JCR glog - re-loaded.

stc3248 · May 25, 2012

hahahaha....got my computer back! TOP!!!

PaulG · May 25, 2012

Dang, that's what I get for answering a post in my own log!

jsschrstrcks · May 25, 2012

Hurricane forecast is supposed to be average... In an average year we don't get hit. The jetstream pulls most of the hurricanes away from us, or else they never get into it, and go south.

So Heres hoping.

USUALLY if we are going to get hit, the jetsteam is doing something funky, and the hurricane crosses the state east to west... Which means its a lot weaker when it gets here. We still have to tie our lawn furniture to trees, but we don't have to evacuate.

The GVMT predicts: "9-15 named tropical storms, including 4-8 hurricanes, 1-3 of which are expected to be major hurricanes with 111 mph winds or higher."

Plus the folks on the other west coast are going to get el Nino, so we are going to be relatively dry.

If we ever get hit directly, with the eye just to the south of us, we'll get flooded out.

In 1993, the "superstorm" or storm of the century, or whatever they want to call it, was basically the equivalent of a category 1 hurricane that hit us directly. We had something like 18' of storm surge, so you can imagine what that did to our house. hah. I should mention that it takes 10' of storm surge to come over the canal bank. But even so, 8' is devastating. If the storm hits to our north, we have lower than normal tides. Lots of rain, and the inevitable tree to cut up and haul off. But nothing too serious.

Currently there is a storm out there that they say has a 70% chance to turn into a tropical cyclone. Who the heck knows if it will or not, or if it will hit us. they don't normally put it into their prediction systems until it gets a name. At this time its south and east of me by ~half a days drive. It might be an issue in a couple days, if it doesn't decide to hit NC instead.

T

PaulG · May 25, 2012

I often say that we may not have the best weather here in PacNW,
but we don't have the worst, either. All we have to worry about is
the big Pacific Rim earthquake or a volcano! Here's hoping you dodge
the bullet and don't have to clean up after a flood again! That must
have been the drizzlin' shats.

Good growin, buddy!

romy6 · May 25, 2012

JSS You left out preparing all the coolers with beer and ice!!

jsschrstrcks · May 25, 2012

Well it looks like I'll get some rain out of this haha... or not. Lots of the models have it going else where. The rain would have been nice, but minus the winds.

jsschrstrcks · May 26, 2012

Phew. Hoed some rows for corn... I am hoping 100' of row is enough for ~160 corn. Made some room for the 50 odd spinach plants, and for the 60 more pepper plants growing on the porch.

Been a busy guy this morning.

Going to sow some melon seeds too, the ones I started last week didn't seem to take off. (sad face).

My helper wants to expand the garden by another ~3000 sq ft. I'm game I think. Its a rectangle about 45 x 70.

This would bring me up to four gardens, two are predominately peppers - the first is 20 x 10, the second ~40 x 60, the third is 30 x 70 (guestimate) and contains/will contain spinach, pole beans, melons, and egg plant.

for a grand total of about 7850 sq ft of garden or about .18 of an acre.

I made about 2 lbs of pepper powder mix... its quite good. I listed some for sale on the market place

jsschrstrcks · May 27, 2012

Hydro Update:

Well the roots started to turn brown... So I made a thread over on grow tech to find out the reason...

Firstly I learned that my fert has dye in it, and that probably caused part of the issues.

Secondly, I heard alot about how I ought to have a chiller, and that heat can cause brown roots as well.

As to the first, I can't do anything. But the second got me thinking about a technology used widely in the Computer Industry.

A heat sync...

You see as some of you likely know, there are components inside your computer that generate a significant amount of heat, but are also sensitive to heat in significant amounts, so the solution is to make (out of aluminum generally speaking) a device that attaches firmly to your CPU, or Chipset, GPU, or whatever needs cooling, that is conductive of heat, and has a significant surface area .

