Antique Car Batteries?

Justin wrote:

> But we're not killing anyone. Bascially the story involves hooking up
> two or three modern laptops with car/airline adapters to antique batteries.

You can hook two 6 volt batteries together in series to get the 12 volts
required. Again, though, you might want to look at radio batteries. They were
more readily available at the time, since the AC radio was in its infancy. A
radio of the period could operate all evening on a single charge. There were
facilities in medium-sized towns (or larger) to recharge them every day or
exchange them for fully charged ones.

> Something
> happened to the spacecraft sending our crews back to the 1920's. In
> order to get back, they need to refine enough fuel to make orbit -
> kerosene.

Why do they have to refine it? Kerosene was invented as a replacement for whale
oil in lamps. Gasoline was actually an unwanted byproduct of kerosene production
in the late 1800s. By the 1890s, kerosene was readily available in quantities up
to perhaps 50 gallons at any hardware store. In the '20s, most gas stations had
large tanks of the stuff for use in steam-powered autos (like the Stanley). As
late as the '60s, many U.S. gas stations still had kerosene tanks of 100 to 250
gallons. Larger quantities could be had from fuel suppliers.

> I'm
> not exactly sure when the modern north american sad face plug came
> around, but the point is moot since they can't just bring a modern
> looking spacecraft rolling around in a 1920's city.

If you're talking about 110 volt wiring, that plug came about in the '60s and
was mandated for new installations in the early '70s. Outlets that mimic those
used in the '20s are available from repro houses, so you could get them for your
set (try Reproduction Hardware). Most lower class city houses would have still
used gas or oil lamps for lighting, though, and would not have had electricity.
In any case, the outlet isn't an issue; your character could walk into a 1920s
hardware store, buy a period plug, cut off the 3-prong, and hook his computer
into the house wiring, grounding the safety ground to a water pipe. That's if
the computer was made in the U.S. and you set this in a major U.S. city.

> The author wants to set it in Italy, pre WW2. Where are
> we supposed to get Italian antique vehicles from that period?

You might want to go that route. It would definitely give you an excuse for not
using the local power grid, since a U.S. computer won't run on the European
power system.

> last but not least, having the characters
> interact with people of that era - after all they need food, and money
> to buy fuel.

That's definitely not least. They'd better find someone very rich who feels
generous (unless they just happen to have a supply of antique money on board).

George Patterson
The cost of living hasn't affected its popularity.