actually with a 6v solar panel in good sun producing 6v, with the forward voltage drop of the diode of say 0.7v for a basic 4001 silicon rectifier diode, you'd get 5.3v out which equates to 1.325v per cell on 4x NiMH cells. The fully charged voltage of modern 'low self discharge' NiMH cells is slightly over 1.4v per cell.. So you'll nearly fully charge 4xAA NiMH off this if you have enough sun. Like to know how much charge this will put in a phone before output voltage drops too low.
Further more, like ledguy315 says. You have many faults in your circuit. Please learn more before posting videos on circuits that won't work. Yes, the batteries will charge the phone. But the solar panel won't charge the batteries. It's voltage is way to low. And if you want to charge batteries you also have to have a circuit that controls when to stop charge the batteries to prevent damage to them.
Try again in a few years when you know what you're talking about.
I like how the diode in the beginning of the video is backwards. Later when he charges the phone it's suddenly in the other way? ... Obvious troll is obvious.
@unknotmiguel An excellent question, unfortunately I don't have an answer. I had just assumed that the solar cell would behave similarly to a resistor - effectively shorting the circuit and draining the charge in the battery pack. I do not however have any experience to support this assumption.
hello! I want to make a solar battery charger and I found this video.I have a 5.5V 150mAh solar cell and I want to charge a 3.6Li-ion battery.I want to ask you,the diode is an 1N4007? Thx
You've installed the diode backwards. The current is being blocked from charging your batteries. I totally agree with this. The rest of the video is good just re-solder the diode the other way and you should be OK. About the radio shack meter reading 5.38 volts you can just ignore that since the battery is rated 1.5 volts each x4 total volts should be 4.8V. But I think you should put a rechargeable battery and I think all AAA rechargeable battery are rated at 1.2 Volts and not 1.5 Volts never
You've installed the diode backwards. The current is being blocked from charging your batteries. I totally agree with this. The rest of the video is good just re-solder the diode the other way and you should be OK. About the radio shack meter reading 5.38 volts you can just ignore that since the battery is rated 1.5 volts each x4 total volts should be 4.8V. But I think you should put a rechargeable battery and I think all AAA rechargeable battery are rated at 1.2 Volts and not 1.5 Volts never.
You've installed the diode backwards. The current is being blocked from charging your batteries. I totally agree with this. The rest of the video is good just re-solder the diode the other way and you should be OK. About the radio shack meter reading 5.38 volts you can just ignore that since the battery is rated 1.5 volts each x4 total volts should be 4.8V. But I think you should put a rechargeable battery and I think all AAA rechargeable battery are rated at 1.2 Volts and not 1.5 Volts never.
With kind regards neotoy, please further your electronics knowledge before making a faulty how-to video. Im an electronics engineer and you have many problems with this circuit and in your terminology. Better luck next time.
@neotoy the current travels towards the side that's got the line on the diode. Your solar panel would be draining the power from the batteries if anything, unless you fixed it since this video. If you can prove it charges the batteries the way you made it in the video then that'd be great. It's good you're trying to help people out, but if it doesn't work then people be wasting their time.
@mikedrz No, it's right in the video. The two 9V clips snapped together reverse the polarity. When they are removed later in the video you will notice that the diode has also been moved to reflect the changes. Lastly if you download the schematic you will notice that it is correct. If people aren't observant enough to notice such basic aspects of the design they are probably wasting time no matter what they do. You can send the $100 to neotoy@hotmail.com :)
Hey, I was thinking of doing this as a science fair project, but I want to incorporate it with a piezoelectric sensor/generator. Could you help out a bit? Can you send me a personal message? Thanks :)
What about overcharging. Will it overcharge the batteries? I heard that overcharging rechargeable batteries can be bad for the batteries. I don't know that much about home building things like this, but it seems easy to do.
What kind of Diode are you using? Is it a 12v one? (I made a solar powered USB setup, but would love to throw a battery pack on it, but the Diode is the only thing throwing me off.)
let me put it another way, even if you left it on the dash in death valley in july, your wires would melt first from the sun , and your battery still wouldnt be very hot. IMHO
Dang bro.. Sweet surfer accent! Your gnarly ingenuity make me wanna rig a crackhead device that a bonafied stoner would only think of. Party time! Excellent!
@millercommaalex It's really unreliable but you can twist the wires together. I would recommended learning how to solder instead, it's really not that difficult.
this would be great to bring on a hike in case of an extremely horrible and unlikely situation that would leave you lost in the wild. instead of a USB cord you could use your cell phone cord so you can be sure that you will be able to always charge your phone.
I am a little confused because the diode can work when voltage is above aproximately 0.65V, under this voltage diode is nonconductive....hm???but it is working hmmmm
What is the maximum voltage output of that PV cell? I've rarely seen any that put out more than 3v, most are more line 1V-2V. So even in full sunlight, you will not have enough voltage to charge the batteries. You will need a series of cells that put out at least 6v to charge a battery pack to ~5.5V.
I am a dyed in the wool gadget freak and this contraption is really cool. I will be building this. I just got the EVO and that thing goes through a charge like a congressman through a budget surplus. Very nice job sir!
