Stationary bike battery charger??

[Northern_bushrat]

does anyone know if/how there's a way to recharge 12V batteries with a modified stationary bike??? our energy consumption is rather tiny (modem and laptop, nothing else) but we don't get enough sun in the winter and it's often windstill in the winter. Might also have problems with icing. I wonder if it's not possible to use the wind turbine, driven by a staionary bike, to charge up the battery?? Or is the power output of a bike too wimpy?

[bee_pipes]

Try http://otherpower.com/otherpower_experiments_bicycle.html

Regards,
Pat

[Northern_bushrat]

Super!! Not too sure we're mechanically inclined enough to get that rigged up but maybe a friend of ours could.
Thanks for the link.

[wy0mn]

http://www.econvergence.net/electro.htm

Hi Bee. Playing the pipes for xmas this year? Karen has Celtic harp gigs at several local churches this season. I'm even learning the harmonica myself, but not good enough for a public performance!
Lex

[Northern_bushrat]

Thanks for the link, Lex!

[wy0mn]

I started building my bicycle generator yesterday. ( We have many parts leftover from fixing up xmas gifts for the Indian kids on the Reservation.)
So far its just a frame with parts of another frame bolted to the rear wheel as a way to elevate the rim off the floor. Doing it this way forced me to remove the derailleur entirely, making it a single speed bike. As soon as I can locate my chain breaking tool I'll set it to max revs on the appropriate cogs.
Reading all the links I can find on power production using this method, it seems that voltage regulation is the hard part.
Apparently using it without a voltage regulator its possible to exceed the voltage charging requirements of a 12v battery, harming it and reducing its lifespan. I can't find any reason WHY an automotive regulator wouldn't work. Any savants know why?
I'll post some pics when I've done enough to brag about.
Lex

[Holzgeist]

I saw something on TV before about someone putting an alternator on an exercycle and made his kids use it to power the TV if they wanted to watch it.