Want to get some decent outdoor lights. Auto day light switching and solar powered ideally but otherwise 12v as the run will be up to 100yds with 5-10 lights on it

I've seen some outdoor leds which were very weedy . Give out very little light So what spec would I be looking for ? No of leds? Wattage ?And wht duration could I expect on a winters night where it is dark from 17:00 to 08:00

Thanks in advance for all info

In article ,
fred wrote:
Want to get some decent outdoor lights. Auto day light switching and
solar powered ideally but otherwise 12v as the run will be up to 100yds
with 5-10 lights on it

A long run means more voltage drop. And 12v takes more current than 240v
ones, so more susceptible. In other words, suitable cable for that run in
12v will need to be thicker therefore more expensive than mains.

But if they are solar powered, the source of that is going to determine
what you use anyway.

--
*Bills travel through the mail at twice the speed of cheques *

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

On 11/01/2018 13:35, fred wrote:
Want to get some decent outdoor lights. Auto day light switching and
solar powered ideally but otherwise 12v as the run will be up to
100yds with 5-10 lights on it

Solar powered lights tend to be useless in midwinter and often kill
their batteries stone dead if you leave them outside in the long dark
nights. Even kit like the radar activated "please go round the bend"
signs only last an hour or so after sunset and are dead in the water
every cold frosty winters morning when they might do some good. Today
has been very dull and foggy so the danger bend sign has already given
up the ghost and it isn't even dark yet.

I've seen some outdoor leds which were very weedy . Give out very
little light So what spec would I be looking for ? No of leds?
Wattage ?And wht duration could I expect on a winters night where it
is dark from 17:00 to 08:00

About 3W will give enough light for a path - best configuration is full
cutoff so that you don't dazzle or add to light pollution. To work in
winter reliably it will need to be actively powered - forget solar.

--
Regards,
Martin Brown

Suggestion, have them 12 volt but wired up to a radio remote so you only put
them on when you need to negotiate the path they illuminate.
Brian

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This newsgroup posting comes to you directly from...
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"fred" wrote in message
...
Want to get some decent outdoor lights. Auto day light switching and solar
powered ideally but otherwise 12v as the run will be up to 100yds with
5-10 lights on it

I've seen some outdoor leds which were very weedy . Give out very little
light So what spec would I be looking for ? No of leds? Wattage ?And wht
duration could I expect on a winters night where it is dark from 17:00 to
08:00

Thanks in advance for all info

On 11/01/2018 15:53, Martin Brown wrote:


Solar powered lights tend to be useless in midwinter and often kill
their batteries stone dead if you leave them outside in the long dark
nights.

+1
Short daylight hours to recharge and cold weather result in very weak
lighting and short battery life. I had a fairly expensive LED light with
a large solar cell which during the summer months would provide a good
light dusk to dawn but during the winter never more than around 4 hours
at an acceptable brightness. After around a year the light output fell
off considerably as the batteries started to fail, especially in the
cold weather.

I also have a solar charged LED light with a PIR which is still working
after 3 years. However, the PIR timing is only around 30 to 60 seconds,
triggered perhaps a couple of time per night and although fitted
outdoors it is in a sheltered location.


--
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On Thursday, 11 January 2018 14:41:17 UTC, Dave Plowman (News) wrote:
In article ,
fred wrote:

Want to get some decent outdoor lights. Auto day light switching and
solar powered ideally but otherwise 12v as the run will be up to 100yds
with 5-10 lights on it

A long run means more voltage drop. And 12v takes more current than 240v
ones, so more susceptible. In other words, suitable cable for that run in
12v will need to be thicker therefore more expensive than mains.

But if they are solar powered, the source of that is going to determine
what you use anyway.

too many assumptions in that really


NT

On Thursday, 11 January 2018 19:08:14 UTC, alan_m wrote:
On 11/01/2018 15:53, Martin Brown wrote:


Solar powered lights tend to be useless in midwinter and often kill
their batteries stone dead if you leave them outside in the long dark
nights.

+1
Short daylight hours to recharge and cold weather result in very weak
lighting and short battery life. I had a fairly expensive LED light with
a large solar cell which during the summer months would provide a good
light dusk to dawn but during the winter never more than around 4 hours
at an acceptable brightness. After around a year the light output fell
off considerably as the batteries started to fail, especially in the
cold weather.

I also have a solar charged LED light with a PIR which is still working
after 3 years. However, the PIR timing is only around 30 to 60 seconds,
triggered perhaps a couple of time per night and although fitted
outdoors it is in a sheltered location.

The OP said solar powered ideally, which means mains is available. You could supplement the solar - or replace it if running on PIR only - with a small mains 12-15v PSU sending charge current down a long thin wire.


