Many people have probably thought about how to illuminate the local area so that it is both cozy and aesthetically pleasing. But this means additional energy costs. And besides, in order to supply voltage to each of the street lamps, you will have to ruin the landscape and dig ditches into which the cable will be laid. Well, wires hanging in the air from one garden lamp to another is completely unsightly.

And here the thought arises: “But you can install a lantern on a solar battery, and then electrical energy will be produced by such a free generator as the sun!” Naturally, man walking to the store for similar devices and, looking at the prices of these lighting devices, forgets about his desire, because their cost is very high.

But there are hands and a head, and this device was created by the same people, which means that it is quite possible to assemble a solar-powered garden lantern with your own hands.

Let's try to figure out whether this is possible and how difficult this work is.

Preparatory work

Of course, the ideal option would be if you have a faulty device - in addition to understanding its structure, you can at the same time understand how to repair a solar lantern with your own hands, but there is also a drawback in the implementation of this idea. Naturally, you can take a few cheap garden lights that need repairs and replace them with solar panels, but upgrading them Chinese stuffing will still be necessary. Therefore, their base is needed only for training, since a repaired flashlight will not last longer than one made from scratch.

Before you start creating a solar-powered lamp, you need to understand the design of such devices.

Although all flashlights look different, their operation scheme is very simple. It consists of a solar battery (panel), a battery, a voltage converter and an LED or module.

The diagram of such a lamp will be clear to any novice radio amateur and it looks like this:

And now, having already understood the circuit and understanding the principle of operation of a flashlight that runs on the energy generated by solar cells, you can decide what brightness is required, which light elements to choose, and in accordance with this, choose a battery and solar panel.

Ultra-bright ones are quite suitable for lighting a summer cottage. Cree LEDs, 1–1.5 volts in the amount of 3 or 4 pieces per lamp. With such elements, a battery with a capacity of 3,000 mAh and an output voltage of 3.6 volts will be sufficient. Such a battery will be charged from the solar panel for 8–10 hours, which is quite enough to operate the selected LEDs for up to 12 hours.

And, of course, the solar panel itself. The fact is that the solar battery of garden lamps produced nowadays is very small. A suitable battery would be 65 x 65 x 3 mm in size, with an output voltage of 4.4 V, 90 mA. It may well provide the necessary nutrition.

Electronic control unit. Now you need to assemble the “head” of the lamp, namely the control unit itself. For this you will need:

• four MLT 22 kOhm resistors;
• two KT503 transistors;
• one diode (Schottky 11DQ04 would be optimal).

Since all this will be placed on one board, it is of course better to etch it yourself. But there is an option that is more accurate and less labor-intensive. Nowadays you can buy universal breadboards in stores. In addition, stranded copper wire should be on hand when working to create tracks.

So when all the elements of the future electronic unit control assembly is complete, you can start soldering. You need to assemble the following diagram.

4 LEDs are freely included in such a circuit. And if the build quality is at a high level, then such a control unit will last for many years.

Lantern assembly

Naturally, everyone comes up with the shape of a solar-powered lamp themselves; there is complete scope for the master’s thoughts and imagination. Once the circuit of the electronic control unit is assembled, connecting LEDs to it will not be a problem. Of course, you can turn on a regular switch in the LED power supply, but it will be much more convenient if instead you install a photocell in parallel with the motion sensor. Then, at dusk, the solar-powered lamp, made by yourself, will automatically turn on, and turn off at dawn. Or it will trigger on a passing person, which is also convenient.

It is also possible to connect a controller when using RGB LEDs, then the solar lights will also be adjusted by the color of the glow, and remotely, but in this case you need to understand that it will also need power. Although we are also solving this issue. After all, the choice of solar panels on the shelves of electrical stores these days is unusually wide. This means that choosing the right ones will not be difficult.

Additional features using solar panels at home

conclusions

Of course, everyone decides for themselves, depending on their employment and financial situation, what to do - buy such a lamp or make it with their own hands. But it’s not even about the amount spent on new flashlights, although here the savings come out to be more than 4 times.

