I got these too. These do tend to work most evenings, but still have difficulty getting enough sunlight in this time of year to light up every evening. Also, when they do light, the first 20 or so lights are brighter, but the rest of each strand is much less bright. They’re kinda pretty, but do not expect people to see these from too far away.
Yes, I agree. Got 2 sets. Though one gets at lest 2 hours of direct sun, it does get some light most of the day, the other just gets residual light. They will stay on for about an hour once they come on. Not very satisfied with these at all. I gave them one good charge before I deployed them (all day in the sun) but once they die, that 2hrs or less isn’t enough to keep them on.
Living in FL, I really liked these lights. I agree that closer to the panel is brighter and they tend to dim the farther away they get. My problem is that they’ve stopped working entirely already. 
Hi there. Sorry about the bum lights. If you bought it from this sale, you should be within your 90-day woot warranty. Reach out to Woot Customer Service. From a browser, use the Woot Customer Service form. In the Woot App, choose Account from the bottom navigation and then Support.