Solar Rechargeable Yard Light Hack

A quick tear down of a solar rechargeable yard light. These can be connected in a series to power up an outdoor device or be used as a portable solar battery pack. I did a bit more research and found that the 4 pin device is an ASIC LED driver made specifically for solar LED lights.
Here's another video with an explanation of this device:
• Solar Light Circuit Ex...
Be sure to check out these other "Nerd Thunder" contributors on KZbin.
Jeri Ellsworth: / jeriellsworth
Becky Stern: / bekathwia
Ben Krasnow: / bkraz333
John Schuch: / hackersbenchtv
Darren Landrum: / dmlandrum
Joe Grand: / kingpinempire
Mark VandeWettering: / brainwagon
#nerdthunder

[@hoytdotblohm]

Nearly all solar garden lights are a form of a Joule thief currently. The inductor and the four pin component create an oscillator allowing the led to run for a very long time on voltage from a battery below their voltage rating. That said, wonderful idea and thank you for your content, this nerd thunder business is fantastic!

[@GlennHamblin]

I think that the component you assumed was a resistor is actually an inductor, and the 4 pin part is actually a boost converter. The reason I say this is because I'm pretty sure you can't light a white LED with 1.2 volts. White LEDs are usually blue LEDs with a yellow phouspher coating. Blue LEDs usually require over 3.5 volts to light. Great vid though, I'm interested in seeing how this project goes. Thanks, Glenn

[@ToTheMaxWorld]

Amazing tutorial, you really explain things so much better than most

[@stupidystu]

Not a resistor, it's a Inductor for the boost circuit.

[@HackaweekTV]

Right you are. :) I love it when I learn something from posting these videos!

[@-vermin-]

@@HackaweekTV There's an interesting blog post on that 4 pin device (YX8018?) here: ez.analog.com/university-program/b/blogs/posts/hacking-an-led-solar-garden-light

[@dwaynewladyka577]

@@HackaweekTV Inductors that look like resistors, are coloured light green.

[@franksmith7271]

@@dwaynewladyka577 there's no u the word color...

[@joeyocom5087]

there is in Europa

[@garagemonkeysan]

Great video and hack. So simple and useful. Thanks for sharing. : )

[@nickernator4788]

".. With Sophie the dog" Sophie exits the scene lol cool video!

[@SmiTTyy-sh8nc]

Just subbed, I really enjoyed tinkering around with simple device's !!!

[@mattburrows2615]

Very interesting to hear your thoughts on how it operates and what the parts are.

[@DrTeddyMMM]

Jeri Ellsworth sent me (I love her!

[@dwaynewladyka577]

Pretty cool video. Awesome.

[@coffeecuppepsi]

Jeri Ellsworth sent me here

[@tommiller7549]

Me too! (The "resistor" is an inductor, and the chip is a charger / joule thief circuit which provides ~3volts to light the LED from a single cell with ~0.8volts to 1.2volts.

[@fzswede9533]

Great to see you back. YT isn't The same without you 👍 Wonder if i could use this idea to trickle charge the bike...🤔

[@DeanSegovis]

Hmmmm, maybe. You'd need to add some sort of charge controller though.

[@johnwest7993]

The first time I saw them they were on sale somewhere for $2 each.I didn't need nightlights, but I thought about how well they would work on outdoor PICAXE projects. I bought 10.

[@IchibanMoto]

those are sprinked all over the yard and patio. i wonder if my wife knows exactly how many rechargeable lights she actually has if would notice if a few went missing?

[@gorgon9786]

Ohh,..be aware here Ichi, .. we all knows how their minds work...they'got senses off this world, right!.. if there's just a little tiny equipment gone, -from lets say the kitchen, ... you're gonna hear it for years, yay? - ..but you might be lucky as long as it's outside house!..

[@coffeecuppepsi]

You kinda busted yourself by posting your plan to steal the lights on social media

[@shadymoto3690]

you fraud

[@FerFer84]

nice! hey dont forget we need a motorcycle actualization. cheers from Argentina

[@DeanSegovis]

It's coming after the new year!

[@Unordung]

If you're just wanting to run a microcontroller, my suggestion would consider using the output from the boost converter in parallel and series to get the voltage and current needed. My bet is they produce 3v and maybe 50mA max.

[@HackaweekTV]

Indeed they do because the LED needs 3 volts. Good idea!