I am a dyed in the wool gadget freak and this contraption is really cool. I will be building this. I just got the EVO and that thing goes through a charge like a congressman through a budget surplus. Very nice job sir!
I have to agree with one of the other comments, the single solar cell won't put out the full voltage needed.. Even a trickle charger of 500mA would still require a voltage .7 to 1.5 over the voltage of the device you're charging.. (i.e. you would need 5.7 to 6.5V to charge a 5V system.) the one you show, looks like an 1-2V single cell. (noting the foil on the front.) Not very likely it would produce enough voltage to charge the 4.8V battery pack.
One thing to mention is that you need a Voltage regulator in-line near the the connection to the phone. If not, you could end up with a fully charged battery pack (4.8v or more) that you connect to your phone on a nice sunny day (add the voltage output from the PV Panel(s)) and end up pushing the voltage past the "safe" range for your phone. 4.8v+?PVv = ???
Remember... everything runs on smoke... if you let the smoke out, it doesn't work anymore. :)
One thing to mention is that you need a Voltage regulator in-line near the the connection to the phone. If not, you could end up with a fully charged battery pack (4.8v or more) that you connect to your phone on a nice sunny day (add the voltage output from the PV Panel(s)) and end up pushing the voltage past the "safe" range for your phone. 4.8v+?PVv = ???
Remember... everything runs on smoke... if you let the smoke out, it doesn't work anymore. :)
@cournelcool There is currently no way to know this. Although there are many additional components you could add to the design that would provide that kind of information.
DC voltage directly into your phone or other devices with a lithium-ion battery is going to fry the accumulater pretty quick, if the lithium battery isnt dead before that due to improper charging. I needs to gradually lower the power imput while still holding the same voltage all along when the battery is allmost charged, otherwise it will destroy the cells in the device's lithium battery.
um.. nice but there is one bug i think.. what if u will over charge the akk with the solar power ? u need to instal some safe - circuit something . as i remmember there was a microcontroler to control this kind of overheat overloaded problems in other Akk chargers. ( btw i think i will use lithium akk, cuz it is not losing energy from itself like these akk u use, but when lithium will be overloaded.. it can explode ^_^ " Cheeers ! :) for science ! : ) Great work , very easy very simple.
@iAsahi Only necessary when input current is high. With trickle charging it's not really something to worry about.
Of course lithium would be better, but that's a whole different class of device. This is budget DIY. Once they start selling lithium AAA's let me know ;)
@neotoy Oh o.o rlly? ^_^" so thats great : ) now i know howto charge my akk from flash unit in the wild (when its sunny) Ps. i said lithium cuz i got some of these from mbile phones, mp4 and this kind of trash so i was wondering if i culd replace urs akk with those? will it be danger ? XD i saw them blowing up overheated thats why i am scared use'em o.O Greetz
If that PV cell is only making a volt or two, it's not doing a good job of charging those batteries. Use 4 or 5 of them in series, and it would help out, but if the PV voltage is less than the total voltage of those batteries, the batteries are not being charged. The diode was a very good thing to use, especially in your case.
@TaylorHolmes Keep in mind the test was done indoors. In direct sunlight the panel output is actually a lot higher. Also this was already discussed at length :/
Did you see if you can use the cell or mp3 or any small device without the batteries? like if you where to plug in a camera in to the wall and still use it. I have a Vivitar 840 X HD Camera and i can use it while its plunged in. So in theory it should work. Pleas respond because i will try it if it works! And i will try to post a Video reply.
@73prime This could work given certain conditions, but the circuit would be more complicated, not to mention you need constant sun. A nice thing about the battery pack is that it gives you a consistent voltage, with the solar panel alone it can fluctuate, which can damage some devices.
@yoududenut Why not just leave two bare wires, or alligator clips, or a universal DC jack.. The whole point of DIY is so that you can customize things to your own specifications and that's exactly what I did. There is no perfect solution, and there is no "any device" since there are millions of devices that don't even use USB.
@neotoy But I see what @yoududenut is saying... if you were to use a female USB plug, then you would be able to plug any USB device into it using that device's existing USB cable. It would make this device more universal. However, you make a valid point in that this is YOUR DIY for your solution. Very cool though!
I'm trying to do something similar with a cctv. However, the battery pack will remain attached to the circuit at the same time the panels are charging the batteries and/or providing power to the device. I need to devise a system to electrically disconnect the batteries during the day when the batteries are fully charged and connect them back into the circuit to provide power when no sunlight is available. Haven't started yet, so I'm hoping someone might give me a leg up on the particulars. Thx.
good idea with the homemade usb solar charger .but solar cells only put out .55v open circuit max. you would need at least 9 to 10 of those cells to charge the battery correctly. the way you have it set up the solar cell dose nothing for the battery
Thanks dude great video! I saw this other video where the guy used the parts from a solar garden light to do the same thing, but the diode thing was a help here. You can disamble the garden light and use the parts to do what this guy did cheaply.
If the USB bus is powered rather than passive (like in the video), the electricity has a direct path to the battery pack- meaning that current can "flow" in both directions. So in theory the answer is yes. Although I have not tested this function myself.
