Charging a Deep Cycle 12v Battery with 3-pin plug?

TryingToWork

Hi I need to power an SD security camera in my home, that will still work and record footage even if the power is lost, while I'm away for a month. I have found a camera that takes a 512gb SD card. 

I want to connect it to a Deep Cycle 12v battery, as I am told they are better for indoor use than car batteries. But all the ones I have found online have no mention of how they are charged. They are designed for caravans, motorhomes and boats. Can I definitely charge one using a normal UK 3-pin plug?

This one
https://www.amazon.co.uk/SuperBatt-AGM1100-120AH-Ultra-Battery/dp/B09RSFXV3F/ref=zg_bs_g_14868285031_d_sccl_13/259-8068657-9614227?psc=1

...for example says
"Gas Regeneration: Faster Recharge Capabilities due to VRLA AGM technology"

So can you only charge these batteries with gas / an engine?

Would a car battery charger work?



(Also if anyone knows of a suitable camera that doesn't rely on wifi or an app, I would greatly appreciate it. I need to view the videos on a laptop, not a tiny phone screen. Outdoor solar energy cameras are unsuitable sadly, as the solar panels don't work through glass). 

Thanks a lot

LinLui

I am perhaps massively missing the point here, but if the camera records only to an SD card and doesn't have wifi
(a) how are you going to view it at all because you would have to come back and put the card into your laptop to see anything, and
(b) whoever / whatever you are watching inside your house, burglars and the like will simply renove the SD card anyway, 

Neil_Jones

This might be of interest how these things charge up, as its the same principle as what you've linked to are designed for motorhomes and caravans

https://www.campingandcaravanningclub.co.uk/advice/equipment/charging-leisure-battery/

That being said, well talk about total overkill for powering a camera I have to say.

I think you may want to think this out again, because if you don't want to use wifi or internet access to view it, how do you propose to view the footage?  Once that SD card gets full and you tell the camera not to overwrite it, then the game's over, as even 500Gb recording all the time in semi-decent quality won't last more than a week at the absolute most.  The more potato-vision the recording gets the longer the card will last.

TryingToWork

LinLui said:

I am perhaps massively missing the point here, but if the camera records only to an SD card and doesn't have wifi
(a) how are you going to view it at all because you would have to come back and put the card into your laptop to see anything, and
(b) whoever / whatever you are watching inside your house, burglars and the like will simply renove the SD card anyway, 

Valid points!

Forgot to say, as I can't return home, I do not want to know while I am away if someone is in my house! That will just freak me out as there will be nothing I can do about it. All my most important valuables will be locked away. 

Also the camera is tiny and can be hidden in anything.

So I don't want alerts; it's just video evidence that I can keep that I am interested in, thanks.

Andy_L

I can't help but feel that a proper computer style Uninterruptible Power Supply unit is going to be cheaper & safer than that battery & a charger.

TryingToWork

Neil_Jones said:

This might be of interest how these things charge up, as its the same principle as what you've linked to are designed for motorhomes and caravans

https://www.campingandcaravanningclub.co.uk/advice/equipment/charging-leisure-battery/

That being said, well talk about total overkill for powering a camera I have to say.

I think you may want to think this out again, because if you don't want to use wifi or internet access to view it, how do you propose to view the footage?  Once that SD card gets full and you tell the camera not to overwrite it, then the game's over, as even 500Gb recording all the time in semi-decent quality won't last more than a week at the absolute most.  The more potato-vision the recording gets the longer the card will last.

Yes you're right, thank you.

Forgot to say the camera will be on Motion Detection, so only stand-by would last that long. 

My electric box is on the outside of the house, so local burglaries that happen almost always have the electric cut first. So that would kill the wifi.

I have been looking at 4G cameras too, but it's hard to find ones that also have a long battery or large storage. 

Thanks a lot for the article about Leisure Battery charging. Very helpful.

TryingToWork

Andy_L said:

I can't help but feel that a proper computer style Uninterruptible Power Supply unit is going to be cheaper & safer than that battery & a charger.

Do you mean a wifi camera?

If so, yes I agree. I have a wifi camera already. But as people's electricity is often cut prior to a burglary here, I just wanted to cover all eventualities. 

I am also looking at other wifi cameras, but with long batteries and SD card options too. If you know of any, let me know! 

I already bought this little non-wifi camera off Amazon with 512gb SD card and long battery. It's possible that might be enough. 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0CYFXZ7MJ/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1

Andy_L

TryingToWork said:

Andy_L said:

I can't help but feel that a proper computer style Uninterruptible Power Supply unit is going to be cheaper & safer than that battery & a charger.

