Bickler, Donald B.

Don Bickler came to California in August of 1959 to work on automating the manufacture of solar cells for Hoffman Electronics. The project ended and Bickler switched to making solar measurements. The project tested individual cells under tungsten incandescent lamps and panels (large dimensions) under natural sunlight. Bickler set up a radiometric laboratory and built equipment to evaluate sunlight during testing. Table Mountain was already chosen as the best site for clear sky and high elevation, and within easy driving distance of El Monte, CA. They began testing with his equipment at the beginning of 1960. The JPL Ranger panels, made by Hoffman Electronics, were tested around this time. The earliest of the photos in the collection include Hoffman engineers and technicians. They shared the site with other Hoffman customers, such as Boeing and Lockheed). Bickler stayed with the company while it was sold to Centralab, a Division of Globe Union, then Optical Coating Lab, working various jobs, including process engineer, section manager for solar panel engineering, sales, and manager of quality assurance. In November 1975 Bickler started working at JPL on automating the manufacture of solar cells for the Low Cost Solar Array Project, which ended in 1985. He then transferred to Div. 34 and later to Div. 35.