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"Finally, A Proper Solar Charger For Hikers And Bikers" - Cult of Mac
"Independent Power." NOW OPEN SOURCE! Our Solarpad Kit sets a new standard for a rugged, lightweight, compact, powerful, water resistant, and easy-to-use USB solar charger that can keep a smart phone charged all day! Connect Solarpad to the Power Core battery input then use the cable that came with your smart phone and plug it in to the Power Core output. Solar charge the Power Core battery and charge your phone from this battery at the same time! We designed the Solarpad Kit without an on/off button so you just plug it in and it works automatically! If a phone has a unique connector, one end of its charge cable always has a standard USB compatible plug. No extra cables are required because they are built-in. Use the Solarpad Kit on your next adventure! Will not leave you powerless. Free instructions and files for this project can be obtained fromwww.solarcyclepower.com
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
The Solarpad Kit is designed to outlive the life of your Smart Phone! Solarpad uses a high-quality, custom Suntactics solar panel, which has a fluoropolymer film with the best light transmission, precision cut and tabbed high-efficiency solar cells, and a high-strength substrate. The panel is attached to an aluminum housing, which holds the buckle straps and 1/4-20 tripod thread in place and acts as a passive heat sink to cool the panel. Our Power Core battery uses a high-efficiency, high-power charge controller from Maxim and the housing is sealed with high-strength epoxy, which prevents water from leaking in. Also, Power Core uses the same battery that's used in the Tesla electric car, which is the best battery of its kind. Even the built-in USB cables consist of thicker gage wire, which allows the electricity to flow more efficiently. The Solarpad Kit is engineered to squeeze the most energy possible from the sun's rays in to your smart phone. No short-cuts that compromise power or efficiency are taken, period. A fully charged Power Core will recharge a dead iPhone from 0% to 100% in 3 hours even after being unused for a month! Our competitors may have a power level indicator, but for this size solar charger, power level indicators are inaccurate and not very useful. Other similar sized solar chargers can only charge a Smart Phone from 0% to 70% and take over 4 hours to recharge, so what good is a power level indicator if it won't charge your phone from 0% to 100% at any level? Power Core's Green LED lights up when charging and turns off when fully charged. Much larger smart phones, like the Samsung Galaxy S4, have a battery that's twice the size of an iPhone battery, but a fully charged Power Core can still provide a Galaxy S4 a 0% to 70% charge.
Why Open Source Hardware?
The solar USB charging market has become saturated with low-quality and poor performing products and every year the big companies are selling the same products with very little improvement. Therefore, Solarcycle has developed its open source solar USB charger to empower customers with the ability to build their own solar USB chargers and to prove that a better solar charger that outperforms anything else on the market is possible. Click here for instructions on how to build the Solarpad Kit.
REWARDS (or how it won't cost you anything to donate)
Solarpad Solar Panel Specs (Made in USA):
* Size: W 6.5 inches X L 10.9 inches X H 0.6 inches
* Strap Material: Polypropylene * Strap Length: 1.5 Feet
* Fastener Style: Plastic Side Release Buckle
* Cable Length: 10.0 inches * Weight: 270g (9.52 oz)
* Body Material: Anodized Aluminum with Nylon Trim
* Output - Female USB 2.0 Type A Connector
* Nominal Output - Current: 1000mA | Voltage: 5 Volts
* Max Open Circuit Voltage: 6 Volts
* Cell Type: Monocrystalline * Cell Efficiency: 18.8%
* Compatible with Power Core Battery Only
Power Core USB Battery Specs (Made in USA):
* Time to Fully Charge Power Core @ 5V 1A: 3 hours
* Capacity: 3350mAh/3.6V * Type: 18650 Lithium-Ion
* Diameter: 1.2 inches * Body Length: 4.2 inches
* Cable Length: 7.0 inches * Weight: 100g (3.53 oz)
* Input - Male USB 2.0 Type A Connector
* Input - Current: 450 to 1300mA | Voltage: 5 to 6 Volts
* Output - Female USB 2.0 Type A Connector
* Output - Current: 500mA | Voltage: 5 Volts
* Body Material: Aluminum Tube with Rubber Caps
* Battery Life Under Typical Use: 5 years
* Provides up to 140% iPhone Charge or 70% Galaxy S4 Charge
* Compatible with iPhone, Android, Windows Phone, and Others
* Many other uses shown below:
Where Do the Funds Go and How Long Will it Take to Finish?
Solarcycle is here to meet your USB charging needs for the outdoors! We've solved the fundamental problems with solar USB charging, but right now each Solarpad Kit is assembled by me in my apartment using rapid prototype components. In order to build the final production version at a reasonable cost, funds must be raised to purchase a minimum order of hundreds of solar panels, batteries, cables, brackets, tubes, circuits, and plastic components. Other equipment costs include molds for the plastic parts and creating custom assembly fixtures. The Solarpad Kit is designed be as simple to manufacture as possible and it is always being refined for the most efficient assembly. Our suppliers have given us great quality prototype parts and they are ready to manufacture the components in larger quantities. Typical manufacturing lead-times for components are about 30 days and test batches are always ordered before going in to large-scale production. Tools, fixtures, test equipment, and work benches for assembling products need to be purchased too. On top of that, there are a lot of house-keeping duties like business licenses, permits, and bookkeeping that any new start-up has to take care of. Realistically, it should take about 6 months to set-up shop, order parts, manufacture parts, inspect components, assemble each batch, final test each unit, package, and then ship them.
