Solar powered rocks and lamps: Charged up several sets of batteries. 5 rocks worked straight off and so did 3 spike lamps with a little attention with the contact cleaner spray.
One more spike lamp with some close attention to the battery compartment, these are disintegrating as the plastic has gone brittle. Two won't work at all so I'll need to get the scope onto them to find out what has failed. These are my oldest lamps (10+years) and have two batteries and a big solar cell and quite a bit of circuitry inside. They're considerably brighter than the offerings today and light the surrounding area nicely.
The rocks only have a 4 pin IC, choke and switch. A bit more work and replacing the IC and a failed LED in one and re-soldering the switch in the other got the last two up and running.
I have a supply of high output solar cells, LEDs and the ICs and I've seen a neat idea of using a screw top jar to house a light. Tempted to make some up.
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History is much like an endless waltz: The three beats of war, peace and revolution continue on forever.
However history will change with my coronation - Mariemaia Khushrenada
