Sensing ambient light

[HarveyH42]

Funny?
I have never been to India (why would anybody want to ...) but the secrets about their poverty and terrible electricity is all over the world.

I've never left my country, I like it just fine (no polar bears or penguins, 'cept at a zoo). But I think India is like a lot of countries, where some areas are for the rich, and others are for the poor. They don't mix, much. India has some fine schools, nuclear power, and come up with some amazing medical breakthroughs occasionally. But kind of makes you wonder, since we get a lot of there university students here, wanting us to do their homework and final projects for them... After the terrorist attacks a couple weeks ago, and being an American, don't see me visiting India anytime soon.

I might be shopping for a new place to call home though. I don't think I'm going to like the 'Change' our new president is selling, not to mention I think his friends, who bought him the White House, will rob us blind (worse than usual). Don't think Obama has anyone's best interest on his list, except his own. America is going to see a lot similar poverty problems, as India. There will be the very rich, out numbered by the jobless and starving, with very little in between.

 

[audioguru]

United States has a wide range of wealth. There are extremely poor people living in poverty and very wealthy people living in luxury. Maybe the very poor people exist due to the lack of cold weather in winter.

In Canada the very poor people are North American Indians and Chinese immigrants.
Guys from India drive taxi-cabs and complain that they don't make enough money to support their huge families of 12.

 

[HarveyH42]

United States has a wide range of wealth. There are extremely poor people living in poverty and very wealthy people living in luxury. Maybe the very poor people exist due to the lack of cold weather in winter.

In Canada the very poor people are North American Indians and Chinese immigrants.
Guys from India drive taxi-cabs and complain that they don't make enough money to support their huge families of 12.

True, but lately the government has started re-distributing the wealth, and not in the good way. The big banks and business (with executives, who receive multi-million dollar salaries) are being given billions of tax dollars, with little restriction on how they use the money. The worst part is, that more companies are laying off workers, to show the government they deserve some of that free bail-out money. The ones who have already received the money are already saying it'll help for a while, but more is needed. We are going to get higher unemployment, fewer people paying taxes, and the government, already in debt, is going to have figure out how to pay the bills eventually.

Most all of the people from India, I've met around here, have jobs (more than one), and don't seem like the type to go out and steal copper wire, or anything else for that matter. We do have a problem with people who steal metals for scrap, mostly aluminum and copper. The salvage yards photograph and fingerprint everyone before writing the checks these days.

 

[audioguru]

Who can I believe?
One TV news report says that workers making American cars have a salary of $100/hr for a 50 hours week. That is $260,000/year. If they are laid off then they get 80% which is $208,000/year.

They said that workers making cars for Honda and Toyota in the United States have a salary of only $30/hr for a 40 hours week which is only $62,400/year. I don't think they get paid if they are laid off.

They said why should a waitress who makes only $30,000/year pay high taxes for years so that the car workers can make so much money, making cars that nobody wants.

 

[PhillDubya]

Who can I believe?
One TV news report says that workers making American cars have a salary of $100/hr for a 50 hours week. That is $260,000/year. If they are laid off then they get 80% which is $208,000/year.

They said that workers making cars for Honda and Toyota in the United States have a salary of only $30/hr for a 40 hours week which is only $62,400/year. I don't think they get paid if they are laid off.

They said why should a waitress who makes only $30,000/year pay high taxes for years so that the car workers can make so much money, making cars that nobody wants.

Yep, this is part of the problem in the United States, the damn unions; they are a hypocritical joke, and are the downfall of capitalism and competitive markets. You've got guys making $25/ hour pushing brooms for God's sake, and complaining they don't get good enough benefits, and saying that the American consumers are to blame for being disloyal to the good ole American tradition of buying American autos by purchasing Toyota or Honda etc... The downfall is paying somebody non-competitive wages, whom you can't fire, unless they have just about committed murder, and even then it will probably have to be reviewed first.

Don't get me wrong, I am Ford and GM guy, but it seriously will discontinue when they become gov't owned entities...

Organized labor....

I also agree with Harvey, its only going to get worse. "Spread the wealth" says Obama. Don't work, don't compete, look for a handout from good ol Uncle Obama, provided by the sweat off the brow of the guy who will work, and will compete..

 

[HarveyH42]

100/hr? Damn! I only make $15.35/hr, usually gross around $30k/year. Don't have to pay union dues though. I only drive a Ford POS, because it was given to me, just had to pay the title fees, and fix a few things (still working on it...), but gets me to work, usually on time too.

The big problem is that most of the politicians, are heavily invested in these huge companies. The stockholders are some of the first people that feel the pinch, so guess where the bailout money is really going. Our government is requesting shares of stock, in the companies they help, which pretty much guarantees that the treasury department will continue to provide support in the future to protect their foolish investments.

These huge companies should have been left to fix their own problems, not really the government or tax payer's responsibility. The money should have went to help the people, who are losing their jobs or houses. If the big companies fail, it opens up the market for some of the smaller businesses to grow, creates a demand for new businesses. Yeah, it's going to be rough on a lot of people, but I think we will come out stronger without those big companies controlling the markets. Right now a small company with a better product, either has to merge with one of the big guys, or get squeezed out. The big companies don't want new products that will hurt their mainstream product lines.

