parking power: powerbank or solar?

[CharlieGirl]

We plan on fitting a dash cam to our new Skoda Superb. Front and rear ones ideally and with a parking mode to record while the engine is off if their is motion.

Thing is, my husband says it will drain the battery when the car isn't running. Not sure what kind of draw such cams make, but I guess it depends how much motion occurs. Parked on the drive there are cars going past every now and again, and people walking their dogs etc. But it certainly would spend more time off than on.

Our main concern is the battery, we don't want to risk draining the car's battery, so if there's anything I can do to protect it from draining when the car's off that would be good.

So we've thought of two options:

1. We could use a powerbank(s) and power the dash cam via USB when parked. Doubt the powerbank would last all that long with constant charging cycles but they aren't too expensive nowadays. Anyone know what we'd need in terms of capacity?

I was thinking I'd have to bring the powerbank into the house each day to recharge it. Can anyone suggest what we should get?

2: I'm wondering if fitting a second car battery in the boot is an option, and trickle charging it with a solar panel on the rear parcel shelf. I have doubts that the solar panel would supply enough juice but who knows. I could get a 20W panel, which I doubt would achieve more than a quarter of that sat on the parcel shelf. I don't know what the draw on a dash cam might be but I'm wondering if this would be enough or not?

Hoping someone can help.

Thanks
Charlotte

 

[jokiin]

Thing is, my husband says it will drain the battery when the car isn't running. Not sure what kind of draw such cams make, but I guess it depends how much motion occurs. Parked on the drive there are cars going past every now and again, and people walking their dogs etc. But it certainly would spend more time off than on.

the camera will stay on all the time, power difference between recording and waiting to record is too small to measure

Our main concern is the battery, we don't want to risk draining the car's battery, so if there's anything I can do to protect it from draining when the car's off that would be good.

you want something that will turn off if the voltage drops below a certain level

powerbanks are an option if you don't mind the inconvenience of plugging/unplugging/rotating them out all the time

I wouldn't suggest the second battery and solar panel approach, expensive to do and more problematic to setup if you want it work reliably

 

[CharlieGirl]

the camera will stay on all the time, power difference between recording and waiting to record is too small to measure



you want something that will turn off if the voltage drops below a certain level

powerbanks are an option if you don't mind the inconvenience of plugging/unplugging/rotating them out all the time

I wouldn't suggest the second battery and solar panel approach, expensive to do and more problematic to setup if you want it work reliably

Thanks for replying, and the helpful advise. There is specific space in the boot for a second battery but if that doesn't sound a good option then power banks may be the best option for us. I'm thinking that sometimes we may forget to switch the power source to the power bank though, so rather than having a cam turn off if the car battery voltage drops, is there a device to ensure the cam will not use the car battery at all if the ignition is off? I know not all sockets are live in cars but I think ours are - certainly the rear one.

 

[NewbieDan]

From What I am seeing, Celllink B or celllink neo will fit the bill. They are essentially power banks that only recharge when the engine is on, and provide excellent battery life. when the engine is off.
https://www.blackboxmycar.com/products/cellink-battery-neo?variant=5073528094757

 

[TonyM]

From What I am seeing, Celllink B or celllink neo will fit the bill. They are essentially power banks that only recharge when the engine is on, and provide excellent battery life. when the engine is off.
https://www.blackboxmycar.com/products/cellink-battery-neo?variant=5073528094757

Cellink is a good option for fit and forget, if you always want to have your dashcam(s) running every time you stop the engine. However they're not cheap.
I don't know if the Cellink will continue to draw power from your always-on 12v socket when the car engine is off. However it does have battery discharge protection, so it will not damage the car battery.

I use the alternative approach of a 20000mah external battery that I choose to plug in when I want it, if I'm parked in a public car park for example. I have no need to run the camera all night on my drive, or all day at the office.

Have you thought about which cameras you want to use? Some have battery discharge protection built in.

 

[TonyM]

An in-between solution for an always on socket is something like the vico power plus. Rather than store energy in a separate battery like the cellink, it simply uses the car battery and cuts out at a set voltage. This makes it cheaper than the cellink.

The best solution for you may depend on how much driving you do compared to the duration of parking mode recording.

 

[CharlieGirl]

Cellink is a good option for fit and forget, if you always want to have your dashcam(s) running every time you stop the engine. However they're not cheap.
I don't know if the Cellink will continue to draw power from your always-on 12v socket when the car engine is off. However it does have battery discharge protection, so it will not damage the car battery.

I use the alternative approach of a 20000mah external battery that I choose to plug in when I want it, if I'm parked in a public car park for example. I have no need to run the camera all night on my drive, or all day at the office.

Have you thought about which cameras you want to use? Some have battery discharge protection built in.

I think the Cellink looks good but I agree it's expensive and I'm going to need something that can be charged at home because sometimes we only do a short journey and it wouldn't have enough time to fully charge up again. So an external battery like you use might be a better option for us.

