Help on a solar powered iphone charger

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dwboe
 
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Joined: Mon Apr 15, 2013 3:46 pm

Help on a solar powered iphone charger

Post by dwboe »

I want to make a solar powered iphone charger for backpacking.

Can you use the Flexible 6V 1W Solar Panel sold here to directly power the minty boost without using batteries? Will it require any circuit modification?

Any suggestions?

Thank you

David

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adafruit_support_bill
 
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Re: Help on a solar powered iphone charger

Post by adafruit_support_bill »

Can you use the Flexible 6V 1W Solar Panel sold here to directly power the minty boost without using batteries?
A can say from experience that it does not work well. Variations in output of the solar panel will keep interrupting the charge cycle and you will end up with very little charge. The iPhones need a steady 500mA to charge. Our solar charger circuit will charge a LiPo cell in variable conditions - scavenging energy even in low-light conditions. The LiPo can then provide the more constant current that the iPhone requires. http://www.adafruit.com/products/390

Also, the output of a single flex-panel is only about 160 mA in direct sun. You will probably want to chain a few in parallel to increase your charge rate.

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