USB rechargeable PIR light teardown with schematic

Рет қаралды 65,622

Жыл бұрын

I thought it would be worth taking a look at some more recent versions of these. I've had some older ones on test for a while, and they do provide surprisingly useful light on demand in the event of power outages.
For a while I had an issue with a failing appliance heater that would randomly trip the main RCD for the whole house (TT system) and these gave very reassuring light when the place was suddenly plunged into darkness.
The lithium cell in the small unit has now been tested, and is a miserable 150mAh. The lithium cell from the device I showed does fit, but only barely, and with no room for an adhesive pad to stick it in. Other similar vapour devices may have slimmer lithium cells in them that are easier to fit in.
As always, take extreme care when fitting lithium cells, due to their high energy release capabilities. If adding more cells in parallel, make sure their voltages are very close first to minimise current flow as they balance.
The electrical tests at 4.2V (fully charged lithium cell) showed that the small unit uses between 7-70mA depending on the intensity setting, and will stay lit for twenty seconds after the last movement is detected.
The standby quiescent current is a very good 22uA.
I like this style of light a lot. They don't need recharged too often - especially when you boost the capacity a bit, and are perfect little lights for power outages or just late night prowling around the house.
Keywords to find this type of light on eBay are:-
USB rechargeable PIR light
Typical cost should be around £$€5 for the small one.
www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from...
Supporting the channel with a dollar or two on Patreon helps keep it independent of KZfaq's quirks, avoids intrusive mid-video adverts, gives early access, bonus footage and regular quiet Patreon live streams.
/ bigclive
#ElectronicsCreators

Пікірлер: 412

@steveoddlers9696 Жыл бұрын

It's amazing how a little PIR light like this in a dark staircase can improve your life.

@Toca_waffle843 Жыл бұрын

...or even save it! The best use of one I came up with was to site it underneath the side of the bed that I got out of. As soon as my feet hit the floor It would illuminate sufficient space to avoid any trips or toe stubbings for middle of the night toilet appointments without blinding me or disturbing anyone else who was in bed at the time.

@misamsung6191 Жыл бұрын

I put them in some closets in my house. She who must be obeyed asked why was I doing that. Yet, when the batteries ran out she was quick to tell me that the batteries in the light needed changing. You are correct Steve, it is amazing how a little PIR light can improve a situation.

@MrShwaggins Жыл бұрын

As my light bulbs burn out, I'm considering replacing one bulb per room with one of those bulbs that have the 18650 or similar cell inside them that kicks on when the power is lost. I don't see it as a bad thing. Heck even one of those gravity lights wouldn't be a bad investment. The smallest amount of light is better than zero light.

@joop2295 Жыл бұрын

@@Toca_waffle843 I use them on 3 sides of my bed, they are permanently connected to a USB charger, so they never run out of power.

@Toca_waffle843 Жыл бұрын

@@joop2295 crikey, it sounds like your bed can get busy at times.

@Bren0780K Жыл бұрын

I've always appreciated for not only your use of printed photos, but the fact that you also trim the paper to size :)

@G1ZQCArtwork Жыл бұрын

Aspergers to a Tee. Most of us Geniuses are on the spectrum.

@bigclivedotcom Жыл бұрын

With a PCB guillotine.

@amorphuc Жыл бұрын

@@bigclivedotcom Multipurpose! 😀

@elitearbor Жыл бұрын

@@bigclivedotcom PCB guillotine? That checks out. "Photos, and Circuit Boards."

@Palmit_ Жыл бұрын

it's those little details. great youtuber. greater person.

@apparentlyretrograde Жыл бұрын

Canadian measuring tapes and rulers also feature both common units. Just makes sense. Use what you like or what your industry standards demand, but it's not hard to decode when somebody else is using unit that you don't intrinsically understand or aren't working in.

@--_DJ_-- Жыл бұрын

I am Canadian, I go out of my way to make sure I only buy tapes with imperial on them. Easy to find though, I have next to no use for metric on a tape.

@apparentlyretrograde Жыл бұрын

(self edited to remove my nasty reply, despite my feelings it was right to do)

@heyitsdrew Жыл бұрын

America has the same kind with both types. the thing about metric is its easier to use in some cases. like me who never really needed to use metric until getting a 3d printer. I had to go out and get rulers in MM. if I were using imperial for 3d printing I'm sure I would get lost, especially when dealing with Tenths of a millimeter. I have no idea what that would be in inches. it's just easier to compute when u want to be precise.

