Hi All,

My brother wants some lights to go atop some small pillars in his garden.

Hed like LED solar powered.

Can anyone recommend any that will work for a few hours operation having
charged under our winter skies? Or is it a non starter?

Cheers

Chris

Chris Holmes wrote:

Can anyone recommend any that will work for a few hours operation having
charged under our winter skies? Or is it a non starter?

I've only seen them work in summer ...

On 12/11/2020 16:11, Chris Holmes wrote:


Hi All,

My brother wants some lights to go atop some small pillars in his garden.

Hed like LED solar powered.

Can anyone recommend any that will work for a few hours operation having
charged under our winter skies? Or is it a non starter?

Basically a none starter for solar powered anything in winter.

Depending on why he wants garden lighting the optimum solution may well
be a PIR activated LED lamp along these lines. I have one at my back
door so you can see the bell push and keyhole in mid winter. It lasts a
couple of years on one set of 3xC batteries with typical use profile.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Beams-MB360...dp/B01KNW3WXQ/

The exact model I have has long since been discontinued but this one
looks broadly comparable although brighter. LEDs improve with time...


--
Regards,
Martin Brown

"Chris Holmes" wrote in message
...


Hi All,

My brother wants some lights to go atop some small pillars in his garden.

Hed like LED solar powered.

Can anyone recommend any that will work for a few hours operation having
charged under our winter skies? Or is it a non starter?

my sister had some Solar powered lamps that stuck in the ground to mark out
a path

they were flipping useless

technology may have improved in 15 years.

Hmm, if it works at all the crap batteries seem to get worse in the cold.

Brian

--

This newsgroup posting comes to you directly from...
The Sofa of Brian Gaff...

Blind user, so no pictures please
Note this Signature is meaningless.!
"Chris Holmes" wrote in message
...


Hi All,

My brother wants some lights to go atop some small pillars in his garden.

He'd like LED solar powered.

Can anyone recommend any that will work for a few hours operation having
charged under our winter skies? Or is it a non starter?

Cheers

Chris

On 12/11/2020 16:11, Chris Holmes wrote:


Hi All,

My brother wants some lights to go atop some small pillars in his garden.

Hed like LED solar powered.

Can anyone recommend any that will work for a few hours operation having
charged under our winter skies? Or is it a non starter?

I found something that suited my needs at B&Q. It's on a column (so may
not suit you), has a motion sensor, is solar power, switches on for
about 30 seconds when it's motion triggered (suits my needs, and saves
the solar power). It got poor online reviews, but for £22 what do you
expect. I've only had it a couple of months, so it's not had to work
hard in the dark days of winter.

Blooma Kiana Brushed Silver effect Solar-powered LED Outdoor Post light

https://www.diy.com/departments/bloo...2895039_BQ.prd

Brian Gaff (Sofa) wrote:
Hmm, if it works at all the crap batteries seem to get worse in the cold.

Brian


Typical cheap garden lamps, use lithium iron phosphate cells.
Apparently all Lithium types, they don't charge well below 0C.
Some schemes, condition the Lithium batteries before applying
a charging current. I've seen a couple garden lamps (out of
a bunch my various neighbors have), that actually manage to
light at night on winter days.

The best material to work with in that regard, is lead acid.
At least it still accepts a charge in winter. The temperature
ranges are listed here.

https://batteryuniversity.com/learn/...w_temperatures

Lead acid Charge: –20°C to 50°C Discharge: –20°C to 50°C

You can have any amount of power you want - it just takes
more and more square meters of solar panels to collect that
power on dim days.

Paul

On 13/11/2020 19:14, Paul wrote:
Brian Gaff (Sofa) wrote:
Hmm, if it works at all the crap* batteries seem to get worse in the
cold.

Brian


Typical cheap garden lamps, use lithium iron phosphate cells.
Apparently all Lithium types, they don't charge well below 0C.

Most battery chemistry doesn't enjoy being too cold but the main problem
is that at our latitude the sun doesn't get much above the horizon and
when it does the maximum altitude it ever reaches in midwinter is about
13 degrees. Couple that with thick grey clouds and fog and you destroy
the batteries by a combination of over discharge and leaving them flat.

Previous models have used NiCad and NiMH they also fail in winter. There
basically isn't strong enough sun or enough hours of daylight in the UK.

Some schemes, condition the Lithium batteries before applying
a charging current. I've seen a couple garden lamps (out of
a bunch my various neighbors have), that actually manage to
light at night on winter days.

The best material to work with in that regard, is lead acid.
At least it still accepts a charge in winter. The temperature
ranges are listed here.

https://batteryuniversity.com/learn/...w_temperatures


*** Lead acid**** Charge: –20°C to 50°C* Discharge: –20°C to 50°C

You can have any amount of power you want - it just takes
more and more square meters of solar panels to collect that
power on dim days.

The are professionally designed please go around the dangerous bend
signs with radar activated sensors on some of the road where I live.
They work perfectly inn mid summer and for an hour or so after sunset in
mid-winter but they are always stone dead on any frosty winters morning.

I am told they destroy a set of SLA lead acid batteries every winter.

--
Regards,
Martin Brown

On 14/11/2020 17:16, Martin Brown wrote:

The are professionally designed please go around the dangerous bend
signs with radar activated sensors on some of the road where I live.
They work perfectly inn mid summer and for an hour or so after sunset in
mid-winter but they are always stone dead on any frosty winters morning.

I am told they destroy a set of SLA lead acid batteries every winter.

There's one I know of that has a little wind turbine on the top too.
Rumour has it it cost 30k...

I think I prefer the solution used by a farmer near here. After two
people took out his 'phone service over a couple of months - broke the
pole off - there's now a super-sized bale at the bottom of it.

The impact has to be softer.

Andy

On 12/11/2020 17:37, tim... wrote:


"Chris Holmes" wrote in message
...


Hi All,

My brother wants some lights to go atop some small pillars in his garden.

Hed like LED solar powered.

Can anyone recommend any that will work for a few hours operation having
charged under our winter skies? Or is it a non starter?

my sister had some Solar powered lamps that stuck in the ground to mark
out a path

they were flipping useless

technology may have improved in 15 years.


The LEDS may have become more efficient and now light up for a hour more
in the summer but with a small panel and small battery they don't stand
much of a chance in winter. Often these are pound shop items but sold at
much higher prices by other retailers.

At one time the battery in these useless solar lamps was AA size but now
if you take them apart you will often find a "half length AA" size battery.

The only solar powered light I've have that has lasted for 5+ years,
and still works, is one I purchased from Lidl/Aldi for around £30. This
has a solar panel of 20cm x 15cm but only comes on for 30 seconds at a
time when triggered by a PIR detector. It is a massive waterproof beast
and well constructed unlike some smaller solar that I've consigned to
landfill within a short period after the ingress of water.


--
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On 14/11/2020 17:16, Martin Brown wrote:

The are professionally designed please go around the dangerous bend
signs with radar activated sensors on some of the road where I live.
They work perfectly inn mid summer and for an hour or so after sunset in
mid-winter but they are always stone dead on any frosty winters morning.

Around my way the solar powered flashing amber school signs stop working
during the cold months.


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

On 13/11/2020 10:36, Allan wrote:


Blooma Kiana Brushed Silver effect Solar-powered LED Outdoor Post light

Blooma seems to be the badge name B&Q use for the stuff they buy in.
I've purchased some outside solar lights with this badge name in the
past and the failure mechanism has been water ingress to the bottom of
the solar panel. Blooma products are probably the same as LAP products
from Screwfix where the general consensus seems to be avoid any of the
LED lights with that brand.


--
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