Andy, From a flat battery you can get all the LED's to come on in around 15-20 minutes of pedaling. It depends on how hard you make the flywheel spin. You don't have to recharge that way though, only in the field because you can also plug in a wall wart at home and charge it up beforehand.
It does make quite a noise when pedaling but it's not difficult. 73, Sholto. Andrew O'Brien wrote: > --- In digitalradio@yahoogroups.com, Sholto Fisher <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: >> Andy if you don't mind a little leg power you could try the Freeplay > Weza: >> http://store.sundancesolar.com/frfrwe.html >> >> I bought one a while back and I can run the FT-897 on it for quite >> sometime before needing to recharge. I limit the power to around 10-15W >> out on the rig. If you use a CW QRP rig you could probably operate for >> 24hrs without needing a recharge... >> >> Oh, and in order not to look too foolish and save some strain on the > leg >> muscles - get the kids to pedal it! >> >> 73, Sholto >> KE7HPV. >> > > Sholto, that looks interesting . How much leg power does one need to > get it initially ready for use? Hours and hours or what ? > > > Andy K3UK > > >> >> Andrew O'Brien wrote: >>> I am usually attend regional Field Day efforts with serious >>> operations, I'm often the "digital guy" that gets invited so the >>> organization can get digital-related bonus points. >>> >>> This year, the combination of needing to remain close to home due to >>> family health issues and my past views that I miss out on all the >>> operating fun by giving lectures/demos, has caused be to think about >>> doing Field Day at home. I figure that I really need to find some way >>> of not depending on my mains power supply for all my amateur radio >>> operating. So, Field Day looks like a good target date for trying to >>> find some emergency power. >>> >>> I am not going to buy a generator, too much of a hassle and too much >>> noise for my neighbours. I thought about battery power, still >>> thinking about it, but recharging a battery has to be thought about >>> since the ARRL has some limits on how they are recharged. Wind power >>> and Solar panels are appealing but they looked to expensive to me. >>> Seems to me that true emergency communications preparation ought to be >>> simple and cheap so that many stations would be activated , if > needed. >>> So, assuming a battery powered laptop computer is part of the stations >>> (and thus is not a problem) what inexpensive options are there to >>> power a modern HF rig using digital modes at 5 watts or less ? >>> Perhaps something that can be used to xmit and receive for 2-3 hours >>> and then be re-charged without mains power in a reasonably quick >>> manner ? I did think of pedal power , good exercise too, but that >>> may be too difficult. >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> > > >
