Lots of questions I get are in regards to my indoor grow room. One question in particular is How do I light my grow room. Contrary to what people think, lighting it is not expensive at all. In this video I explain how I personally light my grow room and what equipment I use.
Transplanting Winter Tomatoes & A Ginger Update
I grow tomatoes all year long. As of this winter (2015) I am growing 4 varieties. I do not grow them directly into large pots. I transplant them in stages. One reason is, sometimes they might get a little leggy and the transplanting allows me to bury them deeper to compensate.
Another reason is that it cuts down on fertilizing. Each time I transplant, the plants take advantage of the nutrients in its new soil.
How To Figure The Cost of Heating Your Greenhouse
If you’re thinking it is way too expensive to grow vegetables in a greenhouse during winter, think again. I live in zone 7b and grow all year long. In this video I will explain how I figure the cost. If you live in a colder climate of course your cost may be higher. But I believe, in my opinion, it’s well worth it.
Planting Store Bought Ginger
The easiest way to grow ginger, is to get yourself a rhizome from the store, let it sit a couple of months until sprout appear. Pop it into some soil. Keep it moist, warm and out of direct sunlight. Within a couple of weeks, the spouts should appear.
Don’t let your plants get below 50 degrees.
Also, don’t let them dry out too much.
Ginger can be grown indoors where the winters are harsh, or outdoors in sub-tropical to tropical climates.
Building Greenhouse Benches
I decided to build some real benches for my greenhouse. It only took me 8 years to figure out I needed to. These benches will have a bottom shelf to store things like peat moss, bags of potting soil, pots and anything else I can find.
The whole thing only cost me $12. I had the 2×2 and 2×4 laying around. I only had to buy the cedar fencing for the top.
Nutribullet Breakfast Smoothie Recipe
The Nutribullet is a wonderful way to get your fresh greens and fruits in the morning. It breaks down the cell walls of the food allowing your body to more easily absorb the vital nutrients.
For breakfast, I usually only use 2 types of vegetables and many different fruits. The reason is, I get an immediate boost from the sugars in the fruit, and the nutrients in the veggies break down over a few hours.
Recipe:
1 large kale leaf
1 handful of spinach
Small handful of strawberries
Small handful of grapes
Small handful pineapple
Small handful of Raspberries
Small handful of blueberries
1/2 cup coconut water
Water to fill line.
Blend until smooth (about 30 seconds)
** If you don’t have fresh fruits readily available, then use frozen.
Enerplex Jumpr Slate 5K Emergency Power Bank
The more I use this device, the more I fall in love with it.
It’s very thin, lightweight and durable.
Included in the Box:
Kickr Slate 5k Power Bank
USB to Micro USB cable
Instruction manual
First out of the box, you can’t help but notice how well thought out this design is. The holes along the side will allow you to attach it to either a binder or carabiner. Anywhere you carry this, because of its design, you probably will forget you even have it with you.
The biggest plus that sets this device apart from all the others, is the built in micro SD cable. No need to carry (and lose) you own cable.
Specs:
1 – USB output port 5,100 mAH/2.4 amp
1 – Micro USB input for charging the device
9.8 x 5.5 x 0.9 inches
12.5 ounces
My criteria when looking for emergency power is:
1. Charging my Galaxy S3
2. Charging my Black Diamond Rechargeable Headlamp
3. Being able to have reserve power from a power bank.
#1 Charging the Jumpr Slate
Charge Time:
I plugged the Jumpr into a wall socket to charge. Surprisingly it only took about 4 1/2 hours to fully charge.
#2 Charging the Black Diamond Headlamp
I ran the headlamp down to 0%, plugged it into the Jumpr. It fully charged in about 6 hours (the Black Diamond is notorious for slow charging so disregard the time).
#3 Charging the Galaxy S3
Without recharging the Jumpr SLate, I then plugged in my S3 after running it down to 10%. It brought the S3 up to 92%.
