Question Newbie Here

System · July 2006

Hello Everyone

I am new to solar panels, I just purchased a 9 volt solar panel charger, I have it hooked up to a wireless camera that shows on the back DC 8 Volt with a receiver that shows DC 12 V --- both camera and receiver can run off a 9 volt batter. I purchased also a 9 volt battery and have the solar panel charger hooked up to the 9 volt rechargeable battery. When I hook up the re charable battery WITHOUT the camera connected and charge the battery with the solar panel for 8 hours everything is fine it charges correctly. I then hook up the camera which is connected to the solar panel and rechargeable battery and the battery then looses power quickly. If i take a standard 9 volt battery and hook it up where the rechargeable battery is I can see the live video feed so I know all my connections are connected and my wires are crimped correctly. Do i need a zoner Dido so the power feed doesn't drain or how can I keep this rechargeable battery from draining on my and charge correctly during the day. thanks for any help you can give.

Roderick · July 2006

Re: Question Newbie Here

If you had just a solar panel, I might say that you need a diode to block the panel from draining the battery at night. However, it sounds like your device was specifically made to charge batteries, so probably already has the diode.

The second question would be, after you fully charge your 9V battery, how long will it power your camera by itself? It could simply be that the solar panel's power is very small in comparison to the needs of the camera, so what you're seeing is (almost) normal battery drain. One thing to try is see whether the panel can power the camera by itself, without help from the battery. If it can't, then I suspect there is a net energy drain from the battery even when the panel is operating, and you need a panel that's a little bigger. Possibly, on your camera, there's a rating that says how many mA it needs, and possibly, on your panel, there's a label that says how many mA it puts out?

Good luck!

System2 · July 2006

Re: Question Newbie Here

My paper work says 9 volts 20 millampere power supply, and I would probley say it is about15 min give or take that the power is drain from the battery. after it was charged for about 8 hours

System2 · July 2006

Re: Question Newbie Here

The wireless reciever and camera are made by swann communications it is called a micro cam 2 or something like that

niel · July 2006

Re: Question Newbie Here

i would say the drain from the receiver and camera is too much for your small pv(photovoltaic) panel. the receiver has an lcd screen which by itself drains alot of current(good guess at around 250-500ma). most color cameras are in the range of 100 to 150ma. if you would like to continue doing this with a solar setup, i'd recommend going with 8 size aa rechargable batteries and get another of one those pv panels, making sure it could supply all the current needed for the items to run and give a small 100-200ma extra to recharge the batteries. this could be upwards of 1amp needed to do it all unless you only run one of the items as you have been.
i would caution you not to try running any of those items with just the pv. doing so without the battery present to semi regulate the voltage down could blowout your stuff.

System2 · July 2006

Re: Question Newbie Here

Thanks niel

The only item that would run off the solar panel is the small 2.4 wireless camera, the reciever is hook to a tv. I thought that it need more power from the batteries , but couldn't find out why it keep loosing it's charge. I will try the 8 2a batteries and see if that is strong enough to keep up the power to the camera if not I add anpther solar panel like the same as I picked up

System2 · July 2006

Re: Question Newbie Here

The solar panel Output is approx. 20 mAmps

System2 · July 2006

Re: Question Newbie Here

The camera power is 5 v ~ 9 v dc 200ma

niel · July 2006

Re: Question Newbie Here

20ma is far to low to keep the batteries charged so get yourself a different pv. the pv must supply all of the ma loads added up plus a rough 20=25% overall loss for charging, efficiencies, and resistances. then after all of that it must have another ma amount equal to about 5% or more of the battery capacity in ma. this is not a $30 pv we're talking here. the 200ma the camera alone needs for 1 hour of operation will take at least 12 to 13hrs of full sun(1000w/m2^) with your present pv with nothing else connected. my guess for you is a 9 to 15w pv at 12v with a regulator so as not to exceed the voltage ratings of your electronic components or overcharge your battery(s).

Roderick · July 2006

Re: Question Newbie Here

I agree with Niel completely, what you need is more than just another one of those weak 20 mA chargers. Also, at 20 mA, it also sounds like your charger is more of a trickle-type charger, appropriate for NiCd, but not for NiMH, which needs pulse charging to get good capacity.

It sounds like your receiver uses about (200 mA x 5 V = 1 watt). Probably less, if the label says that. Also, the fact that the receiver will run off the solar panel that you have today is a clue that the power requirements are actually much more modest. I'll go out on a limb and say that when the receiver says 5-9 volts, it's really using only about 5 volts, and has a cheap linear regulator on it that will throw away power if you hook it up to 9V. This means that your best power source for the receiver may be a 6V battery, if you can figure out how to keep that charged. Perhaps you can find a "gel cell" battery, which would have enough power to run your camera through the night. Also, you can trickle charge such a battery.

Maybe Northern Arizona Wind & Sun has a panel for you in a 5W size. If not, I'm sure they're not hard to get by shopping the internet.

I'm assuming this project is fun for you, or there are other reasons why solar is needed. If this is going on a regular house, it would of course be simple to just plug in a wall brick, and run 5 volts over to the camera.

Question Newbie Here

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