Letter Re: Recommendations on Solar Battery Chargers?

Jim,
Could you maybe put the word out as to where to find a good reasonably priced solar panel for charging Ni-MH batteries? Thanks. – Gung Ho

JWR Replies: I recommend Ready Made Resources for solar battery chargers, although there are several other Internet vendors that sell comparable products. But I can vouch for RMR’s reliability and customer service. If you are on a budget RMR’s compact Universal Solar Charger at under $28 is the way to go. But this model charges just two batteries at a time. If you have a bigger budget, any of the Global Solar brand flexible amorphous panels (available in a variety of sizes between 12 and 55 watt output) would be a good choice. For continuous duty and outdoor installations, I would recommend only Monocrystalline panels, but an amorphous panel hung up in a sunny house window or spread out on a car dashboard will give you many years of service for typical battery charging use.