Foo - Wireless Power Transmission

It seems Tesla (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nikola_Tesla)'s dream is coming true.

After three years of keeping its technology under close guard, Powercast has come to CES 2007 to get consumer and manufacturer attention. Powercast is a radio frequency that is transmitted over a small area, and its energy is "harvested"--wirelessly--to give power to small devices like cell phones.

While it's presented as wireless power, Powercast isn't just a replacement for a universal charger. Instead, it's meant to either continuously charge a battery or replace the need for them altogether…

http://www.eetimes.com/news/latest/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=196900082

or
http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-12760_7-9673092-5.html?tag=txt

Hmmmmmmmm
That sounds sooo interesting. But I have to wonder how many people will get cancer or migraines from that. BUT DMAN!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hmmmmmmmm
That sounds sooo interesting. But I have to wonder how many people will get cancer or migraines from that. BUT DMAN!!!!!!!!!!!!
Yeah...that is the obvious question, isn't it?

But...it's just a frequency.....in theory shouldn't be any different than the thousands of transmissions on other frequencies.

Supposedly this has been in use by intelligence agencies for years, to power small "bugs". I remember reading about this in some journal somewhere many years ago.

If spies used it, they'd have to plug the power beacon in close proximity to the bugs. Signal strength drops pretty quickly over distance. Plus, any bugsweeper that came in would pick up on the power beacon if it was tuned to that RF range (900 Mhz).

Get a lightbulb and a small solar panel. Voila, wireless power. :p

Get a lightbulb and a small solar panel. Voila, wireless power. :p
What powers the lightbulb? :p

Supposedly this has been in use by intelligence agencies for years, to power small "bugs". I remember reading about this in some journal somewhere many years ago.
And by people who lived under the huge power lines /transformers. You can light up a light bulb dimly using that.



Of course one problem pointed out, is that if it's broadcasted then how much is wasted

What powers the lightbulb? :p
:roflmao:

Supposedly this has been in use by intelligence agencies for years, to power small "bugs". I remember reading about this in some journal somewhere many years ago.
Bugs, now a days should be able to use the simple electromagnetic that humans and what not give off much the way some pacemakers work now. .

What powers the lightbulb? :p

The real question is what powers the wireless power transmission?

If you ask me, the sun and wind can and should be used to power every human need for electricity. Its there, it would work, and yet we burn fossile fuels.

The real question is what powers the wireless power transmission?

If you ask me, the sun and wind can and should be used to power every human need for electricity. Its there, it would work, and yet we burn fossile fuels.

I was going to answer "same thing that powers the wireless power transmitter", but you beat me to it. While the concept of this technology is really exciting, I don't actually find the product that useful. Let me know when they can charge my electric car as I'm driving down the freeway, though.

It seems Tesla (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nikola_Tesla)'s dream is coming true.

After three years of keeping its technology under close guard, Powercast has come to CES 2007 to get consumer and manufacturer attention. Powercast is a radio frequency that is transmitted over a small area, and its energy is "harvested"--wirelessly--to give power to small devices like cell phones.

While it's presented as wireless power, Powercast isn't just a replacement for a universal charger. Instead, it's meant to either continuously charge a battery or replace the need for them altogether*

http://www.eetimes.com/news/latest/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=196900082

or
http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-12760_7-9673092-5.html?tag=txt

Wasn't it edisons idea to transfer power and tesla just created the theory and practical application of it?
Either way, I want a tesla coil on my bike!!

The real question is what powers the wireless power transmission?

If you ask me, the sun and wind can and should be used to power every human need for electricity. Its there, it would work, and yet we burn fossile fuels.

Be patient. Sun and wind will always be around. We're not done with the fossil fuels yet.

Wasn't it edisons idea to transfer power and tesla just created the theory and practical application of it?
Either way, I want a tesla coil on my bike!!

Tesla's worked on his coils primarily for communication, as an alternative to Marconi's approach to radio, but he also started pushing it for power transmission.

The conflict with Edison, however, was over work he did for Edison helping him develop DC power generators. First of all, he wanted to use AC, which was the better choice for local transmission, but Edison was insistent on DC. Secondly, there was a misunderstanding about how much he would get paid for his work. In the end, Tesla got fed up and went to help Westinghouse develop reliable AC generators, and Westinghouse won out.

