We had a great discussion relating to the Eskom Disaster and Amateur Radio yesterday afternoon. You might ask what does the Eskom Disaster have to do with amateur radio? Well if you do not know by now then it is quite simple. Loadshedding has a big effect on amateur radio whether we like to know it or not. I am not going to elaborate here about the effect of loadshedding on amateur radio. You just need to listen on and off air and you will quickly understand the dilemma loadshedding is causing with regards to amateur radio. In short - Repeaters not functioning, Echolink downtime, Internet Outages, no backup power source, batteries run flat, charging batteries time inadequite, theft, damage to equipment, inactivity on the bands, general security, amateur radio websites offline etc. etc.
We have not even started the "Lippeklap" Net when loadshedding once again caused havoc bringing about a countrywide Internet Outage for al least 15 min - 2 hours. We lost half of our participants which included repeaters, links and personal connections on Echolink. Sad but this is just one problem brought about by loadshedding. I hear many say, we told you that you cannot rely on the Internet. Well like it or not the Internet is nowadays part and parcel of amateur radio!
Internet or not the "show" must go on and it did. Unfortunately without some of our regular and even new participants. We started 15 minutes late as a result with only those that could connect to the GRHub Network.
The following questions were discussed:
- What have you done to alleviate loadshedding issues in your amateur radio Shack or Household or Work environment.
- Do you have any suggestions in this regard?
The following news insert was also introduced to the participants :
" South Africans should prepare for load-shedding to continue for many more years, including stage 8 power cuts this winter.
It is the warning from Robbie van Heerden, Eskom’s former general manager of system operations who used to run South Africa’s power system.
During his tenure as Eskom’s general manager, Van Heerden won the Chairman’s Award for Executive of the Year.
He told attendees at an alternative energy solutions meeting in Midstream Estate that South Africa would most likely go to stage 8 during winter.
“People must realise that South Africa is in a very bad situation. Load-shedding will not go away. It will not stop at the end of the year, as promised by Ramaphosa,” he said.
Van Heerden spent two years with the energy minister trying to put things in place to resolve the energy shortage. However, problems run deep.
“Power stations are in a very bad condition. It is not the electricity networks – it is the power stations which are the problem,” he said.
He explained that there are numerous challenges, including that maintenance is not done properly at power stations.
“The maintenance
at Eskom is pathetic. There are maintenance agreements which have not
been done for two years.” " - Daily Investor
Here are the list of points that were discussed: (Some in Afrikaans and some in English)
- As jy nog nie begin het om altenatiewe energie metodes te oorweeg nie, dan is jy laat en gaan dit jou duur te staan kom.
- Die huidige kragonderbrekings het 'n voortdurende afwaartse tendens. Kyk waar staan ons vandag weer op Fase 6.
- Strewe daarna om permanent van die Grid af te gaan. Jy hoef nie 'n R200 000.00 rand stelsel te installeer nie.
- Om te begin raak eerstens ontslae van jou Kragvratel. Goed wat baie krag gebruik. Kyk na elektriese stoof. Wie gebruik nog al 4 plate, oond en warmlaai?
- Windkrag te duur op hierdie stadium vir 'n privaat persoon.
- Moderne nie elektriese drukkokers (2 bar) is 'n goeie alternatief. Kan kos kook binne 15 - 20 minute of 'n gas stoofie.
- Om son energie en solar stelsel te gebruik moet jy jou maandelikse uitgawes verminder asook jou verbruik van elektrisiteit.
- Jy kan ook kyk na Veilige Kamer -Warm Kamer - Koue Kamer en Leef Kamer. So bespaar jy energie en ook uitgawes.
- Sny verbruik en behoeftes.
- Installer LED ligte buite en binne. Buite ligte het deesdae hulle eie sonpaneel en battery.
- Insuleer dakke/plafonne/geysers en vensters om sodoende krag te spaar vir verwarming.
- Teenproduktief om batterye te laai met elektriese battery laaier. Kyk na ander opsies.
