Where Are The Videos? My Life And Projects Off Camera 

To learn electronics in a very different and effective way, and gain access to Mr Carlson's personal designs and inventions, visit the Mr Carlson's Lab Patreon page here: www.patreon.com/MrCarlsonsLab

It's amazing how many RU-vid viewers think that creators live only to publish videos that fit their own ideas. The reality is that your life is YOUR LIFE. Don't apologize for that. Thanks for the great content you see fit to provide!

Trust me, Paul, there are thousands of us who will always be here for your next video!!!

For being a "terrible mess", it's far cleaner than my shop!

Very good move with the staffing. You are a wealth of knowledge and your videos convey the pride you take in giving those wonderful equipment the care that they need. I trust that your team will give you back the time to concentrate on doing what you love. And I also love the fact that you include equipment to showcase pieces of the content, this is an absolute must with the beautiful collection that you have. The Carlson’s Laboratory Museum.❤

Electronics is a lifetime of learning.... circuits, and many other different things.... I have been doing electronics since I was 7 years old and I also have a Masters from 1983 in electronics and computer science.... I have also owned an operated my own repair shop back in the 80s... If there is something that I need to know, that I don't know, about a particular circuit or project, you can be sure Mr. Carlson is the one I goto for more knowledge... The man is a genius !!!!

Paul you are the best!

Some sort of soft starter for the heat pump compressor may be of benefit. Ask an HVAC technician

The whole forklift is cute. It's should be christened "the canary" or "tweetybird"

Friend, your definition of "real big mess" really shows what a meticulous person you are. Thanks for keeping us updated!

Priorities come first! No worries, we'll see you when it happens Mr C. Thanks for the update. Enjoy!

10:46 that feeling, when you admire that nice order in the room, and no evidence of the dust, but the guy is telling you that this is a big mess, and he almost apologize for that. 🙃

Messy! Messy? You're out of your mind Paul. That is the most organised shop/lab Ive ever seen. Ok, you have a few cameras and cables in the lab. I think being on youtube justifies that.

busy boy work never ends

Gotta have a life off camera also,thumbs up

That generator nameplate is a little hard to understand. The rating of 403KW agrees with the 1671 amps, but that frame size (361 in the model number) shows ratings up to about 60 KW in the Marathon literature. A 400 KW generator would need around 550 HP, and for continuous duty the engine would likely be even bigger. It looks more like a 40KW-size unit.

I think electronic educators should learn from Mr Carlson

Man that's a beast of a generator

Shango066 would approve of the device displaying the outro !

Lots of references to your channel from other repair guys... the word is out Paul, you are the best out there! And why wouldn't we be patient? You take all the time you need! We are just right here!

Mr. Carlson, you are the ‘Jay Leno’ of lab equipment. What an incredibly impressive display. Won’t be long before you’ll have people as,king for tours…

Load bank? Try three 50 gallon barrels, filled with water, add a bracket hanging 3 rods into water, then add salt to load or lower rods. Simpler than a few heaters.

Have you considered a "soft start" device? It supposedly ramps up the voltage to the compressor to avoid the massive surge bump.

Hi Paul, It sounds like you've got two problems: Power outages caused by the public utility and peak demand current primarily caused by the geothermal heating system. Hopefully, I got that right. What I didn't hear is how you "ride through" these disturbances, if you even do that. 15 to 30KW is pretty large demand for an individual's needs but in your case, it does not surprise me. I haven't looked back at your tour of the new shop so I can't remember if your pumps incorporated soft-start features or not. If you don't have this feature, you should. I live in Florida and have power issues similar to your descriptions. I use a 11KW natural gas generator and was initially told that I needed a 30KW generator to manage my house load and HVAC system. The reason, I was told, was the AC compressor could pull multiple times the nominal operating current of the compressor depending on when the load is impressed on the line. As a former UPS engineer, I knew that the generator people were worried about the inrush current in an uncontrolled motor load. Fair enough but the degree of the concern is easily managed by various soft-start circuits that essentially stretch out the peak demand which reduces the over all demand (such as a local genset or a UPS) to handle the event. The 400KVA generator is likely over-kill for your load if you incorporate UPS and motor soft-start features. Diesel generators have superior power in torque specification than gasoline, natural gas or propane. So I really doubt you'll have too much problem other than it will be expensive to run. For UPS deployments, a stationary battery can grow quite large depending on the desired ride though need. Most commercial operations weigh the cost of consumables (batteries and their replacement cycles) with the cost of fuel and opt to run on battery as long as possible before switching to generator. If you are having multiple events daily of short durations, up to a few minutes each, lithium ion batteries are a good solution and far superior to AGM or typical lead acid types for longevity. I use multiple UPSs in my home because, primarily, any UPS that is sized large enough for my total load with inrush headroom is a three phase design. As you know, all public utility sources that feed residential North American homes are 240VAC single phase, center tapped sources. 240VAC UPSs are rarely available above 5KVA but they are out there. I use two 2KVA UPSs and soft-start circuits on motor loads. I can easily handle all peak loads with an 11KW natural gas generator. Anyway, I hope you get your power problem resolved without breaking your bank. Cheers, Scott

