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

[RE Ellison]

Mick,

I hesitate to recommend the following but they will work and only draw 12
watts. I hate to because some of the reviews are horrible.

Harbor Freight has a 4 camera unit with a 500 gig HD it draws 12 watts on my
Brand power meter, on the AC side. I see no reason it could not  run battery
direct off a 12 volt battery, but the top voltages might be too much. But
hell if it is 12 watts AC who cares!

They are supposed to be connectable to an Ethernet for sending to a remote
computer but I have never done it. It comes with 4 cameras with "night
vision" don't bet on any distance.

 

This would allow them to shut off the computer ad save that power draw.

 

Wall mart has a similar unit that handles 8 cameras, I think it comes with
4.

 

I have a computer based system here and the battery draw is horrendous. I
will have one of these at some point, hopefully soon.

 

Just my thoughts,

Bob Ellison  

 

 

From: re-wrenches-bounces at lists.re-wrenches.org
[mailto:re-wrenches-bounces at lists.re-wrenches.org] On Behalf Of Mick Abraham
Sent: Tuesday, August 06, 2013 7:41 PM
To: RE-wrenches
Subject: [RE-wrenches] Security cameras for off grid home: Who has a low
wattage solution?

 

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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