I love the way you explain this in very simple terms. For this reason, it is a 'world class video' and appreciate you creating the video for me and others to learn how these things work. thank you so much....Bob
If you really want to get minimalist, try this on for size... Suppose you omit the 22k-ohm base-bias resistor! I think the solar cell dark-current should bias the transistor on! Some possible downsides to this circuit are you might have to play with the part selection to get it to perform acceptably. Also it might not have good temperature stability due to all those PN junctions hanging off the battery (i.e. the LED's might be noticably brighter at warm ambient and dimmer when cold).
I wasn't actually aware of dark leakage current with solar cells, so it took me by surprise that it does actually work. I'm not sure how predictable dark leakage is in solar panels though.
Cool huh? Well of course it's predictably a diode, because it is a pn-junction, but yeah, like with any diode-type device, LEDs etc, the exact parameter-values are another question. I will say that the simple electrical-equivalent model of a solar cell goes a long way toward describing it. There is a current-source that is proportional to light intensity, with a diode in anti-parallel. At the maximum power point of the solar-cell the silicon diode will only be biased to ~ 0.5 volt, so that there isn't too much current lost to that diode shunt..... Optionally, the next layer of abstraction adds a small series resistance and larger value parallel parasitic resistance.... As shown here: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theory_of_solar_cells#Equivalent_circuit_of_a_solar_cell Well worth knowing at least this much since the technology is so inexpensive now that it is playing a significant role in modern energy production.
The simple circuits are always the best. Often as much, it’s the simplest of designs that are the most affective. A great little circuit. Done by a great Big Clive I’m happy and glad the time one of your, Patreon.
Brilliant, the best circuits are the simple ones, the fibre optic wire that lights my toilet bowl when I go for a nightime pee is just a pressure mat, resistor, capacitor, mosfet and a LED with the fibre glued to the chip.
Usei o EveryCircuit para simular o projeto do diagrama acima. E funcionou muito bem. Usei chave simples entre a célula solar e o circuito do resistor de 22k, que troquei por potenciômetro para regular a potência dos leds. Desta forma, com a chave posso simular a célula solar durante o dia, chave fechada, e assim alimentando a bateria. E chave aberta, durante a noite. E os leds acendem.
wow, great idea - I can't stop dabbling in solar cell outdoor lights and this is a great idea to make something very cheap using my 3D printer for lamp parts and some left over 18650 batteries
I took a few electrical courses when I was going through college, but it taught none of the stuff I've been finding on your channel. Even the basics components tutorials you've put out videos on was barely touched in the courses I took. From just watching your vids, I've got to the point where I've understood how to merge two of the circuits you've featured on your channel to make another circuit, which I find quite exciting! I've been wanting to make a kind of battery operated night light that powers a string of low power LEDs. They're currently wired into a 12 hour timing circuit and 4 double A batteries, which the circuit just eats through. Using the joule thief circuit and the circuit you just featured here, I'm pretty sure I can make a circuit that could work using (hopefully) a tiny calculator solar cell simply as a light detector. I guess I could also skip on the double A batteries and just use a lithium ion battery and no joule thief, but where's the fun in that ;)
Thank you so much that you told everything about how to make this circuit and i also appreciate it because you also told everything with explanation so clear :)
this was just the video that i was looking for ... im testing it with a 6v 1w solar panel and a 3.7v 980mAh battery and it work great... i just did it and its been almost 2 hours with them on... 5 LEDs ill let u know the results of how long it stays on ... but this was just what i was looking for... great video
where would you put an hc-sr401 motion sensor? i have 3 prebuilt solar lights that for some reason don't work anymore... i know the batteries are good, and the solar panel is charging them, and the light unit itself works, so the problem seems to be in the 3 pot PCB with the sensors in it. i even took the switch out, because it WAS a funky switch in a few of the others. just want to replace it with a photocell in a hcsr401, with no switch since it will ALWAYS be set to auto.
