Updates to my Monster 30W LED Garden Solar Light project. A new PWM solar charge controller with timer function has replaced the old controller and daylight sensor.
By Julian
Youtuber, shed dweller, solar charge controller aficionado
Well done however the design could be improved in terms were the light is and over all how it looks like. It is not quite there..
Dear Julian, Great video. Is this system still working ok in your garden?
Nice little project.
If you put a tubular light diffuser below your LED, you could better distribute the LED throughout the yard.
Thanks for sharing!
why I didn't think this one before..good job.
Where might I find the parts you used for this? I would like to do something similar, but for a porch.
nice video, well explained
Hi Julian/All Be interested to here peoples feedback. Recentenly purchased a similar PWM charge controller and in testing noticed something "rather odd". The common connector is the positive connection and a switched side is on the negative. Is this normal for Charge controllers and if so why?
it would be cheaper to use arduino, and relay 🙂
"I think I'll just play with it until I work it out by myself." Haha. Classic DIYer
I have one of these controllers in the roof space running some night lights. A 20 watt panel on the roof of the house and a 14Ah SLA battery running 3 LED lights. It has been running for a over a year now and works well. The controller turns the lights on at dusk and off at dawn. It seems to treat the battery reasonably well; no signs of stress yet. Although dusk could be a little earlier.
The lights are flush mounted 5 watt GU10 mains daylight LED fittings stripped and modified for about 6V supply and fitted with mini voltage regulators for steady output and brightness adjustment. A 12V supply at 2.5mA provides plenty of light for wandering about.
I did try a red LED lamp as it's supposed to interfere less with sleep. But the it had a much higher current draw for lest light, and just wasn't a nice light.
Julian please please please make sure you use a fuse as close as possible to the battery. I think you should also point out to our youtube watching friends that playing with batteries involve a bit of danger.
I have a similar setup and after 25 or so experience I managed, while trying to be quick, to mess up the polarity. The result was an enormous bang and I was lucky I was wiring it outside, also part of the issue of not seeing the colours correctly … too much sun. Luckily I was unharmed.
Also do you buy these batteries new or do you get them from car wrecks?
The problem with substituting a timer for a light sensor, is that the timer needs to be sophisticated enough to adjust for the changing day-length throughout the year.
With the placement for the controller, it looks like it could be filled with water if it is raining and wind. I would have but a cover over the controller.
You might want to put some transparent tape over the display, in order to prevent the ingress of water.
Did your charge controller do proper PWM and floating/absorption voltages or did it overcharge the battery like mine did? Please test it, it's important to know if I should get a refund from Alice or ask her to send a new one 🙂
PS I love your garden light, I am trying to do the illumination of a tree with RGB LEDs and the charge controller from Alice but since it doesn't properly terminate charge, I'm not using it 😀
Really sweet! Love seeing these updates on your garden solar lights =D