We live in an area that can have several gray, overcast days in the winter. Can this light get enough "sun" to be charged for 6 - 8 hours?
2036828
Also luminosity is still pretty weak with solar energy. The alternative is to use LED lights. I am pretty satisfied with a 3 heads lamp post I purchased a while ago at Costco. It is very bright and consumes very little electricity. However, the drawback is that you have to run electrical wires.
2036829
I have had mine for a couple of years. It does stay on for more than 4 hours. Unless they improved the battery draumatically you will not get 6 - 8 hours.
1121717
It requires at least 3 hours of direct sunlight. . It has worked well for the past year or so. . during the months were I get more sunlight it is brighter. . during winter months the light is not as potent. . but it still turns on when it senses movement
598242
I would recommend two units for 12 feet, but bear in mind, the tiny surface area of the panel makes the unit's operation time very dependent on the amount of sun exposure during the day. On a cloudy day during winter, when sunset has happened at 5p, if I arrive home at 9p, it's already pooped out! These units are not excellent substitutes for powered lighting... Just convenient for areas where power is not easily brought in.
471800
This one was installed above company's front door. It stops working within a week though. Unless you have enough direct sun light to this solar panel, it's not going to work well. Our company's wall is high and we get sun light in the afternoon. I guess that's what the problem but when we come in 5 am it doesn't light up. I don't know it used all the charges during night time or what but not good enough for us.
513125
it doesn't matter; just leave it in the sun to charge it! IF your unit won't charge from the sun, then there are 2 possibilities:1. your circuit board is faulty and you need to replace the whole unit.2. you live in a place with latitude above 41 degrees or so, so solar power DOES NOT WORK in the winter because the sun is too weak.Seriously though, it uses a pair of AA Nickel-metal hydride (NiMH) batteries but THE UNIT IS SEALED so you can't really get to them.
2102271
On a very cloudy day before or after a rain our lights have kept a charge for several days. So it's likely that as long as they get some charge they will work. We have had several different kind and these we've been most happy and eased with. We leave them out during the winter months and they still worked.
384212
This is not designed to charge anything that big. It would take 48 hours of full sunlight (4~5 days in the sun) to get a full charge and that's with it completely shut down. This works best for lower powered devices such as hand held GPS units that use x2 AA, small mp3 players, older cell phones (not a smart phone or anything with a large backlit display).
760346
I would think it could be as long as there is enough light to charge the solar batteries.
426209
I'm sure you can let the sun charge it but I charged mine overnight because it gave it a full charge to start. It won't charge at night or cloudy days so best to start with a full charge.
1026579
Hi Roberta, it depends on how dark the shaded area is during the day. I have two lights inside my home, away from direct, natural lighting. Except on very overcast days, the lights have not been activated by motion. I think it is worth considering.
1548771
Yes, if the solar area is completely covered by snow it would not charge. Of course, if there is that much snow why are you worried about underground pests?
1815711
I've noticed that this thing will take a few days off if it hasn't received a sufficient amount of charge from the sun. I've noticed that with mine, but then it will start working again.
219294
Mine gets 12 hours per day of sunlight. Never direct light. It's on a patio that is covered.
971651
GuidoTKPYes, this kit could do the job of just keeping a battery charged (whether on a bike or other places). The real thing to consider is where are you and how much sunlight will it have daily? If you're in a north state where the shed will have a blanket of snow for 3 months or it's cloudy 90% of the time (which may be why you're not riding the bike), then this won't give you much power without the sun. If you're in Arizona or such where you still get plenty of sun, then maybe it will work for you.
1119486
My lamp is mounted on top of a 5' high post at the end of the driveway. It's in full sun all day and puts out plenty of light, probably equivalent to a 60 watt incandescent bulb. Check the solar panels ( I have 4, 1 on each side) to make sure they're clean. If your batteries were installed correctly and shade or other nearby light source is not a factor, you might try turning the switch to "OFF" for a couple of days to let it come to a full charge in the sunlight before turning it back to "ON". I've had the lamp for four months in nothing but sunny weather so can't speak to how cloudy days or shorter daylight hours might affect the quality of illumination. I might look into how to best test the Li-ion batteries once they've fully charged if you have access to a volt meter etc. If you've eliminated all other possible reasons for low light quality other than the batteries themselves, testing them should show that they aren't holding a charge. I hope your lamp's "issues" are resolved soon!
458672
Allow it to charge with the switch off for a few good sunny days, then try it. If that does not work I would return for a refund. I noticed that ours these not work on nights when the weather had been overcast during the day.
2267491
Don't know for sure as I bring mine in. Shouldn't hurt it other than the charging time will be less due to shorter daylight and charging itself may be affected by the cold. You will see less on time.