You would only lose half the power using a linear regulator. A switching regulator can be 90+% efficient.
If you want small, a lithium battery is the way to go. You can get solar charging / lithium battery products already built that output the 5V you need. They call them solar phone chargers. But the beware, most are not sufficient for to run a 1A load continuously.

Bob

Good to know, I'll see if I can find a 1A system.

 

that would be 2.5W X 24 hours = 52.5 watt-hours of power in a day.

Is this a mistake? 2.5Wx24h=60Wh

 

Good to know, I'll see if I can find a 1A system.

It’ more complicated than that. The solar must be able to produce enough power to give you a days usage in about 4 hours and the battery must be big enough to run it for several days

I have had solar running my home for 3 months now, and it has produced, on average, ipeak power x 4.4 hours a day. On the worst days it has produced less than 1 hour worth over the whole day, and on the best days 6.5 hours worth.

Bob

 

It’ more complicated than that. The solar must be able to produce enough power to give you a days usage in about 4 hours and the battery must be big enough to run it for several days

I have had solar running my home for 3 months now, and it has produced, on average, ipeak power x 4.4 hours a day. On the worst days it has produced less than 1 hour worth over the whole day, and on the best days 6.5 hours worth.

Bob

What I'm currently looking at is this 20W panel plus controller (or the 30W version), a little 12V 7.2 Ah SLA battery, and a 12V to 5V converter to connect the battery to the camera.

I found a map that says my location gets 4.2 hours of peak sun per day on average.

20W*4.2h=84Wh from the panel.
The battery can hold 86.4 Wh.
And the camera probably needs about 60 Wh per day.

As a dependable security camera, that's probably not enough power, but for wildlife it should be okay.

 

Is this a mistake? 2.5Wx24h=60Wh

Yes.
My finger must have slipped on my calculator.

 

With that combo I expect you would lose a day or two per week. Double the panel and battery would be better .

Is the camera usable at night without additional lighting?

Bob

 

What is the security problem? Wild bears?

 

With that combo I expect you would lose a day or two per week. Double the panel and battery would be better .

Is the camera usable at night without additional lighting?

I think so. The site says it has night vision, which I think is infrared.

What is the security problem? Wild bears?

Lol, no we were thinking to be able to point it at the lake to watch wildlife, and if we wanted, move it somewhere nearer the house as a security cam for wild humans.

 

An infrared camera requires illumination, which would be out of the question for continuous video. I have an IR trail cam (still) with motion sensor so it only uses the LEDs as a flash, but it still eats batteries.

Bob

 

An infrared camera requires illumination, which would be out of the question for continuous video. I have an IR trail cam (still) with motion sensor so it only uses the LEDs as a flash, but it still eats batteries.

Bob

Well this camera is meant to run off an outlet, so I don't see why it wouldn't keep them on all night.

The max current it says it takes is 1A. So if it's closer to that with IR lights, I'd probably need a 30 or 40W panel instead of 20 and maybe a somewhat larger battery.

 

I finally looked at the camera. That is not using IR, it is simply sensitive enough for use in low light.

How are you going to protect that indoor camera from the elements? I would b looking for one designed for outdoor use.

Edited to add: many of them have a solar panel option.

Bob

 

I finally looked at the camera. That is not using IR, it is simply sensitive enough for use in low light.

How are you going to protect that indoor camera from the elements? I would b looking for one designed for outdoor use.

Edited to add: many of them have a solar panel option.

Bob

Oh oops, I posted the wrong Reolink camera. This one is weatherproof and has infrared LEDs. But you're right, it does seem to require more power. It's 12V and power consumption <12W, versus the 5W max power of the one I posted. So that one probably won't work.

From what I've seen, all the solar security cameras only do motion detection because their panels/batteries aren't big enough for continuous.

The Wyze camera actually is weatherproof and 5V/1A. No infrared, but that's not a huge deal.

 

I'm thinking of buying a Wifi Camera and hooking it up to a solar panel and battery, to use as a wireless security/nature camera with 24/7 streaming.

I'm looking at 12V camera from Reolink or a 5V camera from Wyze. And I was recommended this solar kit.

I've never done anything with solar or rechargeable batteries before, so I want to make sure I know what I'm doing. Would I need to choose a 12V or 5V battery depending on which camera I get? Does the controller in the solar kit allow you to adjust output voltage depending on which battery I'm charging? Should the battery be lithium ion?

Is there a cheaper way to do a solar setup, i.e. just a solar panel hooked up to a battery without the controller, or is that necessary? Would it be cheaper to buy a solar panel and controller separately?

Is the 20W solar panel more power than needed?

Didnt read all the posts yet.

Li-ion is the best but you have to know how to charge it properly or bad things can happen. Look that up.

The way it would go is you would use the solar panel to charge the batteries, then use the batteries to power the camera(s).
You probably have or should have a base unit also that records the video, and that often runs on 12v DC. If your cameras run on 12v DC too then you got it made just run everything off of the battery.
If you have a 5v camera then you have to run that from 5v so you should use a buck converter to run that if you use 12v batteries.
If you use Li-ion cells that are 3.5 to 4.2 volts, then you probably need a boost circuit to run the 5v stuff.

Charging Lead Acid isnt too hard to do but there are some things you have to know there there.
Whatever battery chemistry you want to use you should study the best ways to charge so you get long life and no fires.

 

You probably have or should have a base unit also that records the video, and that often runs on 12v DC.

I'm not sure I'd need the base unit. The camera I'm looking at streams the video directly to a computer over wifi.

no fires.

Yes, this would be preferable. I'll research battery safety.

 

I'm not sure I'd need the base unit. The camera I'm looking at streams the video directly to a computer over wifi.



Yes, this would be preferable. I'll research battery safety.

How are you going to run the computer? Unless it is within 300 feet of the camera, you’ll have problems.

 

How are you going to run the computer? Unless it is within 300 feet of the camera, you’ll have problems.

It'd go through the router, not directly to the computer, I would assume. And we were thinking to have a Wifi extender on the outside of the house.

 

A dedicated solar charger comes in the same black box.
BQ24210

 

A dedicated solar charger comes in the same black box.
BQ24210

What black box?

 

What black box?

The one that surrounds the components between the solar panel and the battery, and with sophisticated functionality.

 

The one that surrounds the components between the solar panel and the battery, and with sophisticated functionality.

Are you referring to a specific product mentioned in this thread?