# Tiny solar panels.



## Sybil6 (Jan 28, 2013)

Hey guys, I know that a lot of you may not be able to afford solar panels. But I've been messing around for the last couple of weeks and found something kinda cool.  well school just let out, and my mom said she'd get me a new calculator next year because the keys of mine stopped working. Well, in most scientific calculators, there's a tiny solar panel in the top. Since I'm getting a new one, and I already had two (just don't tell my mom!!), I broke them apart!! I just took the back off, then cut the screen off. The tricky part was getting the solar panel out undamaged... I snipped the two wires that connected to the motherboard of the calculator's memory, then popped the glass of the screen out (this also covered my solar panel) and pulled the solar panel out. This left me with a one inch solar panel soldered to two wires, conveniently marked positive and negative!!  I did this to both calculators, so I have two solar panels now. The wattage is low, but right now, I'm charging my cell phone with them.  a (non smart) phone will have the battery marked positive and negative. So you can thread the end of the stripped wires on the solar panels through the little copper bases where the battery hooks on the phone itself or tape them lightly to the battery itself. This can also be used to recharge rechargeable batteries and be put in flashlights, walky-talkies, or other things.  it might take a while, but I have about seven calculators laying around that nobody notices. And solar panels like these are in garden lights, decorations, and tons of other common everyday things.


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## k0xxx (Oct 27, 2011)

I too save any cells found in non-working items. I used to add them to other circuits for charging small items, but these days I mostly give small, individual cells to my nieces and nephews in an effort to help them learn and gain interest in alternate power. I use regular panels ranging from 5 watts to a few 235 watt panels for everything from recharging batteries, to running fan and lighting. So keep saving them, as you can learn a lot about what works and what doesn't with solar.


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## Sybil6 (Jan 28, 2013)

Thanks for the tip.  I'm almost always occupied with taking things apart to see how they work. Seeing as you have 5 watt solar panels, do you know how much they are now? I can't find any sold near me, and since I'm a kid, most websites won't sell unless they have a credit card number.. I have quite a bit of cash saved, and every little bit helps, right?


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## cowboyhermit (Nov 10, 2012)

Sorry to butt in but you should be able to find small "battery saver" trickle chargers for $10-20 the smallest ones are for motorcycle or atv batteries, they often come with a bunch of different connectors.
I imagine Walmart must have them, up here I get the at Canadian Tire but other hardware stores carry them.

These are sometimes under 1watt but are quite handy, I have quite a few. Useful for charging batteries for electric fencers, lights, pumps, all sorts of projects.
http://www.amazon.com/Sunforce-50013-Motorcycle-Powersports-Battery/dp/B001D6GYLO/ref=pd_sim_sbs_auto_1


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## Tirediron (Jul 12, 2010)

Sybil6 said:


> Thanks for the tip.  I'm almost always occupied with taking things apart to see how they work. Seeing as you have 5 watt solar panels, do you know how much they are now? I can't find any sold near me, and since I'm a kid, most websites won't sell unless they have a credit card number.. I have quite a bit of cash saved, and every little bit helps, right?


you can usually make internet purchases with a visa type gift card, there is a service charge when you buy one but it is nice to know someone isn't going to max your card or as in you case hasn't reached the numericaly correct age(who decides this) to have one


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## k0xxx (Oct 27, 2011)

Sybil6 said:


> Thanks for the tip.  I'm almost always occupied with taking things apart to see how they work. Seeing as you have 5 watt solar panels, do you know how much they are now? I can't find any sold near me, and since I'm a kid, most websites won't sell unless they have a credit card number.. I have quite a bit of cash saved, and every little bit helps, right?


*Tirediron* had a good tip about the Visa gift cards. Also, you call around local auto parts stores and see if they have them. Walmart carries them on their website for about $20 (but these may be the 1w models), and could probably be purchased in store, or online with a Walmart gift card. Of course generally speaking, the larger panel you buy, the cheaper the cost per watt.

If you get with an adult having an eBay and a PayPal account, you can get 5w 12v panels shipped from China for about $15. Even cheaper at times for the lower voltage panels.


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## Sybil6 (Jan 28, 2013)

Sweet.  Thanks for the tip. Definitely going to look into it.


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## thillprepper1 (Apr 4, 2013)

On a budget. Where is a good site to order solar panels . Thought I could start ordering parts as I go. Thanks


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## hiwall (Jun 15, 2012)

> On a budget. Where is a good site to order solar panels


I have bought some off Ebay.


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## LincTex (Apr 1, 2011)

k0xxx said:


> Of course generally speaking, the larger panel you buy, the cheaper the cost per watt.


Correct all the way! Big solar panel can be as cheap as a little over a dollar a watt! But the smaller ones can be $15 or $20 for 1 or 2 watts. you money goes WAAAY farther the larger you can afford to go.

A little searching brings up great results:

www.freesunpower.com/

http://www.amsolar.com/home/amr/page_98


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