Like a lot of things that’s a tradeoff. Being able to replace cells is good if one or both die, or if the ones supplied are low capacity. Cells that are spot welded or soldered (spit) in circuit are far less likely to suffer corrosion at the contacts or to jostle loose under physical shock. For folks like us who automatically disregard those “no user serviceable parts inside” labels they are very good on general principles.
@@markfergerson2145 Tradeoff? Protection from moisture water intrusion and corrosion my guess?... BS mainly. Soldered and welded cell leak nicely and eat all traces around or just die couple years in, no different from socketed ones. Soldering in is penny pinching and "planed" obsolescence, a specially components with very limited life span or shelf life.
Great to see there are still a few honourable resellers out there, given the number of F useless ones, that pervade the internet. Any truth to the rumour that it's actually you who reverse engineers Aliexpresses entire back-catalogue, Clive? Given how quickly you are able to achieve the feat, time & again 😂🙃😉
I've noticed this too in the desert in Idaho. I'm experimenting with automotive wax as a protective coating and thinking about UV resin or cutting glass to fit over them.
@@amorphucI've had good luck with a thin piece of glass. It did reduce the PV output 5-10% but that's no trouble in my scorching summers the South East USA. Sadly several weeks of 100+F (~38C) highs and 80-100%rh un alives quite a few (typically elderly who can't afford air conditions or the infirm) every year.
It's the resin ones that fog up. I've complained about this before and Clive once mentioned that you can clear them again but I couldn't be bothered. However, the glass ones last for ever. I have a set of garden solar lights that are glass rather than resin. Over 10 years old now and still fine.
The REALLY scientific thing to do would be to put 240V across the "good" set and see if they fail in the same way. That would be strong evidence in favour of your theory ;-)
I purchased this same unit off Amazon. Probably the best solar lights that I have come across. Running 4 seasons with cold winters. The USB port is to charge in winter if insufficient sunlight. Never used it. They emit for several hours in the summer months and the bulbs look nice. Glad that you ripped it apart before me! I imagine that once the lithium batteries are spent, I will be replacing them so at least I know what’s inside now! Thanks Clive. Love all your videos.
I took a picture of the screen with my phone and used Google Lens to translate the QX7136 diagrams, and the left one is "low voltage application" and the right one is "high voltage application". Ironically it means the chip itself can sink all the current from several lamps in parallel, but not handle the high off-voltage from several lamps in series, so it needs the external FET even though the current would be much lower. I bet the low-voltage configuration can't support nearly as many bulbs though.
I watch all your videos over the years and you have been a real inspiration to me and I realised that I haven't said thank you for all you do. So thank you Big Man. Long may you keep going inspiring lots of people and making people's lives just a bit better, again thank you.
It's one of those "make something idiot proof and the world will produce a better idiot" things. 😂 But there could be an adapter created that could be put between these two different strings. And ya, I'm being silly with the first sentence as there really should be some marking or something to make it obvious.
@@HelenaOfDetroit You may consider the sentence silly but sadly it is too true. Having to put a warning that coffee is hot on a coffee cup is proof that idiots keep getting more idiotic every day!
@@gregorythomas333My ethernet network switch came with a lampcord style inline switch between the PSU brick and the plug that goes into the device. It seriously had a sticker on both the PSU and the network switch stating "This device will not function if the switch is turned off". The world needs a whole lot less warnings. Let the gene pool sort itself out. _Pleaaaase_
Nice lights, shame they use the same connectors for mains and solar. But the bonus is you now have 1 spare solar panel that contains 2 good lithium cells free. 🤣🤣 great video 2x👍
Clive did you hear there was another incident of an event installing improper UV bulbs causing eye and skin damage? I wonder if it's carelessness/lack of knowledge or cost cutting attempts (are the disinfecting bulbs cheaper?) "Attendees of Bored Ape Yacht Club's ApeFest concert have reported experiencing extreme eye pain that's prompted some of them to visit the hospital."
I have a similar one (with USB-C input instead of micro USB). As it gets dark it flashes at about 1Hz. I assume this is because the light from the LEDs is enough to make the panel produce enough power to make the micro-controller think it’s day again. Once it’s fully dark it’s fine.
Very likely. I have a security camera with infrared leds about 3m up and it was just strong enough to stop one of my solar wall lights 2m up from turning on. I used part of a plastic tray to make a light baffle on the wall between the two devices. Problem solved and not that unsightly. I didn't expect 2.5w of infrared to be enough to do that.
Will you please plug a working string of 3V lamps into a 220V lamp string and then plug in the 220V lamp string in to that crunchy plug tester that you have? And then turn it on? Please? Just so that we can see what happens?
🎉 Congratulations Clive , you have made the ((ONE ) Million mark on subscribers well done as you are very entertaining with (Cock ups on design faults) and how badly the circuit diagrams . Thanks again could you tell me what plug socket that you use that reads the power consumption is it the (Hobi) if I have spelt it correctly. Thanks again 💯💯💯💯💯💯💯
I would guess the current regulator is the Q varient. It apears that when the voltage is too low it will cut off the lights and save the batteries from over discharge. I am also amazed how well the circuit was designed and implimented into such a small package looking like the space to mount the switches was the size limiting factor.
