UPDATE! The Pokémon HeartGold/SoulSilver PokéWalker Efficiency Project

[pikachu200]

Re: The Pokémon HeartGold/SoulSilver PokéWalker Efficiency Project -- Real PokéScienc

Hey professor what rare pokemon are in the blue lake area?

 

[Obsolete Disks]

Re: The Pokémon HeartGold/SoulSilver PokéWalker Efficiency Project -- Real PokéScienc

Hey professor what rare pokemon are in the blue lake area?

The A-slots are Polywag and Dratini. Below that I've seen Shellder, Staryu, and Tentafool.

 

[Raieth]

Re: The Pokémon HeartGold/SoulSilver PokéWalker Efficiency Project -- Real PokéScienc

I am very interested in this research. I have been thinking of some experements. I will make sure to let you know.

 

[Negax]

Re: The Pokémon HeartGold/SoulSilver PokéWalker Efficiency Project -- Real PokéScienc

So I found this thread and I'm interested in what you guys are doing. I figure I will post some of my efforts in trying to find a quick way to rake in watts. I'm using an American Pokewalker with a Scyther on it.

The first thing I tried was attaching the Pokewalker to some string and swinging it back and forth (think Hypno) and this was pretty effective (more so than walking anyway), but hard on the wrist after long periods of time. I think in about an hour I raked in 3000 steps and 120ish watts.

After that I looked around the net and found that some people used things that vibrate the Pokewalker to get steps. I decided to try using the air pump for my fish tank by pushing the Pokewalker up against it and placing the cord in front of it so it didn't fall over. I emptied the watts out at midnight (a couple of hours after I set it up) and noticed that I was gaining roughly 8600 steps on average an hour and gaining around the right amount of watts (430ish). After checking again at about 5:00pm today, I had gained 7398 watts and the step counter was at 99999. I made sure I was still getting watts and let it keep going.

Calculating the data above, I do think that 20 steps = 1 watt but it only cares about the counters 20 steps not 20 actual steps. Though with some of the people who have gotten steps but no watts, I'm wondering if the methods they used were to rapid for the Pokewalker and caused an error. With this method I'm using now, I should rake in about 10000 watts a day and should finish my goal of 100000 in about a week and a half. After which I will try some other experiments.

I hope this is of some help somehow.

 

[Captain Falcon]

Re: The Pokémon HeartGold/SoulSilver PokéWalker Efficiency Project -- Real PokéScienc

Ok. After about 9269 steps (equal to Goku's power level at the time Vegeta said it was over 9000), I had collected 473 watts including a 10 watt packet. Now that I have seen how many watts I can accrue over a single active day by walking, tomorrow I am going to test it by attaching it to some every-day machines for a day.

I wish I still had my reef aquarium, so that I could see if the constant vibrations of a protein skimmer would help. I'll have to find something else.

This was all done with an Eevee (a personal favorite due to two of its evolutions and its ability to learn baton pass). While I was doing this, 22 watts were spent finding 2 Revives and an Ice Heal, and catching a Doduo.

When I finish up with tonight's work with the Pokewalker, I am going to transfer all the watts, the three items and the Doduo back to SoulSilver version, and leave the Eevee on there overnight while I see what other ways I could add watts using the (sometimes unusual) machines and appliances lying around the house.

Edit: I know exactly why the Pokewalker didn't work with the fans. It requires a bi-directionally alternating linear force to be exerted on the device. A fan blade would only be able to produce a force in a single direction.

 

[Raieth]

Re: The Pokémon HeartGold/SoulSilver PokéWalker Efficiency Project -- Real PokéScienc

After that I looked around the net and found that some people used things that vibrate the Pokewalker to get steps. I decided to try using the air pump for my fish tank by pushing the Pokewalker up against it and placing the cord in front of it so it didn't fall over.

Genius! I will be recording starting watts and steps and leaving my pokewalker on my air pump to see if i can generate similar numbers.

 

[Obsolete Disks]

Re: The Pokémon HeartGold/SoulSilver PokéWalker Efficiency Project -- Real PokéScienc

It sounds like the vibration is enough to count steps but not enough to trip the shake alarm.

 

[Lucas666]

Re: The Pokémon HeartGold/SoulSilver PokéWalker Efficiency Project -- Real PokéScienc

Okay, I threw my two PokéWalkers into my dryer (with other clothes, and in a sock for protection). They were in there for almost an hour. Here were my reults-

-Start Steps:
--Sentret=6528
--Furret=6264

-Start Watts:
--Sentret=0
--Furret=0

-End Steps:
--Sentret=7611
--Furret=7505

-End Watts:
--Sentret=28
--Furret=93

but now, both my walkers have scratches. But they both still count

 

[Obsolete Disks]

Re: The Pokémon HeartGold/SoulSilver PokéWalker Efficiency Project -- Real PokéScienc

Even Rival isn't that abusive of his pokemon.

 

[Raieth]

Re: The Pokémon HeartGold/SoulSilver PokéWalker Efficiency Project -- Real PokéScienc

So I can conferm that the whisper series of aquarium air pumps is not "bouncy" enough to generate more that 20 or so steps in 8 hours.