NT

In article ,
wrote:
On Thursday, 11 January 2018 14:41:17 UTC, Dave Plowman (News) wrote:
In article ,
fred wrote:

Want to get some decent outdoor lights. Auto day light switching and
solar powered ideally but otherwise 12v as the run will be up to
100yds with 5-10 lights on it

A long run means more voltage drop. And 12v takes more current than
240v ones, so more susceptible. In other words, suitable cable for
that run in 12v will need to be thicker therefore more expensive than
mains.

But if they are solar powered, the source of that is going to
determine what you use anyway.

too many assumptions in that really


Just trying to point out you'll need a solar power supply large enough for
the very worst case - a short dull day in mid winter. Which will be many
many times the size of one which would be OK in mid summer.

Which is obvious to those who understand such things. Who are very much in
a minority.

--
*I speak fluent patriarchy but it's not my mother tongue

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

In article ,
wrote:
The OP said solar powered ideally, which means mains is available. You
could supplement the solar - or replace it if running on PIR only - with
a small mains 12-15v PSU sending charge current down a long thin wire.

Under the worse conditions - mid winter - the batteries will be on charge
for a shorter period than the lights are running. So not quite sure how
you work out the power supply cable can be smaller than the light one?
Unless of course it is at 240v.

--
*If I agreed with you, we'd both be wrong.

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

On Friday, 12 January 2018 10:53:11 UTC, Dave Plowman (News) wrote:
In article ,
tabbypurr wrote:

The OP said solar powered ideally, which means mains is available. You
could supplement the solar - or replace it if running on PIR only - with
a small mains 12-15v PSU sending charge current down a long thin wire.

Under the worse conditions - mid winter - the batteries will be on charge
for a shorter period than the lights are running.

Ah, the OP has emailed you more about their use I see. I thought they might be running them on PIR mainly.

So not quite sure how
you work out the power supply cable can be smaller than the light one?
Unless of course it is at 240v.


NT

In article ,
wrote:
On Friday, 12 January 2018 10:53:11 UTC, Dave Plowman (News) wrote:
In article ,
tabbypurr wrote:

The OP said solar powered ideally, which means mains is available.
You could supplement the solar - or replace it if running on PIR
only - with a small mains 12-15v PSU sending charge current down a
long thin wire.

Under the worse conditions - mid winter - the batteries will be on
charge for a shorter period than the lights are running.

Ah, the OP has emailed you more about their use I see. I thought they
might be running them on PIR mainly.

If you read the post, he says 'Auto day light switching and solar powered
ideally'

So I take it he has emailed you stating a change of use?

So not quite sure how
you work out the power supply cable can be smaller than the light one?
Unless of course it is at 240v.


NT

--
*WOULD A FLY WITHOUT WINGS BE CALLED A WALK?

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

On 11/01/2018 19:08, alan_m wrote:
On 11/01/2018 15:53, Martin Brown wrote:


Solar powered lights tend to be useless in midwinter and often kill
their batteries stone dead if you leave them outside in the long dark
nights.

+1
Short daylight hours to recharge and cold weather result in very weak
lighting and short battery life. I had a fairly expensive LED light with
a large solar cell which during the summer months would provide a good
light dusk to dawn but during the winter never more than around 4 hours
at an acceptable brightness.Â* After around a year the light output fell
off considerably as the batteries started to fail, especially in the
cold weather.

The other thing to note is that you need something with a really good
weather seal if it is to survive in wind and rain without corroding.
Anything with a rating lower than IP55 will quickly fail outdoors.

I also have a solar charged LED light with a PIR which is still working
after 3 years. However, the PIR timing is only around 30 to 60 seconds,
triggered perhaps a couple of time per night and although fitted
outdoors it is in a sheltered location.

I have one PIR with LED on for 30s after last trigger event that uses
3xC cells (and put one on our VH too). That lasts a couple of years on
one set of batteries with regular daily use. It makes it a lot easier to
find the keyhole in the pitch dark.

Incidentally a lot of the garden LED lights are designed for much lower
sunnier latitudes than the UK and so come on way too early in a UK
summer during our very long twilight and are already fading when it gets
properly dark. They are at best a buy and die novelty product.

--
Regards,
Martin Brown

On Friday, 12 January 2018 11:33:34 UTC, Dave Plowman (News) wrote:
In article ,
tabbypurr wrote:
On Friday, 12 January 2018 10:53:11 UTC, Dave Plowman (News) wrote:
In article ,
tabbypurr wrote:

The OP said solar powered ideally, which means mains is available.
You could supplement the solar - or replace it if running on PIR
only - with a small mains 12-15v PSU sending charge current down a
long thin wire.

