Powering Muons with solar

[gusgonnet]

Hi,

Now we know that to properly power a Muon, and charge its battery, we must use a USB C cable according to this:

@rickkas7

The battery should also charge off USB-C, but only from a real USB-C port. If you are using a USB-A to USB-C cable, the USB port won't switch to 9V and the battery will not charge, and the Muon won't run (except off battery).

I have the following question:

Can I power the Muon by directly connecting a 6V solar panel to its USB C port?
I guess the answer will be that I cannot since 6v is not enough.

So the Muons need 9v or 12v solar panels.
Is this correct?

Thanks!

[rickkas7]

You'd need a USB C PD solar charger. It would need to be able to switch to 9V mode in order to be able to charge the Muon via USB-C.

The best option is a 12V panel to VIN though like all devices you may need to adjust the maximum charge current in the bq24195 depending on the size of your panel. A 6V panel might work, but it's so close to the minimum voltage that it would likely only work when there's a lot of sun.