How to Make a USB solar Charger for [mp3 players] and Junk.

[jernito]

Hmm... I think I found my Science fair project :)

[moenk5]

@burpen

So is it safe to say that battery powered devices are DC? I knew that the electrical panel in our home is AC and our appliances are so I assumed our plug in devices were as well. What is the easiest way to determine a DC vs AC device?

[flyboy911911]

great video man!

[DanielBrown89]

Great job....

In order to cover the Commercial Solar Panel

You will need 3,750 Days – Which is over 10 Years!

The only option is to Build You own Solar Panels

There is an Engineer from Chicago that explains it All

To find his website go to Google and search for

"Top DIY Solar Panels"

Select the First Result (Remember to skip The Advertisements)

[HefaistosSon]

Realy nice n'awesome

[williampengsean]

Does it work for iPad 2?

[Gthomps2]

Herro....

I have a 3.3V GE panel that has a battery built in from Home Depot for Christmas Lights...

Do I need to piggyback the thing w/ another one?

[moenk5]

@JMEMantzel

Love the concept and project but doesn't this produce DC which can damage our household AC items like phones and ipods? Just wondering if you did something to deal with this, or if I am incorrect in thinking it is putting out DC current.

[burpen]

@moenk5 You have that backwards... USB is DC, AC is for general appliances like washers/dryers etc. Think about how to charge a phone you need to use an adapter to convert the AC from your wall outlet to DC. With these panels you are already getting DC so there's no need to convert it to charge a phone.

[JMEMantzel]

@Badersphere I really have no idea how iphones work. I don't have one, and I'll probably nevr have one. Look though the comments, though. People have given some good information about the tricks manufacturers do to make it difficult to charge certain items.

[nate3535]

what about a diod? im trying to do thing but could my solar panel my panel is 12v at 10amps

[plod33157]

@thefogul Yeah it will

[LOPEZdJUNGLIST]

its all right im a super nerd too i have all those things lying around :)

[andyspoo2]

From what I remember from my electronics days (is been many years I'd admit) you really should have caps connected between the common (middle pin) and the input and output stages of the 7805 to make the voltage more stable and less prone to electrical noise etc.

[thefogul]

Will it work if my voltage regulator is more that .5a?

[MrDotMontage]

F*CK i need a sht load of calculators...

[Nogorn]

@MrDotMontage steal the m from school.. 1 at a time for the rest of the year O.o

[mikeike200793]

steal your neighbors solar garden lamps ;)

[justin18349]

dudeeeeeeeeeeeeeee...... put a heatsink even it don't gets hot you'll be sure that it won't caught fireeeeeeeeee

or it will melt

[Pezoafamily]

The following seems more suitable for some real USB charging, as most chargers have 0.7A instead of .5A

Mouser Part #: 821-TS78M05CZ

Manufacturer Part #: TS78M05CZ

[pleasecho2]

No fuse?

[MrY3110w]

can you put 2 solar panels back to back?

[SUPERIORSoundwave8]

im gonna build 1 for my psp

[jakedasnake50]

my solar panel wont work it says on my multimeter that it has 8 volts but when i test it on a llight or somthing like a mini moter i doesnt work?

[Airmanmx1]

dang I am having issues with mine, I learned my Fry's elec solar panel is a 12V but I still a single USB port and I can't even charge my simple MP3. HELP!!!

[TruanNguyen]

Thanks man, I love you. Exactly what I wanted to see. No homo.

[Joxman2k]

So could your design/concept recharge cell phones? I'm just thinking, in the proper housing, you could take it camping or hiking, and in an emergency situation could help save your life. If you are within, or come into range of a cell tower this could be worth its weight to value ratio in a survival situation.

:)

:P

[fazdabest]

well explained video mate! well done!

THANKS

[TailsBit]

Thanks dude, me and a friend did one of those high altitude space balloon expiriments. We used this design about 4 times to build a massive solar panel n it that powered all the electronics for the entire mission. Thank you!

[SciFacts4YOU]

I heard you can just use a 5V solar panel hooked up directly to the female USB adapter with no 5V regulator. Would that be okay for phones and ipods or should I also use a 5V regulator

[gookluck1]

Jusy look up ebay o.e

[shaneduboiscomputers]

i want one

[S3YARA]

superb thanks !!!

