Solar panel for laptop

[Seaniepoo]

I want to take this and slap it on a laptop to take the place of this when there isnt a power outlet around.

I realize this is no where big or powerful enough to actually charge it enough so I can use a laptop if its dead. I just want something to trickle charge it during the day when I'm not using it.

Do I need some fancy circuitry? Can I just hook up the panel to a power connector tip and plug it into the laptop?

I don't see why I can't but then again I happen to learn the hard way and blow things up.

[adafruit]

solar panel - 17V at 0.3A (at best)
ac plug - 19V at 5A

good luck with that!

[Seaniepoo]

I know! :*( But I think it would look cool and interesting if I take apart the panels and glue them to the top of my laptop. It sits in the sun for about 8 hours a day on the dash of my van (turned off). I use it for about an hour a day (at work anyway). Seems too under powered to blow up my laptop so thats good.

[magician13134]

You'd need ALOT of these, but at a couple bucks a piece, it'd probably be cheaper than that $70 one...
http://cgi.ebay.com/Glass-Solar-Panel_W ... dZViewItem

[Seaniepoo]

Nice, those look good!

[rickyrockrat]

The main issue with "trickle charging" is if the battery management chip in your laptop will limit it's current. If not, then you will have to come up with enough current to charge the laptop.

As to leaving your laptop in the dash in your van, don't be surprised to find your laptop melted and/or the LCD trashed from the heat!!

It WOULD be cool to do as you suggest, and perhaps there would be a way using a large cap with a charge/trigger circuit that lets the solor panel charge a large capacitor up to some max voltage, then switch the cap to your laptop, and "pulse" charge it, a few hundred milliseconds at a time. If you are really interested, I'll look into designing a circuit for you.
send it to my username at yahoo.com.