hello, i'm trying to understand how these circuits work, i got the big picture but it's till a bit fuzzy - i got the circuit to work but i have problem/question - the intensity of the lights is much smaller when directly connected to the battery vs in the circuit when the solar panel goes off... there's a 'consumer' which i can't seem to wrap my head around, what is drawing power of the battery besides the lights
Won't the LEDs switch on & off as clouds pass by throughout the day? Which diode would work in your circuit? Also, the diode allows current to flow through it when the solar cell is adding energy to the circuit (i.e. charging the batt & returning back along the lower - rail), but how does it block current as you stated when the solar panel is outputting no energy? When no energy is output from the solar cell, then current from the battery flows through the LEDs, current-limiting resistor, transistor, and then returns to the - battery terminal. Couldn't the current also flow through the diode up to your solar cell if the V was higher on the positive side of the diode than on the negative side of the diode?
Hi clive, ive been trying to add solar charge, and auto on at night functionality to a joule thief.......the joule thief runs great and for a few days on its own, adding solar charging and auto on would be brilliant, i jusg cant get my head around it......any ideas, links etc ?.cherrs man. .
Clive, if I understand this correctly, when there is light, the solar panel generates electricity, but electricity has to pass through a big resistor to get to the base relative to the collector. Since voltage at collector> base. The transistor is off. When there is no light, battery pumps power through the diode to the base and then also take a detour through the 22k resistor to the led then to the collector. Since voltage at the base>voltage at collector, transistor is on Did I explain it correct? I still don't understand how your circuit protects flow of power from battery to solar panel.. will the battery hurt the solar panel since there is no protection?
If the base doesn't have voltage during the night, how is the transistor going light the LEDs...? Is the base floating...? awesome video, I just did a similar circuit.
Just the job - possibly! I know nussink so am, literally and metaphorically, in the dark here. Could I substitute a YUASA 12v YTX20CH-BS AMG battery for the NiMH batteries and how would that affect the components? I'd like to have permanent strings of LEDs in several rooms, providing a night light/security light. I bought the (new) battery cheaply and have my own soldering iron. And some components. And a sense of adventure. But no insurance.
@@bigclivedotcom : Thanks for taking the time. When I said I know nussink, I really meant that. The battery (12v) and the lights (? volts) are the constants here. I don't know how big a solar panel I'd need to ensure sufficient charge to maintain the battery voltage. How many watts do I need?
No doubt its my clumsey work but-Just constructed this on a pcb. Checked several times everything correct but no voltage at led output acourding to ddm when solar panel is covered.used bc548 tran with 6v solar with a 3.2v lipo.used a 10+12k in series to get 22k. No current limit resistor fitted though.still no voltage at all......Ummm! It's out in sun.perhaps it might delight me when I get home tonight!
Would this work with a 5v battery? I have a miniature traffic light kit which I would like to use as night time effect in the garden but I think the 555 chip needs at least 4.5v? sorry I'm a bit green with electronics, it's my new found hobby since watching Clive's videos. Thank you clive!
I have been downloading your videos for reference - 260 of them. I have been given many defunct garden light solar panels. This circuit is absolutely spot on (again). I have 8 x 2.5 V (bright sunlight) solar cells and I would like to try and run a few (or 1 ) bright white LED's just to keep my small garden lit at night. What's the maximum current I can use ?
The maximum current will depend on the LED/s and the current handling of the transistor. It's also a balance between how much charge the unit will receive from the sun during the day versus how long you want it to run at night.
Thanks for the video, I think this is just what I am looking for.When the solar cells are charging the battery during the day, should I be concerned about limiting the current through the blocking diode? And what kind of diode do you recommend using there?
Hi Clive, one more question on this one. I have built this circuit with a 6v 330ma solar panel, and I want it to only come on when its really dark. I have been playing with the 10k resistor, and have gone up to 100k but it still comes on at roughly the same light level in the evening. Any other ideas re the variables I can play with? Thanks again. Grant
Hi Clive. I've just built this one with a string of 20 LEDs from an old garden string light set. I omitted the 100 ohm resistor as it made the LEDs far too dim; they seem to be coping at the moment. A question for you though: my other garden lights suddenly come on / off at a certain light level, whereas this one seems to come on and go off gradually. How do I get the sudden 'switch' effect, rather than the 'dimmer' effect? Many thanks.
