Another solar trailer tall tale

[matthewslack]

Time off, weather too good to waste, so off I go again.

By the time I had transferred all the solar gubbins back to my Ridgeback and repaired the odd dodgy cable, and packed and thought long and hard whether I had forgotten anything, and stopped for essential supplies, I wasn't under way until 6pm.

So just a gentle 21 miles in evening sunshine to a little bit of grass on the edge of a shingle beach covered in sea pinks and a carpet of a succulent that might be samphire. Just enough breeze to keep the midges away until just now, which is useful as a bit warm in a tent in unaccustomed 20+C heat.

No datalogger this time, so I rely on the charge controller voltage readouts and the increasing range shown on the Shimano display to know that all is well.

Journey's beginning.



Scenic end of day.

 

[matthewslack]

Tiredness from my work shift, a slightly dodgy pasty at lunchtime and a significant headwind made today short, a mere 50 miles in perfect conditions. Battery at full voltage all day, so I might disconnect one panel tomorrow just for the learning.

I broke my mirror just before setting off yesterday, so very pleased to find a replacement at Nevis Cycles in Fort William. Off Beat Bikes also Fort William sold their last one yesterday.

The crazy holiday drivers are out in force. Last year's major innovation, the GuerniCar deflector is doing its job for sideways space but some of the close calls of drivers overtaking into the face of visible oncoming traffic are quite something!

The day ends at my regular Loch Lochy layby, just like day 1 last year.

Nothing left but flat grass.



Ready to roll.



I'd clean the panels if the conditions were not so perfect. Dust costs about 5% of output.



Castle Stalker with a flag. Someone must be home.



Seriously large 'camper van'.



And camp.

 

[guerney]

The crazy holiday drivers are out in force. Last year's major innovation, the GuerniCar deflector is doing its job for sideways space but some of the close calls of drivers overtaking into the face of visible oncoming traffic are quite something!

You can mount one of your GuerniCar deflectors to your right side handlebar end - a simple bodge, for when you're on the road: Make a small hole in the middle of a small water bottle cap, bolt that onto your handlebar end using the bolt already there (if present. Stronger if you insert a washer), cut the base of the small water bottle off, screw the bottle onto the bottle cap (tape it on too), tape or ziptie blue/white pipe lagging around the water bottle, so that it sticks out 39.9cm. "STEEL BAR" lettering is optional. I haven't had any close passes of any sort since using the GuerneySiderating™ Illumimaker™:

 

[matthewslack]

An evening without 4G, so yesterday's news today.

Unusually I slept all the way through to my 8am alarm, by which time the midges were gone, so a leisurely breakfast and pack. More headwind, which was funnelling first down the Great Glen and later from the west through Glen Shiel, so a good workout with the hills as well.

I ran my camera facing backwards to see how close people get to my GuerniCar deflector, results yet to be analysed. But a noticeably high proportion of LHD number plates in the closer ones. At least the driver is my side and knows their clearance, even if it isn't what I would like. Other countries perhaps don't have an equivalent to our 1.5m highway code rule, and UK is not effectively communicating it.

The transition between 'just getting North' and the real journey's beginning happens for me at the left turn at Invergarry, when the busy trunk road to Inverness splits and very soon views and scenic stopover lay-bys start appearing, and a proper climb over a pass comes along.

Conditions were not entirely clear early on, and a corroded terminal block screw made it hard to disconnect a panel, so I continued with all three for now. Having looked at today's forecast, I seem to have two weeks of bright or sunny to come, so there will be some experimenting later. Meanwhile, the lowest voltage I saw all day with constant use of level 2 assist, and occasional level 3 was 40.7. My charge controllers are set to 41V, so that is barely dipping below the constant voltage part of the charge curve, so always above 80% or so.

After the 320m climb over from Glen Garry to Morriston bridge came the beautiful run past Loch Cluanie and the Cluanie Inn through a concentration of excellent Munro bagging terrain, with another 70m of up, then the long usually fast descent to Shiel Bridge and the chocolate emporium, today slowed by that headwind to barely 20mph, and then a left turn towards the second big climb of the day, over Bealach Ratagain, 340m from sea level with three chevrons on the OS map, to Glenelg.

For the second day running, a beautiful camp spot with a breeze most of the time was too tempting to pass by, and with a village shop for essential supplies and fish and chips from a cafe in the village hall, I called it a day at 94km and 15:30.

The nearly 300m climb out after the famous ferry just ahead might also have been a factor!

Long distance drinks van, yours truly and a venerable 2CV.



Gorse and broom brighten a cloudy scene nicely. Halfway down the Glen Shiel descent.



Near the top of the Ratagain climb





Nice garden just before Glenelg.



Striking memorial on the seafront.



Campsite last night



And this morning.

 

[matthewslack]

I went via Glenelg so that my unusual form of transport could travel on another: the last remaining manually operated turntable ferry in the world, so this post is a celebration of MV Glenachulish. Spectacular crossing on a morning like today, and worthy of being a 'destination' on any tour of these parts.

