Justin wrote:

You can hook two 6 volt batteries together in series to get the 12 volts
required. Again, though, you might want to look at radio batteries. They were
more readily available at the time, since the AC radio was in its infancy. A
radio of the period could operate all evening on a single charge. There were
facilities in medium-sized towns (or larger) to recharge them every day or
exchange them for fully charged ones.

Why do they have to refine it? Kerosene was invented as a replacement for whale
oil in lamps. Gasoline was actually an unwanted byproduct of kerosene production
in the late 1800s. By the 1890s, kerosene was readily available in quantities up
to perhaps 50 gallons at any hardware store. In the '20s, most gas stations had
large tanks of the stuff for use in steam-powered autos (like the Stanley). As
late as the '60s, many U.S. gas stations still had kerosene tanks of 100 to 250
gallons. Larger quantities could be had from fuel suppliers.

If you're talking about 110 volt wiring, that plug came about in the '60s and
was mandated for new installations in the early '70s. Outlets that mimic those
used in the '20s are available from repro houses, so you could get them for your
set (try Reproduction Hardware). Most lower class city houses would have still
used gas or oil lamps for lighting, though, and would not have had electricity.
In any case, the outlet isn't an issue; your character could walk into a 1920s
hardware store, buy a period plug, cut off the 3-prong, and hook his computer
into the house wiring, grounding the safety ground to a water pipe. That's if
the computer was made in the U.S. and you set this in a major U.S. city.

You might want to go that route. It would definitely give you an excuse for not
using the local power grid, since a U.S. computer won't run on the European
power system.

That's definitely not least. They'd better find someone very rich who feels
generous (unless they just happen to have a supply of antique money on board).

George Patterson
The cost of living hasn't affected its popularity.

Heather & Joe Way wrote:

How would one recharge a battery back then? I know I keep one of those
chargers in my trunk, is there a 20's equivalent?

George Patterson wrote:
Ah ha...
That might be a good idea. Good interaction between the people and the
characters.

We're at the planning stages right now, we jot all ideas and put them on
a huge wall.


Sounds too easy.
I'm thinking kerosene of th etime wasn't as clean since it won't be
burned in a sophisticated jet.
What about alcohol? Perhaps a variant of the XCOR type rocket would be
a better plot device. They have one that runs on kerosene and one that
one that runs on alchy.

I think that point is moot since the whole thing will be kept away from
the city. Using mains power wouldn't work out in East Bumblefuck.

All laptoppower supplies can take 100/250v at 50/60Hz - since laptops
are designed to travel. I have a laptop from 1995 in my closet, even
that can take dual voltages. In that case, just buy an extension cord
for one Lire cut the end off and splice it onto the laptops power
cheater cord into the power brick. Nobody wold do that at a Holiday Inn
Express but when an adapter isn't handy you make do with a pocket knife
and electrical tape.

Local clubs have been helpful in the past, they do stuff for the local
colleges all the time. I'm an Alum and two of the others are current
students.
One guy has a flatbed truck he's restoring. Right now the puke green
paint he used looks decent but the wheels look like they're used.
Perfect, its not pristine and it should be able to haul something as big
as a EZ-Rocket. He has a fleet of vehicles and he's known for helping
out. He's at the local malls showing off his cars all the time.
Obviously during the winter the cars hibernate, just like my GTO.

On Sat, 20 Dec 2008 00:02:45 -0500, Justin
<justin (AT) nobecauseihatespam (DOT) com> wrote:

Yes indeed. I've seen them at swap meets, but it's been a long time.

I believe period chargers used selenium rectifiers. Some early
chargers included a light bulb in series as a current control.

Sorry I can't help with more detail, but someone else will no doubt
step in.

Joe
--
Heather & Joe Way
Sierra Specialty Automotive
Brake cylinders sleeved with brass
Gus Wilson Stories
http://www.brakecylinder.com

fred wrote:

I'll put that on the wall, but I think it will get shot down pretty
quickly. Part of the problem is not to interfere with people anymore
than they have to. The main problem is getting the thing into space.
Its not my department, but the crazy FTL drive can only be fired in
space. So once in orbit, power generation isn't an issue.

I think the Italy idea is a better one actually, we won't have to use as
many vehicles thanks to Europe not being as industrialized as the US pre
WW2 at the tail end of the depression.

On Dec 19, 9:31*pm, Heather & Joe Way <j... (AT) brakecylinder (DOT) com> wrote:
Brits used battery-powered radios at home well into the fifties and
got them re-charged at the local Chemist (drugstore to Yanks.) The
same may have existed in the US.

On Dec 20, 1:21*pm, Stude <midl... (AT) earthlink (DOT) net> wrote:
BTW,many area of the US (urban) had DC power in the homes. In the
"Back Bay" section of Boston,
this carried into the 1950s.
If your travellers knew this they might want to bring inverters,
transformers, and rectifers

Justin wrote:

Sophisticated jets don't use kerosene. Civilian jets use a fuel called jet-A,
which is very similar to diesel, which is essentially the same thing as heating
oil. You can run a modern jet on diesel or heating oil, but you can't run a
diesel engine on jet-A for long. The big advantage of jet-A is that it's less
flammable than other fuels, which makes it safer. Military jets run on something
called JP-6, which is even safer than jet-A. Early jets, however, ran on
low-test gasoline, and military jets in the 50s ran on kerosene, so it's
possible that you could run a modern jet engine on either.

In any case, the quality of kerosene back then would be much better than
anything this spaceship crew could produce on their own. Oil cracking plants
tend to be large, expensive, and complicated.

Alcohol is easily made, of course, but I think you would need some sort of
oxidant. Liquid oxygen would be beyond the technology of the time. Hydrogen
peroxide was used in some early rockets. You also have to figure on the fact
that prohibition started in 1920, so your crew runs the risk of imprisonment if
they try to set up a still.

And what voltages were common in Italy in the '20s?

You miss my point. Your spacefarers are going to need money to buy all of this
stuff back in 1920. VISA ain't gonna cut it. That money will have to be
something like gold or silver certificates printed back then. Having them find a
wealthy benefactor will probably have to be part of the plot. Unless they can
sell something. Maybe make it a cargo ship that's carrying a lot of something
that was expensive in 1920?

George Patterson
The cost of living hasn't affected its popularity.

Justin wrote:

Well, if you have to get it into orbit, you have to use rockets or some sort of
drive we don't have yet. Depending on the design, jets max out between 50,000'
and 70,000'. On the plus side, using rockets gives you some versatility. A
liquid fueled rocket needs two substances; the one that burns and an oxidizer.
You can elect to have your spaceship be short of either one.

I take it the time frame is still up in the air? A few posts back, you were
talking about 1920. The tail end of the depression was the late '30s. Frankly, I
think it would be a poor idea to place this in Italy after about 1924. Mussolini
was beginning to be a real power by that time, and it would be difficult for
your spaceship crew to find the solitude they would need in a fascist State.

On the other hand, if you think that Europe was less industrialized than the
U.S. during the '20s and '30s, you might want to hit the History department of
your local library.

George Patterson
The cost of living hasn't affected its popularity.

On Dec 20, 8:36*pm, George Patterson <grpph... (AT) verizon (DOT) net> wrote:
You should see the matrix of polarity/voltages/frequencies in 1970s
Italy!