Easy 5 Minutes USB Solar Charger/Survival USB Charger

Intro: Easy 5 Minutes USB Solar Charger/Survival USB Charger

Hello guys! Today I just made (probably) the easiest usb solar panel charger! First off I’m sorry that I didn’t upload some instructable for you guys.. I got some exams in the past few months (not actually few maybe a week or so..). But here, I made a really simple project for you guys! Hope you liked the project!


And also my english is kinda crap, english is my 3rd language anyway. I hope you guys understands what I’m trying to say :D.

STEP 1: Materials:

First of all, let me show you some materials needed to make the solar usb
charger.. I’ve made a list down below:

Materials:

1) A Solar Panel

Here, I’m using a 5v 200mA Solar Panel which you can buy on Ebay for $4.19 - 5V 200mA 1W Mini Solar Panel

2) A USB Car Charger

You can get these car charger for a dollar but, if you can’t find it anywhere just buy it from ebay for $1 - USB Car Charger

3) A Box

Here, I got the box from an old flashdrive box. But, you can either use a tupperware container or a project box. I suggest to measure the box for around 12 x 8cm or about 4 and a half inches times 3 inches.

4) Double Sided Tape

You can use any brand of the double sided but I suggest to use the one which has a 5mm width.

5) Soldering Tin

I used an 0.8mm 60/40 flux cored tin.

6) Flux paste (optional)

I’m using a chepo 12grams of flux

7) Hot Glue sticks (also optional)

You can use the yellow one but I suggest to use the clear one or the white one.

8) Some Wire

You can use any kind of wire for this one.

Well, that’s all of the materials. Now, let’s move on to the tools that we’re gonna use in the project!

STEP 2: Tools Needed:

1) A Utility Knife

2) A Plier

3) A Scissor

4) A Soldering iron

5) A Rotary tool with a 5mm bit

That was it! Lets go making it!

STEP 3: Let's Build It!

*Note: Use your safety glasses because the plastic pieces may fly and hit your eyes.. Safety First! :)

Okay, let’s pry open and crack the usb car charger using the pliers. Next, you’ll get this pcb or a circuit from the charger. Remember, ground (-) is the negative and (+) is the positive lead of the circuit. So, the spring one will be the postive and the metal piece will be the negative. You can also see that there is a mark that shows which the ground is.

STEP 4: Let’s Get Crafty!

Pick up a pencil, an eraser and a ruler.. And start marking where do you wanted to cut and drill the usb socket and the led indicator.

Once you’re done you just need to cut the drawn usb socket mark with a utiltiy knife. Then, drill a hole for the led indicator with the rotary tool. Also drill a hole near the bottom of the box for the wires to come out.

Once you drilled the hole just test fit the pcb/circuit to the box.

STEP 5: Heat Things Up!

Clip on the circuit with a helping hands and start cleaning it with an alcohol swabs or an alcohol dipped paper towel! Desolder the positive lead and the ground lead from the pcb and solder them with a new wires. Put the circuit on to the box and start heat the hot glue gun. After a minute or so, stick the circuit into the box with a glue gun. Then stick some double sided tape to the top of the box. Fix the solar panel on the top of the box, then run the wires from the circuit to a hole that we drilled before and solder them to the solar panel. Give some more of glue gun. And DONE!

STEP 6: DONE!

Check out if everything works well, Plug your phone and test it out!

That's it the easiest usb solar charger! Thank You all for supporting my instructable, please vote me on the renewable energy source contest! and once again, THANK YOU! You’re one of a kind, you’re awesome, Build More!

Comments

[Lord yLordy]

Nicely done, would be a boon on a camping trip.

[Lord yLordy]

One point, you can get small LED holders for holding them firm if making a hole, it finishes it off nicely too.

[PeterA18]

no no bro..you got it all wrong...a very good instructable indeed....jst an extra cause of measure...cause mobiles phones cost a fortune these days lol

[Builders Shed]

ill install a fuse later as some nice ppl recommended me to do so, and so the current will burn up the fuse if the current jumps so the phone is safe but itll need a new fuse replacement ?

[DarthCarrot88]

So is the phone Safe right now without a fuse?

[Builders Shed]

it is safe but, if you wanna get safer, i'd recommend ya to use a fuse.

[choiria1]

I used 2 X 6 volt, 200 mA solar panel and it's work properly under the sun.
May be using powerbank module will make it useful for daily life

[RANDOM KNOWLEDGE]

exact look at mine i posted here

a 5v wil never work on the 12v car chrger, it wil never go on

[Builders Shed]

Wow, great one mate, it's really useful for me because my phone's battery always drains quickly! :D

[RANDOM KNOWLEDGE]

maybe this will interest you

[RANDOM KNOWLEDGE]

i forgot to point out

that i have the same 12v car charger in my circuit. (the blue USB voltage tester

and the display above is the battery state voltage

and the oteher project is an 4000mAh lipo powerbank converted to also a portable solar (6V 200mAh on top) with an aditional conector to put the larger 5V 800mAh solsr panel on to, for outside our FAST CHARGE 2 hours FULL

[RANDOM KNOWLEDGE]

this CAN NEVER WORK.

first of all.

its a 12V car charger (so a 12V input, so the charging circuit wil not go on with a panel of 5V. its becous its turning 12V into 5V (LM7805 diode)

so if i ask you to make a video, i am realy want to see this. in this setup you tell.

[PaulH290]

Hi,

Would using a car charger not cause a problem in that the power output from a car is 12v and the charger would be expecting 12v and therefore not power the usb side correctly?

[jimvandamme]

The regulator chip inside takes the 12V (more like 13.8 when the car's running) and regulates
it down to 5V. If you feed it less than 12V it just dissipates less
power, so that's good.

[Jugfet]

Perhaps using a old VHS case would provide a more rugged construction.

[Builders Shed]

i'm fine with this one :)

[paramzzthakkarzz]

There's no gnd terminal or (-) terminal in the usb car charger I brought.. What next to do?

[Builders Shed]

just unsolder the metal clip and the metal clip is the negative lead. the spring one is the positive lead. just remember that ;) sorry for the late reply, just having a new school and got some more tests in the past few weeks :)

[paramzzthakkarzz]

I bought a 5.5v 250ma 2w solar panel and a small car charger. Smaller than the one you showed in the pictures. Will it work?

[Builders Shed]

a friend of mine had the same panel that you mentioned and he solder 2 of the panel in series. it works just fine, but itll affect the impedance for sure.