Suppose there was a new engine design, that could preform just as well as any other standard engine, but can easily get 100 MPG, and half the parts and lower cost to build. Unfortunately, it doesn't fit in any engine compartment currently in production. Would Ford be willing to scrap all other production lines, re-tool, and start building vehicles that fit the new engine? Who would want a 30 MPG car, when they could get something much better? Now Ford knows that eventually, somebody will start making vehicles with the new engine, but it won't be able to sell at a competitive price, but it will sell.

 

[audioguru]

The unions for the American car workers said No to cutting their extremely high salaries and very good benefits. Then the car companies should go bankrupt and get rid of those greedy monsters.

 

[Mikebits]

I wonder if you could use the solar panel output voltage for sensing also. Have you checked the output characteristics of the panel when the light is low and it is no longer charging the battery?

Back on topic.
Sounds like a good idea to me. The panel could function as the LDR as well as charge the system.

 

[audioguru]

I have some solar garden lights that use an LDR to sense light and other solar garden lights use the solar panel to sense light.

 

[premkumar9]

Back on topic.
Sounds like a good idea to me. The panel could function as the LDR as well as charge the system.

Seems to be a useful idea which I can try out.

 

[premkumar9]

A humble request.

I have some solar garden lights that use an LDR to sense light and other solar garden lights use the solar panel to sense light.

Dear audioguru. As you know, for all the posts in my thread I get a mail in my mail box. I am looking for useful information. Kindly avoid diverting the subject and wasting my time. If you have any suggestion on my OP kindly continue to give. There may be many other forums where you can discuss the other subjects. I hope you will take this in the right spirit.
Thank you

 

[premkumar9]

Back on topic.
Sounds like a good idea to me. The panel could function as the LDR as well as charge the system.

When I check the panel voltage to sense light I may have to connect its -ive to my circuit ground. In the charge controller these two -ives are given separately. Can they be connected together?

 

[Mikebits]

I assume -ive means negative. Without knowing your circuit it is hard to say. Is there any reason for isolated grounds? If not I think connecting grounds would be ok.

 

[premkumar9]

I assume -ive means negative. Without knowing your circuit it is hard to say. Is there any reason for isolated grounds? If not I think connecting grounds would be ok.

I have seen two separate negative terminals for solar panel input and load output in the Charge controller I got as well as the other photographs I saw in the net. That is why I asked. Anyway I will ask the supplier here. Thanks

 

[Mikebits]

I have seen two separate negative terminals for solar panel input and load output in the Charge controller I got as well as the other photographs I saw in the net. That is why I asked. Anyway I will ask the supplier here. Thanks

Or talk to the Application Engineers. In either case, that may be your best route to go. The people that design, or sell the product know best... Usually.

You could always use a current loop or something.

 

[premkumar9]

Or talk to the Application Engineers. In either case, that may be your best route to go. The people that design, or sell the product know best... Usually.

You could always use a current loop or something.

Yes. I am going to talk with their design engineers only.

 

[Mikebits]

Yes. I am going to talk with their design engineers only.

Good Idea. Those guys want you to succeed, because when you do, they do

 

[transistor495]

Premkumar, you got ur solar panels? Can u tell me the specifications. How much it costs for u.

As far as considering, an LDR is not required with a solar panel as the wise guy Christe told, but u can still go for it as it won't make much complications on light/dark detection(simple) if u want to avoid any headaches further.Here's a link that looks something like what I've used early for making automatic rooftop night flash light in my home using 741 op-amp. Good luck for ur projects.
**broken link removed**

Actually a solar panel is a such an item that can be used for powering our entire house if we have enough of it. Cost is the problem. Imagine a powerful panel spans across our rooftop . SLA batteries can be used for storage and an adequate inverter in hand I think we can cut out the government electricity connection . Nice right? But don't dream too much, bec it's certainly not possible nowadays. We can expect for a new technology that'll find out a cost effective method of production. I'm thinking how much valuable solar energy is wasted by hitting to grounds and makes unnecessary environmental warming. Y can't it diverted to the panels spreading hundreds of acres...

 

[audioguru]

Dear audioguru. As you know, for all the posts in my thread I get a mail in my mail box. I am looking for useful information. Kindly avoid diverting the subject and wasting my time. If you have any suggestion on my OP kindly continue to give.

I guess you don't have common solar garden lights in your world.
That is why I mentioned that they do exactly what you want.
They use a solar panel to charge a battery during the day then light an LED during the night. Some of them use an LDR to switch the LED on and off and others use the solar panel instead.

We also have night lights that are powered from the electrical mains and use an LDR to turn an LED or a little light bulb on at night and off in the daytime.

 

[transistor495]

We also have night lights that are powered from the electrical mains and use an LDR to turn an LED or a little light bulb on at night and off in the daytime.

We are using mains power and LDR arrangement to turn on and off a high watt fluorescent tube located on rooftop outside of house.
We are using 2 AA cells and a switch to turn on and off an LED or a little bulb.