A new Post!

We have been slow with the Updates and Postings.  Guess that is a Sin when it comes to Proper Blogging...  well, with winter approaching  Kristi and I have been enjoying our last few days 'Out Here'.  Mostly hanging around Roche Harbor to take work calls and eat Doughnuts.

But I have also been putting a bit of effort into the Arduino based engine controller and smart regulator for our Kubota DC generator.  Have the initial hardware design completed and have been playing with a few firmware things like Watchdog timers and I2C communication   Those with a passing (or even active) interest can see more here:  http://smartdcgenerator.blogspot.com/

Today we just finished perhaps our last Coffee and Doughnuts for the year and are killing a little time at the Roche Harbor dock.  Will take a work-work call in about 20 minutes, then move back out and anchor before another one at 1:00.  We called Friday Harbor this morning to see about dockage for the winter, no issues.  Though that Sail Boat in OUR SPOT looks to be there for the winter.  Oh Well, we were told we could just tie up right behind them!

Well, another summer down.  Next year we will be heading north, but likely not too far.  Gulf Islands and Sunshine Coast are what we have been talking about.  This winter we need to get the life raft serviced, and of course catch up on our health tasks.   And speaking of health, we just might have found a way to cut our health care insurance costs by 66% - you guessed it:  LEAVE THE COUNTRY!  Have a lead on an insurance plan that will provide EXACTLY THE SAME coverage we have now, at 1/3 the cost - with the condition that we are in the USA no more than 180 days / year.  Ah, love our system.  Pay us to get out of the USA!   (Sorry, will put my Soap Box back now)

I Did It!

I'm feeling fairly proud of myself today.  I made my first real 'landing'!

One of my goals this summer was to become more proficient at close-quarter maneuvering, but to be honest, NO practice was done this summer.

We have anchored in the harbor at Roche Harbor for the past several days.  On Monday, when we took the boat to the dock to go have breakfast and mail Al's ballot, I was at the helm while the anchor was pulled, as normal.  When Al came back into the cabin, he asked if I just wanted to take it all the way to the dock.  No, not this time.

So today, when we again went to the dock, this time for cheeseburgers and to mail MY ballot, I had been thinking about taking Viking Star to the dock.  Al asked again, and this time I did not say no.

SEVERAL years ago, on the Columbia River, on a lonely long dock with no other boats (or people) around to observe, I had opportunity to do several touch-and-go's..  But this time, though admittedly in the off-season, we were still in a harbor with boats and people around.  Okay, there was ONE boat at the end of the dock that I was approaching.

And as Al says, if no-one yells, and no-one gets hurt, it was a successful landing.  Yay!  Success!

Hints on connecting and debugging your ICOM M802 to a computer

Am still stepping through the SSB installation in Viking Star.  One of the things I have found out is Simple Directions DO NOT EXIST!  I also found out that the cable / DIN connecting that came with my Pactor modem was in poor condition and ended up bridging Vbat to the Trans pin.  Will, this blew a $0.23 FET IC inside the Pactor – as a result the whole digital HF communication aspect of this instalation is on hold until I get up enough stuff to make a Mouser.com order.    But till then, here are a few ‘hints’ I dug out when connecting the Computer to the SSB.

First off, why would one want to do this?  A couple of reasons:  Using Sailmail or similar product to send/receive Emails via SSB.  Another common reason is to allow for some level of automation when receiving weather FAX’s over HF.  How to do all this is another topic, for now I want to focus on a very small part of the overall system:  Connecting your Computer to the ICOM-M802 via RS-232 serial cable.

There are actually a couple of ways to let a computer control the ICOM:  Directly from the computer via an RS-232 cable, or indirectly through a Pactor modem, assuming you have one.  I chose to directly connect for three reasons:

1. Our navigation computer has LOTS of serial ports. (By choice! - see Hardware for a Navigation computer).
2. Some programs  (ala Ham Radio Integrator) cannot communicate through a Pactor modem.
3. My Pactor modem is not one of the fancy ones with a second serial port – so it would not happen anyway.

