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Wildlife camera (battery and usb 5v)


happy-kat

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Hi

I am hoping someone can shed some light please. I have a raspberry pi 3A+ which will be used for a variety or projects, the first being a garden camera and second use might be an all sky camera. The raspberry Pi is 5v micro usb for power needs, it says 2.5amp on reading up but it will run on 2amp-2.5amp though I guess that is down to how many things you hand off the Pi as to what it will need. From what I have found out the Pi only has over amp supply protection and does nothing onboard to protect from over voltage supply. I have a Halfords battery pack (lithium car jump starter used for the car) that has a USB power charger for such like a phone or tablet. The details of the USB port says 9V or 5V charge, there is no switch on the battery case. I can find very little out about the charger or how the 9V or 5V happens.

My question is if I am using a USB lead and plug it into say a phone or the Pi what is regulating that the devices connected should only have 5V please?

I do not know if the actual USB cable is doing this regulating and only taking 5V for example, and am concerned of plugging anything in and the device being supplied with 9V.

 

 

Last though, maybe it is bad packaging and the 9V refers only to the car jump starter connection, manual is as useful as ......  that was a rubbish idea as a the car battery is 12V.

Edited by happy-kat
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Personally, I'm always suspect of the devices used for charging in vehicles as I've found them over voltage & sometimes the Pi's can get upset.... 

So instead I use a dc-dc converter e.g. https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Better-Waterproof-DC-DC-Converter-12V-Step-Down-to-5V-Car-Power-Supply-Module-3A/133490822065?epid=14036484897  which I wire into the GPIO socket, but also means I can add additional safety components, if required, e.g. fuses, switches etc.

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  • 1 month later...

I've found a gizmo and it works brilliantly. It's a Portapow power monitor but also handy as a usb power only no data port when traveling or using at an unknown usb power port. There is also a data with power usb port.

16168506494123.jpg.9fca03b17929c0426d1005a9b2db370f.jpg

I now know when using the car jump start battery it provides the Pi 5.1v and the Pi appears ok with the amps (sorry can't recall exactly but the amp draw was less than 2.4 I see mentioned for a Pi). 

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  • happy-kat changed the title to Wildlife camera (battery and usb 5v)

Hi I use a smart battery pack ,which sees what is plugged in and give it the right amount of power , so I can charge my phone or power my dew strip of my mirror fan on my Newtonian here is a link 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Anker-PowerCore-Technology-High-Capacity-Compatible-Black/dp/B07S829LBX/ref=sr_1_6?crid=1HMIBJ60XX0DO&dchild=1&keywords=power+pack&qid=1618136126&sprefix=Power+pack%2Caps%2C183&sr=8-6

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On 09/02/2021 at 14:05, happy-kat said:

The details of the USB port says 9V or 5V charge, there is no switch on the battery case. I can find very little out about the charger or how the 9V or 5V happens.

My question is if I am using a USB lead and plug it into say a phone or the Pi what is regulating that the devices connected should only have 5V please?

I do not know if the actual USB cable is doing this regulating and only taking 5V for example, and am concerned of plugging anything in and the device being supplied with 9V.

USB power isn't "dumb", it can request more power of the supplying device, certainly with PCs. I can't pretend to be familiar with the details but my tablet (for example), which is USB-C, can charge off 9V. As far as I know, there's a default setting and devices have to request additional current (and now, presumably, voltage). You'd be wise to be cautious without full knowledge but it might pay to do research on the USB power specs.

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