duration to air dry oak prior to placing in solar kiln??

[caveman]

JMoore and I built a solar kiln a few years ago which we really have not used as much as we should have.  I should have designed the opening to be more user friendly and it is really larger than we normally need.

We have several 8/4 and 10/4 oak slabs which have been on stickers for varying lengths of time.  How long do those of you who use your solar kilns to dry hardwoods normally air dry them prior to loading in the kiln?  Do you have a magic moisture number or just base it on time since they were sawn?

Thank you for your advice. 
Kyle

[WLC]

Never dried any oak so I may be talking out my ear on this.  I remember reading somewhere that either 15 or 20% or less before going in the kiln.  I'm thinking they were talking regular kiln and not Solar.  I don't see a solar kiln being able to really hurt your lumber even if green off the mill.  What makes the solar kiln so nice is that it "cycles" off and on each day and the night time gives your lumber time to get over the heat and drying from the day time.  May be wrong, Maybe Dr. Gene will see this and chime in with the correct answer.

[YellowHammer]

If you have oak and an empty solar kiln, load it up.  Its winter time, the solar won't be full input, and and it will be operating slowly anyway. 

[caveman]

Thank you Robert.  That is what I was looking for.  We have a lot more oak to saw but nowhere to stack it.  Irma created a lot of work.  I need to check with another neighbor today about getting some logs from trees that came down at his place.  The FEMA truck spent at least two weeks picking up debris of of the side of my road but he finished before Thanksgiving.