Isn’t it nice to know that there is a lamp working on the site of a house or apartment that was created not in a factory, but with your own hands, as they say, “on the knee”? This is probably the main reason why you should try to assemble a solar-powered garden lamp yourself.

An autonomous garden lamp can serve not only as a decoration for the garden path. This device creates coziness and illuminates the garden area quite effectively, eliminating the need to consume electricity. You can also save on its purchase: even a schoolchild who is somewhat familiar with the basics of electronics and electrical engineering can assemble a solar-powered lamp with his own hands.
In 1998, the production of LEDs began, emitting bright white light, which significantly increased the efficiency of lamps based on a rechargeable battery and a solar panel. The battery will have to be purchased at a radio store; its capacity must be at least 1500 mAh with 3.7 V at the terminals. It will fully charge in 8 hours. You should also look at a solar panel with parameters of 5.5 V/200 mA.

You can assemble a solar-powered lamp with your own hands according to the following scheme:

The element base consists of the following elements:

• resistor 47 - 56 Ohm (to limit current);
• resistor 47 - 56 kOhm (the choice depends on the type of transistor used);
• domestically produced diode KD243A or imported analogue 1N4001/7/ 1N4148;
• domestic transistor KT361G or imported 2N3906.

The Diode and Transistors look like this:

To assemble the circuit you will need printed circuit board this configuration (you can etch it yourself):

LED lamps should be used with a power of 3 W: such a source will provide sufficient illumination. You can install several pieces of lower power (from 1 to 1.5 W).

As a housing for the battery and electronic circuit You can use a deodorant cap. A solar panel is attached to the top using hot-melt adhesive. A laser CD can serve as a reflector. The assembled lamp will look like this:

A self-assembled SB lamp will automatically turn on at nightfall and turn off in the morning. Manufacturing costs will be 2.5 - 3 times less than the cost of the finished product, and if there are several lamps, the savings become more significant. Although, to be honest, the cost of a solar-powered garden lamp is not high. They make a solar-powered lamp with their own hands, not for profit, but for pleasure.

If an autonomous lamp has already been purchased, but its decorative qualities leave much to be desired, you can improve its characteristics. Instead of white lamps, you can insert colored lamps into a solar-powered lamp with your own hands (they come in green, blue, yellow, and red in various shades), observing the polarity. A problem may arise: after an hour or an hour and a half, the garden lamp will begin to glow dimly and then go out.

To correct the situation, it is necessary to make changes to the circuit by adding a resistance of several tens of ohms in series to the circuit. To do this, you need to cut the track on the board and solder a resistor into the gap.

The resistor is selected based on current: its value should be about 5 mA. This current is enough for the lamp to work for several hours even from battery half the capacity.

It is better to use a Ni-MH type battery (“finger-type” AA or AAA): it is cheaper than a Ni-Cd battery, the service life of which rarely exceeds 1 year. This is also justified by the fact that daylight hours are still not enough to charge a 3000 mAh battery to 100%.

Such lamps, made or modified on your own, can be installed on paths in the garden, near the entrance gate or on the porch of the house.

Sometimes the area adjacent to country houses and dachas is used in the evening and at night. In order to avoid injury, as well as to maintain the image, solar-powered garden lights are used, which not only illuminate the area, but also give it a unique decor.

Solar-powered lamps diagram

On this moment many people own dachas or estates outside the city. Many people want to relax in the evening, sit in the yard or take a walk in the garden. To accomplish all this, you need to have lighting in the area. However, it is not always possible to supply electricity, and it is also expensive. It is in such cases that the question often arises: how to make a solar-powered lantern yourself?

Device and principle of operation

The first thing you should understand is how solar-powered garden lights work. The easiest way to understand the operating principle is to take the most common solar-powered garden lantern as an example.

Components of the device:

1. A lighting unit, which is most often presented as a regular LED.
2. Energy conversion element.
3. Flashlight on/off control devices.
4. Built-in energy storage device (battery) – for operating the flashlight in the dark.
5. Flashlight mounting detail.

Understanding how solar-powered garden lanterns work is quite simple if you understand the operating principle of each of its devices. During daylight hours, the converter accumulates solar energy and transfers it to the battery in the form of electrical energy. This is necessary for the flashlight to function at night.

