Radiant floor heating — Alternative to forced-air heating is solar-powered, too An interview with...
By Michael Hackleman
Issue #64 • July/August, 2000
Hydronic, or radiant floor heating is a method of heating a home, shop, or other building with the heat concentrated in the floor. It works by embedding special...
Battery-Powered Tools are Changing
By Jeffrey Yago, P.E., C.E.M.
April/May/June, 2019
Battery-powered tool technology is now undergoing some rapid changes in both the power of the tool motors and the batteries supplying the added power. For many years most battery-powered...
Is steam power in your future?
By Skip Goebel
Issue #43 • January/February, 1997
If you're thinking steam is old-fashioned, consider this: Almost a century ago, steam cars and ships attained speeds and efficiencies which are still difficult to attain, even with...
Add solar power to your truck camper
By Jeffrey Yago, P.E., CEM
Issue #93 • May/June, 2005
The recreational vehicle (RV) world is having a major comeback with the influx of baby-boomers. Today's travel trailers, 5th wheels, and motor coaches now include everything...
Grid-tie solar-powered farm
By Jeffrey Yago, P.E., CEM
Issue #94 • July/August, 2005
Photo 1: One of two Fronius 3-kW grid-tie inverters. Note the DC-rated safety disconnect and all high voltage wiring installed in metal conduit.
Most of my past...
Water pumping windmills
By Dorothy Ainsworth
Issue #90 • November/December, 2004
Standing tall like a giant sunflower in a sea of undulating prairie grasses, or in any rural setting, a windmill is a thing of beauty. Not only are...
Get the most out of your vehicle and your maintenance dollar
By Len Torney
Issue #116 • March/April, 2009
Let's face itwe all own vehicles. Our rural lifestyle pretty much leaves us dependent on our vehicles for all of our daily transportation needs, as well as the...
Walden Pond, the solar version: Part 1
By Jeffrey Yago, P.E., CEM
Issue #99 • May/June, 2006
I have been writing solar power articles for many years on every possible application. This has included everything from simple solar chargers for cell phones to...
Build a community assistance recharging station
By Jeffrey Yago, P.E., CEM
Issue #152 • March/April, 2015
Many preppers are starting to realize they cannot do it all on their own. True security during a major disaster or civil unrest is much more...
Amateur Ham Radio – The Ultimate Tool for Survival Communications
By Jeffrey R. Yago, P.E.
N4LPE
During any major disaster or grid-down event, communications will not only be critical for coordinating rescue efforts, but could actually save your life by receiving alerts and evacuation instructions. Unfortunately,...
Homemade electric power
By Jim Van Sant
Issue #131 • September/October, 2011
Ever wonder how you could live off the grid when the sun isn't shining on your solar panels?
Our homestead alternative energy system is based on 12 volts...
A small creek provides plenty of power for this off-grid home
By Scott Gentleman
Website Exclusive • November, 2007
For eight years, Tracey and I lived in a solar powered home and for eight cloudy winters, we ran a small Honda generator every week to recharge our...
For a truly independent energy system, your choices are solar, wind, and water
By Larry Elliott
Issue #28 • July/August, 1994
Just as the words "backwoods home" conjure up images of farmhouses, livestock, woodstoves, tractors, and gardens, the words "independent energy" bring to mind a whole new set of...
What if the electricity GOES OFF?
By Michael Hackleman
Issue #55 • January/February, 1999
Just as everyone was getting ready to throw the party of the century and millenniumout with the old and in with the newsomeone springs Y2K on us. Power...
Design calculations for overshot waterwheels
By Rudy Behrens
Issue #18 • November/December, 1992
(For good background information for this article, the reader should read "Waterpower for personal use" in Issue No. 16 and "Design calculations for overshot waterwheels" in Issue No....
Build a passive-solar food dehydrator
By Jeffrey Yago, P.E., CEM
Issue #143 • September/October, 2013
The finished passive-solar dehydrator maintained a fairly constant temperature of 150° F throughout most of the day without any repositioning, which shows that this design can...































