Can anyone reccoment some solar garden lights that actually do give
off some light,i bought some cheapies from buy and queue and i should
have just set fire to a tenner and saved the journey,i dont mind
forking out for some good quality as it is a lot easier than laying
cable etc,thanks folks

leedsbob wrote:
Can anyone reccoment some solar garden lights that actually do give
off some light,

? If its dark, and you need lights, it doesn't seem that solar energy
will be available..


i bought some cheapies from buy and queue and i should
have just set fire to a tenner and saved the journey,i dont mind
forking out for some good quality as it is a lot easier than laying
cable etc,thanks folks


Well that goes for solar just about anything.

If you are cruising in the carribean, maybe there is enough to charge
the emergency radio batteries, but in the UK in winter? forget it. A
couple of watts a square meter if you are lucky.

"leedsbob" wrote in message
...
Can anyone reccoment some solar garden lights that actually do give
off some light,i bought some cheapies from buy and queue and i should
have just set fire to a tenner and saved the journey,i dont mind
forking out for some good quality as it is a lot easier than laying
cable etc,thanks folks

The ones we use - and all the ones we've had from different sources - don't
light other objects - but that's not what they're for. They're for marking
routes and hazards such as paths and kerbs.

In our case they mark the position of guy ropes on tents and caravan awnings
to prevent people tripping over them and they do an excellent job.

We also use one inside a tent or caravan during the dark hours to give
sufficient light for when we have to get up.

Mary

Mary Fisher wrote:
"leedsbob" wrote in message
...
Can anyone reccoment some solar garden lights that actually do give
off some light,i bought some cheapies from buy and queue and i should
have just set fire to a tenner and saved the journey,i dont mind
forking out for some good quality as it is a lot easier than laying
cable etc,thanks folks

The ones we use - and all the ones we've had from different sources - don't
light other objects - but that's not what they're for. They're for marking
routes and hazards such as paths and kerbs.

In our case they mark the position of guy ropes on tents and caravan awnings
to prevent people tripping over them and they do an excellent job.

We also use one inside a tent or caravan during the dark hours to give
sufficient light for when we have to get up.


Try a clockwork torch.


Mary

In an earlier contribution to this discussion,
leedsbob wrote:

Can anyone reccoment some solar garden lights that actually do give
off some light,i bought some cheapies from buy and queue and i should
have just set fire to a tenner and saved the journey,i dont mind
forking out for some good quality as it is a lot easier than laying
cable etc,thanks folks

These things are rather constrained by the laws of Physics. Unless you have
massive photocells you need a *lot* of sunshine (or good daylight at any
rate) to charge up the batteries to drive the lamps when it's dark. The
better ones manage a bit of light in mid-summer, but this time of year -
forget it!!

I don't know whether anyone makes any which use LEDs to produce light. If
so, they might have a *bit* more of a chance.
--
Cheers,
Roger
______
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monitored.. Messages sent to it may not be read for several weeks.
PLEASE REPLY TO NEWSGROUP!

Roger Mills wrote:
I don't know whether anyone makes any which use LEDs to produce
light. If so, they might have a *bit* more of a chance.

All the solar garden lights I've seen use LEDs.
--
LSR

In message , Roger Mills
writes
In an earlier contribution to this discussion,
leedsbob wrote:

Can anyone reccoment some solar garden lights that actually do give
off some light,i bought some cheapies from buy and queue and i should
have just set fire to a tenner and saved the journey,i dont mind
forking out for some good quality as it is a lot easier than laying
cable etc,thanks folks

These things are rather constrained by the laws of Physics. Unless you have
massive photocells you need a *lot* of sunshine (or good daylight at any
rate) to charge up the batteries to drive the lamps when it's dark. The
better ones manage a bit of light in mid-summer, but this time of year -
forget it!!

I don't know whether anyone makes any which use LEDs to produce light. If
so, they might have a *bit* more of a chance.

I've mostly given up on the cheap ones I bought from Homebase several
years ago but they use two LEDs each. One was still managing a faint
glow for a couple of hours yesterday evening.

