Battery packs vs battery cases - which one is the better choice?
A common confusion for smartphone users is to get a battery pack or use a battery case.- both have their pros and cons.- depending on your requirements you should choose between the two. With a battery pack, the benefit is that your phone does not get bulky and you can get a high capacity power bank that can charge your phone multiple times.
The issue is that you will have to carry along a heavy battery pack and a charging cable with you all the time.With a phone case, you don’t have to carry a separate wire and your phone can easily work between 2 to 3 days depending on the capacity of the battery case.
It also adds an extra layer of protection for your phone since the case is large and thick. The issue with the case is that it makes your phone bulky to carry around and it is much expensive compared to a power bank.
things you must know about your smartphone, laptop’s battery
Charging up your gadgets may look simple but there’s actually a lot going on behind the scenes. We have the answers to some frequently asked questions:
What’s the tiny print on my phone laptop/tablet charger?
Almost every cellphone or laptop charger will have some tiny print on it.- you’ll see specifications for input and output power (apart from manufacturer details and a bunch of regulatory info). The input will typically be AC (alternating current) 100 to 240 volts.- this signifies that it is a universal voltage charger and will work anywhere in the world.
Next to output, you’ll typically see 5V (5 volts) and Amps (the rate of flow of electric charge). Voltage can vary depending on the type of charging technology.
For instance, Qualcomm’s QuickCharge technology works by increasing the voltage to 9 or even 12 volts. Amperage for these chargers can be anywhere between 500mA (milli Amps) to 4 Amps. Multiplying the voltage with amperage will give you the watts.the working capacity of that particular charger.
Therefore, if you have a 5V 2A charger (10 watt), it will charge your phone faster than a 5V.1A (5 watt) charger. Not all phones are built to accept a faster charger though.- so it’s best to use the charger and cable that came supplied with your device.
Does 10,000mAh actually mean 10,000mAh for powerbanks?
The rating of a power bank.- measured in milli amp hours (mAh).- denotes how much of a charge that the battery inside the power bank is supposed to hold.
Obviously, a 20,000mAh power bank will hold more of a charge than a 10,000mAh power bank. But it may not necessarily be double, depending on the circuitry inside and quality age of the battery. Lithium-ion batteries degrade over time.- their capacity to hold a charge diminishes gradually.
Also, if you have a phone with a 2,000mAh battery, you will not be able to use a full charged 10,000mAh battery to charge your phone five times. This is because some of the capacity of the power bank is lost in conversion.
The battery of the power bank itself may have a voltage of 3V but it uses circuitry to bump up the output to 5V.- there is a loss in conversion.
What are the different kinds of fast charging?
As smartphone capabilities evolved, we’ve found that battery life has become all the more important. At the same time, many people want a thinner and lighter phone.- which means you can’t have a very large battery. The solution to all of this was a way to charge the battery faster and it was Qualcomm who came up with the technology.
Different companies may adopt (or license) the same technology and call it something different.- turbo, Rapid and fast are common monikers. This requires a few key things: A high-quality battery, special circuitry to regulate the charge and a charger that can alter the voltage of the charge in the same charge cycle.
Many latest flagship phones support QuickCharge 3.0.- though everything is backwards compatible with v2.0 and v1.0. Contrary to popular belief, it won’t harm your phone’s battery if you only plug it in for a short while.- in fact, the batteries are happier this way.- never to be fully discharged and never fully charged.
With QC3.0 it’s possible to go from 0% to 50-60% within a span of 30 minutes.
What are always-on laptop ports?
You may have used a laptop’s USB port to charge a phone.- they usually offer a 500mAh current which is slow by most standards. However, the ports typically receive power only when the laptop is booted up.
Some laptops offer always-on ports and there will typically be a tiny symbol (maybe a lightning symbol) next to the port that is ‘always on’. Some always on ports will also provide a faster current (1 or 1.5A) and these will work regardless of whether the laptop is on or not. Obviously. these draw power from the laptop’s battery itself.
You may also find some software on the laptop that allows you to tweak the ports.switch them on/off or control how much of the laptop‘s battery they are allowed to use.
Does a larger battery always means longer battery life?
Not really.- it depends on how much power the device draws. You may be shocked to learn that in the age of feature phones, there were devices that had 750 or 900mAh batteries and yet managed to offer a battery life of three to four days.
Even with smartphones, the kind of screen, processor and related components can vary the amount of power draw.
Therefore, you may still find a phone with a 2,000mAh battery that outlasts a phone with a 3,000mAh battery.-given the same sort of usage.
How viable are solar mobile chargers?
Ecologically speaking, solar chargers are a good idea. You can get solar chargers that charge a phone directly or a powerbank with built-in solar cells. You can even get backpacks with solar panels built into them. However, the rate of charge is often painfully slow. To give you an idea, a good quality solar charger, when exposed to bright sunlight will probably give your phone a 10 to 15% charge per hour.
This means you will not get a full charge, even with a full day’s worth of sunlight. These devices do make a lot of sense for people who are outdoors a lot.- camping/trekking trips and solar chargers are a natural fit.
Dyson V10 not charging fix, troubleshooting tips, and tricks.
The Dyson V10 cordless vacuum cleaner is an amazing piece of engineering. We love our new cordless vac but we have come across a few issues over the past year. Especially the dreaded Dyson V10 not charging and flashing blue light.
