hit so we can get out of Dodge if wind pushed fallout this way. Our property is pretty defensible with natural barriers on all four sides and access via only a couple points by vehicles. I'm still of the opinion that if you have to spend that much time in defensive situations, you are going to have a hell of a time trying to sustain yourself. In that scenario, there are no good options but some are better than others and it's really about trying to build as many options as possible.

Aside from a good shotgun, I don't feel to bad in that department. Solar is really about the ability to power my 150 foot deep well which would be a God send in a real shtf scenario. House is ICF so the walls are strong and walls/roof are very well insulated. Winter time is easily handled with the heating from a recirculating fireplace (can't remember the proper name for them). We have a geothermal heat pump which could be used to drain some power off a battery bank in the summer if needed. But it's really about that well. We do have a spring on the property that I've never seen dry but would by far much rather have reliable well water than fighting filtration/boiling of surface water. The problem is that building a solar system that could deliver us 100 gallons a day of unpressurized water is still much more costly when you add batteries, inverter, charger, etc. Or I could just follow Will's advice and double my money by folding it in half and putting it in the back pocket!

 

[Lurker66]

Winds are usually out of South and west. If Tinker is ever "hit", were all fugged. Youll become a migrant or refugee. So plan accordingly.

 

[jrusling]

With those kind of loads, you will need at least a 24V system and probably a 48V system. My system will produce about 2.5 KWH's on a reasonable day. When you are talking about a deep well it will not do a lot. That is probably a 220v pump and you will need an expensive 220V inverter.

 

[1krr]

With those kind of loads, you will need at least a 24V system and probably a 48V system. My system will produce about 2.5 KWH's on a reasonable day. When you are talking about a deep well it will not do a lot. That is probably a 220v pump and you will need an expensive 220V inverter.

I'd love to hear more about your setup. Most definately a 24 volt system and if I get beyond day dreaming, I will most likely put together a 48v bank to keep the wire sizes smaller. If you've ever seen the guys at otherpower, they build a lot of 48 volt alternators. Standing up a diy wind turbine played no small part in buying unincorporated land. If 1hp is ~.75kw, a 1kw draw on the bank would be a sustained 84 amps (my pump is a 3/4 horse 220v). 1kw sustained would be in the ballpark on the DC side I would think (sound right)? Surge on a well pump like that must be a nasty 2-3x output. Our well tested out to about 20gpm so 5-10 minutes of run time a day would net 100 gallons of fresh water. I'll be honest, I've never put a meter on it when it was running so I can't saw what the current draw looks like. It's all guessing at this point. For pricing a 48 volt bank of 6 volt Sam's specials will run ~600. Panels are still coming down in price and getting under a buck a watt for panels isn't too hard these days. I am curious about your panel array (mostly what you are seeing in advertised vs output wattage). In any case, two or three ~250 watt panels should give me enough to run the pump enough to fill the water needs without other loads on it (or am I over estimating them)? Retail inverters can be had in the ~1000 dollar range that should be able to handle the pump (thinking a 220v 3000 watt samlex unit). A really well reviewed mppt charge controller is in the ~500 dollar range. Cables and connectors will add another couple of hundred (building them myself of course).

All this sounds good in theory but I would enjoy hearing about how it stands up to your experience in practice.

Winds are usually out of South and west. If Tinker is ever "hit", were all fugged. Youll become a migrant or refugee. So plan accordingly.

If I were a betting man, I would bet you were probably right. In that consideration, the solar project is as much a toy as a new AK!

 

[Lurker66]

I just sold a windmill I was going to rig up.......found its way more trouble than I wanted to invest.

 

[jrusling]

I got my system from here http://www.wholesalesolar.com/products.folder/systems-folder/OffGridPackages.html.

I have 4 140 w 12v panels, a Morningstar MPPT 45 am charge controller, 2 390 AH 6 V AGM batteries in series, and a 2000 watt sine wave inverter. I have seen a maximum of 535 watts, but not very often. About noon on a sunny day I will get 480 to 500 watts fairly regularly. With the angle of my panels, I actually get higher wattage during the fall or spring. I could have gotten the parts cheaper that Whole Sale Solar, but I did not know what I was doing and they were very helpful in helping be select the components and with answering my questions. Their knowledge and willingness to help was one reason I bought from them. I have had my system installed for about 1 1/2 years now and am very happy with it. As always, I do wish I had gone a little bigger on the panels and batteries. If in doubt be sure and get a larger charge controller than you think you will need.