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Finding the amps of a solar cell on a multimeter?

Hello, I bought some 5"x5" solar cells that are rated at .49 volts 1.9 watts and 3.9 amps. When I hook up the multimeter on DC amps (the 10 amp setting) it reads around 0.8 amps. This is the first time I've ever soldered or tested a solar cell. Did I maybe not solder it good enough, or did it get to hot when soldering and ruin something on the cell? When I test the cell, I put the 2 pos and neg ribbons together and then on the multimeter. Any help would be great. Thank You.

Solar panels run a typical 12 watts per square foot, which equates to about 1 watt for 12 square inches. Your 5x5 panel, it typical of the average, will run about 2 watts, exactly as you say yours is rated. Ohms law says that at the voltage you specify, you will get the equivalent current you specify. That is how they rate solar cells. The problem is in HOW you measured the cell. You short circuited the cell by simply connecting your Current Meter across the terminals. BAD, bad, bad. Solar cells behave unpredictably when shorted and can actually damage themselves. You may have permanently damaged your cells if you tried to simply measure current with your meter. The only way to accurately measure is under load, which means a resistor, and then you measure the voltage drop across the resistor and then calculate the current. An alternative is to connect your current meter in series with a resistor. I have several solar battery chargers used for charging NiMH cells. Each has 4 cells in series to get to 2 volts, and a 3.3 Ohm Resistor in series to limit the maximum current if you put in a dead cell. Without the resistor, the cells would effectively be short circuited by the dead battery. Your meter when set on a current scale is simply a low value calibrated resistor, typically 1/10th of an ohm or less and a millivolt meter reading the voltage drop. The voltage drop is proportional to the current so they can print an ampere scale on the meter face instead of the actual millivolts the meter is actually measuring. Never, EVER, short solar cells. Always use a load or a load limiter in any circuit with a solar cell. The ratings sound about right for the surface area of each cell, but what you measured may be the remains of what is left after you damaged them by shorting them You can TRY using a 1000 ohm resistor as a load and see what kind of voltage drop you get. When soldering, use the lowest heat you can for the shortest amount of time you can to get a solid joint. The cell is brittle and too much heat for too long will crack the substrate.

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