Diamond Island

[laddheath]

I was doing some research and found out that Diamond Island does not have any electricity. Can anyone tell me what daily life is like with/out electric hookup? Can a plug/coffee pot be run off off propane?

[upthesaukee]

We have friends on Rattlesnake that do not have power (there are supposed to be something like three properties that do not). They have two solar panels and a series of batteries. I believe their refrigerator is a propane unit. They can be out there from Friday to Mon and not exhaust their battery power.

They are not on FB or this forum.

It is interesting. They did live off the grid up in Alaska, so this is nothing new to them.

[BroadHopper]

I know of one island owner that power his generator, stove, hot water, refrigerator etc. with propane. I think he uses 100 lbs cylinder every weekend. Isn't roughing it one of the excitment of island life?

[Bear Islander]

A coffee percolator will work on a propane stove. Makes great coffee! There are propane refrigerators and freezers and even propane toilets. (I don't recommend the propane toilet...Yuk!)

Solar cells charging golf cart batteries will give you low voltage dc. All kinds of fixtures and appliances are made to run on dc voltage on boats. Add an inverter for modest 120 volt ac power.

However you will need to alter you lifestyle. Take up reading instead of TV etc. Some people love it (not me).

[BroadHopper]

Now propane toilets brings back memories. Even shorefront owners had them after the DES started putting dyes in drains to see if the sewage leaks into the lake back in the 60's and 70's. Many of the old camps dumps the sewage 100 feet out into the lake. In the 50's my dad change the sewage to dump into a dry well.

The smell and the roar of the fan takes a liitle getting used to. In the winter, the warm toilet seat is a godsend in an unheated cottage.

[codeman671]

Originally Posted by BroadHopper

I know of one island owner that power his generator, stove, hot water, refrigerator etc. with propane. I think he uses 100 lbs cylinder every weekend. Isn't roughing it one of the excitment of island life?

That's pretty expensive given the pricing from George Randall this season. I was charged $135 per tank delivered and hooked up. $135 a weekend would make for an expensive summer.

I think if you shop around and deal with it yourself you can get it for $70-75 per tank, but they are not fun to move especially if you are up a lot of steps.

[upthesaukee]

Originally Posted by codeman671

That's pretty expensive given the pricing from George Randall this season. I was charged $135 per tank delivered and hooked up. $135 a weekend would make for an expensive summer.

I think if you shop around and deal with it yourself you can get it for $70-75 per tank, but they are not fun to move especially if you are up a lot of steps.

Our friend without electricity on RI brings 3-4 smaller bottles out with him each weekend. Easier than moving one big tank, but it is still a lot to carry...he is not on the shoreline, and it is not flat going up to the house from the dock. But he will tell you that is one of the things that is unique about island living.

[Formula260SS]

I'm one of the last four lots on Rattlesnake without power, it's got it pluses and minuses. We have a propane fridge, water heater and stove using @ 225lbs of propane each season, the water heater uses more than anything. For power we have a Honda 2000eu Inverter generator, handles all our needs, is quiet and sips fuel, I bet we use 5-7 gallons of gas each summer as we use it quite a bit. The spring and fall is when I wish we had power when the sun goes down early. We use a Sunmar compost toilet, much better than the propane burn toilets

[Happy Gourmand]

Originally Posted by Formula260SS

I'm one of the last four lots on Rattlesnake without power, it's got it pluses and minuses. We have a propane fridge, water heater and stove using @ 225lbs of propane each season, the water heater uses more than anything. For power we have a Honda 2000eu Inverter generator, handles all our needs, is quiet and sips fuel, I bet we use 5-7 gallons of gas each summer as we use it quite a bit. The spring and fall is when I wish we had power when the sun goes down early. We use a Sunmar compost toilet, much better than the propane burn toilets

You island dwellers are a special breed. I honestly don't think I could tolerate all the extra hassle that you put up with. And you say you don't even have electricity?
How would i be able to watch Dancing With the Stars?

[RailroadJoe]

To watch Dancing with the Stars, they just look up at night, and there they see it in real time.

[Descant]

I've been on Welch Island since 1950. No electricity until several folks chipped in $150 each to have PSNH run the underwater cable in 1960. We could have done phone at the same time, but not enough people wanted phones. Some didn't want electricity. As more development came to the island and more people asked for electricity the original "investors" got some of their $150 back.