@kuhrd Жыл бұрын

Even though I live in the US, I go out of my way to have a few high-quality tape measures around that have both since I use them interchangeably as needed.

@RK-kn1ud Жыл бұрын

Most metric-using countries tend to use SAE more that America uses Metric...when it comes to units of Length specifically. Probably a waste of resources to print both scales in America, but an excellent use of resources elsewhere.

@SeanBZA Жыл бұрын

That WTF capacitor position is for a resistor, as they likely had a cost cut version that removes the 1c regulator and runs the little micro and PIR off the filtered battery voltage. Both will work, just PIR sensitivity will change with battery voltage.

@MakeItWithCalvin Жыл бұрын

This could be a really interesting off-grid "hack" project adding in a larger battery, and potentially a 5V solar cell to power it up in an off-grid situation.

@BedsitBob Жыл бұрын

Also good for extended power cuts. Plug it into a car jump starter pack, and it'd run for ages.

@caletorino Жыл бұрын

In South Africa these have become quite important recently due to the power going off frequently. I prefer them to the lead acid alternatives however the quality of solder and choice of mystery chip are concerning and lack of resistors can sometimes make knock offs get super hot even though they are running at a very low voltage.

@PghFlip Жыл бұрын

Hooray? For load shedding?

@SuperPhunThyme9 Жыл бұрын

That's really tragic 😥 I've seen videos in downtown Joburg from the 1960's that I actually mistook for Manhattan....but its nothing like that today. I'm sorry for what people have done to your country.

@travisash8180 Жыл бұрын

@@SuperPhunThyme9 They did it to themselves. I've never met a nice South African.

@bren106 Жыл бұрын

@BreatheScotland I once worked with a pretend S African, originally from Battersea he spent 20 years over there, adopted the accent and he was a total shit.

@gordonlawrence1448 Жыл бұрын

A power bank and a 5V 3W LED light restricted to 2W (makes it way more efficient).

@TheVernatics Жыл бұрын

Thanks for these videos. My kids love watching you explain everything. You do such a great job explaining.

@Chrono294 Жыл бұрын

Thanks for making this channel, I’m new to electronics and I find your tear downs fascinating, it’s become my favourite hobby !

@RIXRADvidz Жыл бұрын

I always come away from these light teardowns a little bit brighter.

@plunder1956 Жыл бұрын

We have been using similar units to provide sensor based illumination inside cupboards and wardrobes for at least a year now. Some of the early (and more expensive) units ware of very nice quality. At least one of them was never set up and is now a mobile light ready for any power cuts.

@jonscot8393 Жыл бұрын

bought 4 of these last month but with fewer, brighter LEDs, last about 1 month between charges, impressed so far but this vid is just what I needed.

@dribblegoo6808 Жыл бұрын

I use one of the small ones in the drawer in my bedside cabinet. It obviously lights the draw when opened, but also provides just enough light to navigate the bedroom for the nocturnal trips to the bathroom without disturbing the missus.

@markyboy7618 Жыл бұрын

I've had two of these for about a month Had no idea you could dim them and save battery time. Brilliant. Thanks a bunch! And yes they are very good value.

@amorphuc Жыл бұрын

Thanks Big Clive. I was thinking what a bummer it was that they could go unstable but then also being an indication that a charge was needed is convenient. With greater capacity that might be a benefit in less frequent charges though getting the cells down to 3.v would be cool. I've seen similar lights really plugged recently on Ali.

@amorphuc Жыл бұрын

@@Senshikaji Yea. Shipping from China so I'll be able to "Play along at home" in a few weeks? LOL

@keithking1985 Жыл бұрын

Just as I'm make a few of these right now. Great timing Clive 👍🇮🇪💚🙏🏼

@marcberm Жыл бұрын

Thumbnail text had me thinking of something different, like standby lighting. I recently installed a bunch of new outlet and switch cover guide lights (US/North America, original real-deal brand, not the knockoffs). It seems like a no brainer that they should add a product line/range with lithium pouch cells that can keep them working uninterrupted in the event of a power outage.

@AmbiAnts589 Жыл бұрын

I love these things. Since I discovered them I have filled my house with them. They're in the drawers, in the cupboards, in the attic, in the garage and even in the fridge!

@brucepickess8097 Жыл бұрын

Cool lights for the fridge great. However you might find their capacity reduce somewhat due to operating at low temperature.

