Tinkering and Toodling #2 -
Home Made Solar Generator from stuff around the house
First thing you NEED to know is that Lithium batteries can be really volatile. So rather than thinking of this podcast as instructive (it's definitely not) think of it as a statement of the fun I had in doing a DIY project.
This is Tinkering and Toodling #2, and as such is more about fun than being smart.
All that said, here's the rest of the verbiage that goes with this -
After doing 9 days of gig work in addition to my regular job I
finally had a day to do something for enjoyment. In this case, the
enjoyment was building a home solar generator from stuff I had laying
around the house.But know that what lays around my house is likely
different from what lays around the normal house.
In this case, what I had around the house was the pieces and scraps
from a past solar generator (or two), a charge controller, a LiPo
battery, some wire, a soldiering iron, and some cigarette lighter
sockets. Oh, and an old plastic bin I was storing some crap in. Note
that I bought a new plastic bin, and even went so far as to measure the
battery so I'd get the right size. That did not work simply because
Walmart - my measurements were right, theirs sucked. The old bin was
brittle and parts of it snapped under pressure from the drill and
grinder, but the sharp edges were duct taped into submission.
Wiring was not an issue and was simple enough. However programing the
charge controller was a bitch. I couldn't find the manual for it or for
the battery. It took 3 hours of hunting to find the necessary specs.
And it would have taken even more time if if weren't for a great
tutorial by Off Grid Basement. If you're interested in home solar, give
him a listen! [Linked below.]
Oh, important note here - Lithium batteries are pretty persnickety.
Well, maybe persnickety understates it. If they are cheaply made, the
controller board on the battery is faulty, or you overcharge them you
can start a fire which emits deadly gases, burns at a really high
temperature, and is virtually impossible to put out. With that in mind I
scanned the manuals and watched the tutorials with care. I followed the
directions closely and triple checked the settings. Finally, I made it a
point to lower the charge settings slightly, opting to go for a slower
Safety is job one, after all.
If you have any questions or suggestions (I am relatively new at
this) please feel free to drop your smarts. As I said in an earlier
Spotify Podcast, old guys need things to tinker with. And your help will
give me more to tinker with.
Here's Off Grid Basement's video. Check him out!
https://youtu.be/pFyHVAoXJgY?si=sQ1-1YoDuAC4GPOG