The 'Shore station' cafe on 'my' side this morning is also excellent, with fresh from the oven savoury things for my lunch, a great cup of tea and a good chinwag with the manager.



Sitting on her mooring before the first crossing of the day.



Arriving and loading at the Glenelg side.





Onboard.





Larger traffic loaded for the return trip.



And off she goes again.

 

[Benjahmin]

I do like a good ferry, never seen one like that though.
I remember, as a lad, taking the Servern ferry crossing on a return trip to Birmingham from Devon with my parents. I think my dad did it 'cos he knew I liked ferries. This one had a turntable built into the deck. The crossing was quite rough, as the severn estuary can be, with the tide running fast. I had been sitting in the middle of a pile of spare tyres and had just got out when a large wave crashed over the side and soaked the tyres.
This must have been the early sixties so the last days of the ferry before the bridge opened.

 

[WheezyRider]

I went via Glenelg so that my unusual form of transport could travel on another: the last remaining manually operated turntable ferry in the world, so this post is a celebration of MV Glenachulish. Spectacular crossing on a morning like today, and worthy of being a 'destination' on any tour of these parts.

The 'Shore station' cafe on 'my' side this morning is also excellent, with fresh from the oven savoury things for my lunch, a great cup of tea and a good chinwag with the manager.

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Sitting on her mooring before the first crossing of the day.

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Arriving and loading at the Glenelg side.

View attachment 51891

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Onboard.

View attachment 51895

View attachment 51896

Larger traffic loaded for the return trip.

View attachment 51890

And off she goes again.

View attachment 51892

I think I went on that ferry as a kid many years ago. Out of interest, what do they charge for a bike? Did you have to pay extra for the trailer?

 

[WheezyRider]

What are your thoughts on these new MiPV cells?

https://mipvsolarpanels.co.uk/products/

 

[StuartsProjects]

This must have been the early sixties so the last days of the ferry before the bridge opened.

I do remember the ferry although we mostly used the Severn Tunnel car ferry service when moving between South Wales and Devon.

 

[WheezyRider]

I do like a good ferry, never seen one like that though.
I remember, as a lad, taking the Servern ferry crossing on a return trip to Birmingham from Devon with my parents. I think my dad did it 'cos he knew I liked ferries. This one had a turntable built into the deck. The crossing was quite rough, as the severn estuary can be, with the tide running fast. I had been sitting in the middle of a pile of spare tyres and had just got out when a large wave crashed over the side and soaked the tyres.
This must have been the early sixties so the last days of the ferry before the bridge opened.

Do you remember the Kyle of Lochalsh ferry before the bridge was built? That was fun

 

[StuartsProjects]

Do you remember the Kyle of Lochalsh ferry before the bridge was built? That was fun

Went on it several times, on the way to vist the man eating midges at Glenbrittle campsite.

 

[sjpt]

Glenelg Ferry House is our favourite place to stay; less adventurously than matthewslack. This year more in the village because we were too many for Ferry House.
I remember the Kyle ferry and also Queensferry, but most particularly the Ballahulish ferry which I spent hours idly watching; and throwing stones at the huge number of jelly fish on the jetty then.

The current Glenelg ferry was pressed into 'real' service over the winter a few years ago at Stromferry (no longer usually a ferry) after a big landslip closed the A890.

 

[WheezyRider]

Went on it several times, on the way to vist the man eating midges at Glenbrittle campsite.

I preferred camping on the north west coast where the sea breezes kept the midges inland.

 

[matthewslack]

What are your thoughts on these new MiPV cells?

https://mipvsolarpanels.co.uk/products/

For my use, not as efficient as the SunPower I am using so would need a larger area, and no integral structure which can be a weight advantage as a carbon fibre laminated base could be made.

Historically the bug bear for non-silicon technologies and especially thin film is life expectancy. Early version were severely degraded after a few years and toast after 10.

Well made silicon modules last way beyond their 20 year performance guarantees.

I did not see immediately in the website marketing blurb any mention of performance guarantee, do that would be my first question for them, the second being cost per kWp of installed capacity and annual yield kWh per kWp compared to silicon.

 

[matthewslack]

Yesterday's story post ferry and quite short, or I will never keep up to date.

A 300m climb out with a bird hide and remote public toilets gave way to a cold wind off the sea on the descent, then 5 miles of unavoidable main road into Kyle of Lockalsh. Co-op for fresh supplies including green salad and the first strawberries of the summer, then lunch and stove out for tea by the river in Durinish.

Onward through Strathcarron to Lochcarron with a couple of meaty climbs and a short section straight into that wind, then overtaken by a huge clump of lightly laden tourers who turned out to be three mingled groups. Then one of those great meandering conversations on the verge with the lovely Irish ladies on a tour roughly celebrating a significant birthday, and so on to the foot of Bealach na Ba. Still early enough to climb it armed with knowledge from February, paused at 200m and about 400m to give the motor a rest, but no issues and up in about 80 minutes including stops.

