bingeciren wrote:
The solar charge system I developed is very simple and it does not physically modify or change the outdoor module in any way. The system consist of:
1) 6cm x 6cm solar cell. Open loop voltage under full sunlight is 4.5V and short circuit current is 30mA. Can be bought for about $5.
2) 1N series diode for preventing discharge during night time when there is no light on the panel. Salvage from old equipment or buy it for pennies cheap.
3) Magnet wire. Thin, shellac coated bobbin wire used in motors. 0.2mm or 0.3mm thick. You don't need much, 60 cm in total is enough.
4) Thin cupper or brass shim to use as battery contacts. Again, just a tiny amount is sufficient. Aluminum won't do because it cannot be soldered.
You can open the attached file and magnify to read my comments. So far, both modules are working wonderfully and the panels provide sufficient power despite being in the shade.
You can also extend the wires of the solar cell and position the cell directly under the sun if you wish while keeping the module in the shade and out of the rain.
Did you have any success with this setup?
I have done a similar thing, but with a solar panel that originally came with some LED lights. I cut both wires and used a multimeter to find out which wire was positive and negative. Then I inserted two rechargable AAA batteries, but decided to solder the wire on the springs on the battery compartment lid.
However, how do one make sure the polarization of the wires are correct?
Does the positive wire connect to the positive or negative end of the battery?