Electrical Mystery

[ponytug]

We have several solar powered LED lights. If you look at the picture of the lights on, there are some solar powered lights along the bottom of the fence. They are OK, but nothing great. In my experience, they last a year or two, and then you throw them away. I've replaced batteries in them after a year, but two years is really about as long as they last for me.

I guess a bigger, higher quality solar panel would work. What do they cost? I'd have to mount it somewhere and run it to the light. It would need a bigger battery to last all night. What does that cost? But somehow, it just seems easier and cheaper to run 12/2 wire to the post and install a $70 light that puts out 6,000 LUMS.

For a place that you can readily trench to, I would take 120V any day of the week and twice on Sunday, for all of the reasons that you enumerate. 1,000', or 2,000' away, different story.

These ($90/) claim 150,000 lumens, and a 6-8 hour charge time, but you would have to install the light on the southern edge of wherever you need the illumination. I have not used them due to past experiences with solar lights.

Amazon.com

All the best,

Peter

 

[BackRoad]

I think I'm more impressed by Mr. Eddie's tower than the light working...

Are you sure you're still in construction Mr. Eddie??? That might not be up to code...

Some might keep that tower as is and call it "a work of art"!!!

 

[airbiscuit]

It is a work of art, but it would be better if it was made out of pallets... but that would involve another TBN thread.

 

[jyoutz]

I think I'm more impressed by Mr. Eddie's tower than the light working...

Are you sure you're still in construction Mr. Eddie??? That might not be up to code...

Some might keep that tower as is and call it "a work of art"!!!

Eddie’s tower is indeed a work of art.

 

[KennyG]

There's probably a special code in Texas for "it only has to work once".

 

[ultrarunner]

is anyone actually impressed with solar powered anything, every time I see one used. I think it wasn't worth the effort to put it up, they are so dim

CEO wanted solar lights at the dumpster location… sure no problem.

At dusk they work great but no illumination when I clock in at 4 am

I could have expressed doubt but it would have been seen negatively.

Great light for a few hours after sunset… and helps out housekeeping during the short winter days.

That said I had these little solar dock lights that came with the house… they are the size of little highway lane dots… 4 in all.

I’ve been here 8 years and the lights have a date stamp 2010 and one still works every night… guess it’s one in a thousand but why did the others stop?

 

[not2old]

Eddie’s tower is indeed a work of art.

Only problem is that it takes way longer to build it than to do the actual repair. I used to repair lots of lights on posts 15 to about 18 feet high. I'd place a ladder tight (vertical) against the post and secure it with ratchet straps. I'd then climb to the top and thread my legs through the rungs to have both hands available to do the work. I made very good money doing these repairs while saving the customer a noticeable amount over hiring an electrical contractor with a boom truck.

 

[ponytug]

Only problem is that it takes way longer to build it than to do the actual repair. I used to repair lots of lights on posts 15 to about 18 feet high. I'd place a ladder tight (vertical) against the post and secure it with ratchet straps. I'd then climb to the top and thread my legs through the rungs to have both hands available to do the work. I made very good money doing these repairs while saving the customer a noticeable amount over hiring an electrical contractor with a boom truck.

Ever heard of Fred Dibnah? It sounds like a chip off the old block,

 

[not2old]

Ever heard of Fred Dibnah? It sounds like a chip off the old block,

I couldn't do that one. I remember one job where I had to clean a gutter on a building with three stories above parking. Rented a sixty foot ladder and when I got to the top I had to do the job with one hand as the other one refused to let go.

 

[airbiscuit]

There is no tie off connected to him at 10:08 !