ACORN
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Where did they get the electricity to power the telegraphs? Battery, steam powered generators?
Wild west question
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ContinentalOp
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According to this source, primarily batteries but there were also local generators powered by steam, heat, or water.
Telegraph Part 4 - Early battery and telegraph line technology. - Rolly Martin Country
Telegraph Part 4 - Early battery and telegraph line technology. - Rolly Martin Country
Early telegraph systems used lead acid batteries, it was part of the job of running the telegraph office. It was a very low voltage system, like the old school telephone.
They used the static electricity generated by the chaps worn by cowboys.
Interest historical note, telegraph equipment being damaged was the only real sign of the first serious EMP, generated by a massive solar flare shortly before the Civil War. actually set some stuff on fire and fried some coils.
With that type of power they could only send a message about 30-40 miles.
A bank of batteries. The same technology is still used today. I spent a lot of years servicing these systems throughout New England, where these systems were very prevalent.
[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3WMDSQAsIUs[/ame]
[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3WMDSQAsIUs[/ame]
DWalt
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I remember seeing old movies in which telegraph offices are shown having batteries in the form of glass jars which contained electrodes and chemical solutions. The first practical chemical batteries that could be used to power telegraph systems date from the mid-1830s. Lead-acid storage batteries didn't come along until around the time of the the Civil War, and even then you had the problem of charging them.
For those interested in investing in the future, I expect the field of storage battery development for use in applications such as electric vehicles and solar/wind power storage to have very active growth prospects for the next 20 years. There are several ETFs that specialize in stocks of companies developing battery technology on several levels, and also battery raw materials, especially Lithium.
For those interested in investing in the future, I expect the field of storage battery development for use in applications such as electric vehicles and solar/wind power storage to have very active growth prospects for the next 20 years. There are several ETFs that specialize in stocks of companies developing battery technology on several levels, and also battery raw materials, especially Lithium.
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ContinentalOp
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FWIW, a few years ago I had a chemistry professor who often encouraged students to go into electrochemistry and battery research.
UncleEd
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UncleEd
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ContinentalOp
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DWalt
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There is a great deal more activity in that area going on right now than most outside the industry realize. It's one of the main reasons that Tesla stock is skyrocketing at present - their battery technology. One of the greatest challenges of the 21st century will be the development of electricity storage devices (not necessarily batteries as we know them today) of minimum weight, minimum cost, minimum size, and maximum storage capacity that will be completely safe. That's how we will get all those EVs which can go 1000 miles between charges, recharge in 15 minutes, and enable utilization of solar and wind power to the maximum extent. And that is NOT daydreaming. Those who have the resources to invest in electrical storage technology now but don't will be sorry in five years. Look up BATT and LIT ETFs. Now is an excellent time to look into electric utility stocks also. The power to run all those EVs has to come from somewhere.
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One of these days somebody is going to get their collective Sierra together and figure out the whole Fusion thing and all of the electrical problems will be solved without any problem with waste. I remember reading a hundred years ago in Omni magazine that back then they figured it would be solved in fifteen to twenty years. Then there was all the mystery around rare earth magnets and cool Fushion, Magnetic Levitation High Speed Rail all that neat stuff and yet here we are still fusting about the Fission. There must be some kind of conspiracy between electrical companies and the fuel magnate keeping Fusion from becoming a reality. They've managed to get it to work but are having issues with containment. Tesla has his own battery plant, I love that guy he currently rates as my favorite immigrant American...I invested in his stock years ago and did very well supporting his dream of getting into space.
DWalt
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People have been talking about fusion power ever since WWII, and current estimates are that, as a commercial venture, fusion electrical generation is still at least 30 years out. But there may well be some small pilot-scale fusion reactors in operation by 2030 if not earlier. Of course, we have nuclear power right now, which is safe, efficient,and economical. But it has become a huge political football due to memories of Fukishima, Three Mile Island, and Chernobyl. There is only one new Nuke facility under construction in the US (Plant Vogtle 3&4, 2.3GW, Georgia Power), and that has been going on for around 20 years and it's still not on line. Doubtful if anyone reading this will still be alive if and when fusion power becomes a commercial reality. Most future emphasis will be on wind and solar generation, and those will require massive storage capacity to become reliable sources when the wind doesn't blow and the sun doesn't shine.
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wheelgun28
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I have a Gamewell a bit older than the one in the video.
Its from my inlaws, he was a Chief of a fire dept. When they took all of them down they had a lottery as to who go one.
It is heavy cast iron, and its as-is from service. Layers of paint, a small amount of graffiti on one side.
DWalt
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When I was a kid, those red Gamewell call boxes were scattered around the downtown area. Long before cops carried radios and cell phones.
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