sheepdog

...so the "system" breaks down...and we have power outages...gasoline is precious or you're in a situation where you don't want to use a generator for the noise...are there any generators that are hand/foot cranked that could recharge batteries or cellphones or provide enough juice to run a tool or recharge a drill??? Radios have been around with cranks for decades...how about when you need more power...quietly....

kim

There are small genrators that could be manually powered, but solar panels would be just as effective.


Molon Labe

Kim

sheepdog

...a solar panel could work for re-charging...would it produce enough to power tv, small motors, etc?

44s Rock

You'd need some big ones or a few smaller ones.
http://www.solarhome.org/
http://www.mdpub.com/SolarPanel/index.html
My neighbor has a wind generator, cost $50K, long payback.

deputy125

i guess until the 50's or early 60's, many a farm house out here was still off "the grid".............and they used the old water wind mills to also generate electricity to charge a bank of batteries..........was rather limiting back then but it was cutting edge i guess...........

I still remember going to an uncle's house that was almost a throw-back to little house on the prarrie with only a fireplace for heat, windmill pump, and kerosene lamps, and taking a bath in a wash tub when a sponge down was not good enough................dang the water was cold!!!

The "modern" conviences then was propane refrigerator, and the radio, and the house "wired" more or less electric (limiting and very "inspired") from the windmill batteries..........but we had to conserve and go to bed early.

Today, i am seeing more and more "personal" wind generators that have popped up.........small in design and sometimes task specific. Such as a small wind generator that is positioned by an electric pump for a water well out in the middle of no-where..........sure beats i guess getting the electric company to string lines and poles for miles and eating that cost. The "towers" on these are just tall enough so a blade will not hit your head.......as i said, "task specific" and more than adequate to keep a well going off of rechargable batteries.........recon you could use same windmill for different tasks.

They are also making appearences around houses for various specific tasks.

Bigger wind generators for homes are slowly starting to appear as well.............a step up in size from the task specific small wind generators.

this might help......build your own.........
http://www.mdpub.com/Wind_Turbine/

hopefully, the costs will keep coming down......

our power grid is not the most stable.......but we also keep on hand a supply of batteries, candles, and kerosene lamps as the longest power outage was last year at around 18 hours...........it closed down the entire town and the only place with lights/power was the hospital.......they drew a morning crowd for coffee at their cafeteria............

a couple of those small propane deer blind heaters are a nice "just in case" for the winter time as well............

sheepdog

...we lived this winter for 4 days on propane heater and battery flashlights...charged the cellphones where we could...they weren't up to the ice/snow that hit us...

Bountyhunter

Lost ours for 3 and got the house wired for a generator right after. Won't be without TV again.

sheepdog

...TV???? I'm makin' coffee with a Mapp torch for 4 days and he's worried 'bout TV!!!

Bountyhunter

Looks like I'm not the only one. :P

sheepdog

...we all have our priorities...I've been known to chew coffee grounds when necessary...I was after a quiet, portable means to run a small motor tool or lights...a generator on a quiet block sure would draw a lotta flies...and you couldn't hear 'em coming...maybe a solar panel with batteries would be good, but not a thousand-dollar setup...and what's the guarantee they pay the sunshine bill, anyways...

Bountyhunter

My generator is pretty quiet, and I have a special tool to keep the flies away.

sheepdog

...I'm deaf to the point even a loud fan wipes out my hearing...don't get old!!!

Bountyhunter

I won't. If I do, shoot me.

sheepdog

...I won't have to...Jen will...keep her wondering about the life insurance...that'll buy you a few years...

Bountyhunter

She already knows about it, and I think it'll cost me a few years.

sheepdog

...get a long brass key and wear it 'round your neck...you won't get any peace but at least she won't kill you till she finds out what it goes to...

Bountyhunter

Now that's a sound idea. Must not be one of yours. :P

sheepdog

...nope...got the idea...and the key...from a wise old man just before he died...