200 LED Solar Powered Solar 22m String Lights Outdoor Multicolored $14.80 + Delivery ($0 w/ Prime/ $39+) @ Findyouled Amazon AU

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Ulya on 02/08/2020 - 11:32 amazon.com.au (1066 clicks)
Last edited 02/08/2020 - 11:49 by 1 other user

YQDRZMC6

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A very decent price for a 200 LED 22m solar string lights (in comparison with Bunnings, etc).

Additional promotion: Buy 2, save 5%. Enter code YQDRZMC6 at checkout.

• LED color: Multicolor
• Solar Panel: 2V/300mA
• Battery type: Rechargeable 1200mAH NI-MH Battery
• Charging time: 6-8 hours
• Total length: 72ft (22m)
• Length from Solar panel to first LED: 6.5ft (2m)
• 8 different modes

Price History at CamelCamelCamel.

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• 

  0 0 0 on 02/08/2020 - 12:41

  200 LEDs running off 1200mah wouldn't last very long

  • 

    INFIDEL on 02/08/2020 - 13:18

    +1

    They're very tiny low powered LEDs if anything like the failed sets I've got from China.

    You can see how tiny they are in the heart shaped arrangement (made out of many strands of the stiff wire) - in the 5th photo.

    Barely larger than the thin wire they are attached to. About 10 would fit on the thumb nail shown.

    Many photos are out of focus to make the lights look bigger.

    The operating time per charge isn't as much a problem as the short life of these strands. They don't stand up to much flexing of the stiff wire before LEDs start failing.

  • 

    INFIDEL on 02/08/2020 - 13:53

    +2

    Kmart sell 5m white 51 led sets on silver wire for $4 that operate on 3 AA batteries. Very low power consumption.

    The almost invisible tiny bumps on the wire in the main photo are the LEDs!

    Plenty of other choices.

    Kmart $15 mains powered 200 LED set rates the consumption of the much larger brighter white LEDs as 0.06W @3V ea. That is a total of 12W or 3 hour max on that battery. Has flexible cable.
    Similar sets sell for much less after Christmas.

• 

  mrdevil on 02/08/2020 - 12:45

  +1

  If this is like the one I bought last minute last Christmas (which I reckon it is based on the photos), the wire these LEDs are on is one strand of thin copper… so it's stiff enough to shape around tree branches etc, however I doubt it'd last more than a few flexes :(.

  • 

    Ulya on 02/08/2020 - 13:05

    From the description: "The silver wire is flexible, you can bend it to any shape or wrapped it on anything you want like wreaths, trees, flowers, weddings with bouquets."

    • 

      INFIDEL on 02/08/2020 - 13:15

      From experience with this type of lights, the very tiny LEDs become disconnected easily from the stiff wire when it's bent. So one by one fail to light.
      Different sets lasted a few days to weeks before being binned.

      A very disappointing waste of money.

• 

  stiiky on 02/08/2020 - 13:51

  From those with previous purchases, if it was fixed along a patio edge for example and not moved, would they last longer than the few days? Or is any bend bad?

  • 

    INFIDEL on 02/08/2020 - 14:04

    These glow rather than provide much light. That's why they are shown in photos bunched together!!

    In similar smaller strings (not these), the stiff wire tends to twist around as you tack them up. Expect would be more of a problem the longer the string. Often got knotted & LEDs failed. So extreme care needed.
    As I was fixing them down - 3 smaller sets failed.

    Better to use strings on flexible wire to avoid the problem & needing to remove failed set.

• 

  INFIDEL on 02/08/2020 - 14:41

  +1

  Normal Price: $15.74

• 

  coxymla on 02/08/2020 - 15:05

  +5

  I bought this for $13.80 in January.
  So you know what you're getting, here is a real photo: https://i.imgur.com/POy0nTi.jpg

  • 

    CereaL on 02/08/2020 - 21:58

    and how long do you reckon they last ?

    • 

      coxymla on 02/08/2020 - 22:36

      I gotta admit I haven't used them yet.
      Typically these sets have pretty poor runtime unless you open them up and replace the battery with an Eneloop.

