problems, problems, problems

It's one of those days. It started with a return of my stomach virus which wasn't entirely welcome but not unexpected. I don't expect to be fully well again until probably March. I work with children and they're extremely generous with their virusses.

Today's only activity was to complete the 20A cable I started to construct last night. At 30 feet it turns out to be a bit on the short side. I'd thought 20 feet would have been plenty but I need more. I"ll probably get another 30 feet of cable after Christmas. For the moment, what I have will suffice to complete my welding. Welding will, of course, have to be done on a dry day. That's not today.

Meanwhile, the blogging application I used on my Nexus won't install on my RCA tablet and the application I used for the last few posts decided when the tablet went to sleep to delete the entry I had just typed. Clearly local auto save was not a feature built in! Thus, I'm using the blogger web interface and lots of data.

In other news, mentioning my stomach virus to a friend elicited the response that as I've been ill so frequently over the last couple of months, why didn't I see the doctor. The aswer is simple - I have only a part time job that doesn't pay enough to pay rent or buy health insurance. Ineed, if it were not for the generosity of my lady, I'd have nowhere to live other than on the street in my as yet unfinished bus conversion. Every penny I have that does not go on fuel to get to work, goes on the conversion. This is why progress is so slow. I just can't do it that fast when I can spend only $100 a month.

The more right wing amongst my readers will ask why I don't simply get a second part time job or get a full time job. That's harder than you might imagine. Over the past 12 months my applicaions have yielded one single interview. That was with a local college and the interviewer asked for a bribe. Now aside from the fact I can barely afford to live, let alone pay bribes, a company that has employees that routinely ask for bribes doesn't sound like employment that's going to last more than a day or two after they figure out that I'm not going to pay them a percentage out of every paycheck. A second part time job isn't going to work because where I work is so far from any centers - that's in the rare instance that "open availability" isn't demanded. Open availability means one has to be available 24x7 at the drop of a hat for part time work. Basically being unable to work for anybody else! Yes - employers really do that and its very common.

So, right now, I'm just plain stuck. It seems to me that applying for jobs doesn't work in the vast majority of cases. Those interviewed usually seem to know somebody in the upper etchelons of the organisation and I've always kept myself to myself.

Last year, I got a few interviews but several were cancelled as soon as they discovered my gender or race was not to their liking. I had no idea  that gender or race had any impact on administrative work! Surely ability to do work is far more important than gender or skin color? This year, I can add bribary to the list. Things really aren't looking too good for South Carolina employers - racist, sexist, demanding bribes and God alone knows what next!

Recovering slightly from my stomach bug, I headed to the bus to discover the brass tube that I bought yesterday was an ideal fit for my latest magnet. I glued some magnet wire to the end of the tube in order that it doesn't slip while I'm winding the coil. I'll probably do 12 layers of coils and see what happens. No particular reason why I'm doing 12. It just sounds like a good number.

Well well well

Looking at that bargain socket I had on eBay, it turns out that perhaps it wasn't quite the bargain I'd thought or maybe it was... Allow me to explain.

It transpired that the 4 pole plus an earth connector is not a Nema standard socket. That's bad because each time I need a plug its going to be a special order. It's good because nobody is likely to want to steal something with a non standard connector.

The standard socket is $80. I paid $20. The standard plug I have no idea of the cost of. The plug for my non standard connector is about $25. Even if I have to carry a spare, I'm still under the cost of just a socket for the standard plug!

Thinking around corners, I realised that if I installed a 15A male socket then I'd be able to use light cables as well. Following that thought yet further, I don't really need to use the socket I bought. Here's why...

15 amp cable, 50 feet long is about $40 at Lowe's. A 30 amp cable, 50 feet long is $150. Two 15 amp cables in parallel is much cheaper to use and less desirable to thieves. 50 amp cord, 50 feet long is $300. That's all getting a bit ridiculous!

Clearly I've been barking up the wrong tree with the idea of a 30A cable. Indeed, looking at the costs it makes solar look more affordable! It needs a slight redesign. Even buying the wire as wire then adding the plugs has no significant price advantage.

I know I'm definitely on the right track not using 50A cable. That stuff is about $3 a foot. Even 30A cable is about $2 a foot and that's off eBay! Strangely, ready made cables seem cheaper than putting my own together.

50lbs lighter, 20 years younger!

That's what I need to be! Contorting myself to fit into the space under my countertop is hardly fun nor easy then to hold and work with tools while doing so adds further to the challenge!

As somebody recommended a strain relief clasp to secure the 55A cable against movement, that meant a trip to Lowe's, during which I filled up with gasoline at an almost unheard of $1.79! Not 4 years ago I was seeing $4.15 a gallon.

In Lowe's, the plan was to get a strain relief clasp for the big cable, one for the small cable and something for the main breaker under the bus. Added to the list was 5 feet of flexible 30A cable in order to put a pigtail connector.

Of course, I met a helpful fellow in Lowe's who was so eager to please that in the course of discussion of his proposed solution to which I listened intently, I got confused about what I was getting. Thus I came away without one of the waterproof cable connectors that I wanted.

Oddly enough, not having the connector didn't affect matters much. I didn't get half the things done that I wanted to. Working under the countertop is an awkward process that's hot and laborious as well as extremely uncomfortable.

By the time I knocked off for the day, I'd put two strain relief clasps into the breaker box, put the main cable through the strain relief clasp, found a bolt and kinda-sorta tightened the earth cables to the case. They could be tighter but getting in there to do it is all but impossible. Earth wiring isn't that important what with most appliances being unearthed anyway but I'd like to get it right!

Two socket boxes were secured in place and one socket was wired. Stapling the wires to the woodwork was a challenge as I lay under the countertop. I didn't complete the run of the wire because I couldn't find my hacksaw to cut the wire. My LED lantern throws out a good light but it's no good for hunting for things in the dark.

On Wednesday my 30A socket should arrive. Rather than cutting a hole in the side of the bus to accommodate it, the new plan is to locate it underneath the bus where it'll be protected from rain. This also allows me to mount it to the floor of the forthcoming new battery/cable compartment.

I had hoped to have the electrics completed this weekend but with the challenges, its taking longer. I'll probably have that done by next weekend. Aside from a strain relief grommet, there shouldn't be anything else needed.