Yesterday morning, I put our newly repaired wind generator back on the tower and hoisted it back into position. That afternoon, when the southerly breeze freshened, the green charging lights came on, and wind power returned to our “homestead.” I successfully repaired the wind generator in a process of which Doctor Frankenstein would have been proud.
Mid process, transplanting the heart of the W100 (l) into the H40 (r) (Photo: Mark A. Zeiger).
Years ago, when I became interested in oil lamps (see Oil Lamps as Alternative Lighting in the Home) I read about Aladdin lamps. I’d occasionally seen them in family and friends’ homes growing up, but avoided them because they use mantles to create light.
I come from a camping family. The tungsten-bright light of the old pump Coleman lanterns had illuminated many evenings in my childhood. One afternoon, on a family campout, I found the camp’s Coleman unlit and unattended. Curious, I opened the lantern and gently touched the mantle. It broke, crumbling so easily, I had the impression the fine mesh had been nothing more than ash.
Our new/used Aladdin lamp (no flash, exposure is all lamp light). (Photo: Mark A. Zeiger.)
