RECONYX SC10 Solar Charger Operational Guide
- June 4, 2024
- RECONYX
Table of Contents
RECONYX SC10 Solar Charger
Specifications
- Dimensions 12 x 12 x 8.5″ / 30.5 x 30.5 x 21.6 cm
- Compatibility Reconyx HyperFire, HyperFire 2, UltraFire
- Battery Chemistry Lead-Acid
- Battery Capacity 9000 mAh
- Output Voltage 12 VDC
- Brand RECONYX
Getting Started
- Connect the SC10 internal battery. Your SC10 comes with the red wire disconnected from the positive terminal on the battery. Use the Thumb Screw on the back of the unit to loosen the top/front of the unit from the back/bottom. Rotate the top/front forward to reveal the SC10 battery. Remove the plastic cap from the positive terminal on the battery and plug the red wire onto this terminal. Close the unit and tighten the thumb screw to hold the two halves together.
- Connect the SC10 to the camera by plugging the shielded power cable into the external power jack on the bottom of your cellular camera.
- Turn on your camera (with no internal batteries inside) to test and see if everything is working.
- Optionally, you can now install a set of Lithium batteries inside the camera if you would like to have a backup power source in case someone or something unplugs or cuts the shielded cable going between the camera and the SC10 Solar Unit.
SC10 Solar Charger Overview
The SC10 Solar Charger is a great complement to your Reconyx Cellular camera.
The SC10 is a complete power supply system that includes a 10-Watt solar panel with a 108 Watt Hour (9 Amp Hour) Sealed Lead Acid battery. The Lead Acid battery was chosen because it is a tried and true battery chemistry that will run in the hottest summers and coldest winters that most of us will ever experience.
With the SC10, you can power your cellular camera indefinitely with power from the sun. For cellular users that can mount the SC10 in a spot that gets a few hours of direct sunlight per day, this unit should provide sufficient power to run your cellular camera indefinitely.
If you can get the SC10 in full sunlight, at mid-latitude locations, it should provide enough power to take and send 500 to1000 pictures per day through the cellular modem. Most users will never need nor want to send this many pictures.
If you cannot get enough sunlight, or you are needing to send a very large number of photos, you can daisy chain more than one SC10 together to double or triple the power available to your camera.
Warranty
RECONYX® warrants this product to be free of manufacturer’s defects in materials and **** workmanship for a period of 1 year from date of original purchase. If during this period, through normal use, the product fails due to defects in materials or workmanship, RECONYX® will either repair or replace the product at our sole discretion. This warranty is void if a product failure results from “acts of God”, accident, abuse, improper use, disassembly, or unauthorized maintenance and repair.
NOTE
If you have any questions or concerns relating to the operation or
functionality of your camera with the SC10 Solar Charger, please contact our
Technical Service Department by email at
support@reconyx.com or by calling toll free
866-493-6064.
Mounting the SC10
Integrated T-Post (Star Post) Mount
The SC10 is designed to sit atop almost any “T-post” style metal fencepost (also works with “Y” and “Star” posts) and can be rotated 360 degrees.
Rotate the unit so that it is facing the direction where it will get the most hours of sunlight during the day. Then lower it onto the post until the post is fully inserted in the slot. Gravity will hold the unit on to the post.
Using the Camera T-Post mount with the SC10
A great way to deploy your SC10 Solar unit and HyperFire 2 Cellular camera is to mount both of them to the same T-Post. This allows you to put the camera exactly where you want it and more than likely get sun on the correct face of the Solar unit at the same time.
The T-Post Camera Mount is sold separately, and can be purchased at www.reconyx.com.
Note
We do not recommend setting the SC10 on the ground. There are two primary
reasons for this: 1) snow, 2) foliage. You don’t want the unit covered by
snow or hidden by vegetation. You want the face of the SC10 to get as much
sunlight as possible.
Mounting with Screws
The SC10 can also be mounted on a post, wall, or tree using a couple of
screws or lag bolts; one to hang the unit on, and one to keep it from
rotating.
Mounting Bracket (Sold Separately)
The SC10 Mounting Bracket allows you to mount the bracket to a post, pole,
wall or tree, then simply slip the SC10 onto the bracket and secure it to the
bracket with a couple of bolts on the bottom of the unit.
Connecting the System
Connecting to Camera
The SC10 comes with a 12-foot power cable that is wound around the keeper cleats on the back side of the unit. This provides you with enough cable to hopefully mount the SC10 where it can get the most sunlight (up to 12 feet from the camera). There is a hold down under these cleats to clip the cable into to hold excess wire on the cleats if your camera is closer than 12 feet.
Note the Input Jack on the right side as you look at the back of the unit. This is the input for daisy chaining more than one solar unit together. There are two basic reasons you might daisy chain: 1) you need to take and send a lot of pictures, and one unit won’t keep up, 2) you are under canopy and you are not getting enough sunlight to recharge the SC10 internal battery to keep up with even a moderate level of activity. To daisy chain the SC10s, just plug the output from one into the input of the other, and then plug the output from that one, into the camera. You can add as many units as you need to in this fashion.
Using Desiccant in your Camera
Long Term Deployment with Internal Backup
When you are deploying your camera for long term operation (a year or greater), we highly recommend that you use one of our desiccant options inside of your camera to absorb any moisture that can penetrate the seals over time with the heating and cooling cycles of the day. This will ensure your camera runs at an optimal level for as many years as possible.
If you are using internal backup batteries, your desiccant option is to use our desiccant sheets. They lay over top of the batteries and absorb moisture that may enter the camera over time. These are available at www.reconyx.com.
Long Term Deployment without Internal Backup
If you choose to deploy without internal backup batteries, you have an even better desiccant option. This is the 14-gram indicating desiccant pouches we have available on our web site as well. You can put one or two of these in the cameras in place of a bank of batteries. These pouches are indicating. The little strip across the middle allows you to see inside the pouch. If the pellets are blue, they are dry. When they turn pink/white, they need to be recharged. You can recharge them by placing on a cookie sheet in a low oven (170F). Bake them dry and you can re-use them.
Camera Setup
Setting Battery Type on Camera
In the setup for the camera, find where you choose Battery Type.
When you find this option, Choose SC10 Solar for your setting. This will provide you with % battery readings that are appropriate for the SC10 Solar unit.
We recommend that you try to run your camera at an activity level where your internal battery rarely goes below 25%. This will give you the longest life possible for the internal battery.
You have the option of installing a set of Lithium batteries inside the camera that can act as a battery backup to the solar unit. If a Saber Tooth Squirrel were to chew through your cable, or someone/something unplugs the cable from the camera, the internal batteries will take over and keep your camera running.
Note, if your camera reads 0% while set to SC10 and it is still running for some time, you can be pretty sure something has gone wrong, and it is running on its internal batteries. In this case you may want to plan a trip to the camera to check it out. If you have a sunny day and the % goes back up, then you know the Solar unit is working and it was likely too many clouds, or too much drain on the batteries that got you into this state. In this case you may want to buy another SC10 unit to daisy chain to prevent over stressing your battery.
Copyright & Trademark Information Copyright October 2020 Other trademarks and registered trademarks referred to in this document:
HyperFire2™ is a trademark of RECONYX® All other trademarks and copyrights referred to are the property of their respective owners. RECONYX, Inc. 3828 Creekside Ln Holmen, WI