FCC Compliance: NOT required because circuit frequencies are below 1.7MHz
Safety
- Do Not connect Solarpad directly to a Smart Phone. Solarpad outputs up to 6 Volts of raw unregulated solar power that may not be compatible with Smart Phones. Onlyconnect Solarpad to Power Core.
- Do Not leave Power Core or your phone in direct sunlight. Keep them covered or in the shade. The USB cables allow Power Core to be connected to Solarpad while being hidden away from direct sunlight. Some competitor solar products have a built-in battery that is permanently attached to the solar panel itself, but heat from the solar panel can cause the charge circuit and battery to get very hot, stop charging, degrade the battery, and shorten its lifespan.
- Modifying: Never attempt to repair or modify the Solarpad Kit yourself. The Solarpad Kit does not contain any user-serviceable parts. Disassembling the Solarpad Kit may cause damage.
- Acceptable Temperatures: The Solarpad Kit is designed to be operated in temperatures between 0º and 45º C (32º and 149º F).
- For best results, fully charge Power Core before traveling.
- Keep USB Connectors Dry: If the USB connectors get wet, dry them off. They are water-resistant, but the metal USB connectors may rust with long exposure to moisture. Shake and blow out moisture inside the connector.
- Storage: Store the Solarpad Kit in room temperature. Power Core should be recharged about once a year to prevent over discharge.
Don't Let Your Next Outdoor Adventure Look Like This !
Wall sockets are usually taken! Use the Solarpad Kit instead!
Without the Solarpad Kit, people had to search for available wall sockets before going to bed!
Troubleshooting
I left the Solarpad Kit outside and it didn't charge my
phone:1) Trees, mountains, and buildings may block the sun
as it moves through the sky, which dramatically reduces power
output. Placement and angle of the Solarpad is very important for
phone charging. Luckily, smart phone Apps like these can help
predict the sun's path using augmented reality through your phone's
camera so you can see where the least obstructed position and angle
will be throughout the day:www.sunsurveyor.comwww.ozpda.com/sunseeker_iphone.php
www.solmetric.com/solmetric-isv-iphone-app.html
2) While a few clouds or thin hazy clouds will still work for
solar charging, thick dense clouds won't. If it's a very cloudy day,
Power Core may still charge, but wait until there is a break in the
clouds to start solar charging your phone.3) Hiking through a dense
forest or mountainous area with the Solarpad Kit on your backpack
may not be suitable for phone charging because there may be too many
shadows reducing solar power significantly. Power Core may still
charge, but wait until there is a clearing in the woods or a flat
area to start solar charging your phone.4) Charging very early in
the morning or very late in the afternoon may still charge Power
Core, but they are the weakest times for solar charging your phone
because the sun is very low in the sky and Earth's atmosphere
absorbs a lot more light. The sun is strongest in the summer from
8am to 4pm and in the winter from 10am to 2pm. Try charging your
phone around these times.
5) If Solarpad surface is very
dirty, it can significantly reduce the power output to your phone.
Power Core may still charge, but try cleaning the Solarpad surface
before solar charging your phone.6) Make sure Power Core has about
15 minutes of solar charge before plugging your phone in to the
Power Core. This will ensure that the battery has enough energy to
compensate for brief power fluctuations and keep your phone charging.
Power Core LED doesn't light up when solar
charging: 1) This can occur if Power Core is completely
drained and goes in to a trickle charge mode. Solar charge Power
Core for about 15 minutes and the LED charge light should turn back
on.2) Sometimes on extremely hot days, the surrounding hot ground
and air will cause the Power Core circuit to shut off and stop
charging even if it's in the shade. Put the Solarpad Kit somewhere
away from the sun, like indoors or in a tent, to cool down and when
you feel it is cool, take the Solarpad Kit outside to charge again
with Power Core in the shade and elevated above the hot ground, like
on a piece of wood. If there is not much shade, putting a small
towel, cloth bag, or box around Power Core may also help it keep cool.
My phone still isn't charging:1) Thinner USB charge
cables have a history of not lasting very long. Charge cable damage
can be visible, but sometimes it is not. Try replacing your phone's
charge cable.2) After a few years of use, the battery inside the
phone tends to wear out and perform poorly. If your phone's battery
has trouble holding a charge or runs out of power faster than usual,
try replacing your phone's battery.
Power Core LED doesn't light up when charging from my USB
wall adapter:1) This can occur if Power Core is
completely drained and goes in to a trickle charge mode. Keep Power
Core plugged in for about 15 minutes and the LED charge light should
turn back on.2) USB wall adapters have a history of not lasting very
long. Try another USB port or replace the wall adapter.
Power Core LED doesn't light up when charging from my
laptop:1) This can occur if Power Core is completely
drained and goes in to a trickle charge mode. Keep Power Core
plugged in for about 15 minutes and the LED charge light should turn
back on.2) Some older laptops have a low current limitation in their
USB ports and will disable the USB port if the current exceeds the
limit. Try plugging Power Core in to another USB port.
Testing the Solarpad Kit prototype on Ragbrai 2013
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Help support this campaign by making a $25.00 contribution and get a $25.00 sponsored Gift Card from places like BEST BUY, THE GAP, STARBUCKS, THE KEG, TOYS R US, SEARS and more! This Perk is sponsored by the Crowd Funder TV Show! We will contact you within 7-days so you can select your perk.
- 0 claimed
Help support this campaign by making a $50.00 contribution and get a $50.00 sponsored Gift Card from places like BEST BUY, THE GAP, THE KEG, TOYS R US, SEARS, BOSTON PIZZA and more! This Perk is sponsored by the Crowd Funder TV Show! We will contact you within 7-days so you can select your perk.
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