Year 2021: Cheap road construction strobe lights - new source of e-waste

[Kiriakos GR]

My new gift this is one abandoned road construction light, few meters away of my home.

One constructor from another city, he came to perform a minor network expansion of natural gas pipe, such underground construction this required three days time to be completed and the road this is now half-repaired too.

Even so, the constructor leaved behind his road construction light.
Originally most people in the neighborhood, we thought that it was simply a forgotten behind item, and that the constructor will return back so to get it, three days later no one came to get it even if this was waiting at highly visible place over the sidewalk.
 
I did pickup  (the now orphan) road construction light, so to discover of the why... this were disposed by a such unorthodox way (even if it was a damaged one).
Today I am now aware of the damage, and this is two discharged battery packs of 4R25 C/Zn - 7 Ah

I have never touch before such a 4R25 C/Zn square box battery, this is actually a container of four larger 1.5V cells, its cell  this is a large in length cylinder along with few metal springs which serve as electrical contact bridges.


More e-waste   
Everything starts from the purchase price of those lights and of the purchase price of their batteries in the west world.
This miracle of road construction light, this is priced in China for 3$ USD,  and at the price of  3$ USD you are getting a single battery for it at the west world.

Now imagine that you will actually need two batteries 2 x 3$ USD = 6$ USD / 6 Euro



Coming next PCB and parts close-up pictures 
battery operated strobe waterproof led construction light - analysis.

[Kiriakos GR]

What a surprise !!
Two resistors
Two LED (lights)
Two switches: SW No1 for (On/Off) & SW No2 = Blinking on / and or permanent on.
One IC
One LED this working as Day or Night sensor.

Coming next the hilarious battery construction.


 
   

[Kiriakos GR]

4R25 C/Zn - 7 Ah

Its one cell it is made by a metallic tube so much thin, that active battery chemistry will dissolve it first.

Battery cell = external metallic tube + carton tube + black goop (chemistry) + center electrode + nylon cover at the top of the tube.
Its impossible to pull out the cell in one piece from the plastic case.

Made in China excellence 

[Kiriakos GR]

FINAL TESTS    

a) Simulation of Night
b) Simulation of Day light  ( light sensor active ).



 

[Kiriakos GR]

Thoughts
This is now my toy, and I did made few modifications on it.

This thing come with few mechanical tweaks, so only the owner to be able to setup it operation.
a) Exterior push button holes are tiny, you need some sort of  a tool,  a plastic pin.
b) An black master plastic pin, this does not allow to take it apart, if you do not have a hexagonal key (tool)
c) Mounting metal nuts they are round, with two pin holes over their surface,  an third tool this is required for installation and or removal.
 
And its time for my closure...
Even an humble road construction strobe light, it has interesting technical points, the sum of them it did form a pack of new experiences even for me.
I bet that this is the worst version of them (the cheapest ever build), and because the contractors using it, they skip hiring an electrician in their team, as first sign of product defect, this product gets trashed.
Second reason to be trashed this is empty or dead batteries.

This thing needs 65mA of current at 6 Volts (LED light permanent on), in other words, four of 1.5V rechargeable NiMH it can be another and more ECO friendly power source for them.
Solution? Only one, total product redesign.