@JakkHack I know what i diode is. I'm saying he might need another resistor in the setup. 3:04 "The battery pack will be able to send current through this loop right here which goes to the usb cable". In other words, the diode does not prevent electricity from going to the USB.
@humanentropy ahh, nevermind, I just watched this again and realized that I thought the diode was in a different place than it really was. What's really going on is, the solar cells charge the batteries, and the batteries send electricity to the USB. The diode prevents electricity from going from the solar cell to the USB (or is it the other way around?)
in the circuit diagram you have the right direction of diode but in the video it is in reverse direction. i think there is a difference between the circuit diagram and original video circuit.
also i pulled my solar panels off 4 garden lights i bought at walrmart for 4 dollars came with rechargeable batteries as well as the panels i use for mine. But question is the part that makes the light come on when its dark the photo balhahah senor is there something i could use those for on this project or another?
hey thanks for the help with the switch thing im new to this sorta stuff but i got my charger working now but i was wondering if i wanted to install a light with a switch on it to show me wheter the batters r be charged or not where would i make that connection at?
Hey m8 i have been messing with solar power for the last couple of days i manged to link 4 togher and get a light bulb to come on when i shine light on 1 or all of them. i like ur idea about the battery thing and i was wondering since im using 4 panels is there anywhere in ur diagram where i could add like a toggle switch so when the batters die i could charge off straight solar power????
Sure just put in a bypass. A two state switch will give you the option of channeling the power to your device or the battery pack. It's not very complicated, I'm sure you can figure it out.
Not only will it not charge because the voltage is too low. It will not even pass the diode, as that gives a 0.7 volt voltage drop! So your solar panel has to produce AT least 0.7 volt to even pump anything into the circuit.
Also not to grind you into the ground or anything, but this is hardly an original invention.. There are thousands of commercial devices that use small solar panels to trickle charge a power supply; e.g. Samsung's Blue Earth mobile phone.
Perhaps the output voltage of my solar panel is much higher in direct sunlight. That is the only explanation I can think of, assuming that what you've said applies to my circuit.
There is no such thing as a "Electronics PhD". You could have an Electrical Engineering PhD, but I doubt you have one, because if you did, you'd call it what it was.
if that solar panel dose not make a higher voltage then the battery back you wont be charging anything higher then the voltage it makes. and that also goes for back current from the device you plug into. if the voltage is high it will drain out into the battery pack.
This was already discussed at length, however the comment was removed at some point.
If you'll notice for the first part of the video I'm using 9V clips to test the circuit, using two clipped together reverses the polarity, hence the diode appearing to be backwards.
When I solder and finalize the circuit the diode has been set to the correct orientation to reflect the removal of the clips.
If you download the circuit diagram you'll notice that it is in fact correct.
During the charging...I'll read about 3V,for example, on day one...the sun goes down and the next morning, I'm reading LESS VOLTS and have to wait for it to build up again...
I know mA are what's important for charging, but is this a concern?
Also, my batteries are 1000mAh each(I have 4 of them). When I calq hours to charge, should I use 4000mAh or 1000mAh in the formula?
Periodically though out the day I'll check the voltage out put of my circuit and I'll get a reading of 3volts a few hours later it might read 3.25volts...at the end of the day (when there's no light) I'll get some final reading 4volts for example...
The next morning I'll put the cells back in the sunlight to finish charging and the base reading is NOT 4volts but something far less, as if the voltage in my batteries LOST VOLTS...
is this normal? why is it doing that? Am I testing correctly?
r u serious one cell low voltage it wont be able to charge battery only prevent from self discharging (function of Trickle charger)
anupamvipul233 3 weeks ago
what kind of diode did you used?
jezikime 3 weeks ago
actually with a 6v solar panel in good sun producing 6v, with the forward voltage drop of the diode of say 0.7v for a basic 4001 silicon rectifier diode, you'd get 5.3v out which equates to 1.325v per cell on 4x NiMH cells. The fully charged voltage of modern 'low self discharge' NiMH cells is slightly over 1.4v per cell.. So you'll nearly fully charge 4xAA NiMH off this if you have enough sun. Like to know how much charge this will put in a phone before output voltage drops too low.
SaulGoodwin 1 month ago
Further more, like ledguy315 says. You have many faults in your circuit. Please learn more before posting videos on circuits that won't work. Yes, the batteries will charge the phone. But the solar panel won't charge the batteries. It's voltage is way to low. And if you want to charge batteries you also have to have a circuit that controls when to stop charge the batteries to prevent damage to them.
Try again in a few years when you know what you're talking about.