More expensive versions of the solar light may include a motion controller that turns on the light when a person approaches.

Positive and negative sides of lamps

Before you begin to study the question of how to make a solar-powered lamp yourself, you need to study all the pros and cons of this device.

The advantages of solar lamps are:

1. The ability to quickly install lighting, as well as the absence of the need for knowledge of electrical wiring, since it is not used;
2. The light from the lamps is not so bright and does not hit the eyes;
3. Significant savings on energy costs;
4. Solar-powered lanterns are fully automatic, which is very convenient. In the absence of owners at the dacha, they can provide some protection from intruders;
5. Solar powered devices are completely safe for the environment as they do not require grounding;
6. Simple process of caring for lanterns;
7. Very long service life of solar lamps;
8. They have high protection against adverse weather conditions.

But solar lights also have disadvantages. Among them:

1. The built-in battery will last for no more than 8 hours of illumination provided that it was clear all day. In addition, the light from the lanterns is slightly dim, so some areas will still have to be illuminated using electricity.
2. Buying a good and powerful device will not be cheap.
3. Some customers complained that the devices did not work or worked intermittently during rain. In cloudy weather, charging slows down almost by half, which means that the lamps will last for no more than 4 hours of operation at night.

Types of solar lamps

Even a novice craftsman can make a solar-powered lamp with his own hands. Let's look at the most popular devices.

With short leg

Very convenient for illuminating paths in the garden. The cheapest model of all, and the installation is the easiest. The pointed leg is simply pressed into the ground with your hands.

LED spotlights

The power of such lamps is very high and is equal to 100 W of an incandescent lamp, if a solar lamp has a power of 10 W. Used to illuminate the porch of a house or garden.

Most often they are used to decorate a garden plot and can be placed on tree branches or hung in a gazebo.

They are used to illuminate the facade of the house and are attached to it.

How can you improve the finished model?

The design of a solar garden lamp is quite simple. However, in order to understand it, a minimal understanding of the notation will be necessary. electrical devices. The issue of improving an already purchased device is very acute for those who have purchased lamps from a Chinese manufacturer.

Improving a solar lamp

How to fix a solar flashlight? It is not particularly possible to carry out repairs or many improvements here, since the constituent elements themselves are very few. The whole modernization process comes down to replacing some parts, such as the battery, in order to increase the operating time of the lamp at night. You can replace the diode with a more powerful one if necessary.

Upgrading the tower lantern

One of the most common types of solar-powered lanterns. The circuit of a solar garden lantern of this type of standard assembly includes an initially rather weak choke. If you replace this part with a more powerful one, you can achieve greater brightness from the flashlight as a whole.

Do-it-yourself solar-powered LED lighting can also be upgraded by manipulating the throttle. However, when replacing these parts, the energy consumption from the battery will increase and it will have to be replaced with a more powerful one. If this is not done, the flashlight will either work for a short period of time or will burn out from overvoltage.

Device with three LEDs

In order to get brighter and more uniform lighting, you can install three instead of one standard diode. However, when installing them, you should ensure that the voltage spread is minimal, otherwise only one area will be brightly illuminated, and two more will emit dim light.

Making a lamp with your own hands

Simple solar powered garden lantern circuits can be assembled by anyone who has minimal knowledge in this field.

Selecting parts for the flashlight

Before you start purchasing all the components for assembling the lamps, you need to take into account the quantity, since the power of each of them will depend on this, which means the components will be different:

1. The first thing you need is to buy an energy converter. A polycrystalline silicon battery is considered one of the best for such purposes. Its weight is very light, and its protection against moisture and damage is high. In addition, the power is quite high.
2. A lithium-ion battery is a must.
3. Next, you need a lighting element. The most popular type of LED now is a conventional LED. Installation possible LED lamp, but its energy costs are unreasonably high. Do-it-yourself lighting from solar panels based on a regular LED is quite sufficient.
4. The last and most vital part of the device is the electronic control module, consisting of two pairs of resistors and a pair of transistors.