OK, enough.  Here are some hints:

• The serial cable only needs to carry TX and RX, plus GND.  Note that the ICOM instruction manual is a little confusing (err, more like wrong - they have RX and TX backwards) on this.  You only need a standard 9-pin serial connector – pins 2,3 and 5.  And more to the point, there is no need to bring forward things like DTR (Pin 4), DSR (6), etc.  So don't worry about them.  Just bring down 2,3 and 5 and get on with life.

• Configuring the ICOM M802.  Refering to the users guide - Section 12 (SET MODE), page 48 in my copy.  You want to verify / change the following settings:

                      REMOTE IF  = NMEA (the ICOM communicates using NMEA sentences!)
                      REMOTE ID = 08
                      REMOTE MOD = ACC  (Most Pactor modems use the round ACC plug)
                      AUTO TUNE = ON
                      ICOM TUNER = Pick the one you are using

Those last three are really general settings and not needed to communicate with the computer.  But as long as you are in there!

• Configure your serial port Port Settings (Control Panel / System / Device Manager / COM _ _):

                 Bits per second:  4800
                 Data Bits: 8
                 Parity:      None
                 Stop Bits: 1
                 Flow Control:  None


That is it!  Install the program of your choice and all will be well - - - unless it is not.  If things do NOT work you need to debug a little.  Here is where I had a bit of a struggle – trying to learn the system, debugging it, and using ‘complex’ control programs all at the same time.  One thing that was VERY helpful was being able to send and receive a simple test commands to  the radio and look for its reply - without a complex control program.

Under Windows go to Start / All Programs /  Accessories / Communication  and click on:  Hyper Terminal.  This will bring up the simple serial communication window.

• Type ‘ICOM M802’ in the Name Window, and press OK.
• On the next screen, change the last pull-down ‘Connect using’ to the serial port your radio is wired to.  In my case COM4 is the one.  Press OK
• This next screen is the Port Settings – it should agree with what you did above.  Press OK.
• Still a bit more to do.  Select File/Properties.  Choose the Settings Tab and click on the ASCII Setup.. button.  Check the ‘Send Line Ends with Line Feeds’  and the ‘Echo typed characters locally’ boxes.  
• Press OK’s until you are back at the main com window.  
• Type the following simple NMEA sentence:  $PICOA,90,08,REMOTE*7D and hit Enter.

If all is well, the radio will respond with something like $PICOA,08,90,REMOTE,OFF*42   It might end a little different, like , ON*50 - but never mind, the key here is:  Did you send a command to the radio, and did it reply.

And there you go.  If this simple test works your communication path between the computer and the ICOM-M802 works.  If the above does not work, double check the above steps.  But at least here is a simple test environment!

What's in YOUR Beauty Basket?

This post is totally not boat related.  AND it's talking about cosmetics.  Well, that should weed out the audience for this post!

Every now and then I pick up one of those gossip magazines.  You know, just to keep up on fashion trends (I can't stand 'booties') and who's with who THIS week.  And did you see Jen's ring!?!  It looks like a doorknob!

Anyway, with the gossip comes LOTS of ads.  And I guess they worked, because I wanted to see what all this hype about 'BB Cream' was all about.  One product that does 4-8 things has to be convenient, right?  [Well, maybe this COULD be boat related....Al says anything on the boat must have more than one purpose.]

It took three drug stores to finally find one.  It was the Garnier Skin Renew Miracle Skin Perfector B.B. Cream, in Light/Medium.  It is 2.5 ounces, on sale for $9.99. I did find one by Loreal also, but it was a tiny tube, for over $12, and being an economical girl, Garnier won.

I should tell you that for the past 7 years or so (?), I have used Arbonne skin care products, exclusively.  Technically, I am a consultant, but I don't pursue the sales, just give out samples now and then.  But being a consultant allows me to buy the products at a discount, and I will admit, they are QUITE expensive.  That's what all those orange items are about.  In fact, that's what Al calls it -- 'your orange'.  By the way, their night cream is fabulous!!!