@AmbiAnts589 Жыл бұрын

@@brucepickess8097 I've been well impressed with the ones I have, even the one in the fridge I only have to charge maybe once a month.

@84parsons Жыл бұрын

Brilliant thanks Clive. Handy to know about the dimming feature. I have a similar one and it works on that.

@RK-kn1ud Жыл бұрын

I wish we would see more LiFePO4 in stuff like this.

@nikolayordanov9760 Жыл бұрын

Aren't iron phosphate batteries lower capacity higher peak amperage? Why would that benefit this situation?

@RK-kn1ud Жыл бұрын

@@nikolayordanov9760 LiFePO4 maintains its capacity for decades longer than normal Lipo batteries. It also survives charge cycles better, and hovers around it's nominal voltage for a greater period of time. I'm not sure about peak amperage...I always assumed that standard lipos were better. However, I do know that I can charge a LiFeP04 battery faster than a Lipo.

@teslatrooper Жыл бұрын

I haven't been able to find LiFePO4 in small pouch cells, only round cells. Though with these there might be room to fit your own 14500 (AA size) cells in there.

@RK-kn1ud Жыл бұрын

@@nikolayordanov9760 I see Clive had actually done a video somewhat explaining LiFePO4. YT just recommended it to me. kzfaq.info/get/bejne/a5meZdOomrOdnWg.html

@casemodder89 Жыл бұрын

the LiFe last wayyy to long for the average crap that needs to die frequently to be bought again. so they use lipo cells that can handle 500 full cycles instead of 2000/3000+ full cycles. the economy needs to sell stuff. so the stuff cant last for ages ! but some solar light actually use LiFePo4 cells in AAA or even AA formfactor. And yes... they last a loooong time. many crap out on the electronics being moist/corroded. but nailvarnish clear helps with that ! less landfill produced. 💪👌

@tech-rich Жыл бұрын

Bought two of these a few days ago, seem to be working well so far. I have just checked the ebay listing and they have already gone up by £1.10 each due to the bigclive surge effect!

@gabrielv.4358 Жыл бұрын

So interesting. The tech that exists and I didn't even knew existed, pretty neat lamp.

@MattJBaugh Жыл бұрын

Got a few of the older style ones that I found from your videos years ago, nice that they've been developed into bigger lights! The ones I've got are small but great for throwing a bit of light in the dark spots in my hallways and cupboards, saves having mains lights on!

@1o1s1s1i1e Жыл бұрын

Thank you Clive! I have been saving batteries from those "devices" I find tossed out so they will come in handy.

@jawjuk Жыл бұрын

"It's how we roll; we just interchangeably use which comes the closest." This is the BEST summary of our mixed-up measurements.

@shyguy4570 Жыл бұрын

God need a video from you my brother tried taking his life last week and you're videos help to take my mind off life for abit 🥺 but I hope you are well 😊❤️

@bigclivedotcom Жыл бұрын

It's horribly common. I hope he gets through the situation which pushed him to edge. I've been on the brink myself when I was younger.

@trueriver1950 Жыл бұрын

@@bigclivedotcom thank you for being willing to share that

@shyguy4570 Жыл бұрын

@@bigclivedotcom thank you Clive I just needed to get it out and iv been on your stream and feel a lot better after so thank you 🙂 I no I don't no you but some time it I feel with you it's like talking to an old friend so thanks for listening hope you're safe and well 🙂👍

@KevinDC5 Жыл бұрын

got this one a while back,from homedepot here in the states. Had usbC and quite a strange circuit architecture but the light pins were too small to hack for me watching further in the vid, this one is completly different than mine.

@meetv7700 Жыл бұрын

One of the cleanest design.

@tonysheerness2427 Жыл бұрын

Nice little light units. For power outage I bought maintained or non maintained bulkhead lights that are connected to the mains and come on if there is an outage. On ebay they were selling for £6.50.

@bren106 Жыл бұрын

First time ever I've already bought something Clive features. Bought a few months back when the doom merchants in summer were talking possible winter power cuts. Printing thin over door hooks things and sticking the magnets to them I can move them around the house as needed.

@BensWorkshop Жыл бұрын

Many thanks for that Clive.

