FYI: You can purchase solar cells on EBay and make your own panels. You can buy = the tabbing and buss wire as well. DIY instructions are available at no cos= t on the Internet. I bought 72 watts worth for under $50 US, plus a few dol= lars for the wire. I Aldo bid on some cracked cells to practice on as they = break easily.=20 Sent from my iPhone On Apr 30, 2011, at 4:21 PM, Dwayne Reid wrote: > At 11:34 AM 4/29/2011, Sean Breheny wrote: >> On Fri, Apr 29, 2011 at 12:22 PM, Dwayne Reid w= rote: >>> My preferred battery technology is still Lead-Acid. I use gell-cells >>> (AGM) for small projects and flooded batteries for larger installations= .. >>=20 >> Just one point - AGM and gel are not the same thing, both in >> construction and behavior. >=20 > >=20 >> Just reading up on this lately and couldn't let the point of AGM vs >> Gel difference go :) >=20 > I understand the differences but from my point of view, I treat them=20 > very similarly and essentially consider them to be interchangeable. >=20 > Most of my outdoor projects using a sealed battery have limited=20 > charge current available and thus could accept either type of=20 > battery. Basically, I design for the lowest common denominator so=20 > that both battery types can be used. >=20 > On the other hand, I have a couple of large AGM batteries that I use=20 > for portable power. These are true AGM and one of the reasons I=20 > chose them was because of the increased charge current capability (I=20 > can charge them quickly if needed). >=20 > dwayne >=20 > --=20 > Dwayne Reid > Trinity Electronics Systems Ltd Edmonton, AB, CANADA > (780) 489-3199 voice (780) 487-6397 fax > www.trinity-electronics.com > Custom Electronics Design and Manufacturing >=20 > --=20 > http://www.piclist.com PIC/SX FAQ & list archive > View/change your membership options at > http://mailman.mit.edu/mailman/listinfo/piclist >=20 --=20 http://www.piclist.com PIC/SX FAQ & list archive View/change your membership options at http://mailman.mit.edu/mailman/listinfo/piclist .