'Mood' lighting a garden with 5050SMD Led strips and solar.

[TijuanaKez]

Hey guys!

I've got a little project that I hope someone might help with.
I have an 80W panel and 90ah deep cell battery I've been using to charge laptops etc so I can write music in weird places. It works awesomely!
But now I have moved house and there's a great little spot I'd like to setup a little jam area that's way away from power sources.
The 80w panel hasn't been getting much use so i thought I might give it a new job.
Also, bear with me here, I know there are other ways to do things. (like just buy a 100m extension lead . But it's also a just because the idea of free energy from the sun is cool and well, because I can. (I hope).

So, plan is to have a heap of fairy lights or other colourful stuff running for a few hours off my battery that will recharge each day. Going off the little garden path LED lights that run from a single AAA, I figure my 90Ah 660CCA battery should be able to power a few low wattage fun lights.

I also have 5 strips of 5050SMD lights with the IR remote bought off ebay for something else and was thinking I might be able to use some as they are 12V.

So when I let the battery charge to full, then connect the LED strips, they last for about 25 mins, then they start to flash on/off. I can see the regulator 'rebooting' over and over which seems to be the cause of the flashing. But that doesn't mean much to me. The battery still reads 12.3V or more.

So my question is, is this just stupid or do I just need to tweak something.

1. Battery? Not good enough?
2. Regulator? cheap chinese stuff not up to the challenge?
3. Cables? too thin? load over cables making regulator go into protect or something?
4. LEDs? Want too much current for the regulator / battery? Is volts or Amps more important here?

I was running these LEDs from 12V AC adaptors and the little DC cable that comes with it is extremely thin but works fine. Would seem pointless to use heavy gauge wire when the little DC connector that it has to connect to is so thin anyway.

LEDs are rated at 12V and 72W per reel (I have 5 reels but 1 will do). They recommend a 2A adaptor to power them.

Thanks in advance for any info!

[SunEagle]

Hey guys!

I've got a little project that I hope someone might help with.
I have an 80W panel and 90ah deep cell battery I've been using to charge laptops etc so I can write music in weird places. It works awesomely!
But now I have moved house and there's a great little spot I'd like to setup a little jam area that's way away from power sources.
The 80w panel hasn't been getting much use so i thought I might give it a new job.
Also, bear with me here, I know there are other ways to do things. (like just buy a 100m extension lead . But it's also a just because the idea of free energy from the sun is cool and well, because I can. (I hope).

So, plan is to have a heap of fairy lights or other colourful stuff running for a few hours off my battery that will recharge each day. Going off the little garden path LED lights that run from a single AAA, I figure my 90Ah 660CCA battery should be able to power a few low wattage fun lights.

I also have 5 strips of 5050SMD lights with the IR remote bought off ebay for something else and was thinking I might be able to use some as they are 12V.

So when I let the battery charge to full, then connect the LED strips, they last for about 25 mins, then they start to flash on/off. I can see the regulator 'rebooting' over and over which seems to be the cause of the flashing. But that doesn't mean much to me. The battery still reads 12.3V or more.

So my question is, is this just stupid or do I just need to tweak something.

1. Battery? Not good enough?
2. Regulator? cheap chinese stuff not up to the challenge?
3. Cables? too thin? load over cables making regulator go into protect or something?
4. LEDs? Want too much current for the regulator / battery? Is volts or Amps more important here?

I was running these LEDs from 12V AC adaptors and the little DC cable that comes with it is extremely thin but works fine. Would seem pointless to use heavy gauge wire when the little DC connector that it has to connect to is so thin anyway.

LEDs are rated at 12V and 72W per reel (I have 5 reels but 1 will do). They recommend a 2A adaptor to power them.

Thanks in advance for any info!

Even though those LED's are small in wattage each when you add up the 5 reels at 72watt per reel that comes to 360 watts. Running that load on a 12volt system needs about 6 amps per reel (not 2amps) or 30 amps total. That 90Ah battery will not last long with that load. That total load may also be dropping the battery voltage below the amount needed to keep the LED's lit as well as below a voltage set point that the regulator needs to see to stay on.

[TijuanaKez]

Even though those LED's are small in wattage each when you add up the 5 reels at 72watt per reel that comes to 360 watts. Running that load on a 12volt system needs about 6 amps per reel (not 2amps) or 30 amps total. That 90Ah battery will not last long with that load. That total load may also be dropping the battery voltage below the amount needed to keep the LED's lit as well as below a voltage set point that the regulator needs to see to stay on.

Sorry I was a bit unclear, I have 5 of them but I'd be happy with 1 or 2 going. I was actually testing it with just 1 connected.

Good thing is it works now! I got some heavy gauge power cable for the battery and reconnected everything and I've now had 2 of them connected and powered up for 3 days straight! I intend to turn them on only when needed of course but it's good to know.

So I guess the real answer was 3. Cables.
Though I think it might have been a stray wire strand arcing at the terminal blocks on the regulator which was putting it into protect.
I couldn't see any but the holes in the plastic housing were too small to see inside.