solar charged night switch activated led lighting

[ddalehm]

I'm a handyman turning into artist. I have many projects that I would like to light up at night with solar charged led's. I have needs of from just a couple lights to strings of 50. Is there a simple how to do book I can buy and a sorce to get the materials?

 

[audioguru]

A solar garden light needs full sunshine for 8 hours to be able to light one LED dimly for a few hours.
Spend a fortune for a huge solar panel so it can power many LEDs brightly for a few hours.
If the solar panel doesn't have full sunshine for 8 hours (indoors or cloudy days) then it probably won't work.

 

[ddalehm]

Tighter than $crooge

Thanks for your reply. I have done some real successful things with solar saving great amounts of energy. For example my solar powered gates in many instances have saved time, money and energy/(think co2 waste) by instead of running power in the driveway to the gate ($1,500 to $2,500 cost then) I used a $250 solar panel which openes and closes the gate 30 times per day with a garage door clicker. I trashed solar garden lights and rewired incadesent lights for both sides of the gate. Another carbon puff I saved from the Fosil Dragon. I think Uncle Ben would agree a puff saved is a puff earned. Think Win (the energy to dig the trench), Win (the energy from the grid), Win (the cost of the underground cable). I think the solar pannel won big time!

I'm looking for a simple book to teach me to take the raw parts (panels, batterys, switches, boards and led's) and assemble them to my needs.
Help me save a puff.
DD

 

[Hero999]

It depends on how often you use your lights.

Fluroscent tubes and cold cathode tubes are more efficient than LEDs especially if you want the light to spead out over a large area.

You can buy solar cells to charge lead acid batteries from most electrical stores, you can also buy 12V fluroscent fittings but make sure you buy decent ones or they won't be very efficient.