I Do not really understood this Circuit..!. It's an NPN transistor, so it should get a Postive in Base to get it Activated. When Solar power is flowing +ve and - ve charge from the Solar is virtuality Short Circuited here right ?(Because of Diode block the current flow ?). Also, since +ve charges flow through Base in the day, The Collector current start ro flow Emitter. So, the Bulb will glow in day..rt ?
The solar panel effectively pulls the base negative to keep it turned off. When there is no solar power available the base current from the resistor to the positive rail allows it to turn on.
Has any one tried this on a breadboard? I am very new to all this and i can not stop power from going back to the solar panel. I switched the diode around many times with no luck. I used the a 5252 transistor a 4007 diode 22k and 100ohm resistor and color changing led.
I like your design, simple and effective. I would like to use this design to use 1 or 2 AA or AAA and add an inductor in to boost voltage and current. Best place to do this? Plus side of LED's before resistor?
You can adapt this circuit to a Joule Thief by using the same diode arrangement, but using it to pull the Joule Thief transistor base low. However, that does require quite a high value base resistor on the Joule Thief for efficiency, and that results in the unit driving the LEDs at lower current.
Thanks! My other lights don't look that much more complex tbh, so what else would you recommend to achieve the positive feedback to switch them in and off suddenly?
Standard garden solar lights often use a little four pin chip that looks like a transistor. It's actually really complex and has voltage threshold detectors for detecting light via the panel, detecting a low battery state and it also has a built in oscillator that switches an external inductor at high frequency.
Ah, that would make sense; my lights do have those 4-pin chips. No problem then; I'll keep playing with this one I built :) Can I just ask whether it's absolutely necessary for the 10 ohm resistor to the LEDs? They seem to be coping without but If needs be I'll put one on. Also; if I want the lights to come on when it's a bit darker; which way do I have to go with regards to the 22k resistor? (higher or lower). Many thanks again! @@bigclivedotcom
Lets say I want to replace the battery with a 4 volt DC power supply to basically use the solar panel as only a light switch. The problem would be that when the sun comes out. What issues would this cause when I have the solar panel and the DC power supply on at the same time?
I would use a LDR but the circuit for the solar panel switch and charging is built into the led floodlight.. Semintech Solar Flood Lights 54... www.amazon.com/dp/B0739P9C33?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share
The circuit works exactly like yours but the battery is dead within 4 to 5 hours. I figure the easiest way to extend hours without a complete mod is to wire into the battery hardness. But I could try to bypass the circuit and use a light sensor
Hi Clive. I've just upgraded my project using this circuit to run 240 leds from a garden light circuit bought from B&M. The arrangement is actually 2x 120 chains in parallel. As expected, they run a bit dimmer than my 20 led string, however I noticed that on each chain they get progressively dimmer along the chain. Is there a way of minimising this effect; possibly by shortening each string? Thanks again.
If you were to loop the strings back to the solar panel and feed the positive from one end and the negative from the other they would be even brightness along the full length.
@@somebeinganonymous Yes. If you look closely at the end you'll probably see it's already been cut flush with the last LED. The strings are made in a continuous run.
@@bigclivedotcom Great stuff; thanks again Clive. On a related note I've just watched your video with the 3 wire resin coated LED string; I think this is exactly the schematic you've just described! I'll keep the +ve where it is; cut and terminate the -ve and relocate this to the other end of the string. I wonder if there's anything to be gained from using a slightly thicker wire to the opposite end? Regards, Grant.
