[Passingthrough]

Just picked up a solar panel for my Spypoint Tiny W 2. My question is do I need to put rechargeable batteries in the camera or can I run cam straight off the solar panel? If so, what kind of batteries?

[custom1]

You will need to use an External battery , hook your solar panel to the External battery

[mikeinkaty]

You will need to use an External battery , hook your solar panel to the External battery

All game cameras with an external power port are configured so that the camera uses whichever set has the largest voltage. They also have blocking diodes inside so that one set won't charge the other set. I ran my UM562 for 6 months on a SLA battery with a solar cell and it did not use the internal batteries at all.

[mikeinkaty]

I use one of these for my UM562:
http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=12610005

I use the 9V in the winter time (shorter days) and the 6V in the summer time. The pkg they come in can be used for outdoor mounting. I hang mine vertically, tilted upward at about 30 degrees, facing west.

I put a diode in the line to prevent back feeding. To get the 6V solar cell to provide enough voltage you need to use a Schottky diode because it has low voltage drop.
http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=12668990&locale=en_US

Mike

[Ol Arky]

I use a 6V 12AH SLA battery connected to a American Hunter solar charger to power my Covert Code Black... I also have internal batteries installed cause ya have to disconnect the external battery to open the case to replace cards... The batteries I use are regular alkaline not rechargable... The charger was broken off a feeder by a coon and I couldn't get it to stay attached to the feeder so I found another use for it... The battery bar on my Code Black hasn't gone below 8 bars yet and varies between 8 and 9 now the closer we get to the summer sun... The camera has been out and workin' since Sept 2012... If or when I have to I'll just take the SLA battery to our cabin at the deer camp and charge it while lettin' the camera run on internal battery power for that day...

Here's a picture of the 6V solar charger I use...

http://www.gsmoutdoors.com/shopping/butt ... R680-S.jpg

[Passingthrough]

How does the solar panel connect to the battery and the battery connect to the camera? Do you guys have your batteries in a weatherproof case? If so, how do the cables get through the case?

[Ol Arky]

How does the solar panel connect to the battery and the battery connect to the camera? Do you guys have your batteries in a weatherproof case? If so, how do the cables get through the case?

I have a piggyback connector connected to the battery with both the solar charger and camera attached to it.. I use regular spade type male and female connectors...

I have mine in a 30cal metal ammo can with the solar charger attachec to the ammo can... I just drilled a hole in the side of the case to run the wire... The hole is under where the solar charger is attached to the ammo can...

It ain't fancy but it works... Here's a picture...

[Passingthrough]

I ended up buying the Spypoint 12V rechargeable battery and plastic weatherproof box kit. Hopefully with all the cables that come with it I can figure out how to charge the cam with the battery and the battery with the solar panel. That's a lot of hardware next to a tree.

[Littleponny]

Note that even when the input voltage is 10V, the device is still capable of delivering 10V at its output when fed to the amplifier (6 ohm load). I suspect this device will be enough to power your camera, but I can't say for sure because you didn't specify the current. There are other devices of higher power - cloudy solar panels, that would meet all the requirements