Anyway, this isn't exactly new. I saw a similar device (http://www.thinkgeek.com/stuff/41/wec.shtml) on Think Geek a year or two ago. These guys just finally came up with a somewhat practical use for the idea.

You won't see this become particularly widespread, certainly not like Tesla promoted. There's efficiency and interference issues.

Didn't the MythBusters try to do something like this? They used a crap load of wire to make a huge antenna to pick up radio waves and convert it to electricity in the Free Energy episode, or something like that.

Tesla's worked on his coils primarily for communication, as an alternative to Marconi's approach to radio, but he also started pushing it for power transmission.

The conflict with Edison, however, was over work he did for Edison helping him develop DC power generators. First of all, he wanted to use AC, which was the better choice for local transmission, but Edison was insistent on DC. Secondly, there was a misunderstanding about how much he would get paid for his work. In the end, Tesla got fed up and went to help Westinghouse develop reliable AC generators, and Westinghouse won out.

Anyway, this isn't exactly new. I saw a similar device (http://www.thinkgeek.com/stuff/41/wec.shtml) on Think Geek a year or two ago. These guys just finally came up with a somewhat practical use for the idea.

You won't see this become particularly widespread, certainly not like Tesla promoted. There's efficiency and interference issues.and health issues.

Didn't the MythBusters try to do something like this? They used a crap load of wire to make a huge antenna to pick up radio waves and convert it to electricity in the Free Energy episode, or something like that.
If Mythbusters told you that you couldn't power your car with vegetable oil would you not do it?
If Mtyhbusters told you that you could not power your house without electricity, simply using renewable energy sources or etc does this mean it can't be done?

You have a bunch of idiots writing a show doing ******** things. Yes I understand it's a very popular show, but they are anything but the de facto when it comes to what can't and can't be done.

This has always been capable of being done. My dad's generation was doing this next to huge power transformers and those huge power lines. Anywhere there is an electromagnetic field/wave there is the potential to harness it

Nah...mythbusters ain't a bad show. I think Taerom was talking about some kind of something-from-nothing energy creation scheme or some nonsense like that they were disproving.

The plots may at times be downright corny, but the guys running the show are reasonably intelligent.

Nah...mythbusters ain't a bad show. I think Taerom was talking about some kind of something-from-nothing energy creation scheme or some nonsense like that they were disproving.

The plots may at times be downright corny, but the guys running the show are reasonably intelligent.
But not carrying 10 PHDs warranting enough credibility such that anybody should say "well if they say it can't be done" that means it can't be done. :p

But not carrying 10 PHDs warranting enough credibility such that anybody should say "well if they say it can't be done" that means it can't be done. :p

I agree mythbusters is not 100% right all the time, but they usually get things pretty close, and are very entertaining to boot.

Of course, I didn't see them do anything about wireless power, so I am just speaking generally.

The real question is what powers the wireless power transmission?

If you ask me, the sun and wind can and should be used to power every human need for electricity. Its there, it would work, and yet we burn fossile fuels.
I think you're missing the point.

It's not a free energy source. I suspect it is something that plugs into the wall and uses your existing power already (as of now). It's not a new energy "source", it's just a new method of energy "transfer".

For now, all it could be is something like a device to charge your cell phone and other things without actually plugging them in to anything. Perhaps even operate without batteries by the power received through the air.

Long term possible potential? Free (subsidized by government, paid for by taxes) power everywhere, having power for your cell phone everywhere you have signal, having automatic power for anything you carry around or take out (e.g. laptop, electric car, radio, mp3 player, street lights, etc...).

I think you're missing the point.

It's not a free energy source. I suspect it is something that plugs into the wall and uses your existing power already (as of now). It's not a new energy "source", it's just a new method of energy "transfer".

For now, all it could be is something like a device to charge your cell phone and other things without actually plugging them in to anything. Perhaps even operate without batteries by the power received through the air.


Exactly. The point is that you can power things without being restrained by wires or batteries. Wireless, not free energy.

Yeah...that is the obvious question, isn't it?

But...it's just a frequency.....in theory shouldn't be any different than the thousands of transmissions on other frequencies.

Except that it saturates the environment. A little smoke from a fire probably won't give me lung cancer, but second hand smoke for decades may.