V3 on Solar + battery only

Cameras
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Hello, I have quite a few v3s and love them. I’d like to rig a v3 at the end of my driveway, however there is no way to realistically get power here.
(Not interested in the the wyze wireless one).

I’m thinking of a setup of solar panel + battery + v3.

The v3 pulls 4 watts I believe. so that’s 4*24 = 96 wH/day.

The minimum sunshine on a day should be 8 hours, but obviously you have snow, rain, clouds, etc.

so, from 8 hours of sun (or less if possible) we need at least 100 wH/day. just to keep it working. Ideally, let’s budget 120% so 120 wH.=/day needed? Can always adjust later, but need to power the camera + charge battery, which also has losses. so maybe 150 wH/day solar side. 150 wH/8 hours of sun = 18.75 watts of solar needed to keep the system happy. (More = better)

Next item: Battery size. We need at least 100 wH/day to run the thing. Ideally we just buy the biggest battery feasible / practical.

all these stupid tiny battery banks are advertised in mAh, which is stupid since you could have a billion mAh at 1v. so now we need more math.

Devices like this (just for example)

According to this site this one works out to 134 wH. which would meet the battery needs, but not solar needs. (I find this value suspect given the device size and what I know about R/C car batteries.

Here is the first 20W panel I found.

https://www.amazon.com/Newpowa-Watts-Solar-Module-Marine/dp/B00W813E4I/ref=sr_1_3?crid=U4COYVY66B8B&keywords=20+watt+solar+panel&qid=1645985998&sprefix=20+watt+solar+panel%2Caps%2C98&sr=8-3

according to the page, the panel is 20W at 12v. But that’s more V than we can handle here.

So, 12v Panel → USB (C?) adapter → Charges waterproof battery → v3 camera.

the power bank will act as the charge controller.

I don’t know if I’ll follow through given the price of these components, but the damage to my yard is significant, hence my desire to build this. But I do get bored easily, and building this could be fun. Thanks for reading!

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this looks cool
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08THCNNCS/ref=syn_sd_onsite_desktop_207?pd_rd_w=Wh7dK&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUFNUjBaOEU5SlVPRkUmZW5jcnlwdGVkSWQ9QTA1ODU1MDYxSlZHSkVNSkFLM0JNJmVuY3J5cHRlZEFkSWQ9QTAwNDgyNzgyTzZMRFJYRjIyMUlOJndpZGdldE5hbWU9c2Rfb25zaXRlX2Rlc2t0b3AmYWN0aW9uPWNsaWNrUmVkaXJlY3QmZG9Ob3RMb2dDbGljaz10cnVl&th=1

it has a % thing right on it. neat.

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Read this:

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I’ll be interested in seeing how you get it figured out. I had thought about doing that myself with one of my portable solar generators, but ended up just hooking it up to an extension cord that I had already run out to my chicken coop/run.

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Keep in mind that most battery banks aren’t designed to be charged while being used.

I’ve found some solar panels with built in batteries that go well beyond the one or two typically found in panels intended for something like a Blink camera, but they still seem to come up short for powering something like a Wyze Cam 24/7. Here is one example:

The 5V output option with 6 batteries is still only 18000mAh (which I expect is just under 67 watt hours).

I also found some that had 8 watt instead of 4 watt panels, but still only six 18650 batteries inside.

Any way you slice you, for a system that would last multiple overcast days, one will be paying considerably more for the panel, charge controller and battery (and probably a weatherproof enclosure for the latter two) than than the Wyze camera, and it will be a rather bulky setup.

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Ecoflow solar generators can be used while charging.

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Those aren’t your typical power bank of the type the OP linked to. It was nearly pocketable device with a solar panel attached.

They also aren’t well suited to the application (not weatherproof, have an unneeded AC inverter, relatively expensive).

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The V3 Draws about 1.12 amps @ 5.1 vdc,i have 1 running on a 60,000 mah power bank it will run over 16 days no issues

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Where do you get your information @kae4560 :rofl:

You state a V3 draws 1.12 Amps yet Wyze supplies a 1 Amps power supply?

The most current I have seen a V3 draw is 0.8 A (800ma) and that was with the I.R. On, Spotlight ON, Siren Sounding and Live Video streaming. Otherwise current draw is much less.

At @kae4560 - A 1 Amp current draw on a 60,000 mAh (60 Ah) battery would last 60 hours.

