Getting ready for Costa Rica next week and planning my technology loadout. Between the camera gear, laptio, in-flight entertainment needs and normal gear I carry with me, its going to be tricky to fit this into 2 bags. I picked up a new toy to hedge my bets on the water supply down there, a MIOX water purifier, a little whiteboard marker sized device that generates an oxide/chlorine cocktail from a thimble full of salt water that will kill pretty much any biological nasties that could be in the water.

The trustees of my condo have requested that I take the panel down despite it being placed on my property. (The wording in the condo docs is rather restrictive) I'm glad I live in Massachusetts with this situation though, it seems that for all the restrictions about what can be outdoors, solar panels are exempt from such restrictions thanks to MGL Chapter 184, Section 23C:

"Any provision in an instrument relative to the ownership or use of real property which purports to forbid or unreasonably restrict the installation or use of a solar energy system as defined in section one A of chapter forty A or the building of structures that facilitate the collection of solar energy shall be void."

I don't want to cause trouble with my neighbors but I'm ready to take a stand here. Its things like this that are holding back solar and other renewable energy technologies that could really make a difference.

My 60w panel is now in place, I was able to finish the last bends to make the lower braces yesterday and this should give me a much better power yield today.



I managed to find a cheap "universal" laptop car adapter which puts out the needed 22v as well as has the right size plug for the roomba's charging base. I now have a "green" roomba running on solar power, the scooba soon to follow as soon as i get some more information from iRobot about wether the charging base can handle the 25v another of my adapters puts out.

Thats right. Cut the power to the building if you dare, but my robot minions will still be able to do their dirty work.

My Treo has been running for 2 days now on clean, renewable solar power, the camera for my security system has been running for a couple weeks now on the same and there is still power to spare. Once I get some clearer answers on how well the Roomba and Scooba can handle voltages in the 24-25v range, I'm hoping to have fully renewable cleaning robots as well. The power panel is my next project once the mounts and panel wiring upgrades are complete.

Working on the final mounts for my 60w panel, a skilled metal worker I am not.



The second attempt was much better than the first but I think both will hold, I just need the lower mount and support beams and I'll have a solid mount to place this on my deck railing.

I didnt realize you could set a mailbox name as a folder with my Bluehost email, this makes everything much easier to work with apple mail. Now if only VersaMail could use this setting on my Palm, I'd be all set.