Finding current of a solar cell from a lawn garden lantern?
I’m having trouble getting the current from a solar cell, taken out of the top of one of those cheap lawn lanterns. There are two wires coming off of it, and I can measure voltage. But I’m having trouble reading current or resistance. My multimeter just says "1". Could I assume that the cell’s current is the same as the battery it’s suppose to charge during the day?
I’m thinking, maybe, to read the current, I have to apply a load, as in something has to be using the power, with my multimeter broken into the circuit. If this is right, can you help me design a simple "load" circuit so that I can read the current my solar cell is producing? Maybe add a variable resister or something?