Solar powered lights effective enough
- Thread starter gzecc
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All the ones I've seen will put out light, but not a whole bunch. Maybe the ones with larger collectors are better? I think the problem is they are made with small PV panels, small batteries, and people want lots of light all night long.
If you put a bunch of the walkway ones out, like one every step you would be fine. I'm part of a corporation that uses a good deal of them along balkheads and showing where cribs going down to docks are. The ones we use provide good foot light, but not much else.
Matt
If you put a bunch of the walkway ones out, like one every step you would be fine. I'm part of a corporation that uses a good deal of them along balkheads and showing where cribs going down to docks are. The ones we use provide good foot light, but not much else.
Matt
gzecc I've mounted and otherwise elevated 4 of the 3 battery type solar flood lights to light a pathway for my wife to walk from her car. They are made to stick in the ground but you'll get more illumination with mounting up and pointing them down at 45°. I love solar lights very unobtrusive.
I light my steps and walkways with solar powered walkway lights. One every 6 feet or so will do the job, just make sure they're not the yellow LEDs and you're fine.
Not good as the sun gets lower in the sky in late fall, Sunner is great.
Even on a full late fall sunny day in NH they cannot run like summer,
Even on a full late fall sunny day in NH they cannot run like summer,
Picked up a solar motion light at Sams Club recently. It has 2 spot/flood lights on it and it is bright. It was around $50/$60. Has a little 6" or so little panel with a 10' cord. Got about 20 of the walk way ones scattered through out the yard. I like to put them at different heights if I can, to avoid that "runway" look.
Hi folks,
I had the same problem, a dark area without being able to run wires. For the past several years I have used something similar to this:
solar sign sighting, example, (broken link removed to http://www.siliconsolar.com/solar-sign-lighting-p-16137.html)
They are plenty bright, lasting about six hours every night, recharging during the day. They disburse the light, instead of concentrating it. My 24 LED light, sits about ten feet high and illuminates a 16 by 20 foot area.
Caveats, they are not cheap, at least the commercial duty lights, about $200; they do require several hours of sunlight with a south to southwest exposure, and the small lead acid battery (similar to those used in emergency lighting fixtures inside buildings) seem to last about two years. Get a battery number, or at least battery size and check to see if they can be purchased locally. They cost more to ship than to buy. As they wear out, the light is just dimmer.
I have tried the homeowner quality from home supply places and they were all disappointments. The good ones, to my experience, are the only way to go.
Hope this helps, pdh
I had the same problem, a dark area without being able to run wires. For the past several years I have used something similar to this:
solar sign sighting, example, (broken link removed to http://www.siliconsolar.com/solar-sign-lighting-p-16137.html)
They are plenty bright, lasting about six hours every night, recharging during the day. They disburse the light, instead of concentrating it. My 24 LED light, sits about ten feet high and illuminates a 16 by 20 foot area.
Caveats, they are not cheap, at least the commercial duty lights, about $200; they do require several hours of sunlight with a south to southwest exposure, and the small lead acid battery (similar to those used in emergency lighting fixtures inside buildings) seem to last about two years. Get a battery number, or at least battery size and check to see if they can be purchased locally. They cost more to ship than to buy. As they wear out, the light is just dimmer.
I have tried the homeowner quality from home supply places and they were all disappointments. The good ones, to my experience, are the only way to go.
Hope this helps, pdh
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