Solar-Powered Fan
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This Fan is a Three-Speed fan that works outside during daylight. The motor runs completely on solar power from the 4v solar panel. This fan is great for relaxing outside and cooling off.
Materials
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You need to either have a fan lying around, purchase one online, or have a motor on hand. This is a link to the fan I used in the pictures http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0050JBUUK?psc=1&... . You will also need a solar panel that generates anywhere from 3 to 7 volts of power. Also a small phillips head screwdriver, and soldering materials are needed.
Taking a Look Inside
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To begin this project you will need to unscrew your fan open and examine its contents (Your fan should have some access to the motor and power source even if it is not the same fan pictured). It is key to find the motor, and find where the motor's power comes from. In the fan pictured, it is not neccessary to take out the motor for any reason.
Undo the Existing Connections
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Once everything in unscrewed and taken off, un-solder the wires connected to the metal springs in the battery compartment. Make sure to keep the wires connected to the motor.
Matching Up the Solar Panel
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Now, use a multimeter to test on your solar panel (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00KQR4CBU?psc=1&...), to see which sides of the panel are positive and negative. Once you know which end is positive, match up the positive wire coming from the solar panel to the positive wire connected to the motor. The positive wire will the one that was originally touching the positive end of a battery. Also match up the negative wires to each other. Remember which wires are supposed to connect to each other! Don't solder the wires just yet.
Finishing Touches
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Drill a hole through the cover of the battery compartment (if you are using the pictured fan) or drill a hole through any spot that you want the wires from the solar panel to travel through. Put the positive and negative wires through the drilled hole and match up the positive and negative wires again. Now you can solder the matched up wires together after you make a string mechanical connection between the two wires. Put the cover back over the battery compartment with the solar panel on top.
Finished Fan!
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Now your fan is finished and ready to go! Just take it outside, select your desired fan speed, and relax.