--
Si

"Roger Mills" wrote in message
...

I don't know whether anyone makes any which use LEDs to produce light. If
so, they might have a *bit* more of a chance.

Ours all have LEDs.

Mary

In an earlier contribution to this discussion,
Mary Fisher wrote:

"Roger Mills" wrote in message
...

I don't know whether anyone makes any which use LEDs to produce
light. If so, they might have a *bit* more of a chance.

Ours all have LEDs.

Mary

Maybe the *all* do in that case? But they're *still* pretty useless - at any
rate, ours are!
--
Cheers,
Roger
______
Email address maintained for newsgroup use only, and not regularly
monitored.. Messages sent to it may not be read for several weeks.
PLEASE REPLY TO NEWSGROUP!

"Roger Mills" wrote in message
...
In an earlier contribution to this discussion,
Mary Fisher wrote:

"Roger Mills" wrote in message
...

I don't know whether anyone makes any which use LEDs to produce
light. If so, they might have a *bit* more of a chance.

Ours all have LEDs.

Mary

Maybe the *all* do in that case? But they're *still* pretty useless - at
any rate, ours are!

shrug

It depends what you want them for. We're happy with ours and there re no
alternatives.

Mary

On 31 Jan, 15:11, "Mary Fisher" wrote:
"Roger Mills" wrote in message

...

In an earlier contribution to this discussion,
Mary Fisher wrote:

"Roger Mills" wrote in message
...

I don't know whether anyone makes any which use LEDs to produce
light. If so, they might have a *bit* more of a chance.

Ours all have LEDs.

Mary

Maybe the *all* do in that case? But they're *still* pretty useless - at
any rate, ours are!

shrug

It depends what you want them for. We're happy with ours and there re no
alternatives.

Mary

Dismantled a non working one for a friend. Yes, its a small LED and a
Ni Cd cell (probably the cheapest the manufacturer could get !). I
didn't particularly investigate the charging configuration but memory
says it wasn't anything more than a resistor. So as others have said,
in winter you're going to get b****r all anyway and in summer you'll
get enough light to show where the lamp is until the cell gets fed up
with the crude charging (and discharging!) arrangement and stops
working.

Rob

"robgraham" wrote in message
...
On 31 Jan, 15:11, "Mary Fisher" wrote:
"Roger Mills" wrote in message

...

In an earlier contribution to this discussion,
Mary Fisher wrote:

"Roger Mills" wrote in message
...

I don't know whether anyone makes any which use LEDs to produce
light. If so, they might have a *bit* more of a chance.

Ours all have LEDs.

Mary

Maybe the *all* do in that case? But they're *still* pretty useless -
at
any rate, ours are!

shrug

It depends what you want them for. We're happy with ours and there re no
alternatives.

Mary

Dismantled a non working one for a friend. Yes, its a small LED and a
Ni Cd cell (probably the cheapest the manufacturer could get !). I
didn't particularly investigate the charging configuration but memory
says it wasn't anything more than a resistor. So as others have said,
in winter you're going to get b****r all anyway and in summer you'll
get enough light to show where the lamp is until the cell gets fed up
with the crude charging (and discharging!) arrangement and stops
working.

Rob

We've been using ours for about five years.
LEDs ARE small ...

Mary

Roger Mills wrote:

I don't know whether anyone makes any which use LEDs to produce light. If
so, they might have a *bit* more of a chance.

plenty do, they are still hopeless. Even those that work moderately for
a short while in the lighter months soon fail due to float charging
poor quality batteries.

--
Cheers,

John.

/================================================== ===============\
| Internode Ltd - http://www.internode.co.uk |
|-----------------------------------------------------------------|
| John Rumm - john(at)internode(dot)co(dot)uk |
\================================================= ================/

Mary Fisher wrote:

We've been using ours for about five years.
LEDs ARE small ...

I take it you keep them turned off or in the dark for a fair amount of
the time though?

Most NiCds won't survive 1800+ crude charge/discharge cycles - even
decent cells on a smart charger will have a job.

