Can you lead an off-grid community?

Raw TV
Raw TV Registered Users Posts: 6 ✭
in Off Grid Solar & Battery Systems #1
Raw TV, the makers of the hit Discovery show Gold Rush, are searching for individuals to take part in an exciting new project.

Do you think you embody the spirit of the American pioneer? Are you fed up with the world you live in today and envisage another - better - way to live? Could you see yourself creating and leading a new community, outside the borders of society, built with the frontier grit of your forefathers? If you are passionate about your beliefs and want to share them, not only with those who join you, but also with a TV audience, I would love to talk to you.

Whether this sounds like something you are planning immediately or is a long term dream, please email your contact details and a brief description of your plans to casting@rawtelevision.co.uk

Thank you!
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  • BB.
    BB. Super Moderators, Administrators Posts: 33,613 admin
    #2
    Re: Can you lead an off-grid community?

    Just an FYI--I will leave this up for now--Appears it could be legit.

    Original poster did answer some questions in this forum:

    http://www.godlikeproductions.com/forum1/message1940898/pg1

    Appears to be anywhere in North America--Location based on where person/family chooses--not based on production company direction.. People who would be going off grid anyway. Production company will not be buying land/equipment (directly). Producer is out of New York.

    Otherwise, don't know anything else than the above link and US IP Address.

    -Bill
    Near San Francisco California: 3.5kWatt Grid Tied Solar power system+small backup genset
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  • Dill
    Dill Solar Expert Posts: 170 ✭✭
    #3
    Re: Can you lead an off-grid community?

    this post showed up in the small cabin forum as well...
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  • Cariboocoot
    Cariboocoot Banned Posts: 17,615 ✭✭✭
    #4
    Re: Can you lead an off-grid community?

    I am concerned that this would be another hyped-up "reality" show with as little reality as possible and as much drama as can be created. Note the wording of the initial post. I doubt they are concerned with technical proficiency, and certainly not with practical application of solar power.
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  • Vic
    Vic Solar Expert Posts: 3,208 ✭✭✭✭
    #5
    Re: Can you lead an off-grid community?

    OK, Spam TV, or MoreSpam TV

    But since it is elsewhere, kinna wonder why it NEEDS to be here. OOPppsss attitude. Vic
    Off Grid - Two systems -- 4 SW+ 5548 Inverters, Surrette 4KS25 1280 AH X2@48V, 11.1 KW STC PV, 4X MidNite Classic 150 w/ WBjrs, Beta KID on S-530s, MX-60s, MN Bkrs/Boxes.  25 KVA Polyphase Kubota diesel,  Honda Eu6500isa,  Eu3000is-es, Eu2000,  Eu1000 gensets.  Thanks Wind-Sun for this great Forum.
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  • niel
    niel Solar Expert Posts: 10,300 ✭✭✭✭
    #6
    Re: Can you lead an off-grid community?
    Cariboocoot wrote: »
    I am concerned that this would be another hyped-up "reality" show with as little reality as possible and as much drama as can be created. Note the wording of the initial post. I doubt they are concerned with technical proficiency, and certainly not with practical application of solar power.

    in thinking about this, i'm with you coot. they would focus on negatives so as to create controversy and would put an unnecessary bad light on off grid living. as an example they might try to place a limit on power to deliberately cause power fights because otherwise off grid living would be somewhat uneventful and maybe even boring. off grid living does not belong in reality tv, but is more inline with documentaries so as to focus on the subject of off grid living itself rather than the people fights and other social interactions of people that have little to do with the subject.
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  • Raw TV
    Raw TV Registered Users Posts: 6 ✭
    #7
    Re: Can you lead an off-grid community?

    Hello,

    To address some of your concerns - We do not want to make a hyped up, fake, manufactured drama reality TV show, rather we want to make an observational documentary. We are looking to follow real people's real lives as they live off the grid. The people we are searching for should aim to inform, not entertain - including informing our audience about solar power and how it can be used as an important power source. All of our projects are made with the utmost integrity and journalistic rigour.

    As far as why we've posted on different sites - we are trying to reach out to as many skilled people as possible across different groups.

