Several questions

[Ronnn]

It takes four minutes or more just to change pages the last few days. I hope this isn't the new software. I'd like to see the math test go away, and why if I go to the wind page should I have to select wind again from the little pulldown menu. Doesn't the soft know what page it just loaded at the speed of molasses. I know this isn't the fault of the site owners I just hope the new situation will help with this stuff.

The next question which should probably be posted on the solar page but I'd rather not wait for it to load.

Can anyone recomend the best book to explain the calcs necessary and the  various wiring diagrams needed to keep a pv system running happily. I learned all this stuff 20 years ago but need to get up to speed again with a good refresher. Thank you all for being here answering all these questions.

Ron

[DanB]

Hi Ron ~

'It takes four minutes or more just to change pages the last few days. I hope this isn't the new software.'

It's not.  We're seriously considering/looking into moving to SMF (simple machines forum) in the near future.  For some reason - we had things up and moving at an almost reasonable speed a month ago here, but it seems to be slowing down again doesn't it...

 'I'd like to see the math test go away, and why if I go to the wind page should I have to select wind again from the little pulldown menu. Doesn't the soft know what page it just loaded at the speed of molasses.'

Yes, it seems better some times than others but it's been bad lately.  

' I know this isn't the fault of the site owners I just hope the new situation will help with this stuff. '

So do I!  We're working on it...  hopefully slightly faster than slow as molasses but probably only slightly ;-)

'Can anyone recomend the best book to explain the calcs necessary and the  various wiring diagrams needed to keep a pv system running happily. I learned all this stuff 20 years ago but need to get up to speed again with a good refresher. Thank you all for being here answering all these questions.'

The SEI book, 'Photovoltaics: Design and Installation Manual' is probably the best thing I know of out there.  It's here on Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/Photovoltaics-Installation-Solar-Energy-International/dp/0865715203

[ghurd]

"Everything" loads better than the sub-sections.

And the solar stuff is under 'everything', if you are looking for the newer posts.

Set your preferences to display 50, which loads just as fast as 8.

G-

[dsmith1427]

I checked out the book reviews at Amazon.com and one of the reviewers refers you to this site:

http://photovoltaics.sandia.gov/puborder.htm

You can download the publications for free.  You may want to check them out first before you purchase a book.  

Don

[bj]

   Dan--I'll probably get a new one ripped for saying this, but all through

the problems of the last six months, I have never seen 4 minute load-up times.  Don't know if I am unusually lucky,  or if your server has the hots for Canuks.  Right now, the speed is as good as it has ever been.

   Just had a stupid thought, maybe it's because we're a bit closer to

Absolute Zero, and there is less resistance.

[independent]

Mustn't like Maoris then. I haven't seen the "recent" page for weeks. Speed up in the last couple of days. Actually can load various sections, sometimes just leave it to run. Other times, just give up. Convinced it's something to do latency and the fact i am on a high latency cell connection

[wooferhound]

I have a possibly silly theory. If one person has clicked and is waiting for Recent Activity to load, It locks out everybody else untill it's finished. I'm getting 4 minute loads here on just waiting for a Story to load. It goes in waves, fast for awhile, then stupid slow for awhile. Thats why I think that Recent Activity is causing it.

I can't wait for the new forum software, but I thought it was going to be sooner.

[TomW]

I won't go beyond saying that since we moved / upgraded that the completely necessary for editors "recent activity" page has never loaded in under like 3 to 5 minutes and 30% of the time  just times out completely or gives me that insulting lie "we are upgrading".

But every time someone chimes in with "works fine for me" I think it resets the priority level to zero for whatever is next?

Most folks probably just do not comment on it so I suspect the numbers of folks with issues WRT loading pages is higher than those with no issues.

That is my rant on this subject.

Tom

[bob g]

the problem manifests itself about 50% of the time, that is about half the time

the forum is dreadfully slow, about 20% of the time it is totally unusable, and the remainder is anything from pretty good to adequate.

it seems to be worst when i am short of time?  but that might be me and a subjective thing i don't know.

what i do know is of the half dozen forums i frequent this one has become a real challenge to use.

good luck with the move to whatever forum software you choose, hopefully it will be

SMF, but anything that is reliably quick and stable will be most welcome to me.

patiently awaiting the change

bob g

[bj]

   Fair enough Tom.  I will consider a new one ripped, and leave the subject

alone in the future.

[taylorp035]

I agree with you bob g, sometimes it works, other times it is very slow and seems unresponsive.  Either 1/2 sec or 30 sec, never in between.  Sometimes it is the host's fault (sometimes youtube does this) and sometimes it is the end user's fault.  I feel the there is too much evidence to not point at the host.

I hope everything gets cleared up and I know you guys are doing your best and that is what counts!

[halfcrazy]

Do we have a time line on the new forum software? This one is getting ignorantly slow when it even works I just keep getting (We are upgrading).

[Volvo farmer]

I wouldn't hold my breath if I were you :-)

[Ronnn]

I asked about a good book for formulas and the math and the link may be another good source, but I came a cross one after shutting down and hitting the books, well just the Dans' book and in one of the side bars was most of what I needed. It was in one of the sections I meant to get back to but hadn't till last nite. Lot of good stuff there. But thanks for the link. Heading there now.

Ron

[Ronnn]

Wow! Everything I ever wanted to know, about off grid stuff....... For free. Thanks.

Ron

[Ronnn]

Hey VF how long does it take to grow a volvo? Sorry, hope you don't get that all the time. Ever read the Trevanian story with a Volvo as a minor charactor? It's called Shibumi. It's about the world greatest asassin. It's a great read and funny too.

Ron