Be gentle, I'm still new to circuit analysis...so I'll run my project by you keen folks and perhaps you can give some advice.
I've built the second schematic in question here...right now there is no lights attached because I wanted to testing the charging circuit side. Now, from what I've gathered, because I don't have the lights connected there will be a drain from the battery to the solar panel despite there being a diode on the Emitter side. So right now, if I charge the batteries all day but leave the circuit alone all night, the batteries get drained. What I'm gathering from this circuit is because it's a PNP transistor, the current is flowing backdown through it at night (or low charge) through the 470 & 1K resistors assisting in draining my battery pack (perhaps through the panel as well?). But if I had my LED's connected with the small 47R resistor, then in theory the solar panel & voltage divider would not be draining the batteries, only my lights. Does that seem like a fair assessment? I've also swapped out the BC557 with a 2N3906 since I don't have any BC557's.
Say I wanted to outright prevent any current back feeding through the PNP if there was no lights, would a Schottky be a good way to prevent that with minimal voltage drop across that end? What about using a Schottky instead of a 1N4001, it would eliminate a "soft" transition from on to off correct?
Thanks in advance
I've built the second schematic in question here...right now there is no lights attached because I wanted to testing the charging circuit side. Now, from what I've gathered, because I don't have the lights connected there will be a drain from the battery to the solar panel despite there being a diode on the Emitter side. So right now, if I charge the batteries all day but leave the circuit alone all night, the batteries get drained. What I'm gathering from this circuit is because it's a PNP transistor, the current is flowing backdown through it at night (or low charge) through the 470 & 1K resistors assisting in draining my battery pack (perhaps through the panel as well?). But if I had my LED's connected with the small 47R resistor, then in theory the solar panel & voltage divider would not be draining the batteries, only my lights. Does that seem like a fair assessment? I've also swapped out the BC557 with a 2N3906 since I don't have any BC557's.
Say I wanted to outright prevent any current back feeding through the PNP if there was no lights, would a Schottky be a good way to prevent that with minimal voltage drop across that end? What about using a Schottky instead of a 1N4001, it would eliminate a "soft" transition from on to off correct?
Thanks in advance
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