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  • Please help a newbie

    Will somebody please tell me if there is any way to make this work?

    I'm currently using two solar lights exclusively in two rooms of my home. It's working very well, but the gloomy weather got me thinking about alternative ways to charge the lights. Yes, I know there would have to be sun for this alternative, but it would be infinitely faster than the panel that came with the light, and on the very few days we've actually seen the sun, it's only been for about 1 hour total time, so more power is better. Here is what I've come across:

    On amazon:

    Rockpals 100w foldable solar panel charger. It is 18v, and has 3 usb ports to charge your little things such as phones, etc.

    My light (also on amazon) is: sold by cyberdax, 100w 5000 lumens solar light. It is 7.4 volts. The socket on the light is the same size and will fit the plug on the Rockpals panel.

    I emailed them and they said my device would have to be 18v just like the Rockpals panel is.

    The "smart" panel is supposed to do its own regulation by recognizing your device instantly and adjusting everything to suit it. Maybe it has something to do with whether the device is plugged into the USB port or the actual main charging plug? Because, for example, my PocketJuice 4000 is 5v, not 18v, and the panel will supposedly charge it via the usb port. Also, I'm sure my phone isn't 18v, but I'm sure the panel will charge it via the USB port.

    Is there any way to make this panel work to charge this light? Would an inverter do the trick? If so, which one (specs) & how would I hook it up?

    PS: I found another light that I'd like to purchase and it's the only one I've ever seen anywhere that can not only charge with the sun but also via a USB port. It is 60w and 3.2v. Would the solar panel charge this, and if so, do you think it would be fast or slow charging?

    Please be patient with me, I just don't understand this stuff very well. I'm trying.

    Thanks in advance!

  • #2
    Originally posted by sunheaven View Post
    but it would be infinitely faster than the panel that came with the light,
    You're over-estimating the "power" of solar, a panel might put out only ten percent of its nameplate power on a cloudy day, so adding another 100W panel may not help much and might lead to over-current/over-charge on a sunny day.

    The foldable panel you show isn't for this application, it's a portable panel for camping etc.

    This doesn't sound like a good application for solar. Instead of trying to re-engineer the system, I'd remove the fixture and install an LED fixture running from utility power ESPECIALLY if I was a beginner. It's just not worth risking a fire. What's the reason for the solar lights, backup in case of a power outage?
    Last edited by sdold; 06-24-2019, 01:01 PM.

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