Hi, Bob Walkden wrote: > > well, what with recent breakthroughs in nanotechnology you never know. > > If you want something that works, rain or shine, then we need to > combine the past with the present, and shrink it. > > A small waterwheel attached to the side of your camera could generate > plenty of power during a rainstorm; if the weather was dull and overcast > then the sails of the wheel could catch the slightest breeze, and generate > plenty of power that way. And of course in f/16 conditions the bright > sunshine would be collected on the sails which are, of couse, fitted > with teeny-weeny, but immensely efficient, solar panels.
_Now_ we're talking! Or maybe like the old U-boat commanders' torch, with a ratcheting handle and flywheel connected to a generator. That would be fun to operate: "Excuse me, can I take your photo? Just got to squeeze this for a few minutes...." Frank could have one attached to his bike. Someone made a solar powered 35mm compact some time ago. Not successful but, as you say, the technology just needs developing. > Finally, if the weather simply won't play ball, then you can use gravity. > The centre of your camera must include a yo-yo mechanism and some sort of > power exchange device, like a dynamo, attached to the yo-yo spindle > to capture Newton's favourite apple plucker. Roll on the true eternal motion machine. Get that one solved and everything else will be a doddle. > Sadly, though, that emergency back-up won't work in outer space. Plenty solar radiation there, though. Just don't get on the dark side of things. mike
