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Author Topic: Portable 12v power supply?  (Read 2825 times)

  • Offline zpyder

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Portable 12v power supply?
on: September 29, 2009, 16:46:36 PM
So Im still idly pondering about sorting something out to record wildlife at night etc. The problem is that if I invest in some kit I dont want to just use it in my backgarden, but at some of the sites I work on, which means no mains supply which rules out motion sensing IR CCTV cameras connected to the mains.

Im after any suggestions on how I can get around the power problem, it needs to have a fair bit of charge (not go empty in a few hours, will need to at least last the night/12 hours) and small enough to not be that visible (IE, not a suitcase) from afar.

Im guessing there must be power packs which can be bought or made which just connect a crapload of smaller batteries up. Just curious whether anything could be done to also power a DVR so that the unit can be completely standalone in the middle of nowhere? Im totally non-electrical minded which is why I am asking here, as I guess many people might have used or come across things that might work.
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Re:Portable 12v power supply?
Reply #1 on: September 29, 2009, 17:04:26 PM
best I can come up with is a car battery, solar panel charger & a movement sensor for when theres wildlife around, not to drain the battery
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  • Offline zpyder

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Re:Portable 12v power supply?
Reply #2 on: September 29, 2009, 17:19:31 PM
Having never used a car battery other than in my car, how safe would this option be? In terms of if it rains or gets kicked over by a deer or similar, or overheats (direct sun?) Are they 12v?
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Re:Portable 12v power supply?
Reply #3 on: September 29, 2009, 19:12:18 PM
Car batteries are 12V. What ever you use youre going to have to protect the whole assembly somehow from the elements, which might only mean a decent plastic bag.

You might not need something as big as a car battery, depending on the consumption of your DVR (assuming your recorder runs on 12vdc). You could get a smaller lead acid rechargeable battery, but perhaps if you find out how much power your recorder uses? The smaller batteries Im thinking of would have slightly easier connections like 1/4" blade crimps or nut/bolt connection that would take a ring crimp. These lead acid batteries are sealed (with a gel electrolyte) so can be turned over no problem, but what I would do would be to cable tie the whole lot down to a board of some sort to make it stable.
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  • Offline Serious

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Re:Portable 12v power supply?
Reply #4 on: September 29, 2009, 19:24:25 PM
Batteries are effectively a series of cells joined together to give a higher voltage or ampage. Series = higher voltage, parallel = higher amps. A 1.2 or 1.5 volt battery is a single cell battery.  A 9 Volt PP3 is six 1.5 volt cells strung together and installed in a metal case. Some cells have a 3 volt or higher rating such as Lithium Ion.

Really it depends on how much power your equipment needs, if its relatively low drain you could use a car battery directly, providing it needs 12 volts. If it needs something different you can add an inverter to give 240volts, you can then supply the equipment with a transformer. This would possibly be the cheapest option.

The problem is moving a fairly heavy car battery around cross country.

A pack of 1.2volt rechargeable batteries might be cheaper overall but depends on the output needed to power the equipment. AA NI-MH batteries can supply 2.5-3.0Ah @1.2volt each.
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  • Offline zpyder

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Re:Portable 12v power supply?
Reply #5 on: September 29, 2009, 20:39:07 PM
Hmm, will have to maybe try and whittle down the actual camera/dvr and then figure out the power requirements that way.

Obviously everything will need to be weatherproofed, but my concern regarding safety is the difference between the equipment stopping working if it gets wet, or the equipment exploding and spraying shrapnel + battery acid into the near vicinity. Obviously the former is preferred.

Lets say something like this:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/2-4G-SD-Card-DVR-Recorder-w-Wireless-IR-CCTV-Camera_W0QQitemZ380150762567QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_CCTV?hash=item5882c04c47&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14

Annoyingly it looks like the DVR uses 9v and the camera 12v ><
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  • Offline bear

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Portable 12v power supply?
Reply #8 on: September 30, 2009, 00:26:59 AM
what about....

http://kgbcameras.co.uk/cameras/dvr.htm

scroll down to

Home, Office and Vehicle guard time lapse DVR Video.

links to info about it..
http://kgbcameras.co.uk/cameras/ER-130V%20www.kgbcameras.co.uk%20Brochure_EN.pdf
http://kgbcameras.co.uk/cameras/ER-130VH%20Quick%20user%20manual_EN_V_0.pdf

9 hours battery life if you take a photo every 5 seconds on the internal batteries


plus you could easily make a small wire to go from a battery like this...
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Yuasa-12v-1-2AH-Rechargeable-BURGLAR-ALARM-Battery_W0QQitemZ350258088534QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Burglar_Alarms?hash=item518d024a56&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14
and have a plug on the other end the same as the one to power it from a car cigarette lighter... (piece of cake to make one, Ill even do it and post it to you if you like)

it would last for weeks with a battery like that!
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  • Offline Serious

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Re:Portable 12v power supply?
Reply #9 on: September 30, 2009, 04:14:36 AM
Quote from: zpyder

Obviously everything will need to be weatherproofed, but my concern regarding safety is the difference between the equipment stopping working if it gets wet, or the equipment exploding and spraying shrapnel + battery acid into the near vicinity. Obviously the former is preferred.


Weatherproofing can be just a plastic tent over the top and disguised with available plant materials. Worth wrapping everything you can in plastic bags too, just in case. Done properly there shouldnt be any problems.

If I take my camera out in bad weather I always have a clear plastic bag and elastic band to prevent the electronics getting wet. Only leaves the front lens element uncovered.
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  • Offline bear

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  • Offline zpyder

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Re:Portable 12v power supply?
Reply #11 on: September 30, 2009, 09:57:26 AM
Quote from: Serious
Weatherproofing can be just a plastic tent over the top and disguised with available plant materials. Worth wrapping everything you can in plastic bags too, just in case. Done properly there shouldnt be any problems.

If I take my camera out in bad weather I always have a clear plastic bag and elastic band to prevent the electronics getting wet. Only leaves the front lens element uncovered.


This is fair enough, but Im of the frame of mind that nothing is guaranteed weatherproof 100% of the time, coming from diving with waterproof housings which flooded, even though they were perfectly maintained.

Im not fussed about the weatherproofing as much as the worst case scenario should it fail. Given that I would need permission from the landowners to place these things, theres an element of public liability and just for peace of mind Id rather know the equipment would fail, rather than have the worry that if something went wrong the consequences could be severe.

Ill have to look at the various links later as I am currently *working* ><
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  • Offline zpyder

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  • Offline Pete

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I know sh*ts bad right now with all that starving bullsh*t and the dust storms and we are running out of french fries and burrito coverings.

  • Offline zpyder

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Re:Portable 12v power supply?
Reply #14 on: October 01, 2009, 22:10:56 PM
£577?

Bargain!

I may as well get a Sony HD camcorder with Nightshot mode ><
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