URPOWER - solar outdoor lights that seem to work

Hi All;
Been living 100% off grid since 1983. In the past I have tried outdoor ,motion activated lights...   after a short while they were thrown away as useless junk.  They only had power in the summer when you do not need them. Winter …its cloudy and snowing, when you might really want a yard light...of course  they were dead.  I probably have experimented with half a dozen of them with the same result. Filling the landfill with more useless plastic junk.

Over the holidays we went to visit some folks. While there (during daylight) I was regaled about her new  solar powered yard lights ,motion activated...led...  best she ever had. Her friend has had them for 2 years now.... hmmm
I've heard it all before.
But... I did take note of the product name and after returning home , thought I would go check them out at amazon.
Less than $27 will get you a 4 pack of these lights. Small apx. 5 x 4 x 2 " thick. Li-ion battery,  Screw them to a wall , click the switch and they are ready to go, rite out of the box.
Interesting , the reviews(over 7000) were actually rather good. Strong company support when there are issues. Seems if you are not satisfied they replace any unit.
Reviews were from several years, most very favorable,  quite a few state their light never actually gets direct sun but continues to work all winter long.

For $27, I desided to give them a try,  they are small... if I come to the conclusion that they belong with all my other yard lights they won't take up much space at the landfill.
They arrived  a week ago.

We have a rmh in our greenhouse. Each night it is kept burning  untill 9-10 pm. When its truly cold out I might be back out at 6 am lighting the rocket back up. This far north it gets dark at 5 pm and stays dark until 8 am.   Flashlights are a hot item here at that time of year.
After recieving our new lights I promply installed 3 of the on the path to the greenhouse.
Wow, I'm impressed so far. It has only been a week but these lights work very well, throw a large circle of light, the motion detector trips every time (no standing waving your hand) they stay on plenty long enough to reach where you are going.  
If the batteys last as well as all the reviews say then I think we might have a winner!
I can forsee ordering another 4 pack to spread the light around !   Imagine going to the wood shed and not having a flashlight in your mouth while splitting wood ! Wow,  what a concept!
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B012ZPKNFE/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Thanks for this, Thomas! I'm curious about possible motion detector cams, from them! This is what we've been looking for, more than lights, but in some spots on our place, both might be a great combination, too!

I think those are what my neighbor just got. Same design at least.  He doesn't do all this high tech interwebs stuff but his brother does and buys all kinds of stuff and has it shipped to him. Actually the big stuff gets shipped to me because my neighbor, 6 miles away, can't get deliveries, including USPS. Said he was too far out. I just put these on my amazon wish list. We were off grid for 6 years and we have grid now but I appreciate things that don't need it. That way if we're ever without power for any length of time, I won't be in the dark. (plus I don't have to do a bunch of wiring) We still run 12vdc LED lighting and still have a battery bank. Charge controller and inverter bit the dust though. Panels sit on roof doing nothing. Batts are close to ten years old now so if I want to get the solar fully functional again, it's going to be upwards of a grand to do so for our whopping 305 watts of panels. Someday.

Hi John;
I know this is a back burner project for you but I thought I would share this ,  $175 delivered !   And he takes offers ... I paid $170 each for 6 of these!  Four of which are leaning against the wall for now.I don't currently have a spot for them.  Mostly made in america with american parts ! High quality, quickly shipped!   This is a great deal!  $340 bucks would add 360 watts !
EBAY
1- 180 Watt 12 Volt Battery Charger Solar Panel Off Grid RV Boat 180 watt total
( 272812576939 )
fred480v13361
Feedback percentage of
99.3%
Over 910 sold

The lithium ion batteries are what make these lights work so well, the 18650 that comes with the URpower, is light years ahead of other battery chemistry.

I have 3 of these light, you can also find them at dollar stores now.

Some people mount them on their RV's.     I was thinking of mounting one on my van.    I think it would be an extra level of security to have a light come on when you came up to the van.


I harvest the 18650's from old laptops and drills that don't work anymore, test for bad cells and reuse these cells.      

Mart Hale wrote:The lithium ion batteries are what make these lights work so well, the 18650 that comes with the URpower, is light years ahead of other battery chemistry.

I have 3 of these light, you can also find them at dollar stores now.

Some people mount them on their RV's.     I was thinking of mounting one on my van.    I think it would be an extra level of security to have a light come on when you came up to the van.


I harvest the 18650's from old laptops and drills that don't work anymore, test for bad cells and reuse these cells.      

I'm curious - where would you mount this on your van, that it wouldn't be flashing, or consistently 'on' while you're driving? I'd think other vehicles, road features, even the road itself,  would keep the motion sensor very busy.

I've got a bit of experience with these type of Lights as well I thought I'd share the ones I've been using I have two of these I got them at Harbor Freight with a coupon for 15 bucks each these are great because the solar panel is on a wire separate from the light this allows you to put the solar panel where you need it and it seems to work pretty well lots of low-light situations the light might get a bit dimmer but they still work pretty darn well also the wire on it is very long and you can adjust how long it stays on each time it is triggered the sensitivity of the motion sensor and how much light outside is required before it turns itself off so that it does not turn on during the day it also has a on off switch to turn it on manually if needed

There are many different versions of these lights now using the 18650 battery. And the price difference is on account of how many LEDs are included. I paid twice that price a year ago for the 28 led version directly from China via AliExpress. The first ones I bought split so that you could move the panel away from the light. I did that so that my panel was inside my solar tube for charging, and the light was in the room. I then bought cheaper ones that had 15 LEDs but the battery panel was accessible. And finally I've bought some 48 led versions that light outdoor pathways. The latest ones come with a remote control that also allows you to change the mode, and I've only just ordered those. I've only had one dud and the vendor replaced it without my having to send it back to China.

Bathroom lighting - light split - 28 leds


Joined gate light, 28 LEDs



15 led version with accessible battery.  This goes under my bed so it turns on when my feet hit the floor at night.



And battery



48 led version

They should make these with multicolor LEDs.
Sometimes that blueish white light is so harsh.
It would also be something nice to look at.
Well someday they'll catch on.

I notice many of these have the epoxy encapsulated solar cell.
I've seen alot of those turn yellow and cloudy.
When the solar panel would still be usable if it had a glass cover.

I have a few of these around the yard. They have saved my neck more than once when I have had to rush outside at night. I find the last 2 to 4 years. On the ones I have, the sensitivity can be adjusted.  That is, i can determine if a raccoon can set one off or a human.

Since solar lights depend on sunlight for power sources, they are sustainable means to decorate and beautify my homes all year round. Investing in the right models is quite crucial to ensure that solar lights operate correctly and attractively. After all, it is my dream to make my ambience an incredible sight to behold.  What makes this even greater news is that I can do so without consuming more electricity.