How a solar powered flashlight works. How to repair a solar lantern with your own hands

Accumulators (rechargeable batteries) for solar luminaires

They differ in many technical parameters, one of the most important is the chemical composition of the battery, which determines the frost resistance and the presence of the memory effect of the battery. Batteries with memory effect are unsuitable for use in solar-powered garden lamps: having received insufficient sunlight for a full charge several times, such batteries will gradually stop charging; these power supplies are used for mains-charged appliances at full battery power each time.

LiFePO4 Lithium Iron Phosphate Batteries (Cylindrical Batteries)

This is a type of rechargeable battery made on the basis of a unique lithium-ion chemical composition, where iron (Fe) is used as a cathode material. LiFePO4 batteries have a high discharge current, do not explode under extreme conditions and are lighter in weight. But they have lower voltage characteristics and energy density compared to conventional Li-ion batteries. The Fe-P-O compound is stronger than Co-O, therefore, when extreme situations arise ( short circuit, overheating, etc.) oxygen atoms are much more difficult to remove. This stabilization of redox reactions also helps to speed up ion transport. Only at extreme temperatures, typically over 800 ° C, will the battery be destroyed without generating heat. On the other hand, LiCoO2 batteries are subject to a lot of heat emission. LiFePO4 is very resistant to oxygen loss, which leads to an exothermic reaction in other lithium cells.

The advantages of lithium iron phosphate batteries.

Their greatest advantage is believed to be that their service life is inherently longer than that of lithium-ion cells. But with the same voltage and capacity, this battery will be much larger and heavier than a li-ion battery. Also, these batteries are considered safer in terms of explosion hazard. The disadvantage of these types of batteries is their size. The size and weight of this battery, all other things being equal, will be significantly larger than that of a lithium-ion battery.
The advantages of a large capacity solar battery: the processes of discharge and charge will take place in a gentle current mode. With the same amperage, batteries with sufficient or excess capacity work in a training mode, and batteries with a small capacity in a reduced or boost mode.

Howell Batteries:

ModelRated voltage, IN Rated power, mA * h Internal resistance, mOhm Life cycle Maximum charge voltage Discharge threshold voltages Battery weight (approximate), g Dimensions (diameter and length), mm
HW-F14500 3.2 400 ≤50 ≥2000 3.65 2.3 18.5 14x50
HW-F18500 3.2 1100 ≤40 ≥2000 3.65 2.3 32 18x50
HW-F18650 3.2 1500 ≤40 ≥2000 3.65 2.3 45 18x65
HW-F22650 3.2 2300 ≤20 ≥2000 3.65 2.3 60 22x65
HW-F26650 3.2 3000 ≤40 ≥2000 3.65 2.3 80 26x65
HW-F32600 3.2 4000 ≤20 ≥2000 3.65 2.3 110 32x60
HW-F32650 3.2 4500 ≤10 ≥2000 3.65 2.3 188 32x65
HW-F42110 3.2 10000 ≤5 ≥2000 3.65 2.3 330 42x110

Table 1

Typical Performance Characteristics of Li-Phosphate Batteries

Ni-MH Nickel-Metal Hydride Batteries

Hermetically sealed batteries have a composition of a hydrogen-adsorbing alloy. Such batteries contain an electrode based on an alloy of hydrogen-absorbing metals. When the battery is discharged, hydrogen is released from the metal alloy in the form of water. High density The energy of nickel-metal hydride batteries in comparison with other chemical compounds is achieved due to the presence of a metal alloy. NiMh batteries have a long life cycle and are well stored. In addition, these batteries can be charged at any time without affecting the voltage.

It is important to note that NiMh batteries are environmentally friendly and do not harm the environment.