//Shadowthee
shadowthee 1 month ago
I like how the diode in the beginning of the video is backwards. Later when he charges the phone it's suddenly in the other way? ... Obvious troll is obvious.
shadowthee 1 month ago
@shadowthee Turn on your annotations bra...
neotoy 1 month ago 2
what happens when you feed the solar cell, with power? does it releases electrons or radiation in some sort?
unknotmiguel 2 months ago
@unknotmiguel An excellent question, unfortunately I don't have an answer. I had just assumed that the solar cell would behave similarly to a resistor - effectively shorting the circuit and draining the charge in the battery pack. I do not however have any experience to support this assumption.
neotoy 2 months ago
your diode is backwards
cheatcoadmaster2000 2 months ago
hello! I want to make a solar battery charger and I found this video.I have a 5.5V 150mAh solar cell and I want to charge a 3.6Li-ion battery.I want to ask you,the diode is an 1N4007? Thx
Crazy1991Rocker 3 months ago
You've installed the diode backwards. The current is being blocked from charging your batteries. I totally agree with this. The rest of the video is good just re-solder the diode the other way and you should be OK. About the radio shack meter reading 5.38 volts you can just ignore that since the battery is rated 1.5 volts each x4 total volts should be 4.8V. But I think you should put a rechargeable battery and I think all AAA rechargeable battery are rated at 1.2 Volts and not 1.5 Volts never
joseph9898 4 months ago
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You've installed the diode backwards. The current is being blocked from charging your batteries. I totally agree with this. The rest of the video is good just re-solder the diode the other way and you should be OK. About the radio shack meter reading 5.38 volts you can just ignore that since the battery is rated 1.5 volts each x4 total volts should be 4.8V. But I think you should put a rechargeable battery and I think all AAA rechargeable battery are rated at 1.2 Volts and not 1.5 Volts never.
joseph9898 4 months ago
You've installed the diode backwards. The current is being blocked from charging your batteries. I totally agree with this. The rest of the video is good just re-solder the diode the other way and you should be OK. About the radio shack meter reading 5.38 volts you can just ignore that since the battery is rated 1.5 volts each x4 total volts should be 4.8V. But I think you should put a rechargeable battery and I think all AAA rechargeable battery are rated at 1.2 Volts and not 1.5 Volts never.
joseph9898 4 months ago
LOL I READ GESO on the multimeater .....translating.....GEEEE SOOOO???? lol
soulblaser 4 months ago
I found out how to get super cheap - free project boxes
TheBlacksabbathfan9 5 months ago
With kind regards neotoy, please further your electronics knowledge before making a faulty how-to video. Im an electronics engineer and you have many problems with this circuit and in your terminology. Better luck next time.
ledguy315 5 months ago
@ledguy315 Prove it.
neotoy 5 months ago 4
"for all intensive purposes" you've installed the diode backwards. The current is being blocked from charging your batteries.
mikedrz 5 months ago
@mikedrz How much are you willing to wager if you're wrong? I'll bet you $100, you can pay me via paypal :)
neotoy 5 months ago
@neotoy the current travels towards the side that's got the line on the diode. Your solar panel would be draining the power from the batteries if anything, unless you fixed it since this video. If you can prove it charges the batteries the way you made it in the video then that'd be great. It's good you're trying to help people out, but if it doesn't work then people be wasting their time.
mikedrz 5 months ago
Comment removed
yotoen 5 months ago
@mikedrz No, it's right in the video. The two 9V clips snapped together reverse the polarity. When they are removed later in the video you will notice that the diode has also been moved to reflect the changes. Lastly if you download the schematic you will notice that it is correct. If people aren't observant enough to notice such basic aspects of the design they are probably wasting time no matter what they do. You can send the $100 to neotoy@hotmail.com :)
neotoy 5 months ago 5
@mikedrz "For all intents an purposes."
chenel1234 4 months ago
Do you have to use rechargeable batteries?
stalker0111 6 months ago
@stalker0111 wtf are you serious?
DRAN4612 5 months ago
@DRAN4612 Hahaha no i wasnt XD
stalker0111 5 months ago
ah
jezikime 6 months ago
Hey, I was thinking of doing this as a science fair project, but I want to incorporate it with a piezoelectric sensor/generator. Could you help out a bit? Can you send me a personal message? Thanks :)
karunarsenal 6 months ago
Comment removed
kdcfc18 6 months ago 2
@kdcfc18 Shri Khoj, Kunal. Shri Khoj.
karunarsenal 6 months ago
What about overcharging. Will it overcharge the batteries? I heard that overcharging rechargeable batteries can be bad for the batteries. I don't know that much about home building things like this, but it seems easy to do.
Prence 6 months ago
would this set up work with gps?
damion1247 6 months ago
What kind of Diode are you using? Is it a 12v one? (I made a solar powered USB setup, but would love to throw a battery pack on it, but the Diode is the only thing throwing me off.)
Thanks.
Kingmen30264 6 months ago
@Kingmen30264 Experiment with different diodes until you find one that works, otherwise just do some more research.
neotoy 6 months ago
can you make an efficient current by only using resistors instead of a diode?
chaosjack55 6 months ago
@chaosjack55 I would think not since the resistors dissipate power as heat.
neotoy 6 months ago
let me put it another way, even if you left it on the dash in death valley in july, your wires would melt first from the sun , and your battery still wouldnt be very hot. IMHO
goallnight 6 months ago
you dont have to worry about over charging, because that solar-cell only outputs one point squat volts DC
goallnight 6 months ago
u should add a switch and a casing
KJT930 7 months ago
@KJT930 I did much later, the switch is definitely a nice feature that I wish I had included in the original video.
neotoy 6 months ago
very glad you didnt use a breadboard for this demonstration
DarthMufin 7 months ago
You forgot something very important, what
about overcharging? How dó you avoid it?
