Step 7a: Solar Panels

These instructions are for soldering, testing, and trial mounting on the space frame.

Any solar panel that is 5V - 6V and less than 90mm (45mm if two panels are used) in length will work. For side with the camera and the side with the pushbutton, USB-C charging port, and the LEDs, the longest dimension of the solar panel is 45mm.

The recommended solar panels are 72mm x 45mm, and there are two mounted on each side, except the top and bottom that have just one. (You can also mount two solar panels on the top and bottom, although the solar panels are commonly sold in batches of 10.

Your set of solar panels may contain a mix of panels.

Solar Panel Soldering.

The 10 solar panels need to have the JST 2.0 connectors soldered on:

Some liquid flux can be applied to each pad of the solar panels to make soldering easier. Also, hot glue can be used to stick the insulation of the wires to the panel to provide extra strength.

Here's how the panels look after the protective film is removed:

Solar Panel Testing

The solar panels are tested with the Digital Multi Meter (DMM). They should be tested in constant illumination such as from the LED lamp.

Open Circuit Testing

Open circuit testing measures the maximum voltage output. Put the DMM on the DC volts scale and measure while illuminated.

Test each panel to make sure they work.

Note down the maximum voltage for each size of solar panel.

Short Circuit Testing

Short circuit testing measures the maximum current output from the solar panel. Put the DMM in DC Current (or Amps) mode and measure across the red and black leads while illuminated.

Test each panel to make sure they work.

Note down the maximum voltage for each size of solar panel.

If your Solar PCB is ready to test, you can do the Solar Board Testing.

The Solar Panels are now ready for the next step V2 Frame