A type Model The size Dimensions (max.) Capacity Rated voltage Standard charge Fast charge Dimensions (edit)
Diameter Length (mAh) IN Current, mA Time Current, mA Time Weight
mm mm h min. G
AAA 2 / 3AAA300 2 / 3AAA 10.5 28.7 300 1.2 60 7 300 72 7
AAA600 AAA 10.5 42.8 600 1.2 120 7 600 72 12
AAA600H AAA 10.5 44.5 600 1.2 120 7 600 72 12
AAA700H AAA 10.5 44.5 700 1.2 140 7 700 72 12
AAA800H AAA 10.5 44.5 800 1.2 160 7 800 72 13
AAA900H AAA 10.5 44.5 900 1.2 160 7 900 72 13
AAA1000H AAA 10.5 44.5 1000 1.2 180 7 1000 72 13
AA 2 / 3AA650 2 / 3AA 14.5 28.5 650 1.2 130 7 650 72 15
4 / 5AA1200 4 / 5AA 14.5 43.3 1200 1.2 240 7 1200 72 23
AA600 AA 14.5 49.1 600 1.2 120 7 600 72 24
AA800H AA 14.5 50.4 800 1.2 160 7 800 72 24
AA1000 AA 14.5 49.1 1000 1.2 200 7 1000 72 24
AA1200L AA 14.5 49.1 1200 1.2 240 7 1200 72 24
AA1300H AA 14.5 50.4 1300 1.2 260 7 1300 72 24
AA1500L AA 14.5 49.1 1500 1.2 300 7 1500 72 26
AA1600H AA 14.5 50.4 1600 1.2 320 7 1600 72 26
AA1700L AA 14.5 49.1 1700 1.2 170 14 510 240 27
AA1800H AA 14.5 50.4 1800 1.2 180 14 540 240 28
AA2000H AA 14.5 50.4 2000 1.2 200 14 600 240 28
AA2100L AA 14.5 50.4 2100 1.2 210 14 630 240 29
AA2200H AA 14.5 50.4 2200 1.2 220 14 660 240 29
AA2300H AA 14.5 50.4 2300 1.2 230 14 690 240 30
AA2400H AA 14.5 50.4 2400 1.2 240 14 720 240 30.5
AA2500H AA 14.5 50.4 2500 1.2 250 14 750 240 31
AA2600 AA 14.5 50.4 2600 1.2 260 14 780 240 31.5
AA2700 AA 14.5 50.4 2700 1.2 270 14 810 240 32
A 2 / 3A1200 2 / 3A 17 28.5 1200 1.2 120 14 360 240 32
4 / 5A1800 4 / 5A 17 43.2 1800 1.2 180 14 540 240 32
A2100 AR (2) 17 50.3 2100 1.2 210 14 630 240 38
4 / 3A3600 4 / 3A 17 67.3 3600 1.2 360 14 1080 240 53
18 18670 18670 18.5 67 3800 1.2 380 14 1140 240 53
18720 18720 18.5 72 4500 1.2 450 14 1350 240 53
SC SC2800 SC 23 42.8 280 1.2 280 14 840 240 56
SC3000 SC 23 42.8 3000 1.2 300 14 900 240 60
SC3600 SC 23 42.8 3600 1.2 360 14 1080 240 64
C C4000H C 26 50.4 4000 1.2 400 14 1200 240 73
D D8000 D 33 60.3 8000 1.2 800 14 2400 240 157
D9000H D 33 60.3 9000 1.2 900 14 2700 240 167
D10000 d 33 60.3 10000 1.2 1000 14 3000 240 190
F F13000 F 32.4 90 13000 1.2 1300 14 3900 390 205
9V 9V 220 9V 26.5*15.6*48.5 220 1.2 22 14 88 180 40
9V 300 9V 26.5*15.6*48.5 300 1.2 30 14 120 180 44

NiCd Nickel Cadmium Batteries

Their chemical composition differs from the nickel-metal hydride composition in that NiCd absorbs cadmium while NiMn retains hydrogen. Cadmium is much bulkier and heavier, which leads to a reduction in the volume and weight of the energy density of NiCd batteries.

The discharge schedule of the two types of batteries is the same. Nickel cadmium batteries can be stored in any state of discharge (SOC). However, NiCd batteries must be fully discharged before recharging to avoid memory effect or voltage drop. One of the main disadvantages of nickel cadmium batteries is the negative environmental impact and health risks associated with the use of cadmium.

