# solar cell question



## sanepilot (Mar 11, 2012)

Hi,all..Is there anybody on the forum who is into solar cell running a train.Seems like I saw a video link on here someone was doing that. I picked up two solar cells and was wondering where and how. Each cell is powering a 15 watt halogen light bulb thru a small battery. You might say that I`m way out of my league in this.

Thanks for any replys,Everett--Everybody have a really great sunday..


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

Are you using them in a stationary location or running them around attached to the train?


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## sanepilot (Mar 11, 2012)

*solar power*

Hi,John.. I just got them yesterday.The cells are 3 1/2 x 5 inches. I`d like to go with just the cells to power a portable train.Just one of my crazy ideas.I got two of them. Theyre out side lights powering a 15 watt halogen bulb. I got two lights.one light on each.I`m not enough of a electronic fella to do this but I like to experiment.The most I could would be to lose a engine.hwell:

Have a good sunday everybody. Gonna outa town so I gotta get to moving.

regards,Everett


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

It's all about the current and voltage you get out of them. You may have to add a switching regulator to drop the voltage if these have a lot of cells in series.


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## spoil9 (Dec 24, 2008)

I can't do any research at the moment, (stuck with only my smartphone for internet access), but post details of the solar cells. Make, model, voltage, etc. I'll look up a datasheet and see if its possible to power a small train. 

Are you looking to do RC, or just turn it on and letting it run?

Will you be running the train inside or outside?

If you just want to experiment, hook up the wires from the solar cells to a on/off switch, then to the track. You'll want to connect the cells in parallel (all red wires together, all black wires together)


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## T-Man (May 16, 2008)

You can run HO on a 12 volt battery. The solar cells just charge that. From what I have seen you need a battery for storage. I have seen a 12v gel for sale at an electronic surplus store. You get into this seriously when you have the electronics to calculate the amp hour capacity stored in a battery. My brother rigged up such systems on boats to operate bilge pumps etc. His problem was overcharging the batteries. This was in sunny Florida.


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## spoil9 (Dec 24, 2008)

Trickle charging a battery and haveing the battery power the trains is the best way to go. But if the solar cells are not powerful enough, are they really extending the life of the battery?
Trying to figure out what the OP really wants to acheivge with this setup.


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## sanepilot (Mar 11, 2012)

*solar*

Hi all,Thanks..I really want to just have a stand alone system that I can take anywhere I wish and run. It`ll be n gauge.No Rc,man I got enough of that flying aero planes.Dcc has never interested me as I`m a hands on dummy.On my o gauge layout I`m setting up mechanical switches and my ho system electric switches.My n gauge I may go electric switches. right now I have a portable n gauge,just a simple circle.I should work on just one layout but I`ll never get any one of the three ever finished.,I doubt.I`m busier than a cat on a hot tin roof, but gee,I`m having fun. I finally get to bring my n gauge out from under the bed.Now,I can get more run time on it.These lights I picked up I think are 6 volt. I doubt if they change the dc to ac.I`m pretty sure the batteries are 6 volt gel batterys.I might get time next week to tinker a little bit.I think all I need is to figger how to un wire the motion sensor.

Every body have a good week coming up.don`t work too hard and have fun,regards,Everett


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

I think the solar cells charging a gel cell battery would probably work, then you could use a DC-DC controller on the battery output to vary the track voltage.


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## sanepilot (Mar 11, 2012)

*solar power*

Hi,John..How could I find out if the solar cell is working?I checked the web site for the lights but it doesn`t tell me anything.I got a complicated vom which I don`t know how to use.I cut one up today and I don`t think the two wires coming from the cell are colored coated. I kinda suspicion the batteries are bad. Theyre 6 volts,small like a cig. pack only twice as thick.I put the other one in the sun for about 4 hrs and it didn`t put any juice in the battery.
I`ll probably just use a gel battery and keep it charged. That is how I started my airplanes.I may charge one electrically and see if it holds up.Theyre not expensive as I think I only gave $40 dollars for the one I used but after 8 yrs it left me.I might pickup a inverter and use a lawnmower battery and a regular train transformer.The only trouble with that is I`m getting into large and more equipment to move plus my layout.

Tnx,John.. Have a good evening,Everett


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## spoil9 (Dec 24, 2008)

1. Are you sure its a rechargable battery and not an akaline battery?

2. You want to set the vom to voltage, DC. If they have ranges, all you need is 12V to be safe. Place the solar cell in full sun light and place the tips of the vom leads on the bare wire ends. The vom should display the voltage that the cell is putting out. 

3. Try bringing some track and a small non-DCC locomotive outside. Place the cell in full sun, and place the bare wire ends on the rails. Do you hear the engine trying to turn?


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

First off, you need to know the specifications of the solar cells and the battery. Second, you normally will need a regulator for the solar array to properly charge a battery with it, you can't just wire it to the battery. Solar cells put out different voltages depending on the sun exposure and strength, you have to take that into account.


