[RE-wrenches] Security cameras for off grid home: Who has a low wattage solution?

[Jason Szumlanski]

This is not a full answer toy our question, but I wanted to point out that
live remote viewing is not a 24/7 need usually. I have set up a monitoring
solution where the router, wifi, modem shut down on a timer at night and a
DVR captures camera video from selected night cameras with IR. This can cut
the energy requirement dramatically. If you do not need to send video over
the Internet at times, this might be something to explore.

There are plenty of PCs that draw far less than 100W, but I'm guessing it
needs a PCI card for the camera input. That's a bummer. A laptop would be
ideal.

I am interested if anyone has any low power consumption ideas.

Jason Szumlanski
Fafco Solar





On Tue, Aug 6, 2013 at 7:41 PM, Mick Abraham <mick at abrahamsolar.com> wrote:

> Hello, all~
>
> My client likes to watch what's going on at his remote cabin while he's
> away. The problem is the energy impact on his battery system resulting from
> the presently deployed system.
>
> +++++++++++++++++++++++++
>
> They're running a Windows XP desktop computer, circa 2010. That has
> software loaded which collects the video from about five cameras then the
> computer sequences that data out beyond the firewall, through the satellite
> modem, uplinked to Hughesnet then eventually can be viewed by my client far
> away.
>
> It's amazing this can work at all but just the computer box is ~100 watts
> running, 24/7. The cameras are relatively low in their wattage demand, and
> of course there's the satellite modem plus a router for the LAN "local area
> network" which are also relatively low wattage.
>
> If we were attempting "energy triage", the satellite modem and LAN wifi
> router are most justifiable in terms of their energy impact relative to the
> benefit my client receives while at the cabin. The cameras are next most
> justifiable but of course those are useless without some way to serve the
> data, but the power demand for that computer is making me cranky...and we
> don't want cranky.
>
> +++++++++++++++++++++++++
>
> I think beginning with the Windoze operating system is one of the errors
> here but of course the video software is built for that OS. Surely someone
> sells a video streamer that's built from the ground up for this purpose and
> maybe running Java or some other code that's more appropriate to this
> solitary task. ...and surely that only needs a small percentage of the
> power demanded by a full blown Windows box.
>
> OK, I've done my part in describing the challenge. Now it's up to the crew
> to name that product! Just kidding; I will do some more legwork but it's
> often the case that the Wrenchies have already invented the wheel.
>
> The Wrench List is the Bomb! Thanks & Jolliness,
>
> Mick Abraham, Proprietor
> www.abrahamsolar.com
>
> Voice: 970-731-4675
>
>
>
>
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