Understandably, this is not going to save the planet or signifigantly reduce your electric bill but it will give you really intense workout. It just seemed to make good sense that an alternator would work well since it is already voltage-regulated and cheap & easy to obtain. It is important to get the alternator spinning before you energize the rotating field or it will be very hard to get it up to speed. The amount of power you can get depends on how strong your legs are and the size of the inverter you use. I doubt the alternator could be maxed out with human power. Of course, you could modify the alternator if you wanted to. I’ve gotten 160 amps before out of a modified Delcotron. This one puts out 35 amps. Now, I realize some people would ask whats the point of all this. Well, whats the point of a stationary bike anyways? You expend energy for nothing as it goes nowhere. At least you could run a TV, stereo, lights, or whatever while you’re at your exercise routine. Some of you auto electric experts might want to point out the seemingly high voltage and say “Hey, it should be no more than 13.8 volts” but this is a $3.50 volt meter!
Related posts:

#1 by pikipirs on February 27, 2010 - 7:59 am
Quote
The best exercise computer display. Ever. Now if it would only be a bit less noisy…
#2 by dylanthorner on February 27, 2010 - 8:43 am
Quote
Sweet that is cool, LOWER ENERGY BILL!!!
#3 by Armando2012102 on February 27, 2010 - 9:38 am
Quote
MrJetjoe: Good idea. I’ll take you up on that. I’ll be the Steve Jobs of human-powered electricity, while you sit on your fat ass eating cheetos and doling out cheap sarcasm on YT.
#4 by trailkeeper on February 27, 2010 - 10:37 am
Quote
I’d try another alternator than a car one. Maby one from a smaller machine, even a stepper motor maby.
#5 by nickdigg5 on February 27, 2010 - 11:19 am
Quote
Nice stuff!
#6 by Knowlagable on February 27, 2010 - 11:39 am
Quote
Positive from the battery to the switch then from the switch to the 3rd pin on alternator. not to the positive or negitive on the alternator but the 3rd one.
#7 by Knowlagable on February 27, 2010 - 12:17 pm
Quote
It has to be connected when spinning and not connected when stopped. sparking it for a second will energize the field but only for that second.
#8 by MrJetjoe on February 27, 2010 - 1:11 pm
Quote
try using a electric bike to power your house
#9 by DeDust86 on February 27, 2010 - 1:18 pm
Quote
Yes!
#10 by Harwkins39 on February 27, 2010 - 1:24 pm
Quote
I was just wondering if you had to use a resistor in series with the energizer circuit. I had to with my setup, otherwise the pedal resistance was to great.
#11 by awizardalso on February 27, 2010 - 2:01 pm
Quote
Greetings, I tried to send you a PM first. You mentioned in the video info that you got 160 amps out of a modified alternator. Was this a typo? That would equate to roughly 2200 watts or about 3 hp. Just wondering under what conditions you managed this. I do realize it would be a very short duration.
Wiz
#12 by awizardalso on February 27, 2010 - 2:21 pm
Quote
logtype47- Probably more practical to drive the alternator off the drive shaft. Wire the field coil to the brake light circuit and use the alternator for a little extra braking power. Wire the alternator output to a couple batteries in the trunk. Save a little wear and tear on the brakes and the electric power for a rainy day.
#13 by logtype47 on February 27, 2010 - 2:42 pm
Quote
Can this same technology be applied to a standard car on all four wheels.
If so how can one capture and store this energy in batteries.
#14 by SirFrag32 on February 27, 2010 - 3:16 pm
Quote
Also, 13.8 is pretty rare in cars from my experience. Every car i’ve owned idles around 14.5v, that is until i kick on the stereo
#15 by SirFrag32 on February 27, 2010 - 3:35 pm
Quote
I want to take a nitro or model gas/butane engine and rig an alternator to it to power devices for fun!
#16 by theoysterman1 on February 27, 2010 - 4:32 pm
Quote
Use a dc permanent magnet motor instead of an alternator. Alternators use a bit of their power to generate the magnetic fields which get bigger the more energy that is put in. Using a permanent magnet motor means more power for your device you are powering which means it is less tiring for you.
#17 by Armando2012102 on February 27, 2010 - 5:13 pm
Quote
Thanks for posting, but you’re in terrible shape, man.
#18 by kickndave21 on February 27, 2010 - 5:32 pm
Quote
how long to charge a battery?
#19 by erecherecherech on February 27, 2010 - 5:36 pm
Quote
you say a switch to excite – how do you wire the switch? from +12 to pin 1 on the alternator?
#20 by vik95170 on February 27, 2010 - 6:06 pm
Quote
how many watts did it produice ?
#21 by hgallegos915 on February 27, 2010 - 6:35 pm
Quote
hey, so how do you wire the alternator? does it need to have 12 volts registering? I want to use one of these to charge small 12 volt appliances or maybe a battery. Just for fun tho, I wonder how many hrs of pedaling would take to charge the battery.
#22 by SpockOfRock on February 27, 2010 - 6:47 pm
Quote
I’ve gained a whole new appreciation for solar panels…
#23 by benpie12 on February 27, 2010 - 6:57 pm
Quote
ke a hundred and take old pple in a big building a freakin power plant
#24 by idontknow307 on February 27, 2010 - 7:26 pm
Quote
hahahaha that was fucking epic
#25 by rroge5 on February 27, 2010 - 7:38 pm
Quote
and generating electricity off this magnetic feild does not effect the current on the input coil? is it called the stator? or the one on the rotor? the one that the power goes into