Help with small solar panel setup. Volts but no amps.

[MrPluto409]

Hello! My friend and I are trying to set up a small solar panel to power a small light bulb, but unfortunately our solar panel is outputting zero amps and about 4V. Is there something we are doing wrong our do we just need some new wiring? Pictures are down below.

Solar Panel: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00IOUOWD4/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

[Kabelsalat]

Cannot see out of your pictures whether the meter is in AC or DC mode. Make sure that it indeed measure DC current.
If not - do a second check and measure current through a known current loop - example a battery and a resistor, just to make sure that the meter is capable to measure DC current correctly.

 

[MrPluto409]

We already did check the meter and it is capable of measuring DC current, also the multimeter was on DC current. Our current problem right now is that when we hook up the lightbulb to the solar panel there is no light being produced. Also the lightbulb is working as we tested it with a battery.

 

[73's de Edd]

Sir MrPluto409 . . . . .

Also the light bulb is working as we tested it with a battery.

But you just made the cardinal sin of NOT giving enough analytical information with the preceding statement.

• WHAT was being the battery voltage supplied
• WHAT was the DC milliamperes of current, being read on the metering being inserted in that battery----lamp series power loop.
• What is the lamp number or its voltage / current specs . . . . . . as I know of very-very few lower voltage INCANDESCENT lamps that operate on as low as 100 ma.

In the earlier pics I never could see the incandescent lamp nor where it was inserted into that wiring maze.
Don't expect much out of that . . . . somewhat marginal for the task . . . .solar cell with no SOLAR
(but instead . . . . with your scant indoor lighting being provided.)
Your metering shows only 2.51VDC being metered.
That solar units max spec is for being outdoors, facing directly into BRIGHT mid day, skin burning, sunlight.

73's de Edd

 

[Audioguru]

The solar panel is cheap and is Chinese then its "70mA" is a lie. It has a plastic window that gets sunburned which blocks light. A good solar panel has a glass window.
If the solar panel was Western-made then it would produce 70mA at 3.0V in summer sunlight at noon, when it is pointing directly at the sun.

An old fashioned lightbulb makes mostly heat instead of much light. Use an LED with a current-limiting resistor instead.

Why do you want to light a light bulb in sunshine?? Most people light a light bulb when it is dark.

 

[Bluejets]

Looks like the photo shows a "torch beam" as a source of energy.
Not much to work with there and panel looks rather tiny.
I'm curious about the daytime application also.