Solar Lighting-OT Slightly

tikigriller · October 2016

Do any of you use a solar powered flood light of some kind? With the evenings getting dark and about to get darker with day light savings time coming to an end, my area for cooking has no lights and I am not good at nor do I want to spend the expense of wiring in power for a flood light. I have been poking around Home Depot and lowes, but have not come across anything that I think would work.

Any ideas would be appreciated.

SemolinaPilchard · October 2016

Most of the solar ones do not put out much light. What about running a cord when you cook? If your outlets do not have a gfi you can get one that plugs in to the outlet, then you plug the cord in to it. Would not want the lamp or cord getting rained on. And I assume it will eventually rain again in California.

Sea2Ski · October 2016

How much lighting do you need? A few LEDs are really bright in the dark.
Are you locked in on solar? What about a cheap 12V transformer and you can run low voltage line anywhere by yourself to a few or a lot of LED lights. In PA at least, there are next to no electrical code for running LV wire - I could walk you through it all.

If you want to stay away from a 12V transformer, you can do a solar charger to a 6V Battery and run the LEDs off that.

let me know your thoughts. If you tell me the max amount of light and for how much area, and how long they would be on, I would give you my wholly unqualified opinion and advise.

tikigriller · October 2016

20x20 area. Maybe even a little smaller. Really looking for easy and it does need to be weather resistant as there is no protection from the brutal conditions here in Northern California.

RedSkip · October 2016

@Sea2Ski. Do you just tie the transformer into an external outlet? I struggle with a junction box that can handle the existing outlet as well as run conduit out the bottom.

SmokeyPitt · October 2016

A cheap solution- light wherever you are looking. Chicks dig em too.

Image: https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/61tf0gH0kJL._SL1000_.jpg

tikigriller · October 2016

I actually thought about that!!

northGAcock · October 2016

Prior to my getting a table, I used low voltage lighting and a bird feeder post to make this. Worked great.

caliking · October 2016

If you have a power outlet near your eggdom, these patio lights have worked great for me. $40 on sale at Costco when I bought them a year or two ago. Strung them between 3 trees, and powered with an outdoor extension cord. I plugged the cord in to an outdoor timer with a remote, so they are easy to switch on and off.

tikigriller · October 2016

Those are cool but I don't have a way to hang them.

Sea2Ski · October 2016

RedSkip said:

@Sea2Ski. Do you just tie the transformer into an external outlet? I struggle with a junction box that can handle the existing outlet as well as run conduit out the bottom.

Mine is a heavier duty transformer. I hung it in a utility garage under my sunroom. I passed 5 wires through one hole and sealed it up really well. From there I ran to switchs that I drilled and installed in stone. (Only 2 switches/lines have been hooked up one more is being installed soon and 2 are "just in case"). From there I ran to lights. I have 42 small lights hooked up and 2 for moonscape lighting. Cost is <10 cents for 4 hours as the most powerful is 3 watts. According to calculations, if I used 2 watt lights from here on out, I could run an insane amount of LEDs - something like 380 more.

To the OP, you can do that, or if you do not want it to be really bright for a long time, you can run a $25 6v solar charger to a $10 rechargeable 6v battery. (This is what I did for my chicken coop). Then, run the LEDs from that battery. Depending on the amount of lights hooked up, you could probably run for 3-4 hours if you want it as bright as 2 60w floods. Much longer if not as bright. The next day the battery will recharge. But it sounds like you do not have anywhere to hang them. That might be the trickiest part for you.

GlennM · October 2016

I'm curious as to how to put together the solar 6v lighting. I could use this in my chicken coupe as well

Coul · October 2016

http://smokeware.com/collections/grill-accessories/products/1-arm-ultra-bright-grill-light

Not Solar, but it will help with your dilemma.

Sea2Ski · October 2016

@GlennM I used the wildgame innovations 6V solar charger and their rechargeable battery. $35 ish for both parts. Then I hooked up what I wanted to it, which is an automatic chicken door to the run along with LED indicator lights. I am also probably going to get another setup like this to run some other LEDs which would cost more in wire to run that the $35 combo.

nolaegghead · October 2016

Stand-alone solar panel/battery/light combos are, in general, junk. Weak, expensive, batteries die, bluh.

Run a circuit - you can buy UF romex and bury it, or run it on a line.

If you want solar, great, put the panels on your roof and get a net meter.

tikigriller · October 2016

I seriously think I am actually going to go with one of those lights you strap on your head. I might look like a total goof doing it, but it is going to really solve my darkness issue as I already have the lights on the grills and they do not get the job done. Unfortunately with my schedule, I did most of my cooking in the night hours, so light is a challenge and with the head thing, shadows will not be an issue any more either.

Add one one of these to the mix and I will be absolutely set.........

nolaegghead · October 2016

It should be dark when you wear it, so not many will see how ridiculous you look. In theory.

tikigriller · October 2016

nolaegghead said:

It should be dark when you wear it, so not many will see how ridiculous you look. In theory.

If I ever did wear one of those, my wife would find every Chance to snap pictures for every social media page she belongs to.

I drink beer to fast to have time to get it into the hat anyways.

Carolina Q · October 2016

Cue @RRP for his hardhat...

xfire_ATX · October 2016

Here you go- I have seen these installed in a Parking Lot in Greensville NC
http://cdn.hubbelloutdoor.com/content/products/literature/literature_files/solar_lighting_flyer_hol0030.pdf

I have sold similar systems for use where people wanted some flood lighting but the power source was so far away the cost of the wire was prohibitive.

poster · October 2016

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Bizlander-10W108LED-Solar-Powered-Flood-Light-for-Home-Sign-Camping-Landscape-/182008680290?hash=item2a60900f62:g:SikAAOSwKtlWphrh

put one of these up behind the camp and it goes all night on a days charge. dusk to dawn but there is a switch to manually shut off as well. It lasted 2 years, not bad for a little over $100. It was the winter that killed it here as well.

The other option is to buy a small panel/charge controller/battery/ and 12V bulbs for whatever fixture you like, then you can go as simple or as fancy as you want.

jtcBoynton · October 2016

You could always go old school:

Dave in Florida · October 2016

http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200664862_200664862

DaveRichardson · October 2016

I've got a small 12volt transformer for outdoor lighting that I've got attached to an outlet by the back door. I do not have the timer running because I only want it lit when I am out there. I can easily throw the switch and light the night with some LED's. My egg is still in the nest, but I've put some 4x4 posts on the deck and hung two LED flood lights on them to light the egg space.