[TrialVersion8]

Wait! is it a usb charger or solar charger?!

[Lorelai2LOL]

that awesome to i am from vt too cool i am about to make one for my iPhone

..

[wattnott]

I used the two 3V in series but nothing? I think not enough amp? I am trying to use as a charger for iPhone 3G. There was also a 12V solar panel available at the store, could I use this instead or wold that be too much for the 5V VR? Any ideas?

[GreenAlligator12259]

this video made me search my own mp3 charger and i found it!!

[giantsquidMAN]

Do the power regulators increase the amps as they decrease the colts or would I be better off just wiring then up in parallel

[sahil4ever1]

@giantsquidMAN the voltage regulators keep the voltage to the rated voltage and current, in this case, 5V and 0.5A.

5V is considered to be safe charging voltage, hence the VR are required.

if the output of the panel is low, that is, less than ipod's battery rating usually 3.3V or something then the ipod discharges

[njmvermont]

WOO VT I LIVE HERE 2. which region

[dandamannnnn]

Silly USB junk.

[Airmanmx1]

This was as simplistic as 1...2...3. Thanks so much. Hope I don't fry my iphone...knowing my luck I might start a fire. :(

[philipscoggins]

I bought a similar device on ebay and ended up having to learn about how usb connectors work to get it to charge my micro-usp device, which also applies to ipod devices. The 2 middle "unused" pins on the usb need to be connected so they are shorted. That what when it is plugged into a smart device that is looking for data on those pins it sees a short and knows it's just a charger. If you don't do this, it won't allow it to charge...

[VuduHD]

how long does it take for it to charge?

[TheGreaterGoat]

Whats the cheapest way to get 500-1000 milliamps?

[sim6699]

If I wired my solar panels to 14v @ 80milli amps would I the same amps at 5v as wired solar panels 7v @ 160 milli amps ??? Thanks

[imawesomeyayaya]

@gabe2304 you can go to your local radio shack and ask them about a USB connector they will hook u up and if you need a solar panel you could pick one up there. All together I spent about 20 dollars there for this project

[gabe2304]

I looked at Mouser's site they have a double female connector, would that work with this project?

[Makingmagic4]

Nice vid dude! Will be trying this soon

[shasanain]

does a +5vdc regulator work im a noob

[YOUMUSTDIEMAMALUIGI]

what happens if the solar panel is 50 milli amps

[imawesomeyayaya]

I have an iPod touch 2nd gen and a env touch, the env touch Charges when I put the solar panel up to the light but my iPod doesn't, WHAT DO I DO?

[YOUMUSTDIEMAMALUIGI]

where did you get the 8 volt solar panel?

[imawesomeyayaya]

Where can I get the USB connectors

[imawesomeyayaya]

What kind of solar panels are they?

[lame3x]

Nice video

[Bmastertjuh]

bad thing is I had this stuff laying around

[CharlesB6977]

I tried this with a security solar light and USB dives and it has 5.3 V and it doesn't charge it at all

[teamorr96]

Hey Jaimie, we have the same ipod!

[ingesumadre]

subscribing! cheap and easy !

[nAjpHiL12]

where i can see or find the solar plate or the black plate..???

[killer9000000000]

Did you soder the usb and voltage on the panel or just the wires to the voltage regulator

[MoeGrills]

you can stick the solac panel to the back of the ipod with some velcro : )

[Future20Vehicle12]

@JMEMantzel nice video. What type of transistor you are using (detail) ? :)

[evilweeman]

I'm looking to do something like this with old solar garden lamps,

[James00722Bond]

@evilweeman me too. ;) but my garden lamps only have about 0.5V. that`s the problem!!!

[kekejojo1212]

You can definitely get the voltage regulators, any diodes and some other stuff at radio shack.

[euskadi9999]

For the regulator, could I use a 5V 1amp instead of a 0.5 amp? How will that affect the charging?

[nltubeyou]

@euskadi9999 You can use one.

[Hayeshacker0NE]

@euskadi9999 no. It just means it will handle up to 1 amp of electricity, which should suffice as *most* USB devices use less then that.