Make a new video about it..
m4unot 8 months ago
Dang bro.. Sweet surfer accent! Your gnarly ingenuity make me wanna rig a crackhead device that a bonafied stoner would only think of. Party time! Excellent!
jzbreezio 8 months ago
are you sure at 2.30 connection for that diode..???
az5029 9 months ago
what the output voltage for your solar cell..??
az5029 9 months ago
i don't have any experience with soldering, is it possible to make this work without soldering?
millercommaalex 9 months ago
@millercommaalex It's really unreliable but you can twist the wires together. I would recommended learning how to solder instead, it's really not that difficult.
neotoy 9 months ago
@millercommaalex Twist the wires and tape.
MidnightMarrow 8 months ago
@millercommaalex yes
alexpositivecharge 7 months ago
this would be great to bring on a hike in case of an extremely horrible and unlikely situation that would leave you lost in the wild. instead of a USB cord you could use your cell phone cord so you can be sure that you will be able to always charge your phone.
JakeXVX 9 months ago
is it just me or is that diode in backwards?>
sn0wchyld 10 months ago 4
but its better and safer to use an 5v controller against any voltage peaks that could damage easily your ipod
web1bastler 10 months ago
I am a little confused because the diode can work when voltage is above aproximately 0.65V, under this voltage diode is nonconductive....hm???but it is working hmmmm
stan021 10 months ago
What is the maximum voltage output of that PV cell? I've rarely seen any that put out more than 3v, most are more line 1V-2V. So even in full sunlight, you will not have enough voltage to charge the batteries. You will need a series of cells that put out at least 6v to charge a battery pack to ~5.5V.
thomas533 10 months ago
Did u know bateeys explode in. Sunlight
murdercom998 10 months ago
how to know its the proper voltage watages 4 ur phone ?
thekaiser11234 10 months ago
what diode model did you use...i say.. ITS TOTALLY COOOOOOL!!! :bd :)
venzjoker 10 months ago
the screen is upside down
lol
bigtimerocks 11 months ago
Since you are charging from the battery apposed to directly from the panel, do you still use a 5 volt regulator?
SiYanara 1 year ago
This wouldn't work if it is a silicone diode it would need at least .7 volts to work.
ozzyrocker10 1 year ago
Finally someone who knows what they are doing.
shravvmehtaa 1 year ago
Where did you get your PV panel from? they are difficult to find
roadkill1001 1 year ago
yo view eminems videos loseyourself to get more view than greenday 21 guns and check out my video JUAN LUNA RAMOS
vegeta321fuy 1 year ago
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I am a dyed in the wool gadget freak and this contraption is really cool. I will be building this. I just got the EVO and that thing goes through a charge like a congressman through a budget surplus. Very nice job sir!
tbaum101 1 year ago
I am a dyed in the wool gadget freak and this contraption is really cool. I will be building this. I just got the EVO and that thing goes through a charge like a congressman through a budget surplus. Very nice job sir!
tbaum101 1 year ago
FYI to all you. Fuck this up you and plug it into any pc usb port it can cause an arc where the usb header connects to the motherboard so DOT MESS UP
T5646766 1 year ago
I have to agree with one of the other comments, the single solar cell won't put out the full voltage needed.. Even a trickle charger of 500mA would still require a voltage .7 to 1.5 over the voltage of the device you're charging.. (i.e. you would need 5.7 to 6.5V to charge a 5V system.) the one you show, looks like an 1-2V single cell. (noting the foil on the front.) Not very likely it would produce enough voltage to charge the 4.8V battery pack.
gelfling6 1 year ago
it be upside down :\
Sinyevee 1 year ago
This has been flagged as spam show
One thing to mention is that you need a Voltage regulator in-line near the the connection to the phone. If not, you could end up with a fully charged battery pack (4.8v or more) that you connect to your phone on a nice sunny day (add the voltage output from the PV Panel(s)) and end up pushing the voltage past the "safe" range for your phone. 4.8v+?PVv = ???
Remember... everything runs on smoke... if you let the smoke out, it doesn't work anymore. :)
CorvinusL 1 year ago
One thing to mention is that you need a Voltage regulator in-line near the the connection to the phone. If not, you could end up with a fully charged battery pack (4.8v or more) that you connect to your phone on a nice sunny day (add the voltage output from the PV Panel(s)) and end up pushing the voltage past the "safe" range for your phone. 4.8v+?PVv = ???
Remember... everything runs on smoke... if you let the smoke out, it doesn't work anymore. :)
CorvinusL 1 year ago 2
This has been flagged as spam show
Unlimited energy sources are out there!But the coverup is very strong,Get a real free energy motor at LT-MAGNET-MOTORdotCOM ,Start the revolution!
breeannaqktjbl 1 year ago
I saw another using 5 volt voltage regulator instead a diode. what is the difference?
elloco703 1 year ago
thank you
mathlouma 1 year ago
the usb voltage is 5 volts if you put a regulator like 7805 it will be a nice stabiliced and not burning cellphone device
juan3238 1 year ago
@juan3238
I love people that don't know shit about electronics.
