3 ms·

This misses the point entirely. If you want access to digital tools after a collapse, then you design a (resilient, hard to break, easy to repair) transformer t

This misses the point entirely. If you want access to digital tools after a collapse, then you design a (resilient, hard to break, easy to repair) transformer that can convert ANY kind of electricity into e.g. 12v DC. Pair it with a paper manual that describes a few ways to generate power from raw materials (diy batteries, ways to use copper wire if you can get some, etc). Then keep some laptops in a waterproof box.

anonzzzies 2y ago
Old laptops or old boards with crts. Sure power is an issue but with your transformer (which is present in most 80s computers) and large, easy to replace and often even make components, you stand a lot more chance of that stuff surviving decades of use. No chance with laptops; maybe if you pack 100 x220 thinkpads? Those you can swap parts out. Still not robust as some of the 80s monsters I have which got wet (roof leak), too hot and had parts break but still work 40 years later. Some with no fixes at all. Those crt monitors are very robust as well, easy to repair-ish (you can use them even with a lot of damage). I have enough computers, diy and farming experience to probably be alive and kicking for a while if this happens, but I think I am not so interested to try.
- generalizations 2y ago
  The point is that the computer is the easy part. It's the fun part to think about, but it's not important for achieving the goal. The hard part is powering it, when the infrastructure to generate clean electricity is gone. What will you plug your transformer into? So solve that, create robust sources for electric power, and the rest can be solved with a few bulk laptop purchases off ebay.
  - kjellsbells 2y ago
    Not just power generation but also the calorific and opportunity cost of working on that (or indeed anything that does not immediately pay off in energy terms). Or else you die before your compiler is done ;) If you have more than one survivor, you quickly need to learn to trade and cooperate to maximize your energy return, or else you all die, one by one.
    - 0hijinks 2y ago
      This. Skill sharing among a small tribe is the most effective way to survive a catastrophe, and I am concerned modern societies are poorly conditioned to do it well. Speaking from a North American perspective, kids are educated in how to succeed in a national/global economy, not how to build small communities and develop/share useful skills. TBH, the latter feels "obsolete" nowadays. Maybe that's a problem.
  - wao0uuno 2y ago
    Generating power from trash is easier than you think: https://hackaday.com/2014/09/01/hydropower-from-a-washing-mashine/ https://hackaday.com/2014/09/01/hydropower-from-a-washing-ma...
    - generalizations 2y ago
      Right: now you have ~29V and a bunch of amps. With other trash combos, you have other voltages. And that's assuming you have a working voltmeter to even know what you have. Different trash will give you a different output, and what will you do with that? Plug it into the 'universal transformer' I was talking about, and you're in business. Known power output (that won't fry your precious electronics) and you don't have to care much what the input is.
kragen 2y ago
If you want to build electronics, such as your proposed 12-volt buck-boost converter, you'll find your job immensely easier if you can build them with microcontrollers. That goes double for test equipment. So I don't think it misses the point for that reason.

anonzzzies 2y ago

Old laptops or old boards with crts. Sure power is an issue but with your transformer (which is present in most 80s computers) and large, easy to replace and often even make components, you stand a lot more chance of that stuff surviving decades of use. No chance with laptops; maybe if you pack 100 x220 thinkpads? Those you can swap parts out. Still not robust as some of the 80s monsters I have which got wet (roof leak), too hot and had parts break but still work 40 years later. Some with no fixes at all. Those crt monitors are very robust as well, easy to repair-ish (you can use them even with a lot of damage). I have enough computers, diy and farming experience to probably be alive and kicking for a while if this happens, but I think I am not so interested to try.

generalizations 2y ago
The point is that the computer is the easy part. It's the fun part to think about, but it's not important for achieving the goal. The hard part is powering it, when the infrastructure to generate clean electricity is gone. What will you plug your transformer into? So solve that, create robust sources for electric power, and the rest can be solved with a few bulk laptop purchases off ebay.
- kjellsbells 2y ago
  Not just power generation but also the calorific and opportunity cost of working on that (or indeed anything that does not immediately pay off in energy terms). Or else you die before your compiler is done ;) If you have more than one survivor, you quickly need to learn to trade and cooperate to maximize your energy return, or else you all die, one by one.
  - 0hijinks 2y ago
    This. Skill sharing among a small tribe is the most effective way to survive a catastrophe, and I am concerned modern societies are poorly conditioned to do it well. Speaking from a North American perspective, kids are educated in how to succeed in a national/global economy, not how to build small communities and develop/share useful skills. TBH, the latter feels "obsolete" nowadays. Maybe that's a problem.
- wao0uuno 2y ago
  Generating power from trash is easier than you think: https://hackaday.com/2014/09/01/hydropower-from-a-washing-mashine/ https://hackaday.com/2014/09/01/hydropower-from-a-washing-ma...
  - generalizations 2y ago
    Right: now you have ~29V and a bunch of amps. With other trash combos, you have other voltages. And that's assuming you have a working voltmeter to even know what you have. Different trash will give you a different output, and what will you do with that? Plug it into the 'universal transformer' I was talking about, and you're in business. Known power output (that won't fry your precious electronics) and you don't have to care much what the input is.

kragen 2y ago

If you want to build electronics, such as your proposed 12-volt buck-boost converter, you'll find your job immensely easier if you can build them with microcontrollers. That goes double for test equipment. So I don't think it misses the point for that reason.