SOLAR/LINE POWERED BATTERY CHARGERFOR

COLEMAN SOLAR PANEL BATTERY CHARGER300mA MAXIMUM OUTPUT

I use nickle-metal-hydroxide rechargeable batteries for many things. The cordless mouse is one of them.Batteries are always ready for use with this constant current charger.

It’s a fun project as it can automatically switch the power source from an unregulated wall-wart to the solarpanel.

How it works: The solar panel is connected to a load resistor. A voltage comparator circuit senses the loadvoltage at about 200mA. When it exceeds the selected voltage level, it switches the charging source fromline to solar. In case of clouds, there is a delay of about 45 seconds before releasing the solar source.

An added feature, which is not necessary, is the Ding Dong chime circuit. This later addition makes theproject even more fun. It is a subtle indication of cloud activity. It audibly indicates the switching action of thecharger.

The battery 1-5 charge rates are selected with switches for fast or slow. Battery 6 has a potentiometer toadjust the rate of charge. This is handy for testing or for heavier duty batteries. Keep in mind that the outputof all charge circuits together must not exceed 300 mA at full sun! A manual switch can disengage the autosensing of the solar panel and keep the wall-wart as the charge source, which may exceed 300 mA-depending on the current rating of the wart.

The LED, located in the sun graphic, is slow-changing red, green, and blue. In auto sense, it only lightswhen there is enough solar voltage. Otherwise, it is on when the charger is on. Another fun indication!

©2013LENNIE ZINK

STRAWS ARE HANDY THINGS!

©2013LENNIE ZINK

It’s been said, “Nothing is as permanent as a temporary thing.” That’s the case with the ugly shelf I built formy computer desk hutch. The Solar Charger is a good companion for my Atmospheric Disturbance Monitor(weather station). The screw driver is handy to adjust the Solar Radiation Monitor. I thoughtlessly moved thepotentiometer when taking photos. It’s easy to adjust, though. See these projects:http://www.geopodium.com/files/Lennie/Lennies%20Corrected%20Lightning%20Detector-2.pdfandhttp://www.geopodium.com/files/Lennie/Solar%20Radiation%20Meter.pdf

©2013LENNIE ZINK

DON’T LET THE NEXT PAGE SCARE YOU. EACH CIRCUIT NEEDS ASCHEMATIC DRAWING AND THERE ARE LOTS OF CIRCUITS!

