> > About the dynamo, not sure really, it's one of those that "leans"
> > on the tire for rotation.

It MUST go - almosty all the energy going into it is lost to mechanical
loss. You will not feel the power taken by a LD lamp if efficiently done.
Try a magnet or a few magnets evenly spaced on the rim and a pickup coil.
You may be pleasantly surprised. This is already done by others.

> Yuck. Haven't used one of those for a long long time. Complete
> PITA as I remember. I spend enough time in 1st already on
> Auckland's damn hills (for those who don't know, Auckland is
> built on around 20 volcanic cones, errr, extinct ones hopefully,

AFAIK there are actually about 100 distinct volcanic cones on the Auckland
field - many are no longer easily distinguishable as such. This is a
hot-spot in the volcanic plate much as that which forms the Hawaiian
Islands - just not so impressive. The field is still live but all past
mounds are dead. The last volcano was about 800 years ago (Rangitoto Island
just off the Auckland City coast). Rangitoto accounts for twice as much
material as all the rest of the volcanos before it combined !!! If we get
another of similar size in the city area proper much of Auckland will cease
to exist.

The good news is that Auckland volcanoes are getting more frequent and
larger with time. The average time between is about 2000 years and recently
its rather shorter. That means we are overdue (honestly) for another one and
it should be a real beaut. With any luck Jinx and I should see another one
here in out lifetimes. The main difference is that he lives on the edge of
the volcano zone and I live comfortably outside it - would do wonders for my
property price :-)

If you want REAL volcanoes a little South from here there is a volcano so
large that the locals don't know it is there !!! Largest volcanic eruption
on earth in the last 20,000 years plus. Closest thing to Olympus Mons that
you are liable to be able to touch in this lifetime. So big that we call it
"the volcanic plateau" - its real name SHOULD be Mount Taupo. Crater is a
lake 25 miles wide and about 40 miles long. Ten miles or so south there is a
5000 foot mountain (Tongariro/Ngaruahoe - one mountain but we think it is
two)) . In the last eruption the ash wave from Taupo overtopped this
mountain by about 3000 feet. You can run but you can't hide. The eruption
would have been observable throughout the world (if you had been there).

.

            Russell

--
http://www.piclist.com hint: PICList Posts must start with ONE topic:
[PIC]:,[SX]:,[AVR]: ->uP ONLY! [EE]:,[OT]: ->Other [BUY]:,[AD]: ->Ads