Battery still above 40V!

Then an easy roll downhill into Applecross, an extra few miles on the south road including a visit to the local shop just as it was closing for fresh milk, then fish and chips outside the pub and a few miles north for a precarious perch on the roadside on account of many advisory 'please don't camp here' signs. I couldn't remember anything better from February, but as it turned out this morning, another couple of miles would have paid dividends.

99km, and at least 1100m of hill, and still the battery above 40V.

Lunchtime



I do like a red tin roof.



And a hobbity house.



Ethereal views near Kishorn.



About a third of the way up.



Very near the top, in the zig zags.



The sublime view to Skye from the top.



Fish and chips by the sea.



Applecross cottage terrace.



Lily pond on the way to the shop.

 

[matthewslack]

Catching up at lunchtime is becoming a habit!

Out on the western tips of the mainland, and over Skye and the outer islands, the weather has a pattern to it just now: cloud rolls on in the evening and the next morning starts heavily overcast. At my roadside camp yesterday as I left, the charge controllers were showing a mere 40W.

Last year that might have been a concern because my solar battery was quite small, and with my average consumption of 100 to 160W I had very limited range on battery alone. With the enlarged 1000Wh battery I now have, I can go a full day without worry, or as it turns out day after day a couple of hours on mainly battery until the sun returns.

As I progressed towards Sheildaig, at successive stops the solar output increased to 80, 120, 160W at which time I stopped thinking about it. At lunchtime on the lovely wide grass opposite the village buildings at Sheildaig I disconnected one panel as I am sure two is plenty in these conditions.

I also fitted new brake pads front and rear, as although not worn out braking power was noticeably down. Not good on big hills with a heavy load. Glazing of the pads is suspected.

Then followed one of the best bits of this route through the outstanding mountain scenery of Torridon to Kinlochewe. Here as I stopped to let traffic in both directions pass, I met and had a long chat with a pair of backpacking young women with rucksacks the size I don't plan to carry again who were enroute to Cape Wrath, via several Munro summits. The most impressive adventure I've met on my trips so far.

Then into Kinlochewe, no need for a charge at the hotel this time, and then on with the level 3 assist afterburners for 19 miles in 90 minutes to my approximate destination of Gairloch. Half of this section is through trees, hiding the spectacular views, so no reason to dally, and then more of the good stuff, and more downhill than I remembered.

It was 18:30 when I arrived, and it being Sunday, most things were closed, including the shop. So a Chinese takeaway in the most remote place I have ever had one, and for the first time in all my tours, a night on a proper campsite!

Sands just a couple of miles on the road west is extensive and in sand dune terrain. I first went there as a kid in about 1972....

A round 100km, and evening sunshine to fill my battery, and breeze to keep the midges at bay.

Not the best camp site in Applecross



Flax or cotton grass on Applecross.



Looking across lower Loch Torridon



Classic camper van.



Lunch in Sheildaig.



Just round the corner, another great Torridon view.



Liathach is very impressive close to.



The quartzite bands on Being Eighe standing out in the sunshine.



Maximising charge during late afternoon break overlooking Loch Maree.



Also a chance for a good look underneath. All well there.

 

[guerney]

I'd clean the panels if the conditions were not so perfect. Dust costs about 5% of output.

Perhaps caused by static electricity? Ultrasonic cleaning mod? Could double duty as a wildlife deterrent.

Mars helicopter went silent for six sols, imperilled Perseverance rover

" "It now appears that the dust covering our solar panel will ensure that Ingenuity will likely remain in this transitional power state for some time," "

Mars Helicopter went silent for six sols, risked rover

Ingenuity's still setting records, but waking it up and chatting are getting harder

www.theregister.com

 

[guerney]

IKEA’s solar powered e-cargo bike delivery trial was a success

IKEA say the solar panels provide an average of 65-70 per cent of the charge needed for daily deliveries and up to 100 per cent on sunny days.

IKEA’s solar powered e-cargo bike delivery trial was a success

For the last 12 months, the IKEA Delft store in the Netherlands has been delivering products within the city centre using a solar powered e-cargo bike. After deeming the trial a success, the retailer has decided to scale up and give all IKEA stores around the world the same option. According to...

ebiketips.road.cc

 

[cyclebuddy]

What's happened to @matthewslack? Mid-trip and no reports since last Monday? I hope his latest report of a brake-pad change and a subsequent steep hill descent hasn't ended badly?

Should we be organising a search party? It seems most strange that he abandons his travelogue in this way. I do hope he's well.

 

[flecc]

What's happened to @matthewslack? Mid-trip and no reports since last Monday? I hope his latest report of a brake-pad change and a subsequent steep hill descent hasn't ended badly?

Should we be organising a search party? It seems most strange that he abandons his travelogue in this way. I do hope he's well.

He apparently logged in yesterday:

"Last seen Yesterday at 9:59 PM

So could have been any number of reasons why his trip was interrupted, hopefully none too unpleasant.
.