I’ve got my hands on some of those little yard stakes with an LED and a PV cell on top. What I would like to do is salvage those little PV cells, get some brighter LEDs, and make a nice lamp to hang over a picnic table.
I’d want it to automatically turn on at dark and off at dawn.
Does anyone know where I could get a circuit for this?
Thanks
Testy
they likely already have a photoswitch to turn on in the dark.
make a holder to support them above the table and use as is (maybe cut off the stake).
the insides can be hard to take apart and reassemble leaving you with a difficult fabrication task. things may all be on a single circuit board with batteries welded, hard to undo and reconfigure perhaps.
Does this help any?
I just skimmed through it a bit. I loathe that website, so I didn’t stay longer than necessary. 
johnpost
You’re right, they already have a photocell on the PCB and stripping these things apart is almost more effort than it’s worth. I’m unsure how much of the components I can reuse as I plan on putting a much brighter LED or an array of smaller ones.
Thanks
Testy
Lazlo
It’s a start. Like you, I dislike that website. I found the schematic so that’s probably all I really need.
Thanks
Testy
How are you planning to provide the power needed for the brighter LED’s? I would think the current solar panel is matched to the LED they already provide. Increase the LED power usage and you will run out of power before the night is over. If you plan to link the solar panels together you still are not going to get extra power to run anything brighter then the array of bulbs that they powered individually already.
If you really want to do the above you would need a much larger solar panel, in which case you could get it already premade with the brighter LED’s.
Hi Kanicbird
For the power, I plan to use several (4 or 5) of the small PV cells from the garden lights and store the power provided in NiMH D cells. Can I re-purpose these things or do I just need to go get some new PV cells and design from there?
Thanks
Testy
From using high brightness LED flashlights I can tell you high brightness LEDs use much, much more power than low brightness LEDs and can get quite hot. Don’t assume a low power LED circuit can handle the demands of high brightness LEDs. They are really two different animals powerwise.
What it appears like you want to do is take the 4 PV cells, get rid of the 4 low powered LED’s in them and replace it with 1 high powered LED. Also take away the 4 sets of Nimh or NiCd AA batteries and replace them with larger sized D type batteries.
It also seems to me that you will not get a increase of light output or of battery life, but are making a great deal of work for yourself in the process. Yes you will have one bright LED, but no brighter then the current array of low powered LED’s combined.
But to answer your question yes you can repurpose the PV cells.