I have a Unicorn...
3We moved into our home in 2011. Not being a fan in general of lights in the night; I’ve always favored solar lights for a path. Warm vs. cool, all the better. Any-who, our new home has a path from the back door to the back yard. So I go annually to Wally World and pick up a couple, three path lights, to replace the ones that have crapped out from the previous years. The rock star pictured has been going strong since at least 2016!! None of any of the others have ever made it longer than 2 years. I don’t know what strange alchemy is going on… maybe it’s related to that Edison light bulb that’s been lit for a long-g-g-g time. None of the other path lights have ever made longer than 2 years. That’s all I got.
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@bee1doll If the day ever comes, I would look at the battery in comparison to the others. However, I suspect the others have long been recycled.
@bee1doll I had some of those years ago (2014.). They are super cheap especially on clearance each year.
I would definitely take the dead ones apart. May just be a cold solder joint, especially if they are out in the winter. That’s very easy to fix. Especially since one has run 10 years and they fail that often.
Typically I have found that if it’s not the battery that craps out, lens clouding makes them so inefficient that they don’t light for long in the night after a few years in the sun. But yes, battery replacement is MY first step.
@chienfou id prefer AAA NiMH for applications where it’s the battery. I hate trashing stuff and it illegal too throw electronics out. These are a few dollars end of season clearance. But I’d still try and fix one just cause. I wouldn’t go find a battery pack for one
@unksol
I haven’t had to replace any lately but, by and large, the ones that I have had to work on were powered by NiMh batteries…
@chienfou @unksol I routinely maintain older ones by taking out the batteries (even if they are kind-of working) and recharging them on a quality charger like a LaCrosse. Some can analyze functioning capacity.
Also by cleaning the battery contacts; these often get corroded in outdoor settings. And yes, if the battery proves to be bad, which often happens after a few years; replace it. You can get mid-level ones at low prices but YMMV.
Luckily here I can place the old batteries in a plastic bag for curbside recycling.
ADDED yes, the lens clouding can also be an issue. I haven’t tried to work around that yet.
@chienfou @pmarin I mean… One of those headlight kits might do something but I agree that’s probably taking it too far for a… I remember them being 99 cents on clearance…
Literally just a AAA and LED on a tiny circuit board with the cheapest solar panel and plastic. I haven’t been in the garden department this year/no idea what the in season price has jumped up to. Can’t be more that a few dollars… I would just be annoyed at throwing them out in 6 months for a minor fixable solder joint .
Our solid waste/recycling district has battery boxes at the drop sites so that’s nice. But electronic recycling and cpft are kinda expensive
@pmarin @unksol
I generally take my recyclable electronics to Best Buy. My “local” one (30 miles away) is great about taking a box load from me at a time with no questions asked. Batteries go to Battery Source or Home Depot
@chienfou @pmarin I suspect that’s down to state regulations requiring electronic sellers to deal with the ewaste they sell. Some states just require major electronic stores to take it because it’s what they sell. My state does not do that. Wish it would make it easier.
Regulations are generally good for consumers because companies don’t care. But somehow people don’t get that.
If my state did I would want to know what best buy is doing with them though/that they are going to a responsible recycler… Cause if best buy is just contracting with a shitty cheap recycler who is just throwing them in the trash… Cause best buy is a company…
Kinda got to make it work the whole way down the chain to not end up with crap seeping into ground water or pollution .
Also a lot of this was based around when lead was used in solder. That should not be a thing anymore except… But with foreign manufacturing. I have not seen a recent study but everyone knows lead is bad. Still going to be other issues
@pmarin @unksol
I’ll take my chances with BEST BUY. There are no other local alternatives, so unless I want to sit on the items indefinitely that’s it. And, I think BB is a national policy not something forced out locally.
@chienfou @pmarin I’m not disagreeing with going to bestbuy in general. If you have that option or your local one is more chill
https://www.bestbuy.com/site/services/recycling/pcmcat149900050025.c?id=pcmcat149900050025
“At most Best Buy stores, you can recycle up to three items per household per day. See categories below for state-specific info, and different limitations on TVs, computer monitors and laptops.”
Notice “at most best buys” state specific stuff. When I search for electronic recyclers in my state they don’t even come up. Might give it a try/ask next time I drive into the city. Similar 30 miles/25 minutes. That would be nice. I still would want to know what they do with it.
And if they would just take this box that’s dozens of circuit boards. The size of three coffee makers… Or if they would make me bring them in 3 at a time. Or if they just don’t do it here. I appreciate the suggestion/I never go to best buy anymore but next time I’m in the city I’ll take the box and detour and ask
@pmarin @unksol
I ONLY go to Best Buy to drop off recycling actually. And yes the policy is three items per household per day but I have never had them refuse to take an Amazon size box of small stuff including a coffee maker I dropped off the other day. I’ve also recycled numerous computer towers and so forth there. They’re not very happy with CRTs of course
@chienfou @pmarin yea dropping a 32inch CRT is very different than old motherboards. I still have one hiding in a closet. Well and a “flat” crt monitor that we took to lan parties. Belted into the back seat. There was a whole thing about one of our friends getting the coating of his veiwsonic scratched.
The gouge incident.
I think I’m keeping them for now lol. Its just junk. Well and a server from circuit city. Which giving to best buy is kinda funny