From the article linked to above (2012):
'The lamp can be recharged by solar panel.'
So what use was the gravity bit?
If you are curious, look up the Pico Power project.
The materials used in rechargeable lanterns have evolved so much over the past 10 years, that the project referred to above seems like British eccentricity.
LEDs have now much more lumens per watt, batteries are more compact, fast cycling, higher density in storage.
Solar panels have also improved, as have charging circuits.
Farmers here in India now use lanterns with high power 3 watt LED light sources, with a 6 V 4 Ah lead acid battery (gradually shifting to large lithium cells as prices come down).
Earlier it was 4 D cells, and ordinary or halogen bulbs, you needed new cells every week, $2.
Now, $5 for a lantern that can do 500 cycles (300 is more realistic), and each cycle lasts 15 days. And comes with built in mains charging circuit.
An unintended consequence is that the Panasonic battery plant down the road from my house has closed for good, no demand.
I have a dynamo torch, and a 'magnetic' torch, both need physical action to allegedly charge LITHIUM coin cells.
Remember the wind up radios?
British design, I think, intended for the wild areas of Africa?
Or the One Laptop Per Child project?
History teaches us, sometimes we are all wise in hind sight.
'The lamp can be recharged by solar panel.'
So what use was the gravity bit?
If you are curious, look up the Pico Power project.
The materials used in rechargeable lanterns have evolved so much over the past 10 years, that the project referred to above seems like British eccentricity.
LEDs have now much more lumens per watt, batteries are more compact, fast cycling, higher density in storage.
Solar panels have also improved, as have charging circuits.
Farmers here in India now use lanterns with high power 3 watt LED light sources, with a 6 V 4 Ah lead acid battery (gradually shifting to large lithium cells as prices come down).
Earlier it was 4 D cells, and ordinary or halogen bulbs, you needed new cells every week, $2.
Now, $5 for a lantern that can do 500 cycles (300 is more realistic), and each cycle lasts 15 days. And comes with built in mains charging circuit.
An unintended consequence is that the Panasonic battery plant down the road from my house has closed for good, no demand.
I have a dynamo torch, and a 'magnetic' torch, both need physical action to allegedly charge LITHIUM coin cells.
Remember the wind up radios?
British design, I think, intended for the wild areas of Africa?
Or the One Laptop Per Child project?
History teaches us, sometimes we are all wise in hind sight.
Is this for the home as well? There are schemes for rural power using solar batteries and panels, maybe they run their sound systems off those, which is the topic here.
We get boxes like that, two speakers (or one), with FM module, just give 12 Volts.
The FM module has USB / Bluetooth / SD Card and Aux selection, quite flexible.
Starts about 350 Indian Rupees for a one speaker FM radio, uses the common FM module.
The module alone needs 5 V, and sells for about 100 Rupees with remote.
7805 is used in FM radios to get 5 from 12 V .
The FM module has USB / Bluetooth / SD Card and Aux selection, quite flexible.
Starts about 350 Indian Rupees for a one speaker FM radio, uses the common FM module.
The module alone needs 5 V, and sells for about 100 Rupees with remote.
7805 is used in FM radios to get 5 from 12 V .
Like a transistor radio?
I've done a good bit of battery power for little power amps, such as the old Sonic Impact Class-D amps and similar. It works well but I didn't find any noise advantages over a good mains PSU. I was hoping that it would sound much better, but it didn't.
I think the gains will be realized when we remove the DC->AC->DC conversions.
Those are my thoughts on this.... take the BIG battery and use DC to power the audio units.
My car radio cost me $4.50, runs on 12V, has a pair of 4440 chips inside, and a reverse polarity diode.
Driven by the usual FM module. Even has a remote.
I just put a 32GB USB stick, and there you are, it works as DAC and amplifier, and 32 GB is many hours of MP3 music.
Stick, speakers, installation...all told about $20, quite reasonable.
I am in the process of making a 2.1 amp and speakers set, a kind of boom box...which reminds me, did they not run in D cells? Most even had connections for external DC as well.
This will be a sort of boom box, a flat one.
So, no, not a new idea at all, and quite practical...
For example, a car radio will run on battery on a boat or an off grid location....
Driven by the usual FM module. Even has a remote.
I just put a 32GB USB stick, and there you are, it works as DAC and amplifier, and 32 GB is many hours of MP3 music.
Stick, speakers, installation...all told about $20, quite reasonable.
I am in the process of making a 2.1 amp and speakers set, a kind of boom box...which reminds me, did they not run in D cells? Most even had connections for external DC as well.
This will be a sort of boom box, a flat one.
So, no, not a new idea at all, and quite practical...
For example, a car radio will run on battery on a boat or an off grid location....
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I Remember Many years ago that there was an Electric motor in a french washing machine that was said to be Perfect for making water mills...with turbines. I did find a book at the book store, at the DIY section, talking about It!
Aaaahhh the technical section comprised DIy ...whaaat ? Memories
Aaaahhh the technical section comprised DIy ...whaaat ? Memories
Pico Power did just that, use small DC motors as generators for run of the river hydro projects in Nepal. South America as well.
Sometimes alternators were used, modified to give AC (old automobile units), that could be stepped up to grid voltage using transformers, easy and cheap.
These small motors were also used in bicycle wind mills, the term for small mills, sometimes using ceiling fan blades (!).
Sometimes alternators were used, modified to give AC (old automobile units), that could be stepped up to grid voltage using transformers, easy and cheap.
