On Tue, 27 Jun 2006 12:56:25 -0400, you wrote:

>On 6/26/06, Michael Elliott <j.michael.elliott@gmail.com> wrote:
>>
>> It's common for folks who don't understand watts, amps, volts,
>> ampere-hours, to ask whether their blow-dryer or toaster can be operated
>> from their battery. The math is simple, and it would be pretty easy to
>> build a web page where a fellow could input the amps or watts of his
>> appliance, and how long they plan to run it for, and the page would
>> calculate how many amp-hours that comes to. I can do the math, but can't
>> do the scripting . . . anyone out there feel like helping with this?
>>
>> --
>> Mike "Rocket J Squirrel" Elliott
>> 71 Type 2: the Wonderbus
>> 84 Westfalia: Mellow Yellow ("The Electrical Banana")
>> 74 Utility Trailer. Ladybug Trailer, Inc., San Juan Capistrano
>> KG6RCR
>>
>
>Mike ~
>What are the variables when you do the math? Do you want a variable for
>inverter efficiency and variable battery losses (over time) relative to
>capacity? I'm pretty sure I could script this if I had a working formula...
>73
>John Meeks
>
>Vanagon Rescue Squad
>http://www.vanagonauts.com/Vanagon_Rescue_Squad74.htm
>
>'91 Multivan
>Top o' Northern Michigan
>KC8ZFN

Hah!  And again, hah!

There's the thing, isn't it.  The Java (or whatever web tech) isn't
the difficult part.  The difficult part is deciding exactly what
values to collect and what equations to apply to them (including what
assumptions are being made about the collected values ... )

In this household (containing one MSEE and one <British equivalent>
MSCE) we've now used up two entire evenings "discussing" how to
produce the final amp-hours answer.  I'm formally declaring the issue
over-and-done-with in this household, in the interests of domestic
bliss ...  *g*

B(&S)
'87 Westy 'Esmerelda Blanc'
SoCal