Advantages

A type Model The size Dimensions are approximate Capacity, mA * h Rated voltage, V Standard charge Note
Weight
Diameter Height Current, mA Time G
mm mm h
AAA AAA300 AAA 10.5 43.3 300 1.2 60 7.5 10
AAA350H AAA 10.5 44.5 350 1.2 70 7.5 11
AA AA500 AA 14.5 50.4 500 1.2 100 7.5 18
AA600 AA 14.5 49.1 600 1.2 120 7.5 19
AA700L AA 14.5 49.1 700 1.2 140 7.5 21
AA700H AA 14.5 50.4 700 1.2 140 7.5 21
AA800L AA 14.5 49.1 800 1.2 160 7.5 22
AA800H AA 14.5 50.4 800 1.2 160 7.5 22
AA900L AA 14.5 49.1 900 1.2 180 7.5 22
AA900H AA 14.5 50.4 900 1.2 180 7.5 22
AA1000L AA 14.5 49.1 1000 1.2 200 7.5 23
A 4 / 5A1200 4 / 5A 17 42.8 1200 1.2 240 7.5 30
A1400 A 17 49.8 1400 1.2 280 7.5 36
SC 4 / 5SC1000 4 / 5SC 23 33.8 1000 1.2 200 7.5 37
SC1300 SC 23 42.8 1300 1.2 260 7.5 40
SC1500 SC 23 42.8 1500 1.2 300 7.5 43
SC1800 SC 23 42.8 1800 1.2 360 7.5 48
SC2000 SC 23 42.8 2000 1.2 200 7.5 48
C C2000 C 26 49.5 200 1.2 200 7.5 65
C3000 C 26 50.4 3000 1.2 300 15 75
D D4000L D 33 60.3 4000 1.2 400 15 130
D4000H D 33 61.6 4000 1.2 400 15 130
D4500L D 33 60.3 4500 1.2 450 15 140
D4500H D 33 61.6 4500 1.2 450 15 140
D5000L D 33 60.3 5000 1.2 500 15 145
D5000H D 33 61.6 5000 1.2 500 15 145
F F8000 F 32.4 90 8000 1.2 800 15 205

The invention of solar cells is one of the most important and useful advances in modern science. The best part is that this technology of the future is already available to everyone today. You can find solar-powered street lights in gardening stores. What is it and how do these devices function?

How solar-powered luminaires work

Today on sale you can find lighting fixtures of this category, markedly different from each other in design and size. However, the design of all models is approximately the same. Solar cells are an energy-converting element.

High-quality modern photo modules are able to charge the battery even in cloudy weather. The heart of the lighting fixture is the battery. It accumulates energy and consumes it in the dark. Modern solar-powered street lamps are equipped with a controller that turns on the lamp when there is insufficient natural light, and also turns off the device if the battery is discharged or it has become enough light outside. Also, the luminaire has a body and directly an LED lantern-lamp.

Benefits of solar lighting

Many people refuse garden lighting due to the high cost of equipment and electricity. Do not forget about the laboriousness of installing conventional lanterns. Solar-powered street lamps are a completely different matter. All you need to do to install them is simply place them on site. On sale, you can find models that stick to the ground, pendant and table / floor models, which should be placed on a horizontal surface. The variety of designs and shapes is another plus that solar-powered street lamps boast.

The photos posted in the article show only a part of the popular models. Such lighting devices do not require complex maintenance and constant user involvement. Such lamps light up automatically at nightfall, they do not need to be recharged, it is enough to just occasionally remove dirt.

Disadvantages of solar luminaires

Solar lighting has a number of disadvantages as well. Such lights do not shine brightly and can only be used for decorative purposes or for passive illumination of paths, recreation areas. If you want solar-powered street lights to shine until dawn, place them in direct sunlight. If your garden area is not properly guarded, decorative lamps can be stolen by intruders. However, this problem can be solved by removing the lighting fixtures in the house during a long absence.

How to choose solar-powered outdoor decorative lights for your site? The characteristic of the light elements themselves is important: LED or light-emitting diodes. The more there are, the brighter the light will be. The characteristics of the battery capacity and voltage are responsible for the duration of the nighttime operation. Since solar lights are installed outdoors, a degree of protection against moisture, dust and dirt is important. This parameter is usually marked with an IP tag. It is advisable to decide on the installation site before buying. The type of mount / stand required depends on this.

What do people who have already bought this novelty for their homestead say about solar lamps? Many people like this option for garden lighting: it is economical and convenient. Moreover, even the most inexpensive and simple models look mysterious and interesting in the dark.

