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Repairing A Cheap PV Panel

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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.

 

IMG_20220820_090402650.thumb.jpg.6b36e512c1445e1323c8f23e8c2af5f2.jpg

 

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.

 

IMG_20220820_090417822.thumb.jpg.6dd25046d1edc2b38d7917848e6d1068.jpg

 

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

 

IMG_20220820_090839399.thumb.jpg.801eb702f60fae7a7bc052f37a49a7ac.jpg

 

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

 

IMG_20220820_090425271.thumb.jpg.590284c09df72862365806bec87e7f4c.jpg

 

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? 😂

Just now, Nickfromwales said:

Words of wisdom.

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

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 😎)

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