Saturday, February 6, 2010

Guest House

 
Got the Guest House built today. Of course it will probably be my house if any guest show up and they will sleep in here. Actually its not for guest though, but there's a real possibility it could be used because I have an aunt and older sister that sure do want to come down here for a visit. I needed a place to store all of the stuff in here so I can start building and since I can't pile stuff on the trailer I decided to use the tent I bought when I first came down here with the intent to live in it. I couldn't get most of the stakes very deep because of the rock so used the spare batteries and all the buckets of pig iron / hardware I have here as hold downs. I figure with all the batteries and pig iron there is at least 600 lbs in it to make sure it doesn't go anywhere. It may blow down, but I don't think it will blow away. I pretty well shot the day working on the new dish trying to get it tweaked right and a trip to the Grub Shack for ice, to pickup my mail and then putting up that 20 x 8 monster. Its the same size as this whole container in floor space terms. (nice and roomy since there aren't any partitions in it. Sort of makes me wish there wasn't one in here.)

As for the new dish it will take more tweaking because not only do I need to get it pointed in the right direction to get the best signal I also need to get the up and down attitude right and then the WiFi key mounted at the correct distance from it. I assumed that putting it where the satellite TV pickups were would work, but I had to move it a good bit closer to the dish. I guess that's the difference between having it focused at a satellite thousands of miles away and a WiFi server just several miles away?
 
Fogged in this morning. Everything on the trailer is soaked from dew and it would sure be nice if the sun would burn the crap off so it can dry and I can get started with the building. Not a mountain to be seen anywhere!

16 comments:

  1. Nice tent; I have one similar (10 x 18?). Also be sure to have the guy ropes tight as the wind there might tear up your tent. Good to see your back...

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  2. Scavenger, I was at a automotive swap meet one time and the wind got up pretty high for north east Texas. I was outside looking at my tent and watched it flatten out in a big gust. Broke both shock poles so it was useless after that. I know what the wind around here can do so once I get this place squared away I'll probably move everything back in here and take it down. I may use the hammer drill and masonry bit to drill through the rock and install some permanent tent stakes for when I will have company and just put it up when I do have company. There is already family and friends standing in line for the spring. ;)

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  3. Those batteries might damage the floor of yer tent, I would put it on wood if you havent done it already.

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  4. I don't think they will be in there long enough for that. I hope to have the inside of this place redone by tomorrow evening so will probably empty the tent Monday and put it up until Its needed again.

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  5. Have you considered setting up the tent in such a way as you could use the container to shield it from the wind? Also if it is closer you could use some of it for your living space more eaisly.

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  6. I did think about that and started to put it up on the north side since it seems to be the least windy side. Figured I could anchor the back side to the container. Problem with that is that I couldn't close the container door or I'd have to try to anshor the door sticking out to the side. Didn't want to do that.Like I said though it won't be up long. I may drill and grout in sme permanent tent stakes where it is so all I'll have to do is put it up when I need to.

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  7. Great to see you back home. Thanks for the photos. Are you over your recent illness? I hope so.
    Best of luck to you.

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  8. you slept well I trust,and didnt freeze. Looks like yer internet connection is working well. man that tent is huge.

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  9. Not over the illness yet, but its making headway. Took the last antibiotic this morning. Don't feel too swift after busting it all day trying to get this place squared away. I've almost got it done and can tell a big difference. I also hear the damn wind howling now so that tent may be toast by in the morning. It has way too much weight in it to blow away, but No telling what kind of damage it could to.:(

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  10. Oh Yeah... I forgot the BIG side benefit. Loosing all of the dark blue tarps and replacing them with the light blue blue board lightened this place up a bunch. That and the thermal board on the floor with the shiny side up. When I turn the light on here now its like being in the sunshine. By this time of night I'd usually lit the heater several times, but its staying comfortable in here now. I tried to turn it on while ago and found out the valve in the new tank I bought is screwed up so I can't use the propane in it. Had to get the old bottle just to try that out and it was way too hot in here within about 5 minutes. Don't know what I'll do about the bottle since it came from HD in Odessa. (220 miles away)

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  11. Im not understanding what kind of internet you have? direct tv internet? or wi fi from a close neighbor and you are using your dish to amplify the wifi?

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  12. OGT, I'm paying a guy a monthly fee for the use of his DSL through a wireless connection. He is about 2 miles north of the Legion and the dish is as you say more or less an amplifier for me to be able to do that. I was planning on using the Legion for it since they are only a quarter mile away, but evidently the walls are too thick and are probably reinforced with rebar and I can't even find the signal from there. It will be a good ways down the road before I can get DSL in here. (Unfortunately)

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  13. Ty, I have never heard you could amplify the signal like that. Thats cool. I wonder how much it would cost to put a wireless router ant. on top of the legion building? Then they could advertise having a wireless hot spot and since its so close you could get better signal.

    But If it aint broke then u dont need to fix it I guess.
    Deep thought from jack handy. lol

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  14. I talked to them about it, but evidently they want to keep it for members only. There were some people in Sweden (I think it was) that got a WiFi connection from 125 miles away. They used one of the old 8 foot satellite dished mounted on top of a mountain with a repeater where they could get it down to their house. That is cool! ;) Its microwave so any microwave dish with a WiFi key placed at the right spot in front of it will work. The bigger the further it will pickup and send to. That's also why I can use my cell phone here when standing in front of the dish I made.

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  15. Your tent is similiar to mine (9 x 17) I am sure it will make a nice guest house when visitors start showing up at your desert homestead.

    Hope you get to feeling better and I am glad you are back home.

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  16. MsB, we had some hellasious winds around here last night and its still standing so you may be right. I think rain is predicted for tomorrow and Thursday so I hope I can get it down and stored by then. Its still pretty windy this morning.

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