Solar Powered Window Lamp

Intro: Solar Powered Window Lamp

I have a window in my house without electricity where I wanted a window lamp.
I've been searching for a solar powered lamp but I couldn't find anyone that suited for the right price so I descided to build my own.

Here is what you need:
Solar powered garden lamps x 3
Nipper
Electric tape
Soldering tool (optional)
Lampshade
50 cm of chord, can be taken from an old lamp or something else that you aren't using. Try to find a thinner chord if you want to put the solar panels on the outside.

STEP 1: Open Up the Lamp

I had three solar powered garden lights that I wasn't using. These are really cheap and can be bought in most supermarkets.

After you've removed the top section, gently open it up with a nipper.
Now you can see all the different components.

STEP 2: Separate the Components

Use your nipper to cut of the wire to the solar panel and to cut out the other components. Mark the cables that you just cut out with some electric tape. Otherwise you may confuse them with the wires to the battery after you cut them loose.

STEP 3: Ready to Be Be Assambled

Here are all the pieces after they have been cut out.
Now, all we have to do is to join them together and attach them to your new lamp.

STEP 4: Join the Components

Combine the wires. Red to red and black to black and attach them to a cable.
Make sure you dont mix the wires to the battery and the solar panel.
Let the cable to the solar panel be a little bit longer to have a longer distance between the lamp and the panels. This gives you some more freedom when you are ready to install it by the window.
It's best if you solder the wires together, but you can also twist them together if you dont have a soldering tool.

STEP 5: A Lamp Is Starting to Form

Move the chords through the lamp base and attache it to the solar panels.
Make sure you dont attach panels before moving them through the lamp base like I did!

Use the original lamp base from the garden lamp and the lamp shade works perfectly well for the lamp to stand on.

STEP 6: Attach the Batteries

Connect the batteries and fit the in to lamp base.

STEP 7: The Lamp Is Almost Done

The lamp shade is designed to fit around a round lamp. Make a ball of some toilet paper or similar and attach it with electric tape.

STEP 8: The Lamp Is Ready and Panels Installed

I glued the panels on a rectangular stick. It made it much easier to place them where I wanted with a couple of screws.

Good luck!

Comments

[Chikpea]

That's relly cool, but if you have sun light coming in your window, than why do you need a lamp there?

[molarin]

That's what the batteries are for.
The lamp is only on when it's dark outside.

[Chikpea]

I feel foolish... I'm a bit slow, sometimes. Cool Instructable!

[hablaster]

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lithium-ion_battery

[hablaster]

Nice instruct, but please read safety notes in this wiky about lithium-ion batterys.

[knife141]

Nice job. Solar lamps are also great when you have a power outage. I have 5 solar lamps I made a few years ago that sit on my patio. At night they provide sufficient light on the patio, and once during a four hour nighttime power outage, we brought them inside to keep from having to grope around in the dark. Nice instructable.