Lets say the averaged current draw from a V3 would be closer to 500 mAh so a 60,000 mAh battery bank would give 120 hours (5 days) - So a battery bank of 60,000 mAh will not give you 16+ days

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From my 4 port display usb charger…and yes with the LED Spotlight it will only ad .11 more

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Whoosh :exclamation: :airplane: - Look Up…LOL

because I got 99 cameras and a problem not with one :musical_note: :notes: :musical_note: :notes: :rofl:

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Several years in an off-grid home experience talking. Use 6 hours of sunshine max, if the solar panels are not tracking the sun. Because you are going to have a panel that is never really perpendicular.

The problem you are going to run into is the battery bank’s maximum charging rate. Say you want 4 days of reserve power in case of a storm. You need 400 WH in the bank. Your output has to be 5V for the camera for highest efficiency, (many power banks offer 5V out) so you need 80AH in the bank.
You’ll want a bank that can charge at higher voltage to match your panels, and you need to pump 400WH into the bank in 6 hours, so a 67 watt panel. At 12V (a common bank charging option) that’s only 5A. Make SURE your battery bank offers “pass through charging” so you can leave the bank charging all the time.

Get a “Jackery 500”, a locking weatherproof box to keep it in, and a weatherproof 100Watt “12V” panel to charge it. Depending on the local weather, that might last all year but a few long storms.

Each camera setup will run you ~$600 but it will work.

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FWIW I picked up an iHome usb battery at Goodwill labeled 10,000 mAh @ 3.7v, charged it up, plugged the v3 into it and it ran fine for around 22 hours. At that point the display showed 5%. Not using audio or IR.

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You can pretty much throw all your math out the window.

The 20w panel is adequate but your storage idea is lacking. Forget battery banks. They just dont have the capacity and its very difficult to find any that are pass through. You need real batteries and a solar controller to regulate the voltage down to 5vdc and to control the charging. Youll have to match the controller to the type of battery so pick your batteries first. A lot of people (myself included) have used a deep cycle marine battery and others have gone with motorcycle type batteries. I started with four 6vdc batteries and added another pair when I thought that wasnt enough.

As you can see, it isnt cheap. Both my projects were pushing $200 by the time I was done but both have been online for a couple of years and neither ever went dark.

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Without knowing distance from nearest wall outlet to end of driveway, have you considered running low voltage landscaping lighting wire. Typically lights maybe run by an 12 vac transformer. The wires are rated for direct burial, but would suggest running thru pvc conduit. Feeding 12vdc would allow for voltage drop, and then a 12vdc -5v dc dc (or 12vac-5vdc) converter. Less parts. Might also put a wireless wyze or other switch on the ac power in case the camera locks up and needs a power cycle. If you really want solar could feed a long wire with the solar, Might be easier to have panels closer to house, and switch to battery or ac power when there’s no solar. Might also need to factor outdoor temperature effect on battery capacity.

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I have buried both 12vdc and 120vac lines for various applications so solar would be for when neither of those solutions seemed best for the location. You also have to consider hardscape, established landscaping and distance before you start trenching.

It doesn’t take far before buriable wire, transformers, converters and watertight connectors are more expensive that panels, controllers and batteries.

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Missed the comment “no way to realistically get power here” Another issue might be getting reliable wifi signal to the location.

There’s also some skill needed to fabricate a weatherproof remote power supply that will resist whatever the local conditions are. The author did not provide details on damage to yard - if its human vandals or hungry animals that could possibly attack the equipment.

Getting remote power might allow for expansion like flood lights or charger for electric fence

First thing I would get is a $10.99 USB digital multi meter that plugs into your usb power supply and shows voltage and current. This can help you troubleshoot voltage and current problems that seemed to occur with daisy chained v2 cameras. If the voltage is dropping too much the camera will get stuck and can’t power up.

A short list of possible items from amazon not knowing the required cable length
Title Comments Price Quantity Has
SOCKiTBOX – Weatherproof Connection Box – I Offered by E SHOPPE. $23.99 1
eoocvt DC Converter Buck Module 12V Convert to 5V USB Offered by eoocvt. $11.58 1
Low Voltage Wire - Outdoor Direct Burial (14/2 Black, 100ft)Offered by FRUDRIK.$35.99
DC12V 2A Power Supply Adapter, SANSUN AC100-240V to DC12V Transformers, Switching Power Supply for 12V LED Strip Lights, 12 Volt 2 Amp Power Adaptor, 2.1mm X 5.5mm US Plug (1pcs)Offered by SANSUN Direct. $6.99 1

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I am getting my toes wet with solar. Bought some cheap stuff off wish.com and frankensteined a flexible solar panel, charge controller, and a 12 volt gel cell battery.

Been sitting in a box waiting for sunnier weather.

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Would be nice to have a wireless power monitor that would give status of your power supply other than the v3 camera online or not.