u/jorwyn

NE Washington state on a dirt road on my property after a couple of days of rain.. about 3.5" across for scale.

It's been crazy here in Eastern Washington. The smoke has cleared some now, so I'm getting good output from my panels, but I have a question.

When it's perfectly even haze, why do my shadowflux panels work better than my older panels? I understand why they work better with dappling and partial shade, but they put out power long after the others dropped to zero in overall low sun conditions. Yes, at an AQI of 200, that wasn't much, but it got me through. Once the smoke was thick enough the shadows went away even the shafowflux panels gave up (heck, even the solar tracker sensor did), but they did much better than I expected.

I've noticed this with evenly overcast days, as well.

My current older panels are goal zero boulder ones, btw, but I had the same experience with other brands with the same kind of panels.

I don't plan to charge anything, but I would have a link for donations if the costs get out of hand. And no ads. I started this as a project to get better at coding and because I am putting in a hedgerow. Currently, you can make a layout with circles based on max size and it'll export a picture or a pdf with a picture and a plant list. Soon, save will also work. It doesn't right now. You can only export and re-import a layout.

I only have the contiguous US right now, but I would have no issues expanding to any region I can get a plant list for. I'm focusing on natives it's pretty easy to plant. Only my own region, the Northern Rockies, has more than one or two plants/trees right now.

I just wanted to ask if people would be interested/actually use it before I bother to input more plants. I'd also like to know what features are important to you.

The creek is so nice! And the sites are huge. And it's a DNR campground, so you just need a Discover Pass ($45 annually.) but you can only stay 3 nights out of every 30.

No potable water, though. They had pipes burst over the winter and don't have the budget to fix it. You have to bring your own or filter creek water.

Brief backstory:

​

He was hit in early December by an inattentive driver making an illegal turn. It did serious damage to one leg and his bike. He went to rehab for his 78th birthday and home in January. I comment more than I post, so look in my post history if you want more info.

​

He still can't ride, though he is walking further and further unsupported. He can get in and out of the bath. He can clearly take a Tarmac off a bike rack and put said rack on his car. He's on a stationary bike most days. He has good days and bad days and a whole lot of determination. The insurance money will just cover expenses, so I covered the bike.

​

We're now at the point where him riding again isn't in question. It will happen. We're not sure exactly when, but the most likely estimate is January. I'll be going to visit him to take that first ride with him. In 2 months, he'll have his next X-ray. Lots of stretching and strength building now. Things are going well.

​

Since it's quite a few photos, here's an album. X-rays, new bike listing, and him unloading it at home. He's very excited about the upgrades it has vs his last tarmac plus being able to find one with the rim brakes he prefers. He's going to put it on the wall to remind him what he's working toward.

​

https://imgur.com/a/7z8yz2S

​

It's like to thank all of you for your support last December. It meant a lot to me and to him. Knowing a bunch of people were rooting for him, even if only for a few minutes, made a difference. And many of you commented and helped calm me down that first night when the doctors were saying he'd never ride again. You were right. They were wrong. Cycling is my dad's life. It gave him back his health and life. Without it, he didn't want to keep going. I know that's not the healthiest thing, but I'm not going to judge. I'm just going to keep supporting him to get back on a bike, and he can deal with the acceptance that some day he will age out later.

​

It does work, but I am going to get it all clean and remove the rust.

​

It's probably from the late 60s.

I misjudged my clearance with my LR4 and hit her parked disco 5. Insurance info exchanged. It's all just clear bra damage and transfer, but I feel like a complete jerk. I hope the shop gets hers fixed quickly with minimal fuss.

My insurance did find it a little amusing the first vehicle I've hit in 30 years was the next generation of my own vehicle, btw. That was also a parked car. Here's to another 30 year streak.