# Super cheap solar battery charger



## budgetprepp-n (Apr 7, 2013)

If someone has already done this kind of post,, Sorry

I took an old solar yard/garden light that was old and had quit working and installed a new rechargeable AA
battery from Walmart and it will charge a battery in a day. I tried them out in a LED AA flashlight and they 
worked great. Usually When these lights stop working it's from the battery being to old. The solar charger
is usually fine. -I found this light during a trip to the dump it looks like it met the lawn mower-


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## Nuklhed (Feb 17, 2013)

Cool idea!


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## Nuklhed (Feb 17, 2013)

I'll have to remember to grab some from the neighborhood when the SHTF.


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## GTGallop (Nov 11, 2012)

I wonder if you can hoard those and then chain them together to run larger things.


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## Ripon (Dec 22, 2012)

Nuklhed said:


> I'll have to remember to grab some from the neighborhood when the SHTF.


Come on. They are like $2 at just about any store. Taking from others sucks.

Oh by the way these things light up a room pretty good at night.


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## budgetprepp-n (Apr 7, 2013)

If you buy two new ones you will have new batteries and a charger.


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## budgetprepp-n (Apr 7, 2013)

There may be a time soon when you can't go to the store.
This could be a good tip to remember


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## grinder37 (Mar 1, 2013)

chinamart has them right now for 97cents each,just picked up a dozen


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## Meangreen (Dec 6, 2012)

Budgetprepp-n your name says it all! This is what true prepping is about, thinking outside the box to conquer problems without breaking the bank or buying something new! I tip my hat


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## Montana Rancher (Mar 4, 2013)

grinder37 said:


> chinamart has them right now for 97cents each,just picked up a dozen


Haha "chinamart"

You crack me up


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## Rigged for Quiet (Mar 3, 2013)

You can use the same solar yard lights to convert AA battery powered radios to solar powered radios as well. Search on You Tube, there are several examples of how to reuse old solar lawn lights.


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## pastornator (Apr 5, 2013)

Nuklhed said:


> I'll have to remember to grab some from the neighborhood when the SHTF.


Yes...

Here is one project to show what can be done.

DIY Solar Powered radio for $5


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## hayden (Apr 30, 2012)

I use 2 of these yard lights daily. I put one in the bedroom and one in the bathroom off the bedroom. They light my way to the bathroom for my frequent trips to the toilet (beer drinker). I do turn on the over head light to make sure the paperwork is done correctly. Then in the morning I put them back on the sunny windowsill and they are ready for the next evening. I have removed the diffuser globes for more light. They just look like hockey pucks.


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## grinder37 (Mar 1, 2013)

hayden said:


> I use 2 of these yard lights daily. I put one in the bedroom and one in the bathroom off the bedroom. They light my way to the bathroom for my frequent trips to the toilet (beer drinker). I do turn on the over head light to make sure the paperwork is done correctly. Then in the morning I put them back on the sunny windowsill and they are ready for the next evening. I have removed the diffuser globes for more light. They just look like hockey pucks.


 Man,does that whole story sound familiar,lol.


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## paraquack (Mar 1, 2013)

Thanks for a great idea. I have a crank/battery survival radio but wished it had solar back up.


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## rickkyw1720pf (Nov 17, 2012)

I can't see why someone would invest in a bunch of candles when you can get these garden solar lights so cheep. They can charge a AA battery but they arn't to good as a charger as they have such a small solar panel. The ones I bought had a 300 mah AA battery in it which is pretty much useless for most things so I changed them with 2300 mah energizer low discharge batteries. I found about three in a room allows you to move around the home with no problem at night. 

Does anyone have any ideal how long they last outside without changing the battery. I found after one year some stopped working because of corrosion or oxidation on the battery ends that just required cleaning.


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## budgetprepp-n (Apr 7, 2013)

rickkyw1720pf said:


> I can't see why someone would invest in a bunch of candles when you can get these garden solar lights so cheep. They can charge a AA battery but they arn't to good as a charger as they have such a small solar panel. The ones I bought had a 300 mah AA battery in it which is pretty much useless for most things so I changed them with 2300 mah energizer low discharge batteries. I found about three in a room allows you to move around the home with no problem at night.
> 
> Does anyone have any ideal how long they last outside without changing the battery. I found after one year some stopped working because of corrosion or oxidation on the battery ends that just required cleaning.


I checked and they are supposed to go for 1,000 cycles --- about 3 years 
The one walmart has for 97 cents will burn for over 14 hours on a good charge but I think they have a smaller battery of some kind
I bought a case and been playing with them
I too have found a few old ones that just needed the battery ends cleaned to work


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