Solar Hummer Re-done

Intro: Solar Hummer Re-done

This is an improvement on my previous instructable, https://www.instructables.com/id/solar_rc_conversion/ the steps will all be the same and stuff but I'll show you how to add some neat little gizmos to it at the end.

STEP 1: Materials

Here's a list of what your going to need,
A rc Hummer from Radio Shack ($7.99)
A screwdriver flat and philips
A solar walkway light with a 3v solar panel (try a used one from a second hand store)
A roll of electrical tape
A skill knife
A soldering iron
A set of pliers (if you think it would help)
A set of wire cutters (you could just about de-solder every thing that these could be used for but if you don't want to, cut it)
A set of wire strippers (optional)
A 9v
And a pack of two rechargeable AA batteries.

STEP 2: Getting Ready Part 1

You will need to take the Hummer out of the box and put the batteries in. if it works, take them out and set them aside. Now, unscrew the body of the hummer and remove it slowly. make sure not to detach the antenna wire, it will give it less range. Set the body next to the chassis. Most of the wires inside are very easily broken. If you need to, put some tape over them.

STEP 3: Getting Ready Part 2

Take the solar light and open it. This process will be different for every project. Your goal is to find where the two leads from the 3v solar panel meet up with the circuitry and take it off. In the picture i already have the solar panel.

STEP 4: Atomatic Sunroof

Your going to need a hole to run the wires through in the roof. I found a nice one. The plastic for the sunroof is pretty easy to cut through. Just slice it off or make a hole if your solar panel doesn't cover the whole thing. While you have the knife you can cut off the axle housing so that the wires from the panel can be soldered in.

STEP 5: The Juice Supplier

To determine the positive and negative could be tricky. In case you solar panel is not color coded, red = +
black = -, then hook it up to a volt meter and if it says you have them backwards then switch the presumed positive to the other side.If you would like to paint this model you should do it now. You need to paint the car before you put the wires in so you don't paint the solar panel. To paint it just put tape over anything you dont want to paint. Then spray it. You can now solder the Wires in.

STEP 6: Final Stages

Put tape on all of the exposed wires so that the don't touch anything and then screw the body back on. You could use tape to hold on the solar panel as well as hot glue. Put the batteries in and take it for a drive. It still should work. Now, when the batteries run out you just have to leave it outside for a while. Haha! My mother always told me not to leave my toys outside. If you don't intend to read on, (as for the basic model is finished) that's OK. Thanks for reading! Vote for me in the Epilog Challenge !

STEP 7: Now for the Fun Stuff!

This is the reason I remade the whole instructable. I made some modifications. I added and some leds, bigger wheels and I painted it.

STEP 8: Lights Up!

This is the light mod. Your going to need 2 LEDs of any color. Take the top of the hummer off and hotglue them to the headlight plastic things. Solder the positive and negative of the two LEDs together. Then you will essentially have one big LED. Solder the positive to the positive of the electric motor and the negative to the negative. Screw on the top and your done.

STEP 9: Super Size!

To make the wheels bigger you can rap them in rubber bands or just altogether replace them. They will probably be the same size as a model cars wheels. If they don't fit you can put some hotglue on the inside and quickly slip them on the axle.

STEP 10: Make the Switch

The picture explains better.

Comments

[jason the redneck guy]

https://www.instructables.com/id/Super-charge-AND-juice-your-rechargeable-battery-R/

my friend and i did this with a 6V dodge police and 2 7.3V solar panels for quicker charge. it not only constantly charged while driving but made the car faster.
I made this instructble.

[bwb4]

thx for re-doing it...its a great instructable.... :)

[Daniel Deacon]

That is not useless the cuirut it is a joule theth (1.2v to 3v)
used to power an led it also will have a charge controller

[uniform08]

hey this is acttually pretty cool

[redstarsrbija]

haha this is a bit of an oxymoron isnt it??? a solar hummer???

[snowpenguin]

If you're going to comment on writing conventions, you need to do them right yourself; e.g. 'knowlage'. The words electronics and pics are not possessive, so they have no apostrophe. Thanks for playing.

[Mr.NHRA]

I'm sorry again but I'm only 12 and I did this without any help, the pictures are from my web cam because I don't have my own camera and the knowledge of electronics I had to build myself might not be to great but there was no one there to help me make this instructable let alone the hummer. If you want to bug someone about spelling look at the comment posted by olie845.

[tinkerC]

Notice how he went quiet after that. If you could light the pictures better, that would help. A lamp would do. Nice 'ible. Maybe add a turning signal? If you want to think on that, I can give some help.

[Mr.NHRA]

that would be great I've seance moved on to robotics but i could redo the hummers instructions.

[arikyeo]

I'm thinking of helping you rewrite this 'ible. Anyway this is a very nice 'ible. If you do not add a diode, and you do not put it in the Sun, the solar panel would act as a load, discharging the battery. Maybe you can add an LED, a resistor or a diode that does not eat any electricity. Where do you stay?

[Mr.NHRA]

That would be realy nice. If you would like to contact me I can e-mail or skype you.

[tinkerC]

Use a capacitor in the circuit. Make it small, and have a resistor go around it, but so small that it can't activate a turning LED. P.S. I can help more, but I need to help my parents now. I am also into robotics, and you should now more about this by now.

[travis7s]

You can use a voltmeter, they exist. A multimeter is a meter with many functions built in, basically combining a voltmeter, ammeter, ohmmeter etc together. So please don't post about somebody not being knowledgeable if you are no better.

[Mr.NHRA]

Thank you.

[mman1506]

this kinda chating cause you added another section but everthing else is the same

[Mr.NHRA]

I'm sorry i wasn't very clear. My volt meter has a digital display that indicates positive and negative if they are backwards. I am not to sure what your talking about with the batteries. L2SPELL