Fear not I have the answer as well as how to diagnose and fix a whole heap of issues that you may come across.
These are expensive machines that should last many years. So check out the links below for the problem you have and we should be able to get it running for you good as new.
Dyson v10 not charging and no lights troubleshooting.
The Dyson V10 when charging correctly has 3 LED lights on each side of the battery. These will flash depending on the level of charge required. When the battery is fully charged the 3 blue lights will go off.
Sometimes you may think that the Dyson V10 is fully charged as it has no lights showing but it really is flat. Please check the following Dyson V10 troubleshooting tips:
- Power is turned on at the wall switch
- The circuit breaker has not tripped
- The center pin for the Dyson V10 charge connector is not bent or broken
- Voltage output of the charger cable is at least 30.45V DC.
- The trigger for the vacuum cleaner is not depressed
- All hatches, filters, and covers are in place and locked before charging.
If all of the above items are ok then there is a possibility that your Dyson V10 battery has failed and will need to be replaced. Don’t worry this is an easy procedure to change out the battery for a new one.
These batteries have a life span of many years if used every day. This is a design of the internal Lithium-ion battery as they can handle up to around 600 charge cycles before they begin to lose capacity slowly. In fact, James Dyson, who founded the company back in 1987, said that battery life won’t be an issue for the Cyclone V10. “Fifteen years of daily use might get you down to 80% battery,” (let’s see if that is true)
As the Dyson V10 has been around for a few years now if you are noticing that your V10 is not lasting the full 50-60 minutes you will require a new battery.
Dyson v10 3 solid blue lights no power fix.
If your Dyson V10 has solid blue lights but not power then you will often have a jam in either the rotating powerhead or a faulty battery.
The rotating powerheads are designed to stop if it detects a high current draw due to a blockage or tangle. This saves the motor and associated gears from breaking due to a high torque load.
Not only will the powerhead stop, but often the main motor for the vacuum cleaner will stop as well.
If you have no blockage tangles or foreign objects in the powerhead then you could have a faulty battery. The solution, replace the V10 battery.
How do I reset my Dyson V10?
Dyson V10 cordless vacuum cleaners don’t have a reset button. But there are a few tricks you can do to clear any internal electrical faults you may have.
Most faults are caused by either a blockage in the rotating brush head or one of the covers is not attached properly. Make sure all of the covers are clicked into position and there are no blockages.
Remove the center brush bar by using a coin to turn the holding screw anticlockwise. You can then pull out the brush-bar. Remove and string, hair, rope, and dust that may be jamming the brush bar. Once it is clean and free you can replace it back and tighten the lock nut.
Try removing the Dyson V10 from the charger and turning off the charger from the wall for around 1 minute. Then turn it on again and place the V10 into the charger while pressing the trigger button for 30 seconds. Nothing will happen but it should reset any faults that are preventing your Dyson from charging and running.
You can also try removing the Dyson V10 battery and pressing the trigger for 30 seconds. Place the battery back into the cordless vacuum and recharge it for a few hours.
Dyson v10 filter replacement
Dyson makes it really easy to replace the filter on the V10. Just turn the rear blue cap anti-clockwise 1/5 turn until it screws off and remove the mesh filter. Replacement mesh filters are cheap and you can buy a pack of three filters for the V10 here.
I like to replace this Hepa filter every year but if you have access to some high-pressure air you can blow out the excess dust. Make sure to use eye protection with high-pressure air.
Some people rinse them out under clean running water but you have to make sure they are completely dry before use. If the filter is not dry you will clog up the filter and your Dyson v10 will be pulsing after cleaning the filter.
The problem is that if the filter is not secured properly then the limit switch on the Dyson v10 won’t activate and it won’t startup.
Dyson v10 not working after cleaning filter repair.
If your Dyson V10 is not working after cleaning or replacing the filter then it could be a limit switch error. The problem 99 times out of 100 is because the rear HEPA filter is not screwed on correctly.
Remove the filter and clean out any dust and dirt that may be trapped between the threads of the blue filter. Replace the filter and screw it on. There should be no gap between the grey body of the cordless vacuum and the blue filter.
If your Dyson V10 is pulsing after replacing the filter then check for blockages, tangles in the brush head, or a wet filter. These problems can cause the vacuum cleaner to pulse during operation because of extra power draw.
- 25.2 Volts DC
- 2600 mAh Lithium-ion
- 66 Wh
- 7 internal battery cells.
- Runtime 50-60minutes.
- 206340 model number
Suits Dyson V10 Absolute, v10 Animal, and v10 Motorhead.
As the battery is a sealed unit there are no user-replaceable parts inside the battery. If it fails you will have to replace the battery. This is an easy process.
There are only 3 screws that are holding in the Dyson V10 battery. Two are on the bottom and one is on the side near the hand trigger.
Remove these three Philips head screws and the battery will slide right out.
Can you use Dyson V8 attachments on V10?
Yes, I can use my older Dyson V8 attachments on my V10. They both have the same connection piece and fit well together. I’m glad that Dyson has not changed the design for now.
You can check out our post on V6, V7 to V10 Attachments Interchangeable where we test some different fittings on a few different Dyson models.
Can I leave my Dyson V10 on charge all the time?
Yes, you can leave the Dyson V10 on charge all the time. The internal battery management system (BMS) is designed to cut off the charge voltage once it reaches a pre-set charge capacity. This protects the lithium-ion batteries from overcharging and overheating.
