Who is the "Solar Master Mind" on this thread?

[J-Fish]

Looking for some solar help..... Just purchased a cellular camera at the Houston hunting show. Also purchased there solar panel with internal batteries.... I stand is in a river bottom out in Menard area, so I set it up here at the house in a slightly shaded area. Sure enough the batteries went dead after a few days.

So, I am looking to upgrade the Solar panel and go to a larger battery to give me a larger buffer for charging and battery.

So, no clue how to properly figure out what I would need.... So many variables on panel wattage and battery amps per hour etc.... HELP!

I purchased a high end locally made feeder 4 years ago... it has a solar panel on it.... in 4 years I have never done a thing to it except put feed it in.... its that reliable, I want this new camera battery and charging system to be that reliable, under the partial shade of the river bottom cover.

So, who knows the math on what I need to put together?

[Fishndude]

Brand of camera would help.

[J-Fish]

Brand of camera would help.

Snyper


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[BolilloLoco]

Cameras use a lot more power than a corn feeder. So you mite have your work cut out for you without direct sunlight. You mite have to run some conduit and remote mount the solar panel. How far away is the sunlight?

[J-Fish]

Cameras use a lot more power than a corn feeder. So you mite have your work cut out for you without direct sunlight. You mite have to run some conduit and remote mount the solar panel. How far away is the sunlight?

I was thinking about that. I believe I have a decent opening about 25 yards away. I know that shorter is better, but what’s doable? Can I simple up size the panel and expect improved results?


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[Pedernal]

Cameras use a lot more power than a corn feeder. So you mite have your work cut out for you without direct sunlight. You mite have to run some conduit and remote mount the solar panel. How far away is the sunlight?

^^^This is one of the simplest things you can do. expose the solar panel to full sun.

I was thinking about that. I believe I have a decent opening about 25 yards away. I know that shorter is better, but what’s doable? Can I simple up size the panel and expect improved results?


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A large panel and or a larger battery (for power storage) will also help solve the problem. Not an expert on solar, but I bet it's going to be impossible to guesstimate the power output of a partially shaded panel. Additionally, a lot is going to depend on how many pics the camera takes regularly.

[BolilloLoco]

I was thinking about that. I believe I have a decent opening about 25 yards away. I know that shorter is better, but what’s doable? Can I simple up size the panel and expect improved results?


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I’ve never mounted one that far away. So I can’t offer any first hand experience. But right now I have a Spartan Go Cam with 6v 42aH battery and remote mounted 2watt solar panel that has been running flawlessly. Battery is mounted below the cam and panel is 10-12ft away. I used 18ga wire to make the connection.

[BBReezen]

Get a 29 series deep cycle marine battery and a huge solar panel. They have some pretty big solar panels at Northern Tool.

I have a deep cycle marine battery and it used to run 2 halogen spotlights (1,000,000+cp) from dark to morning during coyote contests. Don’t see a camera pulling as much as those and if you have a big enough panel to charge it back up. No direct sunlight will hurt you. I have had home made feeder lights suffer because of cloudy days. Next day would be sunny and not have any hiccups