Solar-powered luminaires have negative reviews as well. Inexpensive devices often break down rather quickly, paint can peel off from them, and decorative elements deteriorate. As for the lighting power, to illuminate the path, it is better to install the lamps in pairs on both sides. If you want to illuminate the recreation area, also place at least 2-3 devices next to each other. And yet solar-powered luminaires have more pluses than minuses. If you are still choosing the option for lighting your own garden, be sure to count the pros and cons of these devices.

An example of a successful DIY repair of solar cells damaged by corrosion of garden lamps is shown. The Secret of the Master thanks the author of Cosmogor for the instructions provided and the detailed master class on the restoration of the solar battery.

How to repair a solar battery with your own hands

We bought cheap garden lights on solar cells, bought twenty pieces at once, the goods are cheap and working. The whole summer they stood in the garden and at night they were pleasing to the eye. But by the end of the summer, some of the lanterns stopped working. The next summer, history repeated itself, and by the end of the summer all the lights stopped working. It's a shame!

Analysis of the fixtures revealed the cause of the breakdowns. In view of the leaky fixing of the solar cell, water easily penetrated into the body of the lantern, and the presence of constant voltage caused electrocorrosion and, unfortunately, the rapid death of electronics. In some lamps, after disassembly, a very sad picture was observed, on the boards all the tracks disappeared, oxidized and turned into powder, the circuit was practically destroyed, and the legs of the LEDs were eaten by corrosion to the plastic case, there is nothing to even solder the wires.

Throwing out the lamps is, of course, easy, but a real master will try to restore with his own hands what can be used in further crafts. The most valuable thing about a garden lamp is the solar panel.

During disassembly, not a single solar battery was working, corrosion did not spare the metal. The photo clearly shows how the metal coating at the positive electrode is eaten away by corrosion. Carefully disassemble the lantern so as not to tear off the metal electrode to which the conductors for removing electricity from the solar cell are soldered. But on some solar cells this electrode was destroyed by corrosion and attempts to solder to the metallization were unsuccessful. And how can you solder the wire to the glass?

Solar lantern

Corroded metallization

Corroded electrode

So let's start the process of restoring the solar cell, the most valuable part of the lantern.

Step 1. For repairs, you need to purchase a conductive adhesive, such as the one shown in the photo.

Step 2. Unsolder the wires from the electrodes, if there are any.

Step 3. We clean from paint, varnish, if there is a film, then remove it too. The stripping width is several millimeters and in the place where the wires were soldered.

Step 4. Degrease the surface and apply the glue according to the instructions. We use glue to restore the electrode eaten by corrosion, applying glue to the cleaned area. Let the glue dry.

Conductive adhesive

We unsolder the conductors

We clean up the damage

Apply conductive glue

Step 5. Lean the wire to the place where the glue is applied and drip the solder, well, literally a little more. In this state, the wires are still weakly adhered to the element, with the slightest jerk the wire will come off. We fix the wire on the glass with hot melt glue. In principle, at this step, the restoration of the solar cell with your own hands ends.

Do you want economical lighting in your summer cottage? It is no longer a problem to light up the porch, the approach to the gate and the bends of the path in the depths of the country garden. Garden solar lights came into the life of summer residents along with the development of new technical developments and a new approach to the arrangement of everyday life. With the onset of dusk, when everything around is plunged into the darkness of the night, multi-colored lighting lanterns of the most bizarre shape begin to light up. They light up automatically.

Features of the solar lamp

Product advantages and features:

  • Lack of cable;
  • Independence from central power grids;
  • Lack of electricity bills;
  • Automatic switching on at dusk;
  • Ease of installation;
  • Environmental friendliness;
  • Safety;
  • Site decoration.

Now you do not need to lay a cable and dig a trench for it to connect the lighting: you just need to install the flashlight, fixing it in the soil. You can easily change the location at your discretion, simply by digging it out of the ground or removing it from the mount.

There is no need to purchase equipment to turn on / off the lamp, because the battery starts its work automatically at nightfall. By generating weak currents, the flashlights are completely safe for curious little children. And no electricity bills and free lighting suburban area- the dream of any owner. It is now completely feasible.

