wind up radios
 

I was at the building supply store the other day and picked up this all in one TV/Radio/weather radio/Flashlight combo thing. (for the hurricanes) The thing has a hand crank on the side for the radios. So I figured I'd give it a try.. cranked it up about 4 turns and it's been playing the radio for the last 2 hours.

It's like a slinky, wtf is inside that makes it keep going? :eek7

I was looking for one last Hurricaine but I never found one :(
I think it's just spring wound which turns a small generator.
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This thread reminded me what a genius The Professor on Gilligan's Island was. People often ask how the radio lasted so long... the professor hooked it up to the bicycle charger and essentially (super) wound up the radio 40 years before such a product became a reality... a much grander scale of the current consumer models of course (The Professor was always such a show-off :upsidedow) and it lasted them for the rest of the series (It wore out before the movies).

Personally, I'll take the 4 cranks for 2 hours :1orglaugh