Once the BMS detects a drop in voltage or you remove and replace the Dyson handstick it will start charging again.
Each battery has its own charge and over-discharge protection circuit to make sure the internal lithium-ion batteries are kept within a specific voltage range. This is around 2.5V to 4.2 volts per cell.
Conclusion
If your Dyson v10 is not charging then hopefully the above troubleshooting tips will get it working again. Lithium-ion batteries are great until they run low on battery voltage then there is a possibility of them never charging up again. If you keep the vacuum charged up you will have no issues with the batteries failing.
Never leave your cordless vacuum discharged for a long period of time. Your batteries will continue to discharge every day until they are fully depleted and unable to be revived or charged up.
The world is moving forward in battery technology and it is good to see household appliances keeping up with innovation. The Dyson V10 is a beautiful piece of engineering and I hear the V11 is better.
I am a qualified Industrial Electrician for the past 20 years and I love to share my knowledge on home repair and maintenance jobs.
I love fast toys like Motorcycles, Cars, Jetskis, Boats, and Computers so writing about them is easy. Working on them is fun. To keeps costs down I do all my own mods, repairs, and servicing. These skills I want to share with everyone. DIY is a skill everyone can learn.
โมดูลชาร์ตแบต Lipo, li-ion ด้วย Solar cell [6v] และ micro USB CN3065 Mini Solar Lipo Lithium Battery USB Charger Board Module DC4.4-6V 500mA
This is a super mini Solar Lipo charger based on the CN3065. a single lithium battery charge management chip.
This Solar charger provide you with the ability to get the most possible power out of your solar panel or other photovoltaic device and into a rechargable LiPo battery. Set-up is easy as well, just plug your solar panel into one side of the Solar charger and your battery into the other and you are good to start charging!
The output of the Solar Charger is intended to charge a single polymer lithium ion cell. The load should be connected in parallel with the battery. By default, the Solar charge comes set to a maximum charge current of 500mA with a maximum recommended input of 6V (minimum 4.4V). It’s recommended that batteries not be charged at greater than their capacity rating.
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หากมีความต้องการ source code สำหรับศึกษาวิธีการใช้งานเบื้องต้นของสินค้า ลูกค้าสามารถส่งข้อความผ่านทางช่องทาง ติดต่อเรา ได้เลยนะครับ
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คุณสามารถชำระเงินด้วยบัตรเครดิต (Credit card) หรือ บัตรเดบิต (Debit Card) ได้ทุกธนาคารและสถาบันการเงิน ที่มีสัญลักษณ์ VISA, MASTERCARD, JCBหมายเหตุ: สำหรับการชำระด้วยบัตรเดบิต (Debit Card) จำเป็นต้องสมัครใช้บริการจากธนาคารก่อนชำระเงิน ดูวิธีสมัคร ธ.กสิกร | ธ.กรุงเทพ | ธ.กรุงไทย
อีกก้าวของความสะดวกสบาย ให้คุณชำระเงินผ่าน แอพพลิเคชั่นธนาคารบนมือถืออย่าง K PLUS ของธนาคารกสิกรไทย เพียงกรอกเบอร์มือถือ ระบบจะส่งการแจ้งเตือนผ่านแอพ และกดชำระเงินได้ทันที
บริการที่จะให้คุณชำระเงินค่าสินค้าได้อย่างง่ายดาย เพียงเข้าสู่ระบบบริการ i-Banking, e-Banking ของธนาคาร โดยคุณไม่จำเป็นต้องใส่รหัสร้านค้าให้วุ่นวาย เพียงเข้าสู่ระบบจากนั้นเลือกบัญชีที่ต้องการชำระ รับ SMS สำหรับ OTP และชำระเงินได้ทันที
ชำระเงินผ่านเคาน์เตอร์ ผ่านจุดรับชำระเงินทั่วประเทศ สามารถจ่ายเงินได้ที่ 7-Eleven ทุกสาขา (ผ่าน Counter Service), จุดชำระเงิน mPAY Station, ร้านเกมต่างๆ (ผ่าน ShopeePay)
คุณสามารถชำระเงินผ่านบัญชีออนไลน์ที่คุณใข้บริการ ทั้ง mPAY Wallet, LINE Pay และ ShopeePay โดยคุณสามารถเลือกตัดยอดเงินได้ทันที หรือจะชำระผ่านช่องทางต่างๆ ที่ผู้ให้บริการนั้นรองรับก็ได้เช่นกัน
นโยบายการเปลี่ยนหรือคืนสินค้า
สินค้าทุกชิ้นมีการรับประกัน 30 วันครับ โดยมีเงื่อนไขต่างๆดังนี้
ลูกค้าไม่ได้เป็นผู้ทำเสียหายเอง อาธิเช่น การต่อไฟเลี้ยงไม่ถูกต้อง (เซนเซอร์รับ 3.3v เราใส่ 5v อันนี้ไม่ได้เนอะ)2. สินค้าต้องอยู่ในสภาพสมบูรณ์ ไม่แตกหักหรือเสียหายจากไฟ (เช่นไฟฟ้าลัดวงจรจนไฟไหม้)3. ทางร้านไม่รับเปลี่ยนสินค้าจากความเข้าใจผิดของลูกค้าเอง เช่น ขนาดไม่ตรงกับงานที่ใช้, หรือซื้อไว้แต่ไม่ได้ใช้งาน เป็นต้น ลูกค้าสามารถสอบถามข้อมูลสินค้าหากมีความคลุมเครือก่อนสั่งซื้อได้ในไลน์ร้าน @modulemore ตลอดวันทำการ ยกเว้นเวลา 12.00-14.00 ที่อาจมีการตอบช้าในช่วงนี้
การส่งคืนสินค้าการส่งคืนสินค้าจำเป็น ต้องมีใบเสร็จหรือสำเนา เพื่อความรวดเร็วในการตรวจสอบครับ สามารถส่งคืนได้ผ่านที่อยู่ของร้าน คลิ๊ก โดยเขียนเป็นลายลักษณ์อักษรกำกับดังนี้1. รายละเอียดรายการเสียหาย2. ลูกค้าได้ทดสอบอะไรไปบ้าง
Open Green Energy
In this tutorial, I walk you through everything you need to know to make your own Solar Power Generator.
