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Run a wifi station and IP camera off of landscape lighting power?

Richard Ness

May 31, 2016
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Hi,

I'm thinking of installing an IP camera connected to a wifi station at a remote location about 100' from a building that houses the security camera network. The remote location has no AC line power for the Power Over Ethernet adapter to power the wifi or to power the camera. There is however a 12VDC landscape lighting line right there. Can it be used to power these two items?
Specifically I'm thinking of running:
Ubiquiti NSM2 wifi client: 24VDC, .5A http://dl.ubnt.com/nanoM2_DS.pdf
Everfocus EHD930F IP dome camera: 12 VDC or 24 VAC. http://www.discount-low-voltage.com/s.nl/it.A/id.19147/.f

Is this possible? What would I need to step up the 12VDC to 24VDC for the wifi?
 

Richard Ness

May 31, 2016
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May 31, 2016
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Thanks for the replies! The system is already running 20+ LED floods and spots, but being LED i'm hoping there's enough power leftover. I just found out I have easy access to the transformer so I will check the voltage and current rating today.

Yeah, I was worried that it might be AC. I found the model of one of the lights and hoped to find specs for it online but there's nothing. Lowe's discontinued them. "Portfolio Specialty" FL2500. Doing some reading I've found that lo-vo landscape lighting systems can be either ac or dc and LED lights can run off of either as long as you don't over drive them with AC (they're just off half the time).

I'll check the transformer today. AC would work for the camera, it seems to be rated for either but the wifi needs DC. We'll see...
 

Richard Ness

May 31, 2016
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I just went and checked the transformer and you are correct it is an AC transformer. It is rated for 12 to 14 V Oak Brook at 300 W. There are currently 14 4.2 W LED lights on the system. That is 58.8 watts. So I have some 240 W left over. The camera, at 24vac is 15w. The wifi at 24vdc is 12 w. So I seem to be OK on power the main problem is the voltage. I need to double the voltage for the camera but keep it AC and for the Wi-Fi panel I need to convert from AC to DC but keep the voltage of the same. This is seeming to be too much of a project unless there are some simple plug-and-play devices to do the job.
 

BobK

Jan 5, 2010
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It is not complicated, all you need is a transformer with a 2:1 ratio. Not sure where you would get one though.

Bob
 

chopnhack

Apr 28, 2014
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Not sure where you would get one though.
Good point Bob, I thought it would be easy enough to find a xfmr, but a quick look through digikey had nothing for 12v as primary... I will keep looking as I find this to be weird...

Richard, have you ever heard of Arlo by netgear?
 

Richard Ness

May 31, 2016
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Good point Bob, I thought it would be easy enough to find a xfmr, but a quick look through digikey had nothing for 12v as primary... I will keep looking as I find this to be weird...

Richard, have you ever heard of Arlo by netgear?
I have not heard of Arlo before but it looks pretty cool.
 

duke37

Jan 9, 2011
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For 12V AC to 24V AC get a transformer with a 12-0-12 V secondary. Put the input to 0-12V and the output to 12 and 12V. The original primary is not used but could bite you.
 

Richard Ness

May 31, 2016
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Good point Bob, I thought it would be easy enough to find a xfmr, but a quick look through digikey had nothing for 12v as primary... I will keep looking as I find this to be weird...

I chatted Digikey sales and they have nothing to convert 12vdc to 12vac and nothing to boost 12vac to 24vac. The sales person said they googled it and found info online and it's doable - the parts or info is out there, but I can't find any premade devices to do either.

So I either need to: 1- convert 12VAC to 12 VDC for device 1 and boost 12vdc to 24vdc for #2 or-
boost 12vac to 24vac for device 1 and then convert 24vac to 24vdc for device2.
 

chopnhack

Apr 28, 2014
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For 12V AC to 24V AC get a transformer with a 12-0-12 V secondary. Put the input to 0-12V and the output to 12 and 12V. The original primary is not used but could bite you.
I had read that online as well but didn't understand what was going on until you explained the wiring Duke, thanks! So if I read you correctly, the sketch below would produce what Rich is looking for:

Digikey part: 241-5-12

Good for up to 1A out at 24vac which means you now have up to 24watts less for lighting. Your wifi will consume 1/2 of this (1 A) leaving you with some wiggle room - don't forget you still need to convert from AC to DC, so if you intend to build this, the xfmr will need a waterproof enclosure, some liquid-tite connectors for the size of landscape lighting wire you have out there. You may want to fuse the circuit for safety concerns, I could only guess at the rating, but 750mA slo-blo would be my guess based on 1A/RMS.

As for the conversion of AC to DC, you will need a small perfboard with a voltage regulator, and some capacitors to smooth the DC output.

Very interesting, let me know how you get on!!


xfmr.png
 

BobK

Jan 5, 2010
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For 12V AC to 24V AC get a transformer with a 12-0-12 V secondary. Put the input to 0-12V and the output to 12 and 12V. The original primary is not used but could bite you.
Brilliant! It become a 12 to 24V autotransformer.

Bob
 
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