Quick project brief. I bought a small solar system that will run indoors in a window. I know it won't produce much, but I am only intending on using it to charge battery powered devices. Phones, eCigs, power banks, etc. I have been charging my USB devices off a repurposed laptop battery (extracted the cell pairs and put them 3S2P config) with a 5V regulator board I got off ebay. The 3S2P get's charged off the solar load via a proper hobby charger. Charging USB devices it lasts for ages.
This works, but it has short comings. I believe it's a linear regulator, it gets hot, it doesn't like to put out more than about 1Amp.
So it got me to thinking, if I want to charge things via USB with more than 1Amp and use QC2.0 or QC3.0 adapter etc. Or is I want to run anything less than 12V off the 12V Lithium pack I will need a switched step down buck converter.
Now I intend to buy old laptop packs for £8 off ebay and extract the cells, they are low current cells I know.
Is it better/easier/more efficient to use the cells in 1S6P and use boost converters to step the voltage up, or build them in 3S2P and step it down?