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There are numerous topics out there about powering Raspis from batteries or from solar or just making a waterproof enclosure... But I'm a programmer, not an electrician. I would end up plugging the flux capacitor into the manifold, blowing up the matrix. I think we can all agree: Nobody wants that.

Is there anything out there for sale that does all three?

Long story short, I want to stick a Pi in with our chickens so I can see when they're laying and when they're pecking at their eggs. The hutch is pretty waterproof but I wouldn't trust it for a moment. There's also no mains there.

I'd be looking for something that can survive the elements, contains its own regulated power pack for the pi, a camera and a wifi dongle to run 24/7 and has a way to charge it that doesn't involve any mains power. Ideally a solar trickle charge in the daytime via a fat panel on top of the hutch.

Does such a thing exist?

Edit: The comments are getting a bit tangled as people go off on tangents about the various parts of this problem. I am not adverse to breaking this into smaller segments but they do have to be geared towards somebody who doesn't understand the difference between Amperes, ohms, watts and volts.

So let's break this into two things

  • Power and charging

    What about a 44Ah 12V silver/lead battery, solar panel and a cigar-lighter socket with a USB adaptor? Is there any chance the Pi's going to get fried sitting behind that sort of circuit? How long is 44Ah@12V going to last? What sort of panel size am I going to need to keep it going indefinitely (consider the unearthly grey of UK winter)?

  • Enclosure

    Is a little IP66 box going to do the job? It's meant for outdoor junctions but the Pi will fit in it and all its "inputs" are rubberised silicone seals.

Oli
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1 Answers1

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Long story short -- there are a few waterproofs, you may even make your own using an acrylic sheet and a bit of glue. But there's no real solution for the solar battery power, the reliable solution that survive at least a few rainy days will include the truckload of batteries and dozens of square feet of the solar panels, driving the cost into the thousands.

Your raspberry consumes about 0.7a * 5v = 3.5W every hour. Two rainy days and you need 48 * 3.5 = 170Wt-hour, that is about 4 of average (Lead-Acid 6V 7.2Ah) batteries combined. Factor into this the fact that battery does not like to get totally empty, that results in 6-8 pack, just to cover 2 days.

To recharge this monster in just 8 hours (an average light day) you'll need about several amps of power, and most DIY solar panels provide only about 100-150mA, so you'll need plenty of them. And don't forget the charger -- the very important part, that will monitor your battery status and avoid overcharging, do the trickle charging and other interesting things.

From my point of view, you will need an internet connection to see your chicken, why don't you just lay another +5V wire along with the network cable?

lenik
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