CCAT pedal tv and vcr

Designed and Built by Bart Orlando
Project data
Type Pedal powered generator
Pedal powered home appliance
Authors Bart Orlando
Location Arcata, California
Status Deployed
Years

The pedal powered TV/VCR was designed and built by Bart Orlando for display at CCAT's pedal powered lab in 1998. The components include a Schwinn recumbent exercise bike, a 1800 rpm - 24v permanent magnet generator and a Panasonic 12v-color tv with a 13" screen. The generator is driven by a fan belt which wraps around the outer circumference of the bike's 15" diameter - 40lb flywheel and the 4" diameter pulley on the drive shaft of the generator. The generator is mounted on the underside of a wooden pedestal that the front end of the bike rests upon. The relative sizes of the flywheel and pulley determine the range of voltage the generator can deliver, which is between 0 - 20 volts. The exact output voltage is determined by how fast one pedals. The optimum voltage, based on ease of pedaling effort seems to be approximately 15 volts while pedaling at 90 rpm. There is no battery used in this system. Electricity flows directly from the generator to the panasonic tv/vcr, which has been operated this way for five years without damage to its circuitry.

  • The pedal powered TV/VCR and its recumbent generator bike was displayed in the pedal powered lab by the interpretive display.
    The pedal powered TV/VCR and its recumbent generator bike was displayed in the pedal powered lab by the interpretive display.
  • CCAT co-director Kendra Cecil demonstrates how to pedal power the TV/VCR for a group of touring students.
    CCAT co-director Kendra Cecil demonstrates how to pedal power the TV/VCR for a group of touring students.
  • CCAT co-director Dana Papke assisting Bart Orlando as shown in this article taken from the HSU school newspaper.
    CCAT co-director Dana Papke assisting Bart Orlando as shown in this article taken from the HSU school newspaper.

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Page data
Authors David Lopez Jr.
License CC-BY-SA-3.0
Organizations Campus Center for Appropriate Technology (CCAT), Cal Poly Humboldt
Cite as David Lopez Jr. (2008–2025). "CCAT pedal tv and vcr". Appropedia. Retrieved November 28, 2025.
This article is issued from Appropedia. The text is available under CC-BY-SA-4.0 unless otherwise noted. Additional terms may apply for the media files.