S.P.R.E.E. (Solar Photovoltaic Renewable Electron Encapsulator), a Compact, Durable, and Portable Solar Energy Generator

Step 3 Wire S.P.R.E.E.

The wiring is very simple and intuitive. Basically, the photovoltaic panel and the battery are connected to the charge controller.

The charge controller has a 12 volt output. This output is in the form of a 1/4 inch mono jack. The first step involves cutting off the cigarette lighter plug from the Y-adapter and soldering the mono plug to the cigarette lighter socket. (Since it was a Y adapter, and there was 2 sockets, I made 2 mono-plug-to cigarette-socket "connectors", one as a backup) Make sure to test your connections.

Connect the photovoltaic panel to the charge controller. Insert the 1/4 inch mono jack into the 12 volt output of the charge controller. Check your connections again.

I drilled a hole in the plastic box top, and then attached 2 wooden boards to the top of the box. I then attached the photovoltaic panel to 1/2 inch square wooden dowels. I then created a hinge using speaker wire and screws, which holds the photovolatic panel secure yet allows tilt from 90 to 180 degrees. Then I drilled another hole and inserted the mono jack and left the 12 volt cigarette lighter outside of the housing, but made a holster for it by using a zip-tie.

More about modifications in step 5.

Comments

[vcampos2000]

I am new to this: How do you know which wire is positive and which is neutral? I know the mono jack terminals are marked but I don't see any markings on the cigarette adaptor.

[Astinsan]

Get a multi meter. Connect the leads and touch a test lead to one side of the circut and one to the other. If its a digital guage it will show a plus or minus on one side of the reading. If it is a - it means you connected the meter backwards and the multimeters test lead + (or red) is on negative voltage in a DC curcit.

Cig adaptors are standard. The center nub of the mail and female cig plug is positive. This should be on all systems. pinouts.ru is a good place to get this kind of information.

[charlitron]

I was also new to this a few months ago. For the mono jack, the tip is the + and the sleeve is the -.
For the cigarette adapter, there is also a similar 'tip' (which looks like a little button on the end of the cigarette adapter), and a similar "sleeve" (which are the side metal contacts of the cigarette lighter). Before I snipped the cable, I stripped the cable right next to the cigarette adapter and traced the wires and marked the tip (+) with tape. Then it was easy soldering, which I was self taught with the help of some youtube guy

[eytschayim]

Hi there, about the soldering. I see that you just took one wire and soldered it to the part of the plug for the signal wire in a music cable, and one wire to the part of the plug that is for the ground wire in a music cable. does it matter which is which for the cigarette socket. How did you know which wire to solder to which part of the plug? thanks! I'm building mine right now!

[vcampos2000]

What did you do with the Amp meter? I saw it in th photo but not in the finished project.

[charlitron]

I bought the 15-amp DC panel meter ($12), but then returned it to save costs. I decided it was not necessary and not a vital component to the system.

[tech3312]

Try investing like a volt meter but in this case since you have a charge controller it's unnecessary. I would carry one in case if there's any problems with it

I'm planning a large scale for backup

[Astinsan]

Volt meters can be purchased at hardware stores for under 15$ I found one at Home depot for 9.99. Everyone who works with power should have this basic tool. It can tell you if you really turned off the power to a wall socket.

[Sielock]

I am a little confused with the mono plug, is there advantage to that over using the load terminals on the controller?

[Black_Angel16]

ok so im more than lost here how do you do the wiring and what are the blue things at the end of the wires?

[Mr. Thrak]

those are probably just wire caps to keep them from poking. take those off to get the wire underneath