solar powered toys

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jeremy m
jeremy m Registered Users Posts: 2
in Solar Beginners Corner #1
hey gang,newbie here from texas/usa,i like to share the info about the solar powered toys i had...

knex with solar motor
the glass light bulb thing that has a solor spinning thing inside
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  • Windsun
    Windsun Solar Expert Posts: 1,164 ✭✭
    #2
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    Re: solar powered toys

    Those have actually been around for at least 100 years, but not sure how they are relevant to solar electric.
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  • jeremy m
    jeremy m Registered Users Posts: 2
    #3
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    Re: solar powered toys

    100 years? wow i didn't know they been around that long,sweeeet!
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  • BB.
    BB. Super Moderators, Administrators Posts: 33,443 admin
    #4
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    Re: solar powered toys

    Also known as a Crookes radiometer.
    The Crookes radiometer, also known as the light mill, consists of an airtight glass bulb, containing a partial vacuum. Inside are a set of vanes which are mounted on a spindle. The vanes rotate when exposed to light, with faster rotation for more intense light, providing a quantitative measurement of electromagnetic radiation intensity. The reason for the rotation has historically been a cause of much scientific debate.[1][2]
    It was invented in 1873 by the chemist Sir William Crookes as the by-product of some chemical research. In the course of very accurate quantitative chemical work, he was weighing samples in a partially evacuated chamber to reduce the effect of air currents, and noticed the weighings were disturbed when sunlight shone on the balance. Investigating this effect, he created the device named after him. It is still manufactured and sold as a novelty item.

    Read the link and see how it works... There was a lot of argument/misunderstanding on how/why it does what it does.

    -Bill
    Near San Francisco California: 3.5kWatt Grid Tied Solar power system+small backup genset
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  • Thomas
    Thomas Solar Expert Posts: 291 ✭
    #5
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    Re: solar powered toys

    These are 10$ at Edmonds Scientific, I use to have one....
    Always troubleshoot with adequate sunlight.  Hi Ho Hi Ho
    2.3kW [10] Enecsys SMI-240-60 micro inverters

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  • XRinger
    XRinger Solar Expert Posts: 529 ✭✭✭
    #6
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    Re: solar powered toys

    Have not seen one of those radiometers in years. Neat gizmos!

    I just got a new solar toy for my birthday.. (I'm 66 and still love toys)!
    watch.jpg
    You can't see the PV, but it's there under the face..
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  • Thomas
    Thomas Solar Expert Posts: 291 ✭
    #7
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    Re: solar powered toys

    Nice watch! I got a thing for them, the nicest one I ever had was a Guess Waterpro, black,clean like that..it was stolen,
    Always troubleshoot with adequate sunlight.  Hi Ho Hi Ho
    2.3kW [10] Enecsys SMI-240-60 micro inverters

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  • XRinger
    XRinger Solar Expert Posts: 529 ✭✭✭
    #8
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    Re: solar powered toys

    I'm not a collector, and had never heard of the Eco-Drive system before last month.
    But never replacing the battery sounded very good to me..
    So far, this one http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000EQS1JW
    is keeping extremely accurate time..

    I like the clean looks, without all the buttons and dials seen on some watches these days..
    It's not one of those giant watches that are popular these days. Just a normal watch. :)

    Cheers,
    Rich
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  • mike95490
    mike95490 Solar Expert Posts: 9,583 ✭✭✭✭✭
    #9
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    Re: solar powered toys

