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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 14:55:46 -0700
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On 5/4/2024 1:29 PM, Carlos E.R. wrote:
>>>> 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!
> 
> That's a bad design, that the battery of such a thing can not be replaced 
> "easily".

I suspect it is a rechargeable cell that the designers thought
would "never" need to be replaced.

The fact that it works *despite* the state of the cell suggests
SOME forethought was put into the design.  The mechanism being
able to release enough mechanical energy to the generator over
such a long period of time without relying on the instantaneous
energy created by hand-cranking a generator and storing it *in*
that cell.

(This is how many "emergency flashlights" work -- and FAIL
to work, over time; relying on the cell to remain functional!)