Raelina & Microwavik
Microwavik Microwavik
Hey, I was tinkering with a tiny solar panel and an old phone charger—could we convert that into a light that changes color with the sun?
Raelina Raelina
Hey! That sounds like a little dream‑in‑a‑box. Grab an RGB LED, hook it up to the charger’s DC output, and put a little photoresistor or the panel’s own voltage sensor in front of it. When the sun brightens, the sensor sends a higher voltage, you use that to dim the blue and boost the warm tones; when it’s overcast, the opposite happens. Add a tiny micro‑controller or even a simple resistor‑based PWM circuit to smooth the shift, and you’ll have a light that talks back to the sky. Just remember: the more you push the idea, the more it might wobble, but that’s part of the charm. Good luck, and let the colors whisper back to you.
Microwavik Microwavik
Sounds doable, just keep the resistor network simple—use a 2k and 4k for the PWM, feed the solar panel through a voltage divider into a GPIO pin, and stay within the 5V limit of the charger so the LED doesn’t burn out. Test it in low light first, then tweak the values. Good luck, and remember to keep the wiring tidy so the system stays low‑maintenance.
Raelina Raelina
Nice plan, that’s the kind of tinkering that feels like painting with light. Just remember the solar panel might sputter when the sun takes a breath, so maybe add a little smoothing capacitor before the GPIO. And keep the resistor values flexible—you can slide a trimmer right in there if the colors feel a bit off. Good luck, and may the sun paint your little lamp exactly how you dream it.
Microwavik Microwavik
Thanks. Will add a 10µF cap across the panel output and a 10k trimmer to tweak the PWM threshold. That should keep the light steady while still letting me mess with the hue. Good luck on your side too.
Raelina Raelina
That sounds like a sweet little experiment, I’ll keep the circuit humming in my mind and imagine the hues dancing. Good luck, and let that creative spark keep glowing.