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#1
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Dynamo on a Uni for GPS/PPC power
Has anyone ever tried a dynamo on a Uni? I've just got a PocketPC with built-in GPS. Battery life is around 2 or 3 hours which is pretty hopeless if I want a constant fix & a track. The set-up I'm thinking of is a 'Pedal & Power charger' (http://www.ikonglobal.com/index.html) so I could make a cup of tea, run a mini fridge or even keep the GPS charged. Apart from the bulk of the dynamo (2 inches or so projection from the sidewall), lack of speed, the frame-fixing issues and the water damage from landing in puddles/rivers, can anyone see any major drawbacks? Thanks Mike -- mikepenton - sometimes level ------------------------------------------------------------------------ mikepenton's Profile: http://www.unicyclist.com/profile/7090 View this thread: http://www.unicyclist.com/thread/37957 |
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#2
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get a better gps unit. there are some that have much longer battery life. and it might not work so well for uni but i've seen touring bikers with photovoltaics on the topp of their gear to charge stuff. -- markf - movie nerd stuck in iowa and unemployed. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ markf's Profile: http://www.unicyclist.com/profile/8102 View this thread: http://www.unicyclist.com/thread/37957 |
#3
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I use the Garmin E-trex, it is a little backpacking GPS but it can show agerage speed, top speed, current speed and what not, its really little too. you can get them for about 60 bucks -- total uni - my avatar is big too! Trials is the devil - jack huges ------------------------------------------------------------------------ total uni's Profile: http://www.unicyclist.com/profile/8125 View this thread: http://www.unicyclist.com/thread/37957 |
#4
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A 'better' gps unit is not a sensible option. As I already have vector & rasterized mapping on the PPC there is no point wasting money on a second unit which duplicates the same tasks or offers much less. I know that I could have had a basic non-mapping GPS with a longer battery life and a seperate PPC for less money. Hence the option of the dynamo. -- mikepenton - sometimes level ------------------------------------------------------------------------ mikepenton's Profile: http://www.unicyclist.com/profile/7090 View this thread: http://www.unicyclist.com/thread/37957 |
#5
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What type of batteries are you using? Try using NiMH with a high mah rating. Those last a ton longer than alkaline and are rechargeable. -- Seager - that one guy who does that stuff 'Team RoadShow' (http://www.teamroadshow.com) ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Seager's Profile: http://www.unicyclist.com/profile/8840 View this thread: http://www.unicyclist.com/thread/37957 |
#6
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mikepenton wrote: *... can anyone see any major drawbacks? * Going through the electrical engineering pain of building such a unit. You can't just inject the power of the dynamo into the ppc. You need a regulating device with capacity in between. I don't know if such a thing exists on the market. Wogri -- wogri - That *** looks *** http://www.wogri.at http://unicycling.wogri.at ------------------------------------------------------------------------ wogri's Profile: http://www.unicyclist.com/profile/7490 View this thread: http://www.unicyclist.com/thread/37957 |
#7
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hmmm ... any of you guys seen the 'charging unit' part of that kit posted available for sale ...? Cuz, I still have a generator that I've had since I was a kid that still works. I believe it supplies the same volts/amp as the one in the kit. Thx in advance. -- DigitalDave - scabless 'nf7-s ~ xp2400mobile' (http://www.anandtech.com/mysystemrig.html?rigid=21988) '20,124 3dm01' (http://service.futuremark.com/compare?2k1=8399731) my will to live was stronger than my will to die. - iggy pop that which does not kill me, makes me stronger. - friedrich nietzsche 1899 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ DigitalDave's Profile: http://www.unicyclist.com/profile/8003 View this thread: http://www.unicyclist.com/thread/37957 |
#8
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I'd be concerned about how well it can charge the battery. It probably doesn't give a constant charge to the battery which could be bad for the rechargeable batteries. It might lower the useful life of the batteries. Could it end up over-charging the batteries? Will the PPC be able to run off the external power? Will the Pedal Power thing give a consistent enough source of power so the PPC can run off the external power? Can the PPC switch from external power to battery power on the fly (for example when you stop pedaling)? What happens if you run the Pedal Power backwards during an idle? I'd also be concerned about the durability of the PPC. Those things aren't made to take rough or outdoor treatment. The thing would probably be better suited for a 29er or a Coker on the roads (asphalt). -- john_childs - Guinness Mojo john_childs (att) hotmail (dott) com Gallery: '' (http://www.unicyclist.com/gallery/john_childs) ------------------------------------------------------------------------ john_childs's Profile: http://www.unicyclist.com/profile/449 View this thread: http://www.unicyclist.com/thread/37957 |
#9
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john_childs wrote: * What happens if you run the Pedal Power backwards during an idle? * It's AC current ... so doesn't matter. I'm assuming it's got a capacitor to hold a converted DC charge. -- DigitalDave - scabless 'nf7-s ~ xp2400mobile' (http://www.anandtech.com/mysystemrig.html?rigid=21988) '20,124 3dm01' (http://service.futuremark.com/compare?2k1=8399731) my will to live was stronger than my will to die. - iggy pop that which does not kill me, makes me stronger. - friedrich nietzsche 1899 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ DigitalDave's Profile: http://www.unicyclist.com/profile/8003 View this thread: http://www.unicyclist.com/thread/37957 |
#10
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"Seager" writes:
What type of batteries are you using? Try using NiMH with a high mah rating. Those last a ton longer than alkaline and are rechargeable. Not so. High capacity alkaline AA cells have more charge (2850 mAh) than high capacity NiMH AA cells (2300 mAh). Not only that, but some equipment (especially high current equipment like my Nikon Coolpix 800) can't cope with the lower voltage (1.2V vs. 1.5V) of nickel chemistry batteries. Rather than dragging the wheel with a generator, I'd look into hooking up a rechargeable (gel-cell or external NiMH pack) battery to the computer/GPS. Ken |
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