[rec.humor] Using "Free" telephone power

larry@kitty.UUCP (Larry Lippman) (05/07/89)

In article <17996@cup.portal.com>, ISW@cup.portal.com (Isaac S Wingfield) writes:
> I'll bet that if you used a lead-acid gel cell or some
> Ni-Cads in your telephone, you could charge them all the
> time the 'phone was on hook, and have plenty of "free energy"
> during off-hook use.

	The maximum amount of current which one can draw from a telephone
line while on-hook without running the risk of telephone line trouble is
about 1 milliampere (this actually exceeds usual loop leakage specifications
by a factor of two, but I'll be generous).

	(.001 ampere) X (50 volts) X (8760 hours) = 438 watt-hours per year 

	At typical electric utility rates of 7 cents/KWH, this power is
worth about 3 cents.

	Assuming that you can save 3 cents per year, let's do the ROI
calculations for a 4 ampere-hour 48-volt battery string; this will give
you the capability of saving up all your energy for a 2-hour consumption
spree once per year.

	Using 4 Globe JC1240-1 12-volt 4-AH gel cells @ $ 34.00 will cost
you $ 136.00.  Neglecting the cost of money, changes in future energy costs
and useful life of the batteries, the batteries should pay for themselves
by the year 6522.

	:-)

<>  Larry Lippman @ Recognition Research Corp. - Uniquex Corp. - Viatran Corp.
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