Battery Pack Battle Royal (PC8 - B-130X - BAB-95)

[Panzer Platform]

@Vortex Radar It’s finally here, hooray.
The companion video to @rcg530 February shootout.
I’ve been waiting 5 months to tell this joke. lol
My video is the worst.

 

[Vortex Radar]

lol, it's great to see them all together like this! Apologies for taking so long to submit my contribution.

Also a big thanks to @rcg530 for catching a mistake on my end! The Thinkware only supports 12v, not also 24. Whoops! I wrote it down wrong in my notes...

There's been a bunch of good questions in the video comments and I'm staying up late tonight doing more research and prep for a followup video going over different battery technologies and alternatives to these 3 batteries.

 

[Panzer Platform]

There's been a bunch of good questions in the video comments

On a scale of 1 to Face Palm, how emotionally drained are you when you read comments complaining about;
“Too expensive”
“I’ll just use my $50 Anker”
“Why not install a deep cycle boat battery under the hood?”
“Scam Alert”
Dash Cam battery packs have to be the hardest sell of any product I’ve ever seen.
It’s like trying to sell ice to Eskimos, or ketchup to a Gourmet Chef.

The one thing I would like to see integrated into dash cam battery packs is the capability to connect a small $20 10 Watt solar panel.
That way during daytime parking mode situations a fully charged battery pack can remain at 100% until the sun goes down.
I think that's the majority of parking mode user applications, (8AM - 5PM) when their car is parked at the office.
Also I would like to see built-in LCD display like the new 150Wh iROAD not sold in the US.
OK, I guess that's two.

 

[ly-70mai]

The efficiency of the solar panels under the windshield is too low (the front windshield seems to cut too much sunlight energy?), have you actually measured how much power this solution can replenish throughout the day? In addition, the high temperature under the windshield seems to shorten the life of most solar panels.

 

[ly-70mai]

On a scale of 1 to Face Palm, how emotionally drained are you when you read comments complaining about;
“Too expensive”
“I’ll just use my $50 Anker”
“Why not install a deep cycle boat battery under the hood?”
“Scam Alert”
Dash Cam battery packs have to be the hardest sell of any product I’ve ever seen.
It’s like trying to sell ice to Eskimos, or ketchup to a Gourmet Chef.

The one thing I would like to see integrated into dash cam battery packs is the capability to connect a small $20 10 Watt solar panel.
That way during daytime parking mode situations a fully charged battery pack can remain at 100% until the sun goes down.
I think that's the majority of parking mode user applications, (8AM - 5PM) when their car is parked at the office.
Also I would like to see built-in LCD display like the new 150Wh iROAD not sold in the US.
OK, I guess that's two.
View attachment 65669

The efficiency of the solar panels under the windshield is too low (the front windshield seems to cut too much sunlight energy?), have you actually measured how much power this solution can replenish throughout the day? In addition, the high temperature under the windshield seems to shorten the life of most solar panels.

 

[Panzer Platform]

have you actually measured how much power this solution can replenish throughout the day?

Yes. You only need 5 Watts of "solar panel power" to run the average 2-channel dash cam.
A $20 10 Watt panel would be good.
You only need to provide enough power to run the dash cam so it's not drawing power from the battery pack during daylight hours.
Once the sun goes down, then the dash cam will run off the battery pack.
This should increase the overall run time by however long sunrise to sunset is, (6AM-9PM summer & 8AM-5PM winter).
The solar panel is not used to charge the battery pack, it's only function is to extend the overall run time.

The efficiency of the solar panels under the windshield is too low (the front windshield seems to cut too much sunlight energy?

the high temperature under the windshield seems to shorten the life of most solar panels.

The solar panels I've tested do not need direct sunlight to deliver full power.
You can place the solar panel on the back seat out of direct sunlight.

 

[ly-70mai]

Yes. You only need 5 Watts of "solar panel power" to run the average 2-channel dash cam.
A $20 10 Watt panel would be good.
You only need to provide enough power to run the dash cam so it's not drawing power from the battery pack during daylight hours.
Once the sun goes down, then the dash cam will run off the battery pack.
This should increase the overall run time by however long sunrise to sunset is, (6AM-9PM summer & 8AM-5PM winter).
The solar panel is not used to charge the battery pack, it's only function is to extend the overall run time.



The solar panels I've tested do not need direct sunlight to deliver full power.
You can place the solar panel on the back seat out of direct sunlight.

Which solar panel are you using? What is the specification? , can you share it, thanks

 

[Nigel]

have you actually measured how much power this solution can replenish throughout the day?

Yes. You only need 5 Watts of "solar panel power" to run the average 2-channel dash cam.

.A $20 10 Watt panel would be good.

The solar panels I've tested do not need direct sunlight to deliver full power.
You can place the solar panel on the back seat out of direct sunlight.

Not sure you have answered the question, how much power are you getting from your solar panel on an average day?

The dashcam takes 5W * 24 hours = 120Wh of power, depending on which dashcam.

The solar panel provides 10W over 12 hours (doesn't work at night), so 120Wh of power, so that matches, however if you put the solar panel behind UV and IR blocking glass, you will not get that 10W, maybe half, it is also in shade rather than full sun most of the day, so divide by 2 again, then the sun is going to be on the wrong side of the car most of the time, so divide by 2 again, then it is going to be at the wrong voltage and wrong temperature to work efficiently , so divide by 2 again, then there may be some clouds on average, so divide by two again. So it is going to provide more like 12Wh than 120Wh, which isn't going to make a lot of difference to the record time.

But you say that you have measured the output of the solar panel, so what is the actual figure for Wh produced? How much extra record time do you get on average?

 

[Nigel]

In addition, the high temperature under the windshield seems to shorten the life of most solar panels.

A decent quality solar panel doesn't mind sunshine and high temperatures, obviously there are some cheap ones with cheap plastic that does degrade, although the UV filters in many car windows will protect it to some extent. High temperature does reduce power output on solar panels though, until they cool down again.

 

[Panzer Platform]

Which solar panel are you using? What is the specification? , can you share it, thanks

 

[ly-70mai]

A decent quality solar panel doesn't mind sunshine and high temperatures, obviously there are some cheap ones with cheap plastic that does degrade, although the UV filters in many car windows will protect it to some extent. High temperature does reduce power output on solar panels though, until they cool down again.

Yes, I have also done such a simple calculation and feel that the method that many people propose to support solar panel charging seems unfeasible, although it sounds like an exciting solution. Probably the best way is to solder the solar panels to the roof lol

 

[Nigel]

Probably the best way is to solder the solar panels to the roof lol

You can get flexible solar panels designed for boats that will attach to the roof, and yes they will work. I am tempted to get one for my car, but I live in the UK where even a 100W solar panel perfectly positioned outside will not power a 5W dashcam 24/7 in the winter!

 

[kamkar]

It is a problem when you live in a place that during winter, in the daytime, see less light that in some towns at midnight.

For the love of me i can not understand why ppl here put up solar, Denmark is a wind country,,,, PERIOD.

But of course some homes / many homes you can not put up even the smallest wind turbine.

 

[Nigel]

For the love of me i can not understand why ppl here put up solar, Denmark is a wind country,,,, PERIOD.

Same situation here, we keep building new solar farms, but they don't work in winter when we most need the power!

4.4% of our power came from solar in the last year, 28.3% from wind, and we appear to have put about the same amount of effort into each!

 

[kamkar]

I think here the solar capacity ( well i think that is it ) is 3 - 4 Gw, i dont think it is what is generated here at least.
wind are much more, and if plans go as planned it will be enormous more in a decade or so