Electricity, and how do you make it.

[jester]

They do have a power converter that allows one to switch from AC to DC, and adjust from 12 to 24 volt as well. These items would be found at boating and RV stores where one can find all maner of appliances designed for those types of craft. I personaly would go with items from the boat stores as they tend to be more weatherproof and durable although a bit more pricey.

[avantman42]

Originally Posted by jester

They do have a power converter that allows one to switch from AC to DC, and adjust from 12 to 24 volt as well. These items would be found at boating and RV stores where one can find all maner of appliances designed for those types of craft. I personaly would go with items from the boat stores as they tend to be more weatherproof and durable although a bit more pricey.

In today's world, it's pretty simple to convert AC to DC and vice-versa, but in the T2K post-EMP world, I suspect it'd be more difficult, especially as the boat stores are likely to have been looted.

It's a bit more difficult (bit still entirely possible) to convert a DC voltage to a higher voltage. With AC you just need a transformer, with DC you need some fancy electronics (years ago, I saw a circuit to convert a 9V supply to 200V), but again, I suspect it'd be much more difficult in the T2K world.

[Cdnwolf]

Went to Casino Windsor today and along the route all I saw was fields of wind turbines and was amazed at how many there were.

[Olefin]

Well there are lots of ways

1) Use water power - many old mill towns are built by running water because they used the water to power their machines. And there are lots of hydroelectric dams in this country. My own home town has an emergency source of power that is basically water drive that can be used to keep the power on if anything happened to the main power lines - was still maintained and able to be used until a few years ago - in Twilight 2000 they would have still had it

2) solar - there were lots of places, especially out west, that by the mid 90's were using solar panels to generate power - they would continue to do so in a Twilight 2000 situation - you could see a run on them after the Soviet China war started by survivalists who were getting ready for the end - and also by government agencies as back up power

3) coal fired powerhouses - especially in PA, WV and KY - lots of coal and in many places just about next door to the electrical generators - and not all of them would have been hit by EMP - especially considering almost no nukes set off near them -

4) Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome - "Bartertown runneth on pig shit" - have a feeling someone is going to remember just how much power you can get out of methane from animals from that movie - and its makes so much nice fuel as well

5) wind power - I remember the commercials back in the 80's and 90's for backyard windmills that could generate enough power to run your house and sell some back to the power company - EMP wouldnt do squat to them - willing to bet New America and other fun survivalist groups would have bought as many as they could before the Thanksgiving Massacre

6) Nuclear power stations - like the one MilGov has going near Colorado Springs - and you know that some of them would have successfully shut down and then restarted after the Massacre - sorry but not every station in the US is on line all the time - and there are lots of them in places that didnt get hit

Three Mile Island for instance - not even close to any nukes - closest ones were either near Hagerstown (the Camp David and Frederick nukes), DC, or Philly - all way too far for EMP effects to have damaged it - and they could have taken components from the shut down power unit to fix any damage to the one that works - and I am betting the governor (who has troops to keep order in the Harrisburg area according to Allegheny Rising) would have made damn sure that place stayed safe and unlooted

[Olefin]

That is one reason I dont sign on to the game's description of those with mechanical skills and other knowledge being so rare - if anything they would be highly prized and if anyone is getting into the safe zones it would be them - look at Lucifer's Hammer for instance - when survivors get to the gates of the Stronghold they dont just let anyone in - but if you say mechanic, electrician, engineer, or doctor those gates swing open

So the idea of almost no electricity generation is not realistic - large scale power generation over whole countries no way - but lots of local pockets ranging from a house or compound to areas as big as a few counties - definitely would see that - especially the further you get from where the nukes landed and where things like wind, solar, water and coal are available - and where you have operating nuke stations like Colorado Springs and Harrisburg (basically a 99% chance they kept Three Mile Island going) then you would have power for sure

[raketenjagdpanzer]

Part of the problem - and I've mentioned this before but it bears repeating - with nuclear power plants is they don't just "sit there" if left unattended. Spent nuclear fuel is kept in a cooling pond, and despite the name "spent" it is still quite active, just not enough so to generate electricity. It is active enough to boil off the water keeping it cool, so that water must be circulated (and more water must be pumped in).

When that water boils off, you now have a mini-Chernobyl at every unattended nuclear facility adding to the already quite radioactive landscape around it.

[raketenjagdpanzer]

With the nuke plant issue aside, once you have an alcohol fuel infrastructure established, every mom and pop in suburbia who has a riding mower or regular lawn mower (and a car or access to one of the millions of abandoned ones) has a generator or three handy: Mower engine + utility belt + car alternator + a few 2x4s = generator.

As to what a car alternator can power, it's already been noted above, but the last time we had a long power outage my in-laws used an AC adapter plugged in to one of their rather anemic japanese sedans to power their TV and a laptop and keep their cell phone charged.

I imagine if you had a single dedicated "mowerator" you could run a small 'fridge, too...

[rcaf_777]

There is also a Wood Burning Generator

The tech is really old dating back to 1870's, many vechicles in the UK er converted durring WWII when gas was in short supply

I have attached a paper that FEMA published back in 1989 which shows people how to build one at home, see last link

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wood_gas_generator

http://www.motherearthnews.com/renew...#axzz37jba9oM7

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi..._Emergency.pdf