So, back to the Garnier product.  I give it a thumbs up.  It is a bit thick going on, and Al notes 'your face is all shiny' before it absorbs, but it does moisturize all day.  There is enough color that I can put this on when I have a 'just hanging around the boat' day, and feel good.  And if I do want to add a bit of my mineral make-up on top of it, I just feather on a minimal amount to glam it up a little.  SPF 15.

It took WEEKS of looking in many stores to finally find a Maybelline Dream Fresh BB 8-in-1 Beauty Balm Skin Perfector in the Light/Medium Sheer Tint.  They were always sold  out.  Apparently, there are a LOT of pale-faced women in the Pacific Northwest!  I finally found ONE at the Rite-Aid in Anacortes, and I gave it a go.  SPF 30.  I'd say it was 'okay'.  It was a lot thinner, so a little more difficult controlling application, but it did blend easily.  Less shine, but my skin felt 'thirsty' by the end of the day.  Overall, a 'meh'.

I have seen a TV ad for an Oil of Olay product they are calling a 'CC' cream.  I found one product that MAY have been it, but nowhere did it say CC Cream.  It also was $25.  It stayed on the shelf.  Maybe I'll look again when I can be sure that's the product they are calling their CC Cream.

Anyway, there's my basket (my color items are in the silver bag to the left) and my two cents on a couple of new products.

Solar Panels on the Boat - Modeling and Performance

One of the challenges I had while deciding about installing solar panels on Viking Star was getting an idea of what to expect.  Asking around got a WIDE range of answers, from: “All I need”, to “Charges the batteries by 11am!”, to “Will not work at all in the rainy PNW”, to even “What a monumental waste of money solar is”.   Needless to say - no consensus.  More troubling was, without exception, none of the "inputs" were based on  ACTUAL data.   Even those who claimed ‘All I need’ were not able to tell me what their needs were – rendering their input useless to me.

I just could not go down a path blind.  I needed SOME idea on what to expect.  And so the old engineer in me emerged.  Solar system output is really a factor of four things:

1. Expected solar radiation from the sun  (time of year, location, and cloud cover)
2. Size and efficiency of panels and system
3. Orientation of panels relative to the Sun
4. Placement of the panels relative to obstructions (shading)

(BTW, the following is the Long Path I took.  To see a shortcut, skip to the end of this blog post!)

Solar Radiation:  I located a local shore-based installation who had been tracking their results and who would send me their actual energy produced data.  Using this I was able to extract the solar radiation per month in this location covering not only seasonal variations (Summer vs.Winter), but also average cloud cover over a year period.

Size and Efficiency of panels and System:  This is easy.  Viking Star has two 240w panels  so a 480w system.  Completing the system is the MPPT controller I selected which has a conversion efficiency of 95%. Need to throw in some additional losses for the wiring voltage drop.

Orientation relative to the Sun:  Here is a point where installations on a boat differ greatly from shore-based ones.  While most shore installations are pointed due south and tilted towards the Sun (often at a compromise angle between peak output for summer vs. winter) panels of a boat are often placed flat.  (or some very small angle). Mounting flat is easiest.  While using a more complex mounting system and being able to point the panels towards the Sun can give significant output gains  – it also requires adjustments throughout the day as the Sun moves and as the boat swings around anchor.  (Shore-based installations do not need to deal with this swinging - hence they often just use fixed tilt mounts pointing due south)  I chose to mount Viking Star’s panels flat for two reasons: The panels are rather large - a tiltable mounting system would have to be very robust to securely handle them.  Plus I am just lazy.  I do not see myself climbing out several times a day ‘repositioning’ the panels as we swing around the anchor…

How much do we lose by mounting flat?  That depends on the time of year, as well as the latitude of the boat.   The actual formula is:

   Loss% = 1 - SIN(90 – Latitude + Solar Declination + Panel Tilt)  