• 

  Tickle on 02/08/2020 - 19:39

  +2

  I love these lights (in the white/clear though) I have them in my trees, the definitely don’t light up an area but look great as decoration.

• 

  PukeyLuke on 03/08/2020 - 10:40

  With any solar charged item I usually replace the AA battery. In this case the original battery is a small capacity 1,200mah which can be replaced with a Coles rechargeable AA 2,500mah battery($7 pack 4, rated No1 on Choice magazine) so therefore it holds twice the battery storage. I find that when a solar battery light only operates for a couple of hours each night it's because of the battery not the solar panel. These cheap little solar panels can easily recharge a 2,500mah AA battery even on a partly cloudy day.

  • 

    INFIDEL on 03/08/2020 - 11:58

    These cheap little solar panels can easily recharge a 2,500mah AA battery even on a partly cloudy day.

    Given you need over 8 hours of direct full sun for this panel (stated as 300mA output, but likely less) to charge a 2,500mah AA battery with 0% losses…
    Generally the efficiency of charging the battery is taken as only 77% in slow charging, so 23% of the panel output is wasted. And there are other losses.

    I think your claim is overblown.

    so therefore it holds twice the battery storage

    Of course the replaced battery could hold more than the included battery. But there are other important factors involved in charging…
    If the daily charge available from the panel is not able to charge beyond the capacity of the included battery - you're wasting your time & money replacing it.

    Manufacturers match the components to provide the maximum output for least cost. So there is usually little or no surplus capacity of the panel to charge a battery with twice the capacity.

    And that above charging calculation is for a panel perpendicular to the sun's rays. That is the case for only a few hours a day.
    As the sun tracks across the sky, efficiency drops compared to that at noon (if panel correctly oriented). Many I've seen also are shaded for part of day, so avoid that.

    And despite what you claim - cloud cover significantly affects the output of these panels! Anyone having solar gadgets would have noticed they put out almost no light after days of prolonged overcast conditions. Adding a higher capacity battery won't help, as it is discharged fully after a day or so & there is little panel output to recharge it.
    Can be shown by connecting a suitable meter to measure the charging current to the battery. I've done that with many of these devices. Drops sharply as soon as a cloud blocks the sunlight.

    Most cheap plastic solar panels degrade (clear cover becomes opaque) over time, decreasing output of panel. Some are almost useless after a few months.

    I've installed remote off-grid photovoltaic panels, lived with the their charging characteristics, & experimented with this type of device over many years. I have solar powered motion sensor lights inside my home.

    ---

    People jump to the conclusion it is the battery that needs replacing. It's the easiest to replace, so is regularly recommended without any proof. I think they charge the battery & then see the light on longer than before.

    I prefer to take measurements.
    I've found the battery included by the manufacturer has adequate capacity to store the charge produced by the panel on every one I've tested. A larger battery will usually hold little or no more in a day's charge.

    If the panel has a higher daily output than the battery holds, in that rare case a higher capacity battery is a good move. But manufacturers don't pay for better panels, unless they can get the money back! So I've only found that with 1 heavily discounted device with a good panel, efficient changing, & sophisticated batteries (so could not be replaced).

    But the ability of the battery to hold the charge will decrease over time. These are cheap batteries that may only operate for about 300 charging cycles. So stored capacity will likely be low after about 6-12 months use. Can replace the battery & see if that helps. But by then the panel output has usually decreased.

    I've swapped to a higher capacity battery with other solar lights, but found no improvement. It just wrecks a good battery - charging, then fully discharging (to about 1.1V - LEDs don't work below that voltage) every day. That's not good for rechargeable battery life!

    Not much use spending more money on a cheap product like this. It has a limited usable life.

    • 

      INFIDEL on 03/08/2020 - 13:32

      And don't forget the effect of location & time of year on charging.

      In June, the average peak sunlight hours (used to estimate output of solar panels) are as follows:
      Hobart 1.4
      Canberra 2.1
      Melbourne 2.4
      Perth 2.5
      Sydney 3.4
      Adelaide 3.5
      Brisbane 4.1
      Darwin 5.3
      https://www.yourhome.gov.au/energy/photovoltaic-systems

      Don't expect much good strong sunlight to charge solar gadgets at this time of year, especially in the South!
      And nights are longer - the longer the lights are on, the more that discharges the batteries.
      So now there's less charging, & more discharging.

