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This is a really simple tutorial on how to make a solar charger for your MP3 player. This won't work with an iPod touch (The iPod ignores it, it's not an apple product), but should work with most generic players. I use it for my CreativeZen player.
I bought my solar cells HERE. It's the best prices I can find, plus free shipping!
This panel charges @
5.13 Volts
.8 amp to 1 amp; in full sun
Because MP3 players have built in battery savers, there is no need for an electronics board or battery sensor. It's physically impossible for the solar cells to spontaneously produce a higher voltage. If the voltage drops (for whatever reason) the MP3 player automatically disconnects the battery.
MP3 players automatically disconnect the battery before it overcharges
MP3 players will not discharge into the panels, they have built in diodes.
Putting it simply, the very worst that could happen is that it won't charge the player.
But I still have to say: do this project at your own risk :)
This is a really simple tutorial on how to make a solar charger for your MP3 player. This won't work with an iPod touch (The iPod ignores it, it's not an apple product), but should work with most generic players. I use it for my CreativeZen player.
I bought my solar cells HERE. It's the best prices I can find, plus free shipping!
This panel charges @
5.13 Volts
.8 amp to 1 amp; in full sun
Because MP3 players have built in battery savers, there is no need for an electronics board or battery sensor. It's physically impossible for the solar cells to spontaneously produce a higher voltage. If the voltage drops (for whatever reason) the MP3 player automatically disconnects the battery.
MP3 players automatically disconnect the battery before it overcharges
MP3 players will not discharge into the panels, they have built in diodes.
Putting it simply, the very worst that could happen is that it won't charge the player.
But I still have to say: do this project at your own risk :)
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Signing UpStep 1: What You Need
1) 9 x 1 amp, .57 volt solar cells. I bought mine HERE
2) Tabbing wire or fine electronics wire. I bought mine HERE
3) 8 x 10 cheap plastic picture frame from Wall Mart
4) USB extender with female USB adapter. $1.00 at Dollar Tree.
Wood/foam core,Solder, flux pen/ normal flux, soldering iron, and soldering skills :)
I recommend you wear latex gloves when you work with solar cells. Fingerprints look bad...
2) Tabbing wire or fine electronics wire. I bought mine HERE
3) 8 x 10 cheap plastic picture frame from Wall Mart
4) USB extender with female USB adapter. $1.00 at Dollar Tree.
Wood/foam core,Solder, flux pen/ normal flux, soldering iron, and soldering skills :)
I recommend you wear latex gloves when you work with solar cells. Fingerprints look bad...
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Here's how you can make it work with an iPod:
Connect the two middle USB pins to about 3 volts. Do this by making a voltage divider. Make a voltage divider with two 100k ohm resistors (Brown - Black - Yellow). Connect one resistor to +5volts and the other end to the middle two USB pins. And connect the other resistor to minus, then connect the other end to those same two middle USB pins. Easy eh? Here's a diagram.
The Mr. Buzz USB charger uses this type of voltage divider as well as two 1uF ceramic capacitor somewhere in there but I have had some (limited) success without the capacitors.
Does anyone know if those capacitors really necessary?
Also some devices need a minimum rate of amperage in order to charge. What I did was trickle charge 4 AA NiMeHy batteries with a small 6v panel and a diode. Then I plug this into my iPod touch. The NiMeHy batteries provide the required amperage.
150 ohms (brown green brown) from red (5v) to green
100 ohms (brown black brown) from green to black (0v)
220 ohms (red red brown) from red (5v) to white
270 ohms (red violet brown) from white to black (0v)
I needed to do this to get my homemade charger to charge my iPhone 4, iPod touch, and iPad 2. It charges just as fast as the apple charger, and I'm actually using it as I speak :) just be sure you can source 1A of current, and you'll be fine. I also used a switch, 5v regulator, and power indication LED in a metal zippo container.
PS any properly sized resistors would do. Ex 100 ohm and 150 ohm has the same effect as 10k ohm and 15k ohm or the same as 1M ohm and 1.5M ohm. The larger the resistor, the less wasted energy in the divider.
Thanks!!!
Thanks!!!
I did some tests if you don't use those cheepy once they won't burn when aplying a magnifyer if you hade a biger magnifying glass then it would give more power to!!
www.schmut.com/pastebin/P1020506.JPG/view
It's a really nice panel :D I love to see pictures of stuff people make :)
You should be able to substitute the cells you bought with ones salvaged from solar garden lights. I'm pretty sure you can cut most of the resin down to make them smaller. 3.0v @ 50ma each.
Make strings of 5 in series to get 15v then as many as you want in parallel to get the current you want. With a few of voltage regulators and diodes you can charge 12v 9v 5v and 1.5v
Once my collection is large enough I plan on doing that. If there is no instructable I will post one.
Cheers
I appreciate the fact that you sourced your suppliers and included links, but was it really necessary to link them several times each throughout the steps? It seemed to me that you were almost at the level of getting paid to link them, with the number of times that you did.
Other than that, nice Instructible
I just researched about the divider so I assume the older Ipods had them built in and I have not tried it myself due to school and other projects I'm working on, but when I have the time I will try it out myself.
Great instructable btw, those solar sells would be a good investment on a battery- free amplifier.