    Please let me know if you have any further questions. Thank you!
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  • niel
    niel Solar Expert Posts: 10,300 ✭✭✭✭
    #8
    Re: Can you lead an off-grid community?

    i find this interesting to say the least. as much as i'd like to get away from where i am, i also acknowledge that we are all tied to society in some ways and we can't or won't be able to break all ties. for an example many here that are off grid will not part with the internet or do without phone service. i can see that and i can site medical reasons as well for myself that would limit the amount of separation one would employ. going food shopping is another as being off grid does not always mean living totally off of the land. i can say that if i had that money i'd have done this already and wouldn't need a tv show to film my life as incentive. i think for myself it wouldn't be to break all ties with society, but more to break the control society has on me.
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  • Cariboocoot
    Cariboocoot Banned Posts: 17,615 ✭✭✭
    #9
    Re: Can you lead an off-grid community?

    Well some of us on this forum, like myself, have lived off grid for years. Some part time, some full time.

    Let me tell you; the power generating aspect isn't the difficult bit. You just have to know what you're doing or ask the right questions of the people who do. Many of whom can be found on this forum. They're the ones who have lived off grid for years. :D

    The biggest challenge out here is that it's a long, tedious trip in to town.
    Don't confuse "off grid living" with "self-sufficiency/survivalist living".

    Frankly our life here would make pretty dull TV. Hours of watching hummingbirds. Hours of tedious wood chopping. Hours of looking at a perfectly still lake. Hours of reading books. Hours of discussing solar electric power systems on the Internet via satellite.

    If it were exciting, energetic, and entertaining I wouldn't be here. ;)
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  • icarus
    icarus Solar Expert Posts: 5,436 ✭✭✭✭
    #10
    Re: Can you lead an off-grid community?

    Followed by hours of hauling water out of a hole in the ice, thawing frozen water lines, cutting ice for the ice house, repairing gensets.

    Tony
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  • Photowhit
    Photowhit Solar Expert Posts: 6,006 ✭✭✭✭✭
    #11
    Re: Can you lead an off-grid community?

    I might go see what they have in mind, I know of some "off grid Communities" but I mostly want to do my own thing, a community will involve interaction between people, If they wanted to examine a lifestyle where you wdo laundry when the sun's up, hang your clothes and heat water via a microwave to sponge bath since you don't have your solar hotwater up and running and choose not to have an alternate source of hot water. That will be this winter...

    I wonder if they want to examine the different levels of "off grid" some having huge batteries and live a life style largely uneffected, while others live a minimalistic life style... I have a friend who lives on 100 watts of solar for a radio, fan and some light, I haven't heard from him in this heat and drought for 2 months, I hope he's doing OK. He has been helping me clear trees for my array...

    ...my own reality show is in my spare room;

    Attachment not found.
    Home system 4000 watt (Evergreen) array standing, with 2 Midnite Classic Lites,  Midnite E-panel, Magnum MS4024, Prosine 1800(now backup) and Exeltech 1100(former backup...lol), 660 ah 24v Forklift battery(now 10 years old). Off grid for 20 years (if I include 8 months on a bicycle).
    - Assorted other systems, pieces and to many panels in the closet to not do more projects.
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  • bmet
    bmet Solar Expert Posts: 630 ✭✭
    #12
    Re: Can you lead an off-grid community?

    With a name such as Godlikeproductions, they could be anywhere in the universe :D

    I vote to remove this advertisement from the best solar forum on the Internet.
    BB. wrote: »
    Just an FYI--I will leave this up for now--Appears it could be legit.

    Original poster did answer some questions in this forum:

    http://www.godlikeproductions.com/forum1/message1940898/pg1

    Appears to be anywhere in North America--Location based on where person/family chooses--not based on production company direction.. People who would be going off grid anyway. Production company will not be buying land/equipment (directly). Producer is out of New York.

    Otherwise, don't know anything else than the above link and US IP Address.

    -Bill
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  • BB.
    BB. Super Moderators, Administrators Posts: 33,613 admin
    #13
    Re: Can you lead an off-grid community?

    OK, I will pull this later this evening--The votes, so far, it does not add to the forum.

    -Bill
    Near San Francisco California: 3.5kWatt Grid Tied Solar power system+small backup genset
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  • SteveG
    SteveG Registered Users Posts: 19 ✭
    #14
    Re: Can you lead an off-grid community?
    bmet wrote: »
    With a name such as Godlikeproductions, they could be anywhere in the universe :D

    I vote to remove this advertisement from the best solar forum on the Internet.

