Battery free pedals?

[col]

I have a garden light that uses a photocharger to keep 2  x 1.5v batteries charged during daylight hours and several calculators that use abient light to power them. Since I don't know much about solar panels I wondered if anyone would know if it would be possible to power a pedal from these with stage lighting. There are a few pedals out therethat work from 1.5 to 3v. I sit a possibility?

Col

[blanik]

just hope that the blackout between songs isn't too long or you won't be able to start the next song... 

R

[lumpymusic]

I have a garden light that uses a photocharger to keep 2  x 1.5v batteries
charged during daylight hours and several calculators that use abient light
to power them. Since I don't know much about solar panels I wondered if
anyone would know if it would be possible to power a pedal from these
with stage lighting....

I think I would use a small gasoline generator just off stage
to power a very high brightness lamp which is focused
directly on the solar panels. Sort of like an LED-LDR
arrangement only much larger.

I'm not sure if the solar panels use visible or IR or UV
light. If it is visible, you'd probably want to either mask
the light spillage, or perhaps arrange it so that it
would do double duty as a footlight, shining up
at you. Maybe wire an SCR/Triac dimmer to an old
wah pedal and control the intensity of the lamp to
either set the mood for your personal footlight,
and/or to achieve "dying battery effect".

If they use IR light, it would probably get pretty warm.
I'd try to build some kind of insulating box for the
light + solar panels. You might be able to let the box
do double duty as an incense burner or pizza oven.

If they use UV light, some groovy blacklight painted
highlights and clothing would be the obvious
fringe benefit.

Please post photos if you build it!

Lumpy

[brett]

Hi
You could buy two "supercaps".  They are 5V, 1Farad for about$3.  Charge 'em during the day and they'll last all night.  Actually, they'll last a month!
cheers

[DDD]

I've tried a photocell from the cheap Chinese calculator. It produced about 3.3 Volts on idle and 40 uA if shorted with ammeter. Tests were performed in the room and the sunlight passing via VERY dusty window glass.
IMO if you'll arrange 8-10 photocells in the parallel/serial configuration, it is enouogh for recharging your battery ;-)

[Roobin]

I read in Everday Practical Electornics about a super lamp, which used LEDs, and which charges just by you winding it! It also uses a supercap. Could this be implemented?!?!

[reverberation66]

     not to be un-romantic about the whole idea but why not just get one of those solar powered battery chargers, and a re-chargeable 9v battery if that's what you're looking for.  or do you specifically want something that is powered by an external light source while you're using it?