I've got a number of flashing solar LED beacons along my otherwise-dark driveway. They're sealed units, complete with O-rings and rated for marine use. After about 4 years, they've started failing, one by one. The culprit turns out to be the soldered-in NiMH cells (1 per light) reaching the end of their service life. There is a bit of corrosion on each cell, but they're replaceable.
Your avalanche comment reaffirms the state we technician/collectors/hoarders find ourselves in when we experience 'settling' of the hoard; a frequent reminder that we need to purge. Garbage-lanches happen to me all the time. senior from Canada
The amount of effort it took to reverse engineer this had to be wild compared to how quickly you were able to explain it. Thanks for helping plebs like myself learn even more!
The point you made about the connector blocks of the low and high voltage looms being compatible is worthy of discussion. In my experience, electrical and electronic equipment in the UK has historically been manufactured in such a way as to "idiot-proof" it, especially when you consider connector blocks and plugs. For example, small tangs, different shapes of blocks and male and females being connected in such a way that it's not possible to connect your sparky item incorrectly unless you are really spesh. With the advent of global trade and so many companies overseas competing for such a tiny market space, such "niceties" as not murdering the operator or burning their house/office down is reasonably far down the list of priorities, somewhere below; Make it cheap. No, cheaper. Fuck it, we'll use sellotape. We need to be more stringent enforcing this kind of safety measure because at some point, there's going to be another Grenfell or something of that magnitude caused by badly manufactured items bought cheap because none of us can afford socks anymore due to the cost of living crisis.
With a nice solar panel like that, one can upgrade the cells and even hack this and add a 5V USB output stage for phone charging out in the bush. Thanks Clive!
Thanks Clive. I really worry about 18650 Lion batteries in these kind of outdoor solar lights without any ventilation. Here in Australia the average day is 35c air temperature in summer (peaking to 40ish) while this box is in full sun and charging the battery- best case it shortens the life of the cell … worst case of overheating could be very bad.
If you think thats Bad i got some good news for you. They sold USB power banks with Lithium polymer battery's ( the soft pouch ones) and it had the battery directly glued to the solar cell which reached well above 70° in the sunn. 😂
@@NinoJoel : I bought a power bank like that quite a few years ago on eBay. The small solar panel on one side of the case is impractical at best, and a scam at worst. In direct sunlight the solar charge current was only about 50mA which means it would take about 60 hours of direct sunlight to gather enough total energy to charge my Android phone. That's crazy. And yes, the unit gets extremely hot in the sun. Not good for the lithium cells. To make things worse, and here comes the "scam" part, the power bank has circuitry that wakes it up in fairly low light, i.e. when the solar panel voltage just comes up. Once woken up it starts lighting and flashing LEDs that indicate it's charging, even under indoor lighting. The problem is that regular indoor lighting is not enough to supply any charging current, and the unit is actually draining the battery to look "active and charging". The bottom line is to never buy a power bank with solar cells attached to it. Always buy a separate panel so you can plug into batteries you keep in the shade.
If those bulbs are E10 base, then that explains the previous vid on printing custom bulbs, a DIY festoon of a mixed bag of odd lamps in various shapes and sizes... :D
BC, I'm sure they aren't new, but I recently saw an advert for a "kinetic molecular heater". Sad & hilarious at the same time. Could you do a teardown and more importantly, a debunk please? Not sure what's worse, that there are people that make & market stuff like that or that there are people that buy it......
I have a set of these, which have been outside for 2 years. The only issue I had, was with the bulbs, which allow the ingress of water. Not a lot, and the led still works. These light my garden quite well, and seem to last most of the night this time of year.
Those 18650s look like exactly like the "1800mAh" one that came with a friends solar LED string light. It failed after just a year, with the 18650 deep discharged for some reason (high internal resistance?). I "forced" it to charge in a USB powerbank and after 2-3 cycles, it measured a grand total of 920mAh. Replaced it with a used Sony 2400mAh out of an old laptop battery pack that still measured somewhere around 1900mAh and the LED string has been running _much_ longer than it did brand new. And it hasn't deep discharged the cell (yet?)
Prompted by your review, I purchased a set of these lights on Amazon ("LE Outdoor Solar String Lights, 25ft 26 Units G40 Edison Bulbs USB Rechargeable or Solar Powered Patio Lights Waterproof for Indoor Outdoor Garden Bistro Festival Decoration, Warm White"). They came exceptionally well packaged with each bulb individually cradled in styrofoam. The instructions that came with them were well written in clear English, and provide a warning that the bulbs are 3V and that they must not be connected to high voltage.
i have the same lights they're very bright, my set also has a remote. I knew it had two 18650s but I didn't think they would be replaceable. I like the product for how user friendly it is, replaceable standard bulbs and batteries
Really impressive finding all those days sheets, helping your long reverse engineering process. Always appreciated, of i not so commented before. Those connectors being interchangeable appears to be at the root cause of the meltdown. Thanks again.
i have had a set of these for a while, they started acting erratically after about 3 months, they'd turn the lights on during the day and no longer turn on at night. i think the issue is once the 18650's become weak the controllers lose the ability to determine whether the solar panel should be charging or running the lamps. the circuits seem to be either trying to charge or trying to power the lights(unless the switch is off). both my 18650's seemed to be ok voltage wise but i didn't run any actual tests on them. id say the downfall is the batteries cant maintain a daily usage on all these lights for more than a few months without needing to be replaced. i was trying to understand why there was no light sensor when i took my panel apart a while back, but you explained my theory that it was simple current based logic.