Skyrunner13 take a look at a video by “SR electric” ... similar project that connects the 22Kohm resistor from the negative on epithet solar panel and diode through the resistor to the base of the transistor. I was wondering whether Clives design would work. th-cam.com/video/i0hZOD8Lo1Q/w-d-xo.html
When I use the iPad to record something using TH-cams "capture" app it applies auto stabilisation by default making static images bounce about. When I first uploaded the video it appeared fine, but it has since "enhanced it" with that nauseating effect. Right now I've just gone to that video's settings and "reverted" it to the original, so that should hopefully just show the original video without the wobble added once TH-cam has finished re-processing it.
bigclivedotcom Ah much better! Along with G+ integration, another youtube thing that doesn't work right :-) Appreciate all the videos you do , thanks :)
I love the way you explain this in very simple terms. For this reason, it is a 'world class video' and appreciate you creating the video for me and others to learn how these things work. thank you so much....Bob
One must appreciate the beauty of this! As I am learning electronics at 60, I find this to be rather jewel in the rough. Essential and remarkable.
+Chris Leech There's something particularly pleasing about the simplest circuits.
If you really want to get minimalist, try this on for size... Suppose you omit the 22k-ohm base-bias resistor! I think the solar cell dark-current should bias the transistor on!
Some possible downsides to this circuit are you might have to play with the part selection to get it to perform acceptably. Also it might not have good temperature stability due to all those PN junctions hanging off the battery (i.e. the LED's might be noticably brighter at warm ambient and dimmer when cold).
I wasn't actually aware of dark leakage current with solar cells, so it took me by surprise that it does actually work. I'm not sure how predictable dark leakage is in solar panels though.
Cool huh? Well of course it's predictably a diode, because it is a pn-junction, but yeah, like with any diode-type device, LEDs etc, the exact parameter-values are another question. I will say that the simple electrical-equivalent model of a solar cell goes a long way toward describing it. There is a current-source that is proportional to light intensity, with a diode in anti-parallel. At the maximum power point of the solar-cell the silicon diode will only be biased to ~ 0.5 volt, so that there isn't too much current lost to that diode shunt..... Optionally, the next layer of abstraction adds a small series resistance and larger value parallel parasitic resistance.... As shown here: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theory_of_solar_cells#Equivalent_circuit_of_a_solar_cell Well worth knowing at least this much since the technology is so inexpensive now that it is playing a significant role in modern energy production.
That is very interesting idea there Mike G, thanks.
Ingenious use of the diode to control the transistor. Works perfectly.
The simple circuits are always the best. Often as much, it’s the simplest of designs that are the most affective. A great little circuit. Done by a great Big Clive I’m happy and glad the time one of your, Patreon.
You explained the functioning of the circuit very nicely !! 👌👌
With this base, one can explore many combinations around it.
Brilliant, the best circuits are the simple ones, the fibre optic wire that lights my toilet bowl when I go for a nightime pee is just a pressure mat, resistor, capacitor, mosfet and a LED with the fibre glued to the chip.
Usei o EveryCircuit para simular o projeto do diagrama acima. E funcionou muito bem. Usei chave simples entre a célula solar e o circuito do resistor de 22k, que troquei por potenciômetro para regular a potência dos leds.
Desta forma, com a chave posso simular a célula solar durante o dia, chave fechada, e assim alimentando a bateria. E chave aberta, durante a noite. E os leds acendem.
Made about 10 of these using mason jars for fairy lights for the garden they last for ages using old reclaimed phone batteries 😊 cheers Clive ❤
Wild coming back to this and seeing a clean unblemished worktop :)
I hardly recognize it myself!
wow, great idea - I can't stop dabbling in solar cell outdoor lights and this is a great idea to make something very cheap using my 3D printer for lamp parts and some left over 18650 batteries
I took a few electrical courses when I was going through college, but it taught none of the stuff I've been finding on your channel. Even the basics components tutorials you've put out videos on was barely touched in the courses I took. From just watching your vids, I've got to the point where I've understood how to merge two of the circuits you've featured on your channel to make another circuit, which I find quite exciting! I've been wanting to make a kind of battery operated night light that powers a string of low power LEDs. They're currently wired into a 12 hour timing circuit and 4 double A batteries, which the circuit just eats through. Using the joule thief circuit and the circuit you just featured here, I'm pretty sure I can make a circuit that could work using (hopefully) a tiny calculator solar cell simply as a light detector. I guess I could also skip on the double A batteries and just use a lithium ion battery and no joule thief, but where's the fun in that ;)
Thank you so much that you told everything about how to make this circuit and i also appreciate it because you also told everything with explanation so clear :)
this was just the video that i was looking for ... im testing it with a 6v 1w solar panel and a 3.7v 980mAh battery and it work great... i just did it and its been almost 2 hours with them on... 5 LEDs ill let u know the results of how long it stays on ... but this was just what i was looking for... great video
angel rivera is that a lithium battery? Does it have over and under voltage protection? if not you might want to keep it away from flammable places.
