17 Responses

1. Great stuff! Always good to see the creations of other guys like myself
   who build shit because they can!

   Here’s an idea I am incorporating into my windvane – flash the LED in time
   with the propeller, and you will be able to see how hard the wind is
   blowing at night!

2. Cool . Maybe put a display on how fast the wind is blowing with the LEDs

3. Neat video! I never new about the electric motor being able to
   make electricity like a generator when the shaft spins.

4. Yep, It will have to have power storage, no matter what…
   Sometimes I wish I was independently wealthy, so as to be in a shop all day
   think’n and build’n… Thats the life… Tinker’n…

5. But- the wind usually stops at night.

6. Great video ! Learned something new from this. Thanks, I will try this
   soon. Thanks and keep them coming.

7. second – great reminder that with all the junk we have out there (ie.. old
   printers etc..) we are surrounded by potential generators 

8. Love the video for a couple reasons – first, it’s a great reminder that
   when you add electricity a motor can generate physical power for things
   things but when you reverse the process and apply physical power to the
   motor you turn it into a generator and create electricity. Most people
   don’t know this and it’s simple but so well illustrated by the video – Same
   reason you can start your car by pushing it down hill and throwing it into
   gear – good work!

9. hey that works i took a motor out of a printer hook it up to a led lamp it
   lights up
   now i’m going to make a Whirligig thank you………

   mike byrd

10. That is really cool, thanks for the tech info and the basic idea. I may
    attempt one of these myself

11. Thank you send me a note if you do

12. Nice… Let me know how it goes.

13. Printer stepper motors work great. Good luck with yours

14. Good thing I saved the old printer so I can get the motor out of it.

15. I have a BUNCH of stepper motors, I’m going to do this with one of them to
    test them out. thanks

16. you must take this to QVC! Dude, this is awesome! I can imagine it as an
    airplane with all the lights inside the cockpit and running lights and
    windows that allow you to see the inside seats, etc…….. Did you finish
    another ? waterproofed ? more lights?

17. Thanks, I never did work on this anymore after this video. So many ideas,
    so little time…