The battery is puzzling, but they do not hide it, so I do not see how
it could be part of a scam.
Mark Iverson wrote:
so it should be easy to demonstrate that this thing could be kept
running for weeks, months when it should draw down the battery in a
matter of days...
Hours, not days. Toys that operate with D batteries run out in an
hour or so. If it produces significant movement and noise I expect it
is is consuming a watt or two. The best D battery has 21 watt-hours
of energy. See:
Energy storage in D batteries
<http://www.allaboutbatteries.com/Energy-tables.html>http://www.allaboutbatteries.com/Energy-tables.html
Steven V Johnson wrote:
Personally, I just wish the damned contraption was hooked up to a
light bulb. Hell! If the thing was doing nothing more than powering a
couple of energy efficient LEDs, for several weeks straight, now THAT
would impress me more than the current battery "recharging"
configuration.
You mean a white LED light, not the kind used in a computer indicator
light. Those can be powered for weeks with tiny watch battery.
If the machine is moving and making noise that is enough of an
indication that it is consuming (producing?) energy. It would be nice
to have some definite indication of how much, by putting a mechanical
load on it. Something like a miniature de Prony brake. It would be an
additional mechanical load since there already is one, and it is
substantial by the standards of a D battery.
On the other hand, an analog wall clock can run with an AA battery
for a year, making a distinct ticking noise. Clockworks are extremely
efficient.
- Jed
