Solar powered Lunetta

[aerogramma]

Hello Lunettaheads,
I've been experimenting a lot with solar powered lunettas, perhaps because I'm in a sun drenched country now.

I'm attaching a video of one of my experiements, a lunetta based on the classic 4051+4040 seamoss design + a 386 based amp... all powered by a 4.5v solar cell.

it's underpowered by design (couldn't find 9v solar cells) and together with the sunrays variations power starving seems to be a major player.

I wanted to ask if anyone here has experimented in this field and could suggest improvements on my crude design...

Ideally I'd want to be able to output louder and lower in pitch sounds

thanks!

aero

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[Top Top]

I haven't done it but I have been thinking about it since pulling a cell from something I got at goodwill.

I think my cell is only around 3-4V in bright light though.

I can't listen right now but I'll check out the sounds later on.

[tjookum]

very cool idea, I know phobos from this forum has worked with photocells and some 40106 oscillators to "imitate" birdsounds.

4,5V should be just fine for a lunetta, cmos ic's run on anything from 3 to 15v. And you could try a bigger capacitor to lower the pitch.

I recently found a scrapped solar panel at the dump wich had just 1 crack in the glass and a little rust on maybe 2 of the 30 little panels inside, it's ridiculous what people trow away these days .

[droffset]

It's a very cool idea. I like the solar robots that the BEAM community makes, so something like this would be tool to see in the wild. I have one good solar cell but if anyone finds an inexpensive source please share with the group.

Check out circuits for Solar Pummer robots, they charge up a big capacitor until it reaches about 3 volts and then releases it through the circuit.
http://grant.solarbotics.net/Pummers.htm

[aerogramma]

thanks for all the advice

i found futurelec to be a good source of inexepensive photovoltaic cells.. although they are not of the latest design

charging a capacitor seems an interesting idea! any clues to where to find a simple circuit that will work with a solar cell?

[droffset]

Here are a couple of starter links, but as you can imagine it's a deep cave to explore. A lot of these circuits are meant to go off when about 3.5 volts has been stored up but they can probably be tweaked for different levels.

http://www.solarbotics.net/library/circuits/se.html

http://faq.solarbotics.net/oscillate.html

It's an interesting area to get into, maybe this sound stuff and that robot stuff can interact somehow.

[aerogramma]

mmm... very interesting...

it's true, the robotic side of it gives you a hint that such an hybridized lunetta could have yet another layer of self sufficency/random play to it...

[tjookum]

lunetta controlling sound, light, television, home appliances, the space program, G.W. Bush?

It should work though, lunetta signals for movement. Especially multiplexers with their analog voltage should do an excellent job in making motors and robots behave in strange patterns just like the music!

[aerogramma]

ahahahah

you mean using cv controlled lunettas? also an interesting development... what design have you used for it? (incidentally i really like your machines)

found another place that sells solar cells... not sure is cheaper than futurlec, but has those super cool little square one units
http://www.solarbotics.com/solar_cells/

what is really appealing about this soalr powered structure is that makes lunettas behave even more 'naturally' then they do already

nature is random right?

[tjookum]

[stolenfat]

if you chained more 4.5v solar cells in parallel to each other, i think you'd be able to increase the current sufficiently enough to result in more volume, and probably lower pitches.

Would an expert mind chiming in on this one?

[6581r4AR]

I would suggest using rechargeable batteries. Connecting a solar cell to the terminals constantly "topping off" the overall charge. I couldn't recommend any specific combo or anything, but I'm pretty sure it might work.