This being slashdot, I expect the usual nonsense about "But electric cars just get energy from gas-burning power plants . .." will start up immediately.
Here are some facts that I don't think anyone disputes. Absorb these, and then continue with the ranting.
Fact 1: Electric motors are more efficient than internal combustion engines. Run a gas engine at X watts for 20 minutes. Run an electric motor at X watts for 20 minutes. Afterwards, the gas engine will be hotter than the electric motor. Yes, it depends on the load, blah, blah, blah, but in the loads typically encountered by cars, the internal combustion engine loses.
Fact 2: The energy density of batteries has quadrupled in the last 10 years, mostly pushed by laptop and cellphone battery technology. Lead acid batteries have about 35 Wh/kg, while different variants of lithium batteries are in the range of 100 Wh/kg to 150 Wh/kg. Note that the cost of a lithium pack is substantially higher than that of a lead acid pack of the same capacity.
But don't worry, zealots! There are still lots of other things to debate! Does every family of four really need TWO cars with more than 100 mile range? Was Carl Pope of the Sierra Club being blackmailed when he endorsed hybrid SUV's in the latest issue of Green Car Journal? Would you cry if someone gave you a lithium-ion-powered Tzero for Christmas or other nugatory tradition? Can putting a 500 W solar panel on a car that consumes 15 kW at highway speeds make any difference? Will people ever stop suggesting that putting generators on the wheels of electric cars is a good idea? Am I really as much of a tool as I seem?
Actually, I have the 3014b, and it is *SWEET*. It is easily my most valued possession after my car.
Also, the Tektronix 2000 series is great too. I might go for the 2014 instead of the 3014b if I were buying it now. I'd also consider a used Agilent 54622D-- 2 scope channels plus a 16 channel logic analyzer for ~$5k new.
Let me recommend Tucker Electronics as the cheapest, reliable used scopes source in the US (although it doesn't look like they have any used 2014's in stock right now, though they also have a lot of stuff not listed on their website). (No, I don't work for them.)
You can get a new Tektronix 1002 (two channels, 60 MHz) scope for $995 without any educational discount. If I were in the market for a scope, I'd try to find one of those used. They're small, reliable, and inexpensive for their abilities. $400 is a probably low, but I wouldn't be too surprised to find one for $600. To me, learning to use the controls on a standard scope is worth quite a bit. (An extra $200? You be the judge.)
Slashdot Mirror
This being slashdot, I expect the usual nonsense about "But electric cars just get energy from gas-burning power plants . . ." will start up immediately.
Here are some facts that I don't think anyone disputes. Absorb these, and then continue with the ranting.
Fact 1: Electric motors are more efficient than internal combustion engines. Run a gas engine at X watts for 20 minutes. Run an electric motor at X watts for 20 minutes. Afterwards, the gas engine will be hotter than the electric motor. Yes, it depends on the load, blah, blah, blah, but in the loads typically encountered by cars, the internal combustion engine loses.
Fact 2: The energy density of batteries has quadrupled in the last 10 years, mostly pushed by laptop and cellphone battery technology. Lead acid batteries have about 35 Wh/kg, while different variants of lithium batteries are in the range of 100 Wh/kg to 150 Wh/kg. Note that the cost of a lithium pack is substantially higher than that of a lead acid pack of the same capacity.
But don't worry, zealots! There are still lots of other things to debate! Does every family of four really need TWO cars with more than 100 mile range? Was Carl Pope of the Sierra Club being blackmailed when he endorsed hybrid SUV's in the latest issue of Green Car Journal? Would you cry if someone gave you a lithium-ion-powered Tzero for Christmas or other nugatory tradition? Can putting a 500 W solar panel on a car that consumes 15 kW at highway speeds make any difference? Will people ever stop suggesting that putting generators on the wheels of electric cars is a good idea? Am I really as much of a tool as I seem?
Have at it, boys!
Actually, I have the 3014b, and it is *SWEET*. It is easily my most valued possession after my car.
Also, the Tektronix 2000 series is great too. I might go for the 2014 instead of the 3014b if I were buying it now. I'd also consider a used Agilent 54622D-- 2 scope channels plus a 16 channel logic analyzer for ~$5k new.
Let me recommend Tucker Electronics as the cheapest, reliable used scopes source in the US (although it doesn't look like they have any used 2014's in stock right now, though they also have a lot of stuff not listed on their website). (No, I don't work for them.)
You can get a new Tektronix 1002 (two channels, 60 MHz) scope for $995 without any educational discount. If I were in the market for a scope, I'd try to find one of those used. They're small, reliable, and inexpensive for their abilities. $400 is a probably low, but I wouldn't be too surprised to find one for $600. To me, learning to use the controls on a standard scope is worth quite a bit. (An extra $200? You be the judge.)