Solar Powered Bait Aerator

[rikydee]

How can I use a Landscape solar powered LED cell to provide power to a fish bait aerator that uses a D battery, for power in the day, and battery at night?
Rikydee.

 

[ronsimpson]

One single 1.5 volt battery? for the fish bait aerator.

Do you know what type of battery the landscape panel charges? Maybe 3 volt. or 2.5 volt?

 

[alec_t]

Unless you have a big solar cell I have my doubts that it would provide enough power for an aerator, but this is something you could easily test. What are the solar cell specs and aerator current draw?

 

[large_ghostman]

I assume the bait thing runs in a similar way to the battery powered aquarium air pump I have, that uses a D cell and could be run easy enough from solar, those little airpumps use very little current considering the air output. I am never sure how they work so well on a single battery

 

[rikydee]

Guys,
The aerator draws .17A in"low", and .24Amps in"high", using one "D" battery. I think they are rated at 20,500 mah, and provide 1.1V. The solar panel produces 4.56V DC at 70ma, max. It is charging two 1.2V rechargeable AA NiCD batteries rated at 800 ma.

 

[Colin]

Simply do the maths, and you will see the panel cannot charge the battery and drive the motor at the same time. It can't chew gum and walk at the same time.

 

[large_ghostman]

Ultimately its more than doable with the right number of solar panels etc, after all people go completely off grid using solar............

 

[strantor]

BaitAerator.. conjures up a scene from Idiocracy.

I suspect the cell coul do the work. Why not try it and see? instead of speculate

 

[large_ghostman]

BaitAerator.. conjures up a scene from Idiocracy.

I suspect the cell coul do the work. Why not try it and see? instead of speculate

I hear in Alabama thats what they call a AK47

 

[ronsimpson]

The aerator draws .17A in"low", and .24Amps in"high", using one "D" battery. I think they are rated at 20,500 mah, and provide 1.1V. The solar panel produces 4.56V DC at 70ma, max. It is charging two 1.2V rechargeable AA NiCD batteries rated at 800 ma.

The aerator draws .187 watts or .264 watts.
The panel produces .319 watts at noon, on a clear day, under best condition.
The panel is not used at best condition. It charges a 2.4V battery at 70mA so some of its power is lost here.
The panel does not produce anything at night. It produces little power at 4:00 pm.
If the power of the Aerator is .2 watts 24 hours a day.
So the panel needs to output about 1 watts at noon to get the battery charged.
I think you need four of the panels to work.
Assuming no clouds, rainy days, storms, etc.

 

[rikydee]

Yes,
I was thinking to connect 4 of these in parallel, but only to the aerator, not the LED circuitry. This will be used for my bait bucket.
Thanks for your input.