Solar energy can also be used to charge your smaller handheld devices like your cellphone, radio, speakers, tablets on the homestead. This diy portable solar USB charger is a portable and reliable energy source.
It will cost you about $20 to build one. It can charge up to 4 devices at a time and also has a built in PowerBank that charges your devices at night when the sun is not out.
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Here’s What You’ll Need:
- small solar panel
- USB PowerBank
- 4 port USB hub
- 7805 regulator chip
- stripped micro USB cable
- leatherman multitool
- a short length of stranded wire
- heavy double sided adhesive
- superglue
A 3-10W at 6-10V solar panel is the recommended size for this project. It helps reduce the amount of time needed to charge your devices. Installing a regulator will protect your Powerbank from damage or over-charging.
Angelo says, typically the powerbank will charge in 40 minutes to 2 hours. It all depends on the model. Plugin your devices into the USB hub, to charge them using free solar energy.
You can follow step by step instructions on Instructables, here…
DIY Portable Solar USB Charger Plans
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