08:08 – They changed the forecast. Yesterday morning, they were predicting 3 to 6 inches, but in the afternoon they changed that to 5 to 8 inches. We ended up getting maybe 3+ inches here of wet snow. The roads aren’t bad. I just came back from walking Colin and it’s mostly heavy, wet snow on top of slush. In some places the slush is frozen solid and crunchy, but mostly it’s just wet slush. Barbara just left for work in the Trooper. She shouldn’t have any problem getting to and from work. Tomorrow morning may be another story, though. Today is to be right around freezing, but overnight it’s to drop 5 or 10 degrees below freezing, which should turn all of this semi-melted slushy stuff into sheets of ice.
Work on the prepping book continues. Right now I’m working in section I (the first month), writing the chapter on security and defense, chapter I-9.
Repeat from yesterday: I just finished the first draft of what is tentatively designated Chapter I-8. It’s from section I (the first month), and it covers Electricity, Lighting, and Communications. If you’d like a copy of the PDF, email me at thompson (at) thehomescientist (dot) com.
I should emphasize that this is a first draft, direct from my keyboard. I haven’t done any editing or rewrite at all. There’ll be typos I’m sure. There may even be major missing sections that I somehow forgot to include. There aren’t any images yet, and I haven’t even started to format it for print. The final chapter may well look a lot different.
If you do get a copy, please keep it to yourself. Don’t post it anywhere. This really is rough, and most authors wouldn’t even consider letting anyone see their work at this early stage.
Understood.
Overcast today here, temps in the teens, no sign anywhere of any precip. Typical frozen winter landscape for months.
Followed by Mud Season at some point, probably April.
I setup CHIRP yesterday on my Mac to try on the BaoFeng. I ran into a problem where the radio won’t respond to CHIRP’s request to download. I installed the Python runtime as required, used the real BaoFeng FTDI cable, ensured the USB-Serial port existed and was used. No luck, so I tried the Windows version on my Win7 VM. Same thing. Also joined the CHIRP mailing and got a few responses of no know problems, but Googling some said OS X Yosemite may have dicked some things up with Apple’s own FTDI drivers.
I went back to OS X and “checked the fricken cable”. Sure enough, it wasn’t seated all the way in the BaoFeng. After a nice “click” sound, I tried again. Bingo data downloaded from the BaoFeng via CHIRP on the Mac.
I listened to the local NOAA channel to see if I could receive. Check. Tried the FM range. Check. Listened to the UNLV classics and jazz station. Tried some local cop/emergency freqs and heard some chatter. Next, try some real programming and scanning. Some peeps have posted how to load FRS/GMRS into channels and scan them. Illegal to transmit, but the general consensus is nobody (even FCC) will care and hunt you down. Apparently, you can’t have a removable antenna on those type of radios. Ham freqs, yes, they will hunt you down. Studying for the Tech license and hope to take next month.
Oh, yeah.
Off to LASIK this afternoon. Both eyes with mono vision option. My dry eye problem was solved to the doc’s satisfaction.
I also ordered a “roll up dipole” from a guy on eBay just for grins to try it out.
““checked the fricken cable””
Indeed. I gotta remember to do this kinda chit FIRST, anytime there’s some kind of net issue. Happens too frequently; peeps or cats or the dawg or whatever knock stuff loose, or I do, moving stuff around.
Thanks for being the radio guinea pig, MrAtoz; good info there, and best of luck with the LASIK procedure.
I gotta have some minor eye surgery in the next few weeks myself, and Mrs. OFD is overdue for the full exam, which I just had, courtesy of the VA.
Off to LASIK this afternoon.
Follow the doctors orders to the letter. Avoid the urge to “peek”. Keep the eyes covered for the rest of the day and just chill out. Tomorrow you will be amazed.
Of course that brings out the idiot in me. How are you going to read this if your eyes are covered.
Chances are about zero that anyone will even notice if you operate the Baofeng (now Profung) HT on FRS or MURS frequencies. Operating on GMRS frequencies is slightly riskier because they require licensing, but there are so many blister-pack pirates operating on GMRS that I wouldn’t worry too much about it.
Of course that brings out the idiot in me. How are you going to read this if your eyes are covered.
What’d you say?
Will follow doc’s orders. Already given me a list of “don’ts”.
I’m thinking about getting another BaoFeng/Profung and get my Twins to get a tech license. Both in college, in study mode, so shouldn’t be a problem. Then we can really learn by actually transmitting while walking the dogs.