Prior to that, mostly propane. There was a boat operating out of Glendale (a 28' Steelcraft named the "Pyrofax") that delivered propane to the islands. Gas stove, fridge and lights. Not new technology, but pretty common a generation earlier. Pumps of various sorts were used to draw water from the lake to an elevated storage tank, and gravity fed the sink and whatever water uses were needed, sometimes to flush toilets, but outhouses were still common.

People, weren't information junkies, so radio and TV weren't missed, although battery radios were available.

After electricity in 1960 or so, we added TV and other niceties. About 18 years ago, our TV antenna blew down over the winter, and we never got around to replacing it, although we have a huge supply of movies that we have all seen at least 4 times on DVD/VCR.

In a toast to modern, we signed up for satellite TV in May, 2013. So far, we haven't turned it on. Just not part of island lifestyle when there are so many other things to do.

After you've been here for a couple of generations, you learn that island living, even with electricity, is sort of a step back in time, to be away from all the rush and ignore TV news, etc. It is a great experience for children/grandchildren to experience a slightly different lifestyle without moving too far away from their norm. (The VCR only works on rainy days.)

Oh, we love the lake, we love the island, but when we go on vacation, we know that "Roughing it is slow room service." Another lifestyle.

[Kamper]

DC Power options

Campers use DC light fixtures. They don't cost that much more than AC fixture but there are fewer style options. Many of these items are also sold for boats.

If you don't mind 2nd hand, there will occasionally be ads on Craigslist (RV) by folks selling these things. Right now there re at least two ads for camper AC to DC converter boxes which can provide some power options to you.

[SIKSUKR]

I'm guessing you meant dc to ac since there isn't any ac on Diamond.

[Kamper]

Originally Posted by SIKSUKR

I'm guessing you meant dc to ac since there isn't any ac on Diamond.

Not really. I meant AC to DC so a generator could run the DC house lights I suggested (and other accessories) if/when his batteries run down. Many gennies do have a DC source so this ability may be redundant but the equipment will also function as a circuit breaker box for a DC system.

[IslandRadio]

Originally Posted by Formula260SS

I'm one of the last four lots on Rattlesnake without power, it's got it pluses and minuses. We have a propane fridge, water heater and stove using @ 225lbs of propane each season, the water heater uses more than anything. For power we have a Honda 2000eu Inverter generator, handles all our needs, is quiet and sips fuel, I bet we use 5-7 gallons of gas each summer as we use it quite a bit. The spring and fall is when I wish we had power when the sun goes down early. We use a Sunmar compost toilet, much better than the propane burn toilets

We're on Rattlesnake also - LOVE the islands!!! I've heard it said "Once an islander, always an islander".

But, back to the question at hand - Forumla260SS, I'm sure you and/or your powerless neighbors have already thought about this, but it would seem practical if you have an agreeable nearby neighbor a few cottages away who has power to their lot, for you to have another service drop delivered to that property, as close to you (and your powerless compatriots) as possible.

You would have to construct an outdoor service panel acceptable to the CO-OP, but this is no big deal at all. Ok, now you have your own power source and you need to deliver the power to your (and your fellows) cottages.

This can be accomplished using one of several methods.

Method 1) If you can dig down the requisite number of inches (I think it's 18, but check) and bury some schedule 80 PVC, you can run an appropriately sized 3 conductor with ground to your buildings, install a sub-panel over there, etc. That's one way.

Method 2) You might be able to run overhead using your own infrastructure, but do more research into this.

Method 3) You could use DC - 24V or even 48V, although the wire losses will need to be factored into the equation. The higher the voltage, the better.

Lots of possibilities there with DC - charge up some local (to your cottage) storage batts, and use an inverter. Base your DC calculations on the average power drain.

If you can run 240VAC, you really only need about 20 to 30 amperes to run everything you need. Right now, I have a temporary situation where my cottage is running off a 30A 240 line, and we are electric everything -stove, hot water, pumps, septic pump, etc. No problems whatsover as long as you don't try to run everything at once.

If using inverters, there are some good 240V inverters that run off 24V and 48V, and this would be a very good inverter situation, if that's what you have to use.

Of course, the ultimate solution would be to have the Co-op extend the system to your properties, but forgetting that for a moment (I'm assuming they have been recalcitrant about extending the system), if you have an agreeable neighbor who will allow you to put up a "campsite" type of service drop on or near the property line (or even onto the edge of your property if the drop wire won't be too long), you *can* do something that will work. Not the ideal, but definitely much better than nothing at all.