This is a perfect tool for any outdoor use such as camping, hiking, hunting, offroading, fishing, and survival situations. During the storm/grid power cut-off, you can use it at your home also.
I made the Solar Power Pack by considering the following factors :
Can deliver AC /DC power during emergencies
I used one of my refurbished Quad Copter carrying cases for making the enclosure. Here is what I came up with – the finished product.
The features of my Solar Power Pack are :
Charging: Solar as well as AC mains
Output Voltage (V): 2 x DC12V. 2 x USB 5V 1 A and a USB 5V. 2.1A
Battery: 12V/12AH Sealed Lead-acid
Solar Charge Controller: 3A, PWM
Inverter Output : 200W / 220V
Full Project is also available on Instructables
Parts Required for Solar Power Generator
Solar Charge Controller ( Banggood )
Which Type of Battery Is Best for Solar?
The choice of the right batteries possibly the biggest decision to be made if planning a solar power system of any size.
You have multiple options but choosing the right battery is very important.
Types of Battery for Solar Applications :
Out of the above 3 types of batteries lead-acid batteries are used in most renewable energy storage due to their low cost.
Lead Acid Battery :
The simplest way to store energy from a solar panel is by using your car battery. But this isn’t a good fit for Solar application. They are made to deliver short bursts of power and stay at full charge most of the time, making them unsuited for solar applications.
The best option for solar application is Valve-regulated lead-acid (VRLA) batteries include absorbed glass mat (AGM) and gel models. These batteries have increased performance and total energy output making them a good choice for Solar applications.
Li-Ion Battery:
Lithium-ion batteries can typically deliver more cycles in their lifetime than lead-acid. This makes them a good choice for portable solar power applications. The most important benefit lithium-ion provides for solar is its high charge and discharge efficiencies, which helps to harvest more energy. Lithium-ion batteries also lose less capacity when idle, which is useful in solar applications.
Li-ion batteries typically come in one of three formats: pouch, cylindrical, and prismatic (rectangular-cubic). The best candidate is the prismatic lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO4; LFP) battery.
Ni-Cd Battery :
I do not have much idea about the NiCd battery. I will update this part later.
Comparison :
i. Cost: Li-Ion is costlier than lead-acid (AGM ) battery.
ii. Weight: Li-Ion is lighter than the lead-acid (AGM ) battery of the same capacity. Li Iron Phosphate is about one-third the weight of a lead-acid battery.
iii. Space: Li-Ion battery takes about half the volume of the lead-acid battery of the same capacity.
iv. Life and performance: LiFePO4 battery has the longest cycle life and better high-temperature performance
I have described all the pros and cons regarding the battery. Now you can choose according to your priority.
For making Portable Solar Power Pack the best option is a Li-Ion battery. But keep in mind, you need a balance charger to charge it.
If you are tight on budget and happy to carry some extra weight then buy a good quality AGM battery.
It is cheaper and reliable.
Li-ion battery image source: Power Brick
Solar Panel Selection
In general Solar Panels are of 3 types i ) Mono Crystalline ii) Poly Crystalline iii) Thin-film
Comparison :
Efficiency: Monocrystalline is the most efficient and thin film is the least efficient panel.
Cost: Monocrystalline is the most expensive and thin film is the cheapest panel.
Area Occupied /Watt: Monocrystalline panel requires the lowest space than the other two.
High Temp Performance: Thin-film has the best performance under higher temperatures than mono and polycrystalline panel.
Polycrystalline has all the above performance in between the Mono Crystalline and Thin Film. So they are widely used.
For a portable Solar Power Pack, you have to consider two important factors 1. Space 2. Weight
From the above comparison, it’s clear that Monocrystalline is the best option for this application. Again these panels come with an aluminum frame or epoxy coated. By taking the weight into consideration, I will suggest using the epoxy-coated monocrystalline panel.
My enclosure top area was 42.5 33.5 cm. So a maximum of 10W panel can be fitted on it. I have used a monocrystalline panel which is only 294 grams, whereas the polycrystalline with an aluminum frame of the same rating is 929 grams. No doubt the price of the mono panel is 2.5 times that of the poly panel.
