MPH from an old workout type bike maybe

[coldspot]

Was over at Aunts house the other week and while telling her

how to catch the people that are helping themselfs to her flowers.

(security cameras, I play with and have what some say is WAY to many of), LOL

I spotted sitting by her trash cans,

An Exersize bike. She told me it was GrandMa's old one and had bad bearings in the crank so the chain wouldn't stay on it.

She said to take it if I wanted and even helped load it up for me.

I left it in truck under the shell so girlfriend wouldn't say something

about my junk collection,. lol.

But had to pull it out the other night so I could go load up an old desk

I saw behind the U-Haul that I'll be using for battery bank box.

So while it's now were I can look it over better, I checked the battery's in the

little speed-o thingy and to my surprise they hadn't leaked yet so I pulled

this off and apart but couldn't get the end off at the wheel. (later it came apart)

So I look over the bike and see broken welds holding the crank to the frame.

This is what I thought had been the problem so I desided to strip it down for parts.

The speed-o is a reed type switch I found out and the unit works with new batteries.

This set-up could be used easly for a windmill or anometer, and will have cheaper batteries than a bike computer type, (2- AA's)

It's off a "LifeStyler" brand so old I can't even guess at. ( 80's maybe even 70's)

I'm going to use it down the road and will post more then.

The other parts are great and I might even try the seat on my mountian bike

because I'm sure anything would be better than what it's got now. LOL

[Ungrounded Lightning Rod]

Before you go climbing your tower to mount a magnet and reed switch, try this:

 - NPN switching transistor

 - Emitter to one phase of your genny.

 - Resistor from base to another phase.

 - Measure voltage across the reed switch wires and connect:

    - Positive one to the collector.

    - Negative one to the emitter/phase junction.

 - 1N4004 band to collector, non-band to emitter (to protect the speedo if something goes funky and genny voltage appears at the collector.)

It may read some hysterical speed, top out, and be useless.  But if it works out it will save you a lot of climbing.  B-)

[wooferhound]

This should help

http://www.fieldlines.com/story/2004/9/7/114431/0827

http://www.fieldlines.com/story/2004/6/1/102512/0682

http://www.otherpower.com/anemom2.html

http://www.fieldlines.com/story/2003/8/14/12742/7441

[coldspot]

ULR-

Woof-

"climbing your tower"

Thats still only a dream, for me that is. lol

Test tower # 1 @ 13'

#2 @ 15'

Anemometer tower @ 20'   lol  

I've built a bike computer/Host cup n hub

It's on taller tower!!!

Had to use the # 1320 as starting point when calibrating it and am still trying

to get it down to really perfect MPH but very happy with it so far.

This unit from exersize bike just is about the same size as the cup-n-hub to

start with. Also has no settings to adjust.

Really like the cheaper batteries, two AA's it uses.

The digital read out is about the size but whole unit much larger than

wrist-watch sized bike unit.

This one also was mounted on the wheel shaft not farther from center like

modern bike computers.

I'll probebly make an extra anemometer out of it.

I've noticed that some newer mini-weather station units along side the road are

using a hawt not the standard vwat on them around here.

A builder could also add a mini-mag to alt's n gen's and use just about

magnet type switch and just also run some phone line down to be able to

check RPM's or MPH by just hooking up to line when wanted. This is only

a just out of bed thought as of now and I've still not tested the window

alarm sensors I've saved from remodel's in the past.

(having one of those mornings that a crazy windmill stuff dream woke me up early) LOL!

THANKS

Have a great DAY!!!!!!

[coldspot]

"try the seat on my mountian bike"

That was a really bad idea!!!!!

While just sitting or even riding normally around this is ok as a seat,

I forgot about how, that when you are riding around on a bike and have to

go under low tree branchs you have to not just duck down but slide off

the seat backwards to get under the really low ones and of course

found out the hard way. OUCH !!!!!   lol