Pagina 2 – Ecotopia Biketour

Picking a circuit for the dynamo-powered USB port

Candid Aprile 16, 2017 April 28, 2017

On the Spring Meeting, we did some experiments with different types of dynamo-powered USB ports: Once with a high-dropout DC-DC convertor, once with a low-dropout DC-DC convertor, once with a Zener diode, once with a step-down convertor (an old one, I don’t know which model it is, it cost around 10 €) Once with a double 3300 µF capacitor for boost (as described here), once without Once with a silicon rectifier, once with one made of Schottky diodes We connected these regulators to a Shimano DH-3N30 hub dynamo, and connected a 10 Ω resistor that should simulate the charging device (500 mA at…

Things out of trash and DIY stuff on my bike

Candid Aprile 9, 2017 April 28, 2017

The light When I cycle with luggage, I usually have a box on my rack that I can use for stuff that needs to stay dry but easy to access. I particularly use it for electronic devices, there is a small solar panel on it and it is connected to the dynamo charger (more about that below). On the box, there is also an old high-vis that I cut up and wrapped around it for more visibility in the night or in tunnels. On my rack, I have a back light that is powered by the dynamo, but when I pull…

Charging electronic devices in a sustainable way

Candid Marzo 30, 2017 April 28, 2017

On the Biketour in 2015, one very noticeable change compared to the Biketours before was that suddenly many people came with a smartphone. In the years before there had been maybe one or two people among a group of up to 50 who had a GPS or smartphone with them, but now there were even some days where no one followed the route of the scouts, because in every small group of cyclists, there was at least one who was using GPS navigation on their phone. One side-effect was that people needed to charge their phones all the time, and whenever…

Biketour-Inventary

Ecotopia Biketour 2016 Novembre 14, 2016 April 28, 2017

Ci spiace, ma questo articolo è disponibile soltanto in English. Per ragioni di convenienza del visitatore, il contenuto è mostrato sotto nella lingua alternativa. Puoi cliccare sul link per cambiare la lingua attiva. On the long cycling days… you might find yourself talking about anything and everything with your companions for the day. One topic that came up was STUFF. some people seemed to have just 2 bike bags and nothing else, some people have entire trailers for their pet (see past posts with the dog!) whilst some people seemed to be balancing half a dozen stuff sacks on their…

Compost-toilet out of trash

Ecotopia Biketour 2016 Luglio 17, 2016 April 28, 2017

Ci spiace, ma questo articolo è disponibile soltanto in English. Per ragioni di convenienza del visitatore, il contenuto è mostrato sotto nella lingua alternativa. Puoi cliccare sul link per cambiare la lingua attiva. Paulina invited us to stay at her tiny garden house in the allotment gardens of hajnowka. Shower was a garden hose, food supply came from the incredibly friendly neighbours, our tents were spread out in the garden, toilet was in Kaufland or in the forest. We had some beautiful days there with her. As a thank you we built an own toilet next to the house. So,…

The Rocketstove

Ecotopia Biketour 2016 Giugno 26, 2016 April 28, 2017

Ci spiace, ma questo articolo è disponibile soltanto in English. Per ragioni di convenienza del visitatore, il contenuto è mostrato sotto nella lingua alternativa. Puoi cliccare sul link per cambiare la lingua attiva. “Kraft Automotive” (Force Carmotivs) – is written on the barrel out of which the 2016’s Rocketstove is made. It was built in the Radical Allotment Gardens in Warsaw in the first days of the biketour. Built out of Trash that the R.O.D – people had collected. We could use all of their stuff, they had that barrel and some leftover ovenpipes. They hat even some of that…