ELVESolar

ELVESolar

ELVESparts

FresnELVES

Solar Powered DIY Levelup Modules for Traditional Swiss Army Flashlights

Mission: Fit a solar-charged, battery powered lo-energy function into an ubiquitous milspec case for nomad use. Keep it simple, sturdy, sleek. Minimize waste energy, maximize efficiency. Learn some stuff about transistors on the way...

Since such lamps can be opened like a book, creating a shallower and a deeper box of equal width and length, it seems to make sense to fit some solar cells inside. While the shallow side (left, when open, usually containing some optics) poses an interesting challenge to go really flat, the other side's depth is about double (the right side used to house the battery, lamp and switch). Because the halves can be more or less easily separated, this being a wartime product made from bent sheet metal, straight wire and other crude parts, they can be planned as such. Imagine you always have a nightlight plus some fancier function, f.ex

• powerbank
• microcomputer, mediaserver, dac, etc.
• bentobox with peltier cooling
• calling card case
• whatever you want and can make to fit

Show it to the sun during the day, have some light at night. Prototype charges in 2 days, runs for 2 weeks.

SolarELVESoHowDoesThisWork?

1. downloading energy with high-efficiency 5.5V 1+W solar panels 2. charge controlling 1. 3. storing energy with 3.7V lipo battery packs 4. connecting energy drain like 6V 1W led via transistor switch

always-on

• system stores solar energy when available
• else it emits its energy
• at a rate slower than received if possible
• matching your specs carefully decides performance ultimately

SolarELVESamples

SolarELVESources and Parts

Solar Bodies Kultpfunzel Joule Thief

ELVES brand

if you know more, thanks you very much

SolarELVES Handmade in Switzerland

A Ministry Of Magical Objects initiative

with Help from ] Thanks to [1] Vios Dock18 Oli Walkhoff Christoph Kummer Tripton [2]

SolarELVESEfficiency

photoncounting firephotons gallery read means power download conclusions: harvests from dusk til dawn, works all night