[NMPRN]

Before anyone fires up their flame thrower, remember this thread is posted in the "communications" sub-forum and is meant, mostly, for emergency communications minded folks.

It's also not meant to be the end-all solution to emcomm, far from it. Most folks, like me, who are into the emergency communications side of prepping have thousands of dollars invested in "real" radio equipment.

...but it's fun to look at worst case scenarios and actually see, first hand, if things like this can be done.

The $4 radio is the ubiquitous Pixie II QRP CW transceiver that us old-school hams love to hate. Yes, there are better radios out there but not for $4. They operate on the HF ham bands and are fairly reliable out to a few hundred miles, with good band conditions and a little luck they're good for much more than that.

I build one just about every winter when there's nothing good on TV. But I go whole hog and get the fancy $14 kit with a case (lol). For $3 more you can get one pre-built in a case (that tells you how easy they are to build)

---battery, proof of concept---
If there's anything that's going to be easy to find in the zombie apocalypse it's going to be spent brass and beer cans

Just for fun I used a piece of 5.56 brass and a strip of aluminum from a Miller Lite can to make the anode and cathode (I sanded the brass and aluminum to make sure I got a good reaction)

I used a little splash of bleach in a jelly jar full of water for the electrolyte. There are better electrolytes but it's what I had under the sink.
I was able to get 1.36 volts with this one cell. 8 or 10 of these in series would probably power the radio with no problem.

Next time I have a free afternoon I'll build about 10 cells and actually fire up the Pixie (I don't want my wife to come home and find all our jelly jars and coffee cups filled with bleach and brass )

 

[Annie]

Pretty good! Bets the heck out of two paper cups and a long string.

 

[Captjim_NM]

NMPRN, great idea to power a QRP. Wonder if you use urine as electrolyte? de KA5SIW

 

[NMPRN]

I'm sure it'd work. Urine has salts, and probably lots of other stuff, that would act as an electrolyte. It might be a challenge to save up 10 jars of it without it going funky ...but you'd have an endless supply.

Since this battery is an exercise in "worst case scenario" power for a QRP radio, urine would be a valid electrolyte to test.

Do you ever use CW? It'd be fun to see if I could reach you from DM62pg27 with a brass and beer can powered radio.

de NM5XD

 

[Spenser]

well never used a brass and beer can method, and pure copper would be a better choice to produce higher voltage (brass has copper in it), but I have used Beer as an acid with copper and zinc. Also have made fruit and potato batteries. Lemons, oranges, grapefruit all work along with strong vinegars. To operate small electronics, one just needs to connect them in series, or if a heavier wattage is needed, a combination of them in series that are connected in parallel to another set connected in series.

Got into making my own batteries due to a Jr High School science teacher that brought in a potato clock to class. When I was 14, ( a year later) I was so hooked on electronics that my biological mother got her friends husband, a Dean at a High School, to get me bogus working papers and a letter saying I was 18 so I could apply to an occupational center's electronics program. (had to be 18 to apply).

Later that year I circumvented the Cable box encryption by adding capacitors. Was kind of a trial n error trying to get the right frequency, but in the end, got to see the Hefner channel.

 

[NMPRN]

pure copper would be a better choice

There are a thousand better ways to make batteries. This is an exercise in "worst case scenarios".

If there's anything that's going to be easy to find in the zombie apocalypse it's going to be spent brass and beer cans

 

[Captjim_NM]

NMPRN, sorry, I don't do CW. It took me years to learn enough code for my novice, made a few contacts. Once in a blue moon I think about it, just not wanting to spend all the time to learn CW again. de KA5SIW

 

[NMPRN]

I was the same way, after my code test I let the skill slip away. I didn't get back into it until I started getting heavy into QRP.
P.S. if you ever setup another prepper retreat to Red Cloud Canyon let me know.

 

[Captjim_NM]

I was the same way, after my code test I let the skill slip away. I didn't get back into it until I started getting heavy into QRP.
P.S. if you ever setup another prepper retreat to Red Cloud Canyon let me know.

NMPRN, OK, I have had all the winter I want, thinking of spring camping. The April/May time frame looks good. Margaret is thinking of having her other knee done. We talk to the doctor the end of March. That will set the time frame for the spring campout. I have ordered a new boat that should arrive first of April. I go fishing/boating weekdays to stay away from the drunks and crazies. Can you send my your EMAIL? mine is [email protected] 73's

 

[Kauboy]

NMPRN, OK, I have had all the winter I want, thinking of spring camping. The April/May time frame looks good. Margaret is thinking of having her other knee done. We talk to the doctor the end of March. That will set the time frame for the spring campout. I have ordered a new boat that should arrive first of April. I go fishing/boating weekdays to stay away from the drunks and crazies. Can you send my your EMAIL? mine is (removed) 73's

Are you sure you want your email address provided in simple text in a public internet forum?
This is an invite for spam and other unsolicited contact.
I strongly recommend this only be traded in private messages.
Our forum is visible to anyone. Membership isn't required to read it.

 

[NMPRN]

The April/May time frame looks good.

Sounds good. I sent you an email, maybe Kauboy can edit out your email address.