Soldiers need power -- so Generette it

25W Diesel generator for today's wired soldier

"Just about every piece of advanced equipment carried by a 21st century digger runs on batteries, including radios, night vision goggles, GPS navigation systems, laser sights and chemical detectors. The problem is set to get worse as soldiers wire into information networks with portable computers under the Soldier Combat System. A soldier heading bush for a few days might need to carry several kilograms of spare batteries.... But a solution could be on the way for the overloaded digger – a tiny 1kg diesel generator carried on the belt and able to provide continuous power for three days."

About Tektonica's Generette

"The GENERETTE consists of a miniature internal combustion engine running on logistic fuel, a DC generator, an internal rechargeable battery and an electronic power management system integrated into a robust housing.... [it] offers 25W over 72 hours at 1.0 kg gross weight fully fuelled with Diesel."

1 kg and belt carriable. Sounds neat. That would be great gadget to go into my BOB. The next question is cost? And availability to the general public.

The real question is how many 3W LSs that thing can overdrive at one time /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

I'd have loved to have something like that available "back in my day". I'd think it would be better if it could run on multiple fuels though... Diesel, Gasoline, kerosene, jet fuel etc.

Lot of times, lot of places we went, we couldn't count on finding anything that is common in "civilization" unless it was dropped to us via air, and sometimes even that was not practical.

The batteries my radio(s) used were about the size and weight of a normal building brick, and on extended missions, everyone in the team, including the CO had to carry one or two for me. My pack usually weighed 175 pounds carrying all the normal crap, a radio or two and spare batteries.

Well, could have been worse; at least I didn't have to carry the mortar baseplate.

We had a prototype solar panel, but it was just about useless for any kind of fast moving OR covert mission. Plus it only put out a few miliamps. Had one of those old pedal generators once too, but it didn't survive the jump.... well, it survived the jump but not the sudden stop at the end. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif

Oh man, a 175lb. pack!!! I'm surprised you're still alive to tell about it. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif A 50lb. pack to me feels pretty heavy, and I'm 6ft., 225 lbs.

Well, Lux, my knees ARE shot; Between Aleve and magnet therapy I can usually walk OK, but I make all kinds of noises when I stand up. I don't recommend my past stupidities to anyone though.