We have a set of these, they're seemingly good quality. The lights flicker on and off rhythmically when the batteries get low, possibly switched by that current sensing chip in "minimum current" mode? I would have expected the main microprocessor to have some hysteresis in its voltage sense input to prevent oscillation
Having interchangeable connectors and lampholders across LV and 240V is just asking for trouble. I remember motor-factors selling 12- or 24-volt 50W GLS-style lamps for automotive use, with E27 base, not realizing E27 would soon become common in the UK for household use, Imagine accidentally screwing one of these in the posh Ikea fitting in the dunny. You'd end up with a flash in the pan.
That's the first time I have seen a set of these solar powered LED lights with lithium ion 18650 cells in them. All the other ones I have come across use Ni-MH cells, usually AA size though some of the really small ones which power a single LED can use Ni-MH button cells. The AA size cells usually have at least 600 mAh capacity, with some having 800 mAh or even 1200 mAh, depending on the size of the solar panel and how many LEDs it has attached. Though I recently came across some "solar powered pebble" night-lights which work the same way, also with Ni-MH AA cells, though with only 300 mAh capacity. Which was a bit of a surprise - I have no idea how you can actually make cells of that physical size have such a pathetically low capacity, whoever made them deserves an ignobel prize for figuring out how to make cells which manage to be so utterly crap as that. Has anyone ever come across any AA size cells (either Ni-MH or Ni-Cd) with a lower capacity than 300 mAh?
Clive, could you maybe superimpose translations over the Chinese text sometimes? Google Translate, or whatever you have, would be good enough. Nobody would expect perfection but it might be interesting.
Seems unwise to have compatible dimensions but incompatible voltages in a connector like that. Question for all you electrical gurus: Why would LED bulbs flicker in one part of my house but not another, and is there an easy way to fix it? I have a bathroom vanity light with cheapo filament style LED bulbs and a table lamp with a nicer bulb in it that flicker intermittently. They will start flickering a bit, then more and more until they stop, then it repeats randomly. If I move the lamp from one bedroom to the other it flickers in the one but not the other. None of the lights are on dimmers. The table lamp I've had for years. The house is new construction (though I keep finding things wrong with it, avoid speculative homes unless you're handy or can't afford anything else newish).
I've been running a chain of around a dozen LEDs from a Li-Ion protected cell which is switched and charged via a circuit I found on a web site. The circuit uses 2x NPN transistors (2N2222 or equivalent), 4x resistors and a diode. It turns the lights off and on automatically and allows the cell to charge when there's sufficient current. The solar panel doesn't provide sufficient current even in full sunlight to stress the cell, and the protection circuit prevents the cell from being either over charged or over discharged. So far, it's been running for roughly... 4 years? 5? Something like that. They provide enough light in my carport so that I can see where the keyhole is even if I have to return home late at night and I forgot to leave the outside light on. I have another set of lights which used to use a circuit similar to the one in this video (and a virtually identical case), but that went dodgy (I think due to corrosion of a switch) so I changed it over to using the same switching circuit. The one thing I need to do is to add a second protected lithium cell in parallel since only one doesn't last long enough with such a long string of LEDs to drive.
It sad, but it is probably cheaper to by the whole thing than to try to buy replacement bulbs. Absolute madness to use the same connector for 240V and 3V LED strings!
Mystery chip, ha I'm cursed by a mystery chip in a simple buck converter, its magic is that it is rated for 90v dc to 5v out, and from some sellers 110v dc to 5v(12v option) out at 3amp, I'm really puzzled what tiny little chip they are using I have tried RS etc and nothing seems to meet the spec, I have 6, every one has its ID lasered off. i must say they are reliable i'm running 84v to one to run my arduino/gps etc for over a year
That all in one protection IC could be just 2 separate dies slapped together in one package to save on cost F... the PCB design guy if you get two BOM items for one!
"There's a current sense resistor down there ..." Listening to you say that at 2x speed made me choke on my Dr.Pepper. Almost spit it all over my laptop. Really didn't sound like "current" at all.
No comparison to those dollar store specials...occaionally you find ones that last a few years, and their performance can be improved by upgrading the single AA NiMH battery, and protecting from the weather by placing the top unit in a canning jar.... the rest don't make it through a northern California winter with over 30" of rain and days about the same length as the Isle of Man....
It's always fun to see the results of standardized components that lack a fixed specific standard to go with them. But at least you got some free bits to mess with out of it.
It's entirely possible that the listing was wrong and they didn't really understand the implications of the solar panel indicating it wasn't 240 volt... I ordered some 12 volt fairy lights off Amazon and after connecting them I was musing that it seemed like the colors were wrong... And then when I went to move them it was too hot to touch and started melting the stuff it was sitting on. I eventually worked out that I think maybe they were selling 3v or 5v fairy lights as 12 volt, and since it fit the generic barrel connector on my power supply I didn't think much of it. I'm just glad I realized it was a problem before it became a fire.
The previous owner was clearly a fan of the scientific method; blasting an entire set of lightbulbs with 240 volts, then trying again to make sure it would have the same effect.
