A custom solar lighting module using salvaged solar panels and lithium cells.
An update to the earlier version that used a simple NPN transistor. This version uses a A2SHB MOSFET commonly used in Chinese products. It's an amazing component so I got some and decided to try one in this project.
It's surface mount, so I made everything else surface mount too.
I should have named the MOSFET pins Gate, Source and DRAIN not emitter. I was thinking in electron movement terms.
The lithium cell should be a protected type and the solar panel should put out around 6V at a maximum of around 250mA to protect the diode from excess current. I've got some schottky diodes on order to upgrade that.
One of the nicest things about this design is that it allows easy choosing of the LED current, so if you want it for an outdoor visual effect all night in winter you can choose a lower current (just one 100 ohm resistor). As the battery voltage drops the light intensity and current drops too, so the lights will usually run all night on a very low amount of charge.
If you enjoy these videos you can help support the channel with a dollar for coffee, cookies and random gadgets for disassembly at:-
http://www.bigclive.com/coffee.htm
This also keeps the channel independent of YouTube's advertising algorithms allowing it to be a bit more dangerous and naughty.
An update to the earlier version that used a simple NPN transistor. This version uses a A2SHB MOSFET commonly used in Chinese products. It's an amazing component so I got some and decided to try one in this project.
It's surface mount, so I made everything else surface mount too.
I should have named the MOSFET pins Gate, Source and DRAIN not emitter. I was thinking in electron movement terms.
The lithium cell should be a protected type and the solar panel should put out around 6V at a maximum of around 250mA to protect the diode from excess current. I've got some schottky diodes on order to upgrade that.
One of the nicest things about this design is that it allows easy choosing of the LED current, so if you want it for an outdoor visual effect all night in winter you can choose a lower current (just one 100 ohm resistor). As the battery voltage drops the light intensity and current drops too, so the lights will usually run all night on a very low amount of charge.
If you enjoy these videos you can help support the channel with a dollar for coffee, cookies and random gadgets for disassembly at:-
http://www.bigclive.com/coffee.htm
This also keeps the channel independent of YouTube's advertising algorithms allowing it to be a bit more dangerous and naughty.
me gusta el circuito de pane solar
Nice one Clive 🙂
I got myself a 30 Watt Soldering Tip like this with 510 threads off ebay and I use a 2 x 18650 Mod to power it
I don't want to be smarter than the experts, but is it really that good to carry out the soldering work on the battery? Wouldn't it be better to do the soldering work first and then attach the PCB to the battery? You are always told that Li-Ion batteries should be protected from heat as much as possible. Just a moment, as a chemist I'm an expert 🤣
Very late with my comment, but
You put 6V over a Li-ion battery (-0.6V of the diode). Isnt that…bad?
Second: the result is magnificent, but how do you 'finish' it? Imagine you want to put such a light in your garden: what and how do you integrate it into a final product? You're only making 1 or 2 of these for real usage. How do you make it suitable for actually living outside in sun/rain/…
Please could you do your simple light design video useing a MOSFET that looks like the bc547 as I'm new to all this and have purchased some 2N7000 MOSFETs by mistake & would like to be able to use them in something like that simple light project……. ta😁
I just keep struggling to understand this circuit. I recreated this circuit in a simulator and it works fine indeed. But what I don't understand is how the mosfet is switched on and off. According to the simulator, no voltage is applied to the gate (both in light and dark). It works fine but I don't understand it 🙂
Great project and good work, I enjoyed it. If you have to solder larger SMD Projects than glue the components at first down and put all in a soldering bath, you can make it easy with an flipped iron.
Hi clive, have you ever explored what is under the black blob on some solar light pcbs?…ive been trying to find out so i can replicate it. Any ideas?….cheers man .
Hello big clive, could you possibly send me the video or a schematic of the original solar light project that you did with a transistor rather that the mosfet type. It would be much appreciated. Big love frank from the west Midlands 👍❤
Hello mate 🤝. Thank You for all those video you made. For me there are "a Gold Mine " . Please, do You think is possible to share the the schematic for at 1/1 scale along with the components list You used? … I have a couple scrap garden lights with Dead battery and I am thinking of use some salvaged components, but also I am thinking of making a NEW & brighter ones using 18650 or some old phone battery like you did … Thank You and Keep us informed with all you do . 🤝🍺
Hi. First of all, thank you a lot for the great video. It works just perfect. Though I thought (and there is a good chance that I'm wrong and battery protection is good enough) to add a popular Tp4056 charging module to the equation. Unfortunately, it appeared that Tp4056 goes into protection mode if it is plugged into the circuit and the circuit doesn't work as well. It seems that is I add one more diode between the Tp4056 solar negative input and the common ground, then the circuit works, however, as I have only 5v solar battery, I don't have enough voltage left to see if the module can charge. I've ordered some schottky diodes, but meanwhile decided to ask, if there is a better way to handle the issue? And in general, is charging module needed in this particular application or it is safe to use the circuit with a protected 18650? Thank you.
I'm wondering if this project would work with an 18650 lithium cell instead of the phone battery. Very interesting project either way.
Hi Clive where can I buy the little boards themselves with print?
If you feel like you are getting lazy drawing your schematics and diagrams, watch some Great Scott!
Personally like AO3400 SOT23, cheap 100/1$ start to open for 1V at gate, and very low Rds can pass few amperes.
I never get bored with your videos. It's so much easier using extra flux though. Cheers mate!