Easiest DIY Solar Lights I Could Think Of

I made DIY solar lights for my shed without using any tools!

🔋 PARTS USED IN THIS VIDEO

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👋 CONNECT WITH FOOTPRINT HERO!

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These DIY solar LED lights make it easy to grab things from my shed at night without struggling with a smartphone flashlight.

Overall, this DIY solar lighting setup is straightforward to make and perfect for sheds and small buildings, as well as boats and vehicles. If you need your lights to last longer, all you have to do is pick up a bigger solar panel and a bigger battery.

Some things I didn’t mention in the video:

- Alligator clips are far from the best way to connect wires long term, so if you want to make the connection a bit more permanent — especially in vehicles where everything gets moved around during transit — you can use electrical tape to tape the clips to the terminals
- Lead acid batteries shouldn’t be charged below -4°F (-20°C)
- The estimated solar panel and battery sizes at the end are conservative because I don’t want your lights to die unexpectedly 😜
- The adapter cable I used has a 7.5A fuse, so make sure you get a solar panel that won’t exceed this limit

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Some of the links in this video's description and comments section are affiliate links. If you make a purchase after clicking on one, at no extra cost to you I may earn a commission. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Thank you! 🙏

[madmedix]

Nice video. Sage old advice (from formerly intact solar panel cables): If you have squirrels, you may wish to dab some clover oil on the outer casing of any exposed cable once in a while. Replacing damaged cables gets old fast.

[footprinthero]

PRODUCTS



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Some things I didn’t mention in the video:

- Alligator clips are far from the best way to connect wires long term, so if you want to make the connection a bit more permanent — especially in vehicles where everything gets moved around during transit — you can use electrical tape to tape the clips to the terminals
- Lead acid batteries shouldn’t be charged below -4°F (-20°C)
- The estimated solar panel and battery sizes at the end are conservative because I don’t want your lights to die unexpectedly 😜
- The adapter cable I used has a 7.5A fuse, so make sure you get a solar panel that won’t exceed this limit

[randallkipker]

Swiss multi-tool is a tool as are Tweezers!

[roboticalienman]

Awesome guide, and great way to start getting into solar on the cheap

[LukeWallis]

thanks you may have just saved me in my DT school project

[ericaguirre]

Im high af rn this video was dope af !

[myname]

Thanks for the inf Alex. Things I found very helpful... "Sealed Lead Acid" Battery is needed for freezing temps. I'll probably get the 30W panel, and 25-30 Ah battery. (btw, you used the trusty tweezers as a tool, LOL... could have used your fingernails)

[Estoooopid]

Nice job. Maybe next year for me. Ima continue using my phone light for those rare occasions i need something from shed in the dark.

[ahmadgondal]

Great video! Easy to follow and Thank you for the item links.

[connorhunt]

Hey Alex, just wanted to say maybe you should just use the right tools for the job

[ceciyeltom]

Amazing. Thanks for sharing great details & where to purchase.

[MrDavidBFoster]

Dude... You don't get to say tweezers aren't a tool just because they aren't part of the $10 handyman kit at Walmart! lol

[BlackSuneEmpire]

Vey nice video, but you made a common mistake with your led light strip. You are supposed to face them away from you to stop you from being dazzled and to create a more defused light effect.

Though I'm sure you are happy the way you installed them.

[halohahaha]

Thanks for a nice video. I can see you used a 12v battery and 5v lights. Does the controller somehow convert the voltage or how does it work?

[scottf]

How do you match the panel size (watts), controller (amperage), LED light requirements (amperage), hours/day and battery capacity? In other words, if I used the same LED strips you have, which are 2A, but need them to run 8 hours/day what do I need in the panel, controller and battery capacity? Essentially, what specs do I need to look for? I'd probably go with strip lights that I can wire directly to the controller (vs. USB) or directly to the battery. Thanks.

[juanitagonzalez]

Can you make a video adding a timer so that the lights turn on and off by themselves?

[nicc]

great video, I'm trying to make this project as cheaply as possible any have zero electrical skills this seems perfect. Any idea for solar panels that just need daylight? There is usually no direct sunlight on my property in PNW. Thanks

[bernard]

Hi, can i use 12v led strip? And connect them to dc output on controler?

[zbptqug]

But in the summer time this type of shed temperature can reach more than 50°c. Isn’t it dangerous for the battery

[ne-phil]

Excellent how to! Thanks. I've got the same brand shed as you do but mine is 15' deep. I noticed the lights you used from Amazon are only 6.5' in length. Can I add a couple more together so the lights go from the front to the back of my shed? Thanks again.