I got my tech license years ago when my sons were in Scouts. They had a one day session to get the Ham merit badge and taking the tech test was part of the program. I figured if the kids could do it, so could I. I passed. Some of the kids did not.
Rick in Portland
I also got the first draft via the mailing list, Dr. Bob. Will not post anywhere as requested.
Well, gee, Obola trying to ban “bullets”. Wut a country!
It’s starting.
As promised, President Obama is using executive actions to impose gun control on the nation, targeting the top-selling rifle in the country, the AR-15 style semi-automatic, with a ban on one of the most-used AR bullets by sportsmen and target shooters.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives this month revealed that it is proposing to put the ban on 5.56 mm ammo on a fast track, immediately driving up the price of the bullets and prompting retailers, including the huge outdoors company Cabela’s, to urge sportsmen to urge Congress to stop the president.
Well, I used to have a couple thousand rounds of 5.56, but alas it fell into the river.
Got the first draft, thanks.
Are you looking for any feedback? If yes, here?
WRT using Baofang on GMRS/FRS, since it’s not a type accepted radio on those freqs, (or MURS, or MARS/CAP, or anywhere else), it is technically illegal. The question is, how would anyone know? The only cases I’m aware of where letters were sent or fines issued for type acceptance issues concern local first responders (volunteer firefighters primarily) using them on Public Safety freqs, so they can carry one radio instead of two or more (especially for SAR or event management when they have ham involvement.) These responders were observed first-hand using their HTs on those freqs. In one case it was the department that condoned the usage as a budget issue. Whoever is supporting the dept’s official radios will have a strong incentive to report such activity. The main practical reason for not using them on critical PS freqs is they can be very noisy and cause interference to official use.
In the case of unlicensed use of GMRS freqs, all the blister pack FRS/GMRS radios come with a printed insert telling the user to get licensed for GMRS, and the Baofang does too. I’d suggest getting the license. It costs $75 and is good for 3 or 5 years (can’t remember offhand), there is no test, and it covers your whole family. That way you are fully legal, and can use any local GMRS repeaters (that might be run by someone who wants your license before allowing your use of their machines.) It seems like just a way for the FCC to squeeze a few extra bucks out of people, given the lack of enforcement, but it’s not that much money for the peace of mind knowing you are legal.
Some people in the prepper community fear and predict a world WROL. I’m thinking it’s more likely to be a world with excessive and intrusive ROL. The more you have your ducks in a row, the better off you’ll be. IE get your GMRS and ham licenses with IDs for RACES/ARES, CERT training, Red Cross certs or EMT license, participate in whatever ride along or citizen programs your local cops have, CHL, reserve officer, etc. Get as many affiliations and certs as you can now. Get as many licenses and ID cards as you can. The more programs you are involved in, the less likely you are to run afoul of officialdom (and the more resources to draw on) if things do get sporty. One last thought along that line, especially for hams, most states that have restrictions on using scanners in your vehicle have exemptions for licensed hams. That alone could save a ton of problems if you are monitoring the situation as you ‘get out of dodge’ and pass thru a check point…
nick
Thanks. Here is fine, or via email.
I just copied your message into the first draft document. There are several things in there I want to cover.
Nice post Mr. Nick.
I should mention, I have to use the CHIRP “daily build” to get support for the BaoFeng BF-F8HP. It’s not yet supported in the stable build.
Thanks Robert,
the things that caught my attention so far:
I’ve tried to block lights with black plastic garbage bags. They are surprisingly BAD at blocking light. Some brands and weights might work, but it’s not something you would like to find out while ‘under the gun.’ I bought a bunch of ordinary roller shades during a close out sale. They are completely opaque and from the outside look completely appropriate (something black plastic or aluminum foil applied to the window do not.) They store easily and are thick enough that they are easy to handle when applying them to windows. The other approach to take is to apply whatever light blocker across the whole inside of the window, taped to the wall or trim. This has the advantage of leaving the curtains and blinds visible from the outside, so much stealthier. In conjunction with your existing window treatments, heavy black plastic landscape plastic might be opaque enough to do the job, with the added benefit (from a stocking up point of view) that plastic sheeting has literally hundreds of preparedness uses.
