What happens to our solar if the poles flip?

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  • bill von novak
    bill von novak Solar Expert Posts: 891 ✭✭✭✭
    softdown said:
    The DOE looking at (again) cybersecurity is just the start. When you finish "lights out" you will start to see what they are up against. It hurts my head to think about what it will take to put a dent in the cyber holes.

    They do not make a decent solar pump to drain some of these swamps :) Cut cut cut!
    Do you still have hopes of any real swamp draining? That hope may be the biggest reason that we took a chance on an inexperienced and politically "uncompromised" business leader. 

    It is possible that he is "playing 3D chess" and is actually several moves ahead of his opponents. It is also possible/probable that "fixing Washington" is about as possible as "fixing the weather".
    Or that the inexperienced leader will make the swamp much, much worse.  (Which so far, looks like the case.)
  • softdown
    softdown Solar Expert Posts: 3,812 ✭✭✭✭
    softdown said:
    The DOE looking at (again) cybersecurity is just the start. When you finish "lights out" you will start to see what they are up against. It hurts my head to think about what it will take to put a dent in the cyber holes.

    They do not make a decent solar pump to drain some of these swamps :) Cut cut cut!
    Do you still have hopes of any real swamp draining? That hope may be the biggest reason that we took a chance on an inexperienced and politically "uncompromised" business leader. 

    It is possible that he is "playing 3D chess" and is actually several moves ahead of his opponents. It is also possible/probable that "fixing Washington" is about as possible as "fixing the weather".
    Or that the inexperienced leader will make the swamp much, much worse.  (Which so far, looks like the case.)
    Perhaps. I could write down a dozen reasons to be pessimistic for every reason to be optimistic. Expecting one human to fix the government is likely somewhat naive thinking. Especially when one considers that the worse the government works for most, the better it works for the benefactors who created and infested the swamp. 
    First Bank:16 180 watt Grape Solar with  FM80 controller and 3648 Inverter....Fullriver 8D AGM solar batteries. Second Bank/MacGyver Special: 10 165(?) watt BP Solar with Renogy MPPT 40A controller/ and Xantrex C-35 PWM controller/ and Morningstar PWM controller...Cotek 24V PSW inverter....forklift and diesel locomotive batteries
  • oil pan 4
    oil pan 4 Solar Expert Posts: 767 ✭✭✭✭
    Looks like pole flip could be going mainstream.
    It's just getting to the point where it's not crazy talk.

    Solar hybrid gasoline generator, 7kw gas, 180 watts of solar, Morningstar 15 amp MPPT, group 31 AGM, 900 watt kisae inverter.

    Solar roof top GMC suburban, a normal 3/4 ton suburban with 180 watts of panels on the roof and 10 amp genasun MPPT, 2000w samlex pure sine wave inverter, 12v gast and ARB air compressors.

  • Dave Angelini
    Dave Angelini Solar Expert Posts: 6,730 ✭✭✭✭✭✭
    oil pan 4 said:
    Looks like pole flip could be going mainstream.
    It's just getting to the point where it's not crazy talk.
    Yes definitely more people are aware of how bad it could get. Many know that it would not take that much to at least have some basic plan for hardening the grid. 

    I am hopeful for any President to do what they say they are going to do!
    Even if it is not what I think should be done. The pendulum needs to swing for everyone!
    "we go where power lines don't" Sierra Nevada mountain area
       htps://offgridsolar1.com/
    E-mail offgridsolar@sti.net

  • bill von novak
    bill von novak Solar Expert Posts: 891 ✭✭✭✭
    oil pan 4 said:
    Looks like pole flip could be going mainstream.
    It's just getting to the point where it's not crazy talk.
    It's not crazy talk at all.  It's just going to take so long (if it happens at all) that it won't be a big, pressing emergency.


  • oil pan 4
    oil pan 4 Solar Expert Posts: 767 ✭✭✭✭
    The earths magnetic field lost 10% of its strength between 2000 and 2015.
    It does appear to be happening and no one is sure what all the effects will be.

    Solar hybrid gasoline generator, 7kw gas, 180 watts of solar, Morningstar 15 amp MPPT, group 31 AGM, 900 watt kisae inverter.

    Solar roof top GMC suburban, a normal 3/4 ton suburban with 180 watts of panels on the roof and 10 amp genasun MPPT, 2000w samlex pure sine wave inverter, 12v gast and ARB air compressors.

