I have a ceiling fan /generator hack that does about one amp dc on a bicycle frame rig. This is to provid minimal lighting for remote villages in a mountainous area of the Philippines. The generator can be used both ac and dc. Ac is ran directly from the coils to a 40w florescent bulb while the dc is rectified for battery charging. With little electronics knowledge, I am groping for solutions to several problems:
1-Can capacitors in series or parallel smooth the ac voltage to the florescent bulb much the same as a wind up flashlight?
2-Is there a cheap device or simple circuit that inverts battery dc to ac for the 40w light?
1-Can capacitors in series or parallel smooth the ac voltage to the florescent bulb much the same as a wind up flashlight?
2-Is there a cheap device or simple circuit that inverts battery dc to ac for the 40w light?