Connection of the LED, battery and solar battery is carried out separately. For assembly, you can purchase a fairly cheap and versatile DIY PCB board 42x25mm.

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Suburban areas, especially those with large areas, require night lighting. This problem can be solved different ways, among which the solar-powered garden lamp circuit is becoming increasingly popular. First of all, such devices are used to illuminate paths, ensuring safe walking in the dark. Illumination of individual elements of the garden emphasizes the overall focus and beauty of the landscape design.

Types of garden lamps

Garden lamps powered by solar panels are available in a wide range of models and designs.

They are classified according to various parameters and characteristics;

• Materials used in devices. Most often it is durable plastic, metals and their alloys, hardwood. Each lighting device is installed outdoors, so special means are used to process the materials. Metals are coated with anti-corrosion compounds, and wood is impregnated with substances that prevent drying out and rotting. Lampshades are made from various types of glass. Surfaces can be smooth, transmitting light as much as possible, or reflective - most effective in cloudy weather. There are more durable tempered glass, protecting against mechanical influences.
• Rechargeable batteries. They are used to store electricity obtained from sunlight. Nickel-cadmium batteries have a capacity of up to 700 mAh and ensure lamp operation for 8-10 hours. Nickel-metal hydride models with high technical and economic indicators are considered more modern and efficient.
• Various types of silicon used in solar cells. Mostly options are used. The former are more expensive, but they are more effective and durable. The second elements are used in cheap models because during operation there is a rapid loss of potential and a decrease in performance. They are more suitable for decorative lighting and are used occasionally in the summer.

Where are they installed?

There are many options for installing garden lights. As a rule, several standard design solutions are used that are suitable for most objects. Among them, the installation of wall lanterns located on the facade of the building is often practiced. The mounting locations are the external walls of houses and other vertical surfaces (Fig. 1).

This installation method requires careful selection of placement points, since correct operation will depend on the flow intensity sun rays. On cloudy days, the battery charge may be low and will not last all night. Therefore, it is recommended to additionally install traditional backup lamps.

Pendant lamps (Fig. 2) have much in common with wall lamps. However, the use of special fasteners makes it possible to install them in any location. These could be tree branches, fences, etc. You can highlight certain areas and create festive decor.

An outdoor garden lamp mounted on a pole is often used (Fig. 3). At first they were used to illuminate city streets, and now they are widely used in dachas and country houses. Lanterns perform not only a lighting, but also a decorative function.

A solar-powered park lamp (Fig. 4) is installed together with a large and powerful solar panel and high-capacity batteries. Such solar systems provide long-term autonomous operation. The case is made of high-quality materials and is protected from dust and moisture.

Lawn lamps (Fig. 5) are installed directly on the ground. They are equipped with a small leg stuck into the ground or a special support of sufficient height. Such devices are easily installed anywhere and can be moved if necessary.

Another type of lighting fixtures is made in the form of decorative elements (Fig. 6). These can be stones, flowers, fairy-tale characters powered by batteries, with the help of which the most spectacular places in the garden are highlighted.

Advantages and disadvantages

Before you start making a solar-powered garden lamp with your own hands, you need to find out their positive and negative sides.

The undoubted advantages of solar-powered lighting devices are the following:

• No special knowledge or practical skills in working with electrical wiring are required. This makes installation of lighting systems faster and easier.
• The brightness of garden lamps is low, soft diffused light does not hit the eyes.
• No energy costs.
• The automatic operation of the lights is very convenient and, in the absence of the owners, provides some protection against unauthorized entry into the site.
• Maintenance of the lamps is easy and simple: you just need to regularly wipe the lamps and panels from dust and dirt.
• Long service life, protection from negative influences.

The main disadvantage is the weak resource of the built-in battery. In most cases, it is not enough for the whole night, so you have to install a photo relay or. The dim light of lanterns does not always provide high-quality lighting; in some places it is necessary to install ordinary lamps. In cloudy weather, the charging speed is reduced by almost half, and the period of illumination at night is correspondingly reduced. A serious disadvantage is the high cost of high-quality powerful equipment.

If you still decide to use autonomous lamps, you should study the standard device and design of one of them.