©2013LENNIE ZINK

1 Ajd

2 Out

3 In

IC1

LM317

GND

R1120R

1 WATT

R33R

1 WATT

SOLAR POWERED BATTERY CHARGER1: 10mA/80mA

CURRENT

VOLTS

A G

R215R

1 WATT

FAST

NORM

14VSOLAR

VOLTAGEDETECTOR

VOLTS

SD11N5818

LM317

ADJ

I O

IC1

SW1

<=18V

SOLAR POWERED BATTERY CHARGER2: 10mA/80mA

GND

R4120R

1 WATT

R63R

1 WATT

CURRENT

VOLTS

B H

R515R

1 WATT

FAST

NORM

14VSOLAR

VOLTAGEDETECTOR

VOLTS

SD21N5818

LM317

ADJ

I O

IC2

SW2

<=18V

SOLAR POWERED BATTERY CHARGER: 0 0mA5 3 /29

GND

R1343R

1 WATT

R153R

1 WATT

CURRENT

VOLTS

E K

R144.3R

1 WATT

FAST

NORM

14VSOLAR

VOLTAGEDETECTOR

VOLTS

SD51N5818

LM317

ADJ

I O

IC5

SW5

<=18V

SOLAR POWERED BATTERY CHARGER3: 5mA10/12

GND

R762R

1 WATT

R93R

1 WATT

CURRENT

VOLTS

C I

R810R

1 WATT

FAST

NORM

14VSOLAR

VOLTAGEDETECTOR

VOLTS

SD31N5818

LM317

ADJ

I O

IC3

SW3

<=18V

300 mA MAX14-24V SOLAR PANEL

CONSTANT CURRENTCHART I=1.25/R

OHM mA

39 3243 2947 2651 2456 2262 2068 1875 1682 1591 14

100 12110 11120 10130 9150 8160 8180 7200 6240 5300 4390 3620 2

1200 1

OHM mA

3.9 3204.3 2904.7 2665.1 2455.6 2236.2 2016.8 1837.5 1668.2 1529.1 137

10 12511 11312 10413 9614 8915 8316 7818 6920 6222 5624 5227 4630 4136 34

#5, #6 #5, #6

#3, #4

#1, #2, #3

#1, #2, #4

SOLAR POWERED BATTERY CHARGER: 0mA4 30/29

GND

R1043R

1 WATT

R123R

1 WATT

CURRENT

VOLTS

D J

R114.3R

1 WATT

FAST

NORM

14VSOLAR

VOLTAGEDETECTOR

VOLTS

SD61N5818

LM317

ADJ

I O

IC6

SW6

<=18V

SOLAR POWERED BATTERY CHARGER: mA6 12-290 ADJUSTABLE

GND

R173R

1 WATT

CURRENT

VOLTS

F LP1

100R2 WATT

14VSOLAR

VOLTAGEDETECTOR

<=18V

VOLTS

SD41N5818

LM317

ADJ

I O

IC4

R164.3R

1 WATT

hr = mAh / mAc=battery capacityTrickle charge=c/10012V should not exceed 14.7V

TRIM250K

M3V0-30

M20-300mA

B

C

M

N

DE

F

TRIM110K

G

H

IJ

K

L

A BATT 1

BATT 2

BATT 3

BATT 4BATT 5

BATT 6

BATT 1

C11000mF

16VMETER

PROTECTIONFROM

SWITCHACTION

V

BATT 2

BATT 3BATT 4

BATT 5

BATT 6

C21000mF

16VMETER

PROTECTIONFROM

SWITCHACTIONIC6

UA741

2

36

TRIM150K

ADJ FOR11-13.5 VTURN ON

SOLAR

R21390R

GND

9V LINE

7

4

14V SOLARVOLTAGE SENSOR V7R19

4K7

R1810K

CHARGEOUTPUT

Q12N4403

SOLARPANEL

14-24VDC IN

UNREGULATED

D11N914

SUNLED

LM7809

G

OIIC7

Q2TIP31

R202K2

5VRELAYDPDT

*2.6W

RL200mA @ 13.5V

68R 5W

(RESISTANCE LOAD)

