Solar lights

[Adirondaks]

I just finished planting a flagpole and am looking for solar powered spot lights that would turn on at night to illuminate the flag. This was my first back hoe project. Seat time 4 minutes. Shovel time would have been 1 hour. Any one have any sources of lights like I need?

 

[bellweather]

I would be very surprised if you find solar powered flood lights with enough output to illuminate your flag through the night. I'll check back in to see if anyone else out there knows of any.

 

[Hambone]

I don't know of any either.
I have a solar powered rock with a lighted American flag and there are times it won't go through the night.
I bet it would be expensive.
I would use that backhoe to trench a line to the house!

 

[lamarbur]

Also, remember, you have to have two seperate lights from two different angles when lighting "Old Gory" at night.

 

[Kelvin]

I agree with the others and would recommend avoiding solar lights for lighting a United States flag (assuming that is the flag you intend to mount).

I have solar lights along the walkway to my house. The lighting will usually last until around 3 or 4 am, IF there was a SUNNY SUMMER day prior to nightfall.

During a cloudy day the lights don't charge as much. Also, during the winter months the hours of daylight are much shorter, resulting in less battery charge. In either case, my lights don't hardly last until midnight.

Kelvin

 

[herbenus]

Home depot had a solar powered outdoor light. I thought about it but it was $80 and that was a bit much at the time. It looked a little like a mercury vapor type. But it wasn't a spotlight and I don't know if it could be angled up. I would do an internet search on"solar spotlights". I did and found a handful. And a handful is probably what you'll need. One won't be strong enough.

 

[Adirondaks]

I guess more seat time is the best, time to dig a trench for 2 spotlights.

 

[Soundguy]

There are some viable options for lights.. but I would guess you would want a 12v high difusion type bulb.. they would also have to be mounted up on the pole fairly close to the flag to be effective and last thru the night. Just a quick check of ball park prices puts a 12v solar cell at 5w output at about 80 bucks. Figure in a storage battery, photocel for control, etc, and the lights themselves, plus a container/shelter for the battery, etc.

On the plus side... free power for the lights.. though, may never pay back the initial investment.

If you do run power.. save power.. don't light from the ground.. get smaller more efficient lights like I mentioned, and light from a crosspole under the flag.
Space it so that the flag can hang full length without contacting the lights, etc.

Soundguy

 

[herbenus]

I like the idea of mounting on pole. But what about when flying half staff?

 

[Soundguy]

Typically you are flying at half mast for an observance of some (tragic) event, for others to observ / see. I can't say that I ever remember seeing a flag at half mast at night.. though I don't see why you couldn't.

Perhaps make the crosspole low enough to clear the flag at half mast.. still would be a savings on lights than to light it from the ground.

Soundguy