- Gebruik gas vir rugsteun - verseker dat jy genoeg gasbottels he want met tye is daar ook gas tekorte.
- Jy hoef nie duur sonpanele op jou dak te installeer nie. Ek gebruik 'n 100 watt sonpaneel wat ek rondskuif waar ek krag nodig het.
- Pas jou leefstyl aan. Behoort nie moeilik te wees nie.
- Beurkrag gaan nog jare met ons wees. Doen nou iets want hoe langer jy wag hoe duurder gaan dit word. Maak nou 'n plan of laat dit gaan en kla nie later nie!!
- Geduld word nou benodig. Ongelukkig is dit nie altyd daar nie.
- Moet lankal begin het, maar gedink dat dit beter sou gaan vorentoe.
- Finanseel is dit nou onbekostigbaar met alles wat net op en op gaan elke maand. Kos is meer belangriker as krag.
- Voedsel tekorte is ons voorland.
- Maak seker dat jy nie swak toerusting koop om beurtkrag te ondervang nie. George twee huisbrande gehad in die week weens batterye wat aan die brand geslaan het.
- Kyk na goeie batterye - Lithium Titaan Oksied is goed met 20 000 siklusse.
- Loodsuur batterye is nie goeie sonkrag batterye nie en gaan jy na 300 siklusse begin probleme ondervind. So gaan maak jou somme!
- Kyk na brandgevaar in en om jou huis. Indien moontlik moet nie stelsel in jou huis of motorhuis installeer nie. Oorweeg 'n veilige buite vertrek of "kragstasie" weg van jou huis af.
- As jy nie ander opsie het nie maak seker dat jy goeie brand alarms en brandblussers installeer.
- Onthou geen water om elektriese brand te probeer blus nie. Dit vererger net die brand en kan lei tot jou dood na 'n elektriese skok. Jy kry Lithium brandblussers.
- Maak dit 'n gewoonte om jou kraginstallasie twee maal op 'n dag fisies te inspekteer en monitor jou kontrole paneel wat jou voorsien van waardevolle inligting minstens elke drie ure. Dit kan deesdae met jou selfoon gedoen word. Kyk veral na die laai proses en hitte uitset.
- Inspekteer of laat jou batterye gereeld geinspekteer en getoets word om probleme te voorkom
- Raadpleeg kundige ondernemings met goeie verwysings en akreditasies. Dit kan jou baie probleme spaar.
- Soek vir alternatiewe oplossings as jy probleme ervaar tydens beurkrag. Moet nie dat beurtkrag jou lewe versuur of verpletter nie. Daar is baie wat jy kan doen om beurtkrag probleme te ondervang en jou lewe soos voorheen te geniet. Aan die begin het dit my vreeslik gepla maar ek het alternatiewe gesoek en gevind. Vandag weet ek nie eers meer wanneer die krag in die huis af is nie, want my hele hok/werkskamer/amateur radio stasie word vanaf sonkrag bedryf. Moes dit al jare terug gedoen het.
Unfortunately I do not have the time to provide a full detailed report
of the discussions that took place relating to the above topics. This
is where you need to join the "Lippeklap" Net to find out more.
NOTE: I will soon post a new project on the GRHub Network Blog on how I solved my problem that I experienced due to Stage 6 loadshedding in losing the Internet. Lookout for the Internet "Watchdog" Raspberry Pi Relay Project. Soon to be posted. This project solved the intermittent Internet problems I experienced due to loadshedding.
May I just add that many great ideas /comments came from all those who participated in the Net. Many far better than those I provided. Crux is join the Net and then you will be able to listen to all the comments and suggestions.
The next "Lippeklap" Net will take place on Sunday, 26 February 2023 at 15h30 SAST. Connect to ZS1I-L via Echolink or 49355 AllStar Node or any of the other nodes connected to the GRHub Network.
Hope to hear you on the next "Lippeklap" Net.
Come join in on the fun!!
