I started upgrading my older Cam Pans to Pam Pan v4’s to get better resolution but the v4’s will not work with long power cables!
Many of my older cams are powered by long (10m-15m (30-50’)) cables. They have USB A connectors at the power side and USB B connectors at the camera side where as the new cams have USB C connectors at the camera side.
What I learned replacing a cam that was at the end of a 30’ cable…
-First I tried using a USB B to USB C adapter at the end of the long existing cable. CPv4 will not work with this adapter.
-Next tried replacing old cable with new 30’ USB A to USB C cable. Got the replacement cable from Amazon where it specifically stated that it would support Cam Pan v4. CPv4 will not work with this cable.
-Next tried replacing old cable with two new 20’ cables straight from Wyze. These are USB A extensions. CPv4 DOES WORK with the Wyze extension cables even when two are used together.
Bottom line: Your Cam Pan v4’s will NOT work with long cables that worked just fine for earlier Cam Pan versions. Be aware!
Yep it’s definitely a problem with Cam Pan v4’s however 30 and even 50 foot cables have worked just fine for many years with Cam Pan v3 and other cameras.
No, it isn’t an “issue” with the Panv4, the v4 needs more power and is exposing the fact that you’ve severely exceeded the distance a USB cable can supply power. Honestly I’m surprised you didn’t notice glitches with the Panv3 at 50 feet or even 30 feet.
You also added an adapter with the v4 which adds more resistance and thus voltage drop.
If you don’t want the cam to suffer long term harm or have weird issues with SD cards, wifi dropping, cam rebooting under load, etc, I would get a proper power solution in place.
The fact is that Cam Pan v3’s and other cams work fine with 30’ and 50’ cables and Cam Pan v4’s do not work with those same cables. Simple as that.
I’m not trying to force you to use long cables and I’m not criticizing Wyze for the differences in the cams. I’m telling the people who are interested that Cam Pan v4’s have different power requirements than other devices.
If that’s of interest to you, you’re welcome. If it’s not of interest to you, no need to waste your time.
I’m not offended I’m trying to help save you and others headache.
What I’m telling you (and anyone else reading this) is to NOT try to run cables that long, 5V USB was never meant to go those distances. It will most likely cause long term damage to the cams along with other glitches that people will come in here and complain about and blame Wyze for and waste people’s time.
Just do it properly and ensure your cams are reliable and long lasting.
I would be willing to bet that your Pan Cam V3 cameras are not really “working fine” with a 50 foot cord. You may have at least sort of gotten away with it, but a 50 foot USB cable is MASSIVELY out of spec. As Dave said, it was NEVER intended to go that long of a distance. The Pan cameras draw substantially more power when the camera is moving.
The proper solution is to feed a higher voltage (for example 12 volts) out a cable (something like 16 or 18 AWG zip cord) and then feed a regulator that converts the 12 volts coming in to a USB-A output and then use a short USB cord to feed the camera. Here is an example of one such regulator:
I don’t think you meant to reply to me (I 100% agree).
A buck converter alone may not be enough to give a smooth stable 5V output, but that one claims to have a regulator too so in theory should work. However personally I think the PoE solution is probably the easiest and safest. Sends 48V, the receiver regulates it down to 5V, so there is plenty of overhead (and protections from surges etc built in too). A tad more foolproof too, as long as you can get ethernet to where you need it (either pre-terminated, or the ability to terminate it yourself). Basically the same solution, just pre-packaged and a bit easier for just about anyone to deploy.
A regulated buck converter will do exactly as needed. That is exactly what the POE regulator is doing (except it requires a smarter device assuming it’s real active POE). I am using the exact regulators I linked in a number of situations where I need USB power and only have 12 or 24 volt DC available. Works great.
Yeah in the end it is the same thing - for people that just want a plug and play solution, PoE adapters fit the bill better and the fact that it is 48v feeding it means you can go pretty extreme distances. I guess slightly more foolproof depending on your needs.
Thanks for the information for everyone out there. I tried all of the extension cables as well with no luck. The PCv4 is a nice video quality upgrade but does not work with extension cables. My solution was to run an ordinary power cord to the standard power cable/power supply included in for the PCv4.
If Wyze releases and extension cable for this that works will be welcomed (20-25’)
Wyze has one that long but it is a combination of AC to a waterproof power block then DC/USB from there. Another poster mentioned that wyze has a 20’ usb extension (which would be no different from one you can get off amazon) but that plus the 6’ stock power cable and the high requirements of the v4 is just asking for trouble.
What you’ve done, extending the AC portion, is the right way to do it, or one of the other solutions like POE or a higher voltage DC adapter with a 5V converter at the other end.
Have a look at this as it might be useful for you (now or in the future). I posted this one just because it is a relatively cheap solution from a well known brand that I’ve used for years, however there are cheaper versions available which a couple of forum regulars have used too.
Yes, I don’t have the Cam Pan V4, but my V3 are a considerable distance from the house.
I opted to bury low voltage cable (like for garden lights) and send 12 VDC from a battery on a charger out from the house. Then in a waterproof box I use a car 12V to USB adaptor. But if I had to do it over again I would bury a cable, and connect it to a USB-C adaptor in the house. Then at the camera end put a power bank like the Amazon link below.
Then the power bank gets charged as needed by USB-C, and buffers sudden power draws via the USB-A to the camera. Bonus it keeps working for a while if the power goes out. Just make sure the power bank turns itself on automatically when the camera is connected (I have one that doesn’t) and works in low temperatures (if that is a factor).
INIU Power Bank, USB C in&Out Slimmest 10000mAh Portable Charger, Triple 3A High-Speed Charge External Battery Pack, Flashlight Phone Charger for iPhone 17 16 15 14 13 Samsung S22 S21 Google LG iPad INIU Slimmest 10000mAh Portable Charger with USB-C In&Out
That’s a bit overkill for many but if it does what you’re looking for, seems like it should be pretty reliable. When the battery is being charged it should be around 14-15 volts which takes care of voltage drop. Just keep in mind if it is a trickle charger that is always on, it will wear out that SLA battery relatively quickly. And when the power goes out and the charger shuts off, the battery will drop to around 12.6, but I suspect that’s still plenty. And those car adapters are designed for that (since that happens every time you turn your car on or off).
In the USB-C case I’m curious if the PD (assuming charger and battery bank are both PD) would handle the distance, I suspect it would. Depends on the distance I suppose.
Some here have found a few different USB power banks that support pass through charging and either have no interruption when the input is lost (more expensive ones, operate like an online UPS), or just a quick one that reboots the cam once then works fine (less expensive ones that don’t switch as fast).
I think personally if I had a need for this, I’d still prefer the PoE solution, especially because that allows me to connect it to my existing UPS and not have the battery bank potentially getting worn out from constant charging or extreme temps, and just simpler overall. But it is nice to see all the different options people are coming up with.