solarcentre Madison Solar Lights User Manual
- June 4, 2024
- solarcentre
Table of Contents
MADISON
SOLAR LIGHTS
Madison Solar Lights
Thank you for choosing SolarCentre’s Madison Solar Lights. Please read these
instructions carefully before using your lights.
How They Work:
During the day, the solar panel absorbs sunlight which charges the pre-
installed rechargeable battery which then powers the lights at night. At dusk,
the lights will turn on automatically and turn off automatically after 8 hours.
The lights will not operate if the solar panel is in daylight or in a lit
room. The lights will not light up if they are switched off, but they will
still charge.
Installing Your Solar Panel:
When positioning your solar panel avoid locations where sunlight is obstructed
by trees, foliage, buildings, fences, or the shadows these create. A sunny
South-facing location is always best. Please note you have 4.5 meters of cable
between each light and the solar panel so please keep this in mind when
selecting your panel location.
Screw mounting your solar panel:
Offer the mount up to your installation location and mark the three holes on
the mount base before using the supplied screws to fix the mount in place. You
can now attach the solar panel to the mount.
Stake mounting your solar panel:
Please do not attempt to drive the stake into the ground with the solar
panel or solar panel mount attached as this may damage the solar panel, stake,
or mount. Check the round is not too hard and push the stake into the
ground. If the ground is too hard, pour water on the desired area to soften it
and make a hole using a strong metal object before driving your stake into
that hole. Once the stake is in place, gently slide the solar panel onto the
top of the stake. Any damage caused to the stake, mount, or solar panel as a
result of attempting to drive them into the hard ground is not covered by your
warranty.
Please note that a poorly positioned panel will drastically reduce the
performance of the lights.
Installing Your Lights:
Please always ensure that there is some slack on the cable that leads from the
Madison solar panel to your lights. Stressing this cable can damage either the
lights or the solar panel and will invalidate your warranty.
While your lights are designed to work year-round outside, they are not
designed to sit in water for extended periods. Please ensure that your
light(s) are not positioned where they will be resting in standing water.
Water damage caused by allowing your light(s) to sit in water will invalidate
your warranty.
Operating Instructions:
Please remember that your lights will not work while the solar panel is in daylight or indoors under artificial light. If you want to test the lights while it is still light, place the solar panel face down on a flat surface.
Please locate the push button on the underside of the solar panel.
Three power settings let you select your perfect balance between brightness
and run-time to guarantee year-round performance. Dimmer lights mean less
power is being used which, in turn, means longer run times. We advise using
full brightness mode in summer, the first power-saving mode in spring and
autumn, and the second power-saving mode in winter.
1st Press: The lights will come on after dark in full brightness mode.
2nd Press: The lights will come on at dusk in the first Powersaving mode
where brightness is reduced by 25%, but the lights will work for longer.
3rd Press: The lights will come on at dusk in the second Powersaving mode
where brightness is reduced by 50%, but the lights will work for even longer.
3rd Press: The lights will turn off and will not turn on automatically,
but they will still charge.
Troubleshooting:
My lights are on but it isn’t dark
Your Madison solar lights have a twilight sensor in the solar panel that tells
them when it is dark enough to turn on. If your lights are coming on during
the day the solar panel may think it is dark when it isn’t. This can happen in
unusually dark weather conditions, but usually, it is a sign that the solar
panel is positioned in a heavily shaded location. Please rethink your solar
panel location or remove objects obstructing light from reaching the solar
panel.
My lights worked for the first few nights and then stopped working
Usually, Madison solar lights come partially charged so they will work for a
few nights without receiving a fresh charge from the sun. If the lights stop
working after a few nights then it is likely that they have not received a
fresh charge during the first few days. You will need to improve your solar
panel location before turning the lights off and leaving them off for a minimum
of 3 days (ensuring at least one sunny day has passed) to allow the batteries
to recharge.
I can not get my lights to turn on and they never have
- Please start by checking that your lights are switched on by pressing the switch on the underside of the solar panel several times. Remember that madison solar lights will only come on after dark, so please ensure the solar panel is completely covered if you are testing the light(s) outside during the day or inside in a lit room.
- If it is dark and your lights are not coming on there might be a nearby light interfering with the twilight sensor. This could be nearby streetlights or lights coming from inside or outside your property or a neighboring property. To check this cover the solar panel completely. If the lights come on, remove the cover and adjust the angle of the solar panel to avoid the light that is causing the interference.
- Usually, your Madison comes partially charged, but this isn’t always the case. Please switch the lights off at the switch on the underside of the solar panel and leave them off for a minimum of 3 days (ensuring at least one sunny day has passed) to allow the batteries to recharge.
- Sometimes lights can get damaged by accident during installation. Check the light(s) and all cabling just in case there has been some accidental damage.
For customer support please contact your retailer or email [email protected].