Your point about using the car as a gasoline storage vessel- I thought this too. The problem I found when I actually tried it was that most if not all modern cars have anti-siphon devices built into the fuel filler line. I was not able to insert any size of tubing. There has been some discussion online of using the schrader fitting on your fuel injection rail as a way to remove the fuel from your vehicle, but I’m pretty sure you’d have to be desperate to mess with that…. I just bought more gas cans. I keep 2-3 days of fuel for the geni, which coincidentally is also what I would need to double the range of my vehicle (recommended practice), on hand all the time. I use Sta-bil, and rotate when convenient. If there is a predicted storm coming, I increase my fuel storage. I was able to comfortably get thru a 14 day outage, taking cans with me as I went about my post-event errands, and refilling them if I found gas without any long lines. Fuel became generally available within 3-5 days of the storm.
Finally this concerns me:
SWITCHING YOUR MAIN BREAKER OFF DOES NOT
NECESSARILY DISCONNECT YOUR HOME WIRING FROM THE POWER
COMPANY LINES
If this is the case, your home has some significant electrical issues as turning off your main will also not de-energize your HOUSE. This can kill you in the ordinary course of working on your home and should be corrected immediately! I’m not an electrical expert but am familiar with the code, and construction practice, and I can’t imagine how this would be the case. I’m always up for learning something new, so if you can point me to something that describes this, that would be great. I’ll be happy to spread it far and wide. On the other hand, if you absolutely had to backfeed your panel, removing your meter will put a 3 inch air gap into the system and is not easily undone unintentionally. I agree that the correct and safe way is to install a transfer switch and the correct connection for your geni. I also know that people are going to backfeed their systems if SHTF, even locally. There really isn’t any other way to power things like high efficiency water heaters, furnaces, etc. [that might be a good subject for a sidebar, all those new fancy appliances that need power for their onboard computers, when their older versions did not.]
Anyway, interesting so far!
nick
Thanks. I was looking for an expedient way to block light, and black garbage bags are nearly always at hand. Aluminum foil would also work. Again, I’ve copied your message into the draft because there are some things I want to cover.
As to the main breaker not fully isolating the house, that came from our electrician, who says he encounters it frequently. I trust him because he’s been a friend of my wife’s since they were in high school. I confess that I hadn’t fully thought it through, but it appears to be a common problem. See here: http://www.nyseg.com/MediaLibrary/2/5/Content%20Management/NYSEG/Usage%20and%20Safety/PDFs%20and%20Docs/nyseg%20EmergGennyseg.pdf
Thanks MrAtoz,
This is a subject I’ve spent a lot of time and energy on. I’m glad you found it useful.
I like my BaoFang UV5R+plus. I admit that I haven’t used the cable to program it, as I found the process from the menus easy enough for the few repeaters I use. I can’t really find much justification for putting a hundred channels in it and then having to carry around a notebook with a channel list! I find it easy enough to just enter a channel as needed and carry the ARRL repeater book, or use the app on my phone. It is on my list of things to do, eventually, and for my yaesu HT as well, but it was one more impediment to actually getting on the air.
I keep finding there are so many things that cause me (and others) to delay and procrastinate with prepping. There is always a prerequisite that you can spend time on, and push back the actual goal. I think time is short, and it is important to be goal focused. If the goal is get licensed, and start communicating, do the minimum necessary to reach the goal. In this case, simply getting up on a couple of the most popular repeaters in my city gained me a ton of experience. Actually using the radio led to me deciding it was worth the money to get a better HT. I’m finding that I like the hobby of ham radio, and for a while, I’ll be increasing my time spent on it. That time will have to be subtracted from some other activity though. My discretionary time budget is limited, and prepping comes out of that.
I guess the old adage is what’s guiding me, it’s better to have a good enough solution NOW than a great solution LATER. (or better an 80% solution when needed than a 100% solution too late.)
best,
nick
As to the main breaker not fully isolating the house, that came from our electrician, who says he encounters it frequently.
This frequently occurs on older homes with fuses instead of breaker panels. I owned a home back in the 1980s that had a breaker panel for the 240V air conditioner wired around the two 20A fuses. It was nasty and confusing so I ended converting the entire system to a breaker panel with a 100A main breaker when I added washer and dryer connections to the house.
And sometimes a journeyman will add a subpanel connected directly to the meter instead of adding a new breaker for the subpanel. This person should be beaten with a stick. Severely. This is because the owner is too cheap to replace the main breaker panel with a larger rated main breaker.
” that came from our electrician, who says he encounters it frequently. I trust him because he’s been a friend of my wife’s since they were in high school. I confess that I hadn’t fully thought it through, but it appears to be a common problem. ”
Yikes. I’m not sure how that could be, (I don’t deny his experience, there is a lot of improper work out there) but it certainly can’t be if everything is installed correctly. That is the main breaker’s JOB, after all, to isolate the rest of the panel from the utility.
I’ll tell you that this one topic is likely to generate more comments and angry back and forth than any other. Based on my experience on other forums, backfeeding the house, (or saying NOT to backfeed it) is one of those topics that brings EVERYONE out of the woodwork. Be sure you can stand behind every statement you make in this area with bulletproof citations.
One practical consideration comes from the quality of the power produced by portable generators. The cheap ones are atrocious (harbor freight I’m looking at you). They are aimed at running small electrical motors on jobsites, and are barely adequate for that. Even the more expensive name brands are not really good for running household stuff. I’ve got a generac and I’ve put a scope on it. The waveforms are terrible with noise, spikes, and sags all over. I found that NONE of my name brand UPSs would charge while it was running. They all thought the power was so bad they needed to be in battery run mode! The solution was to get some surplus commercial grade UPSs that have a “generator” setting switch on the back, that allows them to run and charge on the dirty power. I then ran sensitive stuff off the big UPS, and non-sensitive items direct. You might not think of a refrigerator as a computer, but most new ones have very delicate control boards, ovens too. There are a surprising number of computers hiding in our homes.
For those who can’t afford a whole house geni, a good alternative might be a 6000 w gas portable to feed the house during the day, for at least a few hours. This will run most critical appliances (freezer and fridge), allow charging of devices, and even AC depending on the unit size. Additionally, I’d have a small honda inverter based geni, to run small loads at night or if it becomes dangerous to run the bigger geni. They are so quiet you could run one at night under most conditions. The big geni, this is certainly not true! In my case, I get by with 4000w, for a huge savings in gas, but can’t run my central air. I’ve also got 16kva of UPS in the garage for quiet power in addition to the 4000w gas generac, but I’m interested in home brew solutions. The best solution is a high end whole house geni, with sufficient fuel to last thru your expected outage, with an auto start option, and an automatic transfer switch. (The higher end will have longer maintenance intervals, better sound insulation, better muffler, better quality power, etc.)
Lastly you need all the maintenance supplies, spark plugs, air and oil filters, oil, etc. The interval for a full oil and filter change can be shockingly short on some generators, necessitating a much bigger stockpile of supplies than you would expect.
The geni section might also be a good place for a sidebar on carbon monoxide. Every year we have deaths in our city because someone is running a geni indoors to keep it from being stolen. CO monitors are cheap insurance. Grid down, there will be unconventional cooking, heating, and lighting that could all be CO hazards. A fire extinguisher is HIGHLY recommended. Put it near but not on the geni. (In fact, grid down, fire is one of your biggest hazards. I recently upgraded our fire extinguishers both in size and quantity. Costco had them onsale 🙂 )
One final digression, there is a whole discussion that could be had regarding what sort of appliances to have in your home, from a prepper standpoint. If natural gas is available in your area, simple gas appliances for hot water, stove, furnace, clothes dryer, etc, will be a lot easier to run when the power is out. The gas is very rarely shut off. Apparently there are practical/mechanical reasons not to shut it off, so the gas is likely to be on LONG after the power isn’t. (This may have changed if the national response plan calls for it to be shut off, but every indication I’ve seen is that TPTB will be extremely reluctant to turn off the gas. For example, once the cable companies started offering phone service they had to add UPSs and local generators to their neighborhood hubs and distribution points, and they run on natural gas. During [a big regional disaster] we had cable service throughout while we lost power and even water. The local landline provider has natural gas generators installed in neighborhoods too.) Electric appliances will be useless or need a much larger geni to run. Sophisticated gas appliances have computer control that needs power, a heat pump water heater, or tankless water heater both need electricity, while a cheap tank style doesn’t. The same can be said for ovens and ranges.
It seems to me that prepping (like many things in the world) has a fractal nature. The closer you look at any aspect of it, the more there is to see…….
nick
Loads of great info here already; looking forward to the books.
I have a basic first responder Red Cross cert good for two years, and the GMRS license, around here somewhere, I just saw it recently… can’t remember how long it’s good for offhand. Will be ordering the hw at some point and playing around with it, also kickstarting the ham license stuff again now that I have scads of free time again…
Thanks, guys!
