Adjustable Solar Panel Mount w/ Control Box Mount

cults3d

For this project, I needed to design an adjustable mount for our solar panel so that we could easily change the angle of the panel relative to the sun. To accomplish this, I used an iPad mount from Amazon. http://www.amazon.com/EMPIRE-Adjustable-Flexible-Extension-Mount/dp/B005VSHMSY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1371562742&sr=8-1&keywords=ipad+flexible+arm+stand Solar Panel: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005LR9IOG/ref=oh_details_o00_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 First, I created a backing out of 1/4-inch plywood using a laser cutter to match the exact dimensions of the solar panel. Then, I cut four holes in which to place printable rivets that would secure the panel to the backing. http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:79580 Next, I added clips in each corner to hold the panel even more securely to the backing. Finally, I attached the flexible iPad stand to the backing using the mount provided earlier. The last piece of the puzzle was a way to mount the solar panel control box to our outdoor Coleman 13x13 canopy. To accomplish this, I installed three neodymium magnets inside the Control Box Mount. These three magnets held the control box tightly against the canopy for four complete days without budging. I highly recommend this solar charger as well. We used the panel and a 12-volt marine deep cycle battery to run three 12-inch fans while charging two iPhones for four consecutive days. The battery never lost its charge.