--
Cheers,

John.

/================================================== ===============\
| Internode Ltd - http://www.internode.co.uk |
|-----------------------------------------------------------------|
| John Rumm - john(at)internode(dot)co(dot)uk |
\================================================= ================/

"John Rumm" wrote in message
...
Mary Fisher wrote:

We've been using ours for about five years.
LEDs ARE small ...

I take it you keep them turned off or in the dark for a fair amount of the
time though?

We turn them off when we're not using them - of course. Shouldn't ALL
electrical equipment be turned off when not being used? It makes all kinds
of sense - even for little old me.

Most NiCds won't survive 1800+ crude charge/discharge cycles - even decent
cells on a smart charger will have a job.

? They work from small built-in solar panels!

Mary

In an earlier contribution to this discussion,
Mary Fisher wrote:


We turn them off when we're not using them - of course. Shouldn't ALL
electrical equipment be turned off when not being used? It makes all
kinds of sense - even for little old me.


Except that when you *do* want them, you won't be able to see them to turn
them on 'cos it will be dark!

And if you *do* know where they are in the dark, you don't need them anyway!
g
--
Cheers,
Roger
______
Email address maintained for newsgroup use only, and not regularly
monitored.. Messages sent to it may not be read for several weeks.
PLEASE REPLY TO NEWSGROUP!

Mary Fisher wrote:

I take it you keep them turned off or in the dark for a fair amount of the
time though?

We turn them off when we're not using them - of course. Shouldn't ALL
electrical equipment be turned off when not being used? It makes all kinds
of sense - even for little old me.

The vast majority of "install and forget" garden lighting applications
will require they are left on 24/7 however.

I thought it may be worth highlighting that your usage is hence not typical.

Most NiCds won't survive 1800+ crude charge/discharge cycles - even decent
cells on a smart charger will have a job.

? They work from small built-in solar panels!

Solar panels are not terribly effective at night. Hence they are used to
charge a battery which then powers the light when activated by a
dusk/dawn sensor.


--
Cheers,

John.

/================================================== ===============\
| Internode Ltd - http://www.internode.co.uk |
|-----------------------------------------------------------------|
| John Rumm - john(at)internode(dot)co(dot)uk |
\================================================= ================/

John Rumm wrote:

Mary Fisher wrote:

We've been using ours for about five years.
LEDs ARE small ...

I take it you keep them turned off or in the dark for a fair amount
of the time though?

Most NiCds won't survive 1800+ crude charge/discharge cycles - even
decent cells on a smart charger will have a job.

I've got one still one working after 4 years. maybe it's going to pack
up this year

--
---
zaax

"Roger Mills" wrote in message
...
In an earlier contribution to this discussion,
Mary Fisher wrote:


We turn them off when we're not using them - of course. Shouldn't ALL
electrical equipment be turned off when not being used? It makes all
kinds of sense - even for little old me.


Except that when you *do* want them, you won't be able to see them to turn
them on 'cos it will be dark!

It's very rarely so dark that you can see nothing at all.

It takes a lot of skill to light proof a photographic dark room thoroughly.

In an earlier contribution to this discussion,
Mary Fisher wrote:

"Roger Mills" wrote in message
...

Except that when you *do* want them, you won't be able to see them
to turn them on 'cos it will be dark!

It's very rarely so dark that you can see nothing at all.

It takes a lot of skill to light proof a photographic dark room
thoroughly.


I'm sure that last remark must have *some* relevance to solar-powered garden
lights - but I can't think what!
--
Cheers,
Roger
______
Email address maintained for newsgroup use only, and not regularly
monitored.. Messages sent to it may not be read for several weeks.
PLEASE REPLY TO NEWSGROUP!

On Jan 31, 7:29 pm, John Rumm wrote:
Mary Fisher wrote:
We've been using ours for about five years.
LEDs ARE small ...

I take it you keep them turned off or in the dark for a fair amount of
the time though?

Most NiCds won't survive 1800+ crude charge/discharge cycles - even
decent cells on a smart charger will have a job.