Hi Lynn,
I can’t quite picture exactly what you are describing in your first case, but in your second case, if you backfed the main and shut off the main breaker, you would still protect the utility. If you backfed the second circuit, you are correct in that it would back feed the utility.
So what do you know, there are clear cases where improperly installed service could allow backfeeding the utility. (It’s improper because the code requirement is that the sub-panel be fed from a breaker in the main panel.)
And of course the reverse is true that shutting off the main would leave that second panel live and potentially kill you when you opened it and contacted the feeders.
In the general case, if you pull the main breaker, in the panel you are backfeeding, you will protect the utility, as nothing could flow upstream FROM THAT PANEL. But yeah, too many caveats, too many chances to kill someone. Better to insist on installing the geni correctly OR just use extension cords and don’t use the major appliances.
As I mentioned above, this is a topic that generates (hah) a huge amount of animosity and heated discussion whenever it is raised.
best,
nick
If natural gas is available in your area, simple gas appliances for hot water, stove, furnace, clothes dryer, etc, will be a lot easier to run when the power is out. The gas is very rarely shut off. Apparently there are practical/mechanical reasons not to shut it off, so the gas is likely to be on LONG after the power isn’t.
Two problems with this:
1. FEMA can and will shut down the natural gas system in an area if they think that there is the potential for a lot of leaks (bare house foundations, etc)
2. Many of the natural gas compressors installed since the 1980s in ozone non-attainment areas (Los Angeles, Houston, Dallas, just about any city over 100,000) have electric motor drivers since the gas turbines are a major source of pollutants; if you do not have electricity neither do they
I can’t quite picture exactly what you are describing in your first case,
I had a fusebox with two 20A fuses connected directly to the meter. I also had a subpanel with two 30A breakers connected directly to the meter. Very common in older homes built before the 1960s.
Multiple connections to the meter box are not that uncommon and have only been a code violation since 1960???
Please don’t fry the linemen by backfeeding your generator, solar panels, etc to the entire neighborhood. I did that job for a while and we assumed that all homes and business were hot. We would ground each high wire individually to the ground if we were working on something. Unless someone was working from a helicopter or isolated bucket truck.
Hi Lynn,
I’m interested in any links to FEMA response plans or doctrine on this subject. Availability of nat gas is a major part of a bunch of people’s disaster plans, including the cable and phone companies in my city (which you may or may not have listed.) During Katrina we saw that the gas stayed on for quite some time, even in completely flooded areas (you could see the flames rising out of the floodwater.) In almost any disaster, there are LOTS of people without power, some for extended periods of time, while the bigger infrastructure is fine (or repaired first.)
Our local gas pumping stations have standby generators and large tanks of fuel. There is one across the street from my rental property. I don’t know how LONG they can stay up, but I have never known anyone to lose natural gas service. Even in CA after earthquakes they shut off locally, rather than regionally. My understanding is that once you shut it off, it is really tedious to turn it back on, so the bias is toward leaving it on.
This discussion also leaves out another gas, locally stored propane. A very large part of the non-city population of the US uses propane for cooking and heat. If I had room, I’d have a big tank out back as backup to the backup 🙂 (and maybe a geni, stove, hot water heater, furnace, and fridge that run on propane, possibly conveniently packaged in a box on wheels, one with nice cushions and a bathroom too…)
In any case, that is why I prep with the idea of ‘defence in depth.’ I’ve got gas heat and hot water, but alternatives if there is no gas. If I had a nat gas whole house generator, I’d still keep my gasoline geni, and big UPS as back ups. (As well as my batteries, inverters, etc. I’ll be adding some solar or wind this year if I get lucky on parts and find the time.) For cooking I’ve got a propane grill with side burners, colman stoves (in dual fuel, bottled propane, and colman fuel), backpacking stoves in gasoline, alcohol, and chemical, and as a last resort, wood fire (open or rocket stove.) I’ve also got the material for a solar oven–but I haven’t actually tried it yet.
Depth, flexibility, resiliency. <—that's the method
Survive and thrive. <—-that's the goal.
nick
Hi Lynn,
“I had a fusebox with two 20A fuses connected directly to the meter. I also had a subpanel with two 30A breakers connected directly to the meter. ”
Sweet jebus.
“Very common in older homes built before the 1960s.”
