I've posted this in another thread, but decided to start a string just for this mod as the other string is getting lost in the noise. This project started after I read several posts of people trying to solarize a Zip Zap or Bit CharG. This mod will work on either or any of the clones for that matter.
First, lets start with some numbers. The stock Zip battery supplies 100mA @ 1.2VDC. Now, common sense would tell you that all you need to do is supply these numbers via a
solar cell and whoosh, your off running a
solar car. Not so grasshopper. The fact is,
solar cells are very different from batteries. You can see a detailed explanation of why this is over here.
http://tinyrc.com/forums/showthread....&threadid=1698
I'll have to repeat a few things here that are in that other thread for the sake of convenience so bear with me. I did some initial testing and found that 2VDC @ 300mA is the bare minimum needed to get a Zip moving under
solar power alone. And I would suggest going higher if at all possible. This is where we run into a problem. Most
solar cells out there don't supply these ratings on their own unless they are really huge. We need a
solar array (that is a multiple of cells hooked together) to reach these numbers. And, most importantly, they need to be as small and light as possible. I used special cells from a surplussed NASA satellite program, but these are very hard to come by. A quick search on the web found these cells, which are comperable to what I used.
http://www.solar-world.com/SuperCell...tovoltaics.htm
The .5VDC @ 400mA will do the trick nicely. Still a little pricy, but if you are serious about doing this mod, you will have to pay the piper. You will need at least 4 of these hooked in series. That is, positive to negative, positive to negative on and on just like batteries in a flashlight. This will give you 2VDC @ 400mA, plenty for our needs. You'll need to brush up on your soldering skills as well. But, you should do that anyways
. Once you have your array together, much like the shingles on a roof, open up the PCB cover, remove the stock battery and solder the positive lead from your
solar cell array to the positive lead of the battery terminal. Do likewise for the negative lead. Attach the array to the PCB cover and reassemble.
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