[xXTACOMONSTXx]

Thanks i am going to try to make my own it should be easy because i am good with stuff like that but i did find the items ok

[extperry5]

i like how u can still be human and tell me how to do something :) have a cookie.

[JMEMantzel]

@extperry5 I love cookies!

[Trevorapple]

Does this work with iPod touches?

[JMEMantzel]

@Trevorapple Well... I've heard that apple puts tricky little circuitry in their stuff now to make it only work with other apple things. They're kinda jerks that way. I am not a fan of itunes.... but they make it reall difficult to use anything else, so I almost never use an ipod. ...so I don't have any new ones. Some people have mentioned things in the comments here, though.

[Trevorapple]

@JMEMantzel I'm currently trying to make one of these for a school porject, but i have the panel, and regulator, but can't find a usb connector in any stores, do you have to order it online?

[Trevorapple]

@JMEMantzel I'm currently trying to make one of these for a school porject, but i have the panel, and regulator, but can't find a usb connector in any stores, do you have to order it online?

[JMEMantzel]

@Trevorapple not sure where to get 'em in the "real world" but I found mine online at mouser electronics.

[Trevorapple]

@JMEMantzel i cant find a usb connector anywhere, do those have to be ordered online?

[JDTV1995]

@Trevorapple take them off an old computer

[btbraden08]

@JMEMantzel I know that you can plug them into the wall, so this should work for touches too!

[TH3MW2PL4Y3R]

@Trevorapple yepp



[xbertolerox]

I think my ipod is a 5th gen. It is a 30GB color clickwheel with video and photo display. A bit old, but it works. I had no problems charging it.

[JMEMantzel]

@xbertolerox Sweet. Ya, mine is old too. It charges pretty well in the sun. If I leave it plugged in when not in the sun, it drains it (I totally thought apple would have put circuitry in there to prevent such a thing, but they apparently didn't). So... I could put a blocking diode in there. ....but I just unplug it when its not in the sun, and its no roblem. :-)

[Jens1503]

you can buy a solar powered charger on ebay almost for free.

[JMEMantzel]

@Jens1503 Ya.... you can buy a lot of things. .....and never learn a thing. ....and never have any fun too. I spose its all personal preference.

[cebaster]

@Jens1503 how can you buy for free?

[leonardo2795]

@cebaster Magic my friend, magic...

[leonardo2795]

Im sooo trying this out!! I just need the solar panels! :D Thanks dude! This boosted me up

[KashgroundTM]

@cebaster points2shop or swagbucks.

[ridenhour1]

did you say that was a 8v panel? I have a 6v one just like it. how did you connect the 2 8v panels together?

[MrTooweak]

amazing!!!

[DroseraBohemica]

This is great. And fun. Can't wait to try it!

[ridenhour1]

did you glue the two 6v solar panel together?

[allen2688]

hey one quick question if i want to hool op a switch would i take either the negitive or positive leads stright from the pannel cut/strip them than put them on the switch would that work ( im still fairly new to eletronits)

[Stube437]

Isn't there something like this already on the market already made up?

[allen2688]

@Stube437 yes but its fun to make these

[597Ryan]

would more amperage be risky for the devices because i was planning on using a 6v panel that put out 160 ma to charge a iPod touch. would going with a higher amperage be a better choice?

[HenrikTheFilmMaker]

Great tutorial!

[xbertolerox]

So I made one, and it works. I used all mouser items, even mouser solar panels. I did have an issue with the mouser usb port. It had a loose connection and so it would not connect with my ipod, and i thought i did something wrong, but when I replaced the usb port, it worked.

[reddinosaur7]

@xbertolerox what type of ipod do you have and from what year? I made one that will connect to my phone but not to ipod. I read online that apple products require a different schematic for the USB but I'm not sure

[mightykeys]

No I tested the panel and I got 700MA and 5V.

[tophlovr]

If i have a phone that charges off of say 3.7 volts will it destroy my battery?

[Captnabhe]

I tried charging my iPod with this but the screen only lit up, it did not charge. , Help!!

[hardwarerob1]

@Captnabhe

i know. i made a 9v battery with a voltage regulator and it didnt charge my ipod touch, same result as you, light up, but no charge. probably cause of amps.