Specifications for the Solar Panel :
Open circuit voltage: 22.4 V
Short Circuit Current: 0.62A
Current at maximum power: 0.55A
Maximum system voltage 1000 V DC
Sizing: For more details go through my Instructables on ” DIY Off Grid Solar System ”
Solar Charge Controller
A solar charge controller is a device that is placed between a solar panel and a battery. It regulates the voltage and current coming from your solar panels. It is used to maintain the proper charging voltage on the batteries. As the input voltage from the solar panel rises, the charge controller regulates the charge to the batteries preventing any overcharging.
There are two types of Controller 1. PWM 2. MPPT
MPPT is costlier and heavier due to the bulky inductor coil inside of them. So I will suggest buying a PWM charge Controller for a small system. But if your system is bigger, then you can go for MPPT.
Presently I am using an SLA battery but in the future, I will replace it with a Li-Ion battery. So I choose a PWM charge controller, which can charge multiple chemistry batteries so that in the future I don’t have to change it.
Specifications of the Controller :
Compatibility with a variety of storage batteries such as VRLA battery, gelled electrolyte (GEL) Battery, 3.2V x 2 iron-phosphate-based lithium batteries 3.2V x 4 iron-phosphate-based lithium batteries, 3.7V x 1 iron-phosphate-based lithium battery.
Maximum solar panel Spec 18V / 40W
Maximum open circuit voltage 23V
Note: This charger is not tested with a Li-Ion Battery. I am not finding a good quality Solar charge controller for a multi-cell Li-ion battery pack.
If I get it, will update here.
Inverter
The solar panel (PV) that receives the sun’s rays and converts them into electricity called direct current (DC). DC is then converted into alternating current (AC) through a device called an Inverter.
Pure Sine Wave Inverter is costlier among the all but they are very good for the appliances.
I used a modified sine wave Inverter because it’s just for emergency use not for continuous run.
Inverter Specification :
Input Voltage: DC12V(11-14V) 25A
Max Output Voltage: 220V ±5%
Conversion Efficiency: ≥ 87%
USB Output Voltage: 5V 1A MAX
Make the Stencil
Grab your notepad and vernier caliper, note down the measurements.
Draw the same sized shapes on the paper or you may place the components and mark them around it. Cut out the stencils.
S Make Slots for Components
Place the stencils on the enclosure and fix it at the edges by using duct tape.
For small circular holes, use suitable size drill bits.
For a bigger hole ( circular and rectangular ), first, drill few holes and then use a jigsaw to make the exact cutout.
After making the slots, remove the stencils.
To fit the components perfectly, you may need little filing.
Install the Inverter
The ON/OFF switch is on the backside of the Inverter. To access it, I need to open the enclosure each time.
So I made an arrangement for an external switch.
First, unscrew the Inverter backplate and cut the wires connecting to the switch.
Then connect an external switch with longer wires. Close the backplate.
For mounting the Inverter, first, glue a thick foam board.
Glue the Inverter just above it. The output sockets should be outside.
Then installed the external ON/OFF switch.
Apply hot glue to fix them into the slots.
Note: The inverter cooling fan is inside the box, so keep the box open during Inverter in service. Otherwise, you have to make a separate arrangement for cooling.
Making the Terminals
For easy wiring of the components, I connect terminals wire first.
Solder 14AWG copper wire ( approximately one foot) to terminals of LED Light and 5mm jacks.
The dual USB socket comes with crimp terminals. Crimp the terminals with a suitable crimping tool.
Insulate the joint by applying proper heat shrink.
Install the Components
Few components come with nuts and washers, you have to just tight it properly.
For the installation of other components, use hot glue.
If the components do not fit properly to the slots, file near the edges.
Wiring Diagram
The Wiring diagram is pretty simple. It consists of Charge Controller, Battery, Inputs, outputs, junctions, switches, and fuse.
Charge Controller: This is a PWM-type charge controller. It has 3 terminals: Solar, Battery, and Load.
The wire from the Solar and battery is connected to the respective terminals, load terminal is left unused due to its small current rating.
Battery: 12V and 12AH sealed lead-acid battery.
Solar: This is a DC Female Power Jack with a Screw terminal. The output terminal ( Male Jack ) from the solar panel is connected it.
Charger: This port is for charging the battery from AC mains by using a Battery Charger.
Inverter: Convert 12V DC to 220V AC.Suitable for laptop, fans, LCD, and small household appliances.
LED: A 3W LED for lighting. You can use it as a powerful flashlight.
USB: 2 USB ( 2.1A and 1A ) ports for charging Smartphones, tablets, and running any USB device.
12V DC: 2 5mm jacks for 12V DC output. Suitable for music player or decoration light.
Just connect the terminal wire from the above to the respective ports in the Junction.
Volt Meter: The Voltmeter I used has 3 wires ( Yellow, Red, and Black ). The red and black wire is for power and yellow is the signal wire. As the power source and the voltage to be measured is the same battery.Short the red and yellow wire together.
LED1: This is a green LED for indicating solar charging. The 1K resistor connected with the series is to limit the current.
LED2: This is RED LED for indicating low battery condition.
Junction: As all the outputs are taken from the Battery, you need to join the terminal wires to it. So to make a neat connection, I used a screw terminal row for making the junctions.
Switches: Switch S1 is the main switch for all the loads.S2 is the voltmeter switch, S3 is the Inverter switch, S4 is the combined switch for USB and 12V output, and S5 is the LED flashlight switch.
F1: This a fuse holder.Use a suitable fuse according to your load.
