LOL!

JoOngle

You know why Addy is posting so many today right?

Jesus is too busy putting together that LEGO Millennium Falcon in the background!

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(wherethehellisthat -oh here it is!)

click!

strider_mt2k

The reason to get these type of lights (I got several strands from DealExtreme.com that work very well) is NOT to replace plugged-in lights.

These strands work nicely in places where you can't (or don't want to) run an extension cord.

I put some on my mailbox at the end of our driveway. I'm very happy with them.

Antediluvian

Uh, my solar lights stay on almost all night.

Don't buy POS solar lights and they'll work fine.

These might actually be cool looking in a remote garden area or something, but yes, quality of construction and materials used would be what I check out first, by all means.

strider_mt2k

@BEN:
Yep, probably just a bunch of crap.

@JoOngle:
All the solar powered landscape lighting I've seen, doesn't look like it's running the LED's at their maximum brightness, so you could say that maybe they are shooting for around 5mA each (since the brightness is not in linear proportion to current).

On another note, did you ever think that maybe they aren't using a battery that is the exact forward voltage of the LED, but perhaps 3 or more in series? That means that each string of 3 (or more) draws 5mA, versus 15mA (or more).

On the other hand, I'm not sure how green you can call these, since the average lifespan of Christmas lights is probably 2 seasons or less...even with LED's, the quality of the wiring, etc, will give out before the LED, causing you to just chunk it in the trash, along with those NiMH or probably even NiCD batteries...adding to the human footprint.

technophobia

These are most likely a wash in long run. A string of 50 lights costs about $3, and the additional electrical cost to power those lights over the course of several years is negligible. Plus, on overcast days, these lights will not be on at night.

BEN

(oh btw - fyi)

All such products come PRE-loaded (pre charged) from the factory to seem like they can do the job, yes - you will have entire two nights with this functional - after that - you´ll see the truth about this "let´s just sell some crap" that seem neat - stuff.

JoOngle

I know for a fact that even TWO of these photovoltaic multicells that they use in these gimmics doesn´t even manage to keep a single LED running all night at full power because it simply doesn´t have the power to charge the batteries used.

Most of you probably know this from the supermarkets (look...it´s even the same cell-type)...you know...the solar-cell-insect zapper (has TWO of these pretty big 10x10 cm photovoltaic cells) but dies after 1-2 hours unless you live in a place that has the sun directly above you more than 14 hours a day, cloudless.

Another example..the ever famous solar-cell GARDEN light that everyone is so excited about (in the beginning), lights up everyones garden when there still are lights out there, burns out 2 hours after dark. Wee...yay solar!

So...this product....will charge enough for what? 20-40 Ultrabright white leds? Lemme see...I have 1000. pieces of the latest versions from Hong Kong in my workshop right now, they drain 10 Milli Amphere each...now while thats pretty sweet since the OLD ones (yes..you know...the red, orange and green ones from yesteryears) drew 20 mA back in 1980´s and lit about as much as a glowfly in daylight....this is pretty good.

BUT my friends... 40 x 10 mA = 400 mA. SO...if you have let´s say... 3- AA cells of 2000 mAh at 1.2 volts each - giving 3.6 volts (which happens to be the exact voltage of the bright white leds here at 10 mA) Would be drained in 5-HOURS if everything where perfect in a perfect world. (400 mA = one hour x 5 2000 mA) But that's ONLY if the Solar Cell reaches MAXIMUM SPECS (meaning DIRECT SUNLIGHT for the time it takes to charge the 3. 2000 mA batteries (at a charge of say...200 mA this will take 10 hours (10x200 = 2000 mA)....Now think about it... 2

...200 mA isn´t much..but NO WAY that little cell gives you as much as 200 mA with 3.6 v, more like 40-80 at max....that will take several days then with enough sunlight...

So...product? HUMBUG! I betcha, juuuuust like all (every single solar product like this) until now!

JoOngle - Yours in science ;)

JoOngle

These would be good for my tree, I dont normally sit in the dark with the tree lights on, so maybe they will get enough juice from the other lights in the room.

prodigal_son

If the LED's are so bright why not hold the photpvoltaic charger up next to them and let them charge it. Sigh...why cant they make a 1:1 system. Stupid law "conservation of energy" is bunk, I declare a wiki edit.

Michai

@AddyDugdale: I don't believe that for a minute.

strider_mt2k

@STRIDER_MT2K
Right now, Lego is a four-letter word in our house.

AddyDugdale

@AddyDugdale: Wait til it's finished and it takes pride of place in the bedroom somewhere.

Maxwells_Nylon_Hammer