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Replacing solar light photosensors

15 years ago

The single point of failure in Garden type solar lights where they use a dawn to dusk sensor is that the sensor gets cooked in the sun and soon fails. Most of us throw away those solar lights if they are out of warranty. These photo cells can be replaced.

I am on a quest to locate replacement photosensor/resistor and repair otherwise useless solar lights that will end up in a landfill. These lights can be reused.

Please contact me with any ideas of sources to

deaanderud@comcast.net

Comments (3)

brickeyee
15 years ago
Try DigiKey for photocells.
You are usually looking for the cadmium sulfide type.
motor137
Original Author
15 years ago
Thanks,

I also found these at Radio Shack, P/N 276-1657. Photoresistor, cadmium sulfide as you mentioned. Hope this all helps those DIYrs.
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sunnybp
14 years ago
In my experience, most low price solar garden lights do not have photosensor resistor, they use spec. as output voltage of solar PV panel to control the ON/OFF light. We also can try to replace the built-in rechargeable battery to let them working. For detail suggestion,please send mail to sunnybp@126.com

Here is a link that might be useful: sunnybp

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