The surface mount solar light build.

eBay for cheap solar panels.

Big Clive

I know the original solar lamp video has whiskers on it; however I just built one of those. This is primarily due to my lack of SMD components. That being the case, I have mine built and it seems to be great so far. The solar cell I'm using is from a green power bank featured you featured but did not favor on the channel a couple/few years ago. The battery I'm using is from a solar-recharged LED lamp that you featured on the channel a while back that features the self-protection circuitry within. It says "Samsung" on it, but we know better, don't we? For a laugh I cut out the flamey-part of a "flammable liquids" warning sticker and stuck it over the battery label in the spirit of the channel. Cheers!

Michael Thompson

Loved this project. Learned a lot just on the circuit walk through.

Where's the best place to obtain the solar panels or are these just ones you have obtained in Poundland products?!

Another great build! Thx BC

The 10K resistor is effectively across the solar panel and using a lower value would definitely bring the lights on earlier.

Big Clive

Clive I may be totally wrong here and please tell me if I am but the 10k resistor could that not be replaced for a variable resistor thus making the activation adjustable for different light levels?

I still carry a gas soldering iron in my tool bag.

Big Clive

That does appear to be it. I notice they do a cheaper kit without the random solder.

Big Clive

The gas soldering irons do have their place. Especially larger solder connections where you can boost the temperature up a bit.

Big Clive

Thank you, Big Clive. That is exactly what I was looking for.

Bill Kerr

I ran gas irons back when I built specialized vehicles for law enforcement years ago. They were simply the most practical for field work and may times regular assembly, as long as you were mindful.I think I still have at least three in my tool box to this day, though they don't get used a lot these days.

Michael Thompson

Soldering Iron Wireless Charging Soldering Mini Portable Battery USB Tools L1L7 looks like the right listing on eBay, for $15US.

They're made by many manufacturers. Molex call it the KK range and JYK call it the 2500 range. I did find an eBay listing that shows the same connector, but doesn't seem to have the correct name/number system. So I'm not sure what you'd get. https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/193179831217

Big Clive

I did smile at the Gas Iron, we had a few of them at work, some of them quite large. forgetting it is on and the certificate did remind me of a story my father told me about stick rod welding in a cotton weaving shed, his minder buggered off for a coffee and left him welding, he said he was concentrating quite hard and thought that was making him feel warm. But it was the cotton lint that was burning and it set fire to the weaving loom .... The fire department were on duty all night because the fire tracked down the lift shaft. Lint burns faster than you can run At the blacksmith shop most of our soldering irons were a lump of copper that you heated in a flame until the flame went green, we did some electrical work with them but mostly it was for sheet metal, back then some of the sheet was lead coated.. I also used to do a bit of plastic welding with a hot air device and a metal finger like a soldering iron to melt the filler rod, the plastic containers were for either food or acid. I do like watching all your various methods of working it does bring back many memories. I leave my odd stories here in the hope it makes someone smile. John

John Harrison

Hi Clive. As I have seen the connectors many times in your videos, I can't find the exact ones on Ebay. You referred to those as Molex connecotrs, but I finds different one in that search. Can you give me the specific name of those, please? It looks like JST connectors, but can't find these you use in your videos. I have already bought a crimping tool for all those connectors (with different replaceable claws). Thanks!

Hub Rijcks

Super neat that soldering iron adapter! My pen style ecigs have USB pass through, I wonder if pulling the battery out completely would work 🤔

Great project. Love these videos. Truly original and creative content.

Bas

I've used the amplifying technique in the past for stage props. A flickering LED will pass low current when unlit and higher current when lit, and this can be used to modulate the base of a transistor to switch a higher load.

Big Clive

Something to put in a pumpkin. I’ve seen a circuit where a flickering LED (I did not know existed) was used to drive a transistor to upscale to 1W. I have a lantern that flickers.

Rav

Do you mean the classic flickering LED or the Luminara style candles with moving flame reflector.

Big Clive

Could you please cover flickering flame 🔥 candle effects with LEDs. I remember you have a video on a matrix of LEDs producing a flame effect but how about a simple single LED.

Rav

Ooo I wanna make one!

Michael Thompson

Great project and great video. I’d be interested in seeing another video with more on MOSFETs if you make one, as I’ve always been a bit unclear on how bipolar transistors and MOSFETs differ in practical use (eg, which to use when and why). Ewen

Ewen McNeill

What a nice way for me to end my day :) Goodnight from Donegal

John Carr

Watching you fiddle with the SM components reminded me of many hours sat during my apprenticeship building multiple surface mount boards by hand because someone had redesigned them surface mount but we didn’t make enough to justify having them produced! Evenings of eye strain!