Solar Power Supply for Linksys WRT54G
Ditch the AC Adaptor and Use the Sun
Solar
panels are becoming so common that I got mine at a swap meet.
It's new and it cost me about $40 U.S. My Linksys WRT54GL
is off the grid now [Fig. 1]. If I can do it so can you.
Fig. 1 Photovoltaic panel and 12V battery
The
first thing to consider is that you will not be able to plug
the router directly into the solar panel. I will name just
a few obvious reasons:
1.
When the sun goes down it pulls the plug. No daylight, no
power.
2. The panel may have insufficient power output to run WRT54G
series routers directly.
To
overcome these issues I connected the router to a 12V battery
and connected the battery to the solar panel. The panel provides
a trickle charge. I don't use this router every day so the
battery has time to recharge.
WRT54GL
draws about 240mA of current at 12V. Power is calculated by
multiplying the current by voltage. Hence 0.24A X 12V = 2.88W.
Note that 240mA equals 0.24A.
Unless
you're cheap like me you should purchase a panel from a reputable
distributor. They will provide you with technical specifications.
Luckily, photovoltaic panel output is often expressed in Watts
so you can correlate that number to the 2.88W value of your
router. Any panel more powerful than 2.88W should be capable
to power up WRT54G. In reality that depends on the conditions
outside of your control like cloud coverage for example.
Fig. 2 Solar battery charger schematics
(click to enlarge)
This
wiring diagram should do the trick [Fig. 2]. I decided to
install a switch for the solar panel to prevent overcharging
the battery. Let's say I win a 3-month tropical cruise raffle
and go away with the router powered off. The battery could
possibly overcharge. Overcharging a lead acid battery can
cause battery damage and in rare cases can make the battery
explode! The panel switch disconnects the battery from the
solar panel while you're away.
The
second switch powers up the router.
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