(Yes, those Celestial navigation skills come into play!).   Putting this all together we get  for 48 North:

	Sun Declination (Degrees)	Solar Elevation Angle (at 48N)	Loss due to  Flat Panels
Jan	-22	20	66%
Feb	-13	29	52%
Mar	-3	39	37%
Apr	10	52	21%
May	18	60	13%
Jun	23	65	9%
Jul	21	63	11%
Aug	14	56	17%
Sep	3	45	29%
Oct	-8	34	44%
Nov	-18	24	59%
Dec	-23	19	67%

During peak cruising months (April – September) the loss is relatively small  – 10-20%.  But this quickly increases as we get into winter where 60-70% of the potential output is ’lost’ due to mounting the panels flat. Combined with the much shorter days means during the winter we can expect little output from the solar system. Happily those are also the months we tend to be in port with shore power readily available.


Combining this loss table with the observed Solar Radiation derived from the shore based installation's production data,  I came up with the following modeled output for our system:

	Ah/Day (480w system)	Normalized (100W system)
Jan	11	2
Feb	38	8
Mar	66	14
Apr	110	23
May	149	31
Jun	153	32
Jul	161	33
Aug	142	30
Sep	99	21
Oct	50	10
Nov	17	4
Dec	16	3

And here you can see the actual results so far:

We have been tracking ahead of the predicted performance, but then this summer was one for the records books (literally).  Side note:  Those BIG dips to 50 or below the 1st month are the result of not attaching the remote voltage sensor to the MPPT controller.  See more here: http://mvvikingstar.blogspot.com/2012/06/controller-alternator-interaction.html

An easier way (the Shortcut)

If you too want to model output of solar panels you can follow the steps above (and I can send you .xls files with all the formulas, though you will need to locate someone near your cruising grounds that has reliable data from which you can start the assessment).   OR, you can just go to this site (which of course I found AFTER going through all the above - and I do wish they would stop changing the URL!!!):
         http://pvwatts.nrel.gov/index.php

It not only has a large database of solar radiation throughout the world, but will also do the tilt (orientation) adjustments for you!  Start by entering approximately where you want to model.  Then on the the map click the specific solar data location you are interested in.  Click on the "Go To System Information" arrow on the right hand side and you can enter your system size as well as tilt angle.  A few notes:

• PVWatts will not work for systems under 1,000w in size.  A workaround for this is to multiply your expected system size by 10 and enter that .  For example: Viking Star’s 480w system is entered as 4.8 kW (4,800 watts)  in the program.  
• Leave Module Type: at Standard
• And Array Type: at Fixed.
• System Losses (%):  Leave it at the default 14%, or click on the details if you want to get a little more refined.
• Set Tilt and Azimuth =  0 if the panels are flat or leave it with the default values for a good approximation if you plan to tilt the panels. You can get better results by changing the mounting to 1-axis or 2-axis tracking (depending on your mounting system - and desire to reposition things throughout the day), but I did not play with those.
• Press the "Go To PVWatts Results" button on the right to get predicted results throughout the year.
• Looking at the AC Energy (kWh) column, divide these numbers by 4 to back out the 10x we did in step one and make a rough conversion into Ah per day. (for a 12v system.  If you have a 24v system, divide by 8 for a ruff idea of 24v AH's)


This web page predicts 162Ah / day expected output from Viking Star's system in June.  A bit more than the 153Ah I modeled, but our actuals aboard Viking Star seem to be running ahead of modeled results.

The final issue is shading.  Here you need to get creative and try to minimize it.  The MPPT controller, combined with built-in bypass diodes in the panels will help a LOT with shading, but still shading will reduce output dramatically   During the peak summer months I noticed about a 30Ah reduction per day if we were docked pointing North as opposed to South, this I expect was due to the shadow from our mast when docked pointing north.  Just one more ‘consideration’ when pulling into dock now. . .

