Genealogy

 https://www.familysearch.org/photos/artifacts/139099268

Power/Energy Confusion

 I have been told that an EV may use 200wh per mile at a certain speeed and that that means the power needed to maintain that speed is 200w.  

The above is in error; I will try to clarify.

First, assume that speed is 30 mph which will make arithmetic simpler.  Getting a measure of the energy used in an hour will allow us to both determine average power and allow us to determine total distance that can be traveled on that energy.  At 30mph, a car travels 30 miles in an hour.  If each mile consumes 200wh, the total energy consumed in an hour is 30 x 200 = 6000 wh.  If that 6000wh was consumed uniformly over the hour, power supplied during that hour was 6000 watts.

This is of interest because of a contention that playing a radio can significantly reduce EV range.  The contention is that a radio can consume up to 1kw.  AND that an EV might have it's motion powered by as little as 200 watts.  That type of audio system requires additional amplifiers and speakers to consume that additional power.  The practical upper limit for audio power is determined by the DC-DC converter that converts (typically) ~400vdc from the main/"traction" battery to "auxiliary battery" voltage of 12-14vdc.  That level of audio power is possible.   But, I contend that typical radio powers are 10-20 watts.  Maybe 100-200 watts if played at max level.

So, according my my estimates, playing a radio at normal levels might reduce range by about 1/3 of 1%.  That effect will lessen as speed and motive power increases.  Increasing speed will increase the 6kw necessary to keep the car at a constant speed thereby lessening the fraction of total power consumed by a radio.

Heat Pumps

 Sitting here in the living room being not as warm as I want to be seems like a good time to write about my mini-split heat pump project.  35 deg outside and trying to bring the entire house above 60 deg.  Wearing a sweater with throw over my lap.

A couple of years ago, I  became aware of an advance in heat pump heating.  The new "Hyper heat" designs allow extracting heat from sources as low as 0-10 deg while previous designs did not produce heat below a source of about 40 deg.   That makes the new versions suitable for the sole source of heat in our area where lows do not often go below 25 deg and never below 10 deg.

With the realization that I was going to find tending a wood burning stove tedious, I put my first mini-split in the dining room before the 2021 cooling season.  A 12000 btu/hour unit.  In retrospect, 18000 btu would have been better.  The 12000 btu does a fair job of heating and cooling the three rooms I normally "condition".  During very hot weather, I had been using a 6000 btu window unit in the bedroom at night.  I added a 9000 btu mini-split to the bedroom.

This morning, with outside air at 35 deg, the two units together are only slowly raising the temperatures in five rooms.  The goal for this cold spell is to prevent under house plumbing damage from freezing.   The two units seem marginal for that purpose.  I plan to run them around the clock for a couple of days.  The longer term plan is to install another 9000 btu unit in the living room.  I find the redundancy attractive.  I can survive with only one working unit and keep much of the house comfortable with two working units.  Though I am surprised at the slow movement of heat out of the rooms where the units are located.   Or, maybe it is the rapid dissipation of heat out of the adjacent rooms.

I've been using DiamondAir "Ductless Heat Pump Mini Splits":

https://www.diamondaircorp.com/

1/22/2022

After a day and night in the upper 20s and lower 30s, I have decided to upgrade my 3rd unit order from 9000 to 18000 btu.  The existing 9000 plus 12000 btu units were just not up to warming the five rooms that I frequently use.  Judging from last summer's experience, I believe that will give me far more cooling than is required.

2/26/2022

Third unit installed and working well.  Some of my trouble with the first two units is "cockpit error".  They work much better when I twiddle with several functions such as "turbo" mode and output air "swing".  I now believe the first two units might have been sufficient.  As measure by my Curb system, it looks like peak power pulled by all three units is about 4kw.  "Hunkered down" overnight power on a freezing night looks more like 1kw.  That is, with most of the house about 60 deg.

Here are indoor unit operating instructions:

https://www.diamondaircorp.com/v/vspfiles/downloadables/DF2009-DF2024HMSI%20User%20Manual.pdf

And for the remote:

https://www.diamondaircorp.com/v/vspfiles/downloadables/Remote%20Control%20Manual%204th%20Generation%20RG57.pdf

Consideration

Since a fall in about March 2021, I've been walking with a cane.  Of course, I have always given consideration to those I encounter with mobility impairment.  BUT I never fail to be surprised when I am given such consideration.  Holding a door while I get through it and so forth.  I always thank those folks.  But am tempted to say something like:  "I'm ok.  I can manage.  Thanks anyway."  And then hit them up side of the head with my cane.  I've already discovered that a cane can be an intimidating weapon.

During my visit to Brandon, documented in another post, I stopped at a convenience store for coffee.  I found I has happily in the overlap of two geographical areas.  One that where Community brand coffee is sold and the other the area where boiled peanuts are sold.  In the days before COVID Louisiana Welcome Centers / rest stops gave away free Community coffee.  Making them always worth a stop.