[@Unordung]

That looks like a boost converter circuit. I'm willing to bet it simply take the 1.5v from the battery and boosts it upto about 3V to overcome the forward voltage of the LED. This is why there is an inductor and what I'm willing to bet is a schottkey diode.

[@HackaweekTV]

You're right. I learned this from a commenter here. Now I know something I didn't before I posted the video! I always learn new stuff from you viewers!

[@billygarfield5520]

Very cool

[@DIYGarage_SoCal]

Thanks for the video! So I had a quick hack project I got stumped with. My friend wanted her yard lights like these switched out to a color changing LED. I was able to find some that work with 3-3.3V but I wasn't able to get it to light up. The AA battery isn't enough to power the LED. What could I do to increase the voltage for the LED without frying the circuit. What can I do to modify the circuit and get the color changing RGB LED to light up. Light is small and won't allow for another AA battery. I was thinking using two 2/3 AA or a small rechargeable 3v lipo mini pack. What do you think?

[@vectrexer]

Well that brings up a thought. What ways could a solar panel be reliably used as a heating element?

[@LeonardCaldwell]

New Sub from Jerri Ellsworth's channel :-)

[@HackaweekTV]

Welcome to Hack A Week!

[@103apartment]

Is it possible to hook just the solar to each other and use one of those boards to power say 10 leds and an small battery bank of those 1.2 batteries?

[@SwampDonkey64]

I am in, just subbed. Teacher us about how a metal detector works. 🤓

[@barryjackson123]

Hey...great hoodie! My home ☺️

[@DeanSegovis]

Visited there in 2012

[@plmgroup10]

Hi, brought 1000 led fairy lights system (solar), for the first week they shone brightly. Over the second week, weather was overcast, hence, the brilliance of the lights greatly reduced. Is there a way to combine the solar pack with another to ensure there is sufficient energy, regardless of the weather? Love to hear from you. Regards Claudio

[@JohnR77]

There are so many more efficient ways to do what he is trying to do. I personally use a motion sensor door bell to tell me when the animals are active outside so I can photograph them.

[@StephenTack]

This is great... Though wouldn't a sensor to let you know the seeds were low (enough to let a bird in) be a better solution? Or perhaps just a coarse wire-mesh in the slot to let seeds through, but keep birds out?

[@DeanSegovis]

Sure, but then I don't get to play around with stuff and build something I can learn from. :)

[@husnihassan2210]

Out. You disrupt the spirit of these videos.

[@WillieMitchell-th5kd]

Add an extension wire .. leave the solar panel outside extension wire the lights indoors.. just try to make it look modern maybe

[@kckutzleb4188]

Is there a battery that you recommend to use with these yard lights?

[@utdfederation]

Hi I have 30 solar garden lights and 1x12v 50w solar panel. Now what i want to do is connect all the lighta to the solar panel on my garden shed. How would i go about doing this so all the lights have their batteries recharge instead of using their own panels

[@husnihassan2210]

Home Depot sold these Halloween lanterns with a USB-C port built into them so you could plug it in an outlet and keep it powered. Please do a hack video on how make these solar-powered with a light-sensor switch. Also, some of them didn’t have the port built in. Please also do a video of you converting alkaline batteries to solar-powered also with a light sensor switch.

[@pursuitofhappyiness2759]

Hello sir I have a seeburg ay160 jukebox that needs the tormat selector unit rebuilt. Is that something you would be interested in? Thanks

[@smhedge]

Dollar General had some of those lights for $1 each a few months ago.

[@user-cf3ks7ss8n]

Hi, thanks for the cool video. I have a similar idea to put four of these together and have one more powerful light bulb, not four. What would be the most appropriate way to have four solar panels and four batteries, but only one light bulb?

[@HackaweekTV]

Connect the output from each four pack of batteries in parallel then connect to your new bulb.

[@jeremyajohnston]

Ha! Greetings from PEI!

[@mikkveere1409]

Love the absence of ads.

[@curtisholt2468]

Is it possible to get 3 dollar store solar lights (aaa battery) and modify it to charge aa batteries?

[@FalkBay]

5:44 Actually I think it's an inductor.

[@gvndual84]

Question - I want to put a battery-powered (3 AA) rodent repeller in my shed. Can I use this hack to power such a gizmo? Nice long wires, solar parts on the roof, connect the wires to the battery cradle in the repeller? Will it charge and also power the device simultaneously?

[@HackaweekTV]

Maybe. Depends on the current draw of the device.

