andicoombes
New Member
Hello community, i am new here [from! the UK!
I have a relatively basic understanding of electronics, but am not averse to making my own bits and bobs here and there. It has however been over 10years since my GCSE was attained, and i tend to be better at wood-work!!!
Anyhow, i wonder if anyone can help me out please, even if it just a gentle nudge into the right direction?! I am making a japanese-style garden lantern out of wood and other materials, and finishing it with 'stone-effect' paint. I also want to make a solar-powered flickering LED system that sits within the lamp area.
Hence, long stroy short [!!!], i have a small "Xmas tree" kit [i know, dont go there?!] that i got from maplin's earlier. It has 16 LEDs that run in 4 sets [of 4 in series} of 4 sub-circuits [in parallel] to make it 'flicker' somewhat. It is made by Velleman-Kit from Belgium [Velleman Components N.V. : Kit # MK130], and runs on a 9V PP3 cell, but can run on 12V DC for in-car use.
By swithching some of the LED colours etc, i have managed to make a somewhat flickering candle effect, which is sat behind some semi-opaque plasti-card. so has its light output diffused [im actually pleasantly surprised!]. I wanted to run the lantern [LED-circuit] on a photovoltaic solar-cell based system, that also has an appropriate sensor for dawn-dusk etc., and uses rechargeable batteries, such as many of the 'stand-alone' solar garden commercial products. Now this is where i hope someone here may be able to assist me please, as i am sure you have far more experience than myself!?!
It boils down to me being a cheapskate somewhat, as the proper granite carved lanterns cost up to £500, without any lighting!!!
In summer sales, i bought, from Tesco, a solar-powered set of 20 "party lights", that were frankly tasteless in view of the garden style i am designing! I assume that the whole set of 20 LED lights run in parallel, but came with quite a sturdy solar collector, that i was hoping to use to power my little "Xmas tree" kit i got today for a fiver or so. So, i ask you guys very kindly if you are able to help me in any way please, as this is roughly where my abilities end!!!
The solar collector is about 20cm long, with the panel itself being about 10cm wide [i dont know if that helps]. I have disassembled it somewhat, to find it charges 2 NiCd cells, so i presume the lights run on an estimated 3V supply. It also has an on / off switch, and a dusk-dawn photocell in it. I dont know what the output would be, in terms of current and eventual power, but can try to find out using an ammeter.
Hence, does anybody have any experience of this kind of problem, and if so, is there an easy way of using a kind of 'regulator' to change the power output to run my little lamp kit? If there is any more info i can provide, pleae feel free - i can sketch circuit diagrams of both systems if that helps? The longest i would want the Finished Lantern to run, would only be about 3hours tops in the summer, so i dont mind having to swap and re-charge the two NiCd cells every week or so [?].
I would rather use / adapt the solar cell - battery charger i have than purchasing a 12V [15.4V] new unit, as these can cost rather a lot for such a small circuit. I am also open to the idea of changing my resistors in the Xmas light kit, so i can halve the LED output, as this would still give enough light output, which maybe more suitable anyway from my intention of the 'serenity and subtlety' of the final lantern design.
Hence, i ask you very very kindly if there is an easy way to solve this please, or if anyone has any pevious experience of combining / adapting such circuitry please? Any advice or help is most welcome, and please may i thank you all in advance for your help and time in reading, thinking, and answering my query. I am genuinely most grateful. With kind regards, and keen expectations!
Andi Coombes.
I have a relatively basic understanding of electronics, but am not averse to making my own bits and bobs here and there. It has however been over 10years since my GCSE was attained, and i tend to be better at wood-work!!!
Anyhow, i wonder if anyone can help me out please, even if it just a gentle nudge into the right direction?! I am making a japanese-style garden lantern out of wood and other materials, and finishing it with 'stone-effect' paint. I also want to make a solar-powered flickering LED system that sits within the lamp area.
Hence, long stroy short [!!!], i have a small "Xmas tree" kit [i know, dont go there?!] that i got from maplin's earlier. It has 16 LEDs that run in 4 sets [of 4 in series} of 4 sub-circuits [in parallel] to make it 'flicker' somewhat. It is made by Velleman-Kit from Belgium [Velleman Components N.V. : Kit # MK130], and runs on a 9V PP3 cell, but can run on 12V DC for in-car use.
By swithching some of the LED colours etc, i have managed to make a somewhat flickering candle effect, which is sat behind some semi-opaque plasti-card. so has its light output diffused [im actually pleasantly surprised!]. I wanted to run the lantern [LED-circuit] on a photovoltaic solar-cell based system, that also has an appropriate sensor for dawn-dusk etc., and uses rechargeable batteries, such as many of the 'stand-alone' solar garden commercial products. Now this is where i hope someone here may be able to assist me please, as i am sure you have far more experience than myself!?!
It boils down to me being a cheapskate somewhat, as the proper granite carved lanterns cost up to £500, without any lighting!!!
In summer sales, i bought, from Tesco, a solar-powered set of 20 "party lights", that were frankly tasteless in view of the garden style i am designing! I assume that the whole set of 20 LED lights run in parallel, but came with quite a sturdy solar collector, that i was hoping to use to power my little "Xmas tree" kit i got today for a fiver or so. So, i ask you guys very kindly if you are able to help me in any way please, as this is roughly where my abilities end!!!
The solar collector is about 20cm long, with the panel itself being about 10cm wide [i dont know if that helps]. I have disassembled it somewhat, to find it charges 2 NiCd cells, so i presume the lights run on an estimated 3V supply. It also has an on / off switch, and a dusk-dawn photocell in it. I dont know what the output would be, in terms of current and eventual power, but can try to find out using an ammeter.
Hence, does anybody have any experience of this kind of problem, and if so, is there an easy way of using a kind of 'regulator' to change the power output to run my little lamp kit? If there is any more info i can provide, pleae feel free - i can sketch circuit diagrams of both systems if that helps? The longest i would want the Finished Lantern to run, would only be about 3hours tops in the summer, so i dont mind having to swap and re-charge the two NiCd cells every week or so [?].
I would rather use / adapt the solar cell - battery charger i have than purchasing a 12V [15.4V] new unit, as these can cost rather a lot for such a small circuit. I am also open to the idea of changing my resistors in the Xmas light kit, so i can halve the LED output, as this would still give enough light output, which maybe more suitable anyway from my intention of the 'serenity and subtlety' of the final lantern design.
Hence, i ask you very very kindly if there is an easy way to solve this please, or if anyone has any pevious experience of combining / adapting such circuitry please? Any advice or help is most welcome, and please may i thank you all in advance for your help and time in reading, thinking, and answering my query. I am genuinely most grateful. With kind regards, and keen expectations!
Andi Coombes.