Wiring
Connect a diode in series with the positive terminal of the solar panel. It is to block reverse current flow ( Battery to Panel ) during the night. Then join the red wire to the diode negative terminal and the black wire to the Solar panel negative terminal.
To make the junction with the same voltage ( common potential ), join small strips of wire alternatively. See the pics.
Then connect all the wires to the respective ports as per the wiring diagram.
Solder 1K resistor to the long leg of green LED, then solder the terminal wires. I used a LED holder for nice fitting into my enclosure.
After all the connections, insulate the conductive parts by using suitable heat shrink tubing.
Mount the Solar Panel
You can mount the solar panel in two ways, either by permanent fix or detachable. I prefer the second option. If the Solar panel is fixed permanently to the enclosure, then you have to put the entire system in sunlight to charge the battery. But inside the enclosure box, electronics items are there which are not friendly to the high temperature. To prevent rainwater and sunlight, the alternative option is making a long extension wire with a detachable Solar panel.
I used self-adhesive Velcro to mount the Solar Panel, the bonding is really nice. You can easily detach the panel also.
To insert the solar panel extension wire, make a small hole in the enclosure.
Mount the Battery
First, glue a thick foam board as shown in the image.
Apply hot glue to the battery surface and paste it to the enclosure surface.
Note: This is not a proper way to mount the heavy lead-acid battery. I made it just for a temporary arrangement. Later I will fix it by using an aluminum channel and long screw.
Arrange the Wires
After completion of wiring, the wire is really messy. Arranging wire properly is important because, if any fault occurs in the system, you can easily identify it.
I arranged the wires by making groups and stick to the base by using duct tape.
To mount the solar panel extension wire, I used self-adhesive Velcro to make a holder.See the above picture.
After dressing the wires, the final look is really neat and clean.
Testing
Before testing, thoroughly check the wiring. Anything wrong can damage the components.
If the wiring is perfect, connect the battery terminals and then turn on the main switch (S1).
Switch on the voltmeter. if the battery voltage is perfect ( greater than 12V ), turn on the LED switch, it should be lit up. Switched on the Inverter Switch, the led in it should be lit up and you will notice the fan sound.
Switched ON the USB switch, the backlit led should glow.
Now the system is ready for use. Connect your smartphone/tablets to USB and laptop charger or camera charger to the Inverter socket. It should work.
To charge the battery from the mains AC, plug in the charger into the charger socket.
Finishing
The final product come out is really nice. I really love it. The only problem is the heavy lead-acid battery, which is overweight for a quadcopter carrying case.
Hope you enjoyed reading about my project as much as I have enjoyed building it. If you’re thinking about making your own I would encourage you to do so, you will learn a lot.
If you have any suggestions for improvements, please comment below.
Introduction: Solar Powered Wi-Fi Weather Station V1.0
About: The Green Energy Harvester, loves to make things related to Arduino, Solar Energy, and Crafts from used stuff. About opengreenenergy »
In this Instructable, I am going to show you how to build a Solar powered Wi-Fi Weather Station with a Wemos board. The Wemos D1 Mini Pro has a small form-factor and a wide range of plug-and-play shields make it an ideal solution for quickly getting started with programming the ESP8266 SoC. It is an inexpensive way to build the Internet Of Things ( IoT ) and is Arduino compatible.
Update On 11.10.2022
You can also look at my new version- 3.0 Weather Station.
You can also look at my new version-2.0 Weather Station.
Support me On Patreon:
If you enjoy my work here on Instructables, consider joining my Patreon, it will be a great help for me to make more interesting projects in the future.
Patreon Link: https://www.patreon.com/opengreenenergy
The new Weather Station has the following features:
The Weather Station can measure: Temperature, Humidity, Barometric Pressure, Altitude
You can monitor the above weather parameters from your Smartphone or from the web ( ThingSpeak.com )
The whole circuit along with the power supply is put inside a 3D printed enclosure.
The range of the device is enhanced by using a 3dBi external antenna. It is around 100 meters.
Step 1: Parts and Tools Required
3D printing filament.PLA ( GearBest )
Tools Used :
Step 2: Power Supply
My plan is to deploy the Weather station at a remote place ( my farmhouse).To run the Weather Station continuously, there must be a continuous power supply otherwise the system will not work. The best way to provide continuous power to the circuit is by using a battery. But after some days the battery juice will run out, and it is a really difficult job to go there and charge it. So a solar charging circuit was proposed to user free energy from the sun to charge the batteries and to power the Wemos board. I have used a 14450 Li-Ion battery instead of a 18650 battery because of its smaller size. The size is the same as of an AA battery.
The battery is charged from a Solar panel through a TP4056 charging module. The TP4056 module comes with battery protection chip or without the protection chip. I will recommend buying a module which has a battery protection chip included.
About the TP4056 Battery Charger
The TP4056 module is perfect for charging single cell 3.7V 1 Ah or higher LiPo cells. Based around the TP4056 charger IC and DW01 battery protection IC this module will offer 1000 mA charge current then cut off when charging is finished. Furthermore, when the battery voltage drops below 2.4V the protection IC will cut off the load to protect the cell from under voltage. It also protects against overvoltage and reverse polarity connection.
Step 3: Measuring the Weather Data
In the earlier days, weather parameters like ambient temperature, humidity, and barometric pressure were measured with separate analog instruments: thermometer, hygrometer, and barometer. But today the market is flooded with cheap and efficient digital sensors that can be used to measure a variety of environmental parameters. The best examples are sensors like DHT11, DHT 22, BMP180, BMP280, etc.
