[D1N0]

W-komura 35mm 2.5 Just a bit hazy with bright light shining through, not visible otherwise





SMC Pentax-A Zoom 35-210mm 1:3.5-4.5 Not for sale very often so I snapped it up. A lot of fungus somewhere behind the aperture. Hopefully I can get to it just unscrewing the rear element so I don't mess up any of the aperture mechanics.

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Last edited by D1N0; 08-18-2022 at 05:42 AM.

[gaweidert]

Our roof shouldn't be doing any insulating. It should be close to ambient temperature, which it is at night. In the sun it heats up considerably. These can't be any worse than the previous asphalt shingles in that regard. I asked for a not-so-black color on the regular shingles to maybe cool down the roof.

Opinions are all over the place on looks so far, including "what the hell is wrong with your roof?"

Are you going to be storing any energy on site in a battery bank at your house? If not, when the grid goes down, it shuts off the feed from the panels and you sit in the dark too. The panels are still working, but the energy just goes to waste.


As to looks, it is what it is. If it works then it is beautiful. I much prefer this sort of solar panel installation instead of covering thousands of acres of land with them. The best system is one that can move to follow the sun across the sky. They can harvest as much as 40% more energy than stationary panels. But they are also a lot more expensive and have to sit somewhere in your yard on a solid foundation.


Look up Will Prowse on Youtube. He has a few different battery rack systems installed in his garage. He is great at explaining how it all works and his battery reviews are awesome. The guy is a natural teacher.


As the panels heats up they get less effective. Is there any ventilation under the panels to help them keep cool?

[mattb123]

I bought a Fujifilm GF 100-200/5.6 on eBay yesterday afternoon and this morning it arrived on my doorstep!
I guess the seller is also in CO but that was surprisingly fast.

[Just1MoreDave]

Are you going to be storing any energy on site in a battery bank at your house? If not, when the grid goes down, it shuts off the feed from the panels and you sit in the dark too. The panels are still working, but the energy just goes to waste.

Yes, I am going blind trying to figure out batteries. The second reason to get batteries is our electric rates, which go up in the afternoon and evening. Batteries will save me money by charging when the sun gives me more power than I can use. Then later I can pull from the batteries instead of the grid. Also the utility buys my excess power at 15% or less of what it sells me power, so I have a big incentive to keep what I generate.

Look up Will Prowse on Youtube. He has a few different battery rack systems installed in his garage. He is great at explaining how it all works and his battery reviews are awesome. The guy is a natural teacher.

I have watched a lot of his videos and am almost confident enough to build my own batteries. His best advice is probably if you don't feel confident, don't do it. He does explain a lot of details that suppliers often bury way down in the technical data.

As the panels heats up they get less effective. Is there any ventilation under the panels to help them keep cool?

This is a very common question with the GAF shingles, and they don't quite answer it. What they say: their efficiency is competitive with very good panels, around 22.6%. But that's at ordinary temps, so who cares. Then they say the panels operate up to 122F, better than good panels. Again, a nice number but a lot of places can see 100F air temp in the summer, so 122F on a roof isn't that much higher. They did check and add attic ventilation which they say is now well within design parameters. I have seen This Old House projects where the shingles were floating on 1x2 battens with a matrix underneath. I asked if they wanted to do that and they said no. They do have a couple of warranties on lifetime and power production, and all of the promotional material says they designed the things to be nailed down to plywood like a regular shingle. I would like to think they've tested this theory. Maybe they are protecting their ideas that get it to work. If it doesn't, that's where it'll fail.

[Marcus Rowland]

Nothing very exciting lately - some job lots and a few good items including a Flektagon and an AF Nikkor 1.9/50D, but nothing remarkable.

But I just bought a spaceship! A little bit pricey at £17 including postage



It's a 3D printed version of Wallace and Gromit's rocket - the original model was designed to be 5cm high but I want it for a tabletop RPG and it worked out that about 12cm high was right. Got a friend to print it out and send it to me, wasn't cheap because there's quite a lot of filament in it. Still needs finishing and painting, but it's a while before I need to use it.

If anyone wants the 3D model for this it's here:

Wallace & Gromit rocket by erno - Thingiverse

[Racer X 69]

What are the insulation properties of solar shingles compared to a regular tile roof? I've always assumed it'd be pretty poor and any benefits from having panels as shingles would be kind of lost.

Roofing materials don’t offer any insulating value. The insulation is in the fluffy stuff in the attic.

[rvandenbrink]

I finally bit the bullet and bought a 150-450mm zoom.
Went and shot a few frames, I'll really have to change my methodology if I plan to take this lens (and the required tripod) on a bike (pedal pedal, not zoom zoom) with me.

Even if I'm hiking it'll take some planning and way more "what comes along and what stays home" decisions!

Even with all that, it's a stellar piece of glass !!

[Canada_Rockies]

We babysat a friends' house while they were away, and ate all the ripe tomatoes from their greenhouse while we did. They surprised us with these as a gift today as a thank you. Quite colourful, they are.

K-3 and DA* 16-50. EXIF in the images.

[tim60]

Roofing materials don’t offer any insulating value. The insulation is in the fluffy stuff in the attic.

I suppose there is some value in making very efficient solar cells - if the energy goes away as electricity it does not go into the house as heat.

Other than that, solar cells do not need to be efficient, they need to be life cycle cheap for delivery per kWhr so long as you get reasonable supply from a roof full.

But from our days of buying energy we think in terms of energy efficiency because of tradition, even when it is not the most relevant measure for a consumer.

[gaweidert]

I suppose there is some value in making very efficient solar cells - if the energy goes away as electricity it does not go into the house as heat.

Other than that, solar cells do not need to be efficient, they need to be life cycle cheap for delivery per kWhr so long as you get reasonable supply from a roof full.

But from our days of buying energy we think in terms of energy efficiency because of tradition, even when it is not the most relevant measure for a consumer.

The manufacture of solar panels is not an environmentally friendly activity. Neither is the disposal of them. They are technically toxic waste. Making them as efficient and as long lasting as possible is a moral imperative. The efficiency of solar panels has barely moved in some 40 years. Some promising new technologies on the horizon though.


In keeping with the theme of the thread it looks like I will be acquiring another dental crown. Luckily this comes at the same time that school taxes are due. Since things seem to come in three I anxiously await the third blow.

[Racer X 69]

Since things seem to come in three I anxiously await the third blow.

The car will need tires, or transmission repair.

[ivanvernon]

I got a new tooth implant this week. Now I can eat NY strip steaks again. Only thing is, they are up to $10+ per pound, and I don't think I can afford them any more.

[richard0170]

Pentax F 50mm f2.8 Macro should be winging its way to me from Japan - carrier issues notwithstanding.

Unfortunately a new printer is required as my Epson one has died. I need it for printing postage labels for the rather large number of lens de-acquisitions I am planning to make in September. Grrrrrr.

[pepperberry farm]

a new DVD/CD burner for me - when I upgraded the Mac a while back, I lost the old drive to the hardware changes....

it needed to be replaced anyways - so a new OWC external burner is on the way...

[disconnekt]

Got some rolls of 616 film: 4 rolls of Verichrome Pan and a 1 roll of Kodacolor Type A