Solar battery chargers are a cost-effective and ecologically friendly
way to charge batteries for your tools, toys and appliances. Wiring
your own solar battery charger can bring the cost down even further and
allows you to build the charger to your own specifications. It is also a
fairly simple circuit and a good first project for people who wish to
develop their practical electronics skills.
Instructions
Wire the battery holders together if they are not already
connected. They must be connected in series -- connect the positive end
of the first holder to the negative end of the second and so on. The
holders may have wires that you can twist together and cover with
electrical tape, or you may choose to solder the wires together. Wait
until you have wired the charger successfully before soldering, so
mistakes can be undone easily.
Wire the solar panels together in series -- positive to negative.
Connect the blocking diode to the positive wire of the battery. If you do not do this, the current will flow in the opposite direction (from battery to solar panel) whenever the battery is not being charged, draining the battery.
Connect the solar panels to the battery holder. The negative wire out of the solar panel connects to the negative wire leading into the battery pack, and the positive wire leading out of the battery pack connects to the blocking diode, which connects to the positive wire of the solar panel.
Test the circuit with the multimeter. First, test the circuit on the outside of the diode (the side in contact with the battery pack). If the batteries already have some charge they should give a normal reading. Then test the circuit from the other side of the diode, between the diode and the solar panel. Note the reading on the multimeter and then cover the solar panel. If the reading becomes lower, you know the circuit is working as intended.
Solder the wiring together and wrap with electrical tape when done.
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