Review and hack of Poundland crackle glass solar garden light.

Poundland has introduced some rather attractive crackled glass solar lights. So here's a look at one and how to modify it with a more appropriate warm white LED.

[@FL_STUDIO]

Your garden must look spectacular at night. We're waiting for a video tour ;)

[@Elfnetdesigns]

Oh man Sub earned due to you using the term "Sweat Shopy" correctly in a video! Dollar Tree is the Pound Land equivalent here in the states and I buy ALL the solar lights at my local store when I go up there for the purpose of re-purposing them. So far I have built several 12v battery trickle chargers and a couple of solar mobile device chargers from the solar cells, cheap picture frames, some hot glue, solder and some regulating circuits.. The LEDs from these are useful for joule thief type projects, Really useful here in the southern USA when we have shit weather and the power goes out.

[@orinokonx01]

"Lead based solder of course! Because lead based solder is the best solder!" I had to share that! :D I can't stand anything else!

[@JoelHudson]

orinokonx01 eutectic lead tin solder FTW!

[@Spoif]

bigclivedotcom That's a really nice effect with the warm white LEDs. To be honest though I have steered away from solar garden lights because the ones I've seen look incredibly dim (when lit at night). I bet your garden looks like a landing pad for UFOs. 8)

[@tlcruiser1970]

Really liked those LED's, do you have supplier info or part number?

[@bigclivedotcom]

tlcruiser1970 They're generic ebay LEDs from China. Try this link, but be aware they will probably be shipped in non antistatic packaging. Fine for playing with though. www.ebay.com/itm/321186661493

[@SupremeRuleroftheWorld]

just wondering, would the solar cell be strong enough to handle a bigger battery so it can just run all night without dimming?

[@jusb1066]

taking apart some dead, very early pound lights: they purely charge an aa nicad cell direct from the panel, and the led and a resistor, so light runs all the time if there is power, i tend to remember not only were these rather dim but they didnt last all night, so they have come a fair way for the lessening pound in 20 years

[@bigclivedotcom]

jusb1066 The first lights tried to light the garden, but now they just act as decorative low level lights. Hence why a tiny button cell can last all night.

[@grognakbarbarian2606]

cool vid

[@colibrimecatronic9922]

Economy of scale. Small, cool white LEDs are more versatile and manufactured in higher quantities thus are cheaper, that's why most products have white LEDs and why cheaper flashlights have multiple small LEDs instead of one more powerful LED.

[@martkt10]

Is their anyway to improve the solar cell as mine only work for a short time each night, thinking that the batteries are not getting a good enough charge

[@bigclivedotcom]

+martkt10 Placement for maximum exposure to the path of the sun (even above the clouds) is crucial. If the light is against a wall or fence, or under foliage then it will not take much charge. In winter performance is generally a bit low.

[@martkt10]

+bigclivedotcom Thank you i will try that

[@JasperJanssen]

It kind of looks like they lightly glue some plastic kitchen foil stuff (Saran wrap for the yanks here) on the painted glass, then smash it, and in a controlled way stretch the foil. The spacing and matching-ness of the pieces is too even to be manual piece by piece placement.

[@petti78]

Better having a job shoving broken glass to ornaments than having to do actually nasty things (often to others) in order to make a living. It's a job they choose to do over the alternatives, after all.

[@trojanwalrus2928]

Could you put AAA battery in them? 1.5v?

[@68MalKontent]

+google Account Yes, no problem with that, the IC inside has a step-up converter. Although I dislike AAA cells with a passion - same price as AA, only slightly smaller, one-third the capacity.

[@webchimp]

+68Stan Just bought £1 solar light and I think this is going to be my first mod project when the new tips for the iron turn up

[@IanGrodyRules]

would you feel better to know the sweatshop workers could quite easily have been hapless lags currently serving at Her Majesty's free homing for criminals?

[@Purple431]

7 years later, most of them are cheaper and shitter.