Hi tracecom, thanks and welcome back. Did hear from you for quite awhile.The IRLZ44N should be fine in Bernard's schematic.
Hi tracecom, thanks and welcome back. Did hear from you for quite awhile.The IRLZ44N should be fine in Bernard's schematic.
Enjoy your traveling, I am learning too from both of you and thank you both very much. Currently gathering the parts and working on breadboard.I have been traveling some, and didn't have a lot of access to the web. I am still following the thread to learn about solar charging. Bernard is amazing with those hand drawn schematics.
Hi Bernard, I had circled on the attached picture with the below queries;Here is a solar only ckt. I breadboarded a similar one, different LEDs & SP. The red LEDs start at about 5 V, SP in shade, blue joined in at 6 V & all full bright in full sun. As long as SP put out 9 V to 13 V , the LED supply stayed fixed at 9 V. The MOSFET can be almost any N ch available, used 3055V SM because I had some. Used one red LED as V reference @ 1.9 V. Adjustment of R6 was smooth from 8 V to 10 V. Cap could be anything from 1 to 10 μF. Maybe it is a start?
Understood on the IR arrangement and the 4u cap. But for UV although it is 20mA but the forward voltage is 3.2V to 3.8V and Red forward voltage is 1.8v to 2.3v. Need to rearrange the LEDs on that string?All of the high current LED's are in one string, your list shows IR as 60 mA, paralled with 39 Ω to make it 100 mA, note: R2 should be 39 Ω. UV listed as 20 mA, so belongs in 20 mA string. C1, 4 μ F is an electrloytic cap & is polarity sensitive, - to gnd.
Might start with one 150 mA panel & check results, then add second one in parallel to give 300 mA, will prob. operate over greater variations in sun insolation. In future excess power wasted in R5 & FET will be used to charge battery. ' Still have problem with battery, if 9 V simple switching but no recharge; lower V & need boost-- but that is for another day, or help from someone who knows what they are dooing.
I see, thanks for clearing the doubts. Waiting for LM393N before I can complete the circuit. Will update the result after I got it running.You have some misinformation, Vf of individual LEDs does not matter as long as all have same current rating & total V drop is less than driving V.
You know that the IR LED is not visible to the human eye, right? If you have a digital camera, look at it through the camera, and if it's lit, you should see it on the camera screen.Finally the part had arrived. I had completed the circuit at night, so I am using the 9V battery to test run. Everything LEDs lighted up except for the infrared LED. I tried changing other resistor value also does not help to light it up. Any idea what is wrong?
For the infrared use a camera or mobile phone with one on to view the led.Finally the part had arrived. I had completed the circuit at night, so I am using the 9V battery to test run. Everything LEDs lighted up except for the infrared LED. I tried changing other resistor value also does not help to light it up. Any idea what is wrong?
Also can I know what is R1 for and how to calculate it?
Yes i know that, I use all my iphone 3GS, 4 and 5 and even ipad 2 to look at it but not lited. I remove my infrared LED and using a LED tester, it shine when I use my camera to view it.You know that the IR LED is not visible to the human eye, right? If you have a digital camera, look at it through the camera, and if it's lit, you should see it on the camera screen.
No worry, he told me on 19th Aug, he would not be around for a week.I am hoping Bernard will post again. He doesn't seem to have posted on AAC since August 15.
Bernard, are you there?
Welcome back.There should be about 40 mA thru R2, the remainder of the 100 mA thru IR.
Very sure the polarity is correct and I check the voltage across IR is 1.54v. Anyway I think to reduce the circuit overall power consumption, I had remove the 2 X blue @100mA & IR and replace with a 180ohm resistor & 2 X blue @20mA in that string.Most LEDs , cathode is short lead, flat on case = K, larger element in case = K, or check with hi range on analog VOM, normally black lead = k with conduction; or maybe your LED tester will give polarity. Cathode to R1. Other possible fault is leads are not making contact with socket; might try measuring V across the IR leads while in the ckt.
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