Most Efficient Solar Panels?

 I have a couple of solar battery chargers that I bought many years ago.  
The form factor is very nice, as it folds up and stores several AA
batteries along with some cords, and also has a car-charger socket so that
other standard things can be plugged into it.

But the solar panels are so weak that it is practically useless for its
intended purpose.  To charge 4 AA batteries would take ... god knows how
long in full sun.

But I like the form factor.  So I thought maybe I'd remove the stock cells
and replace them with cells that actually work :)  It has two 3 inch by 6
inch cells.

What type of solar cells should I look for to replace the old-fashioned
cheapies in this device?


--
The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so
certain of themselves, but wiser people so full of doubts.
    -- Bertrand Russell

  In alt.energy.homepower, EskWIRED@spamblock.panix.com wrote:


I should be more specific.  When I say efficient, I am not talking about
watts/$,  but instead, watts/surface area.

And when I ask which type of cell is currently most efficient, I mean
commercially available cells, rather than ones which exist only in labs.

Thanks.

--
The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so
certain of themselves, but wiser people so full of doubts.
    -- Bertrand Russell

 EskWIRED@spamblock.panix.com wrote:

Were I faced with that issue, I would look into combining
the two chargers into one, with the existing PV cells put
in parallel.  Nearly double the current for No Money.

--Winston


--

Don't *faff*, dear.

 
Yeah - I did that with some other cheapie cells.  They were the type which
you can fold up.  I made a "Y" cord for their output, putting them in
parallel.

But thse are self-contained in a plastic clamshell design.  I could use
the car-charger outputs from these and do the same thing, but I like how
they have built-in places for the batteries.

Speaking of that, does anybody know of AA battery chargers that can plug
into a car-style socket?  


--
The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so
certain of themselves, but wiser people so full of doubts.
    -- Bertrand Russell

 


MAHA very good chargers.
http://www.mahaenergy.com/store/viewItem.asp?idProduct 8

Cheers