OT: Cheap Solar Cells

Worth checking out, the cells there tend to be a bit bigger and cost slightly more, unless you take your chances with the grab bag.

Try a few Dollar stores. Sometimes they have cheap outdoor lamps from which those can be harvested. Of course, then you'd also end up with some other stuff that you either have to use, give a way, or recycle.

Last time my wife was there they also had tasty chocolate.

Not quite that but All Electronics and BG Micro each have 6 cm square panels that look very similar. Ratings are different but under what conditions were the ratings made? Each under $4 each qty one.

Radio Shack has an assortment if you need one tonight ;-) Bit more expensive but instant gratification.

Surplus and hobby sellers are another option:

Keep in mind that the standard cheapo cell has very little voltage so you'll have to run a JFET oscillator and wind a li'l ferrite thingie to get it to a useful number of volts.

Ah! I've always wondered what those reference designators on the schematic signified: LFT27, LFT13, etc.

:>

But keep them away from the BFH*.

--Winston

With many ferrites, even the "little dinky" one is just as destructive! :<

Local dollar store has lawn lights for a buck. Contains a solar cell, rechargeable AA cell, battery charger, upconverter for the led light.

google

QX5252 jd1803

They also have a solar powered daisy that charges up a cap and dumps it into a coil that drives a magnet that's attached to the daisy-swing. I've been thinking about trying to make an up-converter out of that. The chip is a blob of epoxy, so not much chance of finding data on it.

Yup. Pretty useful stuff in there sometimes:

But you have to know someone who can read Chinese :-)

Thanks for everyone's help. I'm amazed that it looks like the cheapest way to get these sorts of panels is to buy solar powered garbage electronics and throw out the rest.

I just bought a 2 euro device. It includes a solar cell, a white LED, conversion electronics (looks like a transistor with 4 pins) and a 600 mAh AA cell with holder. (Plus all the stainless steel and plastic to keep it together.) The cell serves double duty, as a sensor whether the LED has to shine.

The cell is sturdy (cast in plastic) but the sensitive surface is only 10 % of the plastic, unfortunately. Amazing.

--

That happens a lot. When I thought the battery in my cell phone was dying (turned out just to be a contact issue) I looked around. The cheapest method was ... to buy the same model cell phone, the whole thing.

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What is your thought about photovoltaic energy?

Local dollar store has a solar yard lamp that has a single AAA rechargeable cell and a QX5252 boost converter for powering the led. I bought some with the intention to use them to charge a higher voltage battery to power a PIC. Already packaged and waterproof. Mine has real packaged QX5252. There's some risk that any random lot might have a chip covered in black goop. Hasn't hit the top of the priority list yet...

A bad idea if you have ANY cost-effective means of power available.