 

[Archaic]

Re: The Pokémon HeartGold/SoulSilver PokéWalker Efficiency Project -- Real PokéScienc

I've yet to do a proper test, but I can report that clipping the PokéWalker to my waist while doing a WiiFit Plus workout seems to produce a disproportionate number of steps. I did half an hour of exercise (1P Jogging Island Lap, Rhythm Boxing Super Advanced, 10 minutes Free Step), and earned a bit over 4000 steps. Can't remember the exact number, but I think I had about 250 watts from it.

 

[Dr. GM]

Re: The Pokémon HeartGold/SoulSilver PokéWalker Efficiency Project -- Real PokéScienc

I've found that leaving it in your pocket, and fidgitting with the leg while sitting produces somewhere from 50-300 steps per hour and 45 min. Also, while sitting, if you hold the Walker in your hand and let it swing back and forth in a pendullum motion, it can produce steps as if you were running.

 

[Negax]

Re: The Pokémon HeartGold/SoulSilver PokéWalker Efficiency Project -- Real PokéScienc

So I can conferm that the whisper series of aquarium air pumps is not "bouncy" enough to generate more that 20 or so steps in 8 hours.

How did you position the pokewalker? Is the clip attached? Those are two things that could affect it possibly, also it could be because I have a cheapo air pump that is pretty noisy.

 

[Lucas666]

Re: The Pokémon HeartGold/SoulSilver PokéWalker Efficiency Project -- Real PokéScienc

Okay, last night, I hooked up my PokéWalkers to my feet (a.k.a. I put the in my socks) and over the night this is what happened.

-Starting Watts
--Sentret
---20
--Furret
---95

-Ending Watts
--Sentret
---102
--Furret
---170

But, most of the activite happened before midnight, because, the step countr are as follows.

-End Steps
--Sentret
---144
--Furret
---184

 

[Arty2]

Re: The Pokémon HeartGold/SoulSilver PokéWalker Efficiency Project -- Real PokéScienc

Just made this from spare parts from broken devices. Stuck onto the pokewalkers using blu-tac.

Note the off-balanced weight at the end of the motor. It's essentially a vibrator, similar to the ones inside cellphones.
Generates ~155 steps per minute, that is ~7 watts. In my first test, it gained 6148st / 309w over 40 minutes.

edit: it's made of a battery connector, a simple motor, 2 cables and a bit from a lighter glued on a gear

 

[Lucas666]

Re: The Pokémon HeartGold/SoulSilver PokéWalker Efficiency Project -- Real PokéScienc

What'd you make it from?

 

[PokewalkerProf]

Re: The Pokémon HeartGold/SoulSilver PokéWalker Efficiency Project -- Real PokéScienc

Just made this from spare parts from broken devices. Stuck onto the pokewalkers using blu-tac.

Note the off-balanced weight at the end of the motor. It's essentially a vibrator, similar to the ones inside cellphones.
Generates ~155 steps per minute, that is ~7 watts. In my first test, it gained 6148st / 309w over 40 minutes.

edit: it's made of a battery connector, a simple motor, 2 cables and a bit from a lighter glued on a gear

That's quite the monster of a contraption, but that's interesting to hear how well it works!!

Glad to see that everyone is so excited about investigating their walkers! The past few pages have had some great discussion!

Our public test has started to dwindle in dataset entries, from 60-100+ in one of our highest days to only about 15-20 daily entries. We have just over 400 entries total -- good job everyone!!

Our ideal sample size is 500 to 750 individual entries, and I'll be willing to keep the test open however long the community would like. More testing reduces the amount of error present in our results, but at the same time, it prolongs said results. Not to mention, while 100 sets of data is fairly easy to come by, 250 is another thing entirely. Once we hit a happy medium and have enough results, we'll wrap up this first public data collection survey of our study.

However, that doesn't mean the project is over, by any means! If anything, it's encouragement for all of us -- myself and my colleague included -- to investigate more! Keep on coming up with new methods, new calculations, and new hypotheses, and we'll see what we can do with them with the data we have. If we need any new data, we'll look to you all for support in gathering it.

Thanks for your help thusfar, everyone! I'll keep you posted on where we are in our analysis. This isn't any sort of official announcement post, just a comment on the progress we've made so far. Keep on testing!

 

[Obsolete Disks]

Re: The Pokémon HeartGold/SoulSilver PokéWalker Efficiency Project -- Real PokéScienc

It seems to me that the shake alarm requires strong effort to trip. Since motors and tank pumps are gentle, they don't trigger and rack up free points.

I've got a big box of electronic parts but I'm not going to rig mine. Why cheat the walker without cheating in the whole game, right? Besides, there's something dirty about promising my pokemon a walk and then ditching them with nothing to do but play with a vibrator.

 

[Arty2]

Re: The Pokémon HeartGold/SoulSilver PokéWalker Efficiency Project -- Real PokéScienc

Oh I assure you I have walked long miles with mine

 

[Negax]

Re: The Pokémon HeartGold/SoulSilver PokéWalker Efficiency Project -- Real PokéScienc

It seems to me that the shake alarm requires strong effort to trip. Since motors and tank pumps are gentle, they don't trigger and rack up free points.

I've got a big box of electronic parts but I'm not going to rig mine. Why cheat the walker without cheating in the whole game, right? Besides, there's something dirty about promising my pokemon a walk and then ditching them with nothing to do but play with a vibrator.

I agree somewhat with what you said and I enjoy using the pokewalker a ton. However 1000 miles later I'll be on bigger and better things, so I at least want to unlock everything. Also because science.