Portable Power for Video Surveillance 2016
Sometimes you need power for your video surveillance equipment but do not have convenient access to mains electricity, such as:
- Demonstrating or trying out a camera in the field to see the quality and coverage area of the video
- Testing cameras to measure relative performance (like our tests) in remote outdoor locations
- Conducting temporary surveillance for an event or activity
Over the course of 400+ surveillance tests, we have used a variety of equipment for these purposes. In this report, we review our experiences in what worked best for powering cameras and other equipment for short-term testing.
Portable Power Options
We explored multiple options for power while performing testing, eventually settling on three options, which we will detail below:
- Portable Battery Packs
- Veracity PointSource
- Rollable Industrial Battery Packs
Note: there are other options, such as generators, solar systems, and fuels cells which we decided were not appropriate for our testing applications, but which may be a good fit for temporary power for other users.
***************
*** ******** *******, *** ******* *** power ***** **** ****** ** ** the **** ****** ** *** *****, much ******* **** *** ****** ******* rolling ******* **** (~*.* ***. **. ~60), and **** ****** *** **** **** older ***** ******* *****.
*** ****** *******, *** ******** *********** is ***** *** **** ********, ******** option, ****** ***** ******* ***** ***** than ***.*** *** * ****** ****** will **** ** *** ******* ******, such ** *** ******* *** ***** pack **** ***** *** ******* ** 802.3at ******.
Portable ******* ***** *****
***** ***** *********** ******* ** * rechargeable *******/********* *** ** ********, ********* 120VAC, ****** **** **** ******* ***** outputs. ********** ******** **** ** *** power *****, **** ******, *** ***********, and *** **** ******** *** **** available, ********* ** *** *****.
** **** ***** ** ****** *** physical ******** ** * ******* *** battery ****:
*** ** **** ***, ** **** at ** *****, ***** ******** ******** model:
*** (*** ********): ******* *** *********
***** **** ******** ***** ***** ******* sealed **** **** (***) *********, ******* Ion ****** **** ****** *********, ********* greater ******* *** *** **** ****** or *******. *** *******, ***** **** ****** (** ****** ********* & ************-****) ******** ***** ** ** *-**** switch *** **** *.*-* *****, *** li-ion ***** ** ****** *** **** to ***** * ****** *** **** cameras *** **** * *****.
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*** **** *********** *** ******* ***** is ********* ******* ** ******** ******* or ***** *******. *** **-*** ***** we ****** ****** ******* ***** ***** for ******* ******* ** **** ************ (**** as ***** *********) *** ******* *****.
***** ******* ** **** * ****** camera *** **** *** ******** *********** more *********. *******, *** *********** ******** only ***.*** ** ***** *****, ***** users *** ******* ***** ********, *********, or ***** ******** ** *** ***** pack's ** *******, ****** ** ****** for ******* ***.*** **** ** ***** illuminators, *** *******.
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** ****** *** "******" ***** **** ** ****** *** ~$*** ***. *******, **** *** **** ** found ************* ******* ********* *** ****, ~$***-*** depending ** ********.
*** ***** ** ****** *** *** following ********:
- * ** ******* (************* ****, *** only **)
- * ***** *******
- * *** ***** *****
- ** ** ***** ******** (****** "***** charge" ** *** ******)
- *** **** *****
Veracity ***********
********'* *********** [**** ** ****** *********] is * ****-*********, *******-******* *** ********, supplying * ******* ** **.* ***** (802.3af) ** * ****** ******. ** may **** ****** ***** ***** *** two ****** ********* ** *** *** of *** ****, *** ******* ***** are *** ***-*******. *** ** ******** through *** ** *** **** *****, with *** ***** ***** * ***-******* pass-through *** ********** ** * ****** to *** ******.
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*** *********** *** * *** ***** uses:
***** **** *****/*******
** *** *****, *** *********** *** been ******* ** ******** * ****** camera *** *-* *****. **** ******** is **** ****** *** ******* ***** or ** ***** *******, *** ********** for ***-*** ** ********* ***, ***** would ****** ******* * ****** ******* pack (**** ** *** **-*** *** above ** ******, *****).
