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 realfuzzhead
 
Registered: 03/04/10
Posts: 10,721
Loc: above the smog layer 
Last seen: 1 hour, 10 minutes
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 simple and cheap way to make a solar powered usb charger! 
#15964625 - 03/18/12 09:28 PM (1 year, 2 months ago) |
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Perfect for backpacking, I just stumbled upon this video. I guess you could also bring a converter from usb to 3 prong and be able to charge all your devices. This would be great for long backpacking trips during the summer, keep your smart phone/ Ipod going! Also you could potentially charge camera batteries, and you could start a fire in a pinch!
i think if you put a rechargeable batter inbetween the solar cells and the power output it would be perfect
http://www.videojug.com/film/how-to-make-a-solar-powered-usb-charger
http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/2Dd0gj/www.videojug.com/film/how-to-make-a-solar-powered-usb-charger/
Edited by realfuzzhead (03/18/12 09:29 PM)
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 Az0th
quantum transfiguration
Registered: 02/13/00
Posts: 53,739
Loc: The Void
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Re: simple and cheap way to make a solar powered usb charger! [Re: realfuzzhead]
#15966148 - 03/19/12 06:22 AM (1 year, 2 months ago) |
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Brilliant!
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~Thought Creates Reality~
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realfuzzhead
Registered: 03/04/10
Posts: 10,721
Loc: above the smog layer
Last seen: 1 hour, 10 minutes
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Re: simple and cheap way to make a solar powered usb charger! [Re: Az0th]
#15967275 - 03/19/12 02:55 PM (1 year, 2 months ago) |
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exactly what I thought. Cheap, simple, flexible, light, seemingly durable. I call that bang for your buck out in the woods.
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ashfiken
TotalCrazyasshole
Registered: 09/06/06
Posts: 1,378
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Re: simple and cheap way to make a solar powered usb charger! [Re: Az0th]
#16330447 - 06/04/12 10:50 AM (1 year, 14 days ago) |
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Yes brilliant and simply priceless
1L
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hmm...
"I'm naked and fearless... And my fear is naked."
"life isn't worth living without the threat of death"
"I got my plans in a ziploc bag, let's see how unproductive we can be"
"nobody lives their lives fully except for bull fighters"
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psi
Registered: 09/06/99
Posts: 4,927
Loc: 905 
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Re: simple and cheap way to make a solar powered usb charger! [Re: ashfiken]
#16330489 - 06/04/12 11:14 AM (1 year, 14 days ago) |
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Cool. They have solar lights like that for $2 at the dollar store here, I wonder if those would work?
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ashfiken
TotalCrazyasshole
Registered: 09/06/06
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Re: simple and cheap way to make a solar powered usb charger! [Re: psi]
#16330558 - 06/04/12 11:36 AM (1 year, 14 days ago) |
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Yup sure will! I'm about to get myself some st dollerama! Hahah
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hmm...
"I'm naked and fearless... And my fear is naked."
"life isn't worth living without the threat of death"
"I got my plans in a ziploc bag, let's see how unproductive we can be"
"nobody lives their lives fully except for bull fighters"
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hookahhead
Planeteer
Registered: 01/10/11
Posts: 387
Loc: The Middle of Penns Woods
Last seen: 1 day, 4 hours
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Re: simple and cheap way to make a solar powered usb charger! [Re: ashfiken]
#16347358 - 06/07/12 06:36 PM (1 year, 11 days ago) |
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Does anyone know if this will cause any kind of volt issues when charging various cell phones? Also I have seen solar chargers for apple products but I think the way they handle charging is different? Anyone with knowledge on this subject care to give any feed back? I would like to make several of these to take to festivals and set up solar charging stations. However, I don't want to be responsible for frying someones phone.
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ashfiken
TotalCrazyasshole
Registered: 09/06/06
Posts: 1,378
Loc: SChemestate
Last seen: 2 hours, 19 minutes
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Re: simple and cheap way to make a solar powered usb charger! [Re: hookahhead]
#16347583 - 06/07/12 07:16 PM (1 year, 11 days ago) |
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Ive got an iPhone and am def gonna try this thang bro if that is any consolation ...
I'm pretty sure everything charges the same... Internal battery or not... 
1L
--------------------
hmm...
"I'm naked and fearless... And my fear is naked."
"life isn't worth living without the threat of death"
"I got my plans in a ziploc bag, let's see how unproductive we can be"
"nobody lives their lives fully except for bull fighters"
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realfuzzhead
Registered: 03/04/10
Posts: 10,721
Loc: above the smog layer
Last seen: 1 hour, 10 minutes
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Re: simple and cheap way to make a solar powered usb charger! [Re: hookahhead]
#16347877 - 06/07/12 08:26 PM (1 year, 11 days ago) |
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Quote:
hookahhead said:
Does anyone know if this will cause any kind of volt issues when charging various cell phones? Also I have seen solar chargers for apple products but I think the way they handle charging is different? Anyone with knowledge on this subject care to give any feed back? I would like to make several of these to take to festivals and set up solar charging stations. However, I don't want to be responsible for frying someones phone.
fist off, dude nice name I just happen to be roasting a fat bowl of Al Fahker Cappucino shisha as I'm typing this. Second of all that is a fucking amazing idea and you're a genius for thinking of this. 3rd, I wish I knew what to tell you. I do not know nearly as much about electricity as I should, but wouldn't you be able to find a capacitor to build up the charge and release it at a specific voltage? Seriously though good idea.
