In theory this would work

[Gordie]

Ok I was thinking of this for a long time now and I have to see what tyur reaction would be..

You have a 12 volt marine battery hooked up to a inverter hooked up to a 12 volt battery charger (like the ones used to charge 12 volt cordless drills)and thats hooked back up to the battery.

The battery should never go dead right

I know what your thinking and I know that I really confuse myself sometimes but I thought I would share the thoughts of a crazy cat guy

BTW it really hurts when I think

[Scott K]

It takes more energy to convert energy, so it would eventually drain itself.

Or you could take a 12 volt battery hook it up to a 12 volt electric motor, and run an alternator off the electric motor to recharge the battery. We tried this in votech, it didnt last to long, the battery was dead by the end of the day.

[bobbymalone]

uuhhhh. no.. i hope you were joking.

nothing is 100% efficient, so you will use a little more energy than what comes out the end of the charger. besides you aren't making energy with that system, just converting it from one form to another and then back. even with 100% efficiency you would break even with inverter/charger system and still be draining the battery everytime you turned on the radio or started or motor or whatever else.

Maybe you should try this instead: Fill the inside of a coffee can with mirrors. Shine a flashlight in there and then quickly cap the lid. Now the light will be reflecting off the mirrors inside the coffee can and you can open it to light something up

[OutFishin']

It would be nice if it did work like that. Perpetual Energy!!...........that would solve alot of the worlds problems

[DTro]

You better send that to Al Gore, elwood.

You just gave me a headache.

[Scott K]

I like the mirror idea, I am going to tell my kids to try that

[Gordie]

Yes it is a joke I know that it would not work but if it would think of the possibilities endless power on a cat boat would be sweet.

I just had to see the response and Dtro I know about that headace I thought of it. but its more like a brain freeze

[SteveD]

And I thought some of my ideas were strange.

[CarpinMNRiver]

You could put a stationary bike in the boat and hook it up to charge the battery. How about using the river's current to generate power? I just have 4 marine batteries and like 10 flashlights when I go out. My buddy gets Interstate marine batteries for 35 bucks a pop.

[MinnesnowtaWild]

Gordie the mad scientist.

[Gordie]

Gordie the mad scientist.

crazy catfisherman is more like it

[mainbutter]

You're going to experience a voltage/amperage drop between every connection. Get a meter and test it out.

[jeffreyd]

why not get a solar panel use it during daylight hours to store the energy in a containment system? or even if you are on a river that has some up/down motion then create a wave generator to create electricity to recharge the containment system at night? or a paddlewheel that could be thrown out and generate power back to the same catchment? Lots of great ideas you have just wanted to add a few more.

[icehousebob]

Jefferyd, I think you hit on something. Instead of a paddle wheel, convert a Minnkota trolling motor to a generator. When you're moving the spinning of the prop on it generates power. And if you anchor in the current, the movement of the river would charge your batteries.

[mainbutter]

Turbine generated electricity isn't limited to wind. Flowing water would work fine too.

The problem is that turbines small enough to use in rivers don't produce a ton of energy, and that kind of equipment is heavy enough anyhoo to be impractical for the people who would most want to make use of it.

[RumRiverRat]

Maybe you should try this instead: Fill the inside of a coffee can with mirrors. Shine a flashlight in there and then quickly cap the lid. Now the light will be reflecting off the mirrors inside the coffee can and you can open it to light something up

Are you sure that would not work?