Author Topic: 12 Volt power adapter.  (Read 11315 times)

NoDak

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12 Volt power adapter.
« on: September 24, 2017, 08:00:26 PM »
Well my order has moved to the "Processing" phase and I am now thinking more and more about accessories I will need.

One thing that I foresee is needing an external battery. I plan on not relying on the internal battery except to just keep the camera powered on when moving things about.

I know that some people have used an inverter plugged into their car and ran an extension cord to the camera. While that works in many situations, there are going to be plenty of times this is not practical.

The obvious solution, since the Chronos uses a standard 5.5/2.5mm power plug, is to find and buy an appropriate laptop car power supply. Then you can use whatever 12 volt battery you have available by connecting a car plug to the battery. (In my case, a Power Wheels 12v battery I got NIB at a garage sale for $5.)

Of course, the problem is that most laptop car chargers only give make and model of laptop. They don't explicitly state power plug size. I did some research and I think I have found something at a good price.

https://www.amazon.com/CHARGER-Asus-Vivobook-Transformer-Pa-1650-01-Adp-65jh/dp/B004NVT7BK/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&qid=1506301995&sr=8-8

I have searched the models listed and everything I find says this a 5.5/2.5mm plug. The right-angle tip was something I specifically wanted, as I think most people will want, to reduce strain on the connector. 65 watts, plenty of power.

Then to attach it to whatever 12v battery you have, you just use one of these alligator clip thingies. (Don't want to assume that everyone has or has used one, so figure I better link to a good one.)

https://www.amazon.com/Roadpro-Battery-Cigarette-Lighter-Adapter/dp/B00065L2D8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1506305466&sr=8-1

I'll toss one of these into my Amazon cart for the next order I make from them. I will report in once I have my camera so people can be absolutely sure that this works.

Please let me know if anyone sees any problems. I figure I can't be the only person interested in something like this.

tesla500

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Re: 12 Volt power adapter.
« Reply #1 on: September 24, 2017, 09:00:18 PM »
I've used this laptop power bank with with Chronos, and it works perfectly. This one runs the camera for about 6 hours, and includes the proper plug adapter.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Durable-30000mAh-Laptop-Battery-Charger-Dual-USB-Power-Bank-Pack-For-Cell-Phone-/152220326205

NoDak

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Re: 12 Volt power adapter.
« Reply #2 on: September 24, 2017, 09:54:56 PM »
OOOO, That is a nice unit there. That will be a good option for some.

My ghetto camper is already setup with cigarette lighter electrical, with ample extension cables and such available to borrow, so I'll still be going with the adapter I found.

At my work, I have gotten a number of UPS units, some quite nice, that are perfectly good after a battery swap. Most nowadays are black start capable. Running battery DC through an inverter, only to step it back down to DC, makes me cringe when I think about conversion losses. Buuuuuut, if you got it for free/low cost and are okay with carting it about, I'm sure we will see some people doing that too.

Hopefully other people, who have their own solutions, will chime in. Give people as many options as possible for their own particular needs.

NoDak

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Re: 12 Volt power adapter.
« Reply #3 on: October 01, 2017, 12:56:11 PM »
I got the power adapter I linked in my original post and I can confirm that it works great with the Chronos. A nice unit with plenty of cord.

Sorchey

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Re: 12 Volt power adapter.
« Reply #4 on: October 31, 2017, 09:34:06 AM »
Hi everyone!


I have a small question about external power for the Chronos:

I've found in my inventory two lead batteries of this type (website is in german, as I am from Switzerland).

https://www.conrad.ch/de/bleiakku-12-v-23-ah-conrad-energy-ce12v23ah-250177-blei-vlies-agm-b-x-h-x-t-177-x-60-x-34-mm-flachstecker-48-mm-250177.html

The batteries are in good condition (no deep discharge) but still, they don't seem to run the Chronos. What do you think about this? Is the voltage too low?


Many thanks in advance!  :)

tesla500

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Re: 12 Volt power adapter.
« Reply #5 on: October 31, 2017, 11:37:30 AM »
Hi everyone!


I have a small question about external power for the Chronos:

I've found in my inventory two lead batteries of this type (website is in german, as I am from Switzerland).

https://www.conrad.ch/de/bleiakku-12-v-23-ah-conrad-energy-ce12v23ah-250177-blei-vlies-agm-b-x-h-x-t-177-x-60-x-34-mm-flachstecker-48-mm-250177.html

The batteries are in good condition (no deep discharge) but still, they don't seem to run the Chronos. What do you think about this? Is the voltage too low?


Many thanks in advance!  :)

Are you connecting them directly to the camera? If so, that won't work, 12V is too low and 24V is too high.

Sorchey

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Re: 12 Volt power adapter.
« Reply #6 on: October 31, 2017, 02:00:35 PM »
Are you connecting them directly to the camera? If so, that won't work, 12V is too low and 24V is too high.

Thanks for your response! Yes, I connected them directly, hoping that they would support the internal battery at least. So a voltage converter is the solution...

NoDak

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Re: 12 Volt power adapter.
« Reply #7 on: October 31, 2017, 07:44:58 PM »
Are you connecting them directly to the camera? If so, that won't work, 12V is too low and 24V is too high.

Thanks for your response! Yes, I connected them directly, hoping that they would support the internal battery at least. So a voltage converter is the solution...
Yes, that is what you need. A laptop car charger like the one I linked works perfectly and lets you use any 12 volt battery you happen to have. Just get a cigarette power plug and wire it up to the battery. With those batteries you can either use them one at a time or wire them up in parallel.