KnifeInTheSnow 1 year ago
@KnifeInTheSnow thats for me? ^ ^
juan3238 1 year ago
@juan3238 if I use the 5 volt regulator, I change the diode for it?
elloco703 1 year ago
lamo
coilsinamotor 1 year ago
I use an 5W 22V Solar Panel
web1bastler 1 year ago
this solar panel is too small
web1bastler 1 year ago
very nice mod! Thanks for sharing. btw, you soldered in the diode backwards;-)
killzpwnz0red 1 year ago
@cournelcool There is currently no way to know this. Although there are many additional components you could add to the design that would provide that kind of information.
neotoy 1 year ago
@neotoy is it posible to overcharge the batteries with a small PV like that?
austinbeedy 8 months ago
@neotoy
lol i know why there is a solar panel there duh! wat im sayin is that he cuda done it in a way in which it
is more like compact and u can just plug ur device in..
BRAeminem 1 year ago
and your carring the solar panel around with you because.....?
BRAeminem 1 year ago
@BRAeminem Good god bra, please get a basic education.
neotoy 1 year ago 6
@neotoy you cant teach common sense...
BartJJ2 1 year ago
DC voltage directly into your phone or other devices with a lithium-ion battery is going to fry the accumulater pretty quick, if the lithium battery isnt dead before that due to improper charging. I needs to gradually lower the power imput while still holding the same voltage all along when the battery is allmost charged, otherwise it will destroy the cells in the device's lithium battery.
Swampax 1 year ago
um.. nice but there is one bug i think.. what if u will over charge the akk with the solar power ? u need to instal some safe - circuit something . as i remmember there was a microcontroler to control this kind of overheat overloaded problems in other Akk chargers. ( btw i think i will use lithium akk, cuz it is not losing energy from itself like these akk u use, but when lithium will be overloaded.. it can explode ^_^ " Cheeers ! :) for science ! : ) Great work , very easy very simple.
iAsahi 1 year ago
@iAsahi Only necessary when input current is high. With trickle charging it's not really something to worry about.
Of course lithium would be better, but that's a whole different class of device. This is budget DIY. Once they start selling lithium AAA's let me know ;)
neotoy 1 year ago
@neotoy Oh o.o rlly? ^_^" so thats great : ) now i know howto charge my akk from flash unit in the wild (when its sunny) Ps. i said lithium cuz i got some of these from mbile phones, mp4 and this kind of trash so i was wondering if i culd replace urs akk with those? will it be danger ? XD i saw them blowing up overheated thats why i am scared use'em o.O Greetz
iAsahi 1 year ago
If that PV cell is only making a volt or two, it's not doing a good job of charging those batteries. Use 4 or 5 of them in series, and it would help out, but if the PV voltage is less than the total voltage of those batteries, the batteries are not being charged. The diode was a very good thing to use, especially in your case.
TaylorHolmes 1 year ago 8
@TaylorHolmes Keep in mind the test was done indoors. In direct sunlight the panel output is actually a lot higher. Also this was already discussed at length :/
neotoy 1 year ago
really nice one and thanks
ciprianwiner 1 year ago
put a 5v regulator on it
MrMAnPAndA666 1 year ago
nice video been looking for a way to try it on my rc car so it charges while i run it
on video f1MMFkwdxHw the guy used a voltage regulator to limit the power to 5.0 volts
unrealloco 1 year ago
Yep it did more then damage. it broke my MP3 ah. But i Got the Cowon S9 Mp3 today the same day it broke. LOL
73prime 1 year ago
Yourn up to 75,499 Views!
73prime 1 year ago
@73prime W00T!
neotoy 1 year ago
Did you see if you can use the cell or mp3 or any small device without the batteries? like if you where to plug in a camera in to the wall and still use it. I have a Vivitar 840 X HD Camera and i can use it while its plunged in. So in theory it should work. Pleas respond because i will try it if it works! And i will try to post a Video reply.
73prime 1 year ago
@73prime This could work given certain conditions, but the circuit would be more complicated, not to mention you need constant sun. A nice thing about the battery pack is that it gives you a consistent voltage, with the solar panel alone it can fluctuate, which can damage some devices.
neotoy 1 year ago
Did you in the end resolder diode in rigrt derection ?
mindaugas49ccm 1 year ago
what is that a phone
sk8filmpjes 1 year ago
can i use a diode 75 volts , 75 mA?
angelsilva54 1 year ago
Why don't you just put a female USB at the end instead? so you can charge any device..??
Please reply
yoududenut 1 year ago
@yoududenut Why not just leave two bare wires, or alligator clips, or a universal DC jack.. The whole point of DIY is so that you can customize things to your own specifications and that's exactly what I did. There is no perfect solution, and there is no "any device" since there are millions of devices that don't even use USB.
Attach whatever you want, it's up to you.
neotoy 1 year ago
@neotoy But I see what @yoududenut is saying... if you were to use a female USB plug, then you would be able to plug any USB device into it using that device's existing USB cable. It would make this device more universal. However, you make a valid point in that this is YOUR DIY for your solution. Very cool though!
justadakaje 1 year ago
how much output should the solar panel have?
