Solar USB Charger w/ Voltage Monitors by OpenSourceClassroom

Last crawled date: 4 years, 5 months ago

Great solar charger project. Will charge any USB device. This charger has two voltage monitors, one for charging input (solar panel or wall charger) and one for battery voltage so you know when you're getting low. Plus, the solar panel is on a hinge to get the best angle towards the sun.
Voltage meters plug into additional ports on the Lithium Ion Solar Charger with female connectors or can be soldered. All wires can be run neatly in a channel under the voltage meters.
I'm sure you could build one of these with cheaper components, but I had all of this stuff already and disassembled some old projects to build this. Enjoy!
Parts list:
Large 6V 3.4W Solar Panelhttps://www.adafruit.com/products/500
Solar Lithium Ion Chargerhttps://www.adafruit.com/products/390
Lithium Ion Battery Pack 6600mAhhttps://www.adafruit.com/products/353
MintyBoost USB Boardhttps://www.adafruit.com/products/14
Mini Panel Meterhttp://www.mpja.com/Mini-Panel-Meter-Panel-Mount-2-Wire-25-30VDC/productinfo/32320+ME
You will also need a 2.1mm barrel jack plug, 2 M6x30 bolts, washers and nuts.