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a Log Home in the Hill Country

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Build a Great Virtual Pipe Organ

Roy Creek Ranch Posted on July 5, 2023 by JimAugust 12, 2023
photo of the Thomas Transistor Organ. Virtual Pipe Organ candidate

When I was about 10 years old, I went to an Italian restaurant in Louisville Colorado for dinner with my Dad. While I don’t remember much about the food, I certainly remember the restaurant because it had a Pipe Organ. The organ was behind glass windows on one side of the dining room, and a famous organist of the era, Dick Hull, played it while everyone enjoyed their meal. That was the beginning of my Virtual Pipe Organ project.

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Solar Power Eases A Bad Ice Storm

Roy Creek Ranch Posted on February 14, 2023 by JimFebruary 15, 2023
photo of 5 Kilowatt Solar Array with ice

Solar Power Update With several posts regarding the installation of solar power at Roy Creek Ranch, one might wonder whether or not it worked. Read on and learn about our experience in an emergency situation. The Solar Array is enlarged … Continue reading →

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Posted in solar | Tagged charge controller, controller, DIY, electric kettle, hill country, kilowatt, kilowatt-hours, kWh, off-grid, panel, solar, space heater, storage, tankless, toaster oven, update, water heater, wood stove

How to Upgrade a Solar Power System

Roy Creek Ranch Posted on February 13, 2022 by JimFebruary 13, 2022
photo of the "New" solar panels and mount

Upgrading a Solar Power System It was time to upgrade the solar power system installed for the shop almost two years ago. I’ve been happy with original system, but it needed expansion as soon as funding permitted. I also wanted … Continue reading →

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Posted in solar | Tagged charge, controller, DIY, how to, howto, inverter, kilowatt-hours, mppt, panel, solar, victron, wb0mmc

How to Get a PumpSaver for a Water Well

Roy Creek Ranch Posted on May 26, 2021 by JimMay 26, 2021
photo of The PumpSaver as part of the Solar Rainwater System

With summer on the way, and an end to our rainy season approaching, I am reminded of the dry summer last year and concerns about the water table here at the ranch. Fortunately, our water well performed during the last year’s drought, but a number of our neighbors had trouble with their wells. Some troubles were resolved by a visit from the well-service company and a replacement part of two, but at least one well’s water level was low — resulting in low or no water output.

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Posted in Rainwater, repairs, solar | Tagged DIY, equipment, how to, littelfuse, protection, pump, pumpsaver, rainwater, solar, well

Easy Repair of a John Deere X304 Clutch

Roy Creek Ranch Posted on December 26, 2020 by JimDecember 26, 2020
photo of John Deere awn tractor

It’s amazing how time flies. Although it has been about 13 years since I bought the John Deere X304 lawn tractor for the ranch, it seems like yesterday. I still think of it as “the new tractor.” So it’s always a surprise when something needs repair. I use this machine for all kinds of things, from mowing to towing, and recently it developed a screaming sound near the front.

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Posted in repairs | Tagged aerokroil, clutch, DIY, how to, howto, john deere, lawn tractor, mower, Texas, texas hill country, tractor, Warner, x304

Discovering Square Foot Gardening

Roy Creek Ranch Posted on August 22, 2020 by Marilyn McCrayAugust 22, 2020
photo of My Square Foot Garden

I have been interested in gardening since I was a child and spent time with my great grandparents who were gardeners. The Square Foot Gardening method was developed in 1976 as a simple alternative to labor intensive and inefficient row gardening. Explore the possibilities . . .

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Posted in Gardening, Food, Projects | Tagged Belton, canning, DIY, fair, hill country, homesteading, how to, howto, ih, international harvester, lee Klancher, mel's mix, Mother Earth News, octane press, red power roundup, square foot gardening, Texas, texas hill country

How to Pour a Concrete Slab for your Shop

Roy Creek Ranch Posted on August 1, 2020 by JimAugust 1, 2020
photo of The New Shop with Concrete Floor

The shop here at the ranch was built in 2000. I got lots of work done there, but by 2011, two things were clear: the wooden exterior doors were in dire need of replacement and it would be nice to have a covered outdoor space to keep sawdust out of the shop. I installed new pre-hung metal doors and with the help of a neighbor, added a 20-foot extension that year — complete with a metal roof. There just wasn’t a concrete slab.

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Posted in Projects, repairs | Tagged build, concrete, contractor, extension, finishing, Genesis Enterprises, Hopson Builders, pouring, shop, wb0mmc, woodworking

How to Build an Inexpensive Storage Shed

Roy Creek Ranch Posted on July 29, 2020 by JimJuly 29, 2020
photo of The finished shed

I’ve been threatening to build a storage shed at the ranch for some time now. After going through everything in the shop and selling, discarding, or giving everything away I could, it was still too crowded to work effectively. I needed more space. A friend had recently mentioned a sale on small buildings at Costco — it was worth a look.

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Posted in Projects, Woodworking | Tagged build, building, DIY, hill country, home depot, how to, howto, shed, storage, Texas, wb0mmc

How to Wire a Solar System – Finished

Roy Creek Ranch Posted on June 10, 2020 by JimJune 10, 2020
photo showing Miles (dog) approving of the Solar Power System

In the last post, I described the DC charge controller and battery wiring for the Shop Solar System. With solar panels and batteries connected, the inverter was functional. A quick test showed the expected 240 VAC at the inverter output, and it was time to connect it to the breaker panel in the shop.

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Posted in solar | Tagged batteries, charge, controller, deep cycle, DIY, how to, Interstate, inverter, off-grid, power, renogy, solar, solar power generator, storage, sungoldpower

How to Wire a Solar Power System – DC

Roy Creek Ranch Posted on May 29, 2020 by JimJune 10, 2020
Image of Shop Solar System showing the Inverter, Batteries and DC Wiring

In the last post, we mounted the solar panel array. Now it was time for the solar power system low-voltage wiring. The array is about 50 feet from my shop, where the batteries and inverter are located. I planned to use two strands of #6 UF direct-bury cable to conduct the predicted maximum of 36 amperes to the shop.

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Posted in solar | Tagged batteries, charge, controller, deep cycle, DIY, how to, Interstate, inverter, off-grid, power, renogy, solar, solar power generator, storage, sungoldpower

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