Hi -
I am interested in gaining battery backup capability for my Wyze cameras. Since I have a number of cameras widely dispersed, a standard UPS really does not work well for me. I’m interested in some type of a USB charger with pass-through capability that would be compatible with Wyze camera and power it for a few hours or more in the advent of a power failure. It would be similar to a small powerbank that I could power using the MicroUSB and then run a USB to MicroUSB cable from the powerbank to my Wyze camera.
Is there any compatible product that you could recommend?
Which is really annoying. The Anker packs USED to have passthrough (I have one that I’m using right now on my phone). However, I talked to them and they intentionally removed that capability. Check out these:
I don’t have any yet, but heard good things about them - including passthrough.
RAVPower has specifically stated that they built their power banks to handle passthrough charging, so that’s a good option if you’re looking for a “known-working” product.
However, they also warn that using passthrough charging for “more than a few hours” will absolutely damage your power bank, so it’s a bit of a mixed message. The bottom line is that passthrough charging on any power bank causes it to heat up. The longer it’s in use, the hotter it gets, and the more damage to the battery. On high-quality power banks that will only decrease the battery’s capacity; on questionable power banks it could lead to physical damage or a fire hazard.
The only way around that is to use a purpose-built UPS which has the circuitry to quickly switch between power sources in the event of a voltage drop. Since miniature UPS devices often cost more than a basic UPS, the only reason not to go with a standard UPS is usually space, not cost.
There are also a number of boards that are designed to provide backup power for low-power USB devices like a Raspberry Pi. Again, cost (with battery) is about the same as a real UPS but if space is the issue it might be worth it: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07FDBZCXG
