Limitations of the Arlo Ultra Solar Panel. Anyone used 12v solar panel with buck converter?

[JBKerner]

I recently bought a new house, moved to Arizona, and brought all of my Ultra & Pro2 cameras & hubs. I have basically 1 choice of location for my front door Ultra camera: above the door frame. The front door is very tall (96"). The 1st problem is, there isn't AC power on either of the adjacent walls. The 2nd problem is that the front door is recessed by about 17-feet from the nearest roof line. If I were to use a solar charger, I'd need a 22-foot cable, minimum, due to turns getting to the roof or gutter. I think the OEM Arlo solar panel is out, since the extra wire resistance needed would cause enough of a voltage drop to prevent charging. Has anyone used a 12V solar panel with a buck converter to deliver 5.8V to the Ultra? I'm not sure I like the idea of mounting a weatherproof box (for the buck converter) above the door, next to the camera, but I think I'm out of options! Any ideas?

[jguerdat]

A couple of thought:

- The issue of a longer cable for the solar panel likely isn't an issue given the low current capability of the panel. While there is a voltage drop over longer runs, that's related to the amount of current so a reasonably short extension shouldn't cause an issue. Of course, that means cutting the cable and splicing an extension in.

- Have you considered a suitable battery pack instead? You'd need to make sure it remains on even when the camera is asleep (minimal current draw).

[JBKerner]

I'm not talking about a "reasonably short extension" here. As I said, I need to effectively double the existing cable length, to 27-feet. I presume there was reason Netgear/Arlo limited the cable to 13'. The voltage drop is actually related to two factors: current & wire resistance. Wire resistance is also related to two factors: total wire length & the wire gauge. For the same wire gauge, doubling the length will double the resistance, which will significantly increase the voltage drop, end-to-end. I don't know the specs of the Ultra, but my guess is, it won't charge if I double the existing cable length.

[jguerdat]

Use of a larger gauge wire negates the voltage drop due to distance/resistance. I suspect some investigation of wire gauge drop over distance and some math would provide an answer. It would help to know what the voltage/current supplied by the panel would help but you'd have to measure that yourself.