So is plumbing on the outside of the house, and just as wrong!
I agree with you, do it the right way. Any book or guide HAS to have the right way in it. The reality is (based on seeing it with my own eyes) AFTER the event, there aren’t transfer switches, and there are LOTS of helpful guys driving around with trucks full of generators, offering to sell them to you and hook them in. And there are lots of guys “just makin’ it work.” The law of least effort says they’ll be backfeeding thru the dryer plug. I’m not advocating it, just observing that that is the way it actually happens. (And it isn’t PREPPING, it’s reacting, which is why we prep. So that we can take the time and do it right beforehand.)
fervent best wishes to all the linemen to stay safe,
nick
@ Roy,
Roy said:
“Batteries vs cells: The one common battery that is actually a battery is the 9V.
Not commonly used these days (except for smoke alarms) but could if you wish
flesh out the explanation.”
Curious that! The 9 volt battery can be pealed open and the 6 cells removed and used. They are AAAA sized, 1.5v cells. They can be hard to find (and expensive), and fit a very handy Streamlight penlight. They don’t seem to last as long as individually packaged AAAA cells though.
The standard 6v “lantern” battery can be pealed open and the cells inside used too. Although google and youtube suggest that this is less useful as different manf use different cell arrangements.
nick
I’m interested in any links to FEMA response plans or doctrine on this subject. Availability of nat gas is a major part of a bunch of people’s disaster plans, including the cable and phone companies in my city (which you may or may not have listed.) During Katrina we saw that the gas stayed on for quite some time, even in completely flooded areas (you could see the flames rising out of the floodwater.)
I heard the statement that FEMA is going to shutin the local natural gas distribution system at an engineering conference a couple of years ago. So I do not have an reference. I suspect that either Katrina or Rita is influencing this decision, probably because of your statement up there. And knowing the FEMA people, they have made all the proper connections up and down the coasts. I wonder about the central areas.
Please note that it is very difficult to store more than a week’s worth of diesel, gasoline or propane for a generator. The sheer quantities involved are amazing.
In almost any disaster, there are LOTS of people without power, some for extended periods of time, while the bigger infrastructure is fine (or repaired first.)
Hospitals first then fire and police stations. So locate your home next to a hospital. Just ignore all the sirens or soundproof your home (foam).
If natural gas is available in your area, simple gas appliances for hot water, stove, furnace, clothes dryer, etc, will be a lot easier to run when the power is out.
All natural gas furnaces installed in the last 10 to 15 years use a vent blower to create an induced draft. And an electric igniter (spark plug). A couple of hundred watts should suffice to run the furnace. But you will also need electric for the central air blower. Maybe five hundred watts total??? Unless you have an old floor furnace or wall furnace.
BTW, induced draft (vent blower and electric igniter) natural gas or propane water heaters are being finalized and will be required by the feddies soon. The major problem is that retrofitting them into a house will require an outlet.
http://www.rheem.com/product/residential-gas-water-heaters-professional-classic-plus-series-induced-draft
“Just ignore all the sirens or soundproof your home (foam).”
Hah, for years I lived in the landing pattern of a major airport. I could see down the length of the runway from my porch. It’s amazing what you can learn to ignore.
Ditto for 2 years in LA. It got to the point I couldn’t even hear the helicopters, even when they were orbiting my house. I would just wonder why I couldn’t hear the TV.
WRT modern appliances, simple is getting hard to find. Outside Cali it’s easier. It’s funny how every time they “improve” they are more dependent on society working perfectly and continuing at a western level. Take light bulbs. Any horrible little country that can melt sand and stretch wire could make incandescent bulbs, and most people could understand how they worked, but how many can make LED lighting?
I can buy a standard tanked gas water heater, no problem. My furnace is VERY basic, the control board is all thru mount discrete components. When it failed I was able to diagnose and fix the failed component out of my junk box. It will work with a mechanical t-stat if I want it to. I can still get a range and oven that will match light if needed. Basic washers and dryers are still available. Sarah Hoyt just wrote an article about that. They all need ‘some’ electricity, but very small amounts, and not thru delicate electronic controllers. My point was that the big energy hit was supplied by the natural gas, which saves a ton on the geni capacity and fuel, and that trying to live for any length of time without connecting the geni to at least some of the house circuits would be tedious.
Or you can park a camper in the back yard and use it’s appliances. They will all run from propane off battery or with no power needed.
nick