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Product Review - "Educational Solar Energy Kit"  
Academy Street Network  

This kit, by Sun Mateª Corp. (Item No. 689) of Canoga Park, California, contains eight 0.4 Volt, 100 mA encased solar cells, an electric motor and hardware to connect them all together. The kit also contains a 10 page manual and costs $21.95 in San Francisco at a Learningsmithª outlet at a premium mall. 

This kit deserves special mention because it has the greatest educational value of any photovoltaic kit readily available as a low-cost consumer item the writer has seen. The eight cells can be connected in series, parallel or combination, clearly demonstrating the effect of various arrangements of solar cells. The manual is well written in comparison to many others. 

Though manufactured in Hong Kong, purchase of the kit could still have positive impact on the trade deficit as a battery charger by reducing imports of chemicals used for battery manufacturing and (for some parts of the country) petroleum for utility electricity generation. For use as a battery charger, it would be beneficial to also purchase 2 AA battery holders. 

It is not as cheap to make, but more reliable than, our present model and of course takes less time to set up. The manual is better than seen elsewhere, but motor could use lubrication instructions. All in all, an excellent and operational classroom or educational kit.