Hand crank or solar powered charger

I was thinking of getting a source of electricity, and that has come to either hand crank and solar powered because there is no wind where I am.

I looked online where there are people who sell these things, there is a hand crank socket and a solar powered socket. At the moment, I am leaning towards the hand crank socket because from experience, solar panels are not extremely effective when small while the hand crank according to what the makers say (this is where the problem lies, i'm not sure if I believe what is said on the website) is quite good and can provide quite a lot of electricity with little time (perhaps 10 minutes) of using the hand crank.

However solar powered items can be left on its own to get electricity while hand cranked items have to be used to get electricity. I would like to ask, which would you think is more reliable most of the time.

Even though I post this in survival, I intend to use this rather normally, especially when pokemon go is involved if you have experiences with a hand crank electricity generator, how much time do you spend winding it up?

Also if there are other ways of electricity generation that does not rely on additional difficult to find items, I would like to know about them too.

Just for a laugh, I put a tester on the unplugged power cord of a box fan that was spinning furiously in a window. It sent out some current. I didn't really measure it though.

If you are looking for portable check out Goal Zero Venture 30.
They are awesome

link

a reply to: ThinkingMe

Generator perhaps. Runs on either gas or diesel. Available from small ones to charge a 12v battery to big ones to supply a whole house.

Or, if you have a car, put in an isolated second battery and normal use of the car will keep the second battery charged.

P

a reply to: Mandroid7

I've seen that and I like it a lot, it looks like such a large space for the solar panel and they say that that really helps the output. Just hoping nobody laughs when I open it up

a reply to: pheonix358

That sounds very powerful, but I was thinking about the re-usability after the oil or gas is used up.

a reply to: ThinkingMe

You need to work out what you want to power?

A whole house?
A few lights?
Phones? Laptops?

Will you need to take it with you, or will it be permanent?

a reply to: ThinkingMe

I have a couple hand crank flashlight/radio/weather radio/SOS light/siren units. They work great. Can be hand cranked or battery operated or plugged into a wall. They are about $15. For 5 or 10 more can receive SW radio.

For cell phones, I think small USB power packs, kept charged are good. They would drain on laptops quickly.

There are large powerpacks, that work as surge protectors as well on amazon for about $100. They are about12"high by 12" wide and look like big surge protectors. They can keep a desktop and a couple USB items going for a good amount of time.

Depends on what you want to power.

Solar panels that can power a large item, like a fridge are about 8 ft X 2 ft and there has to be sun. More if you are handy and can get more up and connected to a power supply.

I know some people are handy enough to use multiple large batteries and power an entire house. I am not.

Other than that, you want an outdoor generator.

a reply to: Chadwickus

Hi, I didn't think about what to power, but for my case, I was thinking a couple of lights and a laptop.

a reply to: reldra

I think the 8 feet by 2 feet solar panel would be good for enough things, especially if there is a socket or 2 attached to it

originally posted by: ThinkingMe
a reply to: Chadwickus

Hi, I didn't think about what to power, but for my case, I was thinking a couple of lights and a laptop.

a reply to: reldra

I think the 8 feet by 2 feet solar panel would be good for enough things, especially if there is a socket or 2 attached to it

Yes it would. You should posses a roof to put it on if you live north or a crowded neighborhood. In the south, you can just put it against a wall.

There are tons of You Tube videos to show you how to connect outlets and what parts you need.

a reply to: reldra

I live in an apartment actually, I may just place it on my veranda. It would be nice if it was able to power the fridge since it is the only thing that needs to be on 24/7

originally posted by: ThinkingMe
a reply to: reldra

I live in an apartment actually, I may just place it on my veranda. It would be nice if it was able to power the fridge since it is the only thing that needs to be on 24/7

I am trying to figure that out myself. I won;t have enough sun until June. So I have the time to buy the parts.

Hand crank. Period.

a reply to: ThinkingMe

Now that's what I need. A solar powered hand crank.

It will come in ever so handy when I move to the Mountains and disappear.

a reply to: reldra

Just the parts would be good, I have seen a few companies saying something about installation. I was thinking installation? I just want the solar panels with a socket connected with it, I don't mind moving it around, where is the need for installation. I guess things would be clearer if i called or emailed them.

a reply to: Leonidas

a reply to: LuXTeN

A hand crank would be good, I was thinking it would be good enough for a laptop at most before tiredness sets in. It is probably one of the more reliable ones I think. However would it be good enough for things like lamps?

But why stop there, at Solar?

What about a device to separate salt from water? That i would think would be most pertinent to any survival gear right?

hand crank because it has an alternator originally developed by Telsa, it has more moving parts than solar but it is more dependablerobustserviceable. Apart from the actual gearshaft outputting power to gears and bearings to make things go choochoo it gets torque solely from invisible lines of magnetism (except for graphite contacts that link the 180 degree opposing currents induced by original input helping the machine stay cooler and operate more efficiently)! I could really get into it because we've done so much work on Teslas first design that changes starting and operatoinal torque to effieciency and eddycurrents (rampant magnetic waves causing currents heating the engines metal) but easily hand crank!

a reply to: LuXTeN

That would be lovely, I was thinking of using the normal bowl in bowl with cling wrap technique for salt to drinkable water and I think I may wish to create a thread for such a purpose. I remember seeing a 3 by 1 meter item that is mainly used to evaporate the salt water and produce drinkable water which can produce several liters of drinkable water in an hour, but apart from the cling wrap method I have not found a way to change salt water without considerable heat energy. By considerable heat energy, I mean heating with fire, not heat with sunlight

Yeah, that GoalZero is more of a portable.
Fridges suck down some juice, like 750 watts

Looking around those panel kits are pricey...$1788.00USD for 1000w

-with no storage bank for clouds and night time

a reply to: ThinkingMe

Want to start a business? I've always wanted a saline separator but they range into the hundred sometimes over a thousand dollars to buy.

If i could produce my own, I'd have it made.

It would be a great business venture, and marketing is my specialty.

a reply to: ThinkingMe

I think the 8 feet by 2 feet solar panel would be good for enough things

just because it's big doesn't mean it is good. The wattage output is what matters.