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Author Topic: Best solar powered hack ever........  (Read 1347 times)

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cw

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Best solar powered hack ever........
« on: January 28, 2008, 06:48:11 pm »
http://www.break.com/index/how-to-build-a-solar-powered-usb-charger.html


gotta make a few of these to have in each car....
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DaOld Man

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Re: Best solar powered hack ever........
« Reply #1 on: January 28, 2008, 07:14:07 pm »
Thats pretty neat..
Thanks for the link..
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patrickl

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Re: Best solar powered hack ever........
« Reply #2 on: January 28, 2008, 07:59:17 pm »
What's going to happen when there is a lot of sun or just a little bit? Don't you need some sort of voltage correction circuitry (both up and down)?
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ahofle

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Re: Best solar powered hack ever........
« Reply #3 on: January 29, 2008, 11:51:08 am »
Very cool!  I have a few of those solar lights that aren't working for whatever reason, so I will most likely be trying this out.  Solar powered mp3 player = win!
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SirPeale

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Re: Best solar powered hack ever........
« Reply #4 on: January 29, 2008, 01:09:41 pm »
Quote from: patrickl on January 28, 2008, 07:59:17 pm
What's going to happen when there is a lot of sun or just a little bit? Don't you need some sort of voltage correction circuitry (both up and down)?

More for when the light is less, I would think.  Solar cells are kind of self-limiting.
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boykster

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Re: Best solar powered hack ever........
« Reply #5 on: January 29, 2008, 02:49:24 pm »
Quote from: Peale on January 29, 2008, 01:09:41 pm
Quote from: patrickl on January 28, 2008, 07:59:17 pm
What's going to happen when there is a lot of sun or just a little bit? Don't you need some sort of voltage correction circuitry (both up and down)?

More for when the light is less, I would think.  Solar cells are kind of self-limiting.

Yep, and since it's being used to power/charge via USB and is relying on the target device for voltage regulation, I'll bet when the voltage drops below a certain threshhold, the charging is shut down.  My phone is very particular about the volt/amp rating of a USB port...some ports it works fine with, some it doesn't, and when it doesn't work, it just wont' charge
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patrickl

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Re: Best solar powered hack ever........
« Reply #6 on: January 29, 2008, 05:14:55 pm »
Quote from: boykster on January 29, 2008, 02:49:24 pm
...
Yep, and since it's being used to power/charge via USB and is relying on the target device for voltage regulation, I'll bet when the voltage drops below a certain threshhold, the charging is shut down.  My phone is very particular about the volt/amp rating of a USB port...some ports it works fine with, some it doesn't, and when it doesn't work, it just wont' charge
Well I'm wondering since I have used battery powered chargers and they do tend to draw power from the phone when the power of the charger runs low. When the battery in the charger has a lower voltage than the battery in the phone the phone would actually "charge" the charger. I would end up with a completely drained charger and phone in the morning.
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SirPeale

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Re: Best solar powered hack ever........
« Reply #7 on: January 29, 2008, 08:01:06 pm »
I'm wondering if the voltage could be boosted with a transistor, like with the Joule Thief.

Recently I've started looking into alternative lighting for emergency and recreational purposes (ie camping).

I'll start a new thread with some of my ideas.
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