DIYbanter - View Single Post - Connecting an Alternator to horse drawn buggy

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On Thu, 08 Nov 2007 15:37:04 -0000, (Chris
Lewis) wrote:

According to HerHusband :

I don't know much about the Amish, but I thought the idea was to avoid
modern technology? Couldn't they use lanterns as was done before electrical
lights were available?

It's not so much an avoidance of "modern technology", it's more of
an avoidance of depending on outside resources. Electricity isn't
as much of an issue as being connected to the grid is. Tho, it
depends on "which" Amish you're talking about. There are different
levels of interpretation, and different levels of willingness to
adapt to the modern world.

Eg: they won't have a car. But most won't turn down a ride in one
if it's going somewhere they need to go, and some aren't shy about
asking for a ride ;-)

Eg: many Amish in the US came from Canada (south west Ontario) when
Canada imposed refrigeration requirements on dairy production. When the
corresponding US states imposed refrigeration, some Amish moved either
to states that didn't require it, or to Mexico. Others adapted and
stayed where they are. Most Amish, for example, refuse to have a
telephone. But as an example of "modern compromise", some will have an
outdoor phone for calls pertaining to their dairy operation.

My wife and her sister bed-and-breakfasted with Pennsylvania
Amish farm families, and recounted the amusing incident where
the Amish family's teenage daughter had to stand outside in the rain
at the "dairy phone" to talk to one of her friends.

I thought of bicycle generators (car-size alternators or generators
will sometimes present too much load to the available horse power ;-)
too.

However, I don't think they'd be terribly effective long-term
solutions. They'd always be diddling with them. Something
simple and mostly maintenance free is better.

Perhaps LED lights and a smallish solar panel. Should allow them
to use smaller/cheaper batteries too.

You are pretty much correct about the more modern Amish. My neighbors
do have an outdoor phone in a small shed and are connected to an
answering service. Some of them have small electric generators and
will power up a standard trouble light when they shoe their horses
after dark. Their local sawmill is a huge diesel powered engine with
shafts and pulleys all over the place to power different devices.
They can drive a tractor, but not own one. They can not drive a car,
but can ride in them, and often do. I give them rides quite often. I
charge their batteries too. They are nice people. I find their
"rules" a little strange at times, but I accept them for what they
are. For example, they can not be hooked to the "grid" (electric
service), but they can use most anything electric if it connects to a
generator. My neighbor even has an electric razor and shaves in the
barn when his generator is running, which is used to run an air
compressor connected to a 500gallon LP tank. That air is used to pull
water from their community well. They have indoor plumbing, but only
cold water. They have to heat it on an outdoor wood burner, or on
their kitchen wood stove. They use gasoline or LP for their generator
or compressor, but can not have an LP cook stove or furnace. They can
smoke cigars, but not cigarettes.

You get the picture......

Like I said, they are nice people, but do things in strange ways.
Yet, who am I to say. At least they dont have an electric bill, and
the whole community shares the phone bill, and that is a good thing.

Therefore, an alternator or solar panels would be acceptable in THIS
community, but not others.

I enjoy their company and they love to come over and watch movies with
me. Of course a few of their younger kids have found ways to hide
portable DVD players which they power off their 12V battery until dad
finds out why the battery is dead......

Alvin