[Elecraft] Solar power source

[Gary Hembree]

I've used a Solarex 64 watt panel for a few months now with a Sears form
27M deep cycle battery to run my K2's and VHF gear intermittently.  I
tested my K2/100 with the battery as a power source and got 100 watts out
without difficulty.  I now keep the battery charged for emergency use.

My friend Dave, AI7R (the screen saver author), has been using Solarex
panels for years with no failures.  One of their better features is that
they are shadow tolerant.  This means that if one part of the panel is in
shade the charge controller doesn't shut down (due to decreasing output
voltage), the output current just falls off.  As a previous reply noted the
Solarex panels are built to withstand a lot of abuse.  Other manufacturers
probably offer similar features.  Shop around.

73
Gary, N7IR
DM43bi