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Topic: Simple hand-crank generator?  (Read 5218 times)

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Offline NJAntman

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Simple hand-crank generator?
« on: January 24, 2011, 09:44:47 am »
Anyone ever build one, like a school science project type thing? I remember seeing a simple demonstration unit at a local powerplant expo/museum when I was a kid, a simple magnet and copper coil device that lit a light bulb when the hand-crank rotated a magnet inside a coil of copper.

I want to build something like that with my eldest son to show him a direct example of electricty.
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Offline Tus-XC

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Re: Simple hand-crank generator?
« Reply #1 on: January 24, 2011, 10:45:17 am »
An old electric motor would would be a good place to start
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Offline NJAntman

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Re: Simple hand-crank generator?
« Reply #2 on: January 24, 2011, 01:52:15 pm »
For the parts needed (magnet, copper, etc..), or can an electric motor be reconfigured as a generator?
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Offline marstone

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Re: Simple hand-crank generator?
« Reply #3 on: January 24, 2011, 02:39:09 pm »
Depending on the motor. If you get a cheap battery powered drill. Put a crank handle in the chuck. Hook your light to the battery conectors in the handle. Pull trigger and crank.
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Offline TAnimaL

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Re: Simple hand-crank generator?
« Reply #4 on: January 24, 2011, 06:05:17 pm »
here's a walk-through, courtesy of Make magazine & blog

http://www.zetatalk.com/energy/tengy05n.htm
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Offline Sirgod

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Re: Simple hand-crank generator?
« Reply #5 on: January 24, 2011, 06:19:54 pm »
One can also jury rig a handle to one of those old Bicycle Lamp thingies.

Where the little generator was against the wheel, and when it turned, the light would come on.

Not sure if they still make those or not.

Stephen
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Offline Capt. Mike

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Re: Simple hand-crank generator?
« Reply #6 on: January 24, 2011, 07:22:52 pm »
Nick, you hang around some test equipment?  Find an old PSM-2, they have variations, but look something like this...

Mike

   
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Offline Capt. Mike

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Re: Simple hand-crank generator?
« Reply #7 on: January 24, 2011, 07:29:12 pm »
Try this site...You're just about old enough to remember these...   ;D 

   http://www.navy-radio.com/manuals/10478a/10478a-11.pdf   

Bet they still have some at Ft. Monmouth

Mike
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Summum ius summa iniuria.

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Cicero, De Officiis, I, 33

"It doesn't, and you can't, I won't, and it don't
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it couldn't"
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My chops were not as fast...[but] I just leaned more on what was in my mind than what was in my chops.  I learned a long time ago that one note can go a long way if it's the right one, and it will probably whip the guy with twenty notes.
 --Les Paul

Offline NJAntman

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Re: Simple hand-crank generator?
« Reply #8 on: January 26, 2011, 07:26:56 pm »
Wasn't thinking along those lines but that looks interesting as I happen to have a cordless drill with a crapped out battery charger that I never threw out. I'll convert that for some practice; maybe useful after a zombie apocalypse.

Cracking the drill case open to show the inner workings is more what I was trying to get.

And Mike, I ain't that old. But the museum here actually has vacumn tubes and original electronics form early last century in storage. I have to take radiological surveys of it all every 3 months just to prove nothing is radioactive, over, and over, and over again just to satisfy some paper pushing weenies at the NRC.

Have I ever mentioned that they have the original radars (seen in the movie Tora! Tora! Tora! ) from Pearl Harbor here?
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Offline Capt. Mike

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Re: Simple hand-crank generator?
« Reply #9 on: January 27, 2011, 05:17:58 am »
Nick, I was there in '74 going to SATCOM school...that was state of the art the  :laugh: 

Do they have a MSC-46 and a TSC-54?  Those were the first two terminals I worked on.   Water cooled klystrons and TWTs.  Now it's all solid state.

I have worked with the PAVE PAWS phased array radars..kinda neat how they track things by changing the phase of the signal in individual elements to steer it.

Good luck on your project..I looked up the T.O. on the PSM-2, but the generator is obsolete now..I was hoping to get you a stock number, but as many of my customers are finding out, 50 year old equipment isn't being supported any more, although I retubed a 200CD oscillator this week..tubes are still out there, although mostly for people like me with high powered guitar amps   ;D 

Have a good one

Mike
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it couldn't"
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My chops were not as fast...[but] I just leaned more on what was in my mind than what was in my chops.  I learned a long time ago that one note can go a long way if it's the right one, and it will probably whip the guy with twenty notes.
 --Les Paul

Offline Nemesis

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Re: Simple hand-crank generator?
« Reply #10 on: January 27, 2011, 04:42:20 pm »
Quote from: NJAntman on January 24, 2011, 01:52:15 pm
or can an electric motor be reconfigured as a generator?

I've never seen it done but my father has told me of his doing such a conversion before I was born. 
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Offline Capt. Mike

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Re: Simple hand-crank generator?
« Reply #11 on: January 28, 2011, 03:36:03 am »
Quote from: Nemesis on January 27, 2011, 04:42:20 pm
Quote from: NJAntman on January 24, 2011, 01:52:15 pm
or can an electric motor be reconfigured as a generator?


I've never seen it done but my father has told me of his doing such a conversion before I was born.


Try here.. http://wiki.answers.com/Q/How_does_one_convert_an_AC_motor_into_a_generator 

Mike
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Summum ius summa iniuria.

The more law, the less justice.

Cicero, De Officiis, I, 33

"It doesn't, and you can't, I won't, and it don't
it hasn't, it isn't, it even ain't, and it shouldn't
it couldn't"
FZ, 1974

My chops were not as fast...[but] I just leaned more on what was in my mind than what was in my chops.  I learned a long time ago that one note can go a long way if it's the right one, and it will probably whip the guy with twenty notes.
 --Les Paul

Offline NJAntman

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Re: Simple hand-crank generator?
« Reply #12 on: January 28, 2011, 09:44:26 am »
Interesting link. I think I have a few of those motors I inherited from Dad & Grandpa, the kind of stuff I don't won't to throw out cause it may be useful one day. Perhaps there is now a use for it. Thanks.
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Offline knightstorm

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Re: Simple hand-crank generator?
« Reply #13 on: January 30, 2011, 03:05:15 am »
I saw this in the store yesterday, and thought of this thread.
http://gifts.barnesandnoble.com/Toys-games/Green-Science-Windmill-Generator/e/85761074033/
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