Automatic and recharged moonligths
- Thread starter noone
- Start date
Guys, I did the same thing earlier back but redesigned it a bit...i would have posted it but felt that nobody would be interested.Inside these solar lights are 2 rechargeable 600mah batteries and a small circuit board. I once was able to beta test solar radios for a major non-profit organization which were to be used in out of reach areas....to charge 4.8 volt batteries, you would need at least 8 hours of sunlight for a full charge or a 100watt bulb placed about 2-3 inches away from the solar panel with the same length of time. I did try it and with a full charge, the LED would last about 11 hours. Heres what I did:
The small black box holds the 2 batteries and the circuit board while the round thing is the solar panel which is thin enough to fit between the reflector and the bulbs. The small thing attached to the solar panel is the LED bulb. The box has an on and off switch for use when conserving the battery and a velcro pad so it could be mounted on the tank or light fixture. I would have used this for myself but since I am not running 90watts minimum, it would be a hassle for me to take out and install all the time. Instead I use it as a small flashlight....the single LED bulb is just too bright for my NanoCube and this would probably be strong enough for a 30-90 gallon tank. The farther the LED the wider the beam becomes. Oh yeah, I only used one LED.
The small black box holds the 2 batteries and the circuit board while the round thing is the solar panel which is thin enough to fit between the reflector and the bulbs. The small thing attached to the solar panel is the LED bulb. The box has an on and off switch for use when conserving the battery and a velcro pad so it could be mounted on the tank or light fixture. I would have used this for myself but since I am not running 90watts minimum, it would be a hassle for me to take out and install all the time. Instead I use it as a small flashlight....the single LED bulb is just too bright for my NanoCube and this would probably be strong enough for a 30-90 gallon tank. The farther the LED the wider the beam becomes. Oh yeah, I only used one LED.
Basically its a cool mod but over-all its a waste of time and money.....its cheaper to buy ready made moonlights unless you already have the materials laying around but even so, ready made moonlights are still alot better....the idea is just so cool....and tempting to do...more of a self satisfation project as I enjoyed making it.
Hmm....I guess my question is how big a solar panel do you need to power 5-10 blue LEDs. I've already got moonlight kits with the wiring, connectors, adapter, etc... to run 10 blue LEDs. But it would be cool to mount a solar panel inside the canopy and just have them run off the energy collected from my other lights.
Although it might not be worth it. The wattage used by these is so small that the solar panel might be expensive enough make it not worth the time.
B
Although it might not be worth it. The wattage used by these is so small that the solar panel might be expensive enough make it not worth the time.
B
Exactly....more money will be spent on the solar panels which would also take up alot of space. Radio Shack has a sale going right now.....I purchased a Gameboy 3volt/350mah power adapter for $1.97...its strong enough to power up 2 LEDs...could probably power 3 LEDs though I havent tried it. But for 10 LEDs, get 5 of these adaptors and it'll only cost you less than $10...oh yeah, you already have the adapters....well, for those who dont have any power adapters for moonlights, there you go.
A very interesting thread. I have 5 Bright Blue LED's which in total takes 15volts. If I add another one, then it will require 18v which is equivilent of 2x 9v battery. I wonder if I have a few of these garden light panels, whether I can rig it up to charge up 2x 9v rechargeables?
Viable?
Viable?
You could do that but IMO, it would be cheaper to buy a battery charger.....you'll get a faster charging time. You probably wouldnt have to add more voltage even if you added another LED. LED's dont need 3 volts of power....I just used 3 volts so it wouldnt be too strong.....I blew up a couple of lights using a 4.5 power adapter. 6 LEDS on a 15 volt power supply would still work....