nPower peg

[+user13371]

Now available:

 

http://www.greennpower.com/

http://www.emoiz.com/the-npower-peg-us150-...es-off-the-grid

 

If it was $30 -- or maybe even $50 -- I might give one a try. But $150? You go first and tell me what you think of it

[+ecanderson]

Now available:

 

http://www.greennpower.com/

http://www.emoiz.com/the-npower-peg-us150-...es-off-the-grid

 

If it was $30 -- or maybe even $50 -- I might give one a try. But $150? You go first and tell me what you think of it

Pass. The specification at greennpower.com doesn't even mention mAh capacity of this thing. That should be right at the top of the list. One could infer 5V @ 500mA USB power, but for how long? How much motion is required to bring the thing from toast to full charge again?

 

Whoever designed this either doesn't understand the important bits of the spec, or doesn't want to publish the information.

[Suscrofa]

Looks like a simple generator, a magnet moving in a coil while you move plus some electronic to produce a stable 5V, available current varying depending on the movement.

The only tentative at specifications are that you produce 200W when moving and their harvest a few watt of it !

No free lunch, you will have to eat more to be able to move the thing to allow it to produce with poor efficiency I bet, the required power.

[jholly]

$150 !!!!! You got to be kidding me.

[+USMCGecko]

Ever seen those flashlights that you shake that poop out of to light up (just a lil bit) So if your thing is to walk around, violently shaking this green stick up and down in a manner that looks potentially obscene. Go for it. Chances are, you have to shake that thing so much, would probably wouldn't be able to read your GPSr or use your cell phone anyway. Just my 2 cents.

 

Something like this might be in the same alley.

 

http://www.voltaicsystems.com/

Edited May 5, 2010 by USMCGecko

[+Chrysalides]

Actually, I don't think it takes much effort to generate 2.5W of power.

 

And let's take some simple calculations:

 

One NiMH = 1.2 V * 2500 mAH = 3 WH. A pair will contain 6 WH of energy. If that lasts 15 hours (conservative estimate) your GPSr consumes 0.4 W of power.

 

If the device can generate 2.5W of power by, say, working off the kinetic energy from your sole hitting the ground, the extra will go towards powering a battery (for when you're not walking).

 

But like lee_rimar and many others noted, I'm not going to give it a try for $150. A 4 pack of Lithium AAs for backup costs less than $10.

[+Chrysalides]

Build your own human powered USB charger from a hand crank flashlight.

 

http://usbhandcrankflashlight.blogspot.com/

[+Indotguy]

Sounds like a good way to sap some $$$ from folks riding the green bandwagon.

[+sledgehampster]

OUCH! Will pass for now...