I looked at some cameras but I'm unclear how important it is that they all have a small internal battery. My concern is that constantly charging such batteries, particularly if they car gets hot can kill them, maybe destroy the camera, and even cause dangerous fires. A friend of mine just got seriously injured in a car fire caused by a charging battery catching fire, it's not cool if it happens to you. So I'd prefer one without a battery in it, if such devices exist?

In terms of battery discharge, it depends how good it is. I need a reliable one that won't let the car battery get too low - many consider it acceptable to drain more of the battery than I'd be happy with - ideally I'd like a setup which means it won't use the car battery at all when the ignition is off. There are so many cameras out there it is a bit overwhelming and often difficult to find out specific details.

 

[SawMaster]

The solar setup could be very viable if done correctly. I'd consider it if I were prepared to deal with the cost and complexity of the install If you choose to use a powerbank instead, don't worry about forgetting to plug into it- it will quicl;y become 'second nature' like removing the keys from the car before getting out Either way will work.

Phil

 

[TonyM]

I looked at some cameras but I'm unclear how important it is that they all have a small internal battery. My concern is that constantly charging such batteries, particularly if they car gets hot can kill them, maybe destroy the camera, and even cause dangerous fires. A friend of mine just got seriously injured in a car fire caused by a charging battery catching fire, it's not cool if it happens to you. So I'd prefer one without a battery in it, if such devices exist?

A lot of dashcams do come with small internal batteries, and you are right that they can be a fire hazard. They can also become unreliable as the battery loses capacity after so many charge and discharge cycles.

The better cameras that are most commonly recommended on this forum have a capacitor in place of a battery, which retains enough charge to save the last video file but is much more heat tolerant and reliable.

If you have an idea of what type of camera you want to use (dangle or wedge, permanent or suction cup, screen or no screen etc.), I'm sure we can recommend some models to consider.

 

[Leonauto]

I think the Cellink looks good but I agree it's expensive and I'm going to need something that can be charged at home because sometimes we only do a short journey and it wouldn't have enough time to fully charge up again. So an external battery like you use might be a better option for us.

IMHO I think you should not worry - there is a generator in the car that charges the main battery when you start the engine.
Just for comparison: Sellink has 76.8Wh (12.8V x 6Ah), any car battery has at least 563.2 Wh (12.8V x 44 Ah), which is 7 times more.
At an average consumption of dashcam 0.35 Ah (for 5 Volts) we get 1.75 Watts of consumption per hour, which for eight hours of parking will be 14 Wh - the energy loss is only 14.0 Watts (about 2.5% of the capacity of the car battery). Is it worth worrying about buying an expensive device?
And If you leave the car in a parking lot for a short time - this is incommensurable with the costs and alterations. which are coming with the introduction of Sellink or any other additional battery.
PS: more often the capacity of the car battery is 55 Ah and above

 

[CharlieGirl]

A lot of dashcams do come with small internal batteries, and you are right that they can be a fire hazard. They can also become unreliable as the battery loses capacity after so many charge and discharge cycles.

The better cameras that are most commonly recommended on this forum have a capacitor in place of a battery, which retains enough charge to save the last video file but is much more heat tolerant and reliable.

If you have an idea of what type of camera you want to use (dangle or wedge, permanent or suction cup, screen or no screen etc.), I'm sure we can recommend some models to consider.

Recommendations would be really handy. I'm not ruling out a dangling camera but I'd prefer a wedge shaped one. Discrete would be better and I don't think a screen will be important to me. Permanent ideally, I won't be moving it from one car to another or anything like that. HD resolution or better. Decent in the dark. Parking mode. And yeah, one with a capacitor rather than a battery would be preferable.

Thanks for your help
Charlotte

 

[CharlieGirl]

IMHO I think you should not worry - there is a generator in the car that charges the main battery when you start the engine.
Just for comparison: Sellink has 76.8Wh (12.8V x 6Ah), any car battery has at least 563.2 Wh (12.8V x 44 Ah), which is 7 times more.
At an average consumption of dashcam 0.35 Ah (for 5 Volts) we get 1.75 Watts of consumption per hour, which for eight hours of parking will be 14 Wh - the energy loss is only 14.0 Watts (about 2.5% of the capacity of the car battery). Is it worth worrying about buying an expensive device?
And If you leave the car in a parking lot for a short time - this is incommensurable with the costs and alterations. which are coming with the introduction of Sellink or any other additional battery.
PS: more often the capacity of the car battery is 55 Ah and above

Interesting post, thank you. So if I left it for 24h without driving, which isn't uncommon, then I'd lose more like 42 Watts from the battery, right? And I'm hoping to run two dash cams, front and rear in the end, so double that. 84 Watts. My car battery is bigger than the example, I'll have to check exactly what it is, but it's higher capacity because it's a car which has a lot of extras drawing power on it. I guess the test would be whether the car would get enough charging time over say a few weeks to compensate for the dash cams being on all the time day after day. One option might be for me to try and it and see. If it is sufficient then great, if not I could use a power bank.

