Mining Bitcoin Off-grid on an EXTREME budget \ stacker news ~bitcoin

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Mining Bitcoin Off-grid on an EXTREME budget

16.3k sats \ 100 comments \ @Remember 9 Sep bitcoin_Mining

It all starts with the SUN. These panels were purchased for about $30 a piece, a fraction of what new panels cost. I have 60 of them that are just for mining sats. Notice, there are no mounts, no ground wiring, no conduit. This is as basic as it gets. Panels thrown on the ground and wired together. Some day I will put elevate them a bit with some posts and get them at a better matched angle for better performance.

I literally found this trailer abandoned in the middle of the desert. It was full of rats, rat shit, and other things. It was disgusting. No tires, full of holes, left to rot away. I took an axle off my other trailer, slapped it on, towed it up my hill. Cleaned it out, plugged the holes, painted it. Now it houses all the electrical and mining equipment. This cost me almost nothing but time.

The internet for the miners and everything else I do online happens right here in my little cell phone wifi tower thingy. It has an old phone that is a 24/7 hotspot, $25 a month for unlimited data, then a little wifi repeater than makes that signal a wired signal, and a wifi router that serves about half of 40 acres. When there isn't competing signals and blockages, wifi goes pretty far. From here I have a hard line feeding a switch in the mining shack to get the miners internet service when they are hard at work.

I have 2 of PowMR All in one solar inverters about 5500watts a peice. They capture the solar, charge the batteries and run the miners. Awesome Value in Solar.

We may live simply but we are smart. All the miners and inverters can be controlled with these smart outlets and relays. So i don't have to do much work to keep things going. Miners go on and off with timers. I make adjustments for weather as needed.

Lithium Iron Phosphate batteries are now cheaper than lead acid. And they last forever and perform WAY better. I love these things. I run 12V batteries in series of 4 to work with the 48v system. These basically act like a energy cache, take on the load when there is cloud cover and what not. And they do extend my mining day a bit. But my system is far too small to run the miners 24/7

This is the equipment that runs the small 3 panel setup to keep the wifi and my pi3 media server up 24/7. I do not have any subscription services, so the media server is awesome. Its my google drive, netflix, spotify, etc. So awesome to have

And finally the miners. I have 6 x s19j pros. i bought them new about 4 years a go. They have been on grid and overclocked in the past. Now they are running at 1800 watts a piece, and take it nice and easy. Sleep all night. Work all day, unless its a cloudy nappy kind of day. Their names are Howard, Lester, Kenny, Danny, David, and Nathan. They are the best. They make sure everyday I have just a little more bitcoin than I had the day before. What more can a man ask for?

Please share all of your questions and comments. Thanks for looking 💚

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42 sats \ 0 replies \ @Thereal 10 Sep

Congratulations for sharing this life-changing story.

42 sats \ 1 reply \ @BTCLNAT 10 Sep

I CAN'T BUT CONGRATULATE YOU!!!

A sample of what Bitcoin can achieve, encouraging its adopters to look for alternatives that favor mining for the maintenance of the network. Incredible experience.

May it serve not only for others who may have access to these resources to put it into practice, but also to show and educate both newcomers and detractors what Bitcoin achieves and that it does not actually do the damage that it claims to do.

31 sats \ 0 replies \ @Remember OP 10 Sep

Thank you. My goal is to do something that's never been done before and I feel good about where it's all headed. Just being patient and building for now. This is moto mountain. We have big plans.

42 sats \ 1 reply \ @Undisciplined 9 Sep

I love your approach. Nothing fancy, work with what you've got.

66 sats \ 0 replies \ @Remember OP 10 Sep

That's always my approach. Do the most with the least. And it turns out I usually have what I need.

21 sats \ 1 reply \ @DiedOnTitan 11 Sep

A most impressive PoW story. Take 2,000 sats. What hashrate do you achieve? And does this cover your costs at current exchange rate, or is this more of a means to stack and learn along the way?