@todkapuz Жыл бұрын

I picked up a bunch of the smaller ones you showed..... years? ago? i can't remember... same general concept PIR light with metal-magnet attachment... I love them... for me they typically last a week or two, but the cat is constantly turning them on and off all night... nice to see these have some fading capability... that is one thing I haven't yet bothered fixing in the ones i have... would like a capacitor across the leds just to soften the on-off (in a very dark room it can be starling when the cat sets one off) and change the resisitor. But yeah.. now you have me wanting the larger one.

@sublimationman Жыл бұрын

I have one of those lights that is 16" long with 3 rows of LED's, it's above my door and I ran a cable out the window and hooked to a small 5v solar panel. It lights up my room when I come in from outside. The small solar panel keeps it charged enough to work for around 6 months then I take it down an manually charge it. I comes on also when I move around the room at night so it does get a lot of use. First one I had lasted around 5 years, I am 1 year into the second one now.

@s1ugh34d Жыл бұрын

A family member has these all over the stairs and home to allow visibility for their partner who has dementia. They use the AAA style because with rechargeable AAA's you can have light immediately vs waiting for the charge to build back up. I've been working on a mains version with a pico pi and a UPS to save them some time. Thanks for the schematic breakdown

@trueriver1950 Жыл бұрын

Perhaps the best of both worlds would be to use two sets of rechargeable AAA cells. OK they aren't quite as nice as Li but you can keep the spare set on continuous trickle charge and swap them over as soon as the in service set runs out. (Clive has explained on other videos why this works for NiMH but not for Li cells -- he even has a circuit to build your own trickle charger)

@bigclivedotcom Жыл бұрын

We assisted my mum (who had Alzheimers) with decorative lights that were on 24/7. I made a video called A proper Alzheimer's video. They may find it useful. It covers the things we wished we had known at the time.

@fenstermakerwj Жыл бұрын

I like using these over the ol porcelain throne for the night visits. I just hate that these usually come with such a small cell for their size. Wish I could find one that uses like 18650s or something like that I could change out quick... Or ya know at least a larger battery that will last like 6 months or longer.

@Zools_tube Жыл бұрын

These are great to stick under the car's parcel shelf, illuminates the car boot really well. Most cars have a useless boot light hidden to one side. Remove the Light Dependent Resistor so it works in all light conditions :)

@Slava_VS 6 ай бұрын

A year ago I bought similar lamps (11cm version), the markings on the board are exactly the same. I tested two copies, the batteries showed a capacity per discharge of about 70 mAh, discharged to 2.9 volts (it is at this voltage that the circuit goes into protection), peeled the batteries off the board, the capacity was written as 130 mAh, although at the time of purchase it was promised 300 mAh (Aliexpress:). The charge current is really is 300mA, this is a lot for such a small battery, it degrades quickly, after a while I added a battery from a second lamp and lowered the charge current to 100mA. In standby mode I measured 18uA, which is very close to your measurements. The lamps are good, I liked the design of the housing and the circuits are not bad at all. It’s a pity there’s not enough space for the battery; I haven’t been able to find a suitable one yet.

@craignehring Жыл бұрын

I have a few of these but not exactly like these. I like them for places that are always darkish Nice review Master Clive

@locouk Жыл бұрын

I had to order me a big one! I think this is going to be very useful on these dark nights and extortionate energy bills.

@MajorHavoc214 Жыл бұрын

I have a similar light in a hockey puck style from my local Walmart. What I like about it is that it is rechargeable and also takes three AAA batteries.

@gmcintyre Жыл бұрын

finally, a use for all these disposable e-cig batteries i've been picking up off the street

@markmurphy3578 Жыл бұрын

I have just bought a set of 3 of these for under my stairs. They arrived yesterday. I was a little surprised to see them here today. But it looks like I’ve made a reasonable purchase, quantity wise at least. I like the idea of upping the power capacity, but if that means that I only need to charge them once a year, I might end up losing those poxy little leads! 😂

