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From: Don Y <blockedofcourse@foo.invalid>
Newsgroups: sci.electronics.design
Subject: Re: AM radio law opposed by tech and auto industries is close to
 passing
Date: Sat, 4 May 2024 03:33:50 -0700
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On 5/4/2024 3:23 AM, Carlos E.R. wrote:
> On 2024-05-02 21:34, Don Y wrote:
>> You can legislate requirements for broadcasters (as a condition of
>> granting them use of the air waves) mandating they "conduct periodic
>> tests of (an) emergency broadcast capability".  But, you are ultimately
>> reliant on them to maintain that capability, despite any pressure on
>> profits, etc.
>>
>> We routinely lose TV reception due to outages on the mountain (where
>> most of the transmitters are located).  Imagine the consequences of
>> an earthquake or wildfire in areas where transmitters (or repeaters)
>> are located.  Or, hurricane, tornado, flood, etc.
>>
>> Not everyone owns a cell phone -- or keeps it ON for the convenience
>> of CALLERS!  The same can be said of all broadcast media (do I have
>> to keep a radio/TV ON 24/7/365 "just in case"?
> 
> The cell network is very vulnerable to disasters, you can not rely on it.

Especially if the disaster is "local" to the folks you want to inform.

>> AM radio can be leveraged for wide area coverage without requiring
>> lots of other technology to keep it operational.  And, the receivers
>> can run for long periods of time on batteries (that are likely
>> stale) or clock-spring mechanisms (emergency radios).
> 
> I have seen radios with a hand spun dynamo.

I have one with a clockwork mechanism -- wind up a large spring and
it drives a small "generator" as it unwinds.  It takes about 5 minutes
to unwind completely so it's a relatively low "winding" duty cycle.

But, it is large-ish.

It also has solar cells and a small, internal battery (which is toast;
but, attempting to disassemble it to replace the battery would likely
result in a mess of gears and torsion spring parts!)  As the spring mechanism
will run the radio despite the bad battery, it seems a safer plan to just
tolerate the bad battery!

> I saw some electronic magazine publishing one such radio made using the motor 
> from a floppy drive (if memory serves) as generator.