Personal Power There is more to home power than making electricity. It's easy for us to focus on a piece of hardware. What it does, how it works, and how much it costs. It's easy to lose sight of the power that comes first-- personal power. The will to do and the power to accomplish what we will. No where is this will more vivid than in those who make their own electricity. It is in this spirit that we offer Wayne Phillips' article "The Power of Personal Resourcefulness" on page 13. This article begins a column about the people that make AE a reality. It deals with ideas, desires & emotions, not with nuts and volts. It's about home power people, who they are and why they do what they do. It's about you. It's about all of us. Home Power's Growing You may notice that this month's Home Power Magazine is 8 pages larger than last month's. With your help we are growing. There are two more new departments in this issue. People and Education. There are many more articles in this issue that are contributed by our readers. Send us your info, articles, pictures, essays, equipment reports, letters, pasta recipes, etc. We will print your info and try to find out what you need to know. All we require is that you tell us what you want, and if you have anything to contribute, then send it to us. Home Power is for you. Unfortunately, we can't afford to pay anyone for their info. YetÉ We are in particular need of articles and information about wind power. We write Home Power from our personal experiences. Unfortunately, none of the Home Power Crew lives with a wind machine. PVs, generators, hydro turbines yes, but no wind. We could research wind material and offer a regurgitated article based on book learning rather than experience. This is not our style. So your wind power producers out there, send us your contributions. On the financial frontÉ Home Power is an experiment. Can we publish and distribute a magazine free to its readers? Can this magazine be supported strictly by its advertising? Can the Home Power Crew earn enough to compensate for the fact that this magazine has completely taken over their lives? Well, stay tuned, the jury is still out. We want to thank all of your who have been sending contributions to help keep Home Power alive. It has been making a difference. We are still adamant about keeping Home Power free to its readers. We have several reasons for this. First financial, unless we charge you a large (over $30 yearly) fee, the revenue from subscriptions is still only a fraction of what's needed to make Home Power work. It is the advertising revenue that really supports any publication. Second practical, we want to get the info in Home Power out there where it will do some good. Our distribution is much wider and simpler if we are free. Third philosophical, all the best information we have ever received has been free. We encourage you to patronize the advertisers in Home Power. While we work our butts off on Home Power's content, it is the advertisers' bucks that print and mail it to you. Our advertisers measure the performance of their ads (and Home Power) by your responses. So, get on the phone or write them a letter if your are interested in their products. Be sure to remind them that you saw their ad in Home Power. Our advertisers are an essential link in the process that produces Home Power. Your interaction with them completes this process. It keeps Home Power showing up in your mailbox. In order to make Home Power advertising more accessible to small companies we have created a new type (for us anyway) of ad. The Home Power Mercantile, see page 48, will allow display type advertising at a rock bottom cost. We are limiting everyone to one insertion per issue so that this service can be provided to those who need it and can't afford our regular display ads. Credits for Issue #3 Special thanks to Stan Krute for his graphics work in this issue. Stan, Master of the Mouse, drew the clip art you'll find scattered throughout this issue. Special thanks to the Postmaster of Hornbrook CA, Elden Cibart. Elden takes a look at the stacks of mail we bring in and just smiles. Special thanks to our printer, Mr. Jim Allen and the people at the Klamath Falls Publishing Co. He's taking the time to turn a bunch of rank novices into magazine publishers. Special thanks to you, our readers. Your support and praise keeps us going. RP