1. The use of technology in field ecology is increasing rapidly and many applications require that equipment operates autonomously for weeks, months or even years. While reducing power requirements can extend the battery life of many field devices, research time frames are always limited without renewable power. However, commercially available units that provide autonomous solar power are either prohibitively expensive or too small to sustain continuous operation for many field devices.
2. We describe a semi‐portable, field deployable solar unit that can provide sustainable power for a wide variety of field devices, including passive acoustic recorders, motion‐activated cameras, speakers and microcomputers. Depending on power needs, these units can be built in‐house for only a few hundred dollars (USD) with minimal access to tools or shop facilities. Further, we provide information on how to calculate power requirements and modify the system design to accommodate user needs.
3. We have used these units effectively in the field for six research seasons, with continuous autonomous operation varying between 2 weeks and 8 months. Batteries and other parts are easily accessed and replaced if needed.
4. Our example system can be modified to provide different output voltage (e.g. 12, 5 V), or to power audio speakers. We also describe a switch that can be placed within the unit to regulate power production to certain times of the day or week. Our aim is to facilitate the use of electronics in the field for ecologists who may lack funding, time or the expertise to design a system independently.

中文翻译：

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半便携式太阳能以促进技术在现场的连续运行

1. 技术在野外生态中的使用正在迅速增加，许多应用要求设备自动运行数周，数月甚至数年。虽然降低功率需求可以延长许多现场设备的电池寿命，但是在没有可再生能源的情况下，研究时间总是有限的。然而，提供自主太阳能的可商购单元太贵或太小而不能维持许多现场设备的连续运行。
2. 我们描述了一种半便携式，可现场部署的太阳能装置，该装置可为各种现场设备提供可持续的电力，包括无源声学记录仪，运动激活的摄像机，扬声器和微型计算机。根据电力需求，这些设备仅需几百美元（USD）即可在内部建造，而使用工具或商店设施的机会却很少。此外，我们提供有关如何计算功率要求以及修改系统设计以满足用户需求的信息。
3. 在六个研究季节中，我们已在野外有效使用了这些装置，连续的自主运行时间在2周到8个月之间。电池和其他零件易于取用，并在需要时进行更换。
4. 我们的示例系统可以修改为提供不同的输出电压（例如12、5 V）或为音频扬声器供电。我们还介绍了一种可以放置在设备内的开关，以调节一天或一周中特定时间的发电量。我们的目标是为可能缺乏资金，时间或专业知识来独立设计系统的生态学家提供便利，以在现场使用电子设备。