@Cammi_Rosalie Жыл бұрын

I may look into these. About a year ago, I bought six PIR lights for power outages. Mine are round or a "Puck" shape with 5 LEDs each. Just a manual "Auto/Off/On" switch on the side. There were two versions "Cool White" (which I'm not fond of) and "Warm white" light. I ordered the Warm white ones. I get them charged up and while they do function fine. Same kind of rd LED indicator as well. However my gripe about them is that the supposedly "Warm" white LEDS are more of a "Tepid" white. More cool than warm actually, but not entirely that harsh blueish-gray fluorescent type of light. One remains on my back porch at all times so I don't have to leave the light on when leaving the house in the wee hours of the morning, nor do I have to leave it on when I expect to come home long after dark. Although I probably should bring that one in since it's starting to get below freezing at night. From what I understand, Lithium batteries and cold temperatures are not good pals. The other 5 are kept inside in their designated places throughout the house, but turned off until there is a power outage. I think mine were like 5 USD for three of them and I ordered two sets. Handy little buggers though! For a while I was keeping one on Auto in the bathroom to avoid having to blast the retinas out the back of my skull when nature calls at night. (Inevitably always an hour or so AFTER I get to sleep, or an hour before my alarm.) But the metal plate keeps falling off the ceiling and the magnet itself keeps falling off the light. All of them. Now they are all either sitting on a ledge or hung using a small nail in the keyhole slot on the back.

@Cammi_Rosalie Жыл бұрын

By the way, Clive, you have another scammer impersonating you with a "whats app" link. And thanks for the ❤.

@wherami Жыл бұрын

those are quite impressive.

@madmatt677ify Жыл бұрын

Had couple of these recently, work really well, it just stops working when battery is flat, had a look at circuitry accidentally when end popped off with charging cable. Went to buy more but seller was away, other listings were way more money so opted for some round ones, main difference is sliding mode/off switch and dreaded flashing when battery is flat. They do last long time charging not big issue.

@FamilyManMoving 11 ай бұрын

These lights do tend to flicker on/off when the charge is low. My wife bought a wall mount one for our bedroom and the darn thing would just go on/off all the time when it was low enough charge. This explains why. Thanks.

@Leroys_Stuff Жыл бұрын

Those tapes are even in the USA as well thank you for an interesting device that isn’t complete crap device

@DigitalIP Жыл бұрын

I would just keep a small USB power bank connected to them for quick recharging when necessary, which is what i do with ones ive made/modified.

@NiyaKouya Жыл бұрын

Last year Aldi sold similar lights around here in different versions. We got a large one with PIR and a set of 3 small ones with IR proximity sensors (that are meant to go inside a cabinet/drawer). All of them have a 3-position slide switch for off/on/sensor, the large one has a 1.5Ah cell and the small ones 330mAh. We use all of them by completely ignoring/not using the sensor and just turning them on on demand xD And at least the small ones wouldn't be very practical in sensor mode anyway since I found out by accident that they drain their cell in 2-3 weeks that way. The large one was originally meant to be used as a night light but was way too bright for that, so now it's in our bathroom as an on-demand light source when you don't want to turn on the ultra-bright ceiling light. One of the small ones is mounted in a cupboard that's in a rather dark corner, and the other 2 small ones are tacked to metallic objects in my room (they all have integrated magnets and come with sticky metal plates) and serve as handy "flash lights" ^^

@mattg5229 Жыл бұрын

Clive we must be getting the same reccomendations from Aliexpress, I just bought a dozen of these and replaced the batteries with some repurposed batteries I found in some old vapor producing devices!

@daveseddon5227 Жыл бұрын

Re measuring tape - I have a Stanley FATMAX tape which is metric only and on the back of the case it directs you to add "2 3/4 inches" with no mention of mm or cm! These lights are very handy and I have various types around the house. They will come into their own when I have completed my solar power charging station and energy costs continue to rise in the UK (+ the rest of the world).

@richardbriansmith8562 Жыл бұрын

Awesome Video big clive

@RCoog Жыл бұрын

Use these in the back of my van. Great jobs. Flick on the moment the doors open.

@TheSpotify95 Жыл бұрын

Thanks for this, very informative, these seem like a good idea. Though of course it is better still to replace the small batteries with much larger ones, as 150mAh (on the smaller one) won't do very well at all.

@ThisWontEndWell Жыл бұрын

These will run in a pass-through capacity from a power bank they are really handy for camping in a tent.

@ajacks1349 Жыл бұрын

Got many LED lights based upon your interesting strip downs/reviews, so no excuse for when the lights go out. I did recently purchase a large but cheap steel bin with lid off ebay though to store most of these rechargeable devices in, given the added risk....just in case...🤣

@enoz.j3506 Жыл бұрын

Clive,hook up a variable psu ,remove one conection on bat,and see if the unit becomes unstable at very low volatages,the pic mcu might have a shutdown or a blink,to protect bat from undervoltage.

@dustinhipskind7665 Жыл бұрын

Many measuring tapes in the US also have both imperial and metric.

