How about 6v or 9v LiFePo4 lithium batteries. Anybody play with any of these yet? Doing some research, may need charge controller even with low watt panels. Steady voltage, high cycle rates. Starting to find some at reasonable prices, compatible with good SLAs. Should last much longer than SLAs. Like lithium flashlight battery, 3.2v per cell, so 6.4, 9.6, 12.8 volt available similar aH ratings to the SLAs we have.
Cuddeback external battery and solar run times
- Thread starter ajtxwi
- Start date
ajtxwi
5 year old buck +
I looked into the LiFePo4 batteries, but expert power (manufacturer) told me that they have, "a battery management system to protect the battery from damage by keeping discharging when temperature drops below the freezing point. " January and February definitely see lots of days below freezing... maybe that would be a good thing - if the camera goes down for a few days from time to time, is that such a bad thing? I think the Lithium batteries need a different type of charge controller though. How are the temps in your area again?
ajtxwi
5 year old buck +
too funny (bad)... the cameras that I have deployed with larger solar panels (20 watts) seem to take fewer pictures than the less conspicuous setups. Why would the deer avoid a solar panel, but walk up to within 50 feet of my house? I'll keep experimenting.
I know this is on here somewhere but I cant find it. Sorry for the repetition. I just bought 2 solar panels to try them out. The cameras currently have the internal 6D packs. I believe I saw that you need to take all the battery’s out of the camera and only run it on solar. You also change the battery setting once the camera Is running on solar right? Thank you for the help. Anything else?
File may be too large. If you're attaching Cuddeback solar panel, either put rechargeable batteries in 6D backs or run empty. Do Not put alkaline batteries in cameras with solar. 6 D size rechargeables are 1.2vx6 for 7.2v, same as internal battery in 3601 panel. Solar will try to keep both topped off. You can hook up older 3501 to just charge internal D's. No Alkalines!!!!!
Not going to recommend non-cudde panels. We're using external 12v battery with cuddeback PW-3617 voltage reducing cables, with various solar panels recharging the external 12v battery.
The attached file, should be on Cuddeback site under support.
Down here in NC, extended below freezing only once in a while. Read stats on weise lifepo4 said operates to -20, and for 12v max charge 14.4v. not going to guarantee what they listed in specs. $49 for 10ah, 12v.
ajtxwi
5 year old buck +
interesting... I am ok with the battery shutting down / no pictures when temperature is below negative 20 degrees. $49 is also a good price for lifepo4 batteries. here in WI, it stays below freezing for extended periods, but only a handful (or two) of days below negative 20. I was pretty impressed with my SLA connected to solar test this winter though... only kicked off for about 4 days, then came back on.
ajtxwi
5 year old buck +
Well, finally got back to the field and set up four more cameras with external batteries and solar. Odd though, I have three cameras that run fine and send lots of pics every day, except that the battery days keep resetting to zero (0) each day. Any ideas as to why? I did notice that during camera set up, the only battery options for 4D, 6D, etc... I picked 4D and hooked up the external battery.
john volkman
5 year old buck +
battery days resetting typically means you have some sort of power issue going on.
ajtxwi
5 year old buck +
I was hoping it was a battery setting, but a power issue is what I figured... hopefully, it is the solar not getting quite enough sunlight and over the next couple of weeks, the leaves will be gone. My tests revealed that a 20watt panel should be able to do it in shaded environments, but maybe the battery was not quite topped off at deployment or maybe the shade was just too much! Thank you for the info. Assuming that if the battery days are resetting to zero and then showing up in the daily reports, they must be getting some power and coming back online each day.
Cold night's?? Which batteries, how old? Yeap, something causing short term power drop. Slap some 4D backs on for backup. Check the amperage pull of cams, normal idle is about 0.8 to 1.2. I had one pulling 28-30 mah even turned off. Cuddeback condemned it, no idea what they found or didn't find.
ajtxwi
5 year old buck +
Have had a few cold nights (into the 20's and 30's), but I am getting some battery day resets even in the 40's and 50's. I have some 12AH batteries from the local hardware store (do not remember what brand). I'll be able to visit them in December (brrr...) and will hopefully be able to pull one or two down and take some voltage and amperage readings. I'll consider the 4D back option, but only as the last resort - I have been attempting to find a way to keep from using D cell batteries and having to replace them so often as I am away from the property for months at a time. How do you measure amperage pull of the camera? In the past, I had only been able to estimate that they pulled about 1 to 2 Wh per day based on the decline rate of 4 D cell batteries over a couple of months.
DCA 20mah on multimeter, positive to disconnected + wire at battery, negative to + terminal on battery. Now power runs through multimeter. It'll jump above scale when taking pics and/or flash, so switch to 200mah as desired. Can also see solar input to battery. Voltage is only piece of pie.
I'm loosing faith in SLAs. I've run a little Moultrie for thousands of pics off one without solar, but if they get pulled down, they get worthless quick.
ajtxwi
5 year old buck +
awesome. Yes, still working with SLA's. I try to take some measurements when I get back (in December). You had previously mentioned getting LiFePo4. Have you found a good one that you like? About what size and did you get a charge controller for it?
I've got one, but haven't deployed. Don't think I'll need charge controller if I stay in the 5-7 watt panel range. Except for my home unit an car battery, the other ten are on either 3501s or 3600s and doing good. I am able to get sun on them for about 3-4 hours a day. They will go low if we have a couple of cloudy days, but come back. Diesel prices limiting my trips to deploy more systems.
Pre-Rut kicking in and gun season this weekend, so more trips.
ajtxwi
5 year old buck +
Well, it has been about 60 days since deploying my last three external batteries with solar panels and the oddity continues. The maximum run time for cameras 2, 3 and 4 is about 7 days before the battery resets. I am thinking more and more that maybe the batteries were not quite topped off before deployment and if I get a few cloudy days in a row, they turn off. If I could get more than a few days of sunshine in a row, they might get over the hump and go the distance. Luckily, they restart every day and I have yet to lose a camera for more than one day. @JonJ - I am still going to take your recommendations for taking voltage / amp measurements... just not going to be there until late December.
