Repairing A Cheap PV Panel

[Onoff]

I bought, on a whim, a cheap, pir solar light from Lidl. Comes on in the morning lighting up the patio when I go to work. Tbh it's been excellent. Has a separate LED panel and lamp unit with a rechargeable battery in. Connected by a long lead.

 

 

As I round the corner of the house there's a dark step so when they came up some months later, I bought a second, identical unit. It didn't work from day one. Yes I could have taken it back.

 

Finally got around to taking things apart. Where the white wire attaches to the panel was badly joined and not making contact, only joined by a blob of clear silicone. I cleaned out the crud with a screwdriver tip and contact cleaner.

 

 

The intact, still connected red wire appears to be soldered. The corroded side, well there's nothing to solder to. 

 

 

If you hold it up to the light you can see where the coating and I'm guessing copper pad has come off:

 

 

If I hold the white wire down over that damaged area I get a full 5V output. I've tried soldering the wire back on, tried flux, but there is just nothing to stick to.

 

I'm thinking a conductive adhesive to push the wire into or a ball of copper braid, soldered to then clamped down with some adhesive.

 

Any thoughts other than binning it? 😂

[Pocster]

Bin it 

[Nickfromwales]

10 minutes ago, pocster said:

Bin it 

Words of wisdom.

[Pocster]

Just now, Nickfromwales said:

Words of wisdom.

Yeah that’s right . Most of my words have wisdom in them .

[joe90]

7 hours ago, Onoff said:

If I hold the white wire down over that damaged area I get a full 5V output.

Then try araldite or similar (then bin it, but like you I don’t like to be beaten 😎)

[Pocster]

F ing about with this when there’s ufh to sort 

[TonyT]

Repairs are to be applauded.

helps stop landfill.

[dpmiller]

heated rear window repair paint.