I have two older LED string sets (non-bulb type, just little 5mm (?) LEDs with the weird cone shape built into them so they light all around them and not just into a spot) that both also use this connector, but one is 24V AC with a bulky potted linear transformer and the other is 31V DC with a switchmode PSU. Even those would've probably killed the LEDs on this bulb set. At 240V it would've probably been _a lot_ more violent (I'd expect smoked bulbs and/or skidmarks at that point)
Do you think this Chinese manufacturer has circuit designers on staff or they copy a competitors product? Have you seen this same design in other products?
They filled the order for the name brand contract and still had material and machine time available. Once a production facility hits that point minus labor its free money.
My mother has a set of these lights, so far, excepting a smashed bulb or two and a bit of corrosion in the bulb sockets they've been great, they're on their second winter and are going strong. I think you're right about the overvoltage, replacement bulbs are bit awkward to track down (smashed bulbs) and there are 240V versions in the same package so, as you kind of said, maybe someone saw these sets and bought them to extend a 240V set
That's interesting that the panel you like is the panel that I hate I won't buy units with that panel unless there's no other option I call them in capsulated solar panels The reason I hate them is because of the epoxy resin capsulation They never use UV stable resin so inevitably those solar panels become opaque when they fade in the UV light You can polish them to restore them but then it's just going to do it again and you can only polish it so many times before you wear out the UV resin and start damaging the panel the panel that you see is the kind I prefer or glass panels because they won't fade in UV light
I really wish I could find a nice set of solar lights like these the bistro string lights with a nice big solar panel that uses a lithium-iron phosphate battery
Hey Big C, I did a bit of "research"...did you know the solar panels on the rovers NASA sent to Mars cost 1 million dollars per square inch ?. Don't know why I'm telling you that but I just thought it sounds cool.
You could have channeled your inner Technology Connections and said "Through the magic of [getting] 2, we can take one apart on the bench here." Though even if you only got one, you'd still be taking it apart, since we know you couldn't resist doing so.
Mr. Clive, Have you capacity tested the "1800 mAh" marked 18650 cells to see if they actually ARE 1.8Ah?? Being that they are not marked 18000mAh or 1,000,000 mAh makes me think they may honestly be 1800s...
From the high standard of the circuit, I wonder if these were designed outside China. The PCB does look like a typical Chinese rush job though, loads of unused traces, random flood fills etc.
Many LED flashlights use a variant of the 7136, the 7135, to drive the LED. I.I.R.C., the 7135's deliver 400mah each, and some lights use them in parallel to deliver more current to the LED, or they're switched in and out for various light levels.
It looks like the 18650 cells are easily replaceable. That’s excellent, I wish all rechargeable devices were designed this way.
Like a lot of things that’s a tradeoff. Being able to replace cells is good if one or both die, or if the ones supplied are low capacity. Cells that are spot welded or soldered (spit) in circuit are far less likely to suffer corrosion at the contacts or to jostle loose under physical shock.
For folks like us who automatically disregard those “no user serviceable parts inside” labels they are very good on general principles.
We're suckers and we realize that fact.
@@markfergerson2145 Label: “Warranty void if opened”
Us: Challenge accepted!
Many of those bigger solar lights on Ali with two buttons on the back have replaceable AA cells inside!
@@markfergerson2145 Tradeoff? Protection from moisture water intrusion and corrosion my guess?... BS mainly. Soldered and welded cell leak nicely and eat all traces around or just die couple years in, no different from socketed ones. Soldering in is penny pinching and "planed" obsolescence, a specially components with very limited life span or shelf life.
Great to see there are still a few honourable resellers out there, given the number of F useless ones, that pervade the internet.
Any truth to the rumour that it's actually you who reverse engineers Aliexpresses entire back-catalogue, Clive? Given how quickly you are able to achieve the feat, time & again 😂🙃😉
This is ingenious. The "magic of buying two of them" can now be replaced with the "magic of buying a broken one and getting a free replacement".
The problem we have here in Aus is the violent daytime sun. It kills off the coating on cheapie solar panels in 1-2 years.
I've noticed this too in the desert in Idaho. I'm experimenting with automotive wax as a protective coating and thinking about UV resin or cutting glass to fit over them.
@@amorphucI've had good luck with a thin piece of glass. It did reduce the PV output 5-10% but that's no trouble in my scorching summers the South East USA. Sadly several weeks of 100+F (~38C) highs and 80-100%rh un alives quite a few (typically elderly who can't afford air conditions or the infirm) every year.
Rural QLD here, only takes 1 summer to kill a cheap solar panel.
It's the resin ones that fog up. I've complained about this before and Clive once mentioned that you can clear them again but I couldn't be bothered.
However, the glass ones last for ever. I have a set of garden solar lights that are glass rather than resin. Over 10 years old now and still fine.
and most cheap plastic in general
My "solar" lamps were amazing... they were as bright as the sun for a fraction of a second !
Now I'll send them back, because they've gone dark.
Unlike the sun, not rising again? Oh well...
I have a camera that uses bulbs that do that…if you can find them.
@@originaldcjensen I know what you speak of. I still have boxes of cubes and flip-flash units for the old Kodak Instamatic cameras!
The REALLY scientific thing to do would be to put 240V across the "good" set and see if they fail in the same way. That would be strong evidence in favour of your theory ;-)
😅 I know you’re joking, but it would have been interesting to see one of the low-voltage bulbs tested in the bulb tester at 240v.
And a set across a large capacitor bank, in the name of science...
