01-14-2016, 03:05 PM
(01-14-2016, 02:26 PM)Viewfromthe42 Wrote: Being dimmer and being susceptible to low-sunlight non-functionality. We can't have a trail that becomes dark at random hours, depending on how overcast the day was.That's what the battery backup is for, which is why I said "solar-charged" rather than solar-powered.
As an example of what's possible I have one of these over my garage door: Solar Power Wireless 20 LED Security Motion Sensor Light with Three Intelligent Modes.
These things have a solar panel plus a photocell to detect night and a motion sensor to detect movement. There's also a Li-Ion battery to store solar power collected during daylight for use at night. This unit is powerful enough to illuminate my driveway. That's with only 20 small LEDs.
Perhaps the motion detector feature isn't appropriate for trail lighting. That would in turn require a larger solar panel and bigger battery to power the light continuously during a winter night. And of course this unit is too flimsy for trail illumination. But it demonstrates what's possible these days with current technology. There must be some "industrial strength" versions of this concept that would work well on public trails.