Today's CoolTop Adventures

Submitted by fyl on 24 August, 2008 - 18:39.

I just spent another Sunday being a contractor of multi-hats at the CoolTop geek facility. I went up there alone and other than our security dude stopping buy a few times, I was able to just "be". It got me thinking about who this project is so interesting for me.

All my life I have acquired skills. I can fix cars, do electrical wiring, build houses, do plumbing, design and build electronics, ... While professionally I am a "Linux geek", I just have this large set of what one in the U.S. would call "hobby skills". Well, the difference is that in Nicaragua I can actually use those skills. In many cases (electrical wiring, for example) my hobby level skills are above those of any professional I have found in the area.

Today, I was attempting to point the VSAT dish (broken part prevented that from happening), and doing some "fancy" electrical wiring. The electrical is implementing what I have designed. It is a system that will include a UF grid connection, our 30KW backup generator, transfer switch and 2500W inverter/charger to deal with critical power needs during short grid outages. I designed the whole mess, found sources for the various pieces, and am now doing the installation.

The inverter and some of the electric stuff is inside our bodega with the generator and other stuff outside but under a roof. I designed the building and outside area including a platform for water tanks, space for the propane tank and an additional diesel tank.

Yesterday I was playing with electronics. I found some pretty amazing 12V LED lights. Amazing enough that we will use them for most of the light in the restaurant, bar, conference center and hotel rooms. About 80 of them in total. I have a plan to power them so that a grid failure will not put us in the dark. But, we want to be able to dim them in the bar and restaurant area. So, the electronics work was designing a light dimmer that makes sense for them.

This is just what I am working on right now. There will be a point of sale system (based on Linux), wireless Internet, a weather station, web cam, ... It's like I get to take all my "hobby skills" and actually apply them here. To me, it is like a big payoff for learning all this strange stuff over all so many years. When I compare what I am doing here to the over-regulated environment I grew up in (for example, only a union electrician could do your wiring in Los Angeles) I understand why life is just more fun here.

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I understand

Submitted by nicaus on 24 August, 2008 - 23:34.

I truly understand what you are saying. I too am a “Jack of all trades and a master of none” well in my own head most times.

At times I too am amazed at the things I can accomplish in Nicaragua but can not here in the USA because of needed a license, permit etc.. But being the son of a son of an immigrant dry dirt farmer, you learn to “do” things.

My rudimentary college chemistry skills combined with my life skills allows me to be an ergonomist, I am not a contractor but was responsible for the construction of more than 80 homes in Nicaragua, I am not a financial counselor but have managed to assist some people in finding the funding needed to rebuild their lives. And so goes my chest puffing, look at me examples of how great a person I am.

BUT….. what I think you are feeling Phil is love, a kind of love that you can not have with another person, one that can not be explained. It makes you tingle down to your toes and act like a little girl but at the same time you feel at peace with not only yourself but all those around you. That my friend is why you and most of us are in Nicaragua. Why else would we give up guaranteed electricity, water, food, transportation, communications and all else!

Phil, face it, you are in love with Nicaragua!!!!! But be careful, it seems she can be a green eyed lover at times.

I would like to thank you for all you have done with this (your) board. It got me thinking today, if it was not for you we would not have a place on the net to voice ourselves – one way or the other and for this I am grateful.