DIY: Build a record player powered by alternative energy
If you are like me, then you love relaxing to the crackles and pops of a well-worn record revolving on your turntable. But what happens if the power goes out? Does the music have to stop? Not if you have ingenuity and an interest in wind power. This alternative-energy DIY project allows you to play your favorite records with nothing more than a slight breeze.
According to Thom Leavy for Popular Science: "Digital music relies on unseen technology to translate bits and bytes into tunes. An analog machine like a record player is much easier to understand. To make it even simpler, Popular Science built a motor-free device powered by the wind. This project is cheaper than a real record player, but the sound quality depends on the breeze’s speed, which can easily turn your songs into Alvin and the Chipmunks covers. For a steady source of air, try a fan or even an air-conditioning vent."
To learn more, read "How to build a record player powered by wind" from Popular Science.
About the Author
Alexis GajewskiAlexis Gajewski
Senior Content Strategist
Alexis Gajewski is a manufacturing writer and editor with nearly 20 years of experience covering the people, practices, and technologies that keep industrial facilities running. For more than a decade, she served as Senior Content Strategist for Plant Services, creating content for plant managers, engineers, and maintenance professionals on a variety of industrial topics.
During her tenure, Alexis worked to develop the brand’s digital strategy and helped launch and produce Great Question: A Manufacturing Podcast. She also created The Lighter Side of Manufacturing, a weekly blog that explored the inventive and sometimes humorous side of the industry.
Alexis co-founded Influential Women in Manufacturing, a recognition program that honored 49 women in its first two years, earned an industry award for Best Product Launch, and received a proclamation from Illinois Governor JB Pritzker and a commendation from U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth.
She also led newsroom operations and development at a large media company where she set editorial standards, developed training curriculum, and helped support AI adoption for more than 150 editors across 80+ brands spanning manufacturing, industrial processing, automation, and more.
Additionally, Alexis works as a freelance writer and editor, and her areas of interest include continuous improvement, the skilled workforce, and the role of emerging technology on the plant floor.
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