  • softdown
    softdown Solar Expert Posts: 3,812 ✭✭✭✭
    oil pan 4 said:
    The earths magnetic field lost 10% of its strength between 2000 and 2015.
    It does appear to be happening and no one is sure what all the effects will be.
    That is a great deal in fifteen years. It is my understanding that the magnetic field helps shield us from most solar flares. Guessing that studying this would fold into the study of geophysics. My deceased brother would have perhaps been helpful to understand this. He wrote articles and gave talks about geophysical aspects of oil exploration. Notably electrical methodology.

    First Bank:16 180 watt Grape Solar with  FM80 controller and 3648 Inverter....Fullriver 8D AGM solar batteries. Second Bank/MacGyver Special: 10 165(?) watt BP Solar with Renogy MPPT 40A controller/ and Xantrex C-35 PWM controller/ and Morningstar PWM controller...Cotek 24V PSW inverter....forklift and diesel locomotive batteries
  • simmtron
    simmtron Solar Expert Posts: 87 ✭✭✭
    i have an APP available for sale that will stop the flip during your lifetime. For only $99.99. 
  • softdown
    softdown Solar Expert Posts: 3,812 ✭✭✭✭
    Estragon said:
    Possible or conceivable, but likely not "easy". There's no such thing as a completely secure computer, but if it was easy, it would likely have happened by now. No shortage of well-resourced whack jobs in the world who have no doubt tried.
    You got it!  A  well coordinated cyber attack can do the same thing as as an EMP or Flare and very hard to trace the perpetrators. Some say that the Malware is already in some of the powerplants lying in wait. China and Russia could do this if they wanted. We probably taught them how >:)

    The part about it being easy, I am not going to go into the details in the book because it is even worse than I want to go into. It basically does the job of the EMP by burning of the Key transformers that are so hard to replace. This snowballs into a very very bad situation.

    There is a very nice way to prevent this also in the book.
    Finished "Lights Out" this morning. I seem to have missed this part "There is a very nice way to prevent this also in the book."

    My take is that Ted was selling us on the idea of giving up what privacy is left so the NSA could more thoroughly determine attempts to breach our energy infrastructure and shut down those efforts. Sort of reminds me of turning the internet over to Skynet so it could swat down the global virus....that was created by Skynet. Sound far fetched? QAnon/NSA was recently bragging that the NSA had backdoors built into all electronics of the past ten years and consequently "Knows everything". Thus bringing us up to date on NSA activities now that Snowden has grown inactive. Yet QAnon is actively hunting Snowden. 

    QAnon then went on to "take on" Eric Schmidt of Google, Elon Musk of Tesla, Gates of Microsoft, Bezos of Amazon, the CEO of Reddit, Debbie Schwarzerman of DNC, Podesta of DNC, Clinton. This is going off of January memories. QAnon doesn't seem very interested in the stock market or the possibility of revenge. Revenge seems to have arrived. Google/YouTube apparently just hired "10,000 social justice warriors" who are shutting down many news feeds of the "far right" due to "fake news" or "bullying" etc. This may get much more interesting and quite soon.

    I'd like to say this mostly current speculation and the truth should come out soon enough. However, as many of us know, truth is the first victim of politically driven ideologues. 

    Interesting that we are supposedly #1 in offense for attacking power grids and extremely weak on defense of our vulnerable power grids. 

    As for the oh so well prepared Mormons that David A. mentioned? Yes....they have made very impressive preparations. The government will certainly enjoy seizing those assets when the need arises. 

    Yes.....I am convinced that cyber hackers attacking and shutting down much or most of the national power grid is a very significant threat. Few are aware of just how difficult and time consuming it is to replace transformers that costs millions and sometimes weigh millions of pounds. "Millions of pounds?" That is almost hard to believe in a way. I was unable to easily find what transformers are primarily made of.
    First Bank:16 180 watt Grape Solar with  FM80 controller and 3648 Inverter....Fullriver 8D AGM solar batteries. Second Bank/MacGyver Special: 10 165(?) watt BP Solar with Renogy MPPT 40A controller/ and Xantrex C-35 PWM controller/ and Morningstar PWM controller...Cotek 24V PSW inverter....forklift and diesel locomotive batteries
  • Dave Angelini
    Dave Angelini Solar Expert Posts: 6,730 ✭✭✭✭✭✭
    PM me and I will remind you of what he said. I really do not want this out there, from me at least.

