Hallo zusammen, Kiki und Karli haben sich bei einem Dochtlampentreffen eine interessante Frage einfallen lassen; Wie warm oder heiß wird ein Lufo-Radio am Spannungsgenerator und welche Spannung liefert es? Oliver S. stellte ein Radio zur Verfügung, damit es schnell gemessen werden konnte. Hier das Ergebnis: Die maximale Temperatur beträgt 225 °C / 316 °C, je nach Dochthöhe beträgt die erzeugte Spannung 2,81 V / 4,25 V. Es macht keinen Sinn, aber es macht Spaß
Saw your identical post in pelam forum Germany. Why don't you use at least the google translator to post in english in this forum?
I can't understand why that happened, but here's the translation again: Hello everyone, Kiki and Karli have come up with an interesting question at a wick lamp meeting; How warm or hot does a Lufo radio get on the voltage generator and what voltage does it deliver? Oliver S. had a radio available so that it could be measured quickly. Here is the result: The maximum temperature is 225 ° C / 356 ° C, depending on the wick height, the voltage generated by the die is 2.81 V / 4.25 V.
I gather this is a thermocouple that attaches to the top of a kero lantern which generates sufficient electricity to run a small transistor radio. What sort of thermocouples are used and are they readily avaliable ? Would be handy for a long term campsite. Thanks for any information.
@presscall : Thanks have seen those gadgets about on various camping forums. Think somehow the lantern sort would be more practicable as a lantern would be burning constantly for quite a while.
@bp4willi : Thanks for the link, unfortunately with the dismal exchange of AU dollar to Euro they are quite expensive. Will think about it for a while as to whether the device is worth it.
I think that with the now available technique of thermocouplers, which I hope is better these days, and looking to the thermogenerator principle, it would be an idea to develope a more, brand independable universal thermogenerator. the lufo has almost such a design. Make it usable on a Aladdin mantle lamp and/or petromax (universal) and you are in business. At least one point has to be adressed and that is to keep the cooling vins cool. The heat of the light under it must be diverted. The design should be foucussed on efficienty and not size. So it may stick out. I am pretty convinced that in the electric static cooling corner there may be already a suitbale (base) shape.
After three years of hesitation finally went out and purchased a Lufo radio lantern from Pelam in Germany. Despite the poor exchange rate and high freight charges. The Lufo was very well double boxed and happily arrived undamaged in surprisingly good time. Quickly filled up the font, let the wick soak for a while and did the first lightup. The kerosene lantern is a run of the mill Chinese lantern. The radio which is based on a Sony CXA161BS DL1 chip is something of a joke. The FM receiver gets swamped on strong adjacent stations requireing the telescopic whip to be shorted to reduce signal levels. Then it works ok. The AM radio only has a short barely 50mm/2 inches ferrite rod and is only useful for listening to close in radio stations. Hopeless for anyone out in a remote area, no provision for an external aerial. Volume levels when signals are good is quite adequate for listening. The actual thermocouple power unit (finned thing ) is of good quality and works very well. Takes about 10 mins or so to heat up and supply power. Once fully heated up the flame can be turned down to save kero and will still give out useable power. Mine developed 3 to 4 volts at 70mA into a brief short circuit load. Quickly installed a power outlet jack so could use the thermo power for other more useful better quality radios. The little Sony radio which is a 3 volt radio works very well when powered by the Lufo. Good volume, perfectly listenable on both FM and AM. The Techsun AN-100 loop is a great help on distant AM radio stations. Looking about for a 3 volt radio with shortwave capability. So to be quite honest although not a cheap purchase am quite pleased with the Lufo which will be handy at campsites. Or as a remote area radio/ light source. Granted the wick kero lantern is not the brightest thing about. Think my Austramax's will still be with me at the campsite.
It might be interesting to put a 100 Ohm resistor on it and see what Voltage it gives then. 30-40mA would be expected if it was a perfect Voltage source which it won't be. If it drops to say 1.5-2V then the generators own internal resistance is about 100 Ohms too.
LUFO ThermoGenerator operating range : Please look here: https://homepages.uni-regensburg.de/~erc24492/Ideen_Sammlung/Lampen-Radio.pdf Unfornately in german, but don't hasitate to aks questions !!!
A delay answering as yesterday was 38C not the environment for playing with lanterns. Thanks to @Olaf - DL8OBH / AF0A for the printed tests on the Lufo. So armed myself with a selection of resistors, multimeters, transistor radio and the Lufo. The little Sony AM/FM set (in my earlier photo) which is a old school analogue radio works well with the Lufo. Tuned to a clear strong FM station and set to a comfortable listening level draws about 10 to 11mA depending on voice peaks. No distortion. The terminal voltage of the Lufo drops to 2.8 to 3.0 volts depending on voice peaks. Unloaded the Lufo gives 3.5 volts. Ambient air temperature 20C. Experimented with various resistor loads. 56 ohm = 32mA = terminal V 1.6 volts 100 ohm = 22 mA = terminal V 2.3 volts 150 ohm = 17 mA = terminal V 2.6 volts 220 ohm = 12 mA = terminal V 2.8 volts These readings are consistent with the German tests already mentioned which indicate the Lufo is comfortable with supplying 50mW or 10 to 15mA. Quite capable of supplying a analogue type transistor radio at moderate volume levels without any bother. I am hopefully soon to get a Sony ICF SW 11 which should work well with the Lufo.