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## T-Man (May 16, 2008)

If you are using a lawn mower battery you may not need the panels. That should run a layout for hours. Since it is outdoors, that is when you can add the panels to charge. Just for show. When you are done, recharge the battery at home, and determine the extent of the discharge. You need to know their output. If only three volts then you will need four of them in series. Get some light on one and get a meter reading from the leads.


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## sanepilot (Mar 11, 2012)

*battery*

Hi,John.. Yes, the lawn mower battery would last a really long time.The gel battery also would. It was big enough to start a car or truck. It had a built in charging system which told you with a yellow light that it needed charging. When everything was good the light was green.It even had a electric cord you just plugged in.

Tman..I was getting all kinda readings off those cells.Oh well.. in direct sunlight.Gotta go. 


Everybody have a good night,Everett


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## T-Man (May 16, 2008)

I do know they sell a cheep outdoor LED light, solar powered. I got one at a dollar store. It has a panel, LED and a rechargeable Lithium battery. I wanted to use in it doors but never got enough light to keep a charge up. Those 5 inch panel may be at Radio SHack, if so, they would have the specs. The panels are cool.  It's taken years to have them affordable.


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

It's actually just taken long enough for the Chinese to undercut the solar panel market, now they're cheap and we have no solar panel being made in the US.


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## sanepilot (Mar 11, 2012)

*solar power*

Hi,all.. I`m a firm believer in solar power.It would be the only way to solve our energy problems.The right setup on building a house and you wouldn`t need any heating or cooling.

Wind power is another good energy source if you live in a windy place. The biggest problem as I see it is big brother has money in mind instead of saving anything.The name of the game is what`s in it for me.If I just had only 1/5th of what the american people waste,I`d be the richest man in the world.

I`d be anxoius to see this world[USA] in about 25 or 50 years from now. You young people may see it.I hope I do.

Have a good day tomorrow,Everett


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

Actually, unless solar power gets WAY more efficient, it has no hope of solving our energy needs, we'd have to cover a significant portion of the country! What mystifies me is why we have scaled way back on fusion energy, now there's limitless energy!


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## sanepilot (Mar 11, 2012)

*energy*

Hi,John.. Youre right on that ,john but they don`t want anything that is limitless. I imagine the price of fusion energy would be astronimical and they couldn`t fill their pockets.The energy czars have a win win situation now.Atomic energy is good also. Here is another but,I think we got a tiger by the tail and can`t let it go with atomic energy. We have nothing to do with our spent fuel rods and the plants we got are out of storage room with spent fuel rods.I personal don`t like fusion energy as the same with atomic. I think we`re getting over our head or way ahead of our thinking on energy.It`s like electronics,we`re out pacing our tech people.It`s time the people wake up and say enough is enough.I`ve seen a lot of changes in this old world in a few short years. You have also. Mostly good but a lot of bad.
Oh well,It`s all we got so we have to make the best of it.

You have a good rest of the week,Everett:appl:


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

The beauty of fusion over fission is that the half-life of the radioactive byproducts of fusion is measured in days, not centuries! You store it for a few months and then just dump it down the drain.  With fission energy, we do indeed have a huge issue if disposal of the waste products.


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## sanepilot (Mar 11, 2012)

*energy*

Youre probably right again John as I haven`t kept up with that end of things. I`ve heard a little about it tho.My immediate thought is I`m afraid theyre gonna start something they can`t control.I think a lot of times we jump into things with out thinking about the whole picture just only the end results.That is what they did with atomic energy.They`ll mess with the wrong thing someday and destroy all life,maybe the whole planet.Earth is a big cinder anyway and we keep getting more and more earthquakes as the earth cools off.At one time we were getting over 150 quakes a year. I haven`t looked for about 20 years now but it seems like theyre are worse.On another note,the big bang theory said the earth exploded at one time,now scientist are saying due to the sun pull all things in space are headed back in to the sun.Wow,We getting into some things I haven`t thought about in years.

Oh,Well this is the scientific theory anywho.The other theory is the religious side which I won`t go into.

Been a nice day and supposedly a nice weekend :appl:.Everybody enjoy,Everett


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## davepix (Feb 3, 2015)

*DC-DC controller - solar/battery*

I am looking to design a similar system for N or HO gauge. Now that I'm a dad, I have to dig out my 35 year old train sets for Max but want to run them on solar/battery rather than the original transformers.... which still work even thought the trains are in need of service.

Question is, has anyone found or designed a DC-DC controller yet or do I dig in and make my own. If I have to I am considering if I should do an arduino controlled H bridge motor control for speed and direction control or if anyone has designed an analog circuit which is efficient. 

David





gunrunnerjohn said:


> I think the solar cells charging a gel cell battery would probably work, then you could use a DC-DC controller on the battery output to vary the track voltage.


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