Search found 309 matches

by josmith
Sun Jan 28, 2007 12:40 pm
Forum: General Discussion
Topic: Wireless (inductance) recharging
Replies: 3
Views: 4260

If you have an old appliance around you might as well canabalize the charging coil since it's already designed and built for you. Or you could take it apart and copy the design. One point worth noticing is that the charger has a series capacitor so that it is a resonant circuit tuned for when the ap...
by josmith
Wed Nov 15, 2006 2:11 pm
Forum: General Discussion
Topic: Combined Heat and Power
Replies: 4
Views: 4452

This isn't a new idea, it is a good one. Previously the term was co-generationan an idea based on the priciple of generating electricity in a location where the waste heat can be used. Since generation less than 30%efficient the other 70% can be used to heat domestic hot water or for space heating i...
by josmith
Thu Oct 19, 2006 4:47 pm
Forum: General Discussion
Topic: infrared thermometer
Replies: 4
Views: 4682

HF has one for ten bucks. I don't think you're going to beat that.
by josmith
Wed Jul 26, 2006 7:09 pm
Forum: General Discussion
Topic: Electric Cars
Replies: 54
Views: 29629

Putting economics/politics/oil in a context of insignificance only demonstrates a lack of connection with reality. These are the most powerful forces on the planet. Oil is expensive not because it is in short supply or because it cost more to produce but only because it's the best source of energy a...
by josmith
Wed Jul 26, 2006 4:22 pm
Forum: General Discussion
Topic: Electric Cars
Replies: 54
Views: 29629

You can dream or you can do a little arithmetic. $.20 gets you around 3kwh of electricity which is around 4 horsepower-hours. If the 20 mile trip takes 1/2 hour that averages out to 8 hp. Remember that a car has to be able to keep up with traffic and go up hills. It also has to meet safety requireme...
by josmith
Tue Jul 25, 2006 6:24 pm
Forum: General Discussion
Topic: Electric Cars
Replies: 54
Views: 29629

Welcome to yesterday. The electric car was dead on arrival. No electric car was ever made that couldn't have been improved by taking out the batteries and motor and replacing it with a good ic engine. Now the hybrid is the hearthrob of the enviormentally conscious. I think that in time the slightly ...
by josmith
Thu Jul 20, 2006 5:37 pm
Forum: General Discussion
Topic: 90vdc pwm controller
Replies: 31
Views: 19373

For what it's worth unfiltered DC rectified directly from 110volt single phase current is often called "90 Volts DC" I always thought of it as a misnomer.
by josmith
Fri Jul 14, 2006 6:09 pm
Forum: General Discussion
Topic: Stock market driving oil prices
Replies: 5
Views: 4983

I don't see your logical leap from oil prices to the stock market. It seems that both are driven as much by emotion as by economics. The difference is that the stocks go down when somthing bad happens or is pending while oil prices go up when anyting threatening like a war or hurricane is happening....
by josmith
Mon Jun 26, 2006 7:26 pm
Forum: General Discussion
Topic: hybrid math
Replies: 19
Views: 14567

The first Toyota hybrids cost $40,000 to produce. The selling price was half that. The point of todays hybrids is not so much to save fuel or money but to demonstrate that there is a market for alternate technology and high milage cars. Look back to the introduction of the IBM "PC" . It wa...
by josmith
Mon Jun 26, 2006 6:50 pm
Forum: General Discussion
Topic: hybrid math
Replies: 19
Views: 14567

Check back issues of NV for a series of articles on EV's. It was many years ago, definatly large format.
by josmith
Thu Jun 15, 2006 6:16 pm
Forum: General Discussion
Topic: Changing a bulb?
Replies: 15
Views: 10347

We may not have so many individuals but you could count on two or three who would run the post count into the hundreds with some fantasy about pulsing the filament at 10 million amps for two nanaseconds so that the bulb produces ten times the light output and never has to be changed.
by josmith
Fri Jan 13, 2006 2:18 pm
Forum: General Discussion
Topic: diode resistance checks?
Replies: 3
Views: 3802

Re: diode resistance checks?

Resistance readings on a diode depend more on the meter than the diode. Getting consistant readings on known good parts is the best you can do.
The diode check feature gives you go/no go and often tells you the forward voltage of the part.
by josmith
Thu Jan 05, 2006 3:44 pm
Forum: General Discussion
Topic: paralleling a tractor solenoid
Replies: 7
Views: 6067

Re: paralleling a tractor solenoid

It should work.
The only problem you might have is the motor spinning before it engages. In that case you might have to employ some kind of delay.
by josmith
Mon Dec 26, 2005 11:31 am
Forum: General Discussion
Topic: "Perfect" LED current limiting challenge
Replies: 255
Views: 202063

Re: "Perfect" LED current limiting challenge

;)

<small>[ December 28, 2005, 08:53 AM: Message edited by: josmith ]</small>
by josmith
Sun Dec 25, 2005 8:00 am
Forum: General Discussion
Topic: Non Existent Items
Replies: 10
Views: 7973

Re: Non Existent Items

The first one I ever heard was "left handed monkey wrench". Monkey wrenches are over anyway so that one won't play.

It's getting cold in here,have to go down to the boiler and get another bucket of steam!