@neilfarr5727 Жыл бұрын

These lights are great. I got two for under the bedside cabinets so that when getting up in the middle of the night, you get a little bit of sensor triggered light without waking your partner.

@SynKronos Жыл бұрын

To elaborate a little Clive. I was going through consumption with the Mrs last night. The kettle- cold water temp, time, how often, phone chargers, the kids PS4, the 48" TV its attached to, their laptop, phone etc all either running or on standby. And then we are only scratching the surface. Oh and given we are quarterly, it all adds up.

@bigclivedotcom Жыл бұрын

Heating devices are the biggest uses of power.

@SynKronos Жыл бұрын

@@bigclivedotcom yes obviously. We personally don't have any form of induction heating so we are fine. But it's all adding up and folks need be aware.

@grahamparsons3406 2 ай бұрын

After having these same ones for several months, I added a few similar ones to a TEMU order. Dirt cheap and only one row of LEDs, but they were just an impulse buy. They worked perfectly for a few charges, then the mechanical switch changed operation from "OFF-AUTO-ON" to "SCINTILLATE/FLASH BRIGHTLY AT TIMES-ON-ON". The only test gear I have these days is a simple multimeter, but I shall have a look inside and try to find the fault that has appeared.

@bigclivedotcom 2 ай бұрын

The switches are very prone to failure. Try removing the switch and bridging the chosen feature.

@Frankhe78 Жыл бұрын

1:16 We love those undocumented features.

@ruudvansteenis Жыл бұрын

Some time ago I bought a battery powered PIR light. I assumed that the power consumption when the leds were off would be minimal, but after three days the two AA batteries were already empty! So I did a 'hack', removed the batteries and powered the PIR light with a small 3 volts switched mode wall wart. Power consumption is negligible and now I have a perfect light in the dark in my staircase.

@justme5384 Жыл бұрын

We also here in Finland have measuring tapes with both, mostly on cheap Chinese ones. Ones bought from home improvement stores etc only have metric

@Swedish_Engineer Жыл бұрын

Same in Sweden.

@travisash8180 Жыл бұрын

@@Swedish_Engineer Winston Churchill said, that Sweden "ignored the greater moral issues of the (2nd World) war and played both sides for profit".

@blevin591 Жыл бұрын

I (in the US) work on a device made in multiple countries. I like to joke that the US parts are in SAE, the Switzerland parts are in Metric, and the Crawley parts are whatever came to hand first.

@andreas9238 Жыл бұрын

the wtf cap may well be an ption for a resistor the PIR consumes very little power, so a moderately dimensioned resistor like 470Ω together with a slightly larger cap across the "3.3V" rail might have seemed like an option during design time

@rayoflight62 Жыл бұрын

I have the version with four AAA primary cell. I bought it from TKmaxx last year, and paid it £9.90. The lamp still works fine, and the batteries lasts for about three months...

@sparkyprojects Жыл бұрын

Saw these on another channel i follow, he called them wardrobe lights, he's using them in a camper van inside the storage shelves and cupboards.

@mfx1 Жыл бұрын

I have an inductively charged light from Lidl it sits in a plug in charger and acts as a PIR activated light at night (it has a light sensor) useful for night trips to the toilet without turning on the main lights, a power fail light and a hand held torch, wish I'd bought more than one.

@pleasecho2 Жыл бұрын

For (sheltered) outdoor use use a solar panel for input power

@vaughanellis7866 Жыл бұрын

I have a similar PIR light that runs on 4 AAA batteries (currently powerowl 1000 mAh), that only needs charged 1 or 2 a year, there is no on/off switch, just a sliding battery end cover.

@G1ZQCArtwork Жыл бұрын

I have similar lights, using Eight AAA batteries in series parallel arrangement 6V It works OK with AAA rechargeables, which I have to recharge once every 3 to 4 months. I have another that uses 6 AAA Series parallel, making it a 4.5V. So I intend to power it externally using an 18650, with a charger board attached. They are great for walking into a room, as they give off enough light for you to find the switch for the room light. I suppose Clive's lights could be powered externally too, using 18650 cells or other reclaimed fatter pouches.

@vhfgamer Жыл бұрын

American measuring tapes also have imperial and metric on them... and it's also how we roll too.

@uwezimmermann5427 Жыл бұрын

German and Swedish measuring tapes also tend to have both metric and body-part-based imperial units on them - because we sometimes just have to use the weird stuff...

