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To: Paul R.

I grew from seed one year but have been finding plants the last couple of years. Seeds came from Baker Creek aka rareseeds.com. 3 bucks, free ship, good germination.


665 posted on 08/23/2025 7:10:27 AM PDT by Pollard (Gettin' things done)
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To: Pollard

Until I saw many folks talking about shishitos on the garden thread this year, I had never heard of them before. I do not recall seeing the plants where I buy small plants in the spring, but then I’ve never looked for them either..

Thanks for the seed link. I might try them in a pot (or maybe more than one pot) next year. They are pretty prolific & I hate to waste produce so I won’t plant more than 1 or 2. I did find the peppers (ready to use/blister, etc) at a farmers market for $1.99 a small clamshell container. I almost bought some, but they only took cards at the outside produce stand & I had cash - too lazy to walk inside & pay 🙄


667 posted on 08/23/2025 7:55:04 AM PDT by Qiviut (Imagine waking up in the morning & only having the things you thanked God for yesterday. (S. Peters))
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To: Pollard
Ah, that's not bad at all! Thanks!

BTW, web searches are really getting great. It must be the AI. For example, I discovered that these cheapo Westinghouse "solar security lights" I bought on clearance or sale from Menards have the solar panels glued in with good tough glue that has as high a plastic ("soften") temperature as the plastic housing. So, so much for easily pulling out and relocating the solar panels for better sunlight.

However, I then asked this question:

if two solar panels are connected in parallel, and one is in bright sun and the other is in shade, will any energy bleed back into the shaded panel?

and got this back:

No, energy will not bleed back into the shaded panel when two solar panels are connected in parallel. In a parallel configuration, each panel operates independently, and the voltage across each panel is the same. The unshaded panel, receiving full sunlight, will produce its maximum current, while the shaded panel will produce significantly less current due to reduced sunlight. The current from the unshaded panel does not flow back into the shaded panel; instead, the total system current is the sum of the currents from each panel. This means the shaded panel will only contribute its reduced output, and the unshaded panel's full output is not lost to the shaded one. The system's overall power output is the sum of the individual panel outputs, which is higher than what would be produced if the panels were connected in series under the same shading conditions.

What this means is, these lights are so cheap, for under awning and similar locations, I can (electronic sacrifice) cut the panels out of a few of them, mount the solar panels as desired in plexiglass "sandwiches" sealed with silicone cement or polyurethane adhesive, run wires and splice into an un-chopped up light.

The other option is to pull the LED "boards" and "plexi-sandwich" THEM and mount where desired (often in a shady spot such as under an awning), and then mount the original enclosure, with a bunch of sealant added, well exposed. The problem then is that the original enclosure controls are likely in a high or otherwise difficult spot, and more important, the enclosures don't easily lend themselves to being well sealed. Rain can leak in around the control switches, among other things.

Ah, what fun. I got into such ways of thinking back when I would build Ace Audio, Dynaco (later Hafler), and Heathkit audio electronics kits, and upgrade them during assembly. Then came certain car repairs and "fixes" to crappy car lighting and more. :-)

673 posted on 08/23/2025 9:42:06 AM PDT by Paul R. (Old Viking saying: "Never be more than 3 steps away from your weapon ... or a Uriah Heep song!" ;-))
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