[Elecraft] K1: most countries worked? solar panel recommendations?

[Don Brown]

Hi Wayne

A panel in the 3 to 5 watt range would be ideal to charge the internal
battery pack on the K1. I have several 3.5 watt panels made for Volkswagen
to keep the battery charged while in storage or shipment. These were on ebay
a while back. At 170 ma they are perfect to charge a 1700-1800 ma NiMH
battery pack and a controller is not required because solar panels are
constant current sources and that is the ideal way to charge NiMH or NiCad
batteries. There is a 5 watt panel sold by Northern Tool and Harbor Freight
and made by ICP. Northern tool P/N 3396 or a nice folding panel P/N 334319.
I have the 5 watt panel and it works well and is rugged. I use it with one
of my controllers and gel cell battery. I could experiment with the panel on
a K1 internal battery pack if you like. I have just acquired a 85 watt panel
to add to the two 35 watt panels along with a 100 amp hour gel cell battery
to power my K2/100 for field day. We may have an all K2 field day this year
4 K2/100's if all goes well. Two or three of them will be solar powered as
W5EI will bring his 85 watt panel and battery also.

Don Brown
KD5NDB


----- Original Message -----
From: "Wayne Burdick" <n6kr@elecraft.com>
To: "Elecraft" <elecraft@mailman.qth.net>
Sent: Wednesday, March 19, 2003 3:02 PM
Subject: [Elecraft] K1: most countries worked? solar panel recommendations?

SNIP

>
> Also: has anyone has found a small, readily obtainable solar panel that
works
> well with the K1 and other small rigs? We might want to offer an accessory
solar
> panel at some point, which is quite practical with the K1 because of the
low
> current drain. You could leave it plugged in at all times even if you have
an
> 8-cell AA NiMH pack installed; when the sun goes down, you'd be running
from
> battery power.
>
> Thanks,
>
> Wayne
> N6KR