Under the worse conditions - mid winter - the batteries will be on
charge for a shorter period than the lights are running.

Ah, the OP has emailed you more about their use I see. I thought they
might be running them on PIR mainly.

If you read the post, he says 'Auto day light switching and solar powered
ideally'

PIRs usually have that

In article ,
wrote:
If you read the post, he says 'Auto day light switching and solar
powered ideally'

PIRs usually have that

The PIR isn't the problem. It's powering the lights themselves.

--
*What do little birdies see when they get knocked unconscious? *

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

"Dave Plowman (News)" wrote in message
...
In article ,
wrote:
If you read the post, he says 'Auto day light switching and solar
powered ideally'

PIRs usually have that

The PIR isn't the problem. It's powering the lights themselves.

The point is that with PIRs, the lights are on a hell of a lot less,
so more chance of being able to get enough power from solar.

On Thursday, 11 January 2018 13:35:13 UTC, fred wrote:
Want to get some decent outdoor lights. Auto day light switching and solar powered ideally but otherwise 12v as the run will be up to 100yds with 5-10 lights on it

I've seen some outdoor leds which were very weedy . Give out very little light So what spec would I be looking for ? No of leds? Wattage ?And wht duration could I expect on a winters night where it is dark from 17:00 to 08:00

Thanks in advance for all info


I already have some solar powered.
The problem is in Winter the days are short/cloudy and the nights and shadows are long.
Consequently they don't get a full charge at this time of year.
So at the time most needed, they function least well.

You have to be very careful where you site them, ie in full sunlight for as long as possible.

No wires to run, so easy and convenient to install.

On Friday, 12 January 2018 13:37:00 UTC, Dave Plowman (News) wrote:
In article ,
wrote:
If you read the post, he says 'Auto day light switching and solar
powered ideally'

PIRs usually have that

The PIR isn't the problem. It's powering the lights themselves.

The PIR itself uses power.

On 13/01/2018 08:36, harry wrote:
On Friday, 12 January 2018 13:37:00 UTC, Dave Plowman (News) wrote:
In article ,
wrote:
If you read the post, he says 'Auto day light switching and solar
powered ideally'

PIRs usually have that

The PIR isn't the problem. It's powering the lights themselves.

The PIR itself uses power.

Not enough to matter. I have a battery powered PIR triggered 3W LED lamp
over my front door and it lasts around 2 years on 3x C cells with
regular use. It was a lot more frugal on batteries than I expected.

--
Regards,
Martin Brown

On 12/01/2018 18:55, Rod Speed wrote:


The point is that with PIRs, the lights are on a hell of a lot less,
so more chance of being able to get enough power from solar.

True but it also depends on how much light is required.

My PIR operated solar LED light (the one still working after 3 years)
illuminates around 3 x 3 metres of lawn and path area bright enough to
easily see what's on it but it is fairly bulky and has a solar cell of
20cm x 15cm. The light is constructed of 40 individual discreet LEDS.

A few more things I've observed with some solar cell lights:

Many of the cheap Chinese sourced cells have are encased in a clear
expoy?? for waterproofing. This goes milky when exposed to the sun for
more than around a year reducing efficiency, even during the Summer.

The best solar cells on lights that I've purchased are behind a sheet of
glass.

Even though the (sealed) battery compartment may look adequate the
battery fitted may be small with limited capacity. Although not
relevant to the OP application the £1[*] solar cell spike lights for
identifying garden paths with a dim glow used to come with a AA size
battery. Recently I purchased a couple from different places (I wanted
the solar cell) and found one to be fitted with a half AA size battery
and the other with something akin to a quarter size AA battery.
[*] sold for £1 to £2 each in many retail outlets but at 5x the price on
TV shopping channels.


--
mailto : news {at} admac {dot} myzen {dot} co {dot} uk

In article ,
harry wrote:
I already have some solar powered. The problem is in Winter the days are
short/cloudy and the nights and shadows are long. Consequently they
don't get a full charge at this time of year. So at the time most
needed, they function least well.

You have to be very careful where you site them, ie in full sunlight for
as long as possible.

No wires to run, so easy and convenient to install.

Of course. Far more important than actually doing the job needed well.

--
*If one synchronized swimmer drowns, do the rest have to drown too?

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

In article ,
harry wrote:
On Friday, 12 January 2018 13:37:00 UTC, Dave Plowman (News) wrote:
In article ,
wrote:
If you read the post, he says 'Auto day light switching and solar
powered ideally'

PIRs usually have that

The PIR isn't the problem. It's powering the lights themselves.

The PIR itself uses power.

Yes, pet. Now give the power consumption of the PVR and lights. If you
actually understand such things, which is unlikely.

--
*The beatings will continue until morale improves *

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.