    My wife got me the Skyhawk (in titanium) several years ago, for my birthday, and I love it. I only adjust the time at DST-STD time, only off a few seconds in 6 months. The case/band work really well, but the crystal has somehow gotten a couple scratches on it :( Best watch ever, I normally have pretty acid skin, and only SS has held up till now, the lightweight titanium is marvelous.
    (mine is not radio adjusted version)
    http://www.amazon.com/Citizen-JY0010-50E-Eco-Drive-Skyhawk-Titanium/dp/B0012IR0U2/ref=sr_1_1?s=watches&ie=UTF8&qid=1328974610&sr=1-1
    Powerfab top of pole PV mount | Listeroid 6/1 w/st5 gen head | XW6048 inverter/chgr | Iota 48V/15A charger | Morningstar 60A MPPT | 48V, 800A NiFe Battery (in series)| 15, Evergreen 205w "12V" PV array on pole | Midnight ePanel | Grundfos 10 SO5-9 with 3 wire Franklin Electric motor (1/2hp 240V 1ph ) on a timer for 3 hr noontime run - Runs off PV ||
    || Midnight Classic 200 | 10, Evergreen 200w in a 160VOC array ||
    || VEC1093 12V Charger | Maha C401 aa/aaa Charger | SureSine | Sunsaver MPPT 15A

    solar: http://tinyurl.com/LMR-Solar
    gen: http://tinyurl.com/LMR-Lister ,

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  • Thomas
    Thomas Solar Expert Posts: 291 ✭
    #10
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    Re: solar powered toys

    for the purist, do they make them with no batteries?self winding at night?
    there was a time when I needed all the dials/date etc., now I would settle for something more conservative like that, I say again, nice watch, it actually has a little solar battery in it?
    Always troubleshoot with adequate sunlight.  Hi Ho Hi Ho
    2.3kW [10] Enecsys SMI-240-60 micro inverters

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  • jagec
    jagec Solar Expert Posts: 157 ✭✭
    #11
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    Re: solar powered toys
    Thomas wrote: »
    for the purist, do they make them with no batteries?self winding at night?
    there was a time when I needed all the dials/date etc., now I would settle for something more conservative like that, I say again, nice watch, it actually has a little solar battery in it?

    Any watch that uses electricity will have to have SOME kind of battery or capacitor, but they do make self-winding watches that are powered by the movements of your arm, using a spring to store the energy. They aren't as accurate as electronic watches, but people who buy mechanical watches in this day and age aren't doing so for the sake of super-accurate timekeeping.
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  • XRinger
    XRinger Solar Expert Posts: 529 ✭✭✭
    #12
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    Re: solar powered toys

    Wow Mike, that's an investment, not a watch!! At that price, I wouldn't wear it to Boston.. (with it's muggers).

    ~~~

    Mine is Purist simple. The PV cell is located under the face and uses sun or room lighting to charge the capacitor / lithium–titanate battery.
    I heard of them lasting over 8 years, and rumors that they might need to be changed at 10 years.
    But some people (at Citizen) think they might last 20+ years..
    Anyways, I heard they aren't too hard to change if you need to. An you can buy the cells off Ebay..

    This model (BM8180-03E) is a plain-Jane model and you have to adjust the day of the month once in a while.
    Plus, there is that Spring Ahead and Fall Back thing too..
    I really like this watch and it was worth waiting for them to come back into stock at Amazon.
    Most vendors don't have them these days..

    The other watch I was looking at was the BM8180-54A Eco-Drive Railroad Stainless Steel..
    It's about the same, but with a different looking face and SS band..

    So far, mine looks like it's going to be super accurate..

    Cheers,
    Rich
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  • Thomas
    Thomas Solar Expert Posts: 291 ✭
    #13
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    Re: solar powered toys

    Yes, they are cool, I have a self winding watch I got from The Danbury Mint. I wish is wasnt so clunky...it is a rather large antique, keeps good time as long as I can keep it on my arm/wrist, it large enough that you don't forget about it at all.
    Always troubleshoot with adequate sunlight.  Hi Ho Hi Ho
    2.3kW [10] Enecsys SMI-240-60 micro inverters

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  • mike95490
    mike95490 Solar Expert Posts: 9,583 ✭✭✭✭✭
    #14
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    Re: solar powered toys