Nah, LEDs on high voltage usually fail in a non spectacular way.
@@Ni5eithat just means you aren't using enough of it😂
And claim a third set😅
I purchased this same unit off Amazon. Probably the best solar lights that I have come across. Running 4 seasons with cold winters. The USB port is to charge in winter if insufficient sunlight. Never used it. They emit for several hours in the summer months and the bulbs look nice. Glad that you ripped it apart before me! I imagine that once the lithium batteries are spent, I will be replacing them so at least I know what’s inside now! Thanks Clive. Love all your videos.
Link to the item?
I took a picture of the screen with my phone and used Google Lens to translate the QX7136 diagrams, and the left one is "low voltage application" and the right one is "high voltage application". Ironically it means the chip itself can sink all the current from several lamps in parallel, but not handle the high off-voltage from several lamps in series, so it needs the external FET even though the current would be much lower. I bet the low-voltage configuration can't support nearly as many bulbs though.
A lot going on in that circuit. I love how you reverse engineer things and come up with a wiring diagram.
I watch all your videos over the years and you have been a real inspiration to me and I realised that I haven't said thank you for all you do. So thank you Big Man. Long may you keep going inspiring lots of people and making people's lives just a bit better, again thank you.
I just noticed Big Clive has hit the 1 million subscriber mark! Congratulations sir, well earned and deserved! Keep these excellent videos coming.
A redesign of the connector seems to be in order...a simple pip addition could help make the low voltage one non-compatible.
Terrible in the factory though, as they now need to have a second set of moulds. Single set, and accept people are stupid, will ensure more sales.
It's one of those "make something idiot proof and the world will produce a better idiot" things. 😂
But there could be an adapter created that could be put between these two different strings. And ya, I'm being silly with the first sentence as there really should be some marking or something to make it obvious.
@@HelenaOfDetroit
You may consider the sentence silly but sadly it is too true.
Having to put a warning that coffee is hot on a coffee cup is proof that idiots keep getting more idiotic every day!
@@gregorythomas333My ethernet network switch came with a lampcord style inline switch between the PSU brick and the plug that goes into the device. It seriously had a sticker on both the PSU and the network switch stating "This device will not function if the switch is turned off". The world needs a whole lot less warnings. Let the gene pool sort itself out. _Pleaaaase_
I would tie a knot in it and attach a keyring tag reading "low voltage."
Nice lights, shame they use the same connectors for mains and solar. But the bonus is you now have 1 spare solar panel that contains 2 good lithium cells free. 🤣🤣 great video 2x👍
Clive did you hear there was another incident of an event installing improper UV bulbs causing eye and skin damage? I wonder if it's carelessness/lack of knowledge or cost cutting attempts (are the disinfecting bulbs cheaper?) "Attendees of Bored Ape Yacht Club's ApeFest concert have reported experiencing extreme eye pain that's prompted some of them to visit the hospital."
I have a similar one (with USB-C input instead of micro USB). As it gets dark it flashes at about 1Hz. I assume this is because the light from the LEDs is enough to make the panel produce enough power to make the micro-controller think it’s day again. Once it’s fully dark it’s fine.
Very likely. I have a security camera with infrared leds about 3m up and it was just strong enough to stop one of my solar wall lights 2m up from turning on. I used part of a plastic tray to make a light baffle on the wall between the two devices. Problem solved and not that unsightly. I didn't expect 2.5w of infrared to be enough to do that.
" Solar energy isn't going to replace coal overnight " - Gerald Ford Pres. USA 1976
But is more likely to do so over 10 000 nights :D
Will you please plug a working string of 3V lamps into a 220V lamp string and then plug in the 220V lamp string in to that crunchy plug tester that you have? And then turn it on? Please? Just so that we can see what happens?
At that voltage they just pop and that's it. Nothing to exiting
He already told you what happens, and it isn't very exciting.
🎉 Congratulations Clive , you have made the ((ONE ) Million mark on subscribers well done as you are very entertaining with (Cock ups on design faults) and how badly the circuit diagrams .
Thanks again could you tell me what plug socket that you use that reads the power consumption is it the (Hobi) if I have spelt it correctly. Thanks again
💯💯💯💯💯💯💯
Hopi.
I would guess the current regulator is the Q varient. It apears that when the voltage is too low it will cut off the lights and save the batteries from over discharge. I am also amazed how well the circuit was designed and implimented into such a small package looking like the space to mount the switches was the size limiting factor.
HI Clive, 1,000,000 subs HOORAY!!!!! Thanks to all subscribers, he WELL DESERVES THAT!!
I've got a number of flashing solar LED beacons along my otherwise-dark driveway. They're sealed units, complete with O-rings and rated for marine use. After about 4 years, they've started failing, one by one. The culprit turns out to be the soldered-in NiMH cells (1 per light) reaching the end of their service life. There is a bit of corrosion on each cell, but they're replaceable.
They're not dead. They're just waiting for Christmas.
I have Christmas lights that have that connector and uses a 24v transformer (AC I think). That's probably enough to kill the LEDs.
The 100k across the solar panel will be to compensate for the reverse leakage of the Schottky diode which is much higher than regular silicon diodes.
Your avalanche comment reaffirms the state we technician/collectors/hoarders find ourselves in when we experience 'settling' of the hoard; a frequent reminder that we need to purge. Garbage-lanches happen to me all the time. senior from Canada
bigclive saying "one moment please." just makes my day!