@casemodder89 Жыл бұрын

yes. because nobody in the whole earth could compare the wiener to a foot. like how would you get your foot that high in your crotch ? 😂

@FamilyManMoving 11 ай бұрын

The old engineering joke must be repeated here: "The world is best broken into two groups: nations that have walked on the Moon, and nations that use metric." For the humor paralyzed: it's a joke. If you feel upset by anything I ever type online, please go for a nice walk outdoors. :)

@MrBobWareham Жыл бұрын

Very nice video I would think that the seller will sell plenty.

@adriansdigitalbasement Жыл бұрын

I was hoping these could be left charging all the time, and then they would only turn on or go into PIR mode when the USB power was removed. (As in when there was a power cut)

@bigclivedotcom Жыл бұрын

People like us can do that.

@youtubeviewer7077 Ай бұрын

My guess would be that the WTF capacitor is a position for a protection diode common with such linear regulators. For example see page 13 of TI's LM1117 or LM340 datasheets.

@WhiteDieselShed Жыл бұрын

As the video was ending I thought about the lamp flashing on and off would be a sign to charge it, then you mentioned it in the final few words. Damn your good... :) Answering my question even before I type it. :) Wonder if anyone knows of a single cell long battery that would fit in there? Prefer not to go muliple cells just in case one backfeeds to the other. Its one of those things that may get ignored until its too late.

@phil0083 Жыл бұрын

I've never heard it called a "douche flute" before. I almost died once I realized what you were saying!

@uxwbill Жыл бұрын

One of the last things in the world I need are more cheap LED lights from eBay. Oh, never mind. My mind had other ideas and one of those was "running lights on a bed frame". I'm thinking the PIR part can perhaps be bypassed for simple on/off operation, as I would prefer.

@TheSynrgy1987 Жыл бұрын

Now these with USB type C would be nice, could even custom 3dprint a new enclosure to take larger or different shaped lithium cells like 18650s.

@DavidGallowayTrains Жыл бұрын

This video has brought back to mind a question I've had, but have been unable to find an answer to... Can you hack an LED direct replacement bulb for a fluorescent light fixture to run on a 18V DC tool battery pack? The kind of bulb I'm referring to is "Philips InstantFit Model # 544510 LED tubes easily replace fluorescent T8 tubes operated on instant-start electronic ballasts, no rewiring needed." Maybe a possible future video? I really enjoy your video's, thank you for all the effort you put into them!

@bigclivedotcom Жыл бұрын

It's more common to use a matched LED array voltage. But you could theoretically use a voltage booster with current limiting. Or just an inverter. But that would lose efficiency.

@dancoulson6579 Жыл бұрын

This is pretty cool. We currently use a PIR LED light in the porch, which takes 3xAA cells. But I think one of these with a solar cell charger to trickle charge it through the day would be even better. Then again, knowing me, I'll probably install a seperate PIR sensor and a little 15w appliance bulb.

@DigitalIP Жыл бұрын

You could always add a TP4056 to it and make it USB/18650/rechargeable powered instead of using AA's.

@1kreature Жыл бұрын

The weir WTF cap is probably not a cap position but a resistor position for a 0-ohm to skip the regulator alltogether.

@AJMorin369 Жыл бұрын

Just fyi the us tape measures have both imperial and metric on them as well

@AMDRADEONRUBY Жыл бұрын

Just in time for a real Power outages here you rock Clive love ya I love flashlight etc

@sapereaude391 Жыл бұрын

I have quite a few of a very similar light (they have warm and cool LEDs) some of which I used as porch lights (sheltered) but all of those malfunctioned after a while. They would just come on without any motion to trigger them and as soon as they timed out, they would come on again. If I replaced a malfunctioning one with a working one, it would be fine for a week or so then do the same and the problem seems to be permanent. I started using a different smaller type and that one has not had the problem. A bit of a disappointment because when they worked properly, they were great. Now I can only use them as power cut backup lights in manual mode - which given the leaflet I got through the letterbox today seems may be very likely.

@bigclivedotcom Жыл бұрын

I wonder if there was something electrically noisy in the vicinity or some thermal disturbance. The batteries may also have been affected by low temperatures.

