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<div class=Section1>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'>Jim,<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'>I believe that all of the
Solavolts were single-crystal, and Mick has noted polycrystal. I can check – my
“next door neighbor” has a couple on her old system. J-boxes weren’t round,
though.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'>Allan<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;color:#1F497D'>Allan Sindelar<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;color:#1F497D'><a
href="mailto:Allan@positiveenergysolar.com">Allan@positiveenergysolar.com</a></span><span
style='font-size:11.0pt;color:#1F497D'><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;color:#1F497D'>NABCEP
Certified Photovoltaic Installer</span><span style='font-size:11.0pt;
color:#1F497D'><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;color:#1F497D'>EE98J
Journeyman Electrician</span><span style='font-size:11.0pt;color:#1F497D'><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:11.0pt;color:#1F497D'>Positive
Energy, Inc.<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;color:#1F497D'>3201 Calle
Marie<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;color:#1F497D'>Santa Fe, New
Mexico 87507<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;color:#1F497D'>505 424-1112<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;color:#1F497D'><a
href="http://www.positiveenergysolar.com/">www.PositiveEnergySolar.com</a></span><span
style='font-size:11.0pt;color:#1F497D'><o:p></o:p></span></p>
</div>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<div>
<div style='border:none;border-top:solid #B5C4DF 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in'>
<p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'>From:</span></b><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'>
re-wrenches-bounces@lists.re-wrenches.org
[mailto:re-wrenches-bounces@lists.re-wrenches.org] <b>On Behalf Of </b>James A.
Hartley<br>
<b>Sent:</b> Friday, October 23, 2009 7:20 AM<br>
<b>To:</b> RE-wrenches<br>
<b>Subject:</b> Re: [RE-wrenches] "Name that solar module" guessing
game!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</div>
</div>
<p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Could
these modules be old Motorola Solavolts possibly? That's what Photocomm
switched to marketing at one point in between its ARCO days and their
later Kyocera times. That was when Motorola sold the entire Solavolt
operation to us. I was the person who managed the Motorola
account for Photocomm then and that was during the late 1980s and early
1990s. That was also a very strange time as well. My Motorola
client had discovered that Pcomm was bootlegging Kyocera modules to them
with the Solavolt labels attached after Pcomm ran out of their
purchased Solavolt inventory and suddenly had no "official" module
supplier anymore. Did the Solavolts have round J-boxes? I don't
recall now. Maybe so. What's the module application
involved? Is it telecom or something else?</span><o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
<blockquote style='border:none;border-left:solid black 1.5pt;padding:0in 0in 0in 4.0pt;
margin-left:3.75pt;margin-top:5.0pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:5.0pt'>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>-----
Original Message ----- <o:p></o:p></span></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal style='background:#E4E4E4'><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>From:</span></b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'> <a href="mailto:bob-o@electronconnection.com"
title="bob-o@electronconnection.com">Bob-O Schultze</a> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>To:</span></b><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'> <a
href="mailto:re-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org"
title="re-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org">RE-wrenches</a> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Sent:</span></b><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'> Thursday, October
22, 2009 10:43 PM<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Subject:</span></b><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'> Re: [RE-wrenches]
"Name that solar module" guessing game!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
</div>
<p class=MsoNormal>Mick, <o:p></o:p></p>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal>The predecessor to the K-51 was the J-51 which had round
Jboxes as you describe. They were located about 1/3rd of the way down from the
edge of the module. Before those were the J48 and before those were the J45.
That would be circa 1988-1994. Haven't seen any recently, but I recall the EVA
would brown right in front of the Jbox. Looked like a coffee cup stain. Dunno
about the yellowing.<o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal>Quite a few of us old grey beards sold them for some time
back in the days when Al Panton ran Kyocera US. Then they had a bright idea,
got into bed with Photocomm exclusively and quite selling directly to us.
Japanese marketing 101. Pissed everybody off and worked out so well for Kyo
that they had to eventually take over PComm to keep it from going under.<o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal>Bonus points AND a history lesson!<o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal>Cheers, Bob-O<o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
<div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal>On Oct 22, 2009, at 2:59 PM, Mick Abraham wrote:<o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'><br>
Set the dials on the Wayback Machine, Wrenches!<br>
<br>
The modules which I wish to identify had bright blue polycrystal square cells,
before the yellowing and discoloration occurred. <br>
<br>
They are 50' high on a 12:12 metal roof, and 45 minutes from the nearest
emergency room. I am not anxious to make that climb but a friendly helper was
going up anyway, so he took some photos. Unfortunately, the labels could not be
read or photographed. Dimensions of the frames are, sadly, unavailable.<br>
<br>
There is one telltale clue, however, which will no doubt yield the Correct
Answer from one of the Mechanics: The junction boxes are round with a bayonet
mount cover that rotates to liberate the cover. The boxes are big and deep. (I
hate to mention that because some of us liked things better when we had big and
deep junction boxes, and I don't want this thread to go off topic.)<br>
<br>
My own guess is Kyocera brand, possibly earlier than the venerable K-51. Alas,
my little gray cells are not what they used to be, so I'm polling the group.
The yellowing does point away from my own guess because I had not seen that on
Kyocera brand, nor on other polycrystal brands.<br>
<br>
All Correct Respondents have my permission to take the rest of the day off! Bonus
Points if a Correct Respondent can also state approximate time of manufacture.<br>
<br>
Thanks for helping,<br>
<br clear=all>
Mick Abraham, Proprietor<br>
<a href="http://www.abrahamsolar.com/">www.abrahamsolar.com</a><o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
<p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
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