Tried a solar panel from Harbor Freight vs one from an old broken garden light for a phone charger build, the cheap panel actually won

2 comments

2 Comments

Honestly that is super validating to hear. I have a little solar setup for charging my camping battery and the cheapo panels always surprise me with how much they can pull in direct sun. Tbh I think a lot of times the name brand stuff is just marked up for the sticker. If it works for a phone charger build, that's all that matters, right? Ngl it makes me want to try pairing one of those little panels with a cheap charge controller just to see how long it lasts.

johns181mo ago

Oh come on, "If it works for a phone charger build, that's all that matters" - that's like saying a cardboard box works fine for a car engine build because it fits in the garage. Cheap panels don't have the same voltage regulation or durability, and a budget charge controller can fry your battery if the sun hits just right. I've seen friends lose $200 batteries trying to save $30 on a controller. That little experiment might work for a weekend, but trust me, the smoke show ain't worth the savings.