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Willhelm Williams asked:




For years now, the military has been using a portable solar energy power station to provide energy for their mobile units. Recently, these invaluable systems have become available for civilian use for camping or in the event of emergencies. Being able to supply electricity during power shortages, typical in emergencies, is a real lifesaver and an aid towards recovery efforts.

The size of the portable solar energy power station needed depends on the situation and the amount of power that is required. A small unit can be used to supply light to an area. If the need is to supply enough power for refrigeration, lights and to drive water pumps, a larger portable solar energy power station will be required. They could provide anywhere from 240 watts all the way up to several thousand watts of power. The only drawback is that the bigger the unit, the bigger the battery pack required.

It is usually quick and easy to set up portable solar energy power stations. It is best to use different units of different sizes to perform different functions. For instance, one unit may be established to provide electricity for lighting. Another larger unit can be used to supply power for refrigeration while a still larger unit can be set up to power water pumps in the event of major overflow.

Portability Is Proportional To the Size of Battery Pack

Since drawing power directly from the solar panels of a portable solar energy power station is useless and would defeat the purpose of portability, the power needs to be stored in batteries. Also, because the power generated and stored is direct current, an alternating current converter is a necessary add-on device. Electrical devices are plugged into the converter and as power stored in the battery is used, the battery is recharged by the solar panels.

It is All About the Batteries

The batteries are the main contributor to the weight of a portable solar energy power station. The other parts, such as the charge controller and solar panels add some weight, but not as much as the batteries do. In order to power more devices the portable power station will require a larger battery pack. Small portable solar power units come with a small battery pack and will power a light or radio for a few hours. Larger more powerful portable solar power units are mounted on a trailer with the battery pack and a mast where the solar panels are mounted on.

It should be realized that regardless of the size and reliability of the portable solar energy power station, they will never work without sunshine. There may be enough power remaining in the batteries once the sun goes down to operate some devices or equipment, but without sunlight, once the batteries are discharged, you will have to wait until daylight to restore power. Still, it helps to have a portable gadget at the side which comes handy in times of emergency.

Steve Valentino asked:




A wireless weather station is a standalone system that keeps a track of the indoor and outdoor temperature and humidity, wind direction and velocity, solar intensity and rainfall. It gives you the ease to keep a track of the outside weather, without the need of remaining glued to your TV sets or radio to know about the weather forecast. A wireless weather system saves you from the hassles of connecting and managing wires while using the instrument.

Before deciding on and taking a decision to buy a wireless weather station, it is always beneficial to do a thorough review of the product. A thorough review ensures that you get the right quality product at the reasonable price.

A review for a wireless weather station might include, review about the quality of the product by consumers who have already purchased and are using this product. Consumers who are actually using the product can rate it best for its quality, durability and effectiveness.

Besides the consumers, the product catalog that describes the features of the product should be thoroughly gone through. The catalog contains all the details about the features of the product, its installation process as well its cost.

Apart from seeking reference from consumers and the product catalog, you can always go through some articles written about the product in general magazines and newspapers, which can give you an honest opinion about the quality and usefulness of the weather station. The guide rating on the various consumer web sites and magazines gives you an insight on the pros, cons, advantages and disadvantages of the wireless weather station. Going through the reviews thoroughly can help you make the right decision while buying a wireless weather station.

Dean Forster asked:




Portable hair salon stations are designed for the mobile hairdresser in mind. The mobile hairdresser is someone who is on the move, so he or she is need of special equipment that’s lightweight and easy to carry. This is the case with portable hair salon stations.

The goal of a company that manufacturers portable hair salon stations is to to provide a new portable hair salon station which is susceptible of a low cost of manufacture with regard to both materials and labor, and which accordingly is then susceptible of low prices of sale to the consuming public, thereby making such portable hair salon station economically available to the buying public.

Another goal is to is to provide a new portable hair salon station for maintaining a clean work station and for preventing the entanglement of power cords. A portable hair salon station provides multi-sided box-like member having a plurality of slots in an upper/frontal side and further having a plurality of rotatable shafts journaled to and disposed inside the box-like member, and a plurality of spring-loaded spools wound with electrical power cords and being mounted about the shafts.