BTW:  There is a good argument for using a separate a MPPT controller for each panel installed on a boat, to help work around this partial shading situation.  Given that MPPT controllers are becoming more and more common, and the prices are dropping, doing so would be a good consideration for future installations.  But if you do use a single controller, like on Viking Star, make sure to wire the panels in SERIES to maximize output during partially shaded conditions.  And note this is a dramatic departure from what was recommended a few years ago (Parallel).  It is due to both the usage of the MPPT controller and increased presence of zoning / internal bypass diodes on modern large panels.  If connected parallel - a shaded panel will drop out entry  while if a modern panel is connected in series the partly shaded panel will lose the shaded segments, but the unshaded segments will continue to contribute (due to internal panel zoning and by-pass diodes).

Overall we are happy with the system.  It accomplished it's key goal: reduction of generator time.  It is only this last month we needed to start using the Generator, and that was just for covering the drying cycle during laundry.  Though as expected -  as we are heading into the latter part of October we are finding we need to put time on the generator, varying from day to day.

LIV Wines

It took a lot of talking to myself, a lot of coffee, a lot of ibuprofen, and a gorgeous sunrise to convince me to go back for more grape-picking today.  BUT, I AM a farmer's daughter, and the crop must be brought in!

The two-mile walk warmed me up well.  I even had to stop and remove my overcoat and stow it in my backpack.  I arrived only 15 minutes late, and several people came after me, so I didn't feel too bad.

I didn't bring my camera today because it was forecast to begin raining at noon.  It did hold off for over an hour past that, beginning just as the lunch break was called.  I had also brought a hooded raincoat, so I donned that and stayed until the very end today!

Row-mate Irene said she would give me a ride back to the Islander where the boat and Al awaited, so I didn't need to take vineyard owner Brent away from his pressing work -- ha ha, PRESSING work -- crushing the freshly picked grapes.  But before I left, he offered some wine for my time!  I took a bottle each of the two estate wines, and we had the Madeleine Angevine with dinner tonight.  I approve heartily!

Thank you Brent, staff, and friends.

Go to the website: http://www.lopezislandvineyards.com/index.html and you can perhaps order some for yourself (it cannot be shipped everywhere).  I will have to try to get some of the vintage I helped pick, next year!

How Cool Is That?!

I have been excited for this new experience for quite some time.  Last year when we visited Lopez Island, we tasted some Lopez Island wines, and purchased a bottle.  I checked out their website and learned that they welcome volunteers to help with their harvest.  Unfortunately, timing did not work out for us to help last Fall.

But THIS Fall, while we were laying low in Blind Bay, I received an email saying they would be harvesting the Madeleine Angevine grapes Wednesday and Thursday (today and tomorrow).  Hey, the weather was supposed to calm down -- do you want to go to Lopez?

So even though my alarm was set for 6 AM,  I was awake at 5.  Big breakfast and a 2 mile walk, and we arrived at the vineyard!

It was 44 degrees this morning.  I have a t-shirt, poly-fleece jacket,  lined windbreaker, and my wool hat.

Actually, the Tasting Room is now in the Village.

A nice archway, and a nice dog -- Jesse.

One of the coolest things of all -- I am picking grapes at the Lopez Island Vineyard when I hear and eagle cry.  I look up, and see two fly over.  How cool is that?

We are doing a 'first pass' today, where we will only pick the premium fruit.  Tomorrow we will glean the rest.

My, what a lovely bunch of Madeleine Angevine!  They nearly GLOW in the sun!

 I last until 4 o'clock.  That is a seven-hour day, for my first day of 'work' in over three years!  And, I will be walking another 2 miles back to the boat.

On the way to the vineyard, we passed THIS sign.  I had to take pictures for my daughter Casey, who LOVES kiwi fruit.

Also on the way home, I passed Neil's Mall.  This is probably the biggest 'give-and-take' in the San Juan Islands (but not your typical mall!)

And, Lopez seems to be just 'hopping' with bunnies!  I finally got a picture of one.  Not all are Peter Cottontail types.