Solar path lights

[lingpau]

I'm not sure if this is the right forum for this question, but its my best guess! I am looking to replace my outdoor solar LED path lights with something better. The solar lights I am using have seen their better days. They share a common solar panel and the wires and connections are starting to go bad. I am looking for several of the newer solar lights that each have their own solar panel. They must be covered so the light only shines down. Light pollution is a problem for me when I use my telescope. Does anyone know of decent quality solar lights that will work for me? (There are lots of cheap and poorly made plastic junk lights on the market. Most of them put out .1 watt and are luckey to last one year!)

 

[SFG2Lman]

i'm not up to date on all the solar lighting out there, but I would think that a large battery (car battery) and one large solar panel and a few drivers and then a home-made design would be the best, that would leave the fewest points of failure that way. It also leaves it open for some artistic interpretation. You can make them completely disguised into the natural surrounding (fake rocks, branches of trees) or maybe you can buy some old cast iron naval ship lanterns and retrofit them, or the old barn lanterns, theres a lot you can do on your own and make it much higher quality and better looking than wally world brands and the el-cheapo batts and solar panels they use.

 

[Dave_H]

I'm pretty impressed with the Malibu "Solar Select" garden
spot, model LZ6001. It can be aimed downward for minimal
spill. Shell is cast metal (painted), four white LEDs, 3AA,
fairly large tiltable solar panel. It has a bright/dim switch
for power saving. Mine is outside this winter, still OK as
long as snow is cleared off.

I'm regretting not getting more than one, when it was
being cleared from a local discount store for $10 each,
but this model might be discontinued.

Dave