Hi folks,
Wonder if someone could help me diagnose a problem I keep running into.
I have a number of weather stations / pool temperature monitors / soil monitors / water tank monitors etc which use the following:
The code I have on the esp8266 logs on to wifi, then mqtt, sends some data and logs off. My normal runtime is around 300-450ms. Sleep is mostly around 10-15 minutes with my sleep current being in the 10-20uA range (given what my fluke can do).
Everything works well for a few days and the battery remains at 100% or near it (I send back the voltage as part of the readings)
Then, all of a sudden my device stops charging and the battery quickly depletes over a couple of days.
When I venture out to collect the device, the battery module is normally broken. i.e. adding a known 5V source to it does not charge the battery.
The modules are bought from fleabay or Aliexpress in from various suppliers and periods so unless I am really unlucky, there should be a good batch.
The PV panels never go over 5.5/6V under no load, full sun so not breaking the 8V max of the 4056.
Am I just doing it wrong? Are these modules really rubbish? Anything better I should try?
C
Wonder if someone could help me diagnose a problem I keep running into.
I have a number of weather stations / pool temperature monitors / soil monitors / water tank monitors etc which use the following:
- 5.5V Solar panel (fleabay options, around 1W)
- TP4056 module - ones with battery protection included
- 2-4 18650 in parallel
- esp8266 doing funky stuff
The code I have on the esp8266 logs on to wifi, then mqtt, sends some data and logs off. My normal runtime is around 300-450ms. Sleep is mostly around 10-15 minutes with my sleep current being in the 10-20uA range (given what my fluke can do).
Everything works well for a few days and the battery remains at 100% or near it (I send back the voltage as part of the readings)
Then, all of a sudden my device stops charging and the battery quickly depletes over a couple of days.
When I venture out to collect the device, the battery module is normally broken. i.e. adding a known 5V source to it does not charge the battery.
The modules are bought from fleabay or Aliexpress in from various suppliers and periods so unless I am really unlucky, there should be a good batch.
The PV panels never go over 5.5/6V under no load, full sun so not breaking the 8V max of the 4056.
Am I just doing it wrong? Are these modules really rubbish? Anything better I should try?
C
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