      Adding extra storage capacity to a device designed to discharge the battery every night, it won't recharge enough to be able to use the extra capacity.

      It's basic physics & maths.
      You can't get more out than goes in (less a lot of losses due to inefficiencies).

    • 

      PukeyLuke on 03/08/2020 - 14:57

      Are you living in Melbourne in lockdown as this response is almost a thesis? But it made interesting reading so here is my reply.
      You are quoting a lot of data but I am speaking from experience and I have done it several times and found replacing the battery gives me consistently positive results and as one Coles rechargeable 2,500mah AA battery costs only $1.75 it's a wise and cheap investment, or just use a spare rechargeable that you have lying around therefore it doesn't cost you anything. As you may know when you open one of these cheap solar lights such as this one advertised you will find a no name battery wrapped in green plastic "claiming" to be rated at 1,200mah. You can see these same no name batteries on eBay making absurd claims about their capacity. I have checked the capacity of these batteries I replaced with my trusty Opus BT-C3100 battery analyzer and found that they are usually less than half it's claimed capacity, they'll even claim to be NiMH when they are in fact NiCd .

      And despite what you claim - cloud cover significantly affects the output of these panels!

      I think you misunderstood what I was stating. When I stated a "partly cloudy day" I was not saying these solar panels can maintain peak solar contribution
      under cloud cover I was stating that partly cloudy means a 12 hour day with 6 hours sunlight and 6 hours cloudy,
      6 hours of sunshine this should give your 2,500mah battery a good charge, though probably not 100% full!!

      • 

        INFIDEL on 03/08/2020 - 15:34

        No I'm up North with far more sun🌞

        It's basically something I've posted several times before in response to comments like yours.

        Just a clarification, not a criticism as this is a common idea about the huge benefit of replacing batteries in solar gadgets, based on the stated mAh rating of batteries.

        I am quoting from the data & from experience over many years. Also a degree in the field, so yes I'm used to writing like this😉 I used to review theses!

        People charge their replacement battery before installing & not surprisingly report a longer number of hours of light.
        Unfortunately that isn't the case weeks later. I've tested it. It's all been discussed before.

        To get an accurate understanding:
        Use a meter to measure the available output of the panel in different conditions to understand what capacity battery is optimal (taking into account the inefficiencies in charging). Plus the usable sun per day at your location / time of year from the data.

        As I said, there will a benefit if poorly performing batteries are replaced. My tests also show some supplied batteries are crap. I send those units back as faulty.
        But adding a much higher capacity battery than the panel can fully charge (given location, sun hours, etc) is of no benefit.

        The calculations (allowing for inefficiencies, sun angles, etc) don't support your claim.

        Where are you living to get 12 hours of useable sun per day year round (even with only half at full sun)? The Equator? Even Darwin isn't that fortunate.

        The solar data I linked to doesn't support that. And the angle of the sun as I wrote, is converted to far less energy over most of that time.
        Even that much full & part sun won't provide the energy to fully charge the battery in a day under ideal conditions. (I note you now say it won't be fully charged.)

        You can't get more energy out than goes in.
        These gadgets aren't very efficient.
        It's basic physics!

        But no one is stopping you or anyone from replacing the battery - it should be better than the one supplied.

        Just from my experience, unless the supplied battery is truly crap, it won't double the time the light is on by doubling the battery capacity. The low panel output & other inefficiencies rob any significant increase in light time per night🔋

        • 

          PukeyLuke on 04/08/2020 - 17:56

          @INFIDEL:

          Where are you living to get 12 hours of useable sun per day year round (even with only half at full sun)? The Equator? Even Darwin isn't that fortunate.

