You have to admire a guy who has his own space program.Especially when it cost him only $750 compared to the millions that Nasa spends.He even used DUCT TAPE!!!Its stuff like this that gives me hope someone will come up with OU no matter what the oil companies want.Triffid
http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/balloon-camera-duct-tape-shoot-earth-pictures-space/story?id=10210658

To big M,I found that patent again for the screen printing of solar cells.Way too involved for me but here it is:
Ok ,here goes  the rest of the info on making a solar cell using aluminum foil
according to patent#5,538,903 and the ebook that r8rchris posted:
5)nickle metal(ink in a screen pattern)-dry only(neg electrode)
4)(n-type)mixed cadium sulphide and cadium chloride and proylene glycol(CdS layer)
3)(p-type)(CdTe layer) an eqi-mol mixture of Cadium (Cd) and Tellurium(Te) powders with addition of CdCl2 and pg(proylene glycol)
2)carbon electrode layer with silver and Indium mixed in.
1)aluminum foil(pos electrode)
layers 2,3, and 4 are to be dried and baked at 600 degree C one layer on top of the other
Triffid

To Big M,In the first website you mentioned he does mention blocking diodes.I only skimmed over it the first time.It helped a lot.Thank you.Good info for free.triffid

triffid said:

Quote
To big M,I found that patent again for the screen printing of A cells.Way too involved for me but here it is:
according to patent#5,538,903

Here's the patent:
http://www.google.com/patents?id=6SYeAAAAEBAJ&printsec=abstract&zoom=4#v=onepage&q=&f=false

The problem I see with the process is the reliance on stuff like indium and other rare earth elements:  Expensive and possibly having national security interest?

There are kits assembled by at least one company that takes discarded chips of solar panels and allows the builder to make a 40-100 Watt solar panel.  That's a lot easier.  Cheaper by the Watt, too.

--Lee

Thanks big M for that first website.He also built a wind powered generator for $140.00 and told how he did it on another webpage.He appears to do everything very well.Mike,the astronomer, is truly an inspiration to all of us.And you are right,slightly chipped solar cells and those with blemishes are ok for me to use.Triffid