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.

Keep moving forward, ey?

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 charging time.

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