Solar Minty Boost Charger Question

[chuckvideo]

I've built a couple of Solar Minty Boost Altoid chargers using the Sparkfun LiPoly charger, a 2 watt solar panel and the Minty Boost v3.0 circuit and they all work flawlessly, but if I wanted to build one using either the Adafruit USB Li-Ion/LiPoly Charger v1.1 or the Adafruit USB/DC Lithium Polymer Battery Charger 5-12v I'm not sure where to actually connect the solar panel to on the charger's circuit boards. Can someone help me with this? I like the additional LED indicator lights the Adafruit chargers have over the one from Sparkfun.

[adafruit]

http://ladyada.net/make/solarlipo/
?

[chuckvideo]

http://ladyada.net/make/solarlipo/
?

And there's my answer, thank you very much!
My initial thoughts where that the mini USB connector on the LiPoly charger needed "proper" input voltage such as the clean 5 volts a USB port on a computer or USB wall charger would provide. But apparently that's not necessarily the case, again thanks for the reply.

[MattRussNC]

Hello, i have similar question. I am looking to connect a Small 6V 1W Solar Panel - 1 W (http://www.adafruit.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=262) to a USB LiIon/LiPoly charger - v1.1 (http://www.adafruit.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=44&products_id=259). Now heres the difference, i would like to have this permanently tied in to the charger without losing the ability to plug it up to a usb for normal wall charging. I understand that the solar cell isnt going to be very practical for charging the lipo, but i think it will be nice to keep it topped off and for recharging on camping trips etc. For normal every day recharges i intend to just plug it up to a usb. Of course a switch would work as a disconnect but would a zener protect the solar when i have the lipo charger plugged up to a usb charger through the usb port ?

I was thinking just soldering two lines on the back of the usb port with a zener in the middle so i wouldnt have to disconnect the solar before plugging up. If this would work then which zener would i need.

Also i am guessing that lipo charger will be ok for this 6ah lipo http://www.sparkfun.com/products/8484 (i understand it may take a while)

PS Came across this, http://www.sparkfun.com/products/10300
Looks like this would do the job of a mintyboost as well as the lipo charger if you didn't need the v on the center usb pins. Are the 3.3 center pins of the minty boost only needed for apple products? i don't know just thought it looked interesting.

thanks for any help, love the site.

[MattRussNC]

Also, i once seen somebody's solar mb mod using a smaller cell that fit atop of a altoids tin. I cant find the picture now nor a suitable panel, anybody come across one ?

[adafruit]

you will not be able to charge at any reasonable speed with a panel that small. the ones we have in the shop are pretty much the minimum necessary

[MattRussNC]

you will not be able to charge at any reasonable speed with a panel that small. the ones we have in the shop are pretty much the minimum necessary

Thanks for the reply. Oh i fully understand that any smaller panel then the 6v@1w wouldn't get much charging done. i am not wanting it for fully recharging the lipo from nothing, just a little top off here and there. Right now im using a ipod battery in my main mbs and i rarely use it for more than ten mins or so. Also any help on which zener i would need if that would work at all ?

I have a sgs phone and sometimes i need just a few mins boost to get me through the work day. so i have yet to have to run the battery all the way down. If i did need all the power it had then i would of course recharge it via wall. But for those times when i only drain five to ten mins off of it every few days i thought a small panel would be enough.

The only reason i want to build one with the 6amp lipo with solar and wall recharge options is mainly for the fun of it. As far as all i really need, the twin aa version is more than enough. I purchased twelve mb kits from here and the parts for two custom ones from digikey and had fun making toys that went out as Christmas gifts.

Anyway my point is none of what i am doing is reasonable (in my case at least), just fun. If a 2" x 3.5" panel can recharge over the course of two or three days of light then i would be happy.

[T-dogg]

Newbie question: What can be done with a 5W solar panel?

[adafruit_support_bill]

@T-dogg - What is the voltage of the panel? Our solar chargers are designed for 6v panels.

[T-dogg]

17.5V MPP
22.0V Voc

[adafruit_support_bill]

As noted earlier. Our solar charger is designed for use with 6v panels. We don't have anything designed for operation at those voltage levels.

[T-dogg]

Thank you. Any homebrew suggestions?