************* *** ******/********
******, ****** ** **** *** ****** it ************, ** ***** ****** ** to ****** * **** ***'* *** aiming/focusing/configuring *******, *** ** *** ************ nature ** ***. **** ** ********** useful ** ****** **** ************ ******** where ******* *** ** ********* (***** by ** ********** **********) ****** ******* equipment, ******** ***** ** ******* ***** tasks ****** ************ ** ********.
*******
*** *********** *** ** ***** ****** for***** $***. **** **** ******* ********** ********* *********** ********* *** ******** ************ is ********* ** ****, ****** **** more *********~$*** ******.
Larger ******** ********** ******* *****
***** ****** *** *********** ******* ******* of *** ******** ******* ***** ********* above, **** ****** *********, ** * rolling **** ******. *** *******, *** ******* ****** **** (***** ** **** **** ** *** testing) ******** * ** ***-**** ******* and ********, ***** *** **** ** the ******* *** ***** **** (****).
******** ** ***** *******, *** ****** is ***** (~**"***"***") *** *****, ***** 60 ***. ****** *** **** ** not ********* *** ** *** *****, rubberized ******. *** **** ******** **** the *** *******, ** **/*** ******, and * ******* ********* *****, ******** in **** *****:
********, ** ** ****** **** ***** options. *******, ** ** ***** *******, about **"***" *** **" ****. ** is ********** *****, ** ***** ** lbs. *** ****** ** **** ******** distributed, ***** *** ******* ** ******* to *** ****, ***** ***** ******** it ******* ** *****. ****** *** unit ** *** * *******, *******, due ** *** *****, ********** ******.
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*** ******-**** ******* ** ******** *******, high-capacity, ******* ******* ***** *** * good ******. ** *** *****, ***** hours ** ******** * ******, *-**** PoE ******, *** *** ******* **** less **** **% ** *** ******* capacity ** *** ******* **** ** chose. ***** ***** **** ***** *********** run * ****** ****** ** * temporary **********, *** ****** ******* *** demo ********, ** ******** ********, *** over ** *****.
*******
*** ****** **** *** ** ***** online ******** $*** *** **, ******* ** ***** ** *** lower ******** **-*** ******* ****.
**********
******* ******* *********** ******* ******** ** propane-powered **********. *** ******** ** *******, however, ** ********* ******* *******. ***** we ******* **** ******* ** ******, carrying **** *** *** ***** ** a ********* *** **** ********** **** using *******-******* *****.
** ******** **** *** ***** *** non-issues *** *****, *** ******* ** testing ** ***** ** ** **** on ******* ********, ********** *** ** an ******. *** ********* ** ********** over ******* ******* ** **** **** may ** *** ************ ** **** as **** *** ******** *********. ** contrast, ******* ******* **** ** ******** when ***.
********* *******
******** ********** * ******* ***** ***** *** members, ********* ** *** ** **** load (****) *** *.* ***** ** .6 ******* ** ***. ** *************, and **** ******** ** ****, **** are *****, ***** ** **** **** max, **** ***** ******* ***** ** most *********. **** **** ***** **** than ******* ******* **** ** *** Xantrex ****, **** *** ******* ******** under ** ***. *** ******* *** be ***** ****** ******** $*** *** **.
Other *******
*** ******* **** ** ***** ** felt **** *** *********** *** ********, temporary ***: ***** *** **** ****. Both ** ***** ******* **** ***** applications (** ***** ***** ************ ****). *** ******** ***, *******, **** are *********** ** ****-***********.
*****
*** *******, ***** *** *** ** option *** **, ****** *** ** the **** ** *** ***** ****** to ******** *** ******* ** ********. Again, ***** ** ******* ******* ** public, ** ****** ** ** ** inconspicuous ** ********. *** **** ********* applications, ** ****, ***** ** **** complex **** ***** *******. * ******-******** generator ** ****** *** ******** *** to ***** * ****** ** ******* for ******** **** ** * ******** setup.
**** ****
*** ********* ** ***-***-**** ************ ***** no ***** ****** *** ***** ******, fuel **** ******* *** ******** ** interesting ******, ** ****'** ********* ******** for ******-**** *****, *** ***** **** testing ** ** *******. ************, ****'** expensive. *** ******** *****, ******* ** supporting * **** ****, ******* ****** for $*,*** ** ****, ****** **** expensive **** ******* *******.