Just received my second call on the small, portable milking machine shown on page 96 of the Sept/Oct 2001 issue. Both were inquiring about cost and availability. One was interested in the portability aspect, and the other had artritis which prevented her from hand-milking, but couldn't afford a $2,000 or so NASCO unit.

I'm trying to get more information. One problem will be these units are built for the electrical current in Croatia, which would be different than the U.S. Plus, even with a converter, most barns probably don't have 220 volt current available.

The priest who took me to the homestead was pressed for time so I wasn't able to get a really good look at the unit. Appeared to be fairly simple - a collection tank and vacumm unit driven by an electrical motor. Size was maybe 14" wide, 36" long and 36" high.

If I can get details, I'm hoping folks like John Hill and Don Armstrong can help me evaluate its suitablity for U.S. current. Electrical motors are electric motors so perhaps it could be imported without a motor (greatly reducing the shipping weight) and a U.S. manufactured motor installed.

So, if you are interested, bear with me. This could take quite a while.

-- Ken S. in WC TN (scharabo@aol.com), August 10, 2001

Answers

Ken you could also send the info to me .Hubby is an electrician with 1 more class to finish his instramentational{sp}.You guys probally understand what that means, I am clueless.School starts soon so if he can't answer it I am sure he can get the answers.

-- Patty {NY State} (fodfarms@slic.com), August 10, 2001.

Hi Ken, keep up the effort on this one!

I expect you are up against problems witb both voltage and frequency.

Voltage may not be a problem however as I understand that US domestic power is reticulated at 220V and split into two phases of 110v right at the consumers premises, maybe someone can comment on this?

Frequency would cause the motor to run (or least try to run) 20% fast which I expect would result in all sorts of problems, maybe not being able to drive it's intended load at that speed and hence getting too hot. This is not something I have had experience with as we are a low frequency domain here so I only know about running US (i.e. high frequency) stuff on low frequency mains! But again this might not be a problem either if the motors are compound type which are easily identified, if the motor has brushes like many common power tools and vacuum cleaners etc then frequency might not be a problem either.

Summary: If the motor has brushes and you can get two phase power to the milker then maybe no problem at all! Otherwise, I suggest a change of motor is the only practical option.

regards

-- john hill (john@cnd.co.nz), August 10, 2001.

Alas, I just might have to go back to Croatia to get more details. Woe is me!!!

-- Ken S. in WC TN (scharabo@aol.com), August 10, 2001.

Sorry Ken but I don't belive we should allow you to return to Croatia without supervision! I don"t think that a return trip will have nothing to do with further genealogy search or checking on the portable Croatiation Milking Machine. It is obvious to me after seeing the top photo on page 54 of the current issue of Countryside that you want to return to finish the beer you left on the counter next to the sink. Or maybe you want to sample some more of that Croatiation Brandy.

I think I had better go, I don't know any Croataition or anything about Milking Machines but would lie to check out the "Feedlot" you spoke of.

P.S. Is it true they serve Beer for breakfast??? UH maybe I had better stay home!

-- Mark in N.C. Fla. (deadgoatman@webtv.net), August 11, 2001.

Mark:

I guess I should have take a good photograph of the young lady who was my interpretor part of the time. Very attractive, single and her father is the local dentist. It was through her father I was put in contact with my cousin Matilda so quickly.

On beer for breakfast, their breakfast is more like our lunch. Open faced, hard white bread sandwiches of smoked bacon (with a good bit of fat) or meat spread, cheese, tomatoes and something like a cream cheese. Lunch is pretty much the same. Supper is a bit more elaborate. During the summer they ate mostly out of their garden.

Drinking beer and brandy is as much a national pasttime as chain smoking seems to be.

There beer is usually served at room temperature (and is brewed for that). In a caffe/bar it might be slightly chilled. Cost was ten kuna for a 16-ounce bottle (8.5 kuna to $1).

I look at this way: Cereal is a grain product and beer is a grain product, so what is the difference?

I don't know why, but hard liquor is very, very costly there. Most caffe/bars open about 6PM and close by 10PM. Drinking is social, not like our bars, and, in fact, the caffe/bars are somewhat social centers. DUI level was .005%, half of most U.S. states which indicates a problem with drinking, but I certainly didn't see it.

When you visited someone, immediately you were shown to a table and offered something to eat and drink. Just part of their customs.

Of the women in the photographs (notice no men), the only one who is kin is the one at the sink. She is one of Matilda's three daughters. Don't know what happened to her husband, but she and her daughter lived with Matilda and Alojz. She and her daughter were the ones kicked out of their bedroom for me. I tried to explain I would be quite happy on the couch, but Matilda wouldn't hear of it. Another thing, I got up from the table to wash out my glass. Since there were others in the sink I started to rinse them out as well. Matilda said "Na, na, na, na, na" and motioned me to sit back down.

-- Ken S. in WC TN (scharabo@aol.com), August 11, 2001.

Something I noticed when I was younger - indicative of an attitude I liked - most of the Scandinavian countries had a term for beer which translated as "liquid bread".

Ken, the particular Croation attitudes of which you speak sound quite attractive - not surprised you'd be interested in taking a second (and closer) look.

As for the rest of it, I do truly think using a USA-approved electric motor would simplify things enormously - you might not even need approval for the whole unit or the imported portion if you went that way - just import part, bolt on locally-approved motor, sell. Could even offer options - mains or 12V DC. That could be important to some of your target market.

-- Don Armstrong (darmst@yahoo.com.au), August 15, 2001.