Yaw Know About Solar Chargers?

[Jdsk]

Thanks

Jonathan

[Cowsham]

FWIW most solar panels develop the correct (rated) voltage (open circuit) in weak sunlight or even when it is overcast. The big difference in bright sunlight is the capacity to deliver high current.

Yes that is correct Brucey --- back in the early days of solar panels I bought some cell wafers from America and built 3 60w panels to experiment with.

I'd originally been interested in putting up a wind turbine ( part of the reason we moved to higher ground in the country side ) so I did the wind turbine installer course.

When I built the first panel I immediately saw the advantage they had over wind and is as you say. When inside the garage I had the last cell soldered in I measured the voltage with only the garage lights on I had 18vdc the Max voltage for that 60w array ( regulated to 12vdc to charge car batteries hence why it's 18v unregulated ) . Of course very small current but the fact that solar can produce the top volts is a big advantage since the current can still be useful even when very small ie it can still charge a battery.

When I realized this I let out a slow deep evil taking over the world kind of laugh and my interest in a home windmill briskly depleted.


With bright sunlight I could fully light a 50w diachronic GU10 bulb. I cooked with that

[edocaster]

USB charging protocols before USB C seem to have had a few quirks, in terms of signalling whether a charger could supply a certain current.

According to the Dedicated Charging Port specification, tying the two data lines together in the socket, signals up to 1.5A is available. But Samsung and Apple had rather different ideas: https://obddiag.net/usb-power.html

[Cowsham]

I'm just after ordering a couple more USB mains adaptors cos everything you buy now has the USB lead but no adaptor.

The one I always opt for is the Sony experia one just cos I know it's safe which brought to my memory the reason why.

In 2016 I bought a Giant rear light and took to charging it beside my bed but needed the charger and lead for my phone so I bought a cheap mains charger with it's own built in micro USB lead. One morning I awoke for work to a burning smell. The connection at the micro USB port on the Giant lamp was all burned up.

Didn't go on fire but I'm now very conscious about what I use to charge my devices. Only buy what you trust cos the consequences are unthinkable.

( I have plenty of their USB to micro USB leads so that's not an issue but if I need one I'll buy good quality micro or USB C )

[Cyclothesist]

Slightly off topic but still to do with chargers - USB leads can be of differing wire diameter. There are data cables which are general purpose and charging cables which are designed to carry higher current. Quality charging cables have wider diameter copper wire and are often short in length. Make sure you use the correct type for high current charging.

[Cowsham]

Slightly off topic but still to do with chargers - USB leads can be of differing wire diameter. There are data cables which are general purpose and charging cables which are designed to carry higher current. Quality charging cables have wider diameter copper wire and are often short in length. Make sure you use the correct type for high current charging.

The quality of the connector itself too

[Biospace]

USB charging protocols before USB C seem to have had a few quirks, in terms of signalling whether a charger could supply a certain current.

According to the Dedicated Charging Port specification, tying the two data lines together in the socket, signals up to 1.5A is available. But Samsung and Apple had rather different ideas: https://obddiag.net/usb-power.html

Very useful, thank you.

The quality of the connector itself too

Yes, and additionally the USB micro-B connector design has long been criticised for its inability to last well.