@sapereaude391 Жыл бұрын

@@bigclivedotcom I don't think that there is anything electrically noisy - I live in a rural area and there isn't even a power outlet within about 10ft but even that has nothing plugged in. I don't think that it is the battery because the light still comes on all the time. I wondered if the PIR was damaged by the cold and/or damp but it was under cover so the damp would only be from the air. Anyway, I decided not to break any more as I have them on the stairs because there is a dark spot where my cat likes to sleep and it stops me from standing on him. The other model I'm using in the porch and pretty damp shed seems to work fine.

@horrovac Жыл бұрын

I found a bunch of similar type of own-brand lights in the local hardware store's bargain bin, at 1€ each, and got all of them. The difference is that they use a single LED and 3 AA batteries for power. I'm running them on Eneloop/Ikea Ladda NiMH cells, which IMHO is more convenient than having a light you have to (slow) charge, since you can simply get on the ladder with 3 charged cells and replace them on-the-spot¹. Also, for stuff that is installed at random places in my home, I prefer NiMH, because less can go wrong, and there is no need for low-volume, low-weight high energy density cell like LiIon. The cells draw such low current that you only have to put fresh ones in every couple of months. ---------- 1) you could of course buy one extra of these rechargeable ones and keep it charged and ready to replace any light that starts dwindling

@gordonlawrence1448 Жыл бұрын

If you connect the input to the output of a regulator some 78 series regulators turn into oscillators. First time I saw that it was more than a little confusing.

@gilbertsprojects2954 Жыл бұрын

Clive do you keep the photos/circuit diagrams in a folder or do you just discard them after making each video? No reason for asking other than I’m being nosey and just wondered… 👍🏼

@bigclivedotcom Жыл бұрын

I store the notebooks and keep the images on file.

@joop2295 Жыл бұрын

In NL we already have dual “language” (cm’s and inches) measuring tapes and folding rulers since the 1950’s, if not earlier. Also, the Dutch word for “folding ruler” is “duimstok”, which literally means “inch stick” …

@casemodder89 Жыл бұрын

greets over to our neighbour holland ! 😀

@joop2295 Жыл бұрын

@@Okurka. yes, but the dutch word for inch is "duim", which is also "thumb",

@joop2295 Жыл бұрын

@@Okurka. "Duim" has two meanings: firstly it means "thumb". Secondly it is an obsolete Dutch unit of length roughly equivalent to two and a half centimeters, with slight regional variations. (According to the Farlex Financial Dictionary. © 2012 Farlex, Inc.).

@joop2295 Жыл бұрын

@@Okurka. No, I don't agree, because an inch is roughly 2.5 cm, to be exact: 25.4 mm, as on the dutch "duimstok", opposing the cms.

@batterynerd8779 Жыл бұрын

You should always have a few of these light in a steel box or something. In case of a solar storm or emp, you’ll have light

@brucepickess8097 Жыл бұрын

Chances are that if you suffer a emp your lights'll be out anyway.😏

@casemodder89 Жыл бұрын

in an EMP event these unshielded devices would be dead first 😂

@noneyabusinessyoushouldbes7924 Жыл бұрын

@@casemodder89 That's why they said to store them in a steel box, i.e. a Faraday cage.

@RottnRobbie Жыл бұрын

Just by the by - it's a few weeks later, and when I clicked on the search link the pricing I found was a bit under $3.60 Canadian (~ €2.50 ) for the small one.

@richardwasserman Жыл бұрын

I'm in the U.S. and accidentally ordered a PIR light from Canadian eBay. The purchase price was the same in Canadian dollars as it was on U.S. eBay in U.S. dollars . The exchange rate was then applied and the price dropped to reflect the exchange rate. I saved at least a dollar. might work for more expensive items also.

@ianmorris8534 Жыл бұрын

"Douche flute", haha, thanks Clive, definately going to be using that :)

@leet6937 Жыл бұрын

How about modding it to include solar cell/s to charge during the day, and to let it glow dimly until someone comes near and triggers the PIR to start full brightness? Perhaps you could do another video on how to do this Clive?

@kasnitch Жыл бұрын

Appreciate you Clive 😊 🇨🇦 . Our measuring tapes over here have both Imperial and Metric as well .

@mrphotomanseattle Жыл бұрын

I have some of these. They were great for 3 months then the batteries conked out.

@FedeInventor 4 ай бұрын

i've ordered a dozen of them on aliexpress. each light has a different battery size/brand (i've bought them all the same)... that's really weird! and also, some components touch the external aluminum shield! congrats to the engineer😂😅