Talk:Windup radio

Memory questioned...
"Thus, a clockwork-powered radio that he remembered from his youth" ... no there where never clockwork radios in his youth. Only clockwork clocks!

Tabletop 10:06, 9 Feb 2005 (UTC)

crank-powered laptops
MIT is designing $100 crank-powered laptops. Dunno which article to link from though. - Omegatron 03:31, May 19, 2005 (UTC)


 * Try 100 dollar laptop. Tabletop 11:39, 5 June 2006 (UTC)

A problem with a clockwork radio
One problem with the Baygen clockwork radio is that while the handle is being wound, no power is being generated for the radio. It takes 30 seconds to recharge the spring, which then takes 15 minutes to wind down. The gap is not fatal for music, but would be annoying if the gap occurred during a weather forcast that warns you of a hurricane.

Something needs to be done to cover this gap.


 * Have two springs with two handles, and always make sure that they are out of phase.
 * Have two springs with one handle, and a way of automatically switching to the most run-down spring, which may well be easier said than done.
 * Have a rechargeable battery backup for the gap, which somewhat defeats the clockwork idea.
 * Have a second generator connected to the handle so that it generates power while you wind the spring up, during which time the generator connected to the spring is dead. Some capacitors might be able to bridge the much smaller gap in the power.
 * Buy two Baygen clockwork radios!!!!

Tabletop 03:59, 19 May 2005 (UTC)

Patent Dispute
A Bangladeshi inventor claims a patent on the FreePlay Radio dating from 1975. His complaint was deleted without a trace. At least a short mention should be made of this.

Tabletop 11:13, 5 June 2006 (UTC)

Usually an emergency radio?
I though it was designed for everyday use in places without electricity.A Geek Tragedy 00:12, 18 March 2007 (UTC)

C Crane
There's a newly added commercial link to C Crane. The edit comment said that it included history and that C Crane was one of the pioneers of this. But the link just goes to the company home page and I don't see a history or evidence that C Crane was a pioneer. I'm tempted to delete but thought I'd ask for clarification first.Ccrrccrr (talk) 15:21, 24 January 2009 (UTC)
 * I vote delete. I don't see any history there either.  Looks like spam to me. -- Chetvorno TALK 16:09, 24 January 2009 (UTC)