Aifamer 1 year ago
the PV, how much volts and amps is there on the output?
dudefreaker3 1 year ago
I'm trying to do something similar with a cctv. However, the battery pack will remain attached to the circuit at the same time the panels are charging the batteries and/or providing power to the device. I need to devise a system to electrically disconnect the batteries during the day when the batteries are fully charged and connect them back into the circuit to provide power when no sunlight is available. Haven't started yet, so I'm hoping someone might give me a leg up on the particulars. Thx.
mortalstorm 1 year ago
those battery's are 1.5 volts aren't they? if you have 4 battery's it's should be 6 volts.
if it's a misstake i don't now why i thought that
HardcoreRobin 1 year ago
@HardcoreRobin NiMH rechargeable batteries are typically 1.2V.
mortalstorm 1 year ago
@neotoy i dont understand what your asking
flacmistgt 1 year ago
where can i can i a diode like that from?
flacmistgt 1 year ago
@flacmistgt Has anyone really been far even as decided to use even go want to do look more like?
neotoy 1 year ago
that wud b funny if u charge ur ipod with its on light from the screen onto the solar charger
flexer122 1 year ago
first time i saw this im like wut that thing puts out 9e5o volts flip it arround would ya
flexer122 1 year ago
upside down asshole
TheKenya42 1 year ago
your correct Zeetec4 but if you notice at the end he changes it to the right position.
crazylazystacy 1 year ago
what the hell cant even load the vid but others work!!!
MrGoldxbox360 1 year ago
good idea with the homemade usb solar charger .but solar cells only put out .55v open circuit max. you would need at least 9 to 10 of those cells to charge the battery correctly. the way you have it set up the solar cell dose nothing for the battery
ragnaroksg1 1 year ago
Thanks dude great video! I saw this other video where the guy used the parts from a solar garden light to do the same thing, but the diode thing was a help here. You can disamble the garden light and use the parts to do what this guy did cheaply.
walkertongdee 1 year ago
shrink tape
walkertongdee 1 year ago
shrink tape
walkertongdee 1 year ago
How many AA batteries could I use instead?
bigbucksbanker 1 year ago
hi just wondering if the usb can also charge the batteries thanks
ducky2393 1 year ago
If the USB bus is powered rather than passive (like in the video), the electricity has a direct path to the battery pack- meaning that current can "flow" in both directions. So in theory the answer is yes. Although I have not tested this function myself.
neotoy 1 year ago
hot glue the solar panel (cell) to the top of the battery pack and shorten the wires hope this helps!
need4speed402 2 years ago
What kind of diode you use in this video?
engrumi 2 years ago
can you use the same set up but instead of a male usb connector can you use a female usb connector?
MJsoccerpro13 2 years ago
Of course. You can attach whatever kind of power interface you want.
neotoy 1 year ago
Seriously?...thats not even a question....use common sense....
(if u still dont know..the ans is yes)
dilirent 1 year ago
there isnt too much voltage/current going through the USB?
humanentropy 2 years ago
@humanentropy no, it can't flow to the USB because of the diode.
JakkHack 2 years ago
if electricity cant flow to the USB, then how is it a USB battery?
humanentropy 2 years ago
@humanentropy The diode prevents electricity from flowing one way, but allows it to flow the other.
JakkHack 2 years ago
@JakkHack I know what i diode is. I'm saying he might need another resistor in the setup. 3:04 "The battery pack will be able to send current through this loop right here which goes to the usb cable". In other words, the diode does not prevent electricity from going to the USB.
humanentropy 2 years ago
@humanentropy ahh, nevermind, I just watched this again and realized that I thought the diode was in a different place than it really was. What's really going on is, the solar cells charge the batteries, and the batteries send electricity to the USB. The diode prevents electricity from going from the solar cell to the USB (or is it the other way around?)
JakkHack 2 years ago
how many volts do u need to charge a mp3 player
SASUKEDAREDEVIL 2 years ago
Master grammar first, then electricity ;)
neotoy 1 year ago
with an output of 5v you will be fine (this setup may not work on some ipods)
dilirent 1 year ago
Does this work for an iPod?
taysteve 2 years ago
@taysteve It will work on anything, just find the appropriate plug, and of course, sufficient voltage
whit3boy4sh0 1 year ago
in the circuit diagram you have the right direction of diode but in the video it is in reverse direction. i think there is a difference between the circuit diagram and original video circuit.
zeetec4 2 years ago
Yep. Been over this many times. That's why I made the diagram :/
It's also correct at the end of the video when I finalize the design.
neotoy 1 year ago
how can i wire a AAA up to wires???
TheRomanCandle790 2 years ago
get a AAA battery holder from the source or radio shack or just tape two wires to each end!
congarank 2 years ago
k i have the battery holder thing now but ive never been able to tape wires onto the - and + ends on the battery and have it work...