    The non-radio version is much less than the one I linked to. Amazon doesn't have a plain titanium Skyhawk listed.
    Powerfab top of pole PV mount | Listeroid 6/1 w/st5 gen head | XW6048 inverter/chgr | Iota 48V/15A charger | Morningstar 60A MPPT | 48V, 800A NiFe Battery (in series)| 15, Evergreen 205w "12V" PV array on pole | Midnight ePanel | Grundfos 10 SO5-9 with 3 wire Franklin Electric motor (1/2hp 240V 1ph ) on a timer for 3 hr noontime run - Runs off PV ||
    || Midnight Classic 200 | 10, Evergreen 200w in a 160VOC array ||
    || VEC1093 12V Charger | Maha C401 aa/aaa Charger | SureSine | Sunsaver MPPT 15A

    solar: http://tinyurl.com/LMR-Solar
    gen: http://tinyurl.com/LMR-Lister ,

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  • XRinger
    XRinger Solar Expert Posts: 529 ✭✭✭
    #15
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    Re: solar powered toys
    mike90045 wrote: »
    The non-radio version is much less than the one I linked to. Amazon doesn't have a plain titanium Skyhawk listed.

    Still, that must have cost a bunch.. It's hard to use radio synced clocks around here. This region is at the edge of the transmitters range.
    I have a wall clock and a radio that's in the outdoor sensor on a little weather station clock. Both always have time errors.
    Sometimes, it's time and date errors. Or time zone errors! Sometimes, we don't get any signal at all..
    Attachment not found.

    On two of the radio clocks I've owned, we had so many errors, I had to snip off their antennas,
    so they couldn't hear the bad data stream.. I think thunderstorms disrupt the data..
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  • Thomas
    Thomas Solar Expert Posts: 291 ✭
    #16
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    Re: solar powered toys

    Skyhawk(titanium)+google=wow what a watch!!!There was a few things I did not know about in the you tube about it. Why do the hands stop if the battery gets low? so the battery can be re-charged? it is its hands isn't it? blink-blink uh
    Always troubleshoot with adequate sunlight.  Hi Ho Hi Ho
    2.3kW [10] Enecsys SMI-240-60 micro inverters

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  • mike95490
    mike95490 Solar Expert Posts: 9,583 ✭✭✭✭✭
    #17
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    Re: solar powered toys
    Thomas wrote: »
    .... Why do the hands stop if the battery gets low?...

    The electronics still keeps time when the battery is low, and when there is light, the motors spin to catch the hands up. Changing time zones, is always fun, with just the hour hand moving - there are separate little motors for all hands.
    Powerfab top of pole PV mount | Listeroid 6/1 w/st5 gen head | XW6048 inverter/chgr | Iota 48V/15A charger | Morningstar 60A MPPT | 48V, 800A NiFe Battery (in series)| 15, Evergreen 205w "12V" PV array on pole | Midnight ePanel | Grundfos 10 SO5-9 with 3 wire Franklin Electric motor (1/2hp 240V 1ph ) on a timer for 3 hr noontime run - Runs off PV ||
    || Midnight Classic 200 | 10, Evergreen 200w in a 160VOC array ||
    || VEC1093 12V Charger | Maha C401 aa/aaa Charger | SureSine | Sunsaver MPPT 15A

    solar: http://tinyurl.com/LMR-Solar
    gen: http://tinyurl.com/LMR-Lister ,

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  • PNjunction
    PNjunction Solar Expert Posts: 762 ✭✭✭
    #18
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    Re: solar powered toys

    I hate to admit it, but I have two different styles of the Citizen solar Eco-Drive military watches. And that was after this forum and others got me on the right track with solar. Guess I'm not so weird after all. :)
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  • XRinger
    XRinger Solar Expert Posts: 529 ✭✭✭
    #19
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    Re: solar powered toys

    Not too weird. I really like my Eco-Drive, but I've been banging it into door knobs and metal door frames etc.. :(
    At some point, I'm going to smash the crystal.. Meaning I'll be buying a new Eco-Drive. :)
    I got my wife a nice Eco-Drive and she really likes solar power, since it means no replacing a tiny cell..
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