0 sats \ 0 replies \ @Remember OP 11 Sep

Thank you so much. I am pulling in about 6000 sats a day, give or take. Not much. It's definitely a long term view thing. I feel like the panels and the miners are my savings plan. It's about all we have other than a couple little travel trailers to live in. My goal is to just have more sats than the I had the day before.

53 sats \ 0 replies \ @Coinsreporter 10 Sep

Congratulations and well done! Nice set up! I also dreamt of the same thing a few months ago but I couldn't find a safe and secure place. Also when I calculated the costs for everything here in India, they were way to higher than in other places. I even made a post about that here.

32 sats \ 8 replies \ @Satoshi__Nakamoto 10 Sep

This firm is good Small and isolated How much can this machin mine in a year

32 sats \ 1 reply \ @Thereal 10 Sep

I hope I can afford this so I can be financially independent.

0 sats \ 0 replies \ @Remember OP 10 Sep

Mining doesn't make much of anything for now. It is a big picture, long term endeavor. We live very simply and trust it will work out and somehow it does. I don't have other savings or a job. Just faith. I have had a lot of money, nice things, and a thriving business in the past. Now I live with as little as possible.

21 sats \ 5 replies \ @Remember OP 10 Sep

I dont know exactly.. They mine a lot less now than when I got them 4 years ago. Right now I can mine about 6000-8000 sats on a sunny day with 6 machines

11 sats \ 4 replies \ @Satoshi__Nakamoto 10 Sep

Not that much but it's good

22 sats \ 3 replies \ @Remember OP 10 Sep

no. not yet. but its something and it costs nothing now that it is set.

32 sats \ 2 replies \ @Satoshi__Nakamoto 10 Sep

You have mine Can you give me 1000 sat please I will make sure to follow you Please

31 sats \ 1 reply \ @Remember OP 10 Sep

Sure. Share something worth zapping 1000 sats and I will zap it 1000 sats. I spend a lot on here.

21 sats \ 0 replies \ @Satoshi__Nakamoto 10 Sep

How much

32 sats \ 12 replies \ @Solomonsatoshi 10 Sep

Beautiful setup- similar style to mine but yours has much higher mining ability. I have just 4x300 watt panels running one 1TH/s miner 24/7! Most of my electric is used to keep the fridge and lights on. The Lifepo4 batteries are amazing and I hope they last as long as is claimed. Now I am learning more about miners may look at developing more hashrate as you are doing where you just operate when the sun shines and using older lower cost miners. Good to know you are getting some sats income every day you operate! Inspirational!

31 sats \ 11 replies \ @Remember OP 10 Sep

Thats so cool it runs all the time. How much battery do you have?

41 sats \ 2 replies \ @Remember OP 10 Sep

Someone informed me that cycling the miners can be more harmful than letting the run 24/7. But it would take a ton of solar and battery for me to do that.

32 sats \ 1 reply \ @Solomonsatoshi 10 Sep

Yes the cost of batteries would make 24/7 solar completely uneconomic but IMO the way you have done it makes perfect sense - it will be interesting to see how much if at all the repeated heating and cooling of circuits shortens the miners lifespan. Surely having them working some of the time is far better than not at all, and using 100% solar means zero cost input. I also see you run your miners at lower than maximum allowed speeds so that may compensate for the switching off and on as surely thermal damage is greater near the limits of hashrate capacity.

0 sats \ 0 replies \ @Remember OP 14 Sep

I hope so. I was unaware before this post that cycling them causes degradation. I do what I can. Maybe one day I will have the resources to expand my solar and battery setup and run them all the time. I have the land.

32 sats \ 7 replies \ @Solomonsatoshi 10 Sep

I have one 24v 110ah Lifepo4 plus 100ah lead acid (2x12v in series) The Lifepo4 holds the charge much better than the lead acid and should last much longer. Until last year only had lead acid batteries and they gradually lose capacity over 5-6 years so hoping the Lifepo4 lasts as long as the manufacturers claim. Some of the Chinese Lifepo4 manufacturers were claiming higher capacity than is true and there are varying quality of the cells and circuits used to make the Lifepo4s but if you get a good Lifepo4 it should be good for 10, 15 maybe 20 years? But yes as I am running 24/7 can only have a very small miner. Am now thinking after seeing your setup I want to get at least one bigger miner to have running in summer when I have a lot of surplus solar that the batteries cannot soak up. It does not matter too much if the miner is an older less efficient model if its cheap enough to buy it can still utilise the solar power that would otherwise not be used. Seems like theres probably a lot of older miners going quite cheap that are not economic to use ongrid but might still be good for offgrid when the sun shine use.

