Date:         Tue, 25 Nov 2003 06:07:34 -0800
Reply-To:     Pensioner <al_knoll@PACBELL.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Pensioner <al_knoll@PACBELL.NET>
Subject:      Re: An overview of 14 electric math?
In-Reply-To:  <200311250509.hAP59ENp020392@mtac1.prodigy.net>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"

Probably some geeky dweeb has done this already, however, the easiest way to
manage this is to use a fuse contact critter.  You make one with an existing
defunct fuse and two pieces of wire connected to the fuse spade contacts.
Using an ammeter that will handle 30A DC connect the ammeter to the critter,
put the critter in the fuse place that you want to characterise (br).  Turn
on the stuff that the fuse location serves and measure the current on the
meter.  Note the result.  Move to the next fuse location, repeat until
bored.  This will give you a very good idea of actual current draws.  Add up
the results and ... viola or violin! you have it.  For those devices that
share a fuse, turn on one at a time to measure the difference in current.

Regardless of RF skin effect, EM Radiation, for a local definition of
Maxwells equations and Ohms Law, the reading you get will be sufficient to
figure out a current profile for each of the various scenarios of
combinations of devices on at the same time.

EG  Radio on full honk takes 2A + Interiour (br) lights take 3A + device  x
takes 5A + device y takes 0.1A.

Eating a live toad and solving the maxwell equations by the classical
integration method, you note that for time invariant conditions one solution
provides 10.1A for the scenario.  Most reserve capacity quotes for batteries
are rated at some specific current draw.  F'rinstance if the battery is
rated at 120 AH reserve capacity you more than likely won't be able to draw
120A in the first hour.  However if you draw 10.1 A you will more than
likely get ~11+ hours of operation from a fully charged battery for the
scenario.

If you add a 12 crockpot at 360W you will need an indian worth 30 Amps to
run it.  So ...

The eagle in the sky sees the indian and the rabbit on the ground.  Two
indians and a rabbit are powerful medicine as is an eagle and an indian.

Power in watts = Number of eagles in volts times number of indians in amps.
P=EI.

Power in watts = number of indians in amps squared times number of rabbits
in ohms. P=RI^2.

This will give you ~40A draw which might let you have 3 hours to cook your
rabbit with the 120Ampere Hour reserve capacity battery mentioned
previously.

Pensioner, who can't believe a fortune 500 company used to pay me handsomely
for this sort of rot.  Now back to your regularly scheduled government
programming.