Making a NiMH Battery Charger

Tooling：The tools acquired for putting together a solar battery charger consist of simple household or garage items, with perhaps a couple of gadgets from Radio Shack. The arrangement for the battery charger will be stored in an old window and frame. A multi-meter, battery holder (AA batteries), soldering pen and electric tape will be used to create the innards of the battery charger. Twelve cells will be used in creating this solar battery charger.

Orient the jack on the edge of the perfboard, connector side facing out. Insert the anode lead of the 1N4007 diode near the jack’s positive lead and solder the connection. Insert the diode’s cathode lead into a nearby hole. Put the positive lead of the 220-microfarad capacitor near the diode’s cathode and solder the connection. Place the capacitor’s negative lead near the LED’s cathode and solder. Cut a 2-inch piece of wire and strip a quarter-inch of insulation from each end. Solder one end to the jack’s negative pin. Place the other end near the LED’s cathode and solder.

Constructing the Charger Backing：A backing is created from a foam board or thick poster board (cardboard). The window is laid over the foam/ poster board, and the shape of the window is traced with a pencil onto the foam/ poster board. Backing is cut out from the foam/ poster board. A portion of the backing is cut out to make the AA battery holder easily accessible. The backing is then secured onto the window frame with electric tape. All that remains to be done is place a pair of AA batteries in the AA battery holder, and then set the entire arrangement in the sun for a few hours. A multi-meter is used to check the power level of the battery charger every couple of hours (once every hour on very hot days) to ensure the charger doesn’t overcharge the batteries.

Place the red wire from the battery holder near the 1N4007’s cathode. Place the black wire near the transistor’s collector. Solder these connections. Trim excess wire and leads on the board’s copper side with the diagonal cutters.

Place two discharged AA-size NiMH batteries in the battery holder. Plug the 9-volt power adapter connector into the jack and plug the adapter into a wall outlet. The batteries will take a few hours to charge.

  Insert one lead of the 120-ohm resistor near the transistor’s collector and the other lead near the base. Solder these two connections. Place the LED’s anode near the transistor’s base and put the LED’s cathode lead into a nearby hole. Insert one lead of the 18-ohm resistor near the LED’s cathode. Insert the resistor’s other lead near the transistor’s emitter. Solder these connections.

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