HME Solar External Battery mod

[Wiley0717]

For those who have bought the HME Solar External Battery for their Cell Cams, you already know they don't keep your battery charged for more than a week and a half but all is not lost! The fault lies in for 1. their solar panel is not big enough and 2. The circuitry robs you of much needed charge capacity! Tested under a shop light (you'll get better performance from sunlight) I was able to get 10X the charge performance from this simple mod.
Things needed:
Tractor supply 12V solar feeder charger
Soldering Iron
3M VBH tape (or your favorite 2 sided tape)
Shrink tube.

I'm new here so this will be a milti post DIY, but in the end you will end up with a panel that produces .6v indoors to 7v indoors, I equate to full sun vs shaded sun

 

[Wiley0717]

Actual unmodified voltage .702v

 

[Wiley0717]

Put 3M VHB on all 4 corners of the existing panel, you will need 4 layers to clear the existing solar panel frame.

 

[Wiley0717]

Next, press the Tractor Supply 12v Solar Panel down then cut the wires about 4 inches long, push the old solar panel wires through the lid from the inside with a screw driver and pull the new wires in, solder those wires to the supplied spades and wrap with tape (I used shrink tube).

 

[Wiley0717]

You will need to cut off 1/3 of the width of the tractor supply spade to get the stock HME Spades to mount up

 

[Wiley0717]

After attachment of the wires, seal the hole up with some shoe goo and you are set. New voltage is 8.66v indoors! This method still allows you to use the HME charger should you need to as well as keeps the original swivel to angle your panel.