C11000m 6V5 SECOND

DELAY OFF

f 14

REMOVECAPACITOR

FORADJUSTMENT

J1

R2251R

9VOUT

SW7 SOLAR AUTOSENSE

ML1-ML3STRAW

HATCOOLWHITE

LED3.2V

METER BOARD

TRIM1100K

M10-30

SCALE

*C31000mF

*RL BELLSW

ROTOTARYSWITCH

DP6T

*C3: A capacitor was added toe

switching stress.ach meter to eliminate

©2013LENNIE ZINK

SOLAR CHARGERPARTS LAYOUT

SOLAR CHARGERBOTTOM VIEW

H

B

D

J

C

I

14-2

4V

SO

LA

R V

OLTA

GE

DE

TE

CT

OR

V7

©2013 L

EN

NIE

ZIN

K

24 VOLT 6 OUTPUT

9V

F

L

E

K

A

G

14-24V

CHIME

SW

9V SW

RESISTOR SWITCHED ON/OFF FROM GROUNDLOAD AND CHIME ARE

H

B

D

J

C

I

14-24V SOLAR VOLTAGE DETECTOR V7

©2013 LENNIE ZINK

24 VOLT 6 OUTPUT

9V

F

L

E

K

A

G

14-24V

CHIME

SW

9V SW

J1

C11000mF16V45-55 SECONDOFF DELAY

IC1LM317

IC5

UA741

81

54

B CE

COM

COIL

N ON

N OFF

RELAY

R1810K

TRIM150K

THRESHOLD

R194K7

R21390R

D11N914

Q12N4403

14-24VLINE IN

SW1SOLAR

METERLAMP

LEDS 3.2V

R515R1W

BATT2mA

IC2LM317

VOLTS

R63R1W

SD21N5818

IC3LM317

ADJ

OI

ADJ

OI

R7120R1W

BATT3mA

R810R1W

SD31N5818

ADJ

OI

IC4LM317

R1043R1W

BATT4mA

VOLTS

R114R31W

SD41N5818

ADJ

OI

I GND O

IC6LM7809

J2

BC

E

R202K2

Q2TIP31

RL

68R 5W

200mA @13.5V

R2251R

IC5LM317

R343R1W

VOLTS

R144R31W

SD51N5818

ADJ

OI

IC6LM317

VOLTS

R164R31W

SD61N5818

ADJ

OI

BATT6

BATT5

R4120R1W

R1120R1W

R33R1W

GND

SD11N5818R2

15R1W

VOLTS

SW1F/S

BATT1mA

R123R1W

R173R1W

R153R1W

R93R1W

P1100R2W

BATT1 GREENBATT2 YELLOWBATT3 BROWNBATT4 GRAYBATT5 ORANGEBATT6 PURPLE

LINE POWER REDSOLAR POWER WHITEGND BLACK

BATT4mA

BATT5mA

BATT6mA

VOLTS

SW2F/S

SW4F/S

SW3F/S

SW5F/S

P1100R1W

CHIMEON/OFF

WIRECOLORCODE:

Source Material:

NiMH Battery Charging Basicshttp://www.powerstream.com/NiMH.htm

Voltage Comparator:http://www.zen22142.zen.co.uk/Circuits/Switching/comparator.htm

©2013LENNIE ZINK

3-9

V

SW

©2013

LENNIE ZINK

V2

DIN

G D

ON

G B

EL

L

3-9V

SW

©2013

LENNIE ZINK

V2

DING DONG BELL

DING DONG BELLPARTS LAYOUT

DING DONG BELLBOTTOM VIEW

Onboardspeaker

IC1

40106

8

7

14

1

D41N4148

R1033K

R427K

R1147K

R110K

D21N4148

D11N4148

R547K

C40•1

Q12N4401

Q52N4401

Q22N4401

R310K

C12•2mF

R21M2

C310mF

D31N4148

R1310K

R910K

C810mF

D51N4148 R12

220K

R6220K

R710K

C50•1

C60•1

Q32N4401

Q42N4403

R82M2

C247mF

C70•1

BE

C

BE

CB

EC

BE

C

BE

C9V

1 2 SPK18 ohm

3 4 5 6

9 8

11 10

13 12

C70.01mF

IC1F

14

7

C810mF

D51N4148

D11N4148

D21N4148

D31N4148

C12.2mF

C247mF

C310mF C6

0.1mF

C50.1mF

C40.01mF

R110K

R21M2

R82M2

R710KR4

27K

R910K

R1033K

R1310K

R1147K

R12220K

R547K

R310K

R6220K

D41N4148

IC1E

IC1D

IC1A IC1B

IC1CMC14106

OR40106

Q12N4401

Q22N4401

Q32N4401

Q42N4403

Q52N4401

DING DONG BELL V2

DONGFREQUENCY

DINGFREQUENCY

*SW1

Bells Ring Generatorhttp://www.circuit-finder.com/categories/sound-and-oscillator/sound-generator/854/bells-ring-generator-circuit-schematic

A very interesting project! I thought this circuit could be used as a door bell. Turns out that the delaysometimes misses the switch action. I didn’t feel like trying to alter that. If you improve this circuit, let usknow!

*SW1 is actually the relaycontact on the solar sensor board.Power is always on for this circuit.

©2013LENNIE ZINK

UPDATEDLABELS

©2013LENNIE ZINK

Since the meters displaythe voltage and chargerates, the rotary switch

label was simplified.

Schottky Diode Protected!Doesn’t that sound impressive?

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15

4

321

010

9 87

6

6

RA

TE

OU

T

IN

SO

LA

R

AU

TO

SE

NS

E

SL

OW

32

1

FA

ST

5

SO

LA

R/L

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PO

WE

RE

D

BA

TT

ER

YC

HA

RG

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SC

HO

TT

KY

DIO

DE

PR

OT

EC

TE

D4

BA

TT

3B

AT

T 2

BA

TT

1B

AT

T 5

BA

TT

4B

AT

T 6

PO

WE

R

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SO

LA

R

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SO

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34

56

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