From: dannyb@panix.com   
      
   In  mike  writes:   
      
   >sorry, but I have more questions than answers.   
   >Most importantly, why bother???   
   >Costs you a nickel to charge it.   
   >say 26 charges/year, that's $1.30/year in electricity.   
   >How much can you build for $1.30?   
      
   The area being mowed is pretty far from the building and   
   any outlet. Moving it back and forth is a hefty pain.   
      
   I'd like to just have a cheap shed for weather protection   
   around it and use solar panels.   
      
   If I figure on needing 200 watt-hours for a charge (full   
   nameplate is 450...), then 75 watts of solar panels   
   should be adequate if there isn't too much loss.   
      
   (rule of thumb: solar cell output times four gives   
   you the nominal daily output).   
      
   >Stabilizing the input is harder than regulating the output.   
      
   >You're gonna need a custom design.   
      
   The panels should, depending on sunlight and   
   the battery state, give me very roughly 60 volts   
   of DC output. (four or five 12 Volt panels in series)   
      
   >Solar panels are expensive.  Use all you can get out of them.   
      
   At five dollars/watt, 75 watts worth would be $400.   
   Throw in another hundred for an MPPT controller, and   
   we're at very roughly $500.   
      
   Much cheaper than running a power cable the 500 or so feet.   
      
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