31 sats \ 6 replies \ @Remember OP 10 Sep

Is the lifepo and lead acid together in a series? if so that lead acid is probably holding the other back.. They have very different charging curves. I think good Lifepo4 can easily last 10 years. But mixing chemistries isnt great for them.

32 sats \ 5 replies \ @Solomonsatoshi 10 Sep

No I have the Lifepo4 as one circuit and the lead acid as a completely separate circuit. They both have 2 of the 4 300 watt PVs powering them. So they are standalone systems. Yes Lifepo4 and lead acid would not mix well in one circuit. The lead acid circuit powers a large 5000w inverter I use for power tools and backup in case the Lifepo4 circuit ever fails while the Lifepo4 circuit/battery powers 3000watt inverter which feeds the fridge and lights and laptop etc. This is because Im not as sure off the Lifepo4 handling heavy current loads as the lead acid...but the Lifepo4 is better with constant moderate loads and holding charge over night.

41 sats \ 1 reply \ @Remember OP 10 Sep

Oh cool. That makes more sense. So are you offgrid completely?

21 sats \ 0 replies \ @Solomonsatoshi 10 Sep

Yes.

31 sats \ 2 replies \ @Remember OP 10 Sep

Some lifepo4 can start cars now. I do know they arent as good at large motor current draws though

32 sats \ 1 reply \ @Solomonsatoshi 10 Sep

Yes the 110 ah lifepo4 is spose to be ok up to 100amp draw but the skilsaw motor probably draws a bit more than that when its starting up and working hard so safer to use the lead acid battery for that.

10 sats \ 0 replies \ @Remember OP 10 Sep

In my experience most of these. Batteries will push more amps than they are rated for, no problem.

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32 sats \ 1 reply \ @longlifelearner20 10 Sep

the one time thought about it i was saying to myself this is hella insane but once i saw it applicable in real time i was like indeed mother nature wishes the best for all of us . smart production and investement i think it will indeed pay off nearly

31 sats \ 0 replies \ @Remember OP 10 Sep

I think so. I feel great about it. I am optimistic for the future. We are going through growing pains. But its a good direction..

32 sats \ 1 reply \ @thebullishbitcoiner 10 Sep

Bullish AF. Great work. 💪

72 sats \ 0 replies \ @Remember OP 10 Sep

Thanks. I appreciate that. Those who aren't bitcoiners and see what I am doing think I am crazy as hell.

32 sats \ 2 replies \ @Satosora 10 Sep

Can you share the cost breakdown and everything? And how much bitcoin you gain per week or month?

71 sats \ 0 replies \ @Remember OP 10 Sep

Currently I mine about 6000-8000 sats a day depending on the weather and fees.

A super rough break down:

Solar panels $30 x 60 - $1800 Batteries $200 x 8 - $1600 Inverters $600 x 2 - $1200 Wiring, smart outlets, relays, connwctors, breakers, misc - $500

So a guess would be about $5000 for this setup not including the miners

I bought the miners for a lot back in the day, .25btc each(don't remember the USD cost). Now you can get these for a fraction of that.

41 sats \ 0 replies \ @Remember OP 10 Sep

Some days it's zero sats. That range I have is if it's sunny out all day.

32 sats \ 4 replies \ @jasonb 10 Sep

Friggin’ rad! You are killing it!

62 sats \ 3 replies \ @Remember OP 10 Sep

Thanks. I feel good about it. People always want to know if it's profitable. I don't see it that way. A few more sats everyday and I'm set.