Each product has its own disadvantages. With regard to salt lamps, it looks like this:

  • Break down quickly at low temperatures;
  • Charge for at least five hours;
  • Should be placed in areas accessible to sunlight;
  • Do not work in regions with constant cloudy weather;
  • Do not give bright light.

The disadvantages of solar-powered garden lights include low-quality LEDs.

A little about the device of the flashlight

Design features of lighting devices:

  1. Frame;
  2. Photosensitive element;
  3. Electric accumulator;
  4. LED bulbs;
  5. Controller.

Energy independence in your area is achieved due to the accumulation of the sun's rays by the built-in photocells. A battery with sensitive modules captures direct and scattered rays of the sun, then converting them into lighting. The glow of battery-powered garden solar lights is given by LED elements built into the structure, the brightness of the glow depends on their number.

The process is controlled by an electronic microcircuit. The power of the lamps, their price and glow time will depend on the capacity of the battery. High-quality solar lights can illuminate the territory for up to eight hours in a row, because the generated energy is not spent on heating the incandescent elements, as in conventional light bulbs.

Various types and shapes

According to the method of attachment, there are five types of flashlights:

  • On a low leg. Such structures are mounted directly into the ground and illuminate the area near the ground. Usually they are mounted to illuminate paths and paths in the garden, illuminate lawns.
  • On a high leg. Such lamps cover a large area around them and are used as the main lighting. During a long absence, such structures can be stored or dismantled and the battery can be discharged.
  • Hanging structures with a hook. These flashlights can be hung from tree branches, brackets or mounts.
  • Built-in structures. They are used on the facades of houses.

Decorative designs. The purpose of the battery-powered decorative garden solar lanterns is to decorate the site. They are usually made with colored LEDs and come in a variety of shapes. Floating lanterns placed in a pond or pool look quite unusual.

How to choose the right one

Consider the main criteria for choosing a lamp for a summer residence:

Don't buy cheap flashlights in bulk. Low-quality lamps deteriorate quickly and have low power: they shine for a maximum of three hours.

To distinguish a quality product from a “homebrew” one, ask about the technical parameters of the product. The instructions for a solar-powered garden lamp should indicate: power charging battery, number LED bulbs, glow time, etc.

We watch the video, tips for choosing the optimal model:

Before buying, determine the range of the luminaire: what area it should illuminate. The size of the illuminated area directly depends on the power of the battery device and the number of LED elements. Low-power flashlights are also suitable for decorative lighting.

Battery material matters too. Nickel-metal hydride batteries are more efficient. Lanterns on such a battery produce lighting for up to ten hours in a row, which is important in the winter season.

The glass coating also has its own quality characteristics. Tempered glass for solar powered garden lights will the best choice... But structured glass also does a good job of focusing scattered radiation. The smooth glass surface mainly reflects direct and scattered rays.

An important point is the protection of solar battery-powered garden lights from dust and moisture resistance. This indicator has its own IP symbol. The minimum IP for a street lamp is 44. For water lamps, an indicator is needed several times higher.

If you do not need illumination of the entire area at once, purchase lamps with motion sensors: they light up when a person appears.

To decorate the holidays, you can buy lanterns with colored LED bulbs.

We watch the video, make the diagram ourselves:

The choice of LED solar lamps is due to many reasons: independence from power grids, free electricity, decoration of the site. The question is in the price: cheap devices for 100 rubles will quickly fail, expensive structures will serve as a reliable source of light long time... With the proper skill, you can make and modify the flashlights yourself, and they will cope with the lighting of the territory. Do not forget about timely maintenance of flashlights: wipe the surface for better accumulation of solar energy.

What you can do yourself

The disadvantage of solar garden lights is their low luminosity. It can be fixed.

Refinement methods:

  • Replace the inductor with an inductance of 33 μH. This will increase the brightness significantly.
  • Replace your regular LED with a super bright one.
  • The next step is to replace the battery with a larger capacity (1000 mAh). The operating time of the solar lamp depends on the power of the battery.
  • For uniform illumination, three LEDs can be mounted instead of one.

If you wish, you can arrange a real fabulous illumination based on serial garden lanterns on solar batteries, modifying them with your own hands.

