DIY Power at the Claim

[ryanonthevedder]

I have a gold claim that is proving out to be fairly promising. It is a perennial placer deposit, so I may be able to work it profitably for some time! I have been wanting to start charging my batteries on site instead of packing them in and out to charge them at home. Hydro power was the best option for me, and I set out to build a cheap water wheel that would serve my purposes. Here is the finished generator.





I still have to gather up the hose, wire, and rectifier, as well as take it up to the site, but its coming along nicely.

 

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[Prospector70]

Brilliant! Nice work

 

[Duckwalk]

so will it work like a trickle charge I guess?

 

[ryanonthevedder]

so will it work like a trickle charge I guess?

Thats the plan, but it should produce more power than a typical trickle charger. I am looking for around 10-15 amps.

 

[Goldwasher]

That's a lot of amperage you will be able to run several pumps....hope you get a lot of sun ....nice job!

 

[Campngolf]

Very nice. Plus, if you ever lose a spoon...... I'm just sayin'.

 

[goldenIrishman]

Great idea! Because I'm in Arid-Zona I had to go for a solar method of making electricity. I'm still in the design phase but when finished I should have 750Watts worth of panels mounted to my trailer feeding a half dozen deep cycle batteries. That will be enough to power EVERYTHING with the right inverter(s). I will be able to pull the trailer right up to the camping site and swing the panels up into position and I'll be ready to go. Batteries will be precharged at the house so I don't have to wait. With all the sun we have here in the desert as well as the lack of water, this was the only way that made sense to me. I didn't want to have to listen to a genny all night long!

http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/gold-prospecting/370522-school-back-time-work-24.html

Here is the page with the rendering of the Mk I version. I've since changed the design a bit. With the panels doubled up I will be able to produce 1.4 KW of juice which will allow us to run directly off the panels during the day while still charging the batteries so we have juice after sunset.

 

[ryanonthevedder]

Did some more testing today on a real creek, and got some better results indeed. Made 23V AC! If you know electronics you will laugh at my rectifier at the end!

 

[goldenmojo]

Genius Work. What's the name of the rabid blues you have cranking at the first of the vid?

 

[russau]

Ryan the system looks good! BUT I think if you shorten your hose up as much as possible and goto a 2 inch hose youll see a larger increase in voltage. the line-loss of water pressure in the 1 inch hose plus its length are holding you back!

 

[425jesse]

Awesome. Nothing like home made hydro power. Where did you get the hub, and was it expensive?

 

[ryanonthevedder]

Thanks for watching guys. The project is getting closer but its not quite ready for the install yet.

mojo; the song is poor black mattie by a guy called Yazan. Good stuff I know. russau; I know that the hose is not ideal, its just what I had laying around. I agree that 2" would be better, but I can get 1.5" for cheap. I also have a buddy that has a bunch of 6"..... thats overkill though. I am going to bring the jet down to 3\8 to see what happens. jessie; the hub wasnt expensive, and I ve seen them for free on craigslist. The trick is to know what to look for. They sell for $3-500 on ebay for ebikes. If you find an ebike that has bad batteries, or has been in an accident, they can be had for a song. I paid $60 for the whole bike, and got lots of goodies from the charger (diodes).

 

[elgatodelnoche]

Great idea! Because I'm in Arid-Zona I had to go for a solar method of making electricity. I'm still in the design phase but when finished I should have 750Watts worth of panels mounted to my trailer feeding a half dozen deep cycle batteries. That will be enough to power EVERYTHING with the right inverter(s). I will be able to pull the trailer right up to the camping site and swing the panels up into position and I'll be ready to go. Batteries will be precharged at the house so I don't have to wait. With all the sun we have here in the desert as well as the lack of water, this was the only way that made sense to me. I didn't want to have to listen to a genny all night long!

http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/gold-prospecting/370522-school-back-time-work-24.html

Here is the page with the rendering of the Mk I version. I've since changed the design a bit. With the panels doubled up I will be able to produce 1.4 KW of juice which will allow us to run directly off the panels during the day while still charging the batteries so we have juice after sunset.

This is how I envision Jeff's solar power at the claim.

https://www.facebook.com/OccupyWall...2842/713741228693644/?type=1&relevant_count=1