Hi, I'm new here and I'm just starting to get into electronics, but I was wondering if someone would be able to provide me with a bit of info.
I'm currently building a solar powered charger and need a constant 5v output for the charge to be recognized by my device. However the part that I'm using, the LM7805 5v regulator, is not working exactly how I would like.
My problem is that because I'm using power from the sun, unless I have complete direct sunlight, I won't get enough of an input to create an output of 5v. The output will often drop to 4.90, even when the input is still 6v or so, which my device won't recognize.
It would seem that this type of regulator reduces output as a percentage of input once the input drops below a certain value.
My question: Is there a regulator that can give me a constant 5v output? As long as the voltage is above 5v of course. But what I am looking for here is a 5v output even if the input drops to 5.5v for example.
Thanks a lot!
Matt