beautifully explained the basic circuit.
will you have a demonstration of sensor solar or portable street solar light w/ induction ?? ...thanks great video 👍
Thaks, Clive, is it possible to combine this with a joule thief circuit to extend operation during long nights? If so can you show us how?
where would you put an hc-sr401 motion sensor? i have 3 prebuilt solar lights that for some reason don't work anymore... i know the batteries are good, and the solar panel is charging them, and the light unit itself works, so the problem seems to be in the 3 pot PCB with the sensors in it. i even took the switch out, because it WAS a funky switch in a few of the others. just want to replace it with a photocell in a hcsr401, with no switch since it will ALWAYS be set to auto.
Thanks for the tutorial. It works!!-👊😁
What keeps the NiMh cells from discharging through the base-emitter junction via the 22k bias resistor?
hello, i'm trying to understand how these circuits work, i got the big picture but it's till a bit fuzzy - i got the circuit to work but i have problem/question - the intensity of the lights is much smaller when directly connected to the battery vs in the circuit when the solar panel goes off... there's a 'consumer' which i can't seem to wrap my head around, what is drawing power of the battery besides the lights
Won't the LEDs switch on & off as clouds pass by throughout the day?
Which diode would work in your circuit?
Also, the diode allows current to flow through it when the solar cell is adding energy to the circuit (i.e. charging the batt & returning back along the lower - rail), but how does it block current as you stated when the solar panel is outputting no energy? When no energy is output from the solar cell, then current from the battery flows through the LEDs, current-limiting resistor, transistor, and then returns to the - battery terminal. Couldn't the current also flow through the diode up to your solar cell if the V was higher on the positive side of the diode than on the negative side of the diode?
Hi clive, ive been trying to add solar charge, and auto on at night functionality to a joule thief.......the joule thief runs great and for a few days on its own, adding solar charging and auto on would be brilliant, i jusg cant get my head around it......any ideas, links etc ?.cherrs man. .
Nice but how can we avoid one volt drop at LED compaired to battery voltage. I didn't use current limiting resistor at LED.
Clive, if I understand this correctly, when there is light, the solar panel generates electricity, but electricity has to pass through a big resistor to get to the base relative to the collector. Since voltage at collector> base. The transistor is off.
When there is no light, battery pumps power through the diode to the base and then also take a detour through the 22k resistor to the led then to the collector. Since voltage at the base>voltage at collector, transistor is on
Did I explain it correct?
I still don't understand how your circuit protects flow of power from battery to solar panel.. will the battery hurt the solar panel since there is no protection?
If the base doesn't have voltage during the night, how is the transistor going light the LEDs...? Is the base floating...? awesome video, I just did a similar circuit.
Leakage through the solar panel.
Just the job - possibly! I know nussink so am, literally and metaphorically, in the dark here.
Could I substitute a YUASA 12v YTX20CH-BS AMG battery for the NiMH batteries and how would that affect the components?
I'd like to have permanent strings of LEDs in several rooms, providing a night light/security light. I bought the (new) battery cheaply and have my own soldering iron. And some components. And a sense of adventure. But no insurance.
You can get 12V dusk and movement sensing modules for controlling 12V lights like the strips or spots.
@@bigclivedotcom : Thanks for taking the time. When I said I know nussink, I really meant that. The battery (12v) and the lights (? volts) are the constants here. I don't know how big a solar panel I'd need to ensure sufficient charge to maintain the battery voltage. How many watts do I need?
