We realize
this may be confusing. Here's some info which could be useful.
12v
DC & 24v AC POWER ISSUES
1.
Are there any concerns I should know regarding
voltage or powering equipment?
2. What kind of run time can I expect from
a 9 volt battery or your #BAT-1 battery pack?
3. How quickly will my car's battery drain
when mobile equipment is plugged into cigarette lighter?
4. Why is using a "regulated" power
supply so important & how do I know if I have one?
5. Can I use rechargeable batteries with
your equipment?
Q1:
Are there any concerns I should know regarding voltage or powering
equipment?
A1:
Yes! It is absolutely critical that you properly use the correct
power supply (regulated ac/dc
transformer or battery pack) for your camera and/ or transmitter,
receiver,
etc.. Failure to do so may result in irreversible damage to- or
complete failure of- your equipment. The two main causes of damage
or failure are using improper polarity (direction in which the
electricity current and signals flow) or using too much voltage.
We make it too easy for you to get the right stuff to power your
equipment (most items include FREE power supplies of the correct
type)- so please don't be a "do-it-your-selfer" when
it comes to power. See below for more information on why a regulated
power supply is so important. Back
to top-->
Q2: What kind of run time
can I expect from a 9 volt battery or your #BAT-1 battery pack?
A2:
It depends on what equipment you're running and what kind of power
source you're using. Even though most of our CCD
cameras can accept a typical 9 volt alkaline
battery, the run time will be VERY LOW (about 30-45 minutes
before the required voltage or output falls too low to give the
camera adequate power drive and consumption). However, if you
use our BAT-1 battery pack with 8 fresh AA alkalines- it can power
most of our small cameras for over 24 hours. Connecting additional
equipment, like a #TX-4X
transmitter, to the same battery pack (with a Y power adapter)
will run both camera and transmitter for about 12-15 hours. Adding
a microphone will affect run time only very slightly as its current
requirements are only about 1/10 that of a camera or transmitter.
Use of our #BAT-AAA battery packs will provide up to 12 hours
or so for a pinhole
camera and 4-7 for most camera and transmitter combinations.
*Warning: when using battery packs, you must put each battery
in proper marked order. Otherwise, batteries will cause problems
in performance and may even explode! Back
to top-->
Q3: How quickly will my
car's battery drain when 'mobile' equipment is plugged into cigarette
lighter?
A3:
If your car, truck, van, etc. has a relatively new battery, it
should be able to run a lot of this equipment for fairly long
periods of time (up to a week or more). The average car battery
is generally rated for 300-500 amps.
Our average camera only draws 100mA
of current (or 1/10 of one ampere per hour)- so a camera may run
for week or more. A mobile 12 volt dc
VCR
or DVR
generally uses between 1-1.5 amps and will therefore drain it
much more quickly- but still be able to operate for a fairly long
time. *TECH NOTE: An electronic device will only consume as much
power as it needs and does not create an additional drain beyond
that. So, if a device only draws 100mA and it is powered by a
source supplying 500mA, 1000mA- it is not being "over-powered"
(as long as the power supply has the proper voltage, polarity
and connection). *Warning: Never use automotive power without
a FUSED connection as it could be hazardous. Back
to top-->
Q4: Why is using a "regulated"
power supply so important & how do I know if I have one?
A4:
If you intend to power low voltage DC
equipment with AC
(standard 110v in United States) wall current, you MUST use a
regulated ac-dc
transformer, also known as a power supply. Low voltage transformer
boxes are all around us, powering telephone / answering equipment,
computer accessories, and many other consumer electronics. A quality
12 volt dc regulated power supply puts out just 12 volts and no
more. An UNREGULATED 12v dc power supply may actually (when tested
on meter) be producing up to 25 volts or more! This will overdrive
the circuitry in your electronic device and may cause instant
failure or overheating. So, even though you have a few extra transformers
laying around in a drawer- they probably don't have either: 1)
the right polarity, 2) the truly correct voltage or 3) the proper
plugs sizes for a nice tight fit and good signal.
And don't be fooled by buzzwords like "filtered output"-
unless it specifically reads "REGULATED CURRENT"- it's
an unregulated supply!
*WARNING: No warranty will be honored unless the proper power
supply or battery pack was used- no exceptions and no sympathy!!
Back
to top-->
Q5: Can I use rechargeable
batteries with your equipment?
A5:
You certainly can use rechargeable batteries. Nickel metal hydride
batteries are always recommended over nickel cadmium (NI-CAD)
due to the main weakness of ni-cads being "memory fade"
which may result in their inability to take or hold a charge.
Memory fade is irreversible and batteries with the condition must
be replaced. *NOTE: Alkaline
batteries in AA, AAA, C or D sizes produce 1.5 volts each.
Their rechargeable equivalents produce only 1.2 volts each- so
it will require more of them in series to produce the same voltage.
8 rechargeable batteries in our BAT-1 pack will produce 9.6 volts
rather than 12 volts- which is ok for all of our miniature covert
CCD
cameras (but not enough voltage
for some transmitters,
receivers
or Infrared cameras).
Many specialty battery stores are popping up and can be a good
source for custom packs. There you can purchase 10 rechargeable
batteries of your desired size and type (the bigger and heavier
ones often supply more power but not always) and have them custom
wired in series for a usually nominal fee.
Back
to top-->
