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  3. Using Solar Powered Night-Light Housing? (2v...)

Using Solar Powered Night-Light Housing? (2v...)

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  • Bogus ExceptionB Offline
    Bogus ExceptionB Offline
    Bogus Exception
    wrote on last edited by
    #1

    Has anyone had any luck with the 2vdc solar powered night-light things you can pick up for a few bucks? They are listed as 2vdc with one to several LEDs. The draw for me is a nice housing, integrated solar cell, making a nice place for sensors...
    I'm running MCUs at 3.3v, so I might need to use 2 together, or add on another panel, but curious what you think for a sensor platform if you've thought about or tried it...
    Here is an arbitrary example, one of many housing styles...
    Thoughts?

    "If you drop it and it breaks, it was good." ~ Mr. Lehr, my Electronics Vo-Tech teacher, on testing vacuum tubes...
    -Arduinos (UNO, Nano, Pro-Mini, Mega, ...)
    -ATTiny, ATMega, STM32
    -Geek Channel: https://www.youtube.com/TheSalesEngineer

    mfalkviddM 1 Reply Last reply
    0
    • Bogus ExceptionB Bogus Exception

      Has anyone had any luck with the 2vdc solar powered night-light things you can pick up for a few bucks? They are listed as 2vdc with one to several LEDs. The draw for me is a nice housing, integrated solar cell, making a nice place for sensors...
      I'm running MCUs at 3.3v, so I might need to use 2 together, or add on another panel, but curious what you think for a sensor platform if you've thought about or tried it...
      Here is an arbitrary example, one of many housing styles...
      Thoughts?

      mfalkviddM Offline
      mfalkviddM Offline
      mfalkvidd
      Mod
      wrote on last edited by
      #2

      @Bogus-Exception the first two of these seem to have been successful:
      https://forum.mysensors.org/topic/3107/chinese-solar-lipo-powered-pir-led-lamp
      https://forum.mysensors.org/topic/4045/solar-powered-soil-moisture-sensor
      https://forum.mysensors.org/topic/7141/garden-solar-light-booster-esp32-moisture-sensor-likely-to-work

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      • Bogus ExceptionB Offline
        Bogus ExceptionB Offline
        Bogus Exception
        wrote on last edited by
        #3

        Sorry. I feel like an idiot now...

        pat
        :(

        "If you drop it and it breaks, it was good." ~ Mr. Lehr, my Electronics Vo-Tech teacher, on testing vacuum tubes...
        -Arduinos (UNO, Nano, Pro-Mini, Mega, ...)
        -ATTiny, ATMega, STM32
        -Geek Channel: https://www.youtube.com/TheSalesEngineer

        mfalkviddM 1 Reply Last reply
        0
        • Bogus ExceptionB Bogus Exception

          Sorry. I feel like an idiot now...

          pat
          :(

          mfalkviddM Offline
          mfalkviddM Offline
          mfalkvidd
          Mod
          wrote on last edited by
          #4

          @Bogus-Exception no worries, everyone hasn't been hanging in the forums for as long as I have ;-)

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          • NeverDieN Offline
            NeverDieN Offline
            NeverDie
            Hero Member
            wrote on last edited by NeverDie
            #5

            I was intrigued by this at first too, but then I realized that Lipo's and heat don't go together too well. I just imagine something that's built to the lowest cost possible going up in flames and torching whatever its attached to.

            mfalkviddM 1 Reply Last reply
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            • NeverDieN NeverDie

              I was intrigued by this at first too, but then I realized that Lipo's and heat don't go together too well. I just imagine something that's built to the lowest cost possible going up in flames and torching whatever its attached to.

              mfalkviddM Offline
              mfalkviddM Offline
              mfalkvidd
              Mod
              wrote on last edited by mfalkvidd
              #6

              @NeverDie lipo is way too expensive themselves, and require charging circuits with also has a cost. So these cheap lights all use nimh.

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              • NeverDieN Offline
                NeverDieN Offline
                NeverDie
                Hero Member
                wrote on last edited by NeverDie
                #7

                Well, maybe the $8-10 ones use lipo. I'm pretty sure I've seen a teardown that showed the presence of a small lipo in those:

                https://forum.mysensors.org/topic/3107/chinese-solar-lipo-powered-pir-led-lamp

                alt text

                mfalkviddM 1 Reply Last reply
                0
                • NeverDieN NeverDie

                  Well, maybe the $8-10 ones use lipo. I'm pretty sure I've seen a teardown that showed the presence of a small lipo in those:

                  https://forum.mysensors.org/topic/3107/chinese-solar-lipo-powered-pir-led-lamp

                  alt text

                  mfalkviddM Offline
                  mfalkviddM Offline
                  mfalkvidd
                  Mod
                  wrote on last edited by
                  #8

                  @NeverDie you're right. Sorry.

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                  • Bogus ExceptionB Offline
                    Bogus ExceptionB Offline
                    Bogus Exception
                    wrote on last edited by
                    #9

                    I thought they might be a value for a sensor housing, with the bonus of having a weather-ready solar panel. I bought a few garden lights with this same thing in mind (posted as a reply here). I see the platform as the hardest part, since the guts can be more easily replaced.
                    Great discussion!

                    "If you drop it and it breaks, it was good." ~ Mr. Lehr, my Electronics Vo-Tech teacher, on testing vacuum tubes...
                    -Arduinos (UNO, Nano, Pro-Mini, Mega, ...)
                    -ATTiny, ATMega, STM32
                    -Geek Channel: https://www.youtube.com/TheSalesEngineer

                    NeverDieN 1 Reply Last reply
                    0
                    • Bogus ExceptionB Bogus Exception

                      I thought they might be a value for a sensor housing, with the bonus of having a weather-ready solar panel. I bought a few garden lights with this same thing in mind (posted as a reply here). I see the platform as the hardest part, since the guts can be more easily replaced.
                      Great discussion!

                      NeverDieN Offline
                      NeverDieN Offline
                      NeverDie
                      Hero Member
                      wrote on last edited by NeverDie
                      #10

                      @Bogus-Exception said in Using Solar Powered Night-Light Housing? (2v...):

                      I thought they might be a value for a sensor housing, with the bonus of having a weather-ready solar panel.

                      I do think that's reasonable. If you can find an attractive housing that has the look you want and which has a good mini solar panel and is also truly weather and moisture proof, then that's a good find.

                      Do let us know if you come across something like that.

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