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Yeah, glad to hear it was such a hit with the whole family, that's great. I think you guys are convincing me I have to go next year.

I'm glad to hear that you and the family enjoyed the day, Graham. Did the Kansas show have an over abundance of lectures to visit and displays to ask about? My biggest regret was that there was only one of me during those hours when the program listed 4 speakers I wanted to hear.

I noticed that they are adding a show on the Eastern seaboard next year, in Virginia I think. Hmmmn. The old program is right there with that pile of newsprint waiting to be sheet mulch. Wrong on VA! There will be a M.E.N. Fair in Asheville, NC April 12-13.

I too am glad that you enjoyed the Fair and that you learned something worthwhile. I have enjoyed both years I have attended. There is a huge amount of information on a large number of subjects available. Carnegie Mellon was experimenting on using super capacitors in their electric car design. The idea was that you would charge them while you were going down hill with regenerative braking and use the power to push you up the hill on the other side. Unfortunately it didn't work at all for them. The voltage spike was too great for their controller and battery pack and they couldn't get it to work right. It is a Great Idea in theory, but there are still a few bugs in the system. In a stationary set up like a home it may work better, but the high voltage spikes are still a concern for your appliances and light bulbs.

Guy, that was going through my mind as he was talking about them. I remember being hit by a capacitor in my mom's old radio once. It was one of those teenage moments where "I wonder what this thing does, Zap! and how did I just fly across the room without wings." And that was just an inch or two long. These things he was talking about were roughly a foot long. But apparently the longevity of these things make them worth looking at.
The only regret was I missed seeing Joel Salitin. He was on stage at 4pm Sunday and I had to get back Sunday morning. And yes Lolly, there was just too much to see and listen to. I think next year I will send all the kids off with video cameras so they can record everything for me.

I would guess that some sort of transformer would work to level out the voltage spikes so that the super capacitors could be used. They do seem to be very tricky to work with though. As they drain out their charge does their voltage drop a lot so that the transformer would not work well?
Joel's talk was very worth while, he spoke about the Fears that hold us back from farming and living off the Land. He had about 6 or 7 of them and gave you reasons why each one was BS and you should start doing it TODAY. He of course has done it and he did not have a lot of money years ago when he started. It can be done.

It sounds like it was a fantastic event. My folks were big into M.E.N. back in the 70s and 80s. I remember seeing the magazines laying around when I was a kid. A few years ago I got a subscription as a gift and was really disappointed. It seemed like the content was fueled by the advertisers. BUT, from everyone's posts have been saying these events are really not to be missed. I'll have to check one out.

I agree with you Manny. I tend to get most of my information from the archives, and I've bought a few copies when boredom has got the better of me waiting for my wife to finish shopping in Walmart. They have never really impressed me at all.
Matt has got me wanting one of those adventure vans, and we are thinking of doing more of these fairs and camping with a van. The hotel bill was a little painful on the pocket book for five of us, but with one of those vans we could take off anytime.

I can imagine! Sounds like you need a tiny house!


...might be a little too tiny for 5 kids! I imagine there is somewhere to tent camp nearby?

I went to Walmart for the first time last year. It was scary. I'll never go back.

Guy, do you have an electric car?

Yes I have an Electric Car. There is a thread on it with a picture under Member steads, Electric Cars and Tractors. It is a fun little car to drive. I use it as a play toy really, its range is very limited.