Solar-Powered DS Unveiled

After the creation of the solar-powered Wii station, TwitchGuru responded to a request to build a solar-powered DS Lite, and as such has produced it. Many people commented on the solar-powered Wii Station that was created by Tom’s Hardware Guide and even requested a solar-powered DS Lite to be created, and as such, one has been created.

Taking no more than a slightly modified cell phone solar-powered charger and a DS Lite, TwitchGuru has modified their DS Lite to run solely off of the power produced by the Sun. Many were agitated that the device would be running off of battery power and will be recharged with solar energy, however this modified DS is solely powered off of solar energy.

With two solar panels, closely the same size as the NDS Lite folded out, the modified DS folds up into a nice small package not much longer than its original size. You can attach the solar panels however you would like but this modified DS features it attached to the top of the DS Lite’s top screen and seems to balance out just fine. Now all we need is a sun-friendly Nintendo DS as it’s not pleasant to play in the sunlight with any product that features a LCD. You can view the instructions after the jump and watch the video via the link below –

Watch: [Tom’s Workshop Video]

With two solar panels, closely the same size as the NDS Lite folded out, the modified DS folds up into a nice small package not much longer than its original size. You can attach the solar panels however you would like but this modified DS features it attached to the top of the DS Lite’s top screen and seems to balance out just fine. Now all we need is a sun-friendly Nintendo DS as it’s not pleasant to play in the sunlight with any product that features a LCD.You can view the how-to and a video of the modified DS below (link located at end of article) –

As said by TwitchGuru,

Building a solar-powered DS Lite didn’t take very long. In fact, the longest part of the process might have been the arduous process of purchasing a DS at our local Best Buy. In any event, THG videographer modified the Soldius 1 solar-powered cell phone charger so that the DS Lite’s battery charger cable connected directly to the two solar panels. Max fashioned a simple connection between the wires, and that was pretty much it. The aesthetic work on the Solar DS was a bit more complicated. I purchased a black DS Lite and of course, the Soldius 1 was an off white color. As a result, we spray-painted the panels, latch and top cover of the DS Lite black so it would look better.

We wanted to build it so that the panels would be exposed to direct sunlight during outdoor play, which would eliminate the need for the battery and allow the unit to run entirely on solar power. As a result, we couldn’t simply stick the two solar panels to the back of each side of the DS. Instead, we kept the Soldius 1 intact for the most part and attached it to the DS with a folding metal latch. We then glued the latch to the top side of the DS Lite so that when you open the DS, the two panels can also unfold on the back side of the handheld device and face the sun.

Material List:

Nintedo DS Lite: $129.99
Soldius 1 solar power charger: approximately $99.99
Mario Kart DS: $34.99
Metroid Prime: Hunters DS: $34.99
Metal latch, glue, spray paint and other accessories: $20

Total: $319.96

Watch: [Tom’s Workshop Video]

Via TwitchGuru

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