Unfortunately, like the Candle Stower, the Power Pot is no longer available. There's a knockoff on Amazon that comes with a gas stove and a small box wood stove, but I wouldn't trust it. It's got that typica "it comes in a set" pricing that's probably twice what the pieces would cost if purchased separately.
It looks like thermoelectric sources aren't good sellers. I'm pretty sure that's because they're perceived as dedicated electrical generators, and they're not. They make electricity from a side effect, and not a very efficient one at that. The only reason to use one is to make use of the waste heat from heating water for hot drinks or dehydrated food, which you have to heat water for anyway. It's temperature *differential* that these things run off anyway, and people don't get that. It's not a heat-engine like a gas generator, or even a fuel cell, would be. It's highest efficiency is when the water in the pot is coldest, not when it's hottest. The benefit of using the hot water to make food or drink is that in order to generate electricity best, you need to get rid of the hot water and put in fresh cold water...so you might as well put the hot water to a good use that doesn't waste all that energy. I don't use my Candle Stower when the weather is hot, because that's when I'm least likely to want to have hot coffee, and would probably rather drink the cold water to cool myself, than pour it into a pot to heat it up. But in the Fall, or early Winter, sure! This is why I researched the use of consumer-grade USB PD/QC power banks for field use. They're lighter than other batteries, less bulky, more durable, and usually cheaper. They only require the addition of a $10 trigger cable to run a 12V radio, and they are multitaskers, able to charge your other USB devices as well. I love Bioennos and Talentcells, but I'd rather carry a 20Ah PD power bank than my 12Ah LiFePO4 12v Talentcell. Out of the box, my PD power bank can plug right into my phone, my watch, my tablet, my Baofeng T1 HT, and the 3 flashlights I typically carry. Add the trigger cable, and it can power my QRP rigs as well. To do that with my 12Ah Talentcell, I'd have to add a bunch of additional circuitry, and the Talentcell is already at least 2X and often 3X the cost of that PD power bank. And the power bank has more juice. But I can also easily charge the USB bank with a USB solar panel. I'd need an additional charge controller to do that with the Talentcell, even if I could do it with the same panel, which I probably can't. The solar panel I have is a folding one with dedicated USB out. There's no place to attach a 12v charge controller to it to charge the Talentcell. The USB bank doesn't care. Run the cable to the microUSB in or the USB-C in, and it's happy to sit and charge. The only reason I mentioned the Thermoelectric option is because I already have it. It may not be the best option, but it's an option I have. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- 73, Gwen, NG3P On Fri, Jul 2, 2021 at 3:17 PM Gwen Patton <ard...@gmail.com> wrote: > Thanks, Walter. I hadn't known about the Power Pot. I have a Candle > Stower, which does work, albeit slowly. I don't own a Biolite stove, > myself, it's just one of the only other thermoelectric gadgets I knew about. > > -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- > 73, > Gwen, NG3P > > > On Fri, Jul 2, 2021 at 3:12 PM Walter Underwood <wun...@wunderwood.org> > wrote: > >> If that is the Biolite stove/charger, it isn’t a good stove or a good >> charger. Detailed review here, the conclusion is: >> >> "If you want to cook with wood in the backcountry, get yourself a decent >> wood stove or make your own. If you’re looking for a way to recharge USB >> enabled devices, I’d recommend you use batteries or a rechargeable power >> brick instead of the BioLite wood burning CampStove. This product is a >> gimmick that will be shelved in your basement after a single outing." >> >> https://sectionhiker.com/biolite-campstove-the-substance-beyond-the-hype/ >> < >> https://sectionhiker.com/biolite-campstove-the-substance-beyond-the-hype/ >> > >> >> On the other hand, the PowerPot appears to actually work, and could be >> used with a good wood stove (SoloStove) or a camp stove. Here is the >> conclusion from that review (same reviewer): >> >> "I’m impressed with the PowerPot. Quite impressed. This is one of the >> most efficient power generating options available today for backpackers and >> campers who are off-the-grid for extended periods of time but need >> electricity to recharge battery-powered devices. If you’re using a solar >> charger/battery pack combo like the PowerMonkey Extreme (16 ounces) or the >> Goal Zero Guide 10 Plus Solar Kit (19 ounces) for backpacking adventures, >> you should take a look at using the PowerPot instead. It’s a lighter weight >> solution (14.1 ounces) that is seasonally and weather independent. Now if >> they’d only come out with a still lighter and smaller UL version." >> >> https://sectionhiker.com/powerpot-review/ < >> https://sectionhiker.com/powerpot-review/> >> >> wunder >> K6WRU >> Walter Underwood >> CM87wj >> http://observer.wunderwood.org/ (my blog) >> >> > On Jul 2, 2021, at 11:19 AM, Julia Tuttle <ju...@juliatuttle.net> >> wrote: >> > >> > Whoa, can you share a link to that thermoelectric one? It sounds super >> neat. >> > >> > On Fri, Jul 2, 2021, 14:17 Gwen Patton <ard...@gmail.com> wrote: >> > >> >> I saw that when you posted it, Howard. It's a neat system. I decided >> to go >> >> with a universal external battery solution. I have plenty of external >> PD >> >> and QC power from power banks that will also charge my other USB >> devices. I >> >> also have 3 different kinds of USB chargers for the power banks -- GaN >> AC >> >> charger, solar panel with USB output, and a thermoelectric USB charger >> that >> >> also makes hot water for coffee or dehydrated food. I suppose I can >> also >> >> count a USB car charger. >> >> >> >> -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- >> >> 73, >> >> Gwen, NG3P >> >> >> >> >> >> On Fri, Jul 2, 2021 at 10:56 AM Howard Zehr <k4lxy...@gmail.com> >> wrote: >> >> >> >>> You might want to consider the option I describe in this blog entry. >> It >> >>> uses LifePO4 AA batteries and though they have to be charged outside >> the >> >>> rig, they are much more satisfactory in my opinion. >> >>> 73 Howard K4LXY >> >>> https://k4lxycw.wixsite.com/blog/blog < >> >>> https://k4lxycw.wixsite.com/blog/blog> >> >>> >> >>> >> >>> Howard Zehr >> >>> K4LXY >> >>> Radio blog: https://k4lxycw.wixsite.com/blog/blog >> >>> >> >>> Photo gallery: www.howardzehr.com >> >>> >> >>> >> >>> >> >>> >> >>> >> >>> >> >>> >> >>> ______________________________________________________________ >> >>> Elecraft mailing list >> >>> Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft >> >>> Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm >> >>> Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net >> >>> >> >>> This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net >> >>> Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html >> >>> Message delivered to ard...@gmail.com >> >>> >> >> ______________________________________________________________ >> >> Elecraft mailing list >> >> Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft >> >> Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm >> >> Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net >> >> >> >> This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net >> >> Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html >> >> Message delivered to ju...@juliatuttle.net >> >> >> > ______________________________________________________________ >> > Elecraft mailing list >> > Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft >> > Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm >> > Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net >> > >> > This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net >> > Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html >> > Message delivered to wun...@wunderwood.org >> >> ______________________________________________________________ >> Elecraft mailing list >> Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft >> Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm >> Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net >> >> This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net >> Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html >> Message delivered to ard...@gmail.com > > ______________________________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html Message delivered to arch...@mail-archive.com