--
Cheers,

John.

/================================================== ===============\
| Internode Ltd - http://www.internode.co.uk |
|-----------------------------------------------------------------|
| John Rumm - john(at)internode(dot)co(dot)uk |
\================================================= ================/

Got some Maplin models form 4/5 years ago, 2 Jump Sun 600mah NiCd in
them, decent size solar panel on top. Retrofitted couple with 3 green
LEDs, green LED will light on microamps, one lights all year round
even over Christmas for couple of hours and has done for at least 4
years.

White, green and blue all need over 3V to light so the single and
double battery models use a charge pump to boost the voltage, amber
and red dont need it, but are usually a sign of really naff solar
lights.

Looking at the size of the actual panel gives a gues lot of them are
couple of stips of ofcut buried in large amount of black gunk, look
for something where the black area is actually panel.

Adam

leedsbob wrote:

Can anyone reccoment some solar garden lights that actually do give
off some light,i bought some cheapies from buy and queue and i should
have just set fire to a tenner and saved the journey,i dont mind
forking out for some good quality as it is a lot easier than laying
cable etc,thanks folks

ways to get much more light output:
1. fit a reflective collar in winter so the panel gets more light -
but remove in summer so the panel doesnt burn
2. fit a lot more LEDs, bigger NiCd and a bigger panel
3. Forget about ready made micropower things and make a solar light
system from scratch.


NT

"Roger Mills" wrote in message
...
In an earlier contribution to this discussion,
Mary Fisher wrote:

"Roger Mills" wrote in message
...

Except that when you *do* want them, you won't be able to see them
to turn them on 'cos it will be dark!

It's very rarely so dark that you can see nothing at all.

It takes a lot of skill to light proof a photographic dark room
thoroughly.


I'm sure that last remark must have *some* relevance to solar-powered
garden lights - but I can't think what!

I want a solar powered dark room.

"Roger Mills" wrote in message
...
In an earlier contribution to this discussion,
Mary Fisher wrote:

"Roger Mills" wrote in message
...

Except that when you *do* want them, you won't be able to see them
to turn them on 'cos it will be dark!

It's very rarely so dark that you can see nothing at all.

It takes a lot of skill to light proof a photographic dark room
thoroughly.


I'm sure that last remark must have *some* relevance to solar-powered
garden lights - but I can't think what!

You obviously didn't make the connection between my first and second
sentences :-)

Mary

"whisky-dave" wrote in message
news:fnvk89$er5$1@qmul...

"Roger Mills" wrote in message
...
In an earlier contribution to this discussion,
Mary Fisher wrote:

"Roger Mills" wrote in message
...

Except that when you *do* want them, you won't be able to see them
to turn them on 'cos it will be dark!

It's very rarely so dark that you can see nothing at all.

It takes a lot of skill to light proof a photographic dark room
thoroughly.


I'm sure that last remark must have *some* relevance to solar-powered
garden lights - but I can't think what!

I want a solar powered dark room.

I have a solar powered key-ring.

Mary

whisky-dave wrote:

I'm sure that last remark must have *some* relevance to solar-powered
garden lights - but I can't think what!

I want a solar powered dark room.

Just get yourself some of those solar garden lights and use them inside ;-)

--
Cheers,

John.

/================================================== ===============\
| Internode Ltd - http://www.internode.co.uk |
|-----------------------------------------------------------------|
| John Rumm - john(at)internode(dot)co(dot)uk |
\================================================= ================/

In an earlier contribution to this discussion,
John Rumm wrote:

whisky-dave wrote:

I'm sure that last remark must have *some* relevance to
solar-powered garden lights - but I can't think what!

I want a solar powered dark room.

Just get yourself some of those solar garden lights and use them
inside ;-)

It might take a while to charge the batteries! g
--
Cheers,
Roger
______
Email address maintained for newsgroup use only, and not regularly
monitored.. Messages sent to it may not be read for several weeks.
PLEASE REPLY TO NEWSGROUP!