GBA SP solar panel add on

[_The Watcher_]

http://cgi.ebay.com/Small-Solar-Cell-Pa ... f4ec#rpdId

i want to glue a solar panel to my gba sp, can i just solder the negative and possitive to the n/p of the charging port on the sp? or is it more complicated than that? in case anyone is wondering i want to be able to charge the battery that is already installed in the gba sp by leaving it in a window. very similiar to the gameboy pocket solar panel add on.

[Mr BadWrench]

Woot!!! something I am qualified to answer!!

Its a clever idea but you need more than just attaching the panel to the batteries. I do not know for certain weather the charging/protection circuit for the gameboy is in the adapter or inside the gameboy itself but Im going to assume its in the adapter. The gameboy pocket rechargeable batteries were NiCad or NiMh so they could handle a constant "trickle" current without ill effects. The new Gameboy SP/micro and Nintendo Ds all use Lithium batteries which cannot be charged continuously without damage of the cells or worse. Lithium batteries have been known to expand, burst and catch fire of improperly charged. Charging a lithium battery continuously will damage it.

Now if you REALLY want a solar charger, building a charging/protection circuit for the device is not that complicated.. There is a "charger on a chip" that many DIY RC hobby types have been using recently to charge small lithium batteries and I do not see why this could not be used with a solar cell...

Don

[_The Watcher_]

what if I replace the battery with nimh and match the 5.2 volts?... if they fit anyway. thanks for the tip, i have a hobby shop within 30 miles or so.

[Mr BadWrench]

that will be fine, besides even if you misuse NiMH batteries they probably won't explode.

http://shdesigns.dyndns.org/lionchg.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; here is one of the homemade charger circuits for li-po but it requires 11-18v input. the one im looking for only needed 4.8v but I cannot find it.

[azur]

i think the protection/charging chip is within the gba (at least on SP), because i'm using an USB cable charger, and it doesn't seem to have more than the two terminals, usb and gba plug.
the orange light turns on once you plug it, using the usb cable or the official charger, and turns of about an hour later...
what i don't know is how will work the charging chip with non continuous current voltage or power...
i'm willing to attach a solar panel to the gbaSP too, and i only have the panel. it's raw, as it came, no wires, no plastic enclosure, nothing else than the panel... but i think i will check some solar chargers i have around in my room to see what i need....

please answer if this was helpful, i'm interested too....

[windwaker]

you should put it in a clear case it'd be cooler