DIY POWER STRIP
Solar strips on calculators to power other electronics?
Doing a DIY project learning about electronics. Is it possible to use a bunch of old calculator solar strips to provide a power extension to something small like a small light or even a PDA?
You would need a LOT of them.
You need to read up on some basic principles like voltage and current. Measure the current needed by your proposed load (the thing you want to power), and measure the current produced when those solar cells are running a calculator.
The solar powered calculators were feasible because they didn’t have backlights – hence they consume very little power. Consider that similar calculators without solar cells were powered from a few button or coin cells (357, 2032, that sort of thing), and could run for more than a year on such sources.
Now consider that no modern PDAs exist that run from such batteries… although some of the old primitive things like the Casio B.O.S.S. series could do so, they didn’t have backlights either.
There *are* keychain LED lights that run from just one or three coin or button cells. However they don’t run for nearly as long as a calculator would.
It is of course axiomatic that to power a lamp (any lamp, LED, CFL, any lamp) with solar cells will require far more light hitting the solar cells than the lamp is going to produce.
To power a PDA is possible… your best bet would be a very old Palm Pilot without a backlight; at least, do not try to turn the backlight on… but you’ll need an area of cells at least as large as the PDA, if not quite a bit larger.
Tips for Mounting a Power Strip in Your Garage
|
|
2Pack – Flexible Waterproof LED Lighting Strip WARM WHITE 5 M/16.5ft LED Strip(Total Length 10M/33FT) Plus one 12v Power Adapter $79.99 Flexible Waterproof Lighting Strip LED Ribbon 5 Meter or 16.4 Ft 12v(Two Strips Total 10M/33ft) for All your Decorations, Great for Cove Lighting, Architectural lights for canopy, corridor, window, archway, Back lighting or edge lighting for signage, DIY lighting for indoor use, Path or contour marking and Decorative lighting for festivals, events, shows, exhibitions Assembly Information, store s… |
|
|
Starlet Led Lighting Kit Pure White Flexible LED strip Easy to install Great for DIY PC case Low power consumption… |
|
|
ATC 7.2W waterproof IP66 RGB 1m Led Strip with Remote Controller US Standard for All your Decorations (Note:15 Colors Changed in Total) $24.99 Application: 1?Building decoration lighting 2?Backlighting advertising signs, and words, stage 3?Indoor hotel or business premises, counter adornment, window 4?Personal DIY home decoration 5?Route instructions, outdoor lighting in outline 6?Safety and emergency lighting 7?Automobile and bicycle decoration Features: 1?The light can be flexible, every 3 lamp can bend, flexible adapt different occasi… |
|
|
New 5M SMD 5050 Waterproof RGB 150 LED Strip Light + Controller + Power $44.99 Features: 1. LED Type: High Quality 5050 SMD RGB LED, high intensity and reliability, Long lifespan >50,000 hours 2. Super-bright but running with low temperature and low power consumption 3. Waterproof protection ideal for both interior and exterior decoration 4. All the light spread and completely smooth,luminous very even 5. Every 3-LEDS cuttable without damaging the rest strips, according to y… |
|
|
ATC 5m Waterproof IP65 Led Strip with working time over 50000 hours and 600 Leds 120 degree angle + Adapter $42.99 Application: Building decoration lighting Backlighting advertising signs, and words, stage Indoor hotel or business premises, counter adornment, window Personal DIY home decoration Route instructions, outdoor lighting in outline Safety and emergency lighting Automobile and bicycle decoration Features: The light can be flexible, every 3 lamp can bend, flexible adapt different occasions Maintenance … |
|
|
SensorPlug Motion Sensor Outlet Plug $11.26 … |
|
|
Mr. Beams MB 530 Battery Powered Motion Sensing LED Step Light, White $16.89 LED Battery Operated Motion Sensor Mr Beams Stair Light… |