Every electrical power cord has an adapter outlet plug connected to an exposed end thereof, and is extended and unwindable through a respective slot. There is a plurality of cylindrical containers each having an open top and a closed bottom and an arcuate flange about the top. The containers can be removed and disposed in a selected number of slots for receiving and storing certain hair implements. Besides that, there are two slots each of which is disposed near to a respective slot for an outlet plug and each of which has a latch member slidably disposed therein and engageable to a respective outlet plug. Also, there are a pair of electrical outlet members disposed in a lower front side of the box-like member.

Portable hair salon stations can range from traditional and elegant shampoo bowls at hair styling stations, to revolutionary and ergonomically correct back wash units. Some portable hair salon stations are designed to impress clients with a trendy decor, as well as provide the amenities that top stylist demand, are available many styles and price points.

400-18 QSEp PORTABLE is a portable hair salon station with four casters. It features two full-extension drawers, breadboard pull-out, fully-equipped tip-out tool panel w/ holders for blow dryer, two standard curling irons, one large curling iron, clipper pocket, and six-outlet power strip.

Suzanne Roquemore asked:




Tired truckers are everyone’s problem. And no trucker wants to drive tired. Some truckers insist that if you plan your trip properly, you should always be able to find parking. Other truckers understand that no matter how much you plan, truck parking can be elusive. Truck stops fill up, usually later than earlier. But truckers can’t force themselves to be tired according to a plan. Laying in bed wide awake when your plan calls for sleep doesn’t make for a good night’s sleep. Unfortunately, looking for a place to park is simply part of being a truck driver.

Most drivers avoid parking in weigh stations like the plague. It’s understandable. But, if you’re tired, maybe it’s not such a bad idea. The following is a guideline to some states’ policies toward truckers parking at weigh stations- what’s allowed, what isn’t and what the truckers can expect.

California

There is no official policy in California about parking at the weigh stations. And there is no official policy at any of the weigh stations, so you may run into a rogue officer who prefers hassling truckers to letting them sleep. But, in general, you are safer to park at California weigh stations than you may have thought.

Truckers who are looking for a safe place to park should consider parking at the Banning weigh station. There is no official policy, but the consensus among most of the officers at the Banning truck scale is that they would rather have drivers park to rest at the weigh station than have tired drivers on the roadway. If you do want to park, you’ll want to cross the scale, park, and go inside to inform the officers that you’d like to take your break. That way they will know that your truck is not “unattended.” Unattended trucks have a 4-hour time limit after which the truck will be towed. Officers at the Wheeler Ridge weigh station agree. Tired truckers are dangerous, and they’d rather that truckers take their break at the weigh station than drive tired. At Wheeler Ridge, it is not necessary to inform officers that you’ll be parking for a while.

California weigh stations with less room do not allow parking. For instance, trucks are not allowed to park at either San Onofre nb or San Onofre sb. Trucks are also not allowed to park at the Truckee weigh station. Same goes for Conejo nb and Conejo sb. But even that is not set in stone. Officers at the Conejo nb scale say that if they are not busy and if a trucker comes in and tells them he’s tired, they may use their own discretion and allow the driver to park and take his break. Both the Conejo nb and Conejo sb scales will, however, lock their gates during closed hours- unless there are out of service vehicles parked. Do Not plan on parking in the ramps when the weigh station is closed.

Florida

Truck parking is allowed- in fact, it is welcomed- at any of Florida’s “super coops,” such as the weigh stations in Pensacola, Wildwood and Flagler Beach. Parking is limited at other Florida weigh station locations, like Hopewell or Bunnell, and so drivers should not expect to be able to find parking at those scales. Florida DOT officers say that drivers can park at any of the Florida “super coops” without fear of chancing an unwanted inspection. If an officer sees something that is clearly a safety violation- like a flat tire- the driver will be notified of the violation before he or she leaves the weigh station and it will have to be fixed. But officers will not ask a driver who has been parked at the weigh station for his or her logbook, nor will they pick the vehicle for an inspection. Unless, of course, the driver parked there because he or she was put out of service- if a driver was put out of service for a log book violation, they may ask to see the drivers logbook before that driver is allowed to leave the weigh station.

