It takes 23 hours to fully charge it, and kept my laptop running for nearly 3 hours. Hey, for lead acid batteries that's pretty good, and laptops are energy hungry. I now have almost everything I need. Still need about $30 for a power drill (I have the correct diameter drill bit though!) and the marine sealant (coming in the mail). Then I can drill the holes, seal the tube ends into them, fasten the enclosure to a weight, and test the entire apparatus in a nearby public pool. It's getting colder, few are using it, I should be able to get some time to myself. But wow, will I have some explaining to do if anyone catches me.
Thats one of the things that has concerned me is the weather and the possibility of the project halting due to a frozen lake. Approximately where are you geographically? Will the lake be freezing soon? Good luck with the project, we are closer now than ever to going from theory to implementation.
ReplyDeleteWhat's to explain? You are doing SCIENCE.
ReplyDeleteIf the supportbuoy is build with weather in mind, it could most likely survive a freeze and keep going its maximum amount of time. Now, getting it out after the 14 hours would be a problem, but its better than having the hamster cut off from air and light the moment it freezes. You show the air holes in the top with a cover in one of the designs, thats good. It would keep the air holes from freezing up & being plugged. You want to keep the tubes and wires going strait out the bottom, out the side would be no good. One thing you may consider, insulation for the battery pack. If the weather turns cold it will dramatically shorten the battery's life. If it gets hot as it runs, you may consider a small layer of something around it to trap som of the heat.
ReplyDeleteAs for keeping the buoy afloat, if it freezes you may want to find a beetter way to keep it on top of the water. Ice and a inner tube probably wouldn't agree too well, and the hamster may be watching out the side of his habitat as his support buoy lands on the bottom beside him.
I'm in the south. It won't get noticeably cold for some time yet.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I've abandoned the use of a bouy. The battery pack is too heavy for that. Instead, like MarineLab, I'll be using a "surface support station"; the battery and pump will be on shore, with the air hose trailing out to the habitat.
I still like the idea of solar power to charge the battery, if you could get some panels together and do that it would be more self sustaining. Then the amount of food would be the only limiting factor on how long it could be down there.
ReplyDeleteI'd be happy to if you want to fund it. :P
ReplyDeleteWelcome to Rapeture! An objectivist hampster society, located beneath the roiling waves of the Bellevue community pool!
ReplyDeleteAny chance you could reset the Minecraft map? It's been broken for a few days now.
ReplyDeleteI've reset it several times in the past few days. Odds are good that you logged in, each time, after it had been ruined. Such is life in Minecraft. D:
ReplyDeleteI see you said you are from the south... I am a theatre technician in Houston, Texas. I have access to a fully stocked workshop and i am experienced in construction. I would be happy to help you with any manufacturing or wiring. If you dont live near me, then you can send me anything that you can't do with your tools.
ReplyDelete-Sam Scully
Wow, that's incredibly generous. I can build this habitat myself, but I may call on your assistance if I move on to something larger afterwards. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteI'm in Florida and I am a luthier, so I have a shop as well, and access to a real machine shop. I'm willing to contribute in any way I can.
ReplyDelete