In this project, we will use a BMP 280 sensor.
BMP280 is a sophisticated sensor that very accurately measures barometric pressure and temperature with reasonable accuracy. The BME280 is the next-generation of sensors from Bosch and is the upgrade to the BMP085/BMP180/BMP183. with a low altitude noise of 0.25m and the same fast conversion time.
The advantage of this sensor is that it can use either I2C or SPI for communication with the microcontroller. For simple easy wiring, I will suggest to buy I2C version board.
Step 4: Using an External Antenna ( 3dBi )
The Wemos D1 mini Pro board have an inbuilt ceramic antenna along with provision for connecting an external antenna to improve the range. Before using the external antenna, you have to reroute the antenna signal from the built-in ceramic antenna, to the external socket. This can be done by rotating the small surface mount (0603) Zero Ohm resistor (sometimes called a link).
You can watch this video made by Alex Eames to rotate the zero ohm resistor.
Then snap the antenna SMA connector into the Wemos Pro mini antenna slot.
Step 5: Solder the Headers
Wemos modules come with a variety of headers but you have to solder it according to your requirement.
Solder the two male headers to the Wemos D1 pro mini board.
Solder a 4 pin male header to the BMP 280 module.
After soldering the headers the module will look as shown in the above picture.
Step 6: Adding Headers and Terminals
Next step is soldering the headers to the perforated board.
First, place the Wemos board over the perforated board and mark the footprint. Then solder the two row of female headers over the marked position.
Then solder a 4 pin female headers as shown in the picture.
Solder screw terminals for battery connection.
Step 7: Mount the Charging Board :
Stick a small piece of double-sided tape on the back side of the charging module and then paste it on the perforated board as shown in the picture. During mounting care should be taken to align the board in such a way that the soldering holes will match with the perforated board holes.
Adding terminal for Solar Panel
Solder a screw terminal just near the micro USB port of the charging board.
You can solder this terminal in the earlier step also.
Step 8: Wiring Diagram
First I cut small pieces of different colors wires and strip out the insulation at both ends.
Then I solder the wires according to the Schematic diagram as shown in the above picture.
Wemos. BME 280
TP4056 Connection
Solar Panel terminal. and. near the micro USB port
Battery Terminal. B and B-
5V and GND of Wemos. Out and Out-
Note :The diode connected to the solar panel ( shown in the schematic ) is not required as the TP4056 module have in built diode at the input.
Step 9: Designing the Enclosure
This was the most time-consuming step for me. I have spent around 4 hours to design the enclosure. I used Autodesk Fusion 360 to design it. The enclosure has two parts: Main Body and Front Cover
The main body is basically designed to fit all the components. It can accommodate the following components
85.5 x 58.5 x 3 mm Solar Panel
Download the.stl files from Thingiverse
Step 10: 3D Printing
After completion of the design, it is time to 3D print the enclosure. In Fusion 360 you can click on the make and slice the model by using a slicer software. I have used Cura to slice the model.
I used an Anet A8 3D printer and 1.75 mm green PLA to print out all the body parts. It took me about 11 hours to print the main body and around 4 hours to print the front cover.
I will highly recommend using another printer for you that is Creality CR. 10. Now a mini version of the CR-10 is also available. The Creality printers are one of my favorite 3D Printer.
As I am new to 3D designing, my design was not optimistic. But I am sure, this enclosure can be made by using lesser material ( less print time ). I will try to improve the design later.
My settings are:
Extruder Temperature: 195 deg C
Step 11: Installing the Solar Panel and Battery
Solder a 22 AWG red wire to the positive terminal and black wire to the negative terminal of the Solar panel.
Insert the two wires into the holes in the roof of the main enclosure body.
Use super glue to fix the Solar Panel and press it some time for proper bonding.
Seal the holes from the inside by using hot glue.
Then insert the battery holder into the slot at the bottom of the enclosure.
Step 12: Installing the Antenna
Unscrew the nuts and washers in the SMA connector.
Insert the SMA connector into the holes provided in the enclosure. See the image above.
Then tighten the nut along with the washers.
Now install the antenna by properly aligning with the SMA connector.
Step 13: Installing the Circuit Board
Mount the standoffs at 4 corners of the circuit board.
Apply super glue at the 4 slots in the enclosure. Refer to the above picture.
Then align the standoff with the 4 slots and place it. leave some to dry it out.
Step 14: Close the Front Cover
After printing the front cover, it may be not perfectly fit to the main enclosure body.If it is the case, just sand it at the sides by using a sand paper.
Slide the front cover in to the slots in the main body.
To secure it, use duct tape at the bottom.
Step 15: Programming
To use Wemos D1 with the Arduino library, you’ll have to use the Arduino IDE with ESP8266 board support. If you haven’t already done that yet, you can easily install ESP8266 Board support to your Arduino IDE by following this tutorial by Sparkfun.
Following settings are preferable :
Flash Size: 4M (3M SPIFFS) – 3M File system size 4M (1M SPIFFS) – 1M File system size
Arduino Code for Blynk App :
Sleep Mode :
The ESP8266 is a pretty power hungry device. If you want your project to run off a battery for more than a few hours, you have two options:
Cleverly put the Thing to sleep.