    We have a latter day saints here church in Mariposa. The government may try and seize their belongings as you say, they may find it enjoyable initially, they would not find it easy though!  They would also have to deal with our Sheriff and his group. The bad guys who came up here when the town of 5,000 were evacuated during a wildfire for 7 days found there way to jail quickly. Other things also that would make them think about it next time.

     We are very different here than what you read about in the California news. Keeps me here with the oldest working courthouse west of the Mississippi. There are trees outside it that are the perfect height for dealing with bad guys!
    "we go where power lines don't" Sierra Nevada mountain area
       htps://offgridsolar1.com/
    E-mail offgridsolar@sti.net

  • softdown
    softdown Solar Expert Posts: 3,812 ✭✭✭✭
    edited March 2018 #72
    If most of the grid is taken down by hostile hackers, it would be the military seizing whatever they needed....I am guessing. That is one thing we are definitely #1 in.....I think we could "run the table" with  surprise and sound military tactics. I'd probably rather be managed by Mormons but that's just me. 

    Sheer speculation on my part. Losing the grid represents a catastrophe of unthinkable proportions. Far worse than anything encountered in the world history that I am aware of. First year fatalities are projected to reach 90%. Not sure I would want to deal with that scenario. Maybe 50%...tops. 

    BB in SF....everyones favorite mod? With his bug out bag and tent? Awwww.....
    First Bank:16 180 watt Grape Solar with  FM80 controller and 3648 Inverter....Fullriver 8D AGM solar batteries. Second Bank/MacGyver Special: 10 165(?) watt BP Solar with Renogy MPPT 40A controller/ and Xantrex C-35 PWM controller/ and Morningstar PWM controller...Cotek 24V PSW inverter....forklift and diesel locomotive batteries
  • Horsefly
    Horsefly Registered Users Posts: 470 ✭✭✭✭
    I don't mean this to offend, but if we are to the point of bringing up wacky conspiracy theories like those of Q anon on a solar energy board, I suspect we have not only drifted off-topic, but we probably need to find some new hobbies.  Just my opinion.

    I'll now wait to see some flat-earth threads.  :)  
    Off-grid cabin: 6 x Canadian Solar CSK-280M PV panels, Schneider XW-MPPT60-150 Charge Controller, Schneider CSW4024 Inverter/Charger, Schneider SCP, 8S (25.6V), 230Ah Eve LiFePO4 battery in a custom insulated and heated case.
  • Dave Angelini
    Dave Angelini Solar Expert Posts: 6,730 ✭✭✭✭✭✭
    Enlighten please, who is Q anon ?
    "we go where power lines don't" Sierra Nevada mountain area
       htps://offgridsolar1.com/
    E-mail offgridsolar@sti.net

  • Horsefly
    Horsefly Registered Users Posts: 470 ✭✭✭✭
    I didn't know either, until I googled it. A face palm soon followed.
    Off-grid cabin: 6 x Canadian Solar CSK-280M PV panels, Schneider XW-MPPT60-150 Charge Controller, Schneider CSW4024 Inverter/Charger, Schneider SCP, 8S (25.6V), 230Ah Eve LiFePO4 battery in a custom insulated and heated case.
  • softdown
    softdown Solar Expert Posts: 3,812 ✭✭✭✭
    edited March 2018 #76
    Horsefly said:
    I don't mean this to offend, but if we are to the point of bringing up wacky conspiracy theories like those of Q anon on a solar energy board, I suspect we have not only drifted off-topic, but we probably need to find some new hobbies.  Just my opinion.

    I'll now wait to see some flat-earth threads.  :)  
    edited.........

    There are both conspiracy theories and conspiracy fact. They should not be confused. 
    First Bank:16 180 watt Grape Solar with  FM80 controller and 3648 Inverter....Fullriver 8D AGM solar batteries. Second Bank/MacGyver Special: 10 165(?) watt BP Solar with Renogy MPPT 40A controller/ and Xantrex C-35 PWM controller/ and Morningstar PWM controller...Cotek 24V PSW inverter....forklift and diesel locomotive batteries
  • Dave Angelini
    Dave Angelini Solar Expert Posts: 6,730 ✭✭✭✭✭✭
    Well said Softdown!  The real conspiracy in all of this is that it would be really difficult to do something about hardening the power grid of the largest economy in the world.

