Connecting an Alternator to horse drawn buggy

[alvinamorey]

Actually, their Sunday church services begin around sunrise and they generally do not come home until 9 or 10 pm. It's more than "church". They have a meal or two, the youngers ones play games later in the day, the older ones socialize and discuss their business and horses. They can not do any work on Sundays except to care for their horses and other animals. They work most of the time the other 6 days of the week, so Sunday is their day to relax. My point is that they often come home from their Sunday worship after dark, particularly when the days are shorter. Some travel 10 to 15 miles each way. Those horses do work hard at times.

[alvinamorey]

Like ALL religions, there are good and bad. There has been a big thing on the news in the last year about one that beat and had sex with relatives and the whole thing seems to give a bad image of all of them. It's one bad apple...... I have never seen any beatings around here. They have better marriages than most non-Amish from waht I see. On the other hand, when there is a divorce, the woman can never marry again, (unless the man dies). It's not all quaint or pretty. They work hard and work most of the time. Yet, they seem to be happier than most people and dont have all the problems and debt that many others have. Their concepts of sharing the phone bill, the well, etc saves money, and when they need a barn, all of of them work together, which makes for closer families. There's a good and bad side to everything and to all people. Whether it's a cult or not, I really can not say. I think most if not all religions are a cult in some manner. Even those so well accepted in our world, such as the Catholics are cult-like. I am not here to judge anyone's beliefs. If people are happy, then that's what matters. Some of them do leave the Amish too. Either way, they are an interesting people and I enjoy living near them. They are usually the first to help me when I have a problem and that says something about them.

[Jeff DeWitt]

Maybe they are right and you are wrong.

Jeff DeWitt

[alvinamorey]

It looks like LED lights and solar panels WIN in this thread, and I can surely relate to both as a good alternative. Solar panels are cheap to run too, once they are paid for. I wish they made some bicycle generators that were a higher output. I think those common ones are just 1.5 volts (or less). Too bad they dont make a 12V model (or do they?).

Anyone know of any sources on the web for higher output 12v bicycle type generators? What is a good source for both solar panels and bright headlight type LED lights?

One thing mentioned were lanterns. I ma not sure just why they dont use them on their buggies. Maybe they do not meet the requirements of the law. or maybe it's the fire hazzard, or just the cost of kerosene? I will have to ask. I do see them sold on websites that sell parts for horsedrawn buggies and wagons, but it seems they are more decoration that useful.....

Thanks for all the advice.

Alvin

[alvinamorey]

Everytime I have to spend a few hours under the hood or under my car doing something like exhaust work, I think "they are right"..... :) I'd much rather care for my horses than be laying in the dirt with bloody knuckles, under a car cussing at some rusted bolt on a piece of steel, that is pissing me off...... And when I have to pay for the car loan, or spend $100 for a tire, I also think they are right.......

On the other hand, when I see them doing laundry in a large tub, over a wood fire, outdoors on a cold winter day, I'll stick to my automatic washer inside the house, even if it does need a costly parts from time to time.....

As far as getting them "saved", I'll leave that to the fire dept. or paramedics when they have an accident. I still do not understand the religious aspect of that word, because every religions has their own interpretation......

[salty]

LED lights and solar panels are used extensively on sailboats. You could try the big chains such as West Marine and Defender.com, or save a lot of money by trying Ebay or just doing some google searches.

[Chris Lewis]

According to Jeff DeWitt :

You could say the same thing about individuals/subgroups of just about every religion, and extending it to describe the whole religion is as wrong as it is with the Amish.

There are one or two subgroups of the Amish that could potentially be properly described as cults, and others that operate completely differently. As there are (rather more than one or two) of christianity, islam or the jewish faith.

Jonestown/Crusades/Inquistion != christianity Wahabi != islam A religious jew that we knew well went on a pilgrimage to Israel, and after he came back remarked on the extreme variation of religious observance between individual congregations of the same group. Eg: fine points of dietary laws in kosher households - like, one microwave or two? One dishwasher or two? He put it rather strongly - "Rabbi personality cults" (based around individual and differing interpretation/concessions of practicality of the same laws).

[Bob F]

It's been many years since I checked, but it seems to me the generator on the tire thing I had was more like 6V.

Bob

[Bob F]

I just dug one out of a box. With a DVM connected to it, no load, sweeping my arm across the ground (3-6 ft/sec?), I got 3 VDC. So 6 VDC at speed might be right. I would expect that since it produced DC, you could wire more than one in series for higher voltage. For that matter, get a good (lower speed) DC motor, put a small "tire" on the shaft, and see how that works. I would expect that the higher the voltage motor it is, the higher voltage you'd get out. A low speed motor would probably produce more voltage at buggy speeds than a 18000 rpm motor. This would cost way less than solar panels.

Bob

[Jeff DeWitt]

Yes, there is a lot to like and respect about their lifestyle, but I'm a BIG fan of modern technology, and things like central heat, AC, refrigators, microwave ovens and of course computers and the internet (of course I also push a mouse for a living!).

Jeff DeWitt

[Jeff DeWitt]

Oh, and I can fix my car when it breaks (or pay someone to do it), and as long as I'm willing to do that I can keep driving it, but I can't fix a horse... plus horses take a lot more care (then there is the pollution thing...)

Jeff DeWitt

[N8N]

This from a man whose pickup truck was made by a company better known for one- and two-horsepower "vehicles" :)

nate

(still a little bitter at JP about that one, although it sounds like you've had your share of "issues" with it!)

[Jeff DeWitt]

Hey, I like old stuff too! Cool gadgets are cool gadgest, no matter what century they are from.

Jeff DeWitt