You can now buy me cake and things to take apart at:- https://www.patreon.com/bigclive
Finally I get round to combining a couple of recent teardowns into something new. This is a project to make the common ebay meteor lights solar powered, using a common ebay solar panel, an old or generic phone battery (lithium cell) and a few components.
The circuit will also run strings of parallel LEDs or even a single high power LED.
It's been mentioned that the reverse biased solar panel will leak some current as it is connected between the positive rail and base of the transistor. I'm not sure what current will flow when a 10 or 12 cell array has a reverse voltage of 4.2v - 0.6v = 3.6V across it. A test with 5V showed a current of 300uA which would flow into the transistor base. Is a slight reverse current likely to damage the array? I've never really considered anything other than battery discharge through a reverse biased solar cell. Can such a low reverse bias voltage damage the array of cells?
Comments and thoughts on that are welcome.
You'll need:-
A solar panel capable of putting out 5 or 6V at around 100mA or more. (But not too high a current as it will be charging the cell directly.) If you live somewhere with dull winters a higher current (larger area) solar panel will be a good idea.
A typical cellphone battery (lithium) with built-in protection. Many of the generic Nokia type are commonly available on ebay.
A set of typical meteor lights that usually come with a slightly dodgy power supply.
A transistor, either a BC547, 2N3904 or anything general purpose.
A rectifier diode like a 1N4001 to 1N4007 (all 1A just different voltage ratings.)
A 10 ohm resistor to limit the maximum current through the transistor.
A 10K resistor (10,000 ohms) to limit current to the transistors base.
And a little bit of solder, wire and time.
Here's the Jaycar (Australia) link to their resistor dial.
http://www.jaycar.com.au//Passive-Components/Resistors/Other-Resistors/Resistance-Wheel/p/RR0700
And another Australian supplier:-
http://www.wiltronics.com.au/catalogue/200121/electronic-components-and-parts/resistors/resistance-wheel
An American supplier of a different type of resistor substitution box in kit form:-
http://www.parts-express.com/elenco-resistor-substitution-box-kit--320-076
Finally I get round to combining a couple of recent teardowns into something new. This is a project to make the common ebay meteor lights solar powered, using a common ebay solar panel, an old or generic phone battery (lithium cell) and a few components.
The circuit will also run strings of parallel LEDs or even a single high power LED.
It's been mentioned that the reverse biased solar panel will leak some current as it is connected between the positive rail and base of the transistor. I'm not sure what current will flow when a 10 or 12 cell array has a reverse voltage of 4.2v - 0.6v = 3.6V across it. A test with 5V showed a current of 300uA which would flow into the transistor base. Is a slight reverse current likely to damage the array? I've never really considered anything other than battery discharge through a reverse biased solar cell. Can such a low reverse bias voltage damage the array of cells?
Comments and thoughts on that are welcome.
You'll need:-
A solar panel capable of putting out 5 or 6V at around 100mA or more. (But not too high a current as it will be charging the cell directly.) If you live somewhere with dull winters a higher current (larger area) solar panel will be a good idea.
A typical cellphone battery (lithium) with built-in protection. Many of the generic Nokia type are commonly available on ebay.
A set of typical meteor lights that usually come with a slightly dodgy power supply.
A transistor, either a BC547, 2N3904 or anything general purpose.
A rectifier diode like a 1N4001 to 1N4007 (all 1A just different voltage ratings.)
A 10 ohm resistor to limit the maximum current through the transistor.
A 10K resistor (10,000 ohms) to limit current to the transistors base.
And a little bit of solder, wire and time.
Here's the Jaycar (Australia) link to their resistor dial.
http://www.jaycar.com.au//Passive-Components/Resistors/Other-Resistors/Resistance-Wheel/p/RR0700
And another Australian supplier:-
http://www.wiltronics.com.au/catalogue/200121/electronic-components-and-parts/resistors/resistance-wheel
An American supplier of a different type of resistor substitution box in kit form:-
http://www.parts-express.com/elenco-resistor-substitution-box-kit--320-076
Only ones Clife
: Rimmer D : Julian Ilett Only: Bye
And Doubters They Just Die
Hi Clive, just made this, but the meteor lights i have are smd on a strip, only light red on the top of the strip , can i upgrade this to x4 AA 1.2v , these light the lights can i use the same circuit? Thank you.
Mr. Big Clive, 2 quick questions on the lights: technically you can run just 1 tube at a lower voltage than the 7 volts that most of these are supplied with, yes? and, I have a string of 16 tubes and 10 tubes. They each have a 7 volt transformer. The 10 tubes are extremely bright compared to the 16 tubes. When I add the 10 tubes to the 16 tubes they become "normal" brightness. Can a resistor be added at the end of the 10 tube set to reduce the voltage to around 6 volts? The voltage at the end of the 10 tube string is around 7.6 volts, whereas the voltage at the end of the 16 tubes is about 6 volts.
I just received some of these lights from Amazon for free, and I was wondering why they use 7 volts. Most of these lights have the ability to connect up to 4 strands together.
Your the MAN! GREAT VID CLYDE.
'
can this LED lite use a pack of four AA batterys and button switch as off-on
Thanks for the info in the video Clive, I'm going to use it for a project to illuminate a small outdoor wall plaque. Keep making the great content 👍
I tried this circuit with success and using 18650 li ion battery but there was aprox one volt drop from the battery to the LED light without current limiting resistor. Is there any way to get same voltage for light as the battery voltage?
Next time use an 18650
Is it possible to make an AC DC LED light that well run on AC or DC… because the DC light fixtures take are the same as an AC light fixture
How long does it take that solar panel to charge the battery? Can it supply 500 ma at least?
I think you're right about the transistor lead identifiers. The British drive on the wrong side of the road, so it only makes sense that their transistors are opposite (wrong) as well. (snicker, snort)
I have this one saved ….. I wonder can you do a video on this but scaled up? I have a 12 volt car battery ''deep cell slow drain'' also 3x 12 volt 20 watt solar panels and led head lights that do not fit my truck . I want to make flood lights to shine into my house windows when it start's getting dark at 4 pm so it looks like it's still sunny out lol I have solar lights around my windows in the house but there not bright enough they work good for getting up in the night but i want real light from 4 to 7. im hooked up to 12 volts using led strip lights in my house for when the power goes out but id like to hook up some that come on by them selves. I was going to order some street lights after watching another video you did but if i can do it my self with the supplys i have then why not. I have more led cob 12 volt 70 watt on the way so ill be using them for this project. I seen you have some as well and thats why i ordered them i think they will work good for what i need.
I bought a set of these for $5 at a pallet store and they came connected to a solar cell with a battery. Not sure what kind of battery but after leaving the solar cell in the sun all day, the lights ran a very long time. Somewhere around 6-8 hours. They're really cool lights. I have an affection for LED lights. LOL You wouldn't believe how many I have!
I burnt the piss out of two fingers the other day when the soldering iron slipped! I grabbed a cube of ice really fast. Didn't hurt much after that and didn't blister either.