    Just for clarification purposes, Godlikeproductions is the name of another forum.

    This company is Raw TV, to my understanding completely independant of the forum mentioned above. The OP may correct me if I am wrong in this assumption.
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  • niel
    niel Solar Expert Posts: 10,300 ✭✭✭✭
    #15
    Re: Can you lead an off-grid community?

    in all fairness to the op, let's wait to see what it is he has to say. i think he needs to put more of an explanation out in the open and address questions out in the open as well before we can totally judge it.
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  • BB.
    BB. Super Moderators, Administrators Posts: 33,613 admin
    #16
    Re: Can you lead an off-grid community?

    Yea--Godlike production forum was just something I pulled up on a search where the OP did post some responses to questions. GLP was not supplied by the OP.

    -Bill
    Near San Francisco California: 3.5kWatt Grid Tied Solar power system+small backup genset
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  • bmet
    bmet Solar Expert Posts: 630 ✭✭
    #17
    Re: Can you lead an off-grid community?

    I got that, hence the smiley face.
    BB. wrote: »
    Yea--Godlike production forum was just something I pulled up on a search where the OP did post some responses to questions. GLP was not supplied by the OP.

    -Bill
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  • Raw TV
    Raw TV Registered Users Posts: 6 ✭
    #18
    Re: Can you lead an off-grid community?

    Hi all,

    I'll try to answer any questions/doubts but please let me know if you have more specific questions or ideas you want to run by me.

    This series is still very early in development and we are open to different types of off-grid/self-sustaining lifestyles. We have no set community/settlement/method of living in mind. Instead, we want to learn about your plans and dreams of living in the wilderness, away from society. If this is something you want to do in the future, you get to decide where to move and who to move with - whether it is family, friends or associates. And if you are already living this lifestyle, we just want to learn about your everyday life. Our main goal is to find people who truly believe in living off the grid and want to share their skills, beliefs and lifestyle with an audience.

    Our company is Raw TV, we are not associated with Godlikeproductions - that was just another forum we reached out to.

    Let me know if you have more questions and if you are the least bit curious, send us an email and we can have a quick chat! Thank you!
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  • BB.
    BB. Super Moderators, Administrators Posts: 33,613 admin
    #19
    Re: Can you lead an off-grid community?

    Here is thread Les Stroud's (Surviroman) with a 1/2 hour show on rebuilding a very old building into an off grid home. Show is pretty good and interesting (much about family and other business/hobbies/rebuilding home)--But, as always, I have some issues with the technical details and his choices for the off grid setup (remember this is ~six years ago too):

    Survivorman Les Stroud's Off-Grid System

    I can understand the question about off grid power--If done right, it is pretty boring (and probably not cheap). Everything works and the daily/weekly battery checks, making sure family members/guests do not use too much power, etc.

    I nominate Tony (Icarus') place on the lake/island in Canada. Sounds like a piece of heaven (with a bunch of hard work thrown in).

    -Bill
    Near San Francisco California: 3.5kWatt Grid Tied Solar power system+small backup genset
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  • Cariboocoot
    Cariboocoot Banned Posts: 17,615 ✭✭✭
    #20
    Re: Can you lead an off-grid community?

    I don't know how much research Raw TV wants to put into this project, but this forum is loaded with information.

    A couple of threads about systems and why we have them:
    http://forum.solar-electric.com/showthread.php?11240-Show-Me-Yours-And-I-ll-Show-You-Mine-%29
    http://forum.solar-electric.com/showthread.php?4368-Reasons-We-Live-Off-Grid

    As has been mentioned before, most people who live away from the hustle and bustle of ordinary life do so because they like their privacy. They (we) prefer to deal with society on their (our) own terms instead of having it inflicted on them (us) daily. I'm not sure such people would be too keen on having a TV crew poking lenses into their daily activity.

    I do know it's not for me.
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  • mikeo
    mikeo Solar Expert Posts: 386 ✭✭✭
    #21
    Re: Can you lead an off-grid community?

    I have a neighbor who lives on top of the mountain from me who has lived off grid now for close to 30 years. He built all his own beautiful hand built log buildings from timber off his land and his place looks like a movie set from a 30's family movie complete with chickens and dogs roaming the yard. He with his wife raised two great boys who are now both in collage. I don't know if they would be interested or not, but their solar system is pretty antiquated by today's standards. He drives an old diesel Mercedes with veggie oil he gets from the local restaurants.
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  • PhilS
    PhilS Solar Expert Posts: 370 ✭✭✭
    #22
    Re: Can you lead an off-grid community?