On the plots, many summer residents have solar-powered garden lamps, mainly made in China, which are not particularly reliable.

Simple modifications can significantly improve the performance of such lamps.

Garden lamps not only decorate the plot, but also illuminate the paths, making evening walks in the garden safe. All garden lights are subdivided into stationary and stand-alone. Placing stationary lamps in a garden area involves a significant amount of work on laying an electric cable and installing the lamps themselves. And their price is very high.

Stationary luminaires on the site can be supplemented or even replaced with stand-alone devices. They will be appropriate literally in every corner of the garden. Especially

such lamps look spectacular if you place them around the perimeter of the reservoir and along the garden paths. There are also stand-alone garden spotlights that are used to illuminate buildings and large ornamental plants.

Despite the variety of models of stand-alone garden lamps, they are all assembled according to a typical scheme, which includes a solar battery, a battery, a voltage converter and an LED or LED module. Any of these components can be improved, thereby improving the performance of garden lights - for example, brightness or duration of their work.

Refinement of the "tower" lamp with your own hands

For example, the Tower lamp (Fig. 1) is assembled on the DA1-ANA618 pulse converter (or its analogs - ANA608, Y801, Y8018). The pulse converter raises the voltage of the nickel-cadmium battery to the level required to turn on the HL1 LED. In addition, the converter monitors the voltage on the solar battery, and at dusk (when the voltage on the solar battery decreases) turns on the luminaire. The amount of current flowing through the LED and, accordingly, the brightness of the LED depends on the inductance of the inductor L1. In the lamps different manufacturers a choke with inductance of 68-82 μH is installed. With this magnitude of inductance, the current through the LED does not exceed 12 mA, although the operating current for most low-power LEDs is 20-30 mA.

To increase the current (luminaire brightness), replace the standard choke L1 with a choke with an inductance of 33 μH. The current flowing through the inductor is very small. Therefore, you can use a choke of almost any design with a given inductance value (photo 1).

The old choke should be removed from the board and onto it. place to install a new one. If the board is welded to the luminaire body and deployed with components inside the lantern, it does not have to be dismantled. It is necessary, using a desoldering pump, to remove the solder, and then remove the choke from the board (photo 2).

Depending on the design, LEDs provide different brightness for a given operating current. Ultra-bright low-power LEDs have a wide range of brightness from 2 to 20 cd / m2 and higher. The garden luminaire under consideration uses a flat-head LED, which, at an operating current of 20 mA, produces a luminous flux with a brightness of about 4 cd / mg. This is enough to illuminate an area within a radius of up to 1.5 meters. Simply replacing such an LED with a 20 cd / m2 super-bright LED 5013UWC will significantly improve the performance of your garden light.

With an increase in the operating current and the brightness of the LED flashlight, the current consumed from the battery increases. Instead of a standard battery with a capacity of 600 mAh, it is necessary to install a nickel-metal hydride battery with a capacity of 1000 mAh of the same size, thereby significantly increasing the duration autonomous work lamp even in cloudy weather (photo 3).

It should be noted that at present, AAA nickel-metal hydride batteries of various capacities are produced: 1,000, 1,100, 1,350, 1,800 and even 2,000 mAh. The larger the capacity of the installed battery, the longer the lamp will work on a single charge.

Before buying a battery, be sure to check the voltage with a multimeter. In a nickel-metal hydride battery, the voltage on the electrodes does not exceed 1.3 V. In salt or alkaline batteries, the voltage on the electrodes is 1.50-1.57 V. Sometimes unscrupulous sellers, under the guise of high-capacity nickel-metal hydride batteries, sell salt batteries stylized as batteries ...

Luminaires with three LEDs

To ensure that the luminaire creates even illumination, instead of one LED, you can install three at an angle of 120 degrees. LEDs turn on in parallel to each other. Before installation, you should check the spread of their operating voltage, which should be minimal, otherwise only one of the three LEDs will burn brightly, and the rest will only glow dimly. A simple test is easy to accomplish by assembling a test circuit (Fig. 2). If LEDs from the same batch are used, they will glow with almost the same brightness (photo 4).

It should be borne in mind that the forward voltage drop for LEDs of different glow colors is significantly different (see table).