Odd SuperCharger hosts:

1) In Florida, some are hosted by the convenience store chain "Wawa".  They offer freshly prepared food such a subs/hoagies.  I have a reader report that Wawas extend far beyond Florida.  Up to New Jersey.  Though I noticed none north of Florida.

https://www.wawa.com/

2) In Tennessee, many are hosted by "Sheetz" convenience stores.  In advertising, they make full use of the pronunciation. 

 https://www.sheetz.com/

Something else that needs to be said:  Until recently, there were only about two Stuckeys locations left in the USA.  One was out from Beaumont near Louisiana border.   New life has been breathed into that chain (or sub chain).  There are now several locations in southern Louisiana.  Presumably, with pecan rolls for all.  Cracker Barrels, all over the south, also offer pecan rolls.

https://stuckeys.com/letter-from-our-ceo/history/

The Stuckey's site is a gold mine of fascinating information.  I recommend reading about old motels.

Brandon Mississippi

 https://www.brandonms.org/experience-brandon/history-of-brandon/

Brandon is a few miles east of Jackson Mississippi and I've recently passed through twice.  The upper photo is of the Caldwell County Confederate Monument prepared to move from the courthouse square.  On learning of the planned move and stimulated by a very liberal neighbor who supports the move, I became a member of the Sons of Confederate Veterans.  I have intentions to support SCV and their efforts of preservation of our Confederate heritage.  I gained membership through my great great grandfather, John Leggett Hargrove.  JLH lived in Brandon before moving to Shreveport where he and much of his family is buried.  The move perhaps precipitated by Yellow Fever threat in Brandon. 

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/10714683/john-leggett-hargrove

The devil sherman burned downtown Brandon on his way to Vicksburg but JLH's home escaped.  I have a cousin that located and visited the house about 30 years ago and I have long intended to visit.  This trip, I was through on a Sunday and did not have the information needed to find the house.

The rather impressive monument in downtown was placed by the United Daughters of the Confederacy as was the now moved Caldwell County monument.  My grandmother, granddaughter-in-law to JLH, was a "Real Daughter" in the UDC.  That, by virtue of her father's Confederate service.  Whitfield Rogers Taylor.

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/49067227/whitfield-rogers-taylor

Interestingly, Whitfield's brother served the Union and was an early recipient of the Congressional Metal of Honor:

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/7881665/richard-taylor

DeFuniak Springs

https://photos.app.goo.gl/FGkQpJiwXptW834w9

I first visited DeFuniak Springs about 2013 in a not Tesla. The SuperCharger was permitted at that time. But not known to be under construction.  I believe it was in DFS that I was introduced to the Southern delicacy of boiled peanuts.  I found no evidence of the pending SuperCharger.  Recently, while charging at DFS, I noticed the lake to the south of downtown on my Tesla map.  

And, became aware of the town's VERY interesting history.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DeFuniak_Springs,_Florida

Which led me to reading of the resurrection of the Chautauqua movement.

https://www.chautauquatrail.com/

Back country travel

 I just returned from a trip to southern Colorado and feel compelled to comment on the mostly vacant country I traveled both on this trip and others.  Much of the interest comes from communities that have severely declined (or disappeared) due to the Dust Bowl of the 1930s.  Photos from that recent trip:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/r1Uyo8vXUNKa7NJK6

This is the second time I have avoided the Raton Pass between Raton NM and Trinidad CO by traveling alternate Santa Fe Trail routes about 50 miles  to the east of Raton.  The diversion around Raton is a total of about 100 miles and goes through two nearly disappeared towns: Folsom NM and Branson CO.  On that 100 miles there is not a convenience type store or equivalent.  No place for a cup of coffee or a head break.  The photos include a bulletin board where you may read of the history of Branson.  The bulletin board and a solid concrete jail are features of a small municipal park maintained by the remaining people of Branson.

Note photos of "New Mexico Fence Corner Posts".  Columns of mesh wire filled with rock.  Reminds me of German rock fences you see in Texas Hill Country.  They served several purposes: keep teenagers occupied and tired, get rocks out of cultivated fields, build durable, useful, valuable, and long term structures.

Several years ago, I visited Claunch NM which is around 200 miles south of Colorado but is similar in history to Folsom and Branson.

 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Claunch,_New_Mexico

https://photos.app.goo.gl/1MV6bG9rxYpedTqY6

Before the Dust Bowl, all three communities were thriving (perhaps semi-thriving) centers of farming with significant surrounding populations.  Now, the areas are desert or near desert with very sparse populations.

It is challenging to think of the areas before and during the Dust Bowl era.  Much of the most devastated land is now "National Grasslands"

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_grassland