    I'd request that the moderators don't remove this thread. I haven't seen anything to indicate 'spam'. A production company wants to do reality TV about living off-grid? GREAT!!

    Phil
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  • BB.
    BB. Super Moderators, Administrators Posts: 33,613 admin
    #23
    Re: Can you lead an off-grid community?

    I will leave it up for now.

    In the, the end, while I personally love technological shows (remember "How its Made"?), I would assume that a successful show is going to revolve around the people/characters themselves and their "adventures".

    Something like Alone in the Wilderness (retired man builds cabin in wilderness and lives a subsistence existence). Updated with solar/modern trappings.

    -Bill
    Near San Francisco California: 3.5kWatt Grid Tied Solar power system+small backup genset
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  • peakbagger
    peakbagger Solar Expert Posts: 341 ✭✭✭
    #24
    Re: Can you lead an off-grid community?

    I dont hold out a lot of hope for it being a positive portrayal of an off gird community. Those shows are set up to generate drama solar is just a hook to get folks to watch it but what they really are looking for are a bunch of screw ups that they can dramatize.

    Then again the "actors" seem to make out pretty well if they don't mind being portrayed as idiots. If you look at the trucks and equipment the gold rush guys have on the second season they are driving brand new high end rigs. There is some sort of profit participation on the actors part to do whatever they are told to get the ratings cranked up so its to their incentive to give it plenty of drama
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  • niel
    niel Solar Expert Posts: 10,300 ✭✭✭✭
    #25
    Re: Can you lead an off-grid community?

    raw tv,
    it is important that you keep this more open to all here rather than if you have specifics to email you. you are possibly limiting yourself by staying that private as others would be interested in what you'd have to say too. i need to add that i will keep it going as this thread will stand and if it fails it will be by rawtv's doing or naws's overuling me.

    you said you won't pay for the property or the equipment, but i'm sure there are those out there who'd want to know what you might pay for.

    also, will the cameras be on 24/7 and basically everywhere? the other shows weren't quite as invasive to privacy as what you are proposing here and many would want to know the boundaries.

    i don't think leading a community is the right wording either as this makes it more cultish or communistic and most off gridders are not in this category. you have a stereotype image of this and many that are off grid.

    remember that i opted to leave this open and on the forum in spite of my apprehensiveness towards this and i'm sure the members also have this, as well as the curiosity of how you plan to lay this out. i realize that you don't want to give too much away, but it has to be more than you are presently doing openly on the forum.

    i said it and others did too that it isn't so much that we need to get away because we don't like people as it is the control, excessive taxes, dumb rules and laws greed, crime, etc that society imposes against us. i am in an urban area and by any standard i am poor. the biggest crime that goes on here with me is the constant high taxes that they are trying to double in my county after they've already raised those taxes this year. i can tell you that if things don't stop with this that i may need to leave, but i lack that real ability to move on for many reasons and not just financially. this is more info than i'd normally place here openly on the forum, but i know i'm not alone in this plight to whatever degree. it is a catch 22 for me.
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  • jeffkruse
    jeffkruse Solar Expert Posts: 205 ✭✭✭
    #26
    Re: Can you lead an off-grid community?

    Please leave the thread, it seems valid.

    At what point are you “off Grid”? Are we talking the electrical grid only or everything else? If it’s everything else then what constitutes a grid? If you interact with other people are you part of a social grid? How far do people go so they don’t participate in the economy and thus have no need for money?
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  • Photowhit
    Photowhit Solar Expert Posts: 6,006 ✭✭✭✭✭
    #27
    Re: Can you lead an off-grid community?

    I don't think I'm a candidate, and those I know or have known are pretty private individuals.

    My friend who has been a logger most of his life, but can't make money doing that, would be someone who, I think, would be good as a documentary. He use to go out to Colo logging in the summer, and live out of his truck most of the week coming to town for groceries and church, once a week or once a month. In a camping comunity where I thought I was the only one doing off grid solar, he had his sneaky single 55 watt panel, flat on the roof of his camper, for lights, radio and fan (and a tiny bit of TV, which shocked me, until I found he checked the weather...)