I’ve started saying it, too. In my head I sound just like BC!
When regulating current to all paralle bulbs, then if one fail, remaining will get more (over) current
The amount of effort it took to reverse engineer this had to be wild compared to how quickly you were able to explain it. Thanks for helping plebs like myself learn even more!
The point you made about the connector blocks of the low and high voltage looms being compatible is worthy of discussion.
In my experience, electrical and electronic equipment in the UK has historically been manufactured in such a way as to "idiot-proof" it, especially when you consider connector blocks and plugs.
For example, small tangs, different shapes of blocks and male and females being connected in such a way that it's not possible to connect your sparky item incorrectly unless you are really spesh.
With the advent of global trade and so many companies overseas competing for such a tiny market space, such "niceties" as not murdering the operator or burning their house/office down is reasonably far down the list of priorities, somewhere below;
Make it cheap.
No, cheaper.
Fuck it, we'll use sellotape.
We need to be more stringent enforcing this kind of safety measure because at some point, there's going to be another Grenfell or something of that magnitude caused by badly manufactured items bought cheap because none of us can afford socks anymore due to the cost of living crisis.
With a nice solar panel like that, one can upgrade the cells and even hack this and add a 5V USB output stage for phone charging out in the bush.
Thanks Clive!
So fabulous. Thanks Big Clive. I appreciate the dedicated hours you work to bring us this content! So informative and fun!
It IS interesting the manner in which they failed. You'd almost hope for a pop and soot covered glass on the bulbs LOL.
I'm just gobsmacked that there are LED strings with consumer replaceable bulbs!
Thanks Clive. I really worry about 18650 Lion batteries in these kind of outdoor solar lights without any ventilation. Here in Australia the average day is 35c air temperature in summer (peaking to 40ish) while this box is in full sun and charging the battery- best case it shortens the life of the cell … worst case of overheating could be very bad.
If you think thats Bad i got some good news for you.
They sold USB power banks with Lithium polymer battery's ( the soft pouch ones) and it had the battery directly glued to the solar cell which reached well above 70° in the sunn. 😂
@@NinoJoel : I bought a power bank like that quite a few years ago on eBay. The small solar panel on one side of the case is impractical at best, and a scam at worst. In direct sunlight the solar charge current was only about 50mA which means it would take about 60 hours of direct sunlight to gather enough total energy to charge my Android phone. That's crazy. And yes, the unit gets extremely hot in the sun. Not good for the lithium cells. To make things worse, and here comes the "scam" part, the power bank has circuitry that wakes it up in fairly low light, i.e. when the solar panel voltage just comes up. Once woken up it starts lighting and flashing LEDs that indicate it's charging, even under indoor lighting. The problem is that regular indoor lighting is not enough to supply any charging current, and the unit is actually draining the battery to look "active and charging". The bottom line is to never buy a power bank with solar cells attached to it. Always buy a separate panel so you can plug into batteries you keep in the shade.
If those bulbs are E10 base, then that explains the previous vid on printing custom bulbs, a DIY festoon of a mixed bag of odd lamps in various shapes and sizes... :D
BC, I'm sure they aren't new, but I recently saw an advert for a "kinetic molecular heater". Sad & hilarious at the same time. Could you do a teardown and more importantly, a debunk please? Not sure what's worse, that there are people that make & market stuff like that or that there are people that buy it......
I have a molecular car deicer on its way. (It's actually an air freshener).
@@bigclivedotcom Fantastic! Can’t wait for this one.
I have a set of these, which have been outside for 2 years. The only issue I had, was with the bulbs, which allow the ingress of water. Not a lot, and the led still works. These light my garden quite well, and seem to last most of the night this time of year.
I have the same solar kit lol I use it for LoRa
Did you check the capacity of the two 18650 batterys Clive . Sounds like it was a reasonable product and gave you a useful spare unit👍
Those 18650s look like exactly like the "1800mAh" one that came with a friends solar LED string light. It failed after just a year, with the 18650 deep discharged for some reason (high internal resistance?). I "forced" it to charge in a USB powerbank and after 2-3 cycles, it measured a grand total of 920mAh. Replaced it with a used Sony 2400mAh out of an old laptop battery pack that still measured somewhere around 1900mAh and the LED string has been running _much_ longer than it did brand new. And it hasn't deep discharged the cell (yet?)
They were closer to 1000mAh.
Prompted by your review, I purchased a set of these lights on Amazon ("LE Outdoor Solar String Lights, 25ft 26 Units G40 Edison Bulbs USB Rechargeable or Solar Powered Patio Lights Waterproof for Indoor Outdoor Garden Bistro Festival Decoration, Warm White"). They came exceptionally well packaged with each bulb individually cradled in styrofoam. The instructions that came with them were well written in clear English, and provide a warning that the bulbs are 3V and that they must not be connected to high voltage.
i have the same lights they're very bright, my set also has a remote. I knew it had two 18650s but I didn't think they would be replaceable. I like the product for how user friendly it is, replaceable standard bulbs and batteries
I love this channel so much its amazing how much you though me about electronics. thank you
Really impressive finding all those days sheets, helping your long reverse engineering process. Always appreciated, of i not so commented before. Those connectors being interchangeable appears to be at the root cause of the meltdown. Thanks again.
i have had a set of these for a while, they started acting erratically after about 3 months, they'd turn the lights on during the day and no longer turn on at night. i think the issue is once the 18650's become weak the controllers lose the ability to determine whether the solar panel should be charging or running the lamps. the circuits seem to be either trying to charge or trying to power the lights(unless the switch is off). both my 18650's seemed to be ok voltage wise but i didn't run any actual tests on them. id say the downfall is the batteries cant maintain a daily usage on all these lights for more than a few months without needing to be replaced.
i was trying to understand why there was no light sensor when i took my panel apart a while back, but you explained my theory that it was simple current based logic.