Watching that old CRT television was the highlight of the video for me!! :)

That's a dream mancave mr. Carlson!

Would be awesome to have a father like you. Would be even cooler if I could be the cool father with all the stuff to play with.

Take plenty of time to enjoy life outside the lab also.

What a super clever guy Mr Carlson is, amazing. And no conceit and arrogance.

Can't wait for the next one Mr. Carlson

Mr. C’s terrible mess of a shop would be a gold medal organizational feat for me.

Hell Paul! So very impressive. If I may be so bold, forget the heatpump antics and connect the Genny to your AM Tx. After all, that also provides warmth...... I am guessing you are like Nile Rogers. A man of very little sleep. Cant wait for the audio tour... All of your efforts are greatly appreciaten by this DL & G Many thanks Mike.

Wonderful, as always... Congrats !

We also have that issue of having not enough generator for the ground coupled heat pump. We have a backup lp gas heating system so for us the solution is just to run the gas furnace which the generator can easily handle and not run the heat pump. The heat pump is great for efficiency but it has failed on us numerous times due to mechanical and control system problems. So I have been happy with the decision to have a back up furnace vs. a genny big enough to handle the heat pump.

And BAM! Day gets even better.

Nice to get a tour in the shop.

You are amazing 🤩👍👍👍👍👍👍👍

One man's "messy shop" is another's immaculately organized beautiful shop. Keep up your amazing work Mr Carlson

I hope I one day have a TV like that so I can watch Mr. Carlson's Lab in my own home!

HEY, Paul! You can tune MY car any day.

I just love your videos Paul!

That easy starting fork lift instantly took me back to when I was a 9th grade auto mechanics student in high school.A senior had his 1950 Ford pickup inside tinkering on it. He turned on the ignition switch, then bounced a rubber ball off the dash mounted starter button- and it cranked! He later ran the county school bus garage.Good hands to put the buses in.

You don't need to apologize for a lack of videos. I'd rather have less videos at your great quality than more that are a bit rushed. It makes it always a nice surprise to see a video of yours come up. I hope your life does settle a bit soon. You deserve a break.

No explanation needed Mr Carlson. RU-vid is just a hobby! Your health and family comes first! Go at your own pace!

My Radio & TV instructor in High School gave us many great tidbits bits to consider, but one I try to keep in mind is to “Learn something new every day.” Thanks, Paul. Thank you for assisting me in that endeavor. Your videos always have something I have not seen or heard before.

Bi fat one of the most talented individuals I've ever seen

I'm still super excited about your channel and continue to support you on patron because you deserve it.

Just so folks know, when Paul talks about “hydro” he’s referring to the local electric utility Hydro One. Most of the power generated in Ontario is from hydroelectric power. He’s not referring to his own personal hydro station or a community generator. Since there aren’t many customers on the end of the utility circuit, it doesn’t get the maintenance it deserves. Pretty typical of all utilities around the world.

Having a bigger generator than the engine is not a bug but a feature ! The flywheel effect of a generator much bigger helps when instantaneous loads are applied . If you can delay the actual start of the hvac compressor motor once the system Calls for a start , you can send a signal to your generator governor increasing speed . so when the load does arrive it is ahead of the powered curve , not being pulled down as the isochronous governor tries to get back to set point . Feed forward …..

Uncle Carlson, You are an authority comes to electronics overhauls. So, you do you. Most of us can and will wait patiently for a video as we know the wait is worth it.

