I'm hoping my pics will show up in this posting. I can attach them to emails, but it is not clear how to do it on this site. I'll give it a try though. I bought a 5 watt panel, to replace the 2 smaller panels that made 3 watts total, that powered an am/fm radio. These smaller panels were the type they advertise to keep your car battery charged up. One worked, but 2 made for louder/clearer music. I had them simply setting on a south facing roof, at the angle of the roof's slope. Being a sucessful and affluent member of the comunity, and as money is piling up faster than it can be spent (lol) I got this 5 watt panel from Harbour Freight (in California for $35) I welded up a bracket that will let me tilt it into unlimited positions (all-thread & lock nuts) to deal with the different winter/summer tracks of the sun. I use the radio most to keep my pet birds company while I'm away at work, but to get an earlier start/let it play longer in the evening I rigged it up so I could rotate the panel toward 'sunrise/sunset'. I've noticed this panel makes so much power that I can have it turned some 55* from the sun and it will still give enough power to run the radio.
Judging from the amount of time I spend reading everyone's postings and how much I enjoy them I'll be getting more & larger panels. I figure the next one will be the 'real kind' that can be expected to last 20-30 years. I did buy one of those solar exhaust fans for the attic last summer. It will be installed this year. It has a panel about 15" x 15" with a fan some 18" in dia. I had that setting in the sun out on the grass while I drank beer and just watched it. It's a good bet to say I'm hooked on this stuff.
Keep on Postin' dudevato-60 miles north of Los Angeles
I don't think the pics will show up, if this is true can someone explain the procedure? MAYBE this is the way:
http://www.fieldlines.com/user/uid:1464/files Thanks