Do you mean a wifi camera?

If so, yes I agree. I have a wifi camera already. But as people's electricity is often cut prior to a burglary here, I just wanted to cover all eventualities. 

I am also looking at other wifi cameras, but with long batteries and SD card options too. If you know of any, let me know! 

I already bought this little non-wifi camera off Amazon with 512gb SD card and long battery. It's possible that might be enough. 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0CYFXZ7MJ/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1

no I mean an Uninterruptible Power Supply & plug your security camera into that.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Uninterrupted-Power-Supplies/b?ie=UTF8&node=430442031

(amazon link for illustration only, not recommendation)

Frozen_up_north

I have used various "leisure" type batteries while away from home, ie me and the battery away...

There are 3 basic types:

The deep cycle lead-acid type with screw tops covering the cells, same idea as an old style car battery.

The absorbed glass mat (AGM) version of the above, which is spill proof and doesn't emit acid vapour to ruin your furnishings.

And lastly lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO4), these are far safer than lithium ion types and have a terminal Voltage similar to the nominal 12 Volt "car" or "leisure" batteries.

The AGM and LiFePO4 need a more sophisticated charger than a Halfords car charger... Expect to pay a tidy sum for the charger alone. I use CTEK chargers.

You need to determine the current needed to power the camera, then work out how many amp hours of battery are needed to power it for an extended period of time. In all probability it will be a lot easier, and far cheaper, to use a mains plug top power supply to run the camera. A decent 68 Ah AGM battery will cost close to £150, a similar LiFePO4 one is 3 x the AGM cost and a good charger is north of £100.

https://www.ctek.com/uk/battery-chargers-12v-24v

TryingToWork

Andy_L said:

TryingToWork said:

Andy_L said:

I can't help but feel that a proper computer style Uninterruptible Power Supply unit is going to be cheaper & safer than that battery & a charger.

Do you mean a wifi camera?

If so, yes I agree. I have a wifi camera already. But as people's electricity is often cut prior to a burglary here, I just wanted to cover all eventualities. 

I am also looking at other wifi cameras, but with long batteries and SD card options too. If you know of any, let me know! 

I already bought this little non-wifi camera off Amazon with 512gb SD card and long battery. It's possible that might be enough. 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0CYFXZ7MJ/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1

no I mean an Uninterruptible Power Supply & plug your security camera into that.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Uninterrupted-Power-Supplies/b?ie=UTF8&node=430442031

(amazon link for illustration only, not recommendation)

OK thank you. I need something that will last a month. I looked at this link and understood these devices to cover for outages for up to 170 minutes. (the top one said that).

Unless I misunderstood.

Thank you for the link though. I did not know these existed. Good to know these would provide a better solution than my regular Surgemaster. 

TryingToWork

Frozen_up_north said:

I have used various "leisure" type batteries while away from home, ie me and the battery away...

There are 3 basic types:

The deep cycle lead-acid type with screw tops covering the cells, same idea as an old style car battery.

The absorbed glass mat (AGM) version of the above, which is spill proof and doesn't emit acid vapour to ruin your furnishings.

And lastly lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO4), these are far safer than lithium ion types and have a terminal Voltage similar to the nominal 12 Volt "car" or "leisure" batteries.

The AGM and LiFePO4 need a more sophisticated charger than a Halfords car charger... Expect to pay a tidy sum for the charger alone. I use CTEK chargers.

You need to determine the current needed to power the camera, then work out how many amp hours of battery are needed to power it for an extended period of time. In all probability it will be a lot easier, and far cheaper, to use a mains plug top power supply to run the camera. A decent 68 Ah AGM battery will cost close to £150, a similar LiFePO4 one is 3 x the AGM cost and a good charger is north of £100.

https://www.ctek.com/uk/battery-chargers-12v-24v

Thanks a lot. 

I used a plug top power supply for a camera previously but I need one that works without mains, in case there is no electric. But I know you can attach some of those little connectors to a big battery, sorry if that's what you meant. 

The cameras I've been looking at all have USB connections so whatever 5V and and 0.5amps is what I believe it is. 

I did the product finder and put Camping (and later Boat) > AGM battery because you said AGM >

And then Battery Maintenance ...and it spat out:

"All round Safe Start...

CS FREE

12V | Adaptive booster (jump starter alternative), battery charger and maintainer

£280 "

Yeah I see what you mean "a tidy sum"!

If I could stretch to that, would any 12v AGM battery be compatible with that charger?

But also I read that Leisure batteries should be charged slowly and I'm guessing a Booster does the opposite? and is different to an actual charger? 

Which battery and charger would you get for a USB device?

Thanks a lot