06-28-2016, 08:33 PM
Lots & lots of posts in this thread since I was last here so instead of quoting, I'll do a re, re, re etc :-)
I suggested going for slightly more expensive solar panels mainly because of the better "amps per square metre" thing...less visible hardware means more "stealth."
UniSolar (& probably many other brands by now) make totally flexible solar panels - which are like a vinyl pouch with solar cells on one side. Can literally wrap it around the trunk of a tree...totally invisible from the ground.
Next problem: rechargeable "power banks."
These are not ideal for any solar setup, especially when every mA is important.
They're extremely uneconomical, takes a lot of current to charge them & they don't deliver back anywhere near the amount you put in. (without being able to find better words)
This is due to the fact that the 5 volt USB powerbanks actually contain a 3.7 volt Lithium-ion cell. (Usually a single 18650 cell, or 2 in parallel. An 18650 is a common lithium battery used in laptop or power tool packs)
So the input charge (usually 5v from USB port) must be stepped down (or bucked) to 3.7 volts...actually 4.2 volts is when an 18650 is fully charged.
That's only half of it - the output must be stepped up (or boosted) from that 3.7 volts to 5 volts...or at least 4.5v so most phone chargers will start.
All that jazz is done by a very cheap microprocessor built into the pack. (which also controls the LEDs that indicate the charge of the pack) The micro is unable to start with very small currents (ie what a small solar panel gives on a cloudy day)
BIG problem I've found with these Li-Ion packs is they need the power button pressed before they start, and they require a LOT of current to fully charge.
More suited to a solar setup are SLA (Sealed Lead Acid) batteries.
Hehe - c00ter: you're 1st attempt at a water-proofed solar panel looks very similar to my 1st attempt many years ago. :-)
I tried using the glass from an old plasma screen TV...looked perfect...shatter proof glass with an aluminum frame around it :-)
Only problem...the "anti glare" coating also filters out UV, no good as a solar panel shield.
BTW: the reason those 2 panels in the plastic cases lasted longer than the glass panel types is they're polystalline modules, the others are amorphous types. Amorphous panels have a very thin silicon layer laminated onto the glass, something the Chinese have become masters of.
& yes Number7, the sun (specifically UV it emits) destroys solar panels, like just about everything else.
UV breaks down the sealant used to build panels & the minute you expose your new solar panels to the sun it'll start degrading...the silicon cannot produce electricity forever.
If you find out a way that it does please PM me & we'll become billionaires for inventing perpetual motion :-)
I suggested going for slightly more expensive solar panels mainly because of the better "amps per square metre" thing...less visible hardware means more "stealth."
UniSolar (& probably many other brands by now) make totally flexible solar panels - which are like a vinyl pouch with solar cells on one side. Can literally wrap it around the trunk of a tree...totally invisible from the ground.
Next problem: rechargeable "power banks."
These are not ideal for any solar setup, especially when every mA is important.
They're extremely uneconomical, takes a lot of current to charge them & they don't deliver back anywhere near the amount you put in. (without being able to find better words)
This is due to the fact that the 5 volt USB powerbanks actually contain a 3.7 volt Lithium-ion cell. (Usually a single 18650 cell, or 2 in parallel. An 18650 is a common lithium battery used in laptop or power tool packs)
So the input charge (usually 5v from USB port) must be stepped down (or bucked) to 3.7 volts...actually 4.2 volts is when an 18650 is fully charged.
That's only half of it - the output must be stepped up (or boosted) from that 3.7 volts to 5 volts...or at least 4.5v so most phone chargers will start.
All that jazz is done by a very cheap microprocessor built into the pack. (which also controls the LEDs that indicate the charge of the pack) The micro is unable to start with very small currents (ie what a small solar panel gives on a cloudy day)
BIG problem I've found with these Li-Ion packs is they need the power button pressed before they start, and they require a LOT of current to fully charge.
More suited to a solar setup are SLA (Sealed Lead Acid) batteries.
Hehe - c00ter: you're 1st attempt at a water-proofed solar panel looks very similar to my 1st attempt many years ago. :-)
I tried using the glass from an old plasma screen TV...looked perfect...shatter proof glass with an aluminum frame around it :-)
Only problem...the "anti glare" coating also filters out UV, no good as a solar panel shield.
BTW: the reason those 2 panels in the plastic cases lasted longer than the glass panel types is they're polystalline modules, the others are amorphous types. Amorphous panels have a very thin silicon layer laminated onto the glass, something the Chinese have become masters of.
& yes Number7, the sun (specifically UV it emits) destroys solar panels, like just about everything else.
UV breaks down the sealant used to build panels & the minute you expose your new solar panels to the sun it'll start degrading...the silicon cannot produce electricity forever.
If you find out a way that it does please PM me & we'll become billionaires for inventing perpetual motion :-)
“If you want to find out who your real friends are, sink the ship. The first ones to jump aren't your friends.”
“Most of the world's problems could be avoided if people just said what they fucking meant.”
“I've always believed that a person is smart. It's people that are stupid.”
-Marilyn Manson
“Most of the world's problems could be avoided if people just said what they fucking meant.”
“I've always believed that a person is smart. It's people that are stupid.”
-Marilyn Manson