[@californiakayaker]

I have a ton of those. So,. I'm going to keep this a secret as to what I do with them lol, wouldn't want my source to all of a sudden think they are valuable LOL ! That said, I think your going down the wrong path here. You need to put a web cam on it. Then, when there's a little birdy in there, Mrs. Gotchables class of 2nd graders all shows up at your house to see the little birdy. Yep. that's what you should do. Thank Jeri for that idea , of course. She sent me over here. I'd think the microprocessor could be a 3.7 v one, like the arduino micro or some of the nano's I think might be. Then you could use a little regulator and It would be solid. Remember you've got to filter out the noise from the motor, there really bad.

[@mikeoliver3254]

That looks like an inductor for the boost circuit to light the led.

[@DeanSegovis]

Yes!

[@thetickler4487]

I have a question how can I connect a 12v led strip and make it solar without buying all the tech stuff and having boxes screwed in my shed.

[@PerspectiveEngineer]

Darn I didnt push you over 100,000... best luck I was hoping you were going to gang the solar panels... maybe next time, Jen sent me. ;)

[@emil.honganmaki5461]

It does not have a resistor but an inductor.

[@muh1h1]

Might have gotten away with just one light if you used a joule thief configuration and removed the led. A zigbee MCU probably uses less power than an led if programmed efficiently :)

[@DeanSegovis]

Thanks for the suggestion! I'll get one and see what I can do with it. :) I have other yard lights that use a 3 volt battery. Maybe I can hack one of those for use.

[@petruse8893]

Battery Ni Cd has always 1.2V ,possibly 1.4 when charged ,no load.The thing you name a resistor is an inductor and the 4-legged beauty is not a voltage detector

[@mr.makeit4037]

I believe it's only job is to regulate and control voltage thru the charging process during the day.

[@mr.makeit4037]

Also inductors look very much like resistors

[@shanemike3070]

those circuits are usually like a joule thief to get as much out of a battery as possible

[@danabell6667]

Glad some viewers comments explained what the circuit is doing, poor prep / lack of knowledge is clearly evident!

[@olliespackrt5763]

I want to convert a battery light to solar. Is tbat possible?

[@HackaweekTV]

Try it and find out!

[@olliespackrt5763]

Well If I knew how to do it I wouldn't be asking, right?

[@mikecauser]

Is the IC a YX8018?

[@mikecauser]

That’s the joule thief IC used in the Bunnings cheap solar lights. github.com/mcauser/YX8018-solar-led-driver

[@franksmith7271]

You need a dollar tree store... You could have bought 18 of those.

[@aboveaveragejoe6291]

That's a solar controller ic and a coil

[@hunter00047]

Its not that simple, anyone who knows basic electronics it that a white led needs more like 3v to strike light reliably. Your assumed the circuit is simple, the resistor is actually ans inductor and the voltage reg is step up boost converter IC. Yes things will work with fully charged batteries,your problems will start when you want solar charging to kick in. I will let you discover that one yourself. Just use a big solar panel to cope with the winter and calculate your total load needs.

[@HackaweekTV]

You're right. :) My intention with this video was to show how you could use this as a solar rechargeable battery pack. I did a bit more research and found that the 4 pin device is an ASIC LED driver made specifically for solar LED lights. Here's another video with a good explanation of this device: kzbin.info/www/bejne/jKq9fmemerx6adE

[@joruss]

joule thief to the rescue...

[@guillermosempron5776]

I think you need to learn how works before make a video...

[@DeanSegovis]

I learn FROM making the video. :)

[@leepshin]

That cute little hottie Jeri sent me over.

[@fustigate314159]

Let's try to not be so creepy, eh?

[@shaunmorgan372]

Wow, kind of off put on this video as it was absolutely not technical and you did not appear to understand the circuit or the lingo. However for inspiration "joule theif" or "boost converter" is the basic idea of the circuit. None the less on the less technical side just clip off one leg of the led and keep this exactly the way you have it as it will offer plenty of battery backup for the dreary days and nights. Maybe add a couple extra panels for you can use a basic voltage regulator to control your output voltage. And your in business.

[@DeanSegovis]

Thanks. I've learned a lot by making and posting this video. I don't feel I need to know everything going in. That's how I learn. Doesn't have to be technical, and I learned about the circuit the "lingo" along the way.

[@shaunmorgan372]

I found this video, was linked by Jeri Ellsworth. Just expected a more in-depth video or a more technical video. I am an EET so that is why I was put off at first. It is always great to learn and share and put ideas out there for others. This video just fell short for the more technical people.