This is what inspired the above (which is wrapped around my air pump, it was hitting 102 in the shade...).

Here is a picture from another angle:

As you can see there are channels in the aluminum to increase the surface area of the aluminum that is exposed to the air.

You can see the pump inside.

The idea is that the thermal conductivity of the aluminum pulls the heat out of the air pump into the channels. The air from our near constant sea breeze will pass over, and through the channels pulling the heat out of the aluminum.

Obviously, you want to keep this thing in the shade.

I am working on designing one for the Hydro unit as well...

With the heatsync added to the pump, the temperature dropped (in ~5 minutes) by 19 degrees.

Still waiting for the glue I used to hold everything together to set up... But I'm pretty confident this is going to work quite well.

Pulpiteer · May 28, 2012

I feel like I just had my science lesson for the day. Cool.

stc3248 · May 28, 2012

Hey bro...might also consider making you tank out of styrofoam, or at least sitting your bucket in some. You could also build a heat exchange system with a coil of tubing and a small water pump. How's the little guy doing in spite of the heat and brown roots?

jsschrstrcks · May 28, 2012

Sexy poddage

The last 1/2 inch broke off unfortunately.

Yeah that was another thought that I'd had Shane, encasing the container in an insulative material before adding the heat sink to the insulation...

We'll see.

stc3248 · May 28, 2012

You entering that in the longest pepper contest? Looks like it could be a winner!

jsschrstrcks · May 28, 2012

Did do, so far I think its the only entrant... but I'm in florida, so I'm not too surprised haha. I'm going to wait until its ripe to enter it though, might grow a bit yet? or maybe not since the tip broke off... We'll see

.,

jsschrstrcks · May 29, 2012

My current project is more of an organizational step.

I'm creating my own Pepper DB with every last bit of info I know about each variety.

Info I'm collecting on each:
Name: Seed Count Planted? Year Seeds Picked Seed Source? Op? Organic Color Success? Species Days To Maturity Country of Origin SHU Pod Size Pod Type Description
Not only for my peppers, but for my other veggies as well, which puts the DB at about 200 varieties.

The further into this I get, the more I realize how little we know about some of these.

I also discovered I have seeds for a C. Tovarii... Going to plant some tomorrow.

PaulG · May 29, 2012

Good job on the heat sink, JCR, you are definitely a clever guy!
Looking forward to some more poddage!

jsschrstrcks · May 29, 2012

Thanks Paul

Will do. I've been picking 10-20 almost every day. Today I picked about 45 - though the corner of my garden was driven over by my younger sister (on the heals of me pointing it out, and saying don't drive there). Killed one plant, and put a hurting on two more. I pulled their fruit off so they focus on repairs...

Two were pushed over, the third broke off at the ground. All the peppers were bruised, but not crushed. Placed them in the dehydrator

.

I was trying to be mad at her about it, but my dad said she called him crying, so I'm letting it go. She's... Awkward...

Fortunately all three of them were plants I have a bunch of, so other than the time/effort lost, I didn't lose anything unique.

I'll snap some more pictures tomorrow.

Also my Yellow Scotch Bonnets are ripening up. Going to eat my first one of those this season!

Beehunter · May 29, 2012

Good luck with the data base! sounds like an awesome idea. That pod is impressive ! its a three hander! Cant wait to see the pics of the yellow bonnet. and good luck keep the tires off your garden.

jsschrstrcks · May 29, 2012

Thanks Brit!

The plant that pod is hanging off, has 5 or 6 more just like it - if not a little smaller

.

I'm going to try to make a bunch of crosses with it this year and see how they do...

Bonnet pictures in the morning

right now its almost 3am haha

Pulpiteer · May 29, 2012

Yeah that pepper data base sounds intense - great idea - I'll be curious what you'll learn from it

romy6 · May 29, 2012

Sounds like you have been a busy man JSS. Keep up the good work.

Oh and how may hands do you have