electronics querey

[Kase]

I have been wondering about this for a while... but to make a charger and charge a battery is it just a direct connection to the voltage? like


Source+ ------ + Battery
Source- ------ -

Or is there a special connection somewhere? I am planning on using a small solar panel to charge something, and I don't know a whole lot about those either, so any extra info would help a lot too. Thanks

[SSgt Shak]

I'm not an electricle wiz or any thing but im sure you would need a capasiter (sp?) some where in the line. I would buy a cheep charger open it up and wire in your solar panel positive and negitive to the positive and neg. of the charger. But your solar panel will have to kick out about what a house outlet would 110? Theres my shot at it.

[MD Willington]

Here's a couple of good sites with schematics

http://www.commlinx.com.au/solar.htm

http://www.talkingelectronics.com/Pr...arCharger.html

[Kase]

Ok, so Mr. Genious MD, lets see if you can only look things up or if you really are smart >_<... It only says to connect the diode with an 8 cell hookup, but would you be able to use a diode with a 1 or 2 cell setup?

[MD Willington]

Well I never said I was a genius, you asked a question, I provided some links...

I'm not familiar with this system, I usually work with 3-phase industrial power not DC nor DC charging...

From what I can gather looking at the diagram, all they are doing is switching DC to a higher voltage AC and then dumping a small amount of energy into the battery as DC through a single diode rectifier, like filling a water can with a squirt gun, evenyually it will fill up.

MD

[Bones]

Why don't you just buy a charger instead of making one that will probably burn your house down?

[Morty]

Because its fun to play sometimes, Bones.

But ya, like MD said. The Diode does nothing more than control the direction of the electrical flow. Reason they say no more than 8 cell is due to the possible voltage I'm assuming.

I too am only really knowledgable on AC voltage from 120 and up, single phase to 3 phase. Haven't messed with DC since I got my degree in Electrical.

[Kase]

See, there are two things that I own that use up batteries fairly quick. The batteries for one are really expensive, which is my calculator; which isn't meant to charge, or play sound for that matter, but I found a way around that too, because I have no life. Then I want to put one on my cell because quite often I end up in the situation where my phone's dead and I have to be outside for a long time, but my mom is bitching at me to have my cellphone on and with me. A solar panel only costs about $3, but a pack of batteries costs about $5. And they already make solar chargers for cell phones, but it's cheaper and just as easy to make one yourself.