Therefore, when LEDs of different colors are connected in parallel, the one on which the voltage drop is less will glow.

The LEDs are located on a 15 mm board. The PCB drawing, assembled LED module and solar garden light with this LED module are shown in Photo 5-6.

You can make garden lamps that will glow in different colors - red, blue, yellow, green, white, purple. It is only necessary to select the appropriate LEDs. Preference should be given to super-bright LEDs, which, with the same operating current, have a significantly higher brightness than ordinary ones (photo 7).

Dynamic multicolor light

Regardless of what color the LEDs are chosen for the garden light, this color will be static, unchanged over time. A much more interesting effect can be achieved using a three-color LED with a built-in generator. Such LEDs are used in more expensive UFO lamps and ball shaped pond lamps. Compared to conventional garden lights, the cost of dynamic lanterns is 15-20 times higher!

Three-color LEDs with a built-in generator contain a microcircuit on one of the electrodes, which controls the operation of the RGB matrix mounted on the other electrode (photo 8). The LED has two leads - the cathode and the anode. The anode lead is usually longer. A three-color dynamic LED is connected to the power supply through a current-limiting resistor. The operating current of such an LED is 20 mA. Dynamic LEDs must not be connected to a power source without a current-limiting resistor or energized with reverse polarity. Maximum reverse voltage over 0.5-0.75V will destroy dynamic LEDs.

Three-color dynamic LEDs are available with fast fading and slow fading. The latter are most interesting for use in garden lights. The color of their glow seems to flow from red to yellow, then to green, blue, white, orange and back.

Depending on the number of LEDs purchased and the place of purchase, the cost of LEDs varies significantly. So, a batch of 100 LEDs purchased on the radio market cost the author 10 rubles. per piece, and through the retail network, the same LEDs are sold for 55 rubles.

It is impossible to connect a three-color LED with a built-in generator to a garden lamp instead of the installed white LED: it simply will not. work. And the reason is simple - the converter installed in the garden lamp produces a rectangular pulse voltage with a frequency of 200-250 kHz (photo 9). Each new pulse restarts the generator built into a three-color dynamic LED, and for normal generator operation, the pulse voltage must be converted to DC.

The easiest way to do this is to use a rectifier diode and a storage capacitor. The diode cuts off negative voltage surges from the converter, and the capacitor is discharged in the pauses between pulses to the LED. Thus, from the variable we get a constant voltage.

When choosing a diode and capacitor, surface mount components should be preferred. It is highly desirable to install a Schottky diode, in which the minimum voltage drop is 0.12-0.14 V, and the operating frequency reaches hundreds of kilohertz due to the short charge dissipation time. It is preferable to use a tantalum capacitor with a low equivalent resistance (photo 10). Under these conditions, the maximum efficiency of the rectifier is ensured.

The luminaire module diagram is shown in Fig. 4, the printed circuit board for the module and the three-color LED is shown in Fig. 5, and the assembled module is shown in photo 11.

Since it is difficult to convey dynamic events within the framework of a magazine article, a series of photographs in photo 12 is shown to illustrate the operation of a garden lamp with a tricolor LED.

Retrofitting a garden light proved to be a very simple task. You can decorate your garden with fantastic illumination based on mass-produced inexpensive garden lamps, modified by your own hands.

DIY repair and improvement of solar lamps - photo

Rice. 1. The principle of the "Tower" lamp. Photo 1. Miniature inductors for surface mounting. Photo 2. Removing the choke without dismantling the board. Photo 3. AAA batteries. Rice. 2. Schematic diagram checking the brightness of the glow. Photo 4. LEDs of the same batch have almost the same brightness. Photo 5. LED module assembly. Rice. 3. Printed circuit board for three LEDs. Photo 6. A lamp with three LEDs. Photo 7. An example of super-bright LEDs. Photo 8. Three-color LED with a control RGB-matrix.

Solar lamp repair and improvement - photo 2

Photo 9. Oscillogram of the pulse voltage generated by the converter. Photo 10. Tantalum capacitor. Rice. 4. Schematic diagram of the dynamic lamp module. Rice. 5. Printed circuit board of the dynamic light module. Photo 11. Dynamic light module assembly. Photo 12. Different phases of operation of a dynamic luminaire with a three-color LED.