"Bill Horne, W1AC" wrote ...
I don't want to get too far afield, so I'll leave it that: the idea is to
prepare response teams to improvise from local materials, but we need
something in between jumper-cables and windmills.

As a result of this discussion, I looked up DIY fuel cells yesterday
and concluded that they are still impractically expensive. Is it because
of the precious metals content? Are there any similar DIY power
sources that amateurs could develop for emergency/disaster use?