Wiring Solar Panel Lights

[Termy]

Hi - new to the forum, and hoping I can get a quick answer. . . unfortunately my electrical theory stopped a long time ago.

I've recently just bought 4 solar powered decking lights, single units with 2 x AA batteries that get charged up. Overall they are great - but obviously leaving them on all the time means they charge up enough for about 10 mins light at dusk (in current weather).

They have on/off switches on the back of each one, which is great apart from the switch is on the bottom and the lights will be screwed into decking.

What I'd like to do is have a single switch to switch all lights on/off and mount that in a more suitable place.

I've thought of a 4 pole switch (but not been able to find a suitable waterproof one) and just running the cables from each light to this (bypassing the local switch).

But is there a better way using a single pole switch? I'm really unsure how the power would work if I just wired each light to a single pole switch (one pole switching 4 lights on) in regards to the batteries are local to each light. There are plently of decent waterproof single pole switches ie daisy chaining from one light to the next - taking wire from one left side of switch to the next light left side etc. Or two sides of switch on each light to single switch.

Any suggestions/advice?

Apologies if I've not been clear.

Matt

 

[malcolmsanford]

Wouldn't these lights be completely self contained ? If they are what wires would you be runing back to a switch?

If you going to by pass the existing local switch then I assume these are the cables your talking about. I also take it your not worried about voiding your warrenty on these lamps by doing this alteration.

IMO by what you wrote I would extend the cables with perhaps some 0.5mm or bell wire, terminate 4 cables into the common of a single gang switch and then the the other 4 into L1.

I hope that is clear

 

[Termy]

Wouldn't these lights be completely self contained ? If they are what wires would you be runing back to a switch?

If you going to by pass the existing local switch then I assume these are the cables your talking about. I also take it your not worried about voiding your warrenty on these lamps by doing this alteration.

IMO by what you wrote I would extend the cables with perhaps some 0.5mm or bell wire, terminate 4 cables into the common of a single gang switch and then the the other 4 into L1.

I hope that is clear

Hi - and thanks for the quick answer. The lights are fully accessible (screwed access to allow batteries to be replaced in the future), as for voiding warranty - I've thought about this and not worried. Now a really dumb question. . I'm assuming that wiring in this way will still only allow the batteries from each light to power its own light? This was my biggest concern ie that I'd put the equiv of 8 batteries into lights which would obviously just blow them.

Matt