Homebrewed Electricity > Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Do's and Don'ts for Newbies

(1/4) > >>

luv2weld:
There are several things that need to be said here.
First, please Do Not try to impress us with your knowledge of scientific terms. One of the wonderful things
about the internet is, you never know who is on the other end. You may be talking to a rocket scientist,
a brain surgeon, an FBI agent, an electrical engineer, a diesel mechanic, a school teacher, etc. All at the same time.
It is much like seeing an old man on the street. He may look useless and all bent and broken. But you have no idea
where he has been or what he has done. So be courteous and respectful. On the street and on this forum.
We are impressed with actions and results. Show us what you have done. Even if it did not work as you thought it
should. We usually learn more from our failures than our successes.

Second, if you have not built anything yet, please Do Not try to improve on what you do not fully understand.
When I was a young man, I was told that you never really learn a subject until you start to teach it. Boy is that
the truth! So maybe this ties back into the first paragraph. There are a lot of people on this site (both male and female)
that have been building and teaching this stuff for years. It is really unlikely that you will think of some wonderful
way to improve on the axial flux air core alternator until you have built a number of them. You may think you understand
the interaction of the components. But until you build several of them, you really do not have a complete understanding
of what is going on. Changing one component changes EVERYTHING. If you change wire size or number of wraps, you
have changed the output, the size of the blades, maybe the offset and the furling. And probably several other things.
What I am trying to say here is Build Something! Then after you understand the interaction of All the components, you
might begin to think of improving things.

And that brings us to our next point. For your first build, DO NOT try to go off on your own and design an alternator.
The first build should ALWAYS be from either the plans from DanB and the boys or from Hugh Piggott.
They are proven designs. We know they work. IF you follow the instructions step by step, you will succeed. Yeah, I know
you don't have the money for the magnets that DanB used in his plans. Then there are several options. You can save up the money,
you can find a different set of plans, you can email DanB and ask about a layaway plan (where you pay so much per week or month), etc.
Just do not start changing things. I don't have that size wire so I'll use this one and I don't have those magnets so I'll use these
little ones, I don't have the money for the proper rotor plates so I'll use an aluminum pie plate, etc. Then when it doesn't work
you come back here and ask why!?!? If you do not want to waste time and money, besides being mad and frustrated, then
follow the instructions step by step. Take your time. Do it properly the first time.

Which brings us to the next point. It is better (and cheaper) to over build than to pick up the pieces and do it again.
This pertains mostly to the mechanical aspects, the rotor plates, the tower, guy wires, anchors, etc.
When you start under sizing things, you are playing with your money and your LIFE. And maybe the lives of your
wife and children!! Never use a guy wire that is too small. Remember Murphy's law---Whatever can go wrong, will. And at
the most inopportune time!! If that small cable breaks, it is quite possible to Kill someone. You do remember that the area
around a tower equal to total height is called the "Kill Zone"??? Now why do you suppose it's called that????
Safety at all times should be your number one concern. Tower too small or too thin---DO NOT use it. Rotor plates too
thin so you are getting way too much flux leakage---DON'T do it. It's going to cost you time and money! And if the rotors
flex and cause a blade tower strike, who or what is going to get hit with a blade moving at 100 miles an hour (or 120 k per hour)?!?!
It just isn't worth the risk to hodge podge things just to get it done quickly. Have you really saved any money by using
very thin tube for a tower when if falls on your new Cadillac or Mercedes????

One more thing. No one is born knowing this stuff. We all had to learn somewhere. For some of us, the education was hard fought.
We have the scars to prove it!!

I'm sure that there are other things that need to be added here, so I'll ask the rest of the members here to help me out.
And for the newbies, we are not trying to "talk down to you". We are just trying to make you think. This should be fun and
an enjoyable experience for all of us. 

If you succeed the first time, you are more likely to be seriously infected with this addiction and continue.


Now build something!!!!!! And show us the results. We love success stories.
And if it doesn't work, tell us that too. Maybe we can all learn from it.

Ralph

TomW:
Thanks, Ralph.

I made this sticky  so it should stay up near the top in the section. Well said.

Now shouldn't you be building something? ;D

Tom

DragonFly III:
All though I do agree with you on, if you want to reproduce something you should follow the directions to the letter, I also believe that there is an amazing possibility in trying to build from things you may have laying around, things from friends and strangers, or like me, get them on garbage night.  You'd be amazed at what you can find...for FREE.  This method takes longer but I believe builds patients, which I believe is a rare commodity.  I am NOT an Alternative energy expert and definitely NOT a wind generator expert but I have been around the block.  I've been building since I was 2 (Leggos and blocks.  My parents said they were amazed it what I could build out of leggos.)   And since have built some amazing projects with junk that are fully functional and some still in use for 5+ yrs.  (just for backround)  If I had waited For money even save money I would have missed out on a Lot of experience.  Plus I learned that sometimes no matter how hard you try,  Unless you have the proper facilities some things are just not feasible.  Sorry if this sounds negative.  Defiantly not what I was going for.

luv2weld:
I agree with what you are saying 100 percent.
If you read some of my past posts, you'll see that I am very much in favor of using what you have.

What I was trying to say was "If someone has to hold your hand and tell you every step to make, then
maybe you should follow the instructions step by step."

We get a lot of requests on this forum for help redesigning by people that don't have the proper
things on hand, but they also don't have a clue about substitution or improvisation either.

I don't think anyone here has a problem with inventive minds finding different ways to get things done.
We do have a problem with spoon feeding and hand holding.

Ralph

SparWeb:

--- Quote ---...We do have a problem with spoon feeding and hand holding...
--- End quote ---

In other words:

DIY means "Do It Yourself", with emphasis on the "yourself" part.

Navigation

[0] Message Index

[#] Next page