Emergency Solar Phone

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Detailed project instructions below:

We are going to modify a cheap cell phone to charge off of solar power. Here are the items you will need.

1. Cheap Throwaway Mobile phone
2. Basic small solar panel (available at electronics stores)
3. Standard blocking diode (also get at the electronics store)

Attach the solar panel to the back of the phone with hot glue or epoxy. You can then burn a couple holes in the case with a soldering iron to run the wires through.

Next, burn some grooves into the plastic phone molding so that we can store the wires without them stopping the phone from closing.

Now the fun part!

Solder the positive output of the solar panel to the diode, make sure you wire it to the back end of the diode, you can tell which side is which by looking at the diode itself. Diode's have a single white line on the end which designates the front, so just wire the solar panel to the side without the white line!

Next, wire the other side of the diode to the phone's positive battery prong (this should be marked on the phone itself). When that is done take the negative end of the solar panel and wire it to the negative battery prong on the phone.

Now pop in the battery and close up the phone! Your cheap emergency phone is now ready for action!

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30 thoughts on “Emergency Solar Phone”

  4. Mukhammaddin Zinaddinov

    correct me if I am wrong, but this configuration will damage the battery
    since there is no charge control that will prevent the battery from
    overcharging. This makes it unreliable and kinda defeats the whole purpose

  5. Adam Hays

    Hi Dylan. Would it be possible for you to make a video on DIY homemade cell
    phone cases? maybe like duck tape cases or something?

    Thanks,

    Best,

    Adam

  13. scar blend

    i think it would be more simple to glue the solar panel to the back of the
    phone then solder a plug for the charging port to the wires coming off the
    panel. that way you can just plug it in and your phone would charge
    automatically where ever theirs light. this guy wasted a lot of time that
    he will never get back.

    1. Jason D. Valentine

      +scar blend i’ve done this thing when i was a little younger. it was a
      flexible solar pannel that could plug and unplug. not ruining at all the
      estetic part of the cell. This guys only do shitty silly projects to get
      veiws. im done here :/

  19. Dana Lee

    I went to FB and entered information but the thumb is saying site is
    down..i think overloaded? i really want a solar phone. im an ol lady and
    disabled so anything to help in an emergency i would be most grateful

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