Electricity...


Cyberdemon Posted: Wed, 08/03/2005 - 14:09

Should there be some sort of organised front to move towards a power plant? I mean energy would help...

There's a hydroelectric dam in Niagara and a nuclear power plant in Pickering. They provide immense energy for the majority of the East Coast

Any ideas or suggestions?

war's my game
destruction by no other name

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xcorvis Posted: Wed, 08/03/2005 - 16:23

The number one problem with anything like that is that odds are nobody knows how to use them. Set your sights a little lower, like an emergency generator. Those are simple enough to figure out, and provide plenty of power for the use of small to medium sized groups.

But before you even go hunting for that generator, ask yourself "What do I need the power for?" If it's for lighting or warmth, it's probably more effective to burn things. Low tech solutions (traditional fuel, mirrors, insulation) will "cost" less (require fewer resources) and probably last longer.

So, what do you need that power for?

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Cyberdemon Posted: Wed, 08/03/2005 - 19:58
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a generator? a wind turbine is possible, exept i dont own a cottage... its quite the good idea but you have to guard it liek your soul, its fairly easy to break if something's limbs get caught in gears etc etc

but why electricity? it will ensure survival of a larger populace, which will result in a larger front against the zombies (an army to drive them out)

and as for running it... i did coop work at a hsitology lab, and having say 2-3 months to spare a gruop of people with the time and determination could learn to operate all the machinery there. sure its about 9-12 000 pages but, still... everything has manuals, so who says a hydroelectric dam doesnt?

war's my game
destruction by no other name

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Eliot - Site Admin Posted: Thu, 08/04/2005 - 02:09
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Cyberdemon wrote:
a generator? a wind turbine is possible, exept i dont own a cottage... its quite the good idea but you have to guard it liek your soul, its fairly easy to break if something's limbs get caught in gears etc etc
The best option for these things is to find an isolated generator or wind turbine and use that, or else make your own. However, I have to agree with xcorvis, about the need for electricity. Electricity is like thick armor -- it doesn't make you any more safe, just more comfortable and if you are comfortable, you get lazy and bad things happen.

I have considered things that power could be used for, but there is little need for a full-fledged power plant which we would have to (and couldn't) repair (because of the complicated parts). I think if there was a need (i.e., if we had a flashlight with a rechargable battery, or a space heater, etc.) we could create our own small power system. In my opion, that is going to be the better way then going out to powerplants and getting eaten along the way.

Check out the article in the Technology Section -- it is written by a woman who is a professional something for power plants so she knows about them. I don't think we could keep these things running and it may be a bitch to start up again once its off.

All that needs to be said is this: FIRE = BAD

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xcorvis Posted: Thu, 08/04/2005 - 08:22

Cyberdemon wrote:
but why electricity? it will ensure survival of a larger populace, which will result in a larger front against the zombies (an army to drive them out)

You kind of glossed over the answer there. Seriously, what would you use the electricity for? Charging electical forklifts? Lighting? A running generator is useless if it's not hooked to anything...

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Glueall Posted: Thu, 08/04/2005 - 10:43

Batteries should suffice for our needs, and they're everywhere.
If we have a large, well defended community at some point, we can worry about electricity then.
How does electricity effect zombies?

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xcorvis Posted: Thu, 08/04/2005 - 11:13

Glueall wrote:
How does electricity effect zombies?

I'm not sure, but I think deaths from electrical shocks are usually due to heart failure. With the zombie, the zap would need to be big enough to actually fry its brain, and I think that would take quite a bit.

On the other hand, maybe a massive electical shock would kill off the viruses/bacteria causing the zombie infection (along with the host). I've got nothing to back that up, of course. Just idle hypothosizing.

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Cyberdemon Posted: Thu, 08/04/2005 - 11:48
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xcorvis wrote:

On the other hand, maybe a massive electical shock would kill off the viruses/bacteria causing the zombie infection (along with the host). I've got nothing to back that up, of course. Just idle hypothosizing.

yay lets play frankenstein

i was talking about electricity powered weapons btw

war's my game
destruction by no other name

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SgtLuebkeac Posted: Thu, 08/04/2005 - 14:00

What to use electricety for? There are air powered and numtic guns that could be used/recharged with electricety. That might be a simpler solution then trying to make your own ammo. altho these guns are in shorter supply, and your not so likly to find them leying around everywhere. But perhaps you could aquire a few befor the event.

As long as you have zombies roaming around, an electical source for almost anythign you could do is perferable to having to go chop down trees in the woods. The only safe source of energy other then say a windmeel, solar generator, or hydro damn, is burning your own crap.
Even your small generator burns alot of fuel, and unless you establish a lien from a gas station (witch itself exposes you to zombie threats) you will have to make several trips to get fuel.

after the zombie envasion is over, it would just be far far quicker to use electrical sources for your needs. DO you know how logn it takes to boil watter to wash cloths in? Or to boild watter so its saf to drink when your usign wood? (or even your own feeces fo that matter)

If society is to be saved you must continue to use electricety. The best bet is to resort to hydro electric. I envision a great crusade to the hoover damn, saving as many alogn the way as possible. True, eventualy the turbines there would wear out. But you coudl repalce them with cruder versions. Not quite so efficient, but you don't need ot power 9 states when they are just fileld with zombies.
If a ravaged society is supposed to rebuidl to our present level, we shall also need endless amounts of technical data on all sorts of jobs and processes that are only to be foudn on cd's and computers. (computers could continue to be used, canabalising parts from differnts pc's to keep the ones youn eed running.)

I think solar generatours might be the best solution. I shall try adn scrounge up soem information on soem of the newest solar colectors and where to get them. For about $300 you can get a ruffly 7X7 solar colector that can generate 1 kilwatt hour a day in california type weather/sun.

Generally the facts we disbelieve are called opinions and the opinions we believe are called facts.

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Cyberdemon Posted: Thu, 08/04/2005 - 14:29
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a) ty for support, as for guns i was thinking an air compressor with ball bearings to work as a gun, or an electric tree branch cutter (the one with a long stick, a safer version of a chainsaw)
b) we dont all have flawless weather. and what if its a virus released as a result of a war? what if theres some effect on the weather from military work? in other words what if the sun dont shine? i stand on wind turbines, i read of a farmer that buillt a turbine and like 2 dozen people got power from that. not the amount of power we waste daily, just power to light afew lightbulbs, etc...

the point stands, we should thinka bout securing a power generating facility, or all get generators

war's my game
destruction by no other name

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Eliot - Site Admin Posted: Thu, 08/04/2005 - 22:48
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I just have to say, I disagree with SgtLuebkeac about the need for electricity. There are a lot of other ways to cook and heat which are going to be as efficient or more so than using electricity. I especially don't like the idea of going off after the Hoover dam....but those are my qualms.

I think we can consider finding or building a power generator, but it should not be the goal forsaking a creation/establishment of a solid base right away.

All that needs to be said is this: FIRE = BAD

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