BIKEPGH MESSAGE BOARD ARCHIVE

Why PM? This is a fun convo.

The extent of my musical talent is karaoke, and then only in Japanese ex-pat bars in distant cities.

But I'm pretty good on a generator, and I know a little bit about electricity. 15 W is an easy amount of work, even if only 50% efficient.

Probably the easiest thing to do is find an automotive alternator and regulator. That will give you 13.8V regulated DC output which should be fine for your amp. Then you just need to rig up a pedal-powered belt drive with a good hefty flywheel.

man, wish i never stopped playing trombone

Lyle - 15 watts is the audio output - the power requirements are somewhat higher, I'm sure.

When I hear "hefty flywheel" I get skeptical. Not saying it wouldn't work, bust I'm looking for something I can haul on a bike trail.

Mick

Anyone parting out a motorcycle with an electrical system? Might be a bit easier to haul around than a car alternator and still able to put out enough oomph to run your sound system.

I looked a little at semi-comercial pedal power generators. Seems like there are some out there.

An issue seems to be power control. To keep voltage constant, you either need to have very trained, disciplined pedalers or blocking diodes and power pack batteries.

The latter seem to be an expense and a bunch of extra weight. The weight could be more problem than the expense.

Shake Your Peace and the Bicycle Music Festval use volunteers from the audience for pedalling. Not condusive to steadiness, I'm thinking.

Although being a San Francisco thing, the discipline might be part of the program, as it were. Put the front man from the punk-polka-band, Polkacide, in charge with his leather ledenhosen, cat-O-nine, and a volt meter?

Mick

I'm sure the power requirements are higher, which is why I spec'ed 50% efficiency. Maybe only 25%, but 60W is still not too bad.

The requirement for a flywheel is partly to satisfy the need for power control, which is the flip side of the other problem: on another thread netviln was noting the "notchiness" of his bike hub generator. This will happen with any generator, but if it needs 60W of average power input, those notches are going to be huge. You're going to need a battery anyway (except see below) to kickstart the electromagnets.

The motorcycle alternator is a good idea, both because it's lighter, and if you're lucky you'll find one that uses permanent magnets so it won't need a battery at all. 'Course, I don't know whether a Harley alternator is cheaper than an AC Delco from the junkyard.

A group of quirky accordian players are meeting in Arsenal Pool this weekend for a "session." I wonder if any of them cycle? They're at least up for something unusual. And yes, they will be playing IN the pool. I presume the pool will have been drained for the season, but I don't actually know that.

I have a zine called "seedhead" that has a neat article on how to convert a boom box into a guitar amp.

Also, an apprentice here at the shop is an electrical engineering student at Pitt, we have ben working out some stuff here for electric on bikes. He will be back soon, he's helping to install solar panels on the observatory.

I have some parts already you can have...

Neat idea.

DUDE!!! this is such a good idea. I just bought this flute hand carved from bamboo so i could ride, park, play, repeat. I sing (alto, so im used to harmonizing), play sax, and a tiny bit of bamboo flute (still working on that). seriously, this is such a great idea!

I have a cargo bike I will donate, you can put a drum kit on it.

I did it on a trailer. Bass drum, cymbals, cowbells, snare. I played, a couple of times with it.

I have been wanting to do shows on bikes and canoes from pgh for a while. Busking to St Lois, by canoe, with bikes, (and trailers for the canoes). Sell em when you want to, ride yer bike home....

Summer, three/four/five canoes....

@ Bikelove2010 - I sent you a couple of PM's about this, but the application says they are unopened.

Mick

sorry, I didn't even know I had them til now.

-Sarah

where's the love people? you know you wanna do it : )

and also, i was just thinking, i have a keyboard that produces it's own sound and has a mic. It takes batteries though...

My portable amp has rechargable batteries.

I figure the first few outings will just have to use rechargables.

Like a feasability study. I don't want to spend the time/effort/money on getting a generator if it won't get used.

Mick

Practice tonight. If interested, PM me.

Mick

Tonight, Tuesday 12/15, I'm going to yhr Bloomfield Bridge TAvern to do a short "Christmas is the darkest time of year" set at their open stage. If you are interested in seeing what I can bring - or fail to bring- to a busker band, stop on by.

I hope I'm not the only one who rides a bike to this.

Mick

I have a didgeridoo that a former roommate left here last year. I have no idea how to play it but I'm willing to learn.

My bagpiping skills are a bit rusty, but should you have need...

Other than that, let me know if you still need a mediocre guitar player, but I'm sure there are plenty better ones to go around.

Also I live with the EE student NCBT mentioned. We currently have on hand a 3-phase permanent magnet alternator we used for a remote power generation project. The permanent magnets mean you don't need to kickstart the field coils like you do in a regular alternator. With it we have a charge regulator and level indicator, and a small SLA-AGM battery, from the same project.

How to Play a Didgeridoo, by a Non-Digeridoo Player.

1) Acquire a didgeridoo.

2) Acquire a case of Foster's.

3) Drink a Foster's

4) Blow through hole at end of didgeridoo

5) If it sounds bad, return to step 3.

@joeframbach, if youare interested in learning the digeridoo, let me know. I have a friend sho can teach you.

Fun fact: I'm told Australians don't drink or even know about Fosters. it's all marketing.

alnilam:

My bagpiping skills are a bit rusty, but should you have need...

Other than that, let me know if you still need a mediocre guitar player, but I'm sure there are plenty better ones to go around.

A bagpipe could be pretty cool. I'll private massage you.

As for guitar players, I'm eager enough to get this started, that I'm willing to teach someone guitar - or harmonica - for this, as long as they are able/willing to sing some. This is a good time of year to start.

The tech stuff won't be an isssue at first - I figure we can start with my rechargable battery amp. If it looks like things might fly, then move to generated power. The tech base on this board is stronger than the musical base.

Didgeridoo's are cool, too. Not hard to learn - Reddan is more or less right. Best if combined with a willingness to sing, play hand percussion, and - of course - pedal heavy things.

http://www.timelessproductions.com/didjeridoo/tutorial/

Mick

I'm bumping this. Springtime - time to start up busking.

Interested? PM me

Thanks!

Mick