53 sats \ 2 replies \ @thebullishbitcoiner 10 Sep

How can they be unprofitable if they’re running on solar?

63 sats \ 1 reply \ @Remember OP 10 Sep

Thats what I am saying. I did spend something to put it all together, but now I can fish... for free.

0 sats \ 0 replies \ @thebullishbitcoiner 10 Sep

Love it. 👌

32 sats \ 4 replies \ @Wumbo 9 Sep

Do you have any sense if thermal cycling (https://www.ansys.com/blog/thermal-cycling-failure-in-electronics) on the chips will be an issue? With them going through a cycle each day.

Also is that an Air conditioner I see on the top shelf? Is it running of the batteries?

31 sats \ 3 replies \ @Remember OP 9 Sep

I have used the AC in the past but it doesn't do much since it is so small. So I haven't run it lately. I mainly used it at the beginning when I was working in the space a lot. I do not know about the thermal cycling. I am hopeful the miners will last longer since they aren't on 24/7 but I have no idea.

32 sats \ 2 replies \ @037447d9ca 10 Sep

thermal cycling can do more damage than leaving them running 24/7, as there are no moving parts to wear off, running time does not add "mileage"

51 sats \ 0 replies \ @Remember OP 10 Sep

well i am doing what I can. If that is true, there isn't anything I can do about it. Its hard for to imagine that heat doesnt degrade things over time.

21 sats \ 0 replies \ @Remember OP 10 Sep

with that logic, anything solid state would just last forever, as long as you don't shut it down, right?

32 sats \ 13 replies \ @WeAreAllSatoshi 9 Sep

This is extremely cool. Thank you for sharing your setup!

171 sats \ 12 replies \ @Remember OP 9 Sep

Thanks. It was a dream of mine for a while to do this off-grid. It didn't seem possible. Now I know it is. I am not mining much, but its all free sats now. It feels amazing turning sun into sats.

32 sats \ 11 replies \ @WeAreAllSatoshi 9 Sep

If you don’t mind sharing, what is your average hash rate? Sorry if I missed it above

131 sats \ 10 replies \ @Remember OP 9 Sep

About 420 TH/s Total when they all are running. They are all running at their lowest power setting to maximize efficiency. And they start and stop at staggered times to set the power usage curve.

32 sats \ 9 replies \ @WeAreAllSatoshi 9 Sep

Cool, that’s a pretty good hash rate (much higher than mine!) keep up the good work and thanks again for sharing the details here.

121 sats \ 8 replies \ @Remember OP 9 Sep

It was a big investment back in the day. And when I got them, I could mine .1 btc a month. But... many mistakes were made so here we are. Grateful to be here mining what I can. What are you runnning?

32 sats \ 7 replies \ @WeAreAllSatoshi 9 Sep

I have a FutureBit Apollo, Apollo 2, BitAxe (Ultra, I think), and a Braiins Mini Miner 100. Roughly 12.5 TH/s on average

121 sats \ 6 replies \ @Remember OP 9 Sep

I have never heard of those. re they Asics? I assume you mine in a pool?

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1100 sats \ 1 reply \ @TheRealDavid 13 Sep

Enjoyed reading your post about the solar-powered mining setup. It's inspiring to see such a resourceful approach to repurposing old equipment and turning it into a functional system for mining. The fact that you found an abandoned trailer in the desert, cleaned it out, and turned it into a key part of your operation shows incredible determination and creativity. It's cool how you’ve taken something as simple as $30 panels and created an efficient, self-sustaining setup with minimal costs, using smart technology like relays and timers to optimize everything. The personal touch, like naming the miners and optimizing them to work during the day, is something I would do. It's great to see that you've created something that's not just functional but has character. I'm looking forward to more posts about your progress and any innovations you come up with.

-TheRealDavid

0 sats \ 0 replies \ @Remember OP 13 Sep

I appreciate it. I don't think sharing this here would get this much attention. It inspires me to keep working. I often feel like a strange person in this world and it feels really good to be acknowledged and to share. We have big plans out here in moto mountain. This is just the beginning.

