Meroviginian Posted January 9, 2012 Share Posted January 9, 2012 What is the power source for the pipboy's? I was deeply thinking about it a few days ago. Let’s say its nuclear battery powered, that has to be extremely dangerous considering the constant beating and thrashing that thing gets. Plus I don’t think having anything nuclear close to your body is good any ways. The fallout 3 nuclear anomaly perk would explain how the player could go nuclear after the health goes very low, the pip boy got damaged...lol ..It can't be solar powered since it works well in vaults for years....Then another idea popped in my head. A "micro-generator driven by the centrifugal forces created by the movements of the wrist", produces the electricity required. A sensor notices when the pipboy is not being used, and shuts down the liquid crystal display (LCD), yet at the slightest movement it perks up, showing the date and time and options. This makes way more sence it thats the case. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Azrael120782 Posted January 10, 2012 Share Posted January 10, 2012 I always wondered the same thing. I think its some sort of micro fusion cell. Or one of those Small E-Cells. I mean,itd have to be replaceable and the pipboy unit servicable,even if damaged,it needs to work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
minngarm Posted January 11, 2012 Share Posted January 11, 2012 I'm not even sure it is a LCD. more along the lines of CRT Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marharth Posted January 11, 2012 Share Posted January 11, 2012 I'm not even sure it is a LCD. more along the lines of CRTI am pretty sure its impossible for it to be LCD actually. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Azrael120782 Posted January 11, 2012 Share Posted January 11, 2012 Well,I imagine,if its CRT,how would it work? CRT things are usually big,bulky and heavy,the pipboy is large and bulky,but still compact. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
minngarm Posted January 11, 2012 Share Posted January 11, 2012 There were old tube TVs about that size in the 60s and onward. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elleonblanco Posted January 14, 2012 Share Posted January 14, 2012 Technologically speaking it couldn't be a CRT either as cathode ray tubes need a set of power hungry heaters to bring them up to temperature so that the gun or guns depending on if it is monochrome or color can emit electrons. Then you have to have a fairly powerful set of electromagnetic coils in order to deflect the electron beam and cause it to scan across and excite the molecules in the the phosphor coating on the inside of the glass. To do this you would need a CRT of at least 2 times the depth of the screen diagonal in order to have an adequate beam spread in order to illuminate the entire screen. (Ever look at an old oscilloscope? The CRT in one of those was from 12 to 14 inches in depth and the viewable surface was from 4 to 6 inches in diameter.) So in order to operate a Pipboy with a CRT you would probably need a battery pack weighing close to 20 lbs in order to even use it for 4 to 6 hours. So unless you can come up with a third technology that makes sense the Pipboy could neither be CRT or LCD. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
niccolo Posted January 16, 2012 Share Posted January 16, 2012 Technologically speaking it couldn't be a CRT either as cathode ray tubes need a set of power hungry heaters to bring them up to temperature so that the gun or guns depending on if it is monochrome or color can emit electrons. Then you have to have a fairly powerful set of electromagnetic coils in order to deflect the electron beam and cause it to scan across and excite the molecules in the the phosphor coating on the inside of the glass. To do this you would need a CRT of at least 2 times the depth of the screen diagonal in order to have an adequate beam spread in order to illuminate the entire screen. (Ever look at an old oscilloscope? The CRT in one of those was from 12 to 14 inches in depth and the viewable surface was from 4 to 6 inches in diameter.) So in order to operate a Pipboy with a CRT you would probably need a battery pack weighing close to 20 lbs in order to even use it for 4 to 6 hours. So unless you can come up with a third technology that makes sense the Pipboy could neither be CRT or LCD. Multiple miniature cathode ray tubes is a distinct possibility; we already know that physics in the Fallout universe is a little different to that of the real world. Otherwise an impossibly tiny dot-matrix sorta deal could be it, which would explain the ridiculous bulk. As to the power source; since the lasers are powerful enough to raise the internal temperature of the human body to incineration point (A feat requiring approximately 73 MJ of energy) in an instant yet the microfusion cells are really tiny, one can assume that either batteries in this world are so powerful one could run a house off of it for a good month - or the Fallout scientists have licked fusion power (hence the name) and have it so good that it's dirt cheap to make fusion power cells. Alternatively alternatively, we know that the pip-boys are sealed against the arm. It could be that the bracelet part actually saps bodily heat from the wearer (Think Matrix) and powers itself on that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
luceid Posted January 16, 2012 Share Posted January 16, 2012 Alternatively alternatively, we know that the pip-boys are sealed against the arm. It could be that the bracelet part actually saps bodily heat from the wearer (Think Matrix) and powers itself on that. This, kind Sir, is exactly my guessing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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