          I didn't state "12 hours of useable sun per day year round".
          I said "a 12 hour day with 6 hours sunlight and 6 hours cloudy".
          Over a whole year every place in the world averages 12 hours daylight on a daily basis (not sunshine).
          Most Australian capital cities average over 6 hours sunshine daily, and 3/4 of the Australian continent average over 8 hours sunshine per day.
          So most areas of Australia on an average day could easily recharge a 2,500mAh well above the 1,200 mAh rating of the original battery, therefore making it a worthy project that takes less than 5 minutes and costs no more than $1.75 (or free if you have a spare rechargeable AA battery) it's well worth it, also you'll have a battery installed that meets minimum Australian standards, comes with a warranty and is a lot more likely to reach its mAh rating.
          I must admit I find it frustrating that you keep misquoting me, especially as you state that "😉 I used to review theses!",
          So you review theses yet repeatedly misquote or not understand the simplicity of my original comment.
          You also state that you "have a degree in the field" and that "I am quoting from the data & from experience over many years"
          and "I've installed remote off-grid photovoltaic panels"
          Your comments are littered with "I think your claim is overblown" "despite what you claim", "don't support your claim", you are way way over thinking it.
          All I'm stating is that if you're going to spend $15 on one of these solar string lights then I recommend replacing the AA battery with brand name rechargeable battery. I first got the idea while camping, the solar string lights that we would attach to the tents and guy ropes would go flat after a couple of hours. So I replaced the no name batteries with brand name 2,500mAh batteries and the string lights would often stay on all night. They also last for years which I'm sure the original batteries would not. Since then I've always replaced the original batteries with cheap brand name batteries such as Coles AA rechargeable batteries and I've always got good results from this.
          Feel free to reply to my comment, I will read it but I won't be replying again, I need to move on with my life!!

          • 

            INFIDEL on 04/08/2020 - 18:20

            @PukeyLuke: Um… I did say
            you need over 8 hours of direct full sun for this panel (stated as 300mA output, but likely less) to charge a 2,500mah AA battery with 0% losses…

            But you now say
            So most areas of Australia on an average day could easily recharge a 2,500mAh
            - based on a link to "bright sunshine hours" data, rather than "Peak sunshine hours" data used in solar calculations.

            You are confused by the difference between hours of direct sun on the panel to produce the stated output (in link I provided - an Australian Government guide to available energy from solar)
            & your simple figures of available bright sun light (at different hours - measured by the track of the sun through a lens) which is at any angle to the panel - most of which is of little use in producing electricity.

            What does the Government guide to solar say…
            calculate the output energy from the peak sun hours, which is a measure of the available solar energy (not the number of hours of daylight or the number of hours the sun is shining unobscured).
            Pity you don't bother reading that!
            It's something drummed into people involved in the solar area, & ignored by the unwary at their expense!

            You conveniently ignore those limitations I discussed. For example brought about by sun angle (not at 90° to the panel - it's basic trigonometry, as the sun light diverges from 90°, the energy produced drops), inefficiencies I outlined in charging rechargeable batteries, and so many other inefficiencies of a very cheap basic panel - rechargeable battery system.

            You say
            So I replaced the no name batteries with brand name 2,500mAh batteries and the string lights would often stay on all night.
            Now was the battery installed discharged or charged?? Only a discharged battery should be used for comparison purposes.
            Installing a charged battery in a solar charged light system - it's running on the external charge - as I pointed out.
            A better battery usually will hold a charge longer, but will discharge overnight (it's how these systems are designed). It won't hold a charge from the panel beyond a day in my tests, unless the nights draw very little power so last all night.

            you are way way over thinking it.
            You accuse me of over thinking. Pity you haven't considered thinking about the limitations on your theoretical ideas.

            I recommended use of a meter to measure actual current available for charging at different times of the day. Seems I wasted my time when you believe you already know the results!

            Installing better batteries is no issue to me, claiming miracles from that is my only concern.

            Pointless discussing facts, physics & mathematics with someone who just wants to believe what they believe!
            Used to see people's papers where they so wanted to prove their belief, the paper & research was only suitable for the bin!

            Keep on believing in magical 0% inefficiencies & any "bright sunlight" from any direction can produce the maximum panel output to charge your 100% efficient battery in an average day, as you claim!