TheRomanCandle790 2 years ago
also i pulled my solar panels off 4 garden lights i bought at walrmart for 4 dollars came with rechargeable batteries as well as the panels i use for mine. But question is the part that makes the light come on when its dark the photo balhahah senor is there something i could use those for on this project or another?
TheKilledpuma 2 years ago
hey thanks for the help with the switch thing im new to this sorta stuff but i got my charger working now but i was wondering if i wanted to install a light with a switch on it to show me wheter the batters r be charged or not where would i make that connection at?
TheKilledpuma 2 years ago
Hey m8 i have been messing with solar power for the last couple of days i manged to link 4 togher and get a light bulb to come on when i shine light on 1 or all of them. i like ur idea about the battery thing and i was wondering since im using 4 panels is there anywhere in ur diagram where i could add like a toggle switch so when the batters die i could charge off straight solar power????
TheKilledpuma 2 years ago
Sure just put in a bypass. A two state switch will give you the option of channeling the power to your device or the battery pack. It's not very complicated, I'm sure you can figure it out.
neotoy 2 years ago
Thanks mate
TheKilledpuma 2 years ago
nice idea
mnc000 2 years ago
Nice Video!
mrBr00k5 2 years ago
what type of diode did you use cause you didn't say that in the video?
GUNVALKERIE 2 years ago
It's just directing current, It doesn't matter what one you use, as long as it's rated for the current you are using.
thoatt 2 years ago
Not only will it not charge because the voltage is too low. It will not even pass the diode, as that gives a 0.7 volt voltage drop! So your solar panel has to produce AT least 0.7 volt to even pump anything into the circuit.
OverSoft 2 years ago
Well it does work, I've been using it for over a year, so I guess you guys need to go back to electronics 101.
neotoy 2 years ago
I have a PhD in electronics, so, no, i don't need to go back to electronics 101...
OverSoft 2 years ago
Then explain why it works.
neotoy 2 years ago
Also not to grind you into the ground or anything, but this is hardly an original invention.. There are thousands of commercial devices that use small solar panels to trickle charge a power supply; e.g. Samsung's Blue Earth mobile phone.
neotoy 2 years ago
Those things work because they use a charge pump, a little circuit that "pumps" the voltage higher. Do some reading first...
OverSoft 2 years ago
Perhaps the output voltage of my solar panel is much higher in direct sunlight. That is the only explanation I can think of, assuming that what you've said applies to my circuit.
neotoy 2 years ago
There is no such thing as a "Electronics PhD". You could have an Electrical Engineering PhD, but I doubt you have one, because if you did, you'd call it what it was.
thoatt 2 years ago
Volts != current. Even though the voltage is dropped, the circuit would still be getting current. And there are diode that only drop 0.2 volts.
thoatt 2 years ago
if that solar panel dose not make a higher voltage then the battery back you wont be charging anything higher then the voltage it makes. and that also goes for back current from the device you plug into. if the voltage is high it will drain out into the battery pack.
mafiouso 2 years ago
isn't your diode on backwards. that will destroy the panel like that, won't it? as far as i know its on wrong.
ppsjsh 2 years ago
This was already discussed at length, however the comment was removed at some point.
If you'll notice for the first part of the video I'm using 9V clips to test the circuit, using two clipped together reverses the polarity, hence the diode appearing to be backwards.
When I solder and finalize the circuit the diode has been set to the correct orientation to reflect the removal of the clips.
If you download the circuit diagram you'll notice that it is in fact correct.
neotoy 2 years ago
Would the charger works in any CP/Gadget?
How would I know if the batteries are fully charge?
If the solar panel is bigger does it mean faster charging?
I'm just a noob in this please HELP :D THANKS
BlindDepartment 2 years ago
During the charging...I'll read about 3V,for example, on day one...the sun goes down and the next morning, I'm reading LESS VOLTS and have to wait for it to build up again...
I know mA are what's important for charging, but is this a concern?
Also, my batteries are 1000mAh each(I have 4 of them). When I calq hours to charge, should I use 4000mAh or 1000mAh in the formula?
rixster19 2 years ago
Not sure what you mean in the first paragraph.
Use 4000mAh in your calculations.
neotoy 2 years ago
Periodically though out the day I'll check the voltage out put of my circuit and I'll get a reading of 3volts a few hours later it might read 3.25volts...at the end of the day (when there's no light) I'll get some final reading 4volts for example...
The next morning I'll put the cells back in the sunlight to finish charging and the base reading is NOT 4volts but something far less, as if the voltage in my batteries LOST VOLTS...
is this normal? why is it doing that? Am I testing correctly?
rixster19 2 years ago
Sounds like a metering problem. Technically speaking the batteries will always register the same voltage, unless they nearing depletion.
What's important is the duration of the charge, hence the relevance of mAhs.
neotoy 2 years ago
great work man... :)
fadoobaba 2 years ago
is no good putes out 37mAmps at 3.7V on loade end 41mAmps end 6.6v with no loade !! not enuf
djoracol 2 years ago
wait... did you get that out of a solar hat ? =o
ZethieFoxy 2 years ago
where did you get that solar panel? it looks nice
ZethieFoxy 2 years ago
thats cool. great idea!
ubaid711 2 years ago
Cool, i made a similar charge