     Let us start small and develop a plan or reveal what is classified. Twenty billion dollars is what I have read would at least get power out to major urban centers within 3 months.

    Funny tee shirt. Back when captain Cook was mapping the Pacific in 1780s, many still thought he would sail off. Including the native Hawaiians who cut up his body and sent his leg back to to HMS Resolution. Great story in Blue Latitudes by Tony Horowitz.
    "we go where power lines don't" Sierra Nevada mountain area
       htps://offgridsolar1.com/
    E-mail offgridsolar@sti.net

  • BB.
    BB. Super Moderators, Administrators Posts: 33,431 admin
    I have deleted the "off thread" humor... Softdown's thread--He desires to keep on topic and avoid humorous (and other) asides...

    Perfectly OK if somebody wants to start their own Solar Humor thread (may be pretty short.... :) )

    -Bill
    Near San Francisco California: 3.5kWatt Grid Tied Solar power system+small backup genset
  • softdown
    softdown Solar Expert Posts: 3,812 ✭✭✭✭
    edited March 2018 #79
    Well said Softdown!  The real conspiracy in all of this is that it would be really difficult to do something about hardening the power grid of the largest economy in the world.

     Let us start small and develop a plan or reveal what is classified. Twenty billion dollars is what I have read would at least get power out to major urban centers within 3 months.

    Funny tee shirt. Back when captain Cook was mapping the Pacific in 1780s, many still thought he would sail off. Including the native Hawaiians who cut up his body and sent his leg back to to HMS Resolution. Great story in Blue Latitudes by Tony Horowitz.
    I'm afraid I received three helpings of curiosity. Which means I am constantly bumping heads with those who feel that I have no need, perhaps no right, to expand my intellectual horizons. That curiosity does, on occasion, set me sailing into turbulent waters. I can't seem to remember a time when I failed to attract at least one Ingsoc Thought Cop stalker at every forum that I regularly post on. They may call themselves patriots, I call them bullies and stalkers. Generally sans a scientifically biased mind. More akin to a sheep herding dog. 

    QAnon, whom I referenced, does have some sort of background in the intel world. Which is of particular interest to the mind endowed, or cursed, with explorational wanderlust. I pretty well gave up on him/her some time ago though I do know there were many crumbs of truth in his/her meanderings. 

    As a kid, there was little I enjoyed more than the biographies and autobiographies of the finest minds from previous generations. I think they all suffered a tremendous amount of ridicule and adversity. Which frequently led to their murder prior to fame or their respect.....after they died. The ancient sea explorers led extremely hazardous lives. Magellan, Cook, Columbus, Cabot, Erikkson, Drake and so many others. How many died, or were murdered, that we never heard of?

    Newton? Miracle that the authorities were thwarted in their numerous attempts at his capture.
    Tesla? Perhaps the greatest mind of them all? Never heard of him until the internet.
    Edison? Much ridicule
    Ford? Much harassment 
    Galileo? 
    Plato/Socrates/Aristotle?
    Freud? Well he deserved a lot of it
    Jefferson?
    Einstein?
    da Vinci?

    Koppel enjoyed a lot of NSA steering in his book. I might be inclined to discredit the threat level a smidge if the consequences were not the  greatest catastrophe imaginable. Plus it is a subject that I possess absolutely no expertise in....hacking. Always struck me as breaking and entering. I might be inclined to arrest all of them.....if feasible. Then our intelligence apparatus would largely be behind bars. Imagine that. 

    First Bank:16 180 watt Grape Solar with  FM80 controller and 3648 Inverter....Fullriver 8D AGM solar batteries. Second Bank/MacGyver Special: 10 165(?) watt BP Solar with Renogy MPPT 40A controller/ and Xantrex C-35 PWM controller/ and Morningstar PWM controller...Cotek 24V PSW inverter....forklift and diesel locomotive batteries
  • softdown
    softdown Solar Expert Posts: 3,812 ✭✭✭✭
    edited March 2018 #80
    The following  DDoS attack took less than a minute after posting. The first one since I had to get a new router and service due to........DDoS attacks. Time for a thread on changing router passwords?

