Solar Cells

[RayJones]

OK, I'm convinced I was conned.

I spied those ads on evilBay for solar cells, a shit load cheaper than pre-made panels and hey I can solder, I can do that, lets get some.

BAD IDEA.

These things are mega fragile, and if you even look at them wrong - crack - another cell rooted.

I did 9, then gave up.

Anyone else dealt with these devil spawn things and actually did all 36 without screwing them up?

[Polossatik]

no


 

Also I've given up on that stuff for the moment, the "specs" are always way to "optimistic" or you pay trough the nose for ones that work at least a bit

[orbiter]

Are you using the Monocrystaline type?

I've used quite a few of them and for me they're pretty tough, or perhaps I'm just too gentle with them

These... eBay

[RayJones]

Poly's, and yeah if you feel the need to indulge in this foolish behaviour I'm now convinced - get the pre-tabbed cells!

[RayJones]

Are you using the Monocrystaline type?

I've used quite a few of them and for me they're pretty tough, or perhaps I'm just too gentle with them

These... eBay

Actually I note your ebay search was for *panel*, not *cell*.

Panels are easy - it is when you are dealing with the individual cells that life gets harder.

[sonicj]

i have some, haven't tried it yet...

wire glue



*edit - mentioned on hackaday

[sonicj]

i've successfully used Caig Lab's CircuitWriter Pen to repair damaged traces on a membrane keypad. it was a PITA to accurately control the flow, but got the job done. not sure if this could be applied to solar assembly....
-sj

[glossywhite]

I watched this video just the other day, and I wonder if it will be any help to you?:

[TopherTheME]

i have some, haven't tried it yet...

wire glue



*edit - mentioned on hackaday

I've used this stuff for assembling small solar cells together and it works surprisingly well. I've also used it for gluing cracked fuel cell flow channel plates together along with joining low temperature components. The only downside is you've got to spend 30 minutes mixing the stuff before you use it.

[orbiter]

Are you using the Monocrystaline type?

I've used quite a few of them and for me they're pretty tough, or perhaps I'm just too gentle with them

These... eBay

Actually I note your ebay search was for *panel*, not *cell*.

Panels are easy - it is when you are dealing with the individual cells that life gets harder.

Ah ok, Sorry my friend.

[RayJones]

I watched this video just the other day, and I wonder if it will be any help to you?:

Damn, I had all that gear in my shed and I still muffed it 

[orbiter]

I watched this video just the other day, and I wonder if it will be any help to you?:

Damn, I had all that gear in my shed and I still muffed it  

Briliant, thanks mate.. Saved it in favs for part of tonights viewing.

orb

[Psi]

I've used that brand of 'wire glue' before, you just have to be aware that it dries like plaster, not like epoxy, so it cracks really easy.
It doesnt really meet the definition of "Glue".

[Mechatrommer]

i have some, haven't tried it yet...

i have exactly this, 2 bottles. tried it to fix my keyboard flexi circuit, stir and mix it thoroughly, applied it, wait till dry, test the keyboard, no success, measured the connectivity, it only connecting at several MegaOhm iirc, not sure what i was doing wrong.

edit: 2 bottles, 1 opened, 1 still in the nice packaging. thoroughly checking, there are differences though, instead of just quick, simple, and reliable (as in picture), it has 4th... safe, Lead Free, not sure what good (or bad) it is, and the cartoon pictures are different, but the layout and arrangement is exactly the same, even the "No Iron" sign. site as on the label is at www.wireglue.us manufacturer Anders Products (Div. of Idolon Tech), 72 Stone Place Melrose, MA 02176... Patent Pending, email: info@andersproducts.com, dont know where the hell it is.

[rossmoffett]

Wire glue is a mix of graphite and epoxy resin.  At best you can hope for 10-100 ohms of contact resistance, depending on the contact surface area.  I haven't had any luck with it either.  I'm sure there are uses for it, but for my purposes it was junk.  I was resonating a crystal and the resistance ruined my resonant circuit.

People who design circuits for use in clothing love the stuff, I've read.  They use it with conductive thread.

[TopherTheME]

At best you can hope for 10-100 ohms of contact resistance, depending on the contact surface area.

No wayyyy, if you're resistances are that high you're not using it correctly. Its typically about 1Ohm across each wire-panel junction when I've used it for solar cells. The resistance is high, but its not that high.

[rossmoffett]

Well, that or I have some real crap wire glue.  I could never get the resistance below ~10 ohms with any amount of stirring.  Realize though that if you used a large surface area, not just the tip of a wire for example, that's what caused your low resistance.