Pianotuna, I am missing something -- if I use the battery properly, bring it home, hook it up to a Batteryminder, and keep it charged, why is solar so much better? There is no question that solar is better for the environment, easier (since it is set it and forget it), and much "cooler." But why is this not as good from the standpoint of battery maintenance? (Please forgive my naive questions.)
And I do understand the extra draw that results from using the batteries one at a time -- but in my mind, that is counterbalanced by the fact that I always know I have a spare, in case one of the batteries suffers a catastrophic failure (which can happen, but rarely). I am just a belt and suspenders kind of person.
