Question for the geeks

[mickle]

In the event that the power goes down. If i wanted to go about generating an emergency electrical supply for charging phones and powerbanks etc. And i have a spare dynamo front wheel, a spare front fork, a long scaffold pole i can stick in the ground, and i have one of those electronic converter do-das that allow you to charge items from a dynamo hub.

I'm imagining using gaffer tape to span some of the spokes to make 'vanes'.

I guess I'll need to put a tail on it to keep it aligned to the prevailing.

Can you imagine any obvious pitfalls? Will it even work? Will it even turn? Will it turn too fast? What do you reckon?

 

[Drago]

You can buy USB charging type thingies that are powered from Shinano dynohub type markets so Im sure itll be feasible.

 

[Gunk]

Only issue I can see is that there is quite a lot of drag on a Dynamo hub, you’ll need quite a breeze to turn it.

This would be easier.

 

[classic33]

Why have the wheel vertical, which requires the extra pivot, to keep it turned into the wind. Positioned horizontally it'll catch the wind from any direction.

You might get a "runaway", but in normal conditions I can't see it happening.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

Just make sure powerbank charge never gets too low. If it is a wide powercut, the phone won’t have a mast to talk to anyway.