How does a garden lamp work?

The electrical circuit of a solar-powered garden lamp will be approximately the same for all such devices. However, the components used may differ from each other in many respects, which also affects the final technical characteristics of a particular device.

Standard circuit diagram The solar lamp consists of the following parts and electronic components:

• Frame. It differs in shape, design, materials and is selected based on the installation location of the lamp.
• The solar panel is the main power source of the lighting system.
• Electric lamps. Typically these are LEDs with low power and high performance.
• Devices automatic control. These include motion and light sensors that ensure the device turns on and off at the right moments.
• . It accumulates electricity during the day and releases it at night. Works in conjunction with, providing optimal charging mode.
• The switching equipment turns off the device when lighting is no longer required.

Next, you need to select parts with the appropriate parameters and technical characteristics. 3-4 ultra-bright LEDs of 1-1.5 volts will be quite sufficient, which will require a 3000 mAh battery and an output voltage of 3.6 V. The lamp will be charged in good weather within 8-10 hours, and the LEDs will be able to work up to 12 hours. The solar panel is selected accordingly. A device with dimensions of 65x65x3 mm, with a current of 90 mA and an output voltage of 4.4 volts is best suited.

To assemble the electronic control unit, you will need 22 kOhm MLT resistors - 4 pcs, KT503 transistors - 2 pcs, Schottky diode 11DQ04 - 1 pc. All elements are placed on the board, and the tracks on it are created from stranded copper wire. After all the preparatory work, a general diagram is assembled.

Assembling circuit elements

All prepared parts of solar-powered lamps are assembled into a general diagram.

The configuration of the lamp and its design are selected according to your own taste. Next, LEDs are connected to the finished control unit. Instead of a regular switch, it is recommended to install a motion and light sensor in the power gap. When darkness falls, the light will automatically turn on and turn off in the morning. When a moving object appears in the area of ​​responsibility, the automation will also work and the device will turn on.

If colored LEDs are used, you can connect a special controller that will make color adjustments. He will need separate power, but this is a completely solvable problem. In general, a do-it-yourself solar-powered lantern made from scrap materials costs several times less than its factory-made counterparts.

Every fifth owner of his own home wants to transform the appearance of his garden at night with solar-powered lamps, but many cannot afford such luxury (meaning a high-quality device). There is always a way out. You just need a few radio components that are not that expensive and a soldering iron. Such a lamp will be individual, will not look like store-bought ones and will last you much longer than store-bought ones. When assembling a solar lamp with your own hands, you will determine the necessary parameters yourself.

Below we will look in detail at one of the simple options for a solar-powered garden lamp circuit.

The operating principle is very simple. During the day, a small battery is charged using light energy from a solar panel. And at dusk, when the voltage drops from the solar panel, the transistor switch cuts off the current from the solar battery and supplies power to the LED from the charged battery. In the morning, the transistor switches back when voltage appears on the solar panel.

♦ nickel-metal hydride or lithium ion battery voltage 3.6V with a capacity equal to the power of the LEDs multiplied by the number of hours battery life+ stock 30%;
♦ solar cells with an output voltage of at least 5V;
♦ the resistor is calculated by the formula R = Ubat x 100/N x 0.02, where N is the number of LEDs in the circuit, and Ubat is the battery voltage.
♦ transistor 2N4403 or a suitable analogue.

A self-assembled solar-powered lamp will automatically turn on at nightfall and turn off in the morning. The cost of its production will be 2–3 times less than the cost of the finished product. Although, to be honest, the price of a solar-powered garden lamp is not that high. They make crafts not for profit, but for pleasure.

Operating advice. Solar-powered lamps are quite difficult to withstand winter, so it will be better if you bring them into the house. The battery must be completely discharged by covering the solar panel with dark material. Wrap each battery in newspaper so they will last longer. In general, such lamps last for 6–7 years of active use.

As you can see, there is nothing complicated in the scheme, everything is extremely simple. You can also add a miniature switch to this circuit to turn off the lamp when it is not needed. And finally, for comparison, here are a few more options for solar-powered lamp circuits.