u/TheApostleCreed

Hey everyone,

My wife and I want to take our three kids on a 4 to 6-hour canoe day trip around the Saranac Lake area. We want a calm, scenic route with a good spot to stop for lunch, swimming, and maybe some safe cliff jumping.

I have a few questions for those familiar with the area:

• The Route & Put-in: Is putting in right across the street from Adirondack Outfitters a good starting point, or is another location better for a family-friendly vibe?
• Itinerary: What is the best route to hit a great lunch and swimming spot without rushing the kids?
• Hidden Gems: Are there any cool spots, quiet bays, or hidden gems we should check out along the water?
• Transportation: Since we do not have much experience handling and tying down canoes, is it worth paying an outfitter to transport and pick up the boat for us?

Thanks in advance for any advice or route tips!

We're getting our final hookup next week for our solar system and I was told by the installers that I'd only be able to view total energy production on the whole system but not individual string production which I don't like. How else am I going to monitor individual string health? I have 39 REC Alpha Pure RX panels using a total of 6 strings. 4 strings go to the PW3 and 2 strings go to the Tesla 7.6kw string inverter. Does anyone know of a way in which i can check and track the performance of each individual string?

I got my solar system installed yesterday. They used REC Alpha Pure RX 460 panels. I got up on the roof to check it out. It probably annoys the crew but I was building my own system before hiring it out so I knew enough to check up on things and ask specific questions. Anyways, I got up on the roof and I see boot prints all over the panels, smudges from knees and hands all over and all across the panels. Some boot prints are right in the center of the panels lol-like not even trying to be careful. I didn't see any real damage but it still seems irresponsible and i looked up these panels install instructions and says right on it not to walk on them. Also, all the grease from hands i read could be problematic as well. How big of a deal do you think this is? I feel like ive been at them everyday to do things a certain way and I feel like a huge burden to them but I've also caught things that would have been a disaster. To their credit they have been great about doing things right and meeting my demands but if the request is that i want them to replace all 39 panels or something i feel like they will make life difficult. The system is installed but the master electrician still needs to come out to do the gateway and final inspection so I don't know if he could possibly run test or something to just ensure they aren't damaged instead of requesting new panels and install? Thoughts?

I have a 2016 mazda cx5. I hadn't heard any noises and then when I went to leave work the other day it sounded like something was scraping against the ground. I got out and looked to see if something was dragging along the road but it was totally clear. When i started driving again the sound was present but it was the worse when just taking off. It wasn't quite as noticeable when driving faster. It did seem a little worse when making turns and I could also feel a pretty good vibration coming up my foot from the gas pedal. Any ideas?

Hi everyone,

I am about a week out from having an 18 kW roof-mount solar system installed on my garage. The setup will use REC Alpha Pure RX panels, a Tesla Powerwall 3, and an additional 7.6 kW string inverter attachment to help mitigate any clipping. We are fortunate to be grandfathered into NY's 1:1 net metering program. 

Once everything is up and running, what are the optimal settings for the Powerwall 3? I have seen some users advise setting the backup reserve to 20% and using the battery nightly for consumption. However, others suggest setting a 100% backup reserve and strictly using the battery for power outages. Their reasoning is that with 1:1 net metering, you save more on energy in the end and reduce wear on the battery. 

Are there any members in similar situations who have had time to test what works best? Also, will the Tesla App be sufficient to manage the system, or do I need to look into other third-party apps?

Thanks in advance for your thoughts!