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Step 5Some Revisions...
So in my rush to complete the light, I soldered it incorrectly. I ran out into the rain and collected the top part of the light. Reversing the power feed to it, I then took it back out to try again and it worked like a charm in the high winds... until it suddenly didn't.
I learned that it would be good to also put a resistor on it, as it blew hard enough to destroy my single LED that was attached. Another run to Radio Shack, another $3 for a LED (part 276-0006 by the way) and try it again, but a couple of days later when the wind returned but wasn't as high. It was hard to document this though, in the daylight or with flash, the blue light doesn't show, and without flash or daylight, you can't really see anything except a small blue glow. Add on top of that, as wind speeds shift, it glows brighter and darker, and sometimes not at all.
Anyway, I think this would work really well if someone living in a similar area took the time to attach a light sensing diode, 9V rechargable battery, and resistor to keep it from burning out. You would also have to mount it better than I did, it only lasted about 4-5 days before toppling over.
One other note- my first turbine was from a Chunky soup can, and it was too heavy to turn consistently for what I was trying to do. The reinforced plastic turbine held up very well, even in the high winds of the storm. It was just the mount itself for the electric motor and stuff that needed a better design. Hope you enjoyed instructable number two.
I learned that it would be good to also put a resistor on it, as it blew hard enough to destroy my single LED that was attached. Another run to Radio Shack, another $3 for a LED (part 276-0006 by the way) and try it again, but a couple of days later when the wind returned but wasn't as high. It was hard to document this though, in the daylight or with flash, the blue light doesn't show, and without flash or daylight, you can't really see anything except a small blue glow. Add on top of that, as wind speeds shift, it glows brighter and darker, and sometimes not at all.
Anyway, I think this would work really well if someone living in a similar area took the time to attach a light sensing diode, 9V rechargable battery, and resistor to keep it from burning out. You would also have to mount it better than I did, it only lasted about 4-5 days before toppling over.
One other note- my first turbine was from a Chunky soup can, and it was too heavy to turn consistently for what I was trying to do. The reinforced plastic turbine held up very well, even in the high winds of the storm. It was just the mount itself for the electric motor and stuff that needed a better design. Hope you enjoyed instructable number two.
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Aug 29, 2008. 2:07 AMneardood
says:
true. It really needed a recharger, rechargable battery, and a photoresistor circut to come on anly at night.
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