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hookahhead
Planeteer
Registered: 01/10/11
Posts: 387
Loc: The Middle of Penns Woods
Last seen: 1 day, 4 hours
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Re: simple and cheap way to make a solar powered usb charger! [Re: realfuzzhead]
#16350987 - 06/08/12 11:02 AM (1 year, 10 days ago) |
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Thanks, Al Fahker fruit cocktail is my favorite  . The handle is a mix of enjoying smoking hookah, and also I am a big fan of the band Ekoostik Hookah. Yeah my electrical skills are something to be desired. I know I can do the solder this wire here and this wire here.. but beyond that I'm afraid I don't know whats going on. I believe apple products need to be able to communicate with the charger or something like that, I could be totally wrong as well. I will have to do some more investigating and hopefully find someone who is better at this type of stuff than myself. I was just hoping one of our intelligent board members would chime in
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ashfiken
TotalCrazyasshole
Registered: 09/06/06
Posts: 1,378
Loc: SChemestate
Last seen: 2 hours, 19 minutes
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Re: simple and cheap way to make a solar powered usb charger! [Re: hookahhead]
#16351242 - 06/08/12 12:10 PM (1 year, 10 days ago) |
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I hope they do chime in before I fry my phone lulz.
1L
--------------------
hmm...
"I'm naked and fearless... And my fear is naked."
"life isn't worth living without the threat of death"
"I got my plans in a ziploc bag, let's see how unproductive we can be"
"nobody lives their lives fully except for bull fighters"
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psi
Registered: 09/06/99
Posts: 4,927
Loc: 905
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Re: simple and cheap way to make a solar powered usb charger! [Re: ashfiken]
#16351274 - 06/08/12 12:19 PM (1 year, 10 days ago) |
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It would be cool to make one big enough to charge/run a low powered netbook. I wonder though, wouldn't buying solar cells online somewhere be cheaper than buying the yard lights new and cannibalizing them?
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hookahhead
Planeteer
Registered: 01/10/11
Posts: 387
Loc: The Middle of Penns Woods
Last seen: 1 day, 4 hours
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Re: simple and cheap way to make a solar powered usb charger! [Re: psi]
#16351362 - 06/08/12 12:43 PM (1 year, 10 days ago) |
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You may be able to find the lights cheap as give aways, craigslist, free cycle, second hand shop, yard sale... they are can be almost literally a dime a dozen...
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realfuzzhead
Registered: 03/04/10
Posts: 10,721
Loc: above the smog layer
Last seen: 1 hour, 10 minutes
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Re: simple and cheap way to make a solar powered usb charger! [Re: hookahhead]
#16351783 - 06/08/12 02:15 PM (1 year, 10 days ago) |
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I just looked around on google for 20 minutes or so but couldn't find any good answers. All I got was that if you didn't but a device to store and release the proper voltage you can fry your electronics. As far as the inner working of a macbook charger I couldn't find anything that would suggest they use something special. It was hard to find any real answers
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ashfiken
TotalCrazyasshole
Registered: 09/06/06
Posts: 1,378
Loc: SChemestate
Last seen: 2 hours, 19 minutes
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Re: simple and cheap way to make a solar powered usb charger! [Re: realfuzzhead]
#16352081 - 06/08/12 03:24 PM (1 year, 10 days ago) |
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Apple designs and shit like that are most def on lockdown bro hence the struggle to find anything relevant... Grrrr I really wanna give this a shot on meh iPhone
1L
--------------------
hmm...
"I'm naked and fearless... And my fear is naked."
"life isn't worth living without the threat of death"
"I got my plans in a ziploc bag, let's see how unproductive we can be"
"nobody lives their lives fully except for bull fighters"
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hookahhead
Planeteer
Registered: 01/10/11
Posts: 387
Loc: The Middle of Penns Woods
Last seen: 1 day, 4 hours
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Re: simple and cheap way to make a solar powered usb charger! [Re: ashfiken]
#16352697 - 06/08/12 06:16 PM (1 year, 10 days ago) |
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This is what I found...
http://www.browndoggadgets.com/guides/solaraltoidsusb.pdf
He sells the USB circuit on his site for 8.99, but all its just stolen from this device
http://www.amazon.com/Portable-Battery-Powered-Emergency-Flashlight/dp/B003XTOTYI/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1339190952&sr=8-6
This usb circuit will work with iPhone 4 / iPad from what I've read on a few sites and according to the amazon add.
For my solar panels I will try to source and wire the garden lights as the OP's video showed. This should also provide the rechargeable batteries that will go into the pack as well.
I like this design the best so far. The panel will charge the batteries until they are full or a device is connected. The charged batteries can be used then to power a device at night as well. If I can source the lamps for free (which I still believe I can do) the entire cost of the build will 2.09 This keeps the price of building multiple devices within my range haha. Anyone feel like donating some old solar lights to the cause? Look for a solar charging station at a festie near you! When I finally attempt this, I will hopefully post pics back in this forum.
As far as from the charger to the phone this is obviously "ideal"
http://www.adafruit.com/products/190
However, this greatly increases my cost, just to provide a few obsolete charger ends. I have a few usb - mini usb chargers that most phones now use, and I believe a I can scrounge up a few donated ones for iPhones and will just carry a few of these cords with me.
Edited by hookahhead (06/08/12 06:25 PM)
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ashfiken
TotalCrazyasshole
Registered: 09/06/06
Posts: 1,378
Loc: SChemestate
Last seen: 2 hours, 19 minutes
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Re: simple and cheap way to make a solar powered usb charger! [Re: hookahhead]
#16353579 - 06/08/12 10:23 PM (1 year, 10 days ago) |
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Nice !you had me at iphone4 
1L
--------------------
hmm...
"I'm naked and fearless... And my fear is naked."
"life isn't worth living without the threat of death"
"I got my plans in a ziploc bag, let's see how unproductive we can be"
"nobody lives their lives fully except for bull fighters"
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