Good explain. Thank you
No doubt its my clumsey work but-Just constructed this on a pcb. Checked several times everything correct but no voltage at led output acourding to ddm when solar panel is covered.used bc548 tran with 6v solar with a 3.2v lipo.used a 10+12k in series to get 22k. No current limit resistor fitted though.still no voltage at all......Ummm! It's out in sun.perhaps it might delight me when I get home tonight!
Does the cell have protection built in. It's it definitely a 3.2v cell as opposed to standard 3.6V lithium?
Would this work with a 5v battery? I have a miniature traffic light kit which I would like to use as night time effect in the garden but I think the 555 chip needs at least 4.5v? sorry I'm a bit green with electronics, it's my new found hobby since watching Clive's videos. Thank you clive!
Hi.can I use a 3.2v lipo with a 6 v at full sun brightness panel or would the batt be killed . thanks for you demos.supurb
If there is cell overcharge protection it should be OK.
I've been wanting to do a project like this with my daughter, do you think you'll do a video showing the actual building process?
I'll keep that in mind as a project.
I have been downloading your videos for reference - 260 of them. I have been given many defunct garden light solar panels. This circuit is absolutely spot on (again). I have 8 x 2.5 V (bright sunlight) solar cells and I would like to try and run a few (or 1 ) bright white LED's just to keep my small garden lit at night. What's the maximum current I can use ?
The maximum current will depend on the LED/s and the current handling of the transistor. It's also a balance between how much charge the unit will receive from the sun during the day versus how long you want it to run at night.
Thanks for the video, I think this is just what I am looking for.When the solar cells are charging the battery during the day, should I be concerned about limiting the current through the blocking diode? And what kind of diode do you recommend using there?
What value or type of diode do you use
My stock diode is a 1N4007.
@@bigclivedotcom ok,thanks for the info bro
excelente funciona de pelos, gracias me suscribo
Hi Clive, one more question on this one. I have built this circuit with a 6v 330ma solar panel, and I want it to only come on when its really dark. I have been playing with the 10k resistor, and have gone up to 100k but it still comes on at roughly the same light level in the evening. Any other ideas re the variables I can play with? Thanks again. Grant
Thanks for the video.And what kind of diode do you recommend using there?,Please let me know because I'm gonna make the circuit.
Hi Clive. I've just built this one with a string of 20 LEDs from an old garden string light set. I omitted the 100 ohm resistor as it made the LEDs far too dim; they seem to be coping at the moment. A question for you though: my other garden lights suddenly come on / off at a certain light level, whereas this one seems to come on and go off gradually. How do I get the sudden 'switch' effect, rather than the 'dimmer' effect? Many thanks.
The dimming effect is down to the simplicity of the circuitry. It would require some sort of positive feedback to bring them on suddenly.
I Do not really understood this Circuit..!. It's an NPN transistor, so it should get a Postive in Base to get it Activated. When Solar power is flowing +ve and - ve charge from the Solar is virtuality Short Circuited here right ?(Because of Diode block the current flow ?).
Also, since +ve charges flow through Base in the day, The Collector current start ro flow Emitter. So, the Bulb will glow in day..rt ?
The solar panel effectively pulls the base negative to keep it turned off. When there is no solar power available the base current from the resistor to the positive rail allows it to turn on.
Has any one tried this on a breadboard? I am very new to all this and i can not stop power from going back to the solar panel. I switched the diode around many times with no luck. I used the a 5252 transistor a 4007 diode 22k and 100ohm resistor and color changing led.
I like your design, simple and effective. I would like to use this design to use 1 or 2 AA or AAA and add an inductor in to boost voltage and current. Best place to do this? Plus side of LED's before resistor?
You can adapt this circuit to a Joule Thief by using the same diode arrangement, but using it to pull the Joule Thief transistor base low. However, that does require quite a high value base resistor on the Joule Thief for efficiency, and that results in the unit driving the LEDs at lower current.
Thanks! My other lights don't look that much more complex tbh, so what else would you recommend to achieve the positive feedback to switch them in and off suddenly?
Standard garden solar lights often use a little four pin chip that looks like a transistor. It's actually really complex and has voltage threshold detectors for detecting light via the panel, detecting a low battery state and it also has a built in oscillator that switches an external inductor at high frequency.
