Guest Mel B Posted March 18, 2006 Share Posted March 18, 2006 Hello technical buddies! You may recall on an earlier posting I was thinking of getting a wireless camera to link to a small LCD screen to enable us to have a rear view camera in our motorhome. I've read with interest the comments of Dave Newell and others about these and the only oustanding query I have is about powering the camera itself. The cameras tend to be either 6v or 9v from what I can tell and run off normal batteries. So that I don't end up paying to keep the Duracell bunny in the manner to which he's become accustomed, I'm just wondering if it is possible to convert the leisure battery's 12v supply to run the camera instead - the leisure battery is immediately underneath the place I want to put the camera so could easily be tapped into but obviously I realise that I would have to convert the power from 12v. Are there any sorts of transformers that would do the job? I don't really want to have to splash out on a full kit as I already have a perfectly usable Toad LCD monitor already. Ta in advance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Clive Posted March 18, 2006 Share Posted March 18, 2006 Oh Mel, Many cameras work form a lower voltage and this voltage is provided by a voltage regulator inside the monitor. It is not difficult for an electronics guru to knock up a small board and heatsink with a voltage regulator chip on it to run the camera at say 8 volts. The IC would be a "7808" voltage regulator. I don,t know of any proprietary assembled regulators on the market which would be boxed and have two pairs of leads for INPUT and OUTPUT though. RS components or Maplins will sell the three legged 7808 chip and this needs bolting to a small chunk of aluminium (heatsink) and also to have about three capacitors soldered to it. One leg iscommon negative, one input and the last 8 volts out. Its pretty simple really. Don,t forget a small fuse either. Having said all of that I still believe you should do a "proper job" and wire the camera to the Toad. You need to take a key switched 12 volt feed to the camera anyway else you will forget when you park up and it will discharge your battery. (Any toadpoles yet) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest lizken Posted March 19, 2006 Share Posted March 19, 2006 Mel Have a look on Maplins website - I obtained a 12v cigar lighter plug and lead which gives 3 - 4.5 - 6 - 9 and 12volts option dial, and various sized plugs for the other end of the lead Regards Ken Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Clive Posted March 19, 2006 Share Posted March 19, 2006 That sounds about the whatsits whotsit doesn,t it. Just check the maximum current output of the unit to be sure its more than that required by the camera. I would expect it to be OK though. Let us know how your arrangement works and how you use it.. Ta Clive Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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