The Jumpr Slate 5K was able to charge the Headlamp fully and the S3 to 92% all from one charge of the Jumor.
Charging my Samsung Tab 7
I decided to see how well it did with charging my tablet. I ran the tablet down to 10%. I was able to charge it up to 90%.
Final Analysis
I have thoroughly enjoyed the Enerplex Jumpr Slate 5K Power Bank. If you’re looking for a lightweight, thin and dependable power supply, then look no further.
Pro
Small, thin and lightweight.
Plenty of power (5,000 mAH, 2.4 Amp out)
Holes along the side to secure it.
Built-in micro SD cable
Con
Plastic packaging
Ascent Solar Kickr IV Portable Solar Charger Review
My continued quest to maintain independence during grid failure.
I’ve been in dozens of situations that make me uneasy. The last one being a five day outage at home due to a wind storm in Southern Oregon. From then on, I’ve been on a quest to provide my family with uninterrupted power when (not if) the grid goes down again.
For the last few years, I’ve reviewed multiple portable solar devices, however I only recommend ones that I deem worthy of our attention.
The Ascent Solar Kickr IV Portable Solar Charger is one of those devices.
Although I believe my demands are not too unreasonable, there are a few requirements that need to be met.
#1. I need a solar charger that will keep my Galaxy S3 cell phone completely juiced during the duration of the outage.
#2. I need enough power to keep my Black Diamond Revolt Headlamp fully charged.
#3. I would like to have a fully charged external power pack like the Jumpr Slate Power Bank
The Ascent Solar Kickr IV Portable Solar Charger Specs.
Product Dimensions:
Unfolded: 774mm(30.5″)/185mm(7.3″)/2mm(0.08) Folded: 225mm(8.8″)/185mm(7.3″)/2mm(0.08″)
Power:
6.5 Watts Unregulated/6.0 Watt, 5 Volt System Regulated
Solar Cell Type: CIGS
Output:
1.2 Amps (USB Port)
The built in USB Port will give you 1.2 amps of charging power. Although this will not be enough to charge an iPad or the Galaxy note 10, it’s certainly enough to charge most widely available portable power packs.
Charging my Samsung Galaxy S3
The first test was my cell phone.
I awoke at 7am, (in Alaska that’s late)
I let the phone run down to 10%, set the solar charger in full sun and plugged it in.
Total Charge Time:
Phone turned off – 2 hours 15 mins
Phone turned on – 3 hours 45 mins.
Charging the Black Diamond Revolt Headlamp
Next, I ran my headlamp down to about 10-20%. Plugged it into the solar charger in full sun.
Total Charge Time:
3 hours 20 mins
Charging the Jumpr Slate 5k
With about 25% juice left in the power bank, I plugged it into the solar charger under full sun.
Total Charge Time:
6 hours 10 mins
As you can see, I was able to charge all three devices in one full day. We do however have longer summer daylight here in Alaska. But if you’re in an area that can give you 11 hours of daylight, you should have the same results.
Pros:
Comes in recyclable packaging
Faster charging than other solar chargers I’ve tested in it’s price range and size
Foldable and lightweight, great for carry.
Grommets to secure while unattended or for hanging.
Able to charge multiple power banks
Cons:
Has trouble putting out a charge under low light conditions, like dawn, dusk and cloudy days.
USB port too close to the pad making it difficult to slide the cable in and out.
Final analysis
The fact that I’m able to charge multiple power banks, makes me glad to own this charger. For its size, it packs a wallop, folds nicely into a backpack, is lightweight and durable.
If you’re looking for a powerful portable solar charger for backpacking, camping or piece of mind when the grid goes down, you should take a serious look at the Ascent Solar Kickr IV Portable Solar Charger
GYH Rating 4.5/5 stars
Disclaimer:
While Ascent Solar sent me the product for review, The opinions on this charger are based on my own honest experiences and reflect my personal use of the product.