Vocal Voices

by **saundra** » 19 Dec 2017, 09:34

I had solar lights in a tree in other house but don't have any here because I draw the curtains and never see them :lol:

by **JoM** » 19 Dec 2017, 09:42

TheOstrich wrote:
JoM wrote:We've got a 6ft fake tree in each of the living rooms, and we 'borrowed' a small fir tree from on the old quarry which is now potted and outside the front door with a string of lights on.

When we moved in here, we inherited a 2ft 6 fir inna pot at the front of the house. We manhandled it round the back, but during the summer it really suffered (lack of water) and started to wilt. So we planted it right in the corner of the back garden, out of the way, and it's started to thrive again.

Back in October, we were offered a 4 ft fir by the guy who mows our lawns. He said another client of his had planted it in his own garden 6 months earlier, then decided he didn't like it and now wanted it out! So we said yes, and it dury arrived in the back of his van, and successfully filled a gap in the back hedge. We've strung solar-powered outdoor lights on it for Christmas .....

Are the solar powered fairy lights good?
The ones on our little tree are electric so the cable's fed through the front window.
We've had a tree from the quarry each year for a few years now. They never seem to survive past the Spring but at least they serve a purpose while alive - every now and again a company come along and thin the self setting trees out on the quarry and pull up the small fir trees (and leave them in several piles), just leaving the silver birches to grow.

by **Kaz** » 19 Dec 2017, 09:49

Ours run on AA batteries Jo and run for a couple of weeks. No trailing wires

by **JoM** » 19 Dec 2017, 10:05

They sound just the job!

by **TheOstrich** » 19 Dec 2017, 13:38

Ours have got rechargeable batteries in, as well as being solar powered. Cost £12, IIRC.

The problem with solar is that you have to make sure the solar panel -which has a spike so you can place it firmly in the ground - faces more or less due south, so it catches the maximum sun this time of the year. You just leave the lights on, they only come on when it's dark, and last around 6 hours or so. Because our tree is at the rear of a south-facing garden, we can't really spike the solar panel bit in the lawn because it would be in the shade of the tree / hedge. So I've had to anchor it on top of the back fence, so it gets uninterrupted sunshine. So far, it seems to be working very well!

by **Workingman** » 19 Dec 2017, 15:30

And as the midday Sun is only about 14º above the horizon at this time of year your panel should only tilt about 10º off vertical and be pointed due south to get the most direct sunlight from mid morning to mid afternoon.

Too much tilt and the rays only give a glancing blow.

by **Kaz** » 19 Dec 2017, 16:16

They're great Jo! We got them from a local shop that isn't there any more, it was a big warehouse-type place on our nearby retail park. It was called What! and is now a branch of The Range. Don't have the original box any more either so am not sure what make they are

by **JoM** » 19 Dec 2017, 16:30

I remember seeing some on Amazon a year or two ago and wondered if they'd be any good, not just for the tree out front but for in the back garden too. I spend a lot of time in the kitchen and often think it'd be nice to make out there look more Christmassy but it'd mean having wires spread across the patio and it's doubtful they'd be long enough or plugging them in in the garage but then that'd mean having to keep going out to that to switch them on and off. That sounds lazy actually but the light switch isn't by the side door into the garage so I always end up tripping over something in the dark :lol: