Is there a way to debug one of the 2-transistor/1 FLED Solar Engines?
• Check that your components are in the holes that they started in (especially if you share your lab with other lifeforms.) • Check that they are in the holes that they are in. Breadboards can have reliability problems. • Vcap • Check V (solarcell-open circuit) • Check NPN and motor. • Vcap climbs to V solarcell but no trigger? • Check connection to transistors • Check LED and PNP. • Vcap climbs and drops, motor doesn’t move? • Check motor shaft / efficiency. • If you can see the FLED blinking, that means something’s not right. Sounds like it may be in backwards. Cathode goes negative (the shorter leg, or the one closest to the chamfer on the side of the lip on the FLED). It could also be an indication of power-hungry motor – try an efficient motor, like a pager motor. Just a few places to start.
