Using powerline adapters and lightning problems

J

jcummins

Young grasshopper
Dec 26, 2015
37
1
Creal Springs, IL
I've setup a remote camera to monitor a duck coop using powerline adapter. For the most part it works pretty good. BUT...after a year or so, had a close lightening strike and it took out the camera and powerline adapter. Bought another setup...and within a couple of months it happen again. This time only the camera was taken out. SO...I back off doing anything, but now I've got more of a need to set this back up.

Question....the makers of powerline adapters say you cannot use surge protectors with them. So, how do you protect your setup from lightening?
 
There is no protection for lightning. I lost almost everything do to a lightning hit. Lightning will go straight through a surge protector. Surge protector may help with power transients and very small spikes.

Lightning has been discussed a number of time on the forum.
Use google search
site:ipcamtalk.com lightning
 
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+1^^.

@jcummins , a couple of questions:
1) What's the distance from coop to your house (or where LAN is) ?
2) Do you have clear LOS (Line of Sight) between those 2 points ?
 
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TonyR's suggestion of using a Ubiquiti Layer 2 Transparent (wireless) bridge ...... is leading me to some other thoughts.

At 130-140 yards I have a windmill set on the edge of an 8 acre pond. It's basically part of out front yard. Our house is near a half mile from the road. I cannot see our driveway entrance from the house. One reason I have security cameras. Someone drives down the driveway, and are at the house without you knowing it. Camera monitor changes that. We can spot them AFTER they are about 2/3 the way to the house. I've always thought it would be nice to be able to see all of our drive.

How could I setup a camera using the Ubiquiti on the windmill. I have no electricity there. Would a battery with the right solar panels enable a camera setup on the windmill? What would it take?
 
jcummins said:
How could I setup a camera using the Ubiquiti on the windmill. I have no electricity there. Would a battery with the right solar panels enable a camera setup on the windmill? What would it take?
Click to expand...
Batteries are a pain and the whole solar/battery charger setup can be expensive and an ongoing maintenance issue.
A camera with IR runs about 10 watts, a decent radio for 140 yards like the UBNT NSM5 is about 8 watts.

You'd have to accommodate the 2 different voltages or conversion to POE , running cam and radio from dusk to dawn even if previous day was overcast/cloudy and batteries were not fully charged, etc.

I'm not going to pretend I'm an expert in solar, but I'm fairly sure you talking at least a $1,000 for something like this 20 watt/30 hour Tycon RPST1248-100-80 from someone like Streakwave
How far is the windmill from power?
 
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I was wondering whether it might be feasible to just keep swapping a battery every few days or something maybe, and then charging them ‘back at base’ kind of thing...but I have no idea if quality powerbanks might be up to it or not...
 
timb999 said:
I was wondering whether it might be feasible to just keep swapping a battery every few days or something maybe, and then charging them ‘back at base’ kind of thing...but I have no idea if quality powerbanks might be up to it or not...
Click to expand...
Let's not forget a complete solar setup has several sensitive electronic devices that must be protected from the elements and/or designed to resist them, so part of the expense for the type I mentioned in post #9 goes to the enclosure and materials for that purpose.

If you find a "quality powerbank" that is up to the task you will most likely have to expend more of your time, energy and money coming up with the ways to protect it from those elements....not to mention being saddled with the task of "swapping a battery every few days" would become burdensome and inconvenient VERY soon, at least to me. :cool:

@timb999 , now if the coop allows zero exposure to sun and moisture and one would not be required to get out a ladder, etc. then swapping out a properly-selected battery periodically as you propose might work for the OP.....what do you think, @jcummins ?
 
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Is this a decorative windmill that actually spins? If you do go the solar route could you adapt the windmill to also generate power? A buddy of mine has a pond with a windmill that's used to aerate the water in the winter.. I don't know what the "guts" of it are to do this but maybe an option for you?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
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