Solar Cells,NiCads and Controllers...CHEAP

[bigkim100]

Ok... seems like the right time of year, as last year I posted pretty much the same message somewhere on the net. Last year, our local dollar store had rechargable Patio lights for a buck each...a huge bin of cosmetic seconds. This year I strolled into a local Dominion store to find 2 packs of rechargeable solar powered patio lights...2 packs for 3.00.
Seems like a pretty good buy for 4 nicads, 2 controllers, 2 big solar cells, and 6 ultrabrite white leds.
Keep watching the skys!....I mean sales!.
Kim

 

[HiTech]

The downside is those rechargeable batteries are low current types... often under 1000ma. so they won't last long in a device like a portable CD player or flashlight. A single LED is different tho. I've picked up discarded solar landscape lights that folks toss out. I scab them for the solar cells. Often the PCB boards are corroded beyond any parts salvage. Enough of them wired together make for a small charger to a 12v deep cycle battery I have connected to a 120vac inverter.