The best choice is the second option. Before using the deep sleep feature, Wemos D0 pin must be connected to the Reset pin.
Credit: This was suggested by one of the Instructables user tim Rowledge.
Power Saving Option :
The Wemos D1 Mini has a small LED that lights when the board is powered. It consumes a lot of power. So just pull that LED off the board with a pair of pliers. It will drastically drop the sleep current down.
Now the device can run for a long time with a single Li-Ion battery.
#define BLYNK_PRINT Serial // Comment this out to disable prints and save space#include ESP8266WiFi.h#include
#include Seeed_BME280.h#include Wire.hBME280 bme280;// You should get Auth Token in the Blynk App.// Go to the Project Settings (nut icon).char auth[] = 3df5f636c7dc464a457a32e382c4796xx;// Your Wi-Fi credentials.// Set password to for open networks.char ssid[] = SSID;char pass[] = PASS WORD;void setup Serial.begin(9600); Blynk.begin(auth, ssid, pass); Serial.begin(9600); if(!bme280.init) Serial.println(Device error!); void loop Blynk.run; //get and print temperatures float temp = bme280.getTemperature; Serial.print(Temp: ); Serial.print(temp); Serial.println(C);//The unit for Celsius because original arduino don’t support speical symbols Blynk.virtualWrite(0, temp); // virtual pin 0 Blynk.virtualWrite(4, temp); // virtual pin 4 //get and print atmospheric pressure data float pressure = bme280.getPressure; // pressure in Pa float p = pressure/100.0 ; // pressure in hPa Serial.print(Pressure: ); Serial.print(p); Serial.println(hPa); Blynk.virtualWrite(1, p); // virtual pin 1 //get and print altitude data float altitude = bme280.calcAltitude(pressure); Serial.print(Altitude: ); Serial.print(altitude); Serial.println(m); Blynk.virtualWrite(2, altitude); // virtual pin 2 //get and print humidity data float humidity = bme280.getHumidity; Serial.print(Humidity: ); Serial.print(humidity); Serial.println(%); Blynk.virtualWrite(3, humidity); // virtual pin 3 ESP.deepSleep(5 60 1000000); // deepSleep time is defined in microseconds.
Step 16: Install Blynk App and Library
Blynk is an app that allows full control over Arduino, Rasberry, Intel Edison, and much more hardware. It is compatible with both Android and iPhone.Right now the Blynk app is available free of cost.
You can download the app from the following link
After downloading the app, installed it on your smartphone.
Then you have to import the library on to your Arduino IDE.
When you run the app for the first time, you need to sign in – to enter an email address and password. Click the “” at the top-right of the display to create a new project. Then name it.
Select the target hardware ESP8266 Then click “E-mail” to send that auth token to yourself – you will need it in the code
Step 17: Make the Dash Board
The Dashboard is consists of different widgets. To add widgets follow the steps below :
Click “Create” to enter the main Dashboard screen.
Next, press “” again to get the “Widget Box”
Click on the graphs, it will pop up a settings menu as shown above.
You have to change the name Temperature, Select the Virtual Pin V1, then change the range from 0.50. Similarly, do for other parameters.
Finally, drag a graph and repeat the same procedure as in gauge settings. The final dashboard picture is shown in the above picture.
You can change the color also by clicking the circle icon on the right side of the Name.
Step 18: Uploading Sensor Data to ThingSpeak
First, create an account on ThingSpeak.
Then create a new Channel on your ThingSpeak account.Find How to Create a New Channel
Fill Field 1 as Temperature, Field 2 as Humidity and Field 3 as pressure.
In your ThingSpeak account select “Channel” and then “My Channel”.
Click on your channel name.
Click on “API Keys” tab and copy the “Write API Key”
Open the Solar_Weather_Station_ThingSpeak code. Then write your SSID and Password.
Replace the “WRITE API ”with the copied “Write API Key”.
Credit: This code is not written by me. I got it from the link given in a YouTube video by plukas.
Step 19: Final Test
Place the device on sunlight, the red led on TP 4056 charger module will lit up.
Blynk App Monitoring:
Open the Blynk project. If everything is Ok, you will notice the gauge will live and the graph starts to plot the temperature data.
ThingSpeak Monitoring :
First, open your Thingspeak Chanel.
Then go to the “Private View” tab or “Public View” tab to see the Data Charts.
Thanks for reading my Instructable.
If you like my project, don’t forget to share it.
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4 Комментарии и мнения владельцев
I am currently running a small BME280 weather station with a solar panel 2W 5V (https: //www.ebay.de/myb/PurchaseHistory? displaySta. ) and a battery type 144500 3.7V 1600 mAh. It is currently running very well and the sun is charging quickly every day the battery (4.2V).Now my question: Does anyone have experience with battery operation in winter? Which batteries 144500 3.7V are winter-proof?https://thingspeak.com/channels/1341604
This depends on the definition of ‘winter’. If your winter is sunny with temperatures above 5°C all the time. you are lucky. If you got a German winter like me, low light and temperatures below 5°C the lipo battery will run out of power soon, as lipo doesn’t charge when temperatures are below 0°. Worse side effect: the battery gets damaged when trying to do so. And even when you charge the battery from time to time indoors (instead of solar), the capacity of lipo batteries suck below 0°C.This is why electric car batteries heat themself in winter time to work.