These small motors were also used in bicycle wind mills, the term for small mills, sometimes using ceiling fan blades (!).
Hi, It is not hard to achieve, As long as you are prepared to rethink your system.
I currently use batteries to power my phono amp & outboard dac.
Have use batteries to power my T/T, Pre amp & Power amp.
The one I have not tried is my CD player
All you need to do is choose equipment suitable like which runs of of DC
Cheers
I currently use batteries to power my phono amp & outboard dac.
Have use batteries to power my T/T, Pre amp & Power amp.
The one I have not tried is my CD player
All you need to do is choose equipment suitable like which runs of of DC
Cheers
I think the first step would be to bring out the Vcc and ground to outside connectors with some kind of a switch that disables the on board power supply.
Or maybe, better, to start with a two box system. One box is the power supply.. make it BIG so it can power something like 1500 watts. At some point, replace that with a battery distribution system. The amps, preamps, etc... would have a DC power plug.
How big would a 1500 watt power supply ( AC->DC ) be? It would need to have several output DC voltages.
I envision something a bit simpler than one of those outboard PC power supplies.
https://www.quietpc.com/nova600w
Or maybe, better, to start with a two box system. One box is the power supply.. make it BIG so it can power something like 1500 watts. At some point, replace that with a battery distribution system. The amps, preamps, etc... would have a DC power plug.
How big would a 1500 watt power supply ( AC->DC ) be? It would need to have several output DC voltages.
I envision something a bit simpler than one of those outboard PC power supplies.
https://www.quietpc.com/nova600w
I think a car radio can be used, most are powerful enough for small to medium rooms. Those need 12V, not multiple supplies.
And if you are not fussy, a sub under your favorite chair or couch, and car speakers in big boxes hanging from the wall...
So the scheme will be solar panels charging big 12V batteries through a charge controller, and then using the 12V through the house, and for music, burglar alarms, etc...
Many types of lights, from panel indicators, to lighting strips, to chip on board flood lights, will happily run on 12V, some form of current limiter will be needed if you are using your own designs and LEDs.
Also, discharge cut off, low volts can damage LEDs.
Quite practical, I think.
And if you are not fussy, a sub under your favorite chair or couch, and car speakers in big boxes hanging from the wall...
So the scheme will be solar panels charging big 12V batteries through a charge controller, and then using the 12V through the house, and for music, burglar alarms, etc...
Many types of lights, from panel indicators, to lighting strips, to chip on board flood lights, will happily run on 12V, some form of current limiter will be needed if you are using your own designs and LEDs.
Also, discharge cut off, low volts can damage LEDs.
Quite practical, I think.
Did you have a look at the link I sent about the DC powered house? It is more efficient than AC power.
I am running my amps off batteries and have to come to a suitable battery/charging system arrangement. 12V DC Lead Acid batteries are fine but the chargers are expensive.
I have noticed the 60 Hz hum in my single transistor and LM386 amplifiers off the AC/DC converter, and some loss of quality with the USB power from a AC charger into the Bluetooth speaker. So batteries are good.
I would like to have more details, maybe pictures. How did you get a car radio for $4? Using a car radio was suggested to me in 1991, maybe I should have taken it.
Also, the 4440 chip ? I have not heard of it before, apparently a stereo amplifier IC.
I am running my amps off batteries and have to come to a suitable battery/charging system arrangement. 12V DC Lead Acid batteries are fine but the chargers are expensive.
I have noticed the 60 Hz hum in my single transistor and LM386 amplifiers off the AC/DC converter, and some loss of quality with the USB power from a AC charger into the Bluetooth speaker. So batteries are good.
I would like to have more details, maybe pictures. How did you get a car radio for $4? Using a car radio was suggested to me in 1991, maybe I should have taken it.
Also, the 4440 chip ? I have not heard of it before, apparently a stereo amplifier IC.
It just proves that using a mass and pulleys is not adjustable... it always generates a fixed power/time profile. Unless a brake is used, and that wastes energy. Perhaps a complex, adjustable set of multiple pulleys, but then that really adds complexity, cost and friction.
Water going through a variable area orifice is adjustable and does not rely on a brake.
The next comparison will be the efficiency of a water paddle wheel ( turbine ) vs gears to run the generator.
Oh, what happens with a dropping mass when it gets windy?
Besides, I'm talking real power here... 1500watts to power some serious Class A amps... not some dinky car radios.
Seriously... a car radio with a remote? Why? To let your mother in law in the back seat torment you with her choice of Ballywood hits? ;-)
Water going through a variable area orifice is adjustable and does not rely on a brake.
The next comparison will be the efficiency of a water paddle wheel ( turbine ) vs gears to run the generator.
Oh, what happens with a dropping mass when it gets windy?
Besides, I'm talking real power here... 1500watts to power some serious Class A amps... not some dinky car radios.
Seriously... a car radio with a remote? Why? To let your mother in law in the back seat torment you with her choice of Ballywood hits? ;-)
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Here is an idea, with ChatGPT making short work of its feasibility: This system generates the energy contained in 2 1200mAh AA batteries.
QUESTION:
If a AA battery stores 1200 mAh of energy, how much energy does it store and what percentage of energy is it compared to the potential energy gained by lifting a 1200 kg weight 1 metre?
QUESTION:
If a AA battery stores 1200 mAh of energy, how much energy does it store and what percentage of energy is it compared to the potential energy gained by lifting a 1200 kg weight 1 metre?