Georgia

Truck parking is allowed at any Georgia weigh station so long as there is room. Drivers are asked to park in the back lot at any of the Georgia “super coops.” One Georgia weigh station where parking spaces are not abundant is the Lithia Springs weigh station on I 20 east bound, west of Atlanta. Drivers should not plan to park at the Lithia Springs weigh station. Georgia DOT officers say that, while drivers probably will not be subject to inspection if they have been parked at the weigh station, it’s not out of the question. Officers may choose to ask a driver pulling out of the parking area to show his or her log book. They may also choose to inspect the truck. This is not likely, but there is no policy prohibiting the practice.

Kentucky

The Walton weigh station and the Verona weigh station are designated “safe haven” locations for truckers. This means truckers are welcome to park there without fear of chancing and unwanted inspection. Kentucky enforcement officers say that truckers may be inspected when they come into the weigh station, but once they have cleared the truck scale and have gone to the “safe haven” lot, they no longer have to be concerned about it. “Safe Haven” weigh stations provide a safe place for truckers to park.

Brian T. McCormick asked:




As a beginning coach, I ignored warm-ups and used half-speed two-ball dribbling drills as a warm-up for more intense activities during practice. When I moved to Sweden to coach a professional women’s basketball team, the players were married to their warm-ups and could not function without an extended warm-up period. When I practiced with the club’s men’s team, I felt like more than half the practice was a warm-up. I acquiesced, in a sense, with my team: we arrived before our practice time and players jumped rope for 5-10 minutes above the bleachers as our warm-up and then we did one sub-maximal drill on the court before moving into our practice.

In our first game, our opponent spent 25 of the allotted 30 minutes of pre-game warm-up using a basketball. Later in the season, I watched another player go through an extensive plyometric pre-game warm-up. While Americans criticize European players for their defensive deficiencies, the Swedish players’ defensive footwork impressed me. We generally assume that a foreign-born player with adept footwork developed her footwork by playing soccer, but as I reflected on my experience coaching abroad, it appeared as though their pre-game and practice routines focused on footwork and led to its development.

The following season, as I prepared workouts and practice routines, I implemented a series of warm-ups to begin practice: drills to focus on footwork and jumping ability. Coaching women, the pre-practice jumping and agility program is an attempt to increase performance and reduce injuries, as researchers believe women can reduce the risk of ACL injury through a small plyometric routine.

I use three general warm-up routines: (1) jump rope’ (2) stations or (3) full court dynamic warm-up (carioca, running backwards, bounding, lateral bounding, high knees, **** kicks and high/power skips). Our warm-up now lasts 10-15 minutes.

Warm-up Stations

When we do our station warm-up, we jog, backpedal and carioca. Since we have 10 players, we work in pairs. Our focus is to teach quick changes of direction and first-step quickness.

Station 1: Mirror Drill (15 seconds on, rest for 15 seconds, 15 seconds on)

We teach most of our on-ball defensive stance and movement through this drill and later in 1v1 drills. The players face each other and one player starts as the offensive player and one as the defender. The offensive player leads, moving laterally, and the defensive player tries to remain face to face. The offensive player’s goal is to create space between the two of them, while the defender tries to stay within the width of the offensive player’s body.

Station 2: Mikan Drill

The first player goes for 30 seconds and then the second player goes. Drill practices baby-hook shots. Start under the basket and step out with the left foot on the right side to shoot with the right hand; grab the ball from the net, keeping the ball above your shoulders and step to the left side of the rim with your right foot, shooting with the left hand. Continue.

Station 3: Jump Squats

Squat and jump as high as possible, swinging arms high into the air. Focus on a soft landing so they land properly from a vertical jump and absorb the force of the impact throughout the muscles of their legs, not just in the quadriceps and knee joint. Squat to a half-squat, with the bottom of the thighs parallel to the ground before jumping.

Station 4: X-Lay-ups

Make as many lay-ups in 30 seconds and then switch. Start at one elbow, dribble and attempt a lay-up. Rebound and run to the other elbow; dribble and attempt a lay-up from the other side. Continue for 30 seconds.

Station 5: Partner Shooting

Player 1 passes to Player 2 and closes out. P2 catches, shoots and follows her shot. P1 contests the shot and relocates, moving continuously and calling for the ball. P2 passes to P1 and contests shot. Partners shoot for one minute.

Station 6: McHale Drill

Left hand tips ball continuously against the backboard while the right hand grabs the net (rim). Do six and switch to the right hand side. Right hand tips ball against backboard while left hand grabs the net (rim). Repeat on the left hand side for a total of 18 tips. Switch partners.

