Solar Light Bulbs

[bainbrig]

A friend has given us a big box of 'solar light bulbs'.

They consist of a glass bulb with a wire inside, leading down to a battery in the screw-on base. There is a micro-switch in the base, which, when turned on, causes the bulbs to emit a dim light.

This is in daylight. Do we leave them on overnight? Do they go off automatically when it gets dark? If we're supposed to dismantle them each time to turn the switch on or off, it seems a bit half-baked.

Any experiences of these things?

Ta.

BB

[bhg481]

If they are the same sort of thing that we use when camping to mark eg, pegs, the idea is that you leave them on all the time; in daylight the sun charges the battery and at dusk the light comes on.

[woofgang]

What usually happens is you leave them switched on, they charge in the day and then come on when it gets dark and stay on for the length of the battery charge. Posher ones also have a motion sensor so they only turn on ehen they sense movement and turn off a short shile after. This makes the charge last longer

[Prudie]

You leave them switched on all the time. They have sensors that switch themselves on and off based on the natural light level and the battery charges up in the day - particularly if it's sunny. Don't expect too much from this time of year though, mine are giving a limp light for less than hour at dusk then lack of battery shuts them off - they were good in mid-summer though.

[bainbrig]

Thanks bhg, woofgang, prudie - useful guidance.

Never mind, it’ll come to me.