You may have asked yourself: “Can I charge my solar watch without sunlight?” or “Can I charge it with a flashlight?”.
While it’s possible to recharge your solar watch without the sun, room light is not as strong as sunlight, so it can take longer to recharge.
Here is a related article that might interest you on Are Solar Watches Reliable?
Here are some simple ways to recharge your solar watch. Hopefully one of these methods works for you. If not, you’ll need a flashlight, which will charge your watch fast.
How To Charge A Solar Watch Without Sunlight?
A solar watch requires sunlight to charge, but it can also be charged internally with light from an incandescent or fluorescent lamp.
Solar panels only convert about 10% to 25% of the light they are exposed to into energy. Therefore, you should avoid placing your solar watch in direct sunlight to charge it, as this will damage it.
LED bulbs, on the other hand, convert twenty to thirty percent of their light into power, which is enough to power a solar watch.
In addition, a solar watch’s pointer bar will indicate whether the battery is charged or not. If it is not, it’s time to charge it. To charge your solar watch, you need to place it near a natural light source. It will be most effective if it is placed near direct sunlight.
Window sills are perfect locations for solar charging. However, if you cannot find a window with direct sunlight, place your solar watch in an area that receives plenty of sunlight.
You can store your solar watch when it’s not in use. However, you should not store it near a heat source or moisture. In addition, do not expose the solar watch to bright lights for long periods of time, as it may fade the display.
By using solar energy, you can ensure a solar watch’s battery life. But don’t forget that the watch’s battery lasts for about six months on average.
Can You Charge Solar Powered Watch With Flashlight?
While it’s true that solar powered watches can be charged using light, this method is not recommended for all kinds of watches. LED lights put out a lot of heat and can damage the watch’s polarizing film.
To avoid any damage, keep the watch at least 20 inches away from the light source. LED bulbs produce only 20 to 30% of the power that’s needed for a solar watch to run.
If you’re not able to get sunlight for a couple of days, you can charge your solar-powered watch with a flashlight. You can use a fluorescent light.
It gives about 500 lux per square meter, which is plenty for charging your watch. Higher lux levels also produce more heat. However, keep in mind that the light is only one factor in the battery life of a solar powered watch.
If your solar-powered watch has a pointer bar on its side to show the battery level, the light source needs to be in direct sunlight. The pointer bar should be facing the sun, and you need to be near a window if you want it to charge.
Another option is to use a hand crank charger. This is more convenient, but may take more time than sunlight. If you have a flashlight nearby, try it on a window sill.
Do Solar Powered Watches Need Sunlight?
Solar-powered watches require sunlight to recharge. But when the sun doesn’t shine on your wrist, it can still charge. If you keep the watch near a window, it should be able to absorb 10 to 25 percent of the sun’s light, which is ideal for solar charging.
But if you don’t live in a sunny location, you can use LED lights to recharge the watch when there’s no direct sunlight.
You can also use artificial light to recharge your solar watch. The amount of charge you get from artificial light depends on how bright the light is and how close it is to your watch.
Using smaller LED bulbs will cause the watch to use less electricity, but the charging time will be longer. Generally, it takes about 150 hours to fully charge a solar watch. It’s best to keep the watch at least 20 inches from a light source.
The most common solar-powered watch is the Luminoso. It uses the same solar technology as a traditional watch, but it’s much smaller and easier to hide.
The light-sensitive solar cell absorbs light from any source, including sunlight, and turns it into electricity to recharge the watch’s lithium battery.
Solar-powered watches are often referred to as solar quartz watches because they use a quartz crystal to keep time. And these quartz crystals have a beat rate of one tick per second, meaning they’re accurate.
How To Charge Solar Watch Fast?
Using the sun for charging your solar watch is the best way to keep it powered, but sometimes you won’t have access to natural sunlight.
Luckily, there are other, more mild ways to recharge your watch. Here are some tips to remember when the sun isn’t available. Make sure to wear a sleeve when outside to keep it warm, and use the sun as your light source when charging your watch.
The first thing to do is to locate your solar watch. Most have a pointer bar at the bottom that shows the battery level. Put your watch in the sun, so that the bottom pointer bar can be seen.
If you can’t get it near a window, roll up the sleeve of your shirt to expose it to the sunlight. You should see a light green area on the dial.
If you can’t find sunlight, you can use an artificial light source. You can also use a fluorescent lamp to provide about 500 lux in a square meter box.
The higher the lux, the faster the watch will charge. But note that higher lux sources can produce more heat than low lux ones. And if you don’t have a window, don’t worry! There are ways to charge your solar watch without sunlight.
What Kind Of Light Will Charge A Solar Watch?
Luminous Flux or LUX is a measurement of the total visible light present in an area. Solar watches need appropriate amounts of Lux in order to charge properly.
Too little light will cause them to take longer to charge, while too much light can melt the battery of an expensive watch. However, it’s important to keep your solar watch at least 20 inches away from the light source.
Although solar watches require direct sunlight to charge, some devices will charge more quickly with artificial lights. If the sun is not available, try placing your solar watch near a window that receives indirect sunlight.
The light energy from the window will be converted into electrical energy by the solar panel on your watch. You may need to experiment with different windows to find the most effective one for your particular solar watch. In any case, sunlight is the best light source for charging your solar watch.
Using LED lights is another way to charge a solar watch without sunlight. LED light will charge your solar watch, but it will not be as effective as sunlight, nor will it do it as fast as LEDs.
If you use LED lights for charging, make sure that you test your watch’s indicator first to make sure it will charge. If you’re using an LED light, try to use a small bulb. The smaller one will be more secure and convenient for your solar watch.
How Long Will A Solar Watch Last?
If your solar watch does not receive enough sunlight to recharge, it may be impossible to charge it fully. In such cases, you can use artificial light sources to power it up. The solar cells may not receive enough light to recharge, but you can still use it for some functions.
Then again, it could be more expensive to use an artificial solar charger than to buy a new solar watch. So, if you don’t live near a lot of sunshine, you might consider a solar watch with a battery.
If you are wondering how long a solar watch can run without sunlight, there are a few common reasons why it would not work. The most common cause is battery depletion.
When the battery runs down completely, the watch will not function. To recharge your watch, you should refer to its user manual. Then, follow the directions provided by the manufacturer. There are also general guidelines to follow when charging your watch.
Despite being a maintenance-free gadget, you need to store your solar watch in an area with reasonable lighting. Otherwise, the battery might run out faster than you expect.
Fortunately, solar watches don’t require direct sunlight to work. They can also use light from artificial sources to power up. So, you don’t need to worry about storing your solar watch in the dark. Just make sure it is kept somewhere that is well-lit.
Conclusion
Solar watches are rechargeable devices that are powered by the sun. Usually, they need 20 to 30 hours of direct sunlight to fully recharge. However, a solar watch can be charged in other places that receive enough sunlight.
For example, you can place it beside a window or anywhere else that receives enough sunlight. The solar cells convert ten to twenty percent of the energy that is absorbed into electricity. Therefore, solar energy is a far more sustainable source of energy than fossil fuels that emit vast amounts of greenhouse gases.
The best way to charge a solar watch is to place it in direct sunlight. It’s important to place the solar panel on the watch facing a window to receive a significant amount of sunlight.
The watch will convert the light into electrical energy. However, if sunlight is not readily available, you may need to charge your solar watch more frequently. In this case, you can also use hand-crank chargers.
For more details on this subject, please check out this post that I published recently How To Tell If A Watch Is Solar-Powered?