Station 7: T-Drill with 2 Ball Dribbling

Set up the T-Drill with cones 5-7 feet apart in the shape of a T. Start at the base of the T and sprint forward while dribbling two balls. Shuffle to the left cone, then to the right cone and finally back to the intersection. Back pedal to the base of the T. Go three times and rotate. The other player practices stationary two-ball drills while resting.

These quick drills provide a fast-paced warm-up that needs little instruction and insures the players break a sweat. Our focus is getting through the drills quickly: players sprint from station to station and practice with intensity in each drill. The warm-up focuses on ball control (6 and 7), quick changes of direction (1 and 7), jumping (3 and 6) and shooting (2, 4 and 5), training a variety of skills in a short amount of time.

Steve Valentino asked:




Wireless digital weather station is synonymous with timely weather readings whenever and wherever you want. Wireless digital weather station gives you the freedom from staying glued with the television weather channels to get accurate, in-depth weather including temperatures and humidity readings, forecast, lunar cycles and trend graphs. No matter where you are in the world - whether out for a spin in the car, or camping in the wilderness, or even just throwing a birthday bash in the backyard, a wireless digital weather station is just the thing to stay up-to-the-minute with regard to storms, wind, temperature, and so on.

Wireless digital weather station comes handy with unique combination of features including standard options such as temperature, humidity, date and time. The Wireless Digital Weather Station provides the ultimate in flexibility because it’s wireless. It is battery-operated for convenience and gives consumers the freedom to place a sensor inside or outside the house or office premises. They can measure the barometer levels, temperatures, or any other piece of crucial weather data you may need to know about.

There are many leading companies like General Electronics (GE) involved in the manufacture of wireless digital weather stations. Buying them is simple. You can either purchase it online, after choosing your design from the catalogue available on various sites selling these digital weather stations. Wireless digital weather stations are also available nationwide at Target, Home Depot and other retailers. Obviously, shipping may cost extra, so be careful of that factor when comparing prices for the best deals on the best models.

Rory Singh asked:




There are many serious factors that you should consider before buying a gas station or any other business.

Here are a few:

• Supply & Demand

• Location

• Start Up Capital

• Franchise or Existing Business

• Time Commitment

Supply & Demand:

Before starting any business find out how much of a supply & demand issue there is for your primary product or business. With the gas station business there is a huge demand for fuel since everyone needs to get around with a vehicle of some sort & gas or diesel to power it.

Location:

This is very important because if you don’t have a good location then you may not get enough business. The thing about high traffic locations is that they generally cost more to get. You may make more money in a high traffic area but you will end up having a higher overhead than a low traffic area.

It is not impossible to still make a lot of money in a low traffic area as long as you advertise to let people know that you are there. Since you can save by being in a low traffic area you can spend a little more on perks for your customer like free coffee or newspapers or just better service. If you treat people well they will always come back to you for business. It’s all about customer service.

Start Up Capital:

You will definitely need some start up capital to start any business. Be prepared to borrow some money if you don’t already have a stash of thousands put away. Most successful businessmen rarely user their own money even if they have it sitting in their bank accounts. They prefer to use other people’s money (banks, credit unions etc).

Franchise or Existing Business:

Franchises are usually safer to go with than the traditional mom & pop existing business. They are safer because they usually have a good system in place that has been proven for years. Systems never fail. They will train you to be a business owner, employee & even a book keeper. They will teach you everything that you will need to get your business up & running quickly & efficiently. They even go as far as to survey areas that would be the best choice for high traffic business & even reserve spots for future business. They basically cover all the areas that need to be covered in order to remain successful. The only thing about the franchises is that they are very expensive to start.

Franchises can cost you anywhere from $250,000 & up. They may even require you having a liquid cash fund of $100,000 before even looking at you. The $100,000 is for you to survive on in your first 6 months in business (usually the hardest time). This is the main reason why they don’t fail.

Time Commitment:

You will definitely have to put in the hours if you own your own business. Most business owners generally work 60 + hours per week. If you are passionate about owning your own business then the time factor will not be an issue for you. However if you are hesitant of working more than 40 hours per week then you may need to think about this a little more before going any further.

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