[mightykeys]

this doent work, i done the exact same thing as you and it doesnt work. help!

[SiYanara]

@mightykeys more than likely your solar panels didnt have enough amps, this is what i found out after ordering a bunch of 16v 19ma panels, Anyone that attempts this project make sure you have panels or photovoltaic cells, that produce atleast 2volts over your regulator + 500ma - 1amp, if you hook up a voltage tester you will come to realize that once the panels are under a load (charging) your voltage will drop with low amps, this is why you need atleast 500ma-1amp. hope this helps people.

[noneflow]

where can i find athose solar panels

[gabe2304]

@noneflow Try RadioShack! Don't have one? Try Academy Sports & Outdoors! Don't have one? Good luck tring to find one! =D

[planetarypush]

@bubblescongo ill rape that girl if she comes into my room

[TheChemist187]

@planetarypush Don't ever say something like that you idiot.

[planetarypush]

@TheChemist187 did u even see his comment? obviously its fake cus im still alive and i didnt do wat he said, honestly im very horny

[Kentossul]

Man thanx for the video!! nice work out there!!! bis bis bis bis bis :))

[sachin580i]

i bought some 100ma 3v, 2no's, each showin some 2.5v when i connet them in series it's still showin 2.5v so i even tried with parallel still gettin 2.5v!!,,..plzzz help me out already i've wasted some 12usd, plz help me out i'm ready to donate for ur giant robot!!,,..thanx

[REV7verse9]

Solar cells are 5 bucks at walmarts lawn and garden section. The cells are 1.5volts. They are manufactured as solar powered path way lights. You can deconstruct these and end up with.. 1 solar cell, 1 rechargable battery, 1 LED, and one Light sensor... not bad for 5 bucks!!!

[YTBYlover]

Hey nice score! I really like those USB project ports.

[lepricoun]

buy once from ebay

[leeYT321987]

I looked up the L78505CV voltage regulator on Mouser, and it has a dropout voltage of 2V.

That means you need to supply it with 7V in order get a steady 5V out.

I'm just a beginner, but I think this is correct.

[somezemos]

do you need two 8v 100mamp or a total of?

[mightykeys]

Lol. That was sarcasm btw but I'm a newbie at electronics but can build anything

[mightykeys]

@Nadrealis what do u mean to connect the negative side of the resistor to ground. What's the ground? The physical ground?

[thecrism1]

i need one of these for my android cell

[mightykeys]

You said you had 100mA on the solar panel you used but used two. So does that mean you had 200mA? Or 1000mA. I'm starting to learn electronics and I'm trying to figure it all out.

[thecow777clone]

@mightykeys 200

[mightykeys]

How would I connect rechargeable batteries to it?

[mightykeys]

If I wanted to add an LED light to make sure that there is electric current how would I add that to the circuit?

[Nadrealis]

@mightykeys You would need the appropriate resistor at the junction of the two solar panels that would be enough to lower the amperage to protect the LED from blowing. You then hook the positive side of the LED to the end of the resistor, then connect the negative side of the resistor to ground.

[ericpezoa]

FYI: Pin 2 and 3 Need to be shorted for many devices such as Sony Erickson phones and some Blackberry phones, Zune ..., the recommended amps is 1000mA

Most car chargers use 1000mA, less than that is only enough for very small devices such as Sandisk players and so on.

[PunkBoy755]

how do these solar panels work? ive never understood, and everytime i found myself playing with them i just conclude that they use dark magic...

[brt5470]

I should make one of these for trips, would be great. and it seems pretty cheap.

[Lionheartone]

HI

Did you solder the voltage regulator to the solar panel...and is it difficult when soldering it?

Thanks

[nerdfighter11001001]

same here

[Cows607]

I did everything EXACTLY as you did it. Same solar panels. Same regulator. Same USB port. Plugged into my iPod Touch and I get nothing.

I checked all my connections and theyre in good. Resoldered everything and still nothing.

Any help?

[caleb7k]

@Cows607 Same here

[malankan]

@Cows607 get a voltmeter to see if the solar panel works

[Cows607]

@malankan I checked both solar panels and i was getting about 5.5-6 volts at the time.

[thecow777clone]

@Cows607 then the problem is with the 5V regulator. It either doesn't work or you soldered it wrong. If the regulator heats up too much then it won't work.

[Cows607]

@thecow777clone thanks for the reply. I will try out my backup one then. I know i soldered it right but maybe it heated up too much like you said. I'll let you know when i actually get some sun.

[selwynrh]

as a more efficient alternative to a 5 volt regulator you can use the board out of most car chargers (cigarette lighter socket phone chargers), ive gotten a fair few second hand for less than a buck each, most of them are 5v output already, if they arnt then you have to change a resistor value to set the voltage

these boards run at about 95% efficiency (a lot better than the lm7805) , which means more power for your devices, and are usually based on a mc34063 voltage mode switching ic, :-)

[DQuerel]

@selwynrh

Right but remember, a car charger operates at 12v input ! So a larger solar panel is required.

[selwynrh]

@DQuerel

they are just buck (step down) converters, and the chip will actually run down to 3 volts, so if the panel puts out less than 5v then its just switched directly to the output.

the lm7805 5v regulator (unless its the low dropout LDO version) actually needs a couple of volts more to operate properly, ie its inefficient.

thanks for bringing up the point though

[dilkaa]

save your favorite movie now naneedj.info

[oscomputertricks]

More talking less waiting

[fragwits]

to clean up the output voltage of the regulater (hook it to an oscillascope , you'll see ripples) you can put a electrolytic condensator over the output of the regulator.

5 volts or higher (up to 10 would be best) and atleast 1000 uF (micro farad)

This in case your equipment doesn't like the charge voltage. (you have noises from your mp3 player when it's hooked up and running for instance)

[laserman55901]

Well, I've hooked up everything, it seems not to work. I know the connections are right so I know it has to do with the two center prongs. So what tells the iPod it's okay to charge?

[treesarehere]

does this work for a 9 volt 200 Ma solar panel? Will the 5 volt regulator regulate the flow of Ma also?

[GenTristan]

@treesarehere I don't think you want to limit the Ma, the more Ma the faster the charge goes, but I'm not sure.

[BRAeminem]

how much r the solar panels..?

[treesarehere]

Is there an IRC for helping out people working on this stuff?

[treesarehere]

How many volts does a 5 volt regulator need to work?

[internet155]

@treesarehere 7-31volts, the more voltage you run into it, the hotter it will run, be sure to use a heatsink.

[albear972]

Very cool demo sir! well explained and super informational.

[kickiwi]

HALP! Do absoluley need a sautering iorn cuse' I don't have one...

[Chargeglass]

@kickiwi You can find one for prob $8 that will get the job done.

[NiGhtprOwIeR]

I just ebayed everything >=D

Slapping mine onto my backpack to charge my iPod and Blackberry (Of identical voltage requirements)

[wizardesque]

outstanding video! well done! im off to the electronics place now! woohoo!

[MrDanyalahmed1]

hey thanxx now i dont need to switch my i pod in switch direct solar amazing thank you very much keep making things like this good luck

[Coolman3428]

4:05 Look the voltage regulator has the Liberty bell on it, where is the crack?

[mebich1]

that is badace

[ZUMAGI]

will a 5.8 volt 140mA solar panel work?

[darklordj100]

where do you get the solar panels?

[DJ20Rupees]

hey bro, im trying to build one of these, could you do me a favor and email me

[466267]

I'm COnfused.

Can u use 2 solar panels with are 50 mA and hook them up to suffice the 100 mA required to charge the device?

Reply Asap

Thanks for posting this vid.

[mario12184]

will a 3.7v fone battery work

[zyx296]

great project, but I got a question.

can u add a battery backup to that setup? (and include a video tutorial about how you did it) please!?

[n7c7m7p8]

you are so great, Jamie! :) I love the details. I'm not an electrician; however am an IT Engineer! I don't have any clue what electricity is - I hate it. But now I'm motivated to build a solar panel on my house, and go off the solar panel as far as providing electricity in my whole house (wash/dryer machines, tvs, ac/heat which I plan on running it 24/7,...). Thanks for the explication on the video. You have a great gift of explaining. Bravo to you! :)