-thefakedavid 🤫

11 sats \ 1 reply \ @anon 17 Sep

Wow - this is awesome!

0 sats \ 0 replies \ @Remember OP 17 Sep

Thank you. It's definitely a long term view approach.

11 sats \ 3 replies \ @redlight_pleb 12 Sep

As per lots of the other comments - amazing setup, thanks for being so open about your thought process and your vision. Seriously inspired and has reignited my itch to get land and get away from it all. : in due course.

Do you have plans to leverage the heat being produced by these miners while they run?

Hope you now know you’ve found your people

Cheers

0 sats \ 2 replies \ @Remember OP 12 Sep

Thank you so much. I never tire of hearing these kind words. It feels good to be seen. I usually feel like an outsider. I have 2 s9s that we use for heat in our camper in the winter. I run them at their lowest power setting and they are almost quite. They still make a good amount of heat. I am curious how I could put the heat to use that the bigger mining setup creates. Any ideas?

Thanks again. 💚

11 sats \ 1 reply \ @redlight_pleb 14 Sep

Nice ddave - I’m running 2x Apollo 2 solo mining. Gotta be in to win + the heat is a nice bonus. Mate I’ve been inspired by @RevHodl and his permaculture way of integrating miners into his life. To summate he has used miners to: Heat clothes drier, food dehydrater , heat water with an immersed (in canola oil!!) etc etc. obviously has to fit into your life but for inspiration listen to him on pod256 https://fountain.fm/episode/I6Al4aQ5akirNBHG9QlK

Much love friend 🧡

0 sats \ 0 replies \ @Remember OP 14 Sep

Awesome . I will check it out. I have a lot to learn.

11 sats \ 3 replies \ @longlifelearner20 10 Sep

how is it going so far though. does it mine that well

0 sats \ 2 replies \ @Remember OP 10 Sep

It's going really well all things considered. I would mine a lot more on grid but this is free energy from the sun. I only mine about 6000 sats a day.

11 sats \ 1 reply \ @longlifelearner20 10 Sep

that is awesome. to notice that is a renewable energy and free of cost it is worth it afterall. and that amount it generates it is kinda decent hope you may earn more in the near future, and yeah please keep us updated if you ever had some changes and new add ups. you are a real inspiration man, thanks for sharing.

0 sats \ 0 replies \ @Remember OP 11 Sep

Thank you for your kind words. It helps keep me going.

11 sats \ 1 reply \ @DrStacker 10 Sep

Purchasing panels for $30 each is quite cost-effective, even though they aren’t mounted optimally yet. Aligning them properly could significantly improve their efficiency.

Do you have plans to mount and angle the solar panels anytime soon for better efficiency? How do you monitor the weather and adjust the miners accordingly? Do you have automated systems in place for this? Do you have any backup power systems in place, like a generator, for extended periods of cloud cover, or are you relying exclusively on your current solar and battery setup? How often do you perform maintenance on the panels and mining equipment?

0 sats \ 0 replies \ @Remember OP 10 Sep

Great questions.

The panels are angled a good bit just because of where they are sitting on the side of a hill. Eventually I will elevate them and mount them to something so they all face an optimal direction. As far as the weather goes, I have been toggling them manually. The timers are set for full sun and I actively shut down miners as needed for cloud cover. I have a camera in the room that lets me check on things remotely. We have a separate solar/battery setup that runs our housing area which is basically a camper with a solar patio. No generators. We do have propane that can run our fridge if needed. We do everything electric when possible. Maintenance is mainly just cleaning the panels once in a while. I like to do that when it is raining to make use of the free water. Right now I also need to trim the grass that is creeping up between the panels. Thanks for the questions.

11 sats \ 3 replies \ @BitcoinIsTheFuture 10 Sep

Amazing stuff thanks so much for sharing and inspiring me and others!

21 sats \ 2 replies \ @Remember OP 10 Sep

Thank you. It's meant a lot to me to get this much positive feedback. I tend to feel like an outsider in the real world and it's a little lonely. I plan to start sharing more here. I have big ideas. And I really could use the support.