I'm also still interested in the idea of installing a second car battery in the boot dedicated to the cams and charging it with a solar panel. It's not inconceivable that I could run one cam off such a set up with a decent solar panel (~20-30W), I think. But I am new to this stuff I could be completely wrong. I'm thinking you might have a better idea than me?

Thanks
Charlotte

 

[flank]

You probably don't need solar. You can install a battery isolator that charges a secondary small battery while the car is running. You can get a small 36Ah battery all the way up to a 100Ah. Products below are examples.

Car battery > battery isolator > second battery

 

[SawMaster]

I'd recommend an AGM battery over an SLA trpe as being somewhat safer. A regular dual-battery set-up is also possible but it will only charge with the engine running and unless longer drives are normal it may not fully charge both batteries Just another thing which must be considered in choosing which way is best for you. So;ar chargers and controlers can be tricky. Wattage is expressed with direct full sun exposure- the car glass and clouds will give you a lower average rating in use. Some controllers will not restart automatically if passing clouds cause a temporary cut-off. It's really a specialized subject in and of itsef

Again there are many ways to do this, each with inherent benefits and drawbacks. A lot of the cost-determining factors will be dependant on what you can do yourself and what sources for the components you have on hand. But if you plan on more than a few hours recording time while parked something will definitely be needed beyond your car battery.

Phil

 

[CharlieGirl]

@flank I do like your suggestion of a battery isolator. If the car was driven more it's what I would go for, but I'm not sure it would get enough charge in our case.

Regarding solar, I think as long as I buy one with a decent controller it could work, but the bigger issue is charge through - the battery/power bank would be discharging and charging at the same time, which I understand most Lithium based batteries are not designed to do, and can even be dangerous. So I'd have to be sure I've got one suitable for the task. Might be safer to use a second proper car battery which is more designed for it. Don't know if AGM or SLA would be safer in the circumstances. Final option is just to charge a power bank (or two) in the house, but I'd prefer to avoid the hassle really.

 

[samsara]

The problem with the power bank option, apart from the hassle, is finding a powerbank set up that's effective and efficient enough to support your extended parking requirements. Unfortunately, this seems a bit of a holy grail, for whilst the cellink battery will power a dual dash cam set up for 16 hours from just an hour's charge, it's not robust enough to warrant the expense. It's advertised as having 1000 recharge cycles (3 years) but in reality 400 is the max. I have had four cellink batteries. The first failed after 14 mths, whilst the other 3 (each returned under guarantee) less than 12 months. Regretfully, wouldn't touch with a barge pole if you intended to charge up each day.

 

[CharlieGirl]

The problem with the power bank option, apart from the hassle, is finding a powerbank set up that's effective and efficient enough to support your extended parking requirements. Unfortunately, this seems a bit of a holy grail, for whilst the cellink battery will power a dual dash cam set up for 16 hours from just an hour's charge, it's not robust enough to warrant the expense. It's advertised as having 1000 recharge cycles (3 years) but in reality 400 is the max. I have had four cellink batteries. The first failed after 14 mths, whilst the other 3 (each returned under guarantee) less than 12 months. Regretfully, wouldn't touch with a barge pole if you intended to charge up each day.

I think I read your post about that. For that reason I expect I'll end up using cheaper power banks, and one per camera. If not too expensive I may buy a spare for each camera so one bank can charge indoors while the other is in use. This may work out better/cheaper, apart from a little hassle. I also figure that in three or four year's time there will be better options available.

I'm a little surprised there isn't more focus on dash cam efficiency as the more efficient in energy use the less power is needed. But I guess maybe they are all similar, and it may be hard to get the data from manufacturers.

 

[samsara]

The problem remains getting a battery that will hold enough power for extended parking. I think there's an old thread on these forum around daisy chaining, but as I recall there seemed to be issues/concerns. I feel rather defeated for a solution, so will follow your endeavours with interest!

 

[flank]

I actually have a flexible 100 watt solar setup with a 100Ah AGM battery on my pick up truck. The solar panel is glued onto the roof of my truck shell. Its to power my 12v fridge while camping. Haven't really had a need to have the camera run 24/7 but I will probably put the cameras on the second battery to run on parking mode for the heck of it. I have a battery isolator that is also a solar charge controller. I did have stuff stolen from the back of truck shell when I forgot to lock it. The camera running while in parked mode would have caught the perp.

 

[TonyM]

I think I read your post about that. For that reason I expect I'll end up using cheaper power banks, and one per camera. If not too expensive I may buy a spare for each camera so one bank can charge indoors while the other is in use. This may work out better/cheaper, apart from a little hassle. I also figure that in three or four year's time there will be better options available.

I'm a little surprised there isn't more focus on dash cam efficiency as the more efficient in energy use the less power is needed. But I guess maybe they are all similar, and it may be hard to get the data from manufacturers.

Most dashcams are powered direct from the car, so efficiency is not a big deal, although less power consumption means less heat to deal with.