Category: Technology

Views of science and technology from around the world

Wednesday (08-April-2020) — New Jersey

Backyard Springtime Night Sky Over New Jersey.

One day past the Full Moon. Comparison images taken with a Nikon D850 camera and 80-400 mm VRII lens with and without a 2.0x TC-EIII teleconverter. Both images zoomed to project as the same size. To my eye, the one without the teleconverter is sharper.

alt_title. (David J Mathre)
One day after full moon. Image taken with a Nikon D850 camera and 80-400 mm VRII lens (ISO 800, 400 mm, f/11, 1/500 sec). (David J Mathre)
alt_title. (David J Mathre)
One day after full moon. Image taken with a Nikon D850 camera and 80-400 mm VRII lens + 2.0x TC-EIII (ISO 800, 800 mm, f/11, 1/500 sec). (David J Mathre)

Daily Electric Energy Used (56.1 kWh) from Sense Home Energy Monitor and Daily Solar Electric Energy Produced (59.6 kWh) from SolSystems and Locus Energy. Sunny with intermittent clouds. A surplus of 3.5 kWh.

Current Weather Conditions


powered by Ambient Weather

Monday (30-March-2020) — New Jersey

Backyard Spring Nighttime Nature in New Jersey.

There are now two raccoons. I need to set the trap before I start planting in the GrowTowers.

Daily Electric Energy Used (58.2 kWh) from Sense Home Energy Monitor and Daily Solar Electric Energy Produced (13.5 kWh) from SolSystems and Locus Energy. Cloudy all day. A deficit of 44.7 kWh.

Current Weather Conditions


powered by Ambient Weather

Saturday (28-March-2020) — New Jersey

Backyard Spring Nighttime Nature in New Jersey.

Spider at night.

Daily Electric Energy Used (52.5 kWh) from Sense Home Energy Monitor and Daily Solar Electric Energy Produced (6.5 kWh) from SolSystems and Locus Energy. Cloudy and rainy all day. A deficit of 46.0 kWh.

Current Weather Conditions


powered by Ambient Weather

Monday (23-March-2020) — New Jersey

Indoor Springtime Nature in New Jersey.

I harvested about two quarts of Strawberries from my indoor AeroGarden hydroponic farm. I then made Strawberry jam using just the strawberries and Wild Girls Honey from my sister using an Instant Pot recipe I found on the internet. Later in the day I found a Stink Bug on a Pepper leaf. I know they say that the Stink Bugs are vegetarian, I still consider them a pest.

Indoor Hydroponic Strawberry Harvest. Image taken with a Leica TL-2 Camera and 23 mm f/2 lens (ISO 800, 23 mm, f/8, 1/60 sec). (DAVID J MATHRE)
Indoor Hydroponic Strawberry Harvest. Image taken with a Leica TL-2 Camera and 23 mm f/2 lens (ISO 800, 23 mm, f/8, 1/60 sec). (DAVID J MATHRE)
Stink Bug on a Pepper leaf. Image taken with a Fuji X-T3 camera and 80 mm f/2.8 macro lens (ISO 1600, 80 mm, f/16, 1/60 sec) (DAVID J MATHRE)
Stink Bug on a Pepper leaf. Image taken with a Fuji X-T3 camera and 80 mm f/2.8 macro lens (ISO 1600, 80 mm, f/16, 1/60 sec) (DAVID J MATHRE)
Stink Bug on a Pepper leaf. Image taken with a Fuji X-T3 camera and 80 mm f/2.8 macro lens (ISO 1600, 80 mm, f/16, 1/60 sec) (DAVID J MATHRE)
Stink Bug on a Pepper leaf. Image taken with a Fuji X-T3 camera and 80 mm f/2.8 macro lens (ISO 1600, 80 mm, f/16, 1/60 sec) (DAVID J MATHRE)

Daily Electric Energy Used (67.9 kWh) from Sense Home Energy Monitor and Daily Solar Electric Energy Produced (6.4 kWh) from SolSystems and Locus Energy. Lots of rain and colder outside. A deficit of 61.5 kWh.

Current Weather Conditions


powered by Ambient Weather

Thursday (19-March-2020) — New Jersey

Indoor Springtime Nature in New Jersey.

Today is the “First Day of Spring”. I read somewhere that this is the earliest first day in over 100 years. Something to do with this being a leap year and that 2000 had a once every 400 year leap day. Two indoor hydroponic flowers today — an Orange Gazania and a Dianthus blooming in one of my AeroGarden indoor hydroponic farms. Soon I will be able to start planting seeds outdoors in my wildflower meadows.

Orange Gazania. Image taken with a Fuji X-T3 camera and 80 mm f/2.8 macro lens (ISO 1000, 80 mm, f/11, 1/60 sec) (DAVID J MATHRE)
Orange Gazania. Image taken with a Fuji X-T3 camera and 80 mm f/2.8 macro lens (ISO 1000, 80 mm, f/11, 1/60 sec) (DAVID J MATHRE)
Dianthus Flowers. Image taken with a Fuji X-T3 camera and 80 mm f/2.8 macro lens (ISO 1000, 80 mm, f/11, 1/60 sec) (DAVID J MATHRE)
Dianthus Flowers. Image taken with a Fuji X-T3 camera and 80 mm f/2.8 macro lens (ISO 1000, 80 mm, f/11, 1/60 sec) (DAVID J MATHRE)
Orange Gazania. Image taken with a Fuji X-T3 camera and 80 mm f/2.8 macro lens (ISO 640, 80 mm, f/11, 1/60 sec) (DAVID J MATHRE)
Orange Gazania. Image taken with a Fuji X-T3 camera and 80 mm f/2.8 macro lens (ISO 640, 80 mm, f/11, 1/60 sec) (DAVID J MATHRE)

Daily Electric Energy Used (65.4 kWh) from Sense Home Energy Monitor and Daily Solar Electric Energy Produced (17.3 kWh) from SolSystems and Locus Energy. Cloudy and rainy most of the day. A deficit of 48.1 kWh.

Current Weather Conditions


powered by Ambient Weather