solar panels

This topic has 13 replies, 8 voices, and was last updated 20 years, 11 months ago by SurfmyStrat.

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- May 3, 2003 at 4:22 pm #10377
  SurfmyStrat
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  i was just thinking today, what if i take a mini solar panel from an old calculator and attach it to the spoiler on the back, so it slowly recharges the battery if your in the light driving. You guys think it would work, could it fry the circuits?
  
  you are currently at: http://www.ausmicro.com
- May 3, 2003 at 9:15 pm #32050
  micro_Amps
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  I have seen a solar bit racer on the net somewhere.
  It used the solar cell to charge a capcitor and when it was charged took of and drove a few meters.
  You would need a solar cell a little larger than just a calculator one I think. This guy was using one about 6cm x 10 cm.
  Give it a try and let us know how you go.
  :)uA
- May 4, 2003 at 2:24 am #32058
  M_Coupe
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  Posts: 207
  I do think it would work, but I think it would only extend the driving time a few seconds at most. Calculators don’t really use a whole lot of power.
- May 4, 2003 at 11:23 am #32064
  SurfmyStrat
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  Posts: 247
  ill give it a try and see what happens, couldnt hurt.:smiley2:
  
  you are currently at: http://www.ausmicro.com
- May 5, 2003 at 7:00 pm #32020
  PandaBear
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  Posts: 1866
  You might wanna visit Dicko’s, they sell small photovoltaic cells for only a few bux. Might need one size of a creditcard to give you any noticeable improvement.
  
  (probably kills your handling though)
- May 9, 2003 at 6:04 pm #31699
  Lazboy
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  what about replacing the batt altogether with a solar panle so that in the right light conditions you could race for eva
  
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- May 9, 2003 at 9:49 pm #31682
  PandaBear
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  A better idea… Tamiya makes a little working model of the Honda Dream solarcar about 4″ long, its not very expensive (vs buying the solar cells alone).
  
  Why not try graft your BCG’s mechanics to make the Dream into an RC model instead? 🙂
- May 10, 2003 at 2:47 pm #31643
  SurfmyStrat
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  Posts: 247
  not a bad idea, but ive decided to drop the project, because as you micro_amps said there wont be enough energy from the panels, and i checked the cells arent cheap so… maybe someone else will give it a try in the future.:D
  
  you are currently at: http://www.ausmicro.com
  
  Edited by – SurfmyStrat on 10 May 2003 10:49:04
- May 11, 2003 at 7:55 pm #31572
  z-beam
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  dickies solar panels are cheap shizzle!
  
  they are crap recycled old broken ones this is why they are cheap! for there weight very inneficient.
  a decent panel would give easy enough current to trickle charge a bits bat.
  
  nice idea, the surfmysolar mod.
  
  good solition panda, you know your supplies well!!!
- May 15, 2003 at 11:22 am #30680
  spanky
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  the key is keeping it in direct light. if you can keep it in direct light you woiuld be in better shape.. why would you not just compltely run the car from solar? if its a issue of juice just slap on another panel. if the panels are getting good light and are producing their max output you should be just fine.
  
  http://www.siliconsolar.com/unicells.htm
  
  get some of the small ones.. or get some scrap solar cells this way you can play..
  
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- May 15, 2003 at 2:25 pm #30660
  jamiekulhanek
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  Quote:
  
  A better idea… Tamiya makes a little working model of the Honda Dream solarcar about 4″ long, its not very expensive (vs buying the solar cells alone).
  
  Why not try graft your BCG’s mechanics to make the Dream into an RC model instead? 🙂
  
  Geez panda i think we share the same brain lol…that is exactly what i was thinking when i was looking at one a few weeks ago, only problem the solar cell only develops 0.5 volts 🙁
  
  Guys, a calculator solar panel will only develop a few mA of current, a bit uses over 100mAh….so i doubt it would have any benifit whatsoever.
  
  If life is a waste of time, and time is a waste of life, then let’s get wasted and have the time of our lives!!
- May 15, 2003 at 4:38 pm #30672
  z-beam
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  :sad::sad::sad::dead::sad:
- May 15, 2003 at 5:04 pm #30676
  jamiekulhanek
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  Posts: 2563
  Correction, it will make about a 1-3% difference in runtime (bout 8 seconds), but only in full sunlight :p
  
  If life is a waste of time, and time is a waste of life, then let’s get wasted and have the time of our lives!!
- May 19, 2003 at 5:14 pm #30116
  PandaBear
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  Posts: 1866
  Quote:
  
  Geez panda i think we share the same brain lol…that is exactly what i was thinking when i was looking at one a few weeks ago, only problem the solar cell only develops 0.5 volts 🙁
  
  Guys, a calculator solar panel will only develop a few mA of current, a bit uses over 100mAh….so i doubt it would have any benifit whatsoever.
  
  Calculator solar cells are useless for bits, they’ll never
  power anything motorised. They may supply 1.5-3V (usually are
  4 cells in series) but the current is microscopic.
  Their current is probably not enough to even power the RX.
  
  No, I was browsing thru Dickos, and they’ve got a panel
  that does 1.0V at about 100mA. Only drawbacks are
  (1) its pretty big, about large playing card size and
  (2) its not cheap… $20+.
  
  For that $ I wasn’t even interested in buying one to test,
  and its mass won’t do anything to your BCG’s handling. :p
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