Where are you calling from?

[Mr Lister]

Hi List,

Where:  Greetings from London, England.

Who:  Ken Boak, 

What: 40 year old, electronic hardware engineer.

Why:  I want a source of heat and power that is not over dependent on fossil fuels.

How:  I have bought two 6/1 original Lister engines on eBay and spent a few weeks getting them running.


I have met a lot of good people along the way and realised I am not the only one who is trying to do this.

I very quickly made contact with George B. at Utterpower and we had a good chat.  I am now working alongside a guy who is importing Listeroids and ST generators into the UK.

For more details and pictures of what I have done see my webpage:

www.powercubes.com/listers.html

And for pictures of my latest 10kWh battery bank and 5kW inverters see my blog at:

http://sustburbia.blogspot.com/

I have spent this evening on the phone with a mate who has a 3/1 and is having difficulties with getting a 50 year old pump and injector to work.

BTW. Nikos, I have just heard that there are ten new Listeroids on their way to the UK- will contact you off list later when I have more info.


Ken

[rpg52]

Where:  Georgetown, California in the Sierra Nevada foothills
Who:  Ray Griffiths
What: 54 y.o. biologist
Why: I'm in the process of building a sawmill to use some of the excessive small diameter second growth and hardwood (primarily oak) trees in my area, and encourage local economic development.  In the process, I'm trying to support sustainable forestry and reduce the horrendous wild fire hazard we have.
How:  I also teach at a local community college - I plan to teach a forestry class next year, and integrate the sawmill as a teaching tool.  My main motive power is a Detroit Diesel 3-71 which is too noisy to run all the time.  The Listeroid is there to provide (quiet) electricity when I don't need to run the mill blade itself.  I was raised on a farm, have always worked on equipment and the Listeroid appeals to my interests.  Taking lemons and making lemonade is lots of fun IMHO.  The side effect of this project is to use the sawdust to mulch the 25 ac. where I live, and restore the forest to a damaged area.  Besides, I'd rather work on a Listeroid than golf in my declining years.

[Jackpine Savage]

I live in west central Minnesota. I spent 26 years programming computers, 7 years milking cows, and now I'm an organic crop farmer and trying to be as self reliant as possible. I just ordered a 6/1 and 5K head a week ago, hopefully get it by the end of the month. I'm looking into an oil press.

I'm having a great time reading the past posts, generating some documentation and a long todo/try list.

[solarguy]

I live in the midwest USA.  Plenty cold in the winter.  Rarely sunny enough for solar and rarely windy enough for decent wind power.  So that leaves me with a FuKing Listeroid 6-1 in the basement doing the cogeneration thing and happy as a pig in shxx.  My setup has about 1,500 hours on it and has been fun to say the least.  Once I got it sorted out (sand, rings, con rod bearings) it has been a walk in the park.  It does want a little supervision.  Today I noticed that it had walked about two inches on its isolated concrete pad.  I have six hold down bolts that clamp the web on the bottom of the I-beam.  And I HAD a 5/16 bolt that went through the I-beam and into the concrete.  A year's worth of vibration finally sheared that off and she went to walkin'.

A new 1/2 inch bolt newly installed this AM should put a stop to that.

l have planned a much bigger cogen setup to heat the entire house with radiant heat.

I cook my own biodiesel for the VW and the Lister and I make premium quality "nectar of the gods" fuel.  On the one biodiesel discussion list, I am sort of the quality control nazi.

Used to drive a truck, used to work in the oil field in texas, used to be a natural gas pipe fitter, used to be a photographer/reporter for little weekly newspaper, used to be a tractor mechanic, used to install high end wood stoves, used to run a printing press, took a couple years off and built a superinsulated passively solar heated house in Ontario canada, used to work in a copper wire mill, used to drive a school bus.

Then I "grew up", at least as much as I ever will I think.  For my present day job, I'm an eye doctor.  I love my day job, which sucks up 50 hours a week and does tend to cut into my alternative energy alter ego life.

Not enough hours in the day.

Finest regards,

troy

[Doug]

I guess I could say jump in too....

I'm Doug:
I'm an industrial electrician, in a mine, in the deapest hole in the west.
I used to repair and wind motors and electrical equipment but that job doesn't pay any more so I moved on.
I snows a lot up here in Sudbury, Canada but I heat with gas, pay my hydro bill and think it might be time to build a CHP system.
Wife, small child, TDI Jetta, Murray lawn tractor, Home brewer, and a room full of cast off industrial electrical stuff looking for a new life.
I tinker and start a lot of projects then get bored and move on. The important thing is keep buisy, tinker and have fun...
I don't do side jobs like most trades men but I do wire for beer, smoked fish and tend to keep it to afternoon stuff mostly for pensioners or emergencies on my block
Doug

[snail]

G'day all
          I'm tucked away outside the town of Toowoomba in Queensland,Australia. I recently bought a powerline 12/2 and ST10 from Sam Warne who is about 4 hrs from here.It has many of the usual problems but has got to be the best thing since twist- off caps for beer.It's main function is to provide air con in summer cos although we have heaps of solar gear,we'll never have enough to cool the place when it's 42 degrees C outside!
         I'm a self employed rubber technologist( ) but i have a reasonable workshop and am addicted to tinkering.I got the vintage engine bug a few years ago and have a rebuilt Lister L petrol motor sitting in the shed looking for a job.It's a bit strange having a motor built in 1924 which has parts interchangeable with the Listeroid made last year! I'm all in favour of making these motors as efficiently as possible and am not scared of a bit of machining.My ideal would be a motor that runs at 100 RPM so I daydream about building one from scratch. Maybe I should start looking round for an old marine engine to cut up....
        While I have views on globalism, "big oil" etc I'll be sticking to the technical/ fun side of this great (full time) hobby.
        Haven't had so much fun since I put the mother in law back on the plane to England!

Cheers

Brian Gilmartin

[twombo]

Northern California too, in  the Sierra foothills like Clay.

Just bought a place, off the grid, and am looking at putting in a 6/1 with a ST alternator  to back up the PV system  in my new little abode. Just about to take an early retirement at the age of 51 and do what I want for a change, like build guitars and mandolins and  tend a nice little veggie patch.  Us the excess heat  from the Lister to brew some nice beer and help heat the house when it is cold out.

Another adventure opens itself up!!!

Now to find me a Lister!!!

Twombo