Alkaline battery FireWire Recharger

nebagakidnebagakid
Posted:
in Future Apple Hardware edited January 2014
Why hasn't anyone made one yet? Come on, there is a market out there for it, I bet..... Maybe make some software to interface with it, so not only power is being taken from the computer, but data is being exchanged... it could be a nifty little item, no?



no? <img src="graemlins/cancer.gif" border="0" alt="[cancer]" /> <img src="graemlins/cancer.gif" border="0" alt="[cancer]" /> <img src="graemlins/oyvey.gif" border="0" alt="[oyvey]" /> <img src="graemlins/cancer.gif" border="0" alt="[cancer]" />

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 9
    ebbyebby Posts: 3,110member
    Actually, that would be cool. Does Firewire carry more power than USB? If not, USB might be a better choice? You don't need the speed of firewire to charge batteries.



    EDIT: Wait a second! Alkaline batteries can't be recharged! (Nickel-Cadmium, Nickel-Metal Hydroxide, Lithium-ion, and Lead-acid batteries are rechargeable) <img src="graemlins/bugeye.gif" border="0" alt="[Skeptical]" /> This isn't a joke is it?



    [ 02-02-2003: Message edited by: Ebby ]</p>
  • Reply 2 of 9
    overhopeoverhope Posts: 1,123member
    <a href="http://care2.greenhome.com/templates/prod_details.phtml?id=105168&category=sap&subcateg ory=bat" target="_blank">It's not a joke</a>
  • Reply 3 of 9
    ebbyebby Posts: 3,110member
    'O ka'raps! I be a fooled again! Must look into this new battery technology.



    :cool:



    [ 02-02-2003: Message edited by: Ebby ]</p>
  • Reply 4 of 9
    bill mbill m Posts: 324member
    Rechargeable alkaline batteries are by no means new technology. I have been using them for a few years already, they work great and save a few bucks for powering my kids' countless toys.



    Rayovac makes some available in stores like Wal*Mart:



    <a href="http://www.rayovac.com/products/recharge/rec_alk.shtml"; target="_blank">Renewal Rechargeable Alkakine Batteries</a>
  • Reply 5 of 9
    nebagakidnebagakid Posts: 2,692member
    [quote]Originally posted by Ebby:

    <strong>Actually, that would be cool. Does Firewire carry more power than USB? If not, USB might be a better choice? You don't need the speed of firewire to charge batteries.

    [ 02-02-2003: Message edited by: Ebby ]</strong><hr></blockquote>

    Dear god no, FireWire carries enough power to run a Hard Drive or a tazer! USB is for good dinky devices like a mouse, or several, being mice! <img src="graemlins/cancer.gif" border="0" alt="[cancer]" /> <img src="graemlins/cancer.gif" border="0" alt="[cancer]" /> <img src="graemlins/cancer.gif" border="0" alt="[cancer]" />
  • Reply 6 of 9
    ebbyebby Posts: 3,110member
    Ok, easy there. It was all based on: "If USB and Firewire carried the same current." Now I know.
  • Reply 7 of 9
    baumanbauman Posts: 1,248member
    But there are USB hard drives, CD-RWs and scanners, too. Even though some are pronounced as USB 2, they are backwards compatible.



    I'd imagine Firewire and USB carry similar current.



    [Edit] - Oops... a quick google search reveals that USB carries 4.75 V and 5.25 V, whereas Firewire can carry up to 24 V.



    Significant difference there.



    [ 02-03-2003: Message edited by: bauman ]</p>
  • Reply 8 of 9
    alexanderalexander Posts: 206member
    [quote]Originally posted by bauman:

    <strong>[Edit] - Oops... a quick google search reveals that USB carries 4.75 V and 5.25 V, whereas Firewire can carry up to 24 V.



    Significant difference there.</strong><hr></blockquote>



    Don't count on it. Voltage is not current. They're not even really related -- you could have a million volts and no substantial current. See static electricity. (and [url]http://www.amasci.com/miscon/ele-map.html[url])



    Volts * Amps = Watts, which is what you're really after. According to <a href="http://www.fwdepot.com/wcable.html"; target="_blank">http://www.fwdepot.com/wcable.html</A>; , "When the computer is on, the power pin provides a maximum voltage of 12.6Â*V (no load) and up to 7Â*W peak power. The power is shared with the USB port, which can use up to 2.5Â*W. The power available for FireWire is reduced by the power consumed by the USB ports."



    I know that USB max is 500mA at 5V, so that 2.5W number for USB is accurate. I don't know Firewire, but I'll assume that their number is also accurate. So yes, Firewire can provide almost three times as much power as USB.



    But does it matter in this case?



    Here's today's trendy fast-charger for NiMH AAs, today's trendy battery technology (so-called "Rechargeable Alkalines" are garbage -- NiMHs last much longer in terms of both capacity and number of recharge cycles.): <a href="http://www.starbatteries.com/powmh100minc.html"; target="_blank">http://www.starbatteries.com/powmh100minc.html</A>;



    The "100-minute" rapid charge for 4 AAs is [email protected] x 4, or 6 watts total. Looks like a perfect application for Firewire. But you could just do a slower charge at 2.5W; 240 minutes for 4 AAs, 120 minutes for 2 AAs. AAAs would be even faster, of course.



    Anybody know if the power on the Firewire ports is "active" when a Powerbook is sleeping? I know USB is, which would be a great advantage.



    Alex
  • Reply 9 of 9
    henriokhenriok Posts: 537member
    FireWire kan provide for up to 45W.

    Read it all <a href="http://www.apple.com/firewire/"; target="_blank">here</a>.



    There are scanners, hard drives, printers, CD ROM-drives connected with USB, but no one (save some scanners) are actually powered from USB.
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