So what did the batteries capacity come in at after testing, I can't see the results in the description like you said? 😅
When my similar set failed it was because one of our local squirrels chewed through the cable.
Ive had that same problem with foxes, several times in the past!
Maybe the first set was black light and are working fine.
Not too impressed with the lights but... that solar panel has my attention! Love the design 😍
You could use half the paper if you printed on the back side also.
We have a set of these, they're seemingly good quality. The lights flicker on and off rhythmically when the batteries get low, possibly switched by that current sensing chip in "minimum current" mode? I would have expected the main microprocessor to have some hysteresis in its voltage sense input to prevent oscillation
Having interchangeable connectors and lampholders across LV and 240V is just asking for trouble. I remember motor-factors selling 12- or 24-volt 50W GLS-style lamps for automotive use, with E27 base, not realizing E27 would soon become common in the UK for household use,
Imagine accidentally screwing one of these in the posh Ikea fitting in the dunny. You'd end up with a flash in the pan.
That's the first time I have seen a set of these solar powered LED lights with lithium ion 18650 cells in them. All the other ones I have come across use Ni-MH cells, usually AA size though some of the really small ones which power a single LED can use Ni-MH button cells. The AA size cells usually have at least 600 mAh capacity, with some having 800 mAh or even 1200 mAh, depending on the size of the solar panel and how many LEDs it has attached. Though I recently came across some "solar powered pebble" night-lights which work the same way, also with Ni-MH AA cells, though with only 300 mAh capacity. Which was a bit of a surprise - I have no idea how you can actually make cells of that physical size have such a pathetically low capacity, whoever made them deserves an ignobel prize for figuring out how to make cells which manage to be so utterly crap as that. Has anyone ever come across any AA size cells (either Ni-MH or Ni-Cd) with a lower capacity than 300 mAh?
I'm imagining a string of 50 flashbulbs when they original user plugged the poor 4v LEDs into 120v 😅 but it probably wasn't even that exciting.
Clive, could you maybe superimpose translations over the Chinese text sometimes? Google Translate, or whatever you have, would be good enough. Nobody would expect perfection but it might be interesting.
Seems unwise to have compatible dimensions but incompatible voltages in a connector like that. Question for all you electrical gurus:
Why would LED bulbs flicker in one part of my house but not another, and is there an easy way to fix it?
I have a bathroom vanity light with cheapo filament style LED bulbs and a table lamp with a nicer bulb in it that flicker intermittently. They will start flickering a bit, then more and more until they stop, then it repeats randomly.
If I move the lamp from one bedroom to the other it flickers in the one but not the other.
None of the lights are on dimmers. The table lamp I've had for years. The house is new construction (though I keep finding things wrong with it, avoid speculative homes unless you're handy or can't afford anything else newish).
I've been running a chain of around a dozen LEDs from a Li-Ion protected cell which is switched and charged via a circuit I found on a web site. The circuit uses 2x NPN transistors (2N2222 or equivalent), 4x resistors and a diode. It turns the lights off and on automatically and allows the cell to charge when there's sufficient current. The solar panel doesn't provide sufficient current even in full sunlight to stress the cell, and the protection circuit prevents the cell from being either over charged or over discharged.
So far, it's been running for roughly... 4 years? 5? Something like that. They provide enough light in my carport so that I can see where the keyhole is even if I have to return home late at night and I forgot to leave the outside light on.
I have another set of lights which used to use a circuit similar to the one in this video (and a virtually identical case), but that went dodgy (I think due to corrosion of a switch) so I changed it over to using the same switching circuit. The one thing I need to do is to add a second protected lithium cell in parallel since only one doesn't last long enough with such a long string of LEDs to drive.
It sad, but it is probably cheaper to by the whole thing than to try to buy replacement bulbs. Absolute madness to use the same connector for 240V and 3V LED strings!
Mystery chip, ha I'm cursed by a mystery chip in a simple buck converter, its magic is that it is rated for 90v dc to 5v out, and from some sellers 110v dc to 5v(12v option) out at 3amp, I'm really puzzled what tiny little chip they are using I have tried RS etc and nothing seems to meet the spec, I have 6, every one has its ID lasered off. i must say they are reliable i'm running 84v to one to run my arduino/gps etc for over a year
That all in one protection IC could be just 2 separate dies slapped together in one package to save on cost
F... the PCB design guy if you get two BOM items for one!
"There's a current sense resistor down there ..." Listening to you say that at 2x speed made me choke on my Dr.Pepper. Almost spit it all over my laptop. Really didn't sound like "current" at all.
No comparison to those dollar store specials...occaionally you find ones that last a few years, and their performance can be improved by upgrading the single AA NiMH battery, and protecting from the weather by placing the top unit in a canning jar....
the rest don't make it through a northern California winter with over 30" of rain and days about the same length as the Isle of Man....
