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[Mike Lee]

I've been using a Freeplay Weza step treadle generator with the XO for a while. The Weza sits on the floor or ground and you basically stomp as hard and fast as you can for many minutes to charge an internal battery. I haven't done an exhaustive test on it yet, but I'm guessing it could take 30 minutes or more of intensive foot action to charge up the battery. With the XO's current state of relatively unmanaged power consumption, the Weza still seems to operate the XO for about six hours. I'll also be using a couple 15 watt solar panels the charge the Weza. Though very heavy and bulky, these devices would truly get one off the grid and able to operate the XO any time of day or night.

http://www.freeplayenergy.com/products/portable-power/weza

Please post about your experiences with human powered generators and the XO.

[mem from somerville]

Oh, man, there's a treadle??

I use a treadle sewing machine and I love it.  But it cost me less than that computer treadle!  But wow, if there was anything dying for a side-by-side photo, it would be my two treadles....

[AlexC]

I've been using a Freeplay Weza step treadle generator with the XO for a while.

Any idea whether or not the Freeplay FreeCharge would be usable for a quick boost?

[GregYohn]

Hi!

I was reading that the Freeplay Weza has a 7 amp gel battery and costs about $270.

I saw a new 7 amp gel battery costs $20 from http://www.batterystuff.com/batteries/upc-telecom/PS1270.html .

Why not get a 26 amp gel battery for about $110 with shipping? http://www.batterystuff.com/batteries/upc-telecom/ES26-12.html and then get Solar with your extra money to charge it. A 15 Watt solar panel gives about 1 amp of power per hour.

Greg

[Mike Lee]

Greg,

You're totally right about the battery in the Weza, where you are paying for a durable foot treadle generator as well. It's just a matter of the specific application. Stand-alone gel cells are indeed cheap.

But the Weza is great for generating bursts of power when no sun, wind or AC available.

It's all good...

Mike

[GregYohn]

Hi!

I might want to get that Weza, since I need an excercize machine. How easy  is it to operate? My legs could get into better shap when online!

I have used Freeplay & Baygen windup radios. It was fun to windup during commercials. The machine was cranked 60 times & the radio played 30 minutes.

I had the handles break, so I can understand why the cranked prototype was dropped from the XO.

Any news when the FreePlay Crank assessory will be available?

[brisalta]

Any news when the FreePlay Crank assessory will be available?

The FreePlay home page indicates it is being shown at CES this week and is available. For more info look at http://www.freeplayenergy.com/

[Mike Lee]

Their online marketing manager told me a few days ago that their entire first (and only) batch went to OLPC. They currently don't have any quantities to sell even if they were to decide to do it. Of course, the reason I was corresponding was to encourage them to release a batch into the U.S. next time they go into production.

[Gabey8]

Thanks for the head's up! I emailed Freeplay, using the address provided on their homepage, to request information on the charger. They will maintain a list of email addresses to contact when information becomes available.

[laadams]

Hi,
I wrote to http://www.potenco.com/ about their salad spinner power... not for the general consumer yet... it is being shipped to the kids in the developing nations who got XO

[Gabey8]

I've been using a Freeplay Weza step treadle generator with the XO for a while.

Any idea whether or not the Freeplay FreeCharge would be usable for a quick boost?

I won't be able to tell you until next month. I ordered one from ordertree.com, only to find that they're backordered and won't be shipping until February. (Unfortunately, this won't happen until after the Philadelphia XO Users meeting. Doggone it.)

I suspect that the potenco.com charger, once it's available, will offer "more bang for the buck" as far as the ratio of crank time to charge time. However, the freecharge crank is still AN option, even if when the dust clears it's not the biggest or strongest option. So I still want one.

[LesleyT]

For me, because I have a slight mobility impairment, I'm wondering which human-powered device requires less joint strain.  I think the crank as opposed to the spinner would be easiest on the joints. 

[MikeToronto]

Will this damage the battery/XO at all? I thought the reason they dropped the hand-crank was that it would put undue stress on the device as it's not receiving consistent power... start...stop...start...slow down...speed-up...stop...start...

[Peter Ruhe]

The built-in handcrank was dropped because it put too much mechanical stress on the machine and on the user (bad ergonomics).  Electricals would not have been a problem.

[Gabey8]

For me, because I have a slight mobility impairment, I'm wondering which human-powered device requires less joint strain.  I think the crank as opposed to the spinner would be easiest on the joints. 

I remember reading somewhere, but I forget where (grrr, the perils of reading every XO-related thing I can find), that the yo-yo charger was easier on kids to use for longer time frames without getting tired out. Adults had an easier time with the crank charger than kids, who experienced muscle fatigue sooner and weren't able to crank as long at the speeds necessary to provide a charge.

All I thought when I saw the pull-string charger idea was, "That string had better be VERY durable and be very easy to replace, because there's no doubt that it will wear out at some point.

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