Make a solar powered flash MP3 player

[Ace]

I want a light weight, solar powered MP3 player.

[FlameGrilled]

if you mean a literal directly powered-by-solar player...

Forget it... it aint happening in anything like the foreseeable future..

All solar devices, exempting real low-consumption stuff like pocket calcs, draw more current that a compact solar array can provide on a continuing stable level.

That said, most of the calcs on sale these days still use a storage capacitor in them, witht the calc powering from the cap and the cell charging the cap.

So what hope is there for a portable direct solar powered mp3 device...??

Hmm, more chance of snow falling in Hell and settling...

Even a on-board solar-cell built into the casing of a player, to allow recharging of an internal proper cell, is talking a really low charge rate that'd be far lower than the discharge rate from the cell when the player is going.

We are talking about, for comparison, a performace similar to that of a dynamo-powered light system on a bicycle - given a low-demand pull from a storage cell by the light system, a dynamo can provide enough out when steadily travelling at speed (around 30 mph) to generate something better than a glowworm level of light (i.e. bugger all wattage).

I'd have to go do some research on the current breed of cells, but commonly accessible stuff would probably need the whole surface area of a CL JB1 just for the solar cells to simply provide a trickle charge worthy of the term...

You wait on the solar-powered MP3 unit, i'll wait for snow to fall in hell... and i think my bet on a snowfall is the better bet at the moment

[ManchesterUnited4Life]

I want a light weight, solar powered MP3 player.

Good for you ...

Well, you ain't gonna find one here, 'cause as FG has already explained, current technology renders your request about as useful as a solar-powered torch ...

[Vic20]

It mgiht work if you have a portable sun =D...I Got one!

[FlameGrilled]

Well, there is an outside possibility, for a budding Trevor Bayliss wannabe...

Find a big enough clockspring, to drive a DC motor wired wrong, and you could get a no-bat-required power source that dont need something as unreliable as a good clear day.

There is enough power capability to drive a portable radio receiver.. see the Freeway set for example.

But the odds on lightweight+compact+ no need for an intermediate storage cell, setup for an mp3 deck... that dont look like a CL JB1 crossed with Godzilla....

hmmm, i'm still putting my money on a hellbound snowfall...

[tristan]

While a solar mp3 player is unlikely, you can pick up solar battery chargers easily, which will at least charge the AA batteries the iFP uses. If you can find a cheapo solar garden light at the local gardencentre/hardware etc, you can hack the solar cell and recharge circuitry out of it and make a solar battery charger for less than $10 (AUD)

Well, you ain't gonna find one here, 'cause as FG has already explained, current technology renders your request about as useful as a solar-powered torch ...

I made a solar powered torch by butchering a white LED garden light and it's actually very useful

[JohnnyTest]

you can hack the solar cell and recharge circuitry out of it and make a solar battery charger for less than $10 (AUD)

WOW I like this idea !!!!! Is this really possible ???

[profingersk8er]

it could, but i wonder how many solar cells you will need to power a flash player, solid-state memory takes great amount of power to read/access data...could be intersting

[tristan]

you can hack the solar cell and recharge circuitry out of it and make a solar battery charger for less than $10 (AUD)

WOW I like this idea !!!!! Is this really possible ???

It's easy to do JT. Most solar garden lights have a solar cell which charges a cheap NiCad battery, when the sun is out, and a some circuitry to switch from recharging to driving the LED when the sun is down. They're usually pretty flimsy construction (well all the cheapo ones I've seen are), and it's easy to chop the insides out of them and into a plastic box from an electronics shop, and put a decent NiMH battery in there. I did this and got myself a cheap solar LED flashlight, but it's simple enough to take the battery out and put it into an iFP instead of using it to power the LED.

[Sp00k]

So what hope is there for a portable direct solar powered mp3 device...??

Hmm, more chance of snow falling in Hell and settling...

Sorry FG, couldn't resist it!

[seadzz]

Well since the solor thing got hammered I have come up with another way to get the 5 VDC for free. I found a small DC motor that came from a kids toy. I attached a small propeller from a model plane to the DC motor and some electronic bits and pieces from a old radio. When I stick the motor out the window and get my pedicab going 10 KM per HR or faster I can get 5 VDC.

Only slight problem is it takes about 50 KM to charge the player and the guy peddeling my rickshaw is getting beat since the temp's are getting into the 27-30 degrees C now.

Now if I use a bigger prop maybe my rickshaw driver will only need to run at 2KM per hour to generate enough juice to power the player....he will be real happy about this development.

sdz

[Sp00k]

Suggestion... (Please don't use without asking my permission first... This means everybody!) :P

Why not place the prop in front of the driver? That way, the faster he pedals, the faster your player charges... and the cooler he gets! ... mebbe...