Hello Mr C, if you are wanting to maintain your voltage and frequency, you should consider fitting an electronic speed governor to the engine that will provide Isochronous (zero speed droop) speed governor regulation. This will enable faster rate of change of fuelling to the engine to minimise volts and frequency disturbances.

Really enjoyed it. You're a rare individual.

Mr. Carlson, Sir, Just a thought for you that you might consider that might help: when you hook up the back up generator, you might consider acquiring an older home heating oil fuel tank. They can hold larger capacities, and may take up less room (floorspace) and possibly eliminate the need for multiple smaller tanks. People are sometimes getting rid of them to change to electric or natural gas heating, so sometimes they can be found fairly reasonable. Hope this maybe helps. Good luck, sir.

All Right! Mr. Carlson’s Lab. My most favorite Television program! Never miss a single episode... My only wish is, I hope someday channel 3 will break open the Piggybank and make the show in “ Living Color” like NBC here in the states.

I'll watch whatever you put out, whenever you do. No worries.

So interesting and all that knowledge. Please keep the power on for more fantastic how to videos. 🐬 Thank you.

I wish you were my professor when I was in college when I was younger...I wish you the best and prayers.

I love your idea of "a mess".

I didn't think I could be so jealous and even envious of another's lab and stocks of equipment. Your place is a treasure trove of vintage goodies I could only dream of having one day.

I can't say I saw the big mess you were referring to! My garage looks like an explosion in a scrap yard on any given day!

Thank you for sharing!

Your videos are worth the wait. Simple as that.

I vote Mr Carlson for President!

All good Paul, I like when there is a small break in videos, gives me something to look forward to and gives me a chance to look back on a few older videos.

A look into Mr. Carlson's lab is a view into heaven. With the thumbnail saying "1671 Amps" I thought that's how many amplifiers you had. Thank you for the update Mr. Calson.

Thank you for the update. I appreciate every single video that you post, be it weekly, monthly or quarterly, as they are all well worth the wait. And in between, there's your wonderful library of prior videos to keep us tuned it. Keep up the good work!

Paul, we gotta talk about a single phase soft start for your compressor load. Inrush will always be a huge problem and I find it really sad that bigger motor load devices are not forced to use them so the momentary hit can be reduced to the grid. Your generator efficiency is a function of load, and you do NOT want any diesel running at less than 25% load for any length of time or it will wet stack and die. 50% is usually a magic number. I prefer CNG or LP for stuff like this.. The soft start tech is RIGHT up your alley and I'd love to have that convo!

I wish I was as tidy as Mr C , his workshop is spotless

Thank you Paul for providing a bit of insight into your ventures and life activity! Your schedule is truly overwhelming, so we can understand why takes take time. As just a reminder, we do enjoy viewing all of your efforts and providing us with motivations as well. Cheers

Hi Mr. Carlson. I like your videos and totally understand reliable power is a nessessity in a Ham shack and electronic lab. I would be quite upset if I was paying good money in a "first world country" to get third world service. I like what you are doing and will support you and way I can. Like you know "time is the fire in which we burn, captain." All the best Mr. Carlson ☺

Jeez Paul. You've got more 'junk' than I have....and that's saying something. LOL. Incurable collector. Your personal life is your business. Every video from you is worth the wait and a fascinating insight into the world of electronics. Nobody repairs this gear to the quality level that you do. I'll wait a year if need be.

No need to tell us anything man. You do YOU..... I watch em all anyway. Keep em coming.

Mr Carlsons Lab no explanations needed! Go at your own pace! We do not own you!

Altec 19's got my attention! My favorite speakers when I was in my 20"s. Went so far as to home brew a pair. 😁

Love that outro. Pretty sure my gma had that same TV set in her sewing room.

When a new video comes out. I'll be here waiting ! Thanks again Mr. C.

lovely, just lovely...good luck! love U'r stuff! U'r a super helpful guy!

Thats really an adorable little forklift

Very stoked for more audio work! I'd love to see not only restorations but mods improving gear!

Paul, I’ve been following you for years and will continue following regardless. Your videos have been nothing but effective and incredibly informative. Just wanted to say thank you for all the knowledge you have passed on throughout the years.

That’s such a dream lab! I always look forward to new videos from you. Thank you for all your hard work.

Wow! Love that ending bit!