    Now I am also locked out of changing my router password. Gosh....who coulda dunnit? Especially considering the VPN employed.....
    First Bank:16 180 watt Grape Solar with  FM80 controller and 3648 Inverter....Fullriver 8D AGM solar batteries. Second Bank/MacGyver Special: 10 165(?) watt BP Solar with Renogy MPPT 40A controller/ and Xantrex C-35 PWM controller/ and Morningstar PWM controller...Cotek 24V PSW inverter....forklift and diesel locomotive batteries
  • mike95490
    mike95490 Solar Expert Posts: 9,583 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Configure your new router off line before connecting to the internet.
    See if there is DD-WRT or Tomato firmware for it, flash it, configure it, then hook up.

    But my guess is a virus in your computer. No real benefit to hacking routers of home users.
    Scan with malwarebytes, burn a Avira Rescue Disk CD, boot and scan to be sure.
    Powerfab top of pole PV mount | Listeroid 6/1 w/st5 gen head | XW6048 inverter/chgr | Iota 48V/15A charger | Morningstar 60A MPPT | 48V, 800A NiFe Battery (in series)| 15, Evergreen 205w "12V" PV array on pole | Midnight ePanel | Grundfos 10 SO5-9 with 3 wire Franklin Electric motor (1/2hp 240V 1ph ) on a timer for 3 hr noontime run - Runs off PV ||
    || Midnight Classic 200 | 10, Evergreen 200w in a 160VOC array ||
    || VEC1093 12V Charger | Maha C401 aa/aaa Charger | SureSine | Sunsaver MPPT 15A

    solar: http://tinyurl.com/LMR-Solar
    gen: http://tinyurl.com/LMR-Lister ,

  • softdown
    softdown Solar Expert Posts: 3,812 ✭✭✭✭
    mike95490 said:
    Configure your new router off line before connecting to the internet.
    See if there is DD-WRT or Tomato firmware for it, flash it, configure it, then hook up.

    But my guess is a virus in your computer. No real benefit to hacking routers of home users.
    Scan with malwarebytes, burn a Avira Rescue Disk CD, boot and scan to be sure.
    No need for a virus. They can simply install all the desired software they want via their updates. For example, this is what my Opera program currently looks like:  OK.......paste isn't working. They installed 13 different adjuncts to Opera on 2/15/18...while removing my ability to conduct Restore operations. There are "no Restore points" anymore. 

    No malware.....to easy to find and remove. Just use Microsoft to surreptitiously add whatever is wanted. They didn't even bother to hide what their sub-routines did until last month. 

    I've known my computers are their toys for a long time. DDoS attacks are just low. 
    First Bank:16 180 watt Grape Solar with  FM80 controller and 3648 Inverter....Fullriver 8D AGM solar batteries. Second Bank/MacGyver Special: 10 165(?) watt BP Solar with Renogy MPPT 40A controller/ and Xantrex C-35 PWM controller/ and Morningstar PWM controller...Cotek 24V PSW inverter....forklift and diesel locomotive batteries
  • Estragon
    Estragon Registered Users Posts: 4,496 ✭✭✭✭✭
    I'm reasonably certain that a reflashed router running DD-WRT isn't re-upping itself. Run a linux variant OS and read the source to see what it does.
    Off-grid.  
    Main daytime system ~4kw panels into 2xMNClassic150 370ah 48v bank 2xOutback 3548 inverter 120v + 240v autotransformer
    Night system ~1kw panels into 1xMNClassic150 700ah 12v bank morningstar 300w inverter
  • Gator
    Gator Registered Users Posts: 29 ✭✭
    Luv some of the "Hilarious Comments"...ONLY GOD IS IN CONTROL !
  • softdown
    softdown Solar Expert Posts: 3,812 ✭✭✭✭
    Gator said:
    Luv some of the "Hilarious Comments"...ONLY GOD IS IN CONTROL !
    This song seems especially pertinent given the mega trends of the past couple decades or so:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yesyhQkYrQM

    Just need to shrink each century down to a year or so.  
    First Bank:16 180 watt Grape Solar with  FM80 controller and 3648 Inverter....Fullriver 8D AGM solar batteries. Second Bank/MacGyver Special: 10 165(?) watt BP Solar with Renogy MPPT 40A controller/ and Xantrex C-35 PWM controller/ and Morningstar PWM controller...Cotek 24V PSW inverter....forklift and diesel locomotive batteries