Ah, that would make sense; my lights do have those 4-pin chips. No problem then; I'll keep playing with this one I built :) Can I just ask whether it's absolutely necessary for the 10 ohm resistor to the LEDs? They seem to be coping without but If needs be I'll put one on. Also; if I want the lights to come on when it's a bit darker; which way do I have to go with regards to the 22k resistor? (higher or lower). Many thanks again!
@@bigclivedotcom
LEDS in // ? Naughty!
Lets say I want to replace the battery with a 4 volt DC power supply to basically use the solar panel as only a light switch. The problem would be that when the sun comes out. What issues would this cause when I have the solar panel and the DC power supply on at the same time?
That would work, but it might be easier just to use a light sensor like an LDR to turn off the lights in daylight.
I would use a LDR but the circuit for the solar panel switch and charging is built into the led floodlight..
Semintech Solar Flood Lights 54... www.amazon.com/dp/B0739P9C33?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share
The circuit works exactly like yours but the battery is dead within 4 to 5 hours. I figure the easiest way to extend hours without a complete mod is to wire into the battery hardness. But I could try to bypass the circuit and use a light sensor
Thank you sir give me simple high amp soler street light circuit diagram with mosfet
Hi Clive. I've just upgraded my project using this circuit to run 240 leds from a garden light circuit bought from B&M. The arrangement is actually 2x 120 chains in parallel. As expected, they run a bit dimmer than my 20 led string, however I noticed that on each chain they get progressively dimmer along the chain. Is there a way of minimising this effect; possibly by shortening each string? Thanks again.
If you were to loop the strings back to the solar panel and feed the positive from one end and the negative from the other they would be even brightness along the full length.
@@bigclivedotcom The string doesn't have any leads coming from the other end. Will this entail cutting one led off the end to expose the two wires?
@@somebeinganonymous Yes. If you look closely at the end you'll probably see it's already been cut flush with the last LED. The strings are made in a continuous run.
@@bigclivedotcom Great stuff; thanks again Clive. On a related note I've just watched your video with the 3 wire resin coated LED string; I think this is exactly the schematic you've just described! I'll keep the +ve where it is; cut and terminate the -ve and relocate this to the other end of the string. I wonder if there's anything to be gained from using a slightly thicker wire to the opposite end? Regards, Grant.
Does anyone know why it won’t turn off in daylight? It’s built to the exact spec.
Grazie
yes.I am looking for this
Can i charge litium battery?
This is the first video where you turned the camera around.
Sir please add this circute pir sensor, please replay me
nice
How if led is 30 watt?
Haha you will need a way more complicated battery protection circuit
I hate to say it but the circuit doesn’t work (for me anyway). I’ve tried it on the board and direct wiring and still no luck.
Skyrunner13 take a look at a video by “SR electric” ... similar project that connects the 22Kohm resistor from the negative on epithet solar panel and diode through the resistor to the base of the transistor. I was wondering whether Clives design would work. th-cam.com/video/i0hZOD8Lo1Q/w-d-xo.html
dgretlein Thank you for that. That looks more promising. I’ll give it a try.
Umm, not sure if this is related to youtube or the camera, but the swaying, distorted wobbling around is nauseating :-(
When I use the iPad to record something using TH-cams "capture" app it applies auto stabilisation by default making static images bounce about. When I first uploaded the video it appeared fine, but it has since "enhanced it" with that nauseating effect. Right now I've just gone to that video's settings and "reverted" it to the original, so that should hopefully just show the original video without the wobble added once TH-cam has finished re-processing it.
bigclivedotcom
Ah much better! Along with G+ integration, another youtube thing that doesn't work right :-) Appreciate all the videos you do , thanks :)
Zeptobars just did a die shot of the YX8018: zeptobars.com/en/read/YX8018-garden-light-IC-NiMH
Have you ever built this circuit? Shit doesn’t work.
Yes I have. If done correctly it works a treat and is still working right now.
Lmao this comment is gold
What common MOSFET can I use instead of the transistor for driving a bigger load (say 8v @ 10mA) ?