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We've had a number of people ask how best to power Odin for long-term projects with no access to solar power. That's fine, not to worry, below are a few straightforward solutions which should suit your situation, none of which will break the bank. You can power Odin via:
Local mains power
You can extend Odin’s runtime by connecting a 5v Micro USB power supply to the Odin's internal UPS battery. Doing this will allow your Odin to run
indefinitely, plus Odin will have many days of backup power should there be any interruption in the external power supply.
12V Motorbike / Car battery
If no local mains power is nearby, you can easily, and cheaply, extend the run time of Odin by using any 12v battery. High power motorbike batteries are particularly good as they are smaller and easier to handle. We sell a 12V to 5V converter lead in our store, so all you need to add is a suitable 12v battery. As big as you like!
So, what sort of run times could I expect to get using a 12v motorbike, or car battery? Here's a guideline of what to expect, but please note, these are purely guidelines as user settings and usage may differ.
The figures below are Odin running in long-term mode taking an image every 5 mins, 24hrs / day (288 images a day).
Battery size | External Battery | Odin internal Battery |
---|---|---|
12v 10ah Motorbike battery | 60 Days | 20 Days |
12v 20ah Motorbike battery | 120 Days | 20 Days |
12v 60ah Car battery | 360 Days | 20 Days |
12v 80ah Car battery | 480 Days | 20 Days |
External "Power packs"
Lastly, you can also extend the runtime by connecting an external battery “pack” to Odin’s internal UPS battery. There are many “power banks”, or “Portable battery packs” available on the market to suit your needs, from an extra 100w pack to a huge 1000w that would run Odin for months, or even years.
Please note, if you intend to use Odin outside with an external battery pack you must ensure the external battery has adequate waterproofing and venting.
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