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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:20.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>Mick,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:20.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>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.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:20.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>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!<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:20.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>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.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:20.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:20.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>This would allow them to shut off the computer ad save that power draw.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:20.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:20.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>Wall mart has a similar unit that handles 8 cameras, I think it comes with 4.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:20.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:20.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>I have a computer based system here and the battery draw is horrendous. I will have one of these at some point, hopefully soon.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:20.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:20.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>Just my thoughts,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:20.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>Bob Ellison <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:16.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:16.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><div style='border:none;border-top:solid #B5C4DF 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in'><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'>From:</span></b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'> re-wrenches-bounces@lists.re-wrenches.org [mailto:re-wrenches-bounces@lists.re-wrenches.org] <b>On Behalf Of </b>Mick Abraham<br><b>Sent:</b> Tuesday, August 06, 2013 7:41 PM<br><b>To:</b> RE-wrenches<br><b>Subject:</b> [RE-wrenches] Security cameras for off grid home: Who has a low wattage solution?<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><div><p class=MsoNormal>Hello, all~<o:p></o:p></p><div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal>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. <o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal>+++++++++++++++++++++++++<o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal>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. <o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal>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. <o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal>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. <o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal>+++++++++++++++++++++++++<o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal>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.<o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal>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. <o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal>The Wrench List is the Bomb! Thanks & Jolliness,<o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div><div><div><p class=MsoNormal>Mick Abraham, Proprietor<br><a href="http://www.abrahamsolar.com" target="_blank">www.abrahamsolar.com</a><br><br>Voice: 970-731-4675<o:p></o:p></p></div></div></div></div></body></html>