It's always fun to see the results of standardized components that lack a fixed specific standard to go with them. But at least you got some free bits to mess with out of it.
It's entirely possible that the listing was wrong and they didn't really understand the implications of the solar panel indicating it wasn't 240 volt... I ordered some 12 volt fairy lights off Amazon and after connecting them I was musing that it seemed like the colors were wrong... And then when I went to move them it was too hot to touch and started melting the stuff it was sitting on. I eventually worked out that I think maybe they were selling 3v or 5v fairy lights as 12 volt, and since it fit the generic barrel connector on my power supply I didn't think much of it. I'm just glad I realized it was a problem before it became a fire.
I am going to install an AliExpress surveillance cam also solar power ... I wonder how I am going to make it actually waterproof.
A 3V array uses the same plug and socket as a 240v array .... what could possibly go wrong?
Two identical-looking sets of lights with the same type of connector, one high voltage, one low... what could possibly go wrong?
The previous owner was clearly a fan of the scientific method; blasting an entire set of lightbulbs with 240 volts, then trying again to make sure it would have the same effect.
honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if those chinese cheapskates just repurposed the case of a car satnav for this solar panel thing :D
I have two older LED string sets (non-bulb type, just little 5mm (?) LEDs with the weird cone shape built into them so they light all around them and not just into a spot) that both also use this connector, but one is 24V AC with a bulky potted linear transformer and the other is 31V DC with a switchmode PSU. Even those would've probably killed the LEDs on this bulb set. At 240V it would've probably been _a lot_ more violent (I'd expect smoked bulbs and/or skidmarks at that point)
Do you think this Chinese manufacturer has circuit designers on staff or they copy a competitors product? Have you seen this same design in other products?
Ill always send you what you need, if you require something specific
They filled the order for the name brand contract and still had material and machine time available. Once a production facility hits that point minus labor its free money.
My mother has a set of these lights, so far, excepting a smashed bulb or two and a bit of corrosion in the bulb sockets they've been great, they're on their second winter and are going strong.
I think you're right about the overvoltage, replacement bulbs are bit awkward to track down (smashed bulbs) and there are 240V versions in the same package so, as you kind of said, maybe someone saw these sets and bought them to extend a 240V set
Clive could just get the 240v bulbs and upgrade his broken string . I bet the wiring gauge on string is the same for both version.
That's interesting that the panel you like is the panel that I hate I won't buy units with that panel unless there's no other option
I call them in capsulated solar panels The reason I hate them is because of the epoxy resin capsulation They never use UV stable resin so inevitably those solar panels become opaque when they fade in the UV light
You can polish them to restore them but then it's just going to do it again and you can only polish it so many times before you wear out the UV resin and start damaging the panel the panel that you see is the kind I prefer or glass panels because they won't fade in UV light
seems they would have a different connector types for the high voltage and low voltage strings so they cannot be put together.
1:07 - now I want to see that Clive... (for research purposes and experiments only lol)
I have 2 of these, both sets the RF remote ceases working after a couple of weeks which is infuriating
For once a circuit built by the book and no taking shortcuts to make it cheaper. Looks like they try to make it last. Me silly.
24O V set connector looks very flimsy, legal for UK?
At least you wait until you have a second one to tear yours apart 😂 I'm too curious, I have to know!
Intentional obsolescence was obviously not implemented. 😊👍
Are the battery's li-ion or iLiFePO4 battery? great vid
I really wish I could find a nice set of solar lights like these the bistro string lights with a nice big solar panel that uses a lithium-iron phosphate battery
you now have plenty of bases now and can replace the "filaments"
What's the problem with the Isle of Man for eBay?
Without reverse engineering they cant understand their mistakes 😊
Thank you. Keep working, good luck to you.
Clive could read tax law and make it sound incredible.
Solar energy = Indirect Fusion. ☺
Hey Big C, I did a bit of "research"...did you know the solar panels on the rovers NASA sent to Mars cost 1 million dollars per square inch ?. Don't know why I'm telling you that but I just thought it sounds cool.
Even by NASA standards that seems high.
Clive's one of the few who is tickled to receive bust electronics
So, good or bad? All I got was 'interesting'!
Look like a US C7 string married to a solar panel.
Congratulations with hitting the one million mark!
You could have channeled your inner Technology Connections and said "Through the magic of [getting] 2, we can take one apart on the bench here."
Though even if you only got one, you'd still be taking it apart, since we know you couldn't resist doing so.
Does anyone have a link to buy this solar panel it looks good?
Ave frowns upon not using unnecessary tools :)
lovely ❤, thanks for taking the time clive !
Mr. Clive, Have you capacity tested the "1800 mAh" marked 18650 cells to see if they actually ARE 1.8Ah?? Being that they are not marked 18000mAh or 1,000,000 mAh makes me think they may honestly be 1800s...
From the high standard of the circuit, I wonder if these were designed outside China. The PCB does look like a typical Chinese rush job though, loads of unused traces, random flood fills etc.
Unused traces?
Many LED flashlights use a variant of the 7136, the 7135, to drive the LED.
I.I.R.C., the 7135's deliver 400mah each, and some lights use them in parallel to deliver more current to the LED, or they're switched in and out for various light levels.