11 sats \ 1 reply \ @BitcoinIsTheFuture 10 Sep

God has a plan for all of us, we don’t always know what it is. Keep following your path in the desert!

0 sats \ 0 replies \ @Remember OP 10 Sep

That's for sure. 10 years ago I was a completely different man. Different name, 70 lbs heavier, big time consumer, capitalist focused. No sign of any spirituality. I never could have seen all this coming.

11 sats \ 3 replies \ @cryotosensei 10 Sep

Thank you for this unfettered peek into your life. You live life well, dancing to your own song

48 sats \ 2 replies \ @Remember OP 10 Sep

Thank you for saying that. It's hard for me to have perspective. I live my life and have a hard time knowing how others would view it. In fact, I tend to just feel really strange around people like they are judging me for me strange lifestyle but it's really all in my head. I went to Phoenix last weekend and forgot my shoes to go out twice.

11 sats \ 1 reply \ @cryotosensei 10 Sep

Lol when you embody the wholeness of spirit, others’ sideway glances (even if any) cease to matter. Anyway we are all so absorbed in our problems that it’s unlikely that we will give a second thought to a stranger without shoes xP

0 sats \ 0 replies \ @Remember OP 11 Sep

💚

11 sats \ 1 reply \ @OT 10 Sep

Amazing setup!

Which pool are you mining with?

101 sats \ 0 replies \ @Remember OP 10 Sep

Thanks

Ocean.xyz

11 sats \ 1 reply \ @krispy_donkey 10 Sep

I would zap you but I think I need it more than you. What an awesome story, I like many things about Bitcoin but the potential to harvest energy for mining is a story I think is going to emerge as the most incredible narrative as the years progress. And what you’re demonstrating here is a crucial part of that, genuinely pioneering work. Love it you should show Dan Batten, or let me know and I can share it with him. Keep on keeping on 🤜

0 sats \ 0 replies \ @Remember OP 10 Sep

It's great to hear that. Sometimes it seems so crazy but like to think it's going to pay off big eventually. I don't know Dan batten. Feel free to share it with anyone. Thank you.

11 sats \ 0 replies \ @fm 10 Sep

impressive

11 sats \ 3 replies \ @CruncherDefi 10 Sep

Cool setup!

How do handle physical security of this operation?

10 sats \ 2 replies \ @Remember OP 10 Sep

Thannks. We handle security by being really far away from everyone. We haven't seen another random human since we have been here. We are super hidden between hills.

11 sats \ 1 reply \ @CruncherDefi 10 Sep

Still, its a security-by-obscurity. You might want to think about upgrading it somehow.

0 sats \ 0 replies \ @Remember OP 10 Sep

Honestly, I also just trust the universe has my back. I do good in the world and I expect good to come back. Maybe that is foolish but it works well for me. We have no weapons. I only meet nice people. I believe we get what we give and I believe in karma and all that nonsense. Lol

11 sats \ 1 reply \ @Bell_curve 10 Sep

Thanks for sharing! Great stuff!

21 sats \ 0 replies \ @Remember OP 10 Sep

Thanks.

11 sats \ 3 replies \ @anon 10 Sep

I guess you are mining with a pool. Are you using Stratum v2?

0 sats \ 2 replies \ @Remember OP 10 Sep

It's ocean.xyz. is that stratum v2?

11 sats \ 1 reply \ @anon 17 Sep

No, ocean.xyz is not using Stratum v2.

What you are doing is cool, but the other side of the coin is that way too easily you could end up feeding a too centralized pools system.

Consider this: #686572

0 sats \ 0 replies \ @Remember OP 17 Sep

Isn't that why ocean is a good pool? I understand it to be the best option to not feed a centralized pool?

11 sats \ 0 replies \ @premitive1 9 Sep

i just hope you keep us updated with photos!

0 sats \ 0 replies \ @Remember OP 13 Sep

Thank you all for your support. I thought this would be fun to share about. I had no idea I would get so much support. It is a huge help and it feels good to get all the positive feedback. Thank you so much.