ih@udel.edu (Charlie Ih) (10/17/90)
In article <3718@media-lab.MEDIA.MIT.EDU> minsky@media-lab.media.mit.edu (Marvin Minsky) writes: >In article <524@cow.ecs.oz> bmp@cow.ecs.oz (Bruce Paterson) writes: >>I've heard of a setup which (on the flick of a switch) uses a lantern 12V >>dry battery to run your ignition while either your almost dead car battery > ...... >Yes. I did this on a Volkswagen bug (6-volt) in the 60s. It worked >fine. .... This technique might have worked well on older cars (in the 60s). I am not sure it is as effective for new cars. Most new cars (like Ford's car, just as an example) have a dropping resistor in series with the ignition coil (or something similar to that in the electronic version). During the start, the resistor is shorted out so that the ignition coil still has the same voltage. Old cars did not incorporate such a design. So it still may help (adding 2% to 5% current, 5 to 12 amp.) but may not to that extend. As I discussed previously, using the special device to charge the battery with alkaline D cells (15 amp-hr) should work and can be effective. Have anyone ever experienced with this device? Did it work well or badly? To make the device more attractive to more buyers, it could incorporate additional feathures, such as a 150-250 w interverter and a universal 12-v adapter/charger. This device can then be normally (and more frequently) used to power small AC appliances, such as a regular shaver, small TV, fan, CD player, VCR or battery operated radio, TV, cassette recorder, Camcorder, etc. in your car or van (using car battery while engineer running!!). In an emergency, the D cells are then used to charge the car battery. It would be even better if it has an indicator (or meter) to tell us the car battery and D cell conditions.