[aprssig] Generators and LPG Conversion (was APRS in NOLA)

[VE7GDH]

Gervais VE2CKN wrote on 02/09/2005

>  i just installed a Digi in a remote site that need
> emergency power in case of,,,,,
>
> actually i have battery back up in the 120vac would break,
> my question is: anyone have a diagram of How to built a
> windcharger blade could be interpreted as off topic ,
>
> this way i would install it and be independent of electricity,
> i already have a 24 vdc alternator

Sorry, don't have any diagrams for chargers. I would say go ahead build a
wind generator if your site gets enough wind, but perhaps install solar
panels as well as the wind generator. Ice can cause problems for generators,
but wind can also keep it turning at night. Solar panels won't put out as
much in winter, and snow on them can block the sunlight in winter if you
don't have a heater on the solar panel to periodically warm it up so the
snow can slide off. However, it just seems like it would be a good
combination to have both.

I did a search for "wind generator, voltage regulator" at google.ca. One
site www.otherpower.com/otherpower_wind_tips.html suggested "load
shedding" where you don't use any voltage regulation, but add a load to the
circuit when the voltage rises to the desired voltage. By adding a load
(heater?) on the generator, it will help prevent the generator from turning
too fast and destroying itself.

This site www.fieldlines.com/story/2003/11/4/122453/226 suggests NOT
using an automotive voltage regulator as it would REMOVE the load from
the generator when the battery was charged. Again, it comes down to the
generator spinning at an uncontrolled rate unless you have a means of
slowing it down, furling it (turning it), applying a brake to it, or adding
a load to it. A heater seems like the appropriate load in winter to help
keep the equipment warm. In summer, you might want to have the load
outside the enclosure so you don't heat the equipment up.

See www.fieldlines.com/story/2003/7/18/8715/42490 (link from the above
site) for more information about adding loads to help keep the voltage down.

Using a TNC that draws very little current would be a good idea. A nice
addition would be the ability to drop the output power on the radio if the
voltage dropped below a certain point, or even shut it down temporarily so
the battery would have a chance to charge if the voltage was too low to
operate the radio.

73 es cul - Keith VE7GDH
--
"I may be lost, but I know exactly where I am!"