    When his mother died the kids all wanted to split up the family farm into a piece for each kid, he told them he didn't want to spoil the farm and to just leave him out, I suspect he was the primary caregiver the last couple years of her life. He fixed up the house and is trying to do a bed and breakfast for the ministry after having bad renters. Him, he had been living in and out of the barn and I think still is subsistance farming, hunting, scavaging he still collects animal tails for brush makers... My guess is he'd say sure to the show just leave him alone, and after a week they'd get bored and go home, he's just living...

    I'll respond to the PM they sent, but I think the interaction will be interesting, they already impled that 'off grid' equates to sustanable living, I don't thing off grid solar is sustanable and if it is it is just a wash at best any energy 'savings' would be with a grid tied system...
    Home system 4000 watt (Evergreen) array standing, with 2 Midnite Classic Lites,  Midnite E-panel, Magnum MS4024, Prosine 1800(now backup) and Exeltech 1100(former backup...lol), 660 ah 24v Forklift battery(now 10 years old). Off grid for 20 years (if I include 8 months on a bicycle).
    - Assorted other systems, pieces and to many panels in the closet to not do more projects.
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  • Raw TV
    Raw TV Registered Users Posts: 6 ✭
    #28
    Re: Can you lead an off-grid community?

    Hi all,

    Once again, thank you for your responses and for letting the thread stay. I'm sorry that you feel I haven't been open about the project. In all honesty, the series is early in development and so much depends on the people who are featured, that many specifics have not been decided yet. I'll try to answer your questions as best I can.

    First, to Photowit - your friend does seem like he has had a very interesting and trying journey. If you think he'd be interested, we'd love to get his contact info and reach out to him.

    As far as how "off-grid" the community has to be, there are really no set rules or restrictions. It can be off-grid electrically, it can have a barter system, or it can just be a more sustainable and free way of living. We are very open and are more focused on finding people who truly believe in this general way of life. It shouldn't be something you would try for a month or two, rather you want to make this your life. Whatever the motivation - sick of the control, tired of urban chaos, etc. - you want to move away and live the way you want. You can decide what type of community you want to start, where, and with whom. It really depends on your dreams. Although we will not be buying your land and supplies - we will try to be (invisible) partners to do what we can to facilitate your plans.

    Niel, I apologize if you take offense to the word "community" - by no means do we mean cult or intend any hidden or negative connotation! I really just think that is the best word to describe what we are looking for, as in we aren't looking for a lone survival man, rather a family or group of friends or team of associates who want to make their dream way of living come true.

    I know most "reality TV" shows are trashy or portray their subjects in a negative light, but I assure you Raw does approach everything with integrity. We do want this show to be a positive and informative portrayal of our subject's lives. We want our participants to be happy with how they are portrayed because it is no one's best interest for them to be unhappy. We hope this will be a successful, long-running series, not one season of manipulative, negative portrayals. For us to make this a long-running series, there will need to be trust and the participants will need to be happy with the show. As a production company, we have no motivation to portray you poorly, in fact just the complete opposite.

    I hope this helps a bit. Let me know if you have more questions! Thanks!
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  • BB.
    BB. Super Moderators, Administrators Posts: 33,613 admin
    #29
    Re: Can you lead an off-grid community?

    We do appreciate you answering questions on th forum.

    As you can guess, we get a lot of commercial posts where we never hear anything back.

    Again, thank you very much for participating here.

    Sincerely,
    -Bill
    Near San Francisco California: 3.5kWatt Grid Tied Solar power system+small backup genset
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  • niel
    niel Solar Expert Posts: 10,300 ✭✭✭✭
    #30
    Re: Can you lead an off-grid community?

    now that you touched on the community aspect that it does not mean having a commune like scene, then this could be somebody off grid in the city as well. i wish i had the $ to do it or i'd probably take you up on it. oops, the other half might give me an argument as she is very wasteful and does not like to sacrifice or conserve.:cry::roll:
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  • ywhic
    ywhic Solar Expert Posts: 621 ✭✭
    #31
    Re: Can you lead an off-grid community?

    I've done alot in the last 15 years or so.. I sent Raw TV a PM on some suggestions..

    Heaven knows I'm trying to get to TX sooner to get to working on my cabin... and as you folks know I got 'personality'..
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