@MrCarlsonsLab here where I stay, we have scheduled power outages every single day ranging from minimum 4 hours to 12 hours, not continues, however the longest so far was 4-6 hours. Everyone here had to resort to solar, invest in inverters and batteries but it's bad, the entire grid is collapsing and soon there will not be power other than what we can store or generate. The downside of this is that major stores had to invest in Diesel generation and food prices are at an all time high, no end in sight (another final resort for us is to start growing our own veg whilst we wait for our fruit trees to take hold). The small business man cannot afford the larger generators and there are some power hungry workshops, they unfortunately have to close down also. I understand your frustrations and thank you for taking some time to make another video. Best wishes.

The best engineering solution I saw in a generator to address power fluctuations effectively is the use of a flywheel. It will be a heavy one for sure but its inertia will maintain the RPM needed in any abrupt and wild fluctuation scenario. More "power" to you Prof Carlson.

YES....Rather than feed the YT algorithm....feed your soul with homebrew tinkering.....then when your cup is full, we look forward to the show and tell! 73 de VK2AOE.

Looking forward to more videos. You are a very effective instructor.

Man, your lab+shop is a frickin' MANSION :D And five months, "a lot of time"? I've got a Recordophone T22 here, it's been on my bench for nearly a year and I'm starting to forget where all the pieces go. But of course you have a whole different standard from us occasional tinkerers. Nice behind the scenes video, it's good to know we all have not only things to do, but also OTHER things to do :D

I know your feeling about power. I have a 35 kw generator I need to get hooked up before hurricane season

Thank you for sharing with us what is happening with your lab & all the work that is going on.👍

Not a problem. Good luck.

Mr C would be ideal person to have around in a SHTF scenario.

Regarding that generator, we have a similar, if not identical unit at our farm. We get horrendous straight line winds and every great once in a while the aerial line from the house to the old shop ( the house and old shop were built in 39 when my great grandparents immigrated from Denmark) will get to whipping so bad it’ll short the genset out. It stalls the little Kubota out before it can do any harm. Maximum load on ours during harvest on a power outage is about 75kW and it doesn’t care one bit. Ours has about 3000 hours and has been super reliable.

That's no mess. Look at my benches if you want to see a real mess. LOL

If you are concerned about those car dollies, that support your new super generator, bending, rotate them 90 degrees so the weight is between the pairs of wheels instead of the ends. Cool video to see some behind the scenes items. I share your electrical woes. We're on the end of a run from a substation 15 miles away. When our power fails, our across-the-street neighbors' power is still on.

Good to see the Altec model 19's! (I think). I am an Altec junkie... I have 2 VOT 828-500's.

Loved that closing scene. I also love the genset. It needs a NTC350 Cummins to keep it spinning though. It's funny how many people involved with electronics also wade around engines, machinery, building, autos, motorcycles, aircraft, etc. Some of us have dedicated rooms and shops. Others have Sea Cans, semi-trailers and barns. Half the fun is taking whatever one has and making it work to produce things of wonder. I really appreciate your videos and Patron page. Not being a very good teacher, they are great places to direct people who have questions that I just don't have the time or patience to deal with myself. Looking forward to the updates and new videos. 73 -- Mike

I can only imagine we're only seeing 10% of what is behind the scenes... One day I will be a Patfeon, even though I have an AA Electronics Degree and a Masters in Computer Science, I think learning and even relearning is valuable... We're never through learning and just because I have college degrees, I'm still a student at heart. Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge. Cheers!

All the money you save for a hobby is worthless if you don't have a reliable supply of electricity to fuel your needs. We in the "big cities" across North America actually take it for granted where we rarely have any power outages but the spaces in between those cities, aka the hinterland , must come up with costly options to get power to both home and businesses. You are a very positive role model in the electronics community Paul and I thank you most kindly for all that you do! Steve from Chicago,IL

Once again, thank you for all the hard work you put into this channel. You have been a tremendous inspiration to continue my electronics hobby. Something I dont often see mentioned, but is equally important to me is the positive role model you provide in an increasingly harsh world. I look forward to the next video!

Thanks for bringing us up to speed on what's happening behind the scenes. Life just gets in the way sometimes. I am glad you opted to hire an assistant. Surely that will give you a little more organizing time AND help with some of the heavy lifting. Thanks for sharing. Rest assured we will stay tuned.