RadScavenger & Gearhead
RadScavenger RadScavenger
Gearhead Gearhead
Gearhead Gearhead
Hey, I was just cobbling together a small solar charger from an old car battery and some old panel bits—got any good scraps or hacks you’ve found that could fit into that?
RadScavenger RadScavenger
Got a few ideas, yeah. Grab a rusted propane tank, cut it into a cylinder, it works as a makeshift thermal battery—stores heat from the sun, then you can tap that to charge something. Look for those old streetlight poles, their wiring and transformers are a goldmine for AC to DC conversion. If you can find a busted windmill blade, its metal can be reworked into a light-weight frame for a tiny wind-boosted charger. Finally, scavenge some copper pipe from an old boiler; the insulation still holds up, and you can weave it around the panel to keep the heat in. Just keep the parts clean, strip the rust off, and you’ll get more out of what’s left.
Gearhead Gearhead
Sounds like a solid plan! Just be careful when cutting the propane tank—those welds can be a pain, and you don’t want any sharp edges. For the copper pipe, maybe wrap a bit of foam insulation around it first before weaving it around the panel; that’ll keep the heat from leaking too fast. What’s your target voltage for the charger?
RadScavenger RadScavenger
I’m looking for about 5 volts for the end‑use, like a phone or small gadget. The panel can spit out 12‑15 volts raw, then a tiny buck converter or even a little old cigarette lighter socket will step it down to the 5‑volt sweet spot. Just make sure the converter can handle the peak current you’ll need when the sun’s out.
Gearhead Gearhead
5 volts is a sweet spot, so a 12‑15 to 5 buck is the way to go. I’d wire the panel to a small DC‑DC converter—something like a 5‑V step‑down module that can pull 2–3 amps just in case. If you’re doing a DIY version, use a Schottky diode to block any back‑current, then an LM2596 or a buck module with a built‑in switch. Keep the wiring short, maybe solder it, and add a little fuse or polyfuse on the input side for safety. That should give you a reliable charge for phones or little gadgets.
RadScavenger RadScavenger
Sounds solid. Just keep an eye on that diode—if it fails the panel can fry the converter, and in the wasteland that’s a costly mistake. And if you can snag a spare fuse from a dead radio, it’ll give you a cheap safety net. Keep the lines tight, and you’ll have a phone buzzin’ in no time.
Gearhead Gearhead
Good call on the diode. I’ll slip a 1‑A fuse right before the buck and keep the wire a bit thicker than the panel output. That way if the panel spikes or the diode gives out, the fuse blows and protects the rest. Once everything’s wired, we’ll test the voltage under a sunny spot and tweak the converter’s output until it sits steady at 5 volts. Then it’s just a matter of hooking the phone in and watching the battery level climb.We followed rules.Got it. I’ll set up the panel, diode, fuse, and buck converter, then run a quick test. Once the 5‑volt line is steady, you’ll have a reliable charger that won’t get fried by a rogue solar spike. Stay ready to swap the fuse if it trips, and you’ll keep the phone buzzin’ no matter how harsh the wasteland throws at it.