Diamond Island

[Happy Gourmand]

Originally Posted by Formula260SS

I'm one of the last four lots on Rattlesnake without power, it's got it pluses and minuses. We have a propane fridge, water heater and stove using @ 225lbs of propane each season, the water heater uses more than anything. For power we have a Honda 2000eu Inverter generator, handles all our needs, is quiet and sips fuel, I bet we use 5-7 gallons of gas each summer as we use it quite a bit. The spring and fall is when I wish we had power when the sun goes down early. We use a Sunmar compost toilet, much better than the propane burn toilets

You island dwellers are a special breed. I honestly don't think I could tolerate all the extra hassle that you put up with. And you say you don't even have electricity?
How would i be able to watch Dancing With the Stars?

[RailroadJoe]

To watch Dancing with the Stars, they just look up at night, and there they see it in real time.

[Descant]

I've been on Welch Island since 1950. No electricity until several folks chipped in $150 each to have PSNH run the underwater cable in 1960. We could have done phone at the same time, but not enough people wanted phones. Some didn't want electricity. As more development came to the island and more people asked for electricity the original "investors" got some of their $150 back.

Prior to that, mostly propane. There was a boat operating out of Glendale (a 28' Steelcraft named the "Pyrofax") that delivered propane to the islands. Gas stove, fridge and lights. Not new technology, but pretty common a generation earlier. Pumps of various sorts were used to draw water from the lake to an elevated storage tank, and gravity fed the sink and whatever water uses were needed, sometimes to flush toilets, but outhouses were still common.

People, weren't information junkies, so radio and TV weren't missed, although battery radios were available.

After electricity in 1960 or so, we added TV and other niceties. About 18 years ago, our TV antenna blew down over the winter, and we never got around to replacing it, although we have a huge supply of movies that we have all seen at least 4 times on DVD/VCR.

In a toast to modern, we signed up for satellite TV in May, 2013. So far, we haven't turned it on. Just not part of island lifestyle when there are so many other things to do.

After you've been here for a couple of generations, you learn that island living, even with electricity, is sort of a step back in time, to be away from all the rush and ignore TV news, etc. It is a great experience for children/grandchildren to experience a slightly different lifestyle without moving too far away from their norm. (The VCR only works on rainy days.)

Oh, we love the lake, we love the island, but when we go on vacation, we know that "Roughing it is slow room service." Another lifestyle.

[Kamper]

DC Power options

Campers use DC light fixtures. They don't cost that much more than AC fixture but there are fewer style options. Many of these items are also sold for boats.

If you don't mind 2nd hand, there will occasionally be ads on Craigslist (RV) by folks selling these things. Right now there re at least two ads for camper AC to DC converter boxes which can provide some power options to you.

[SIKSUKR]

I'm guessing you meant dc to ac since there isn't any ac on Diamond.

[Kamper]

Originally Posted by SIKSUKR

I'm guessing you meant dc to ac since there isn't any ac on Diamond.

Not really. I meant AC to DC so a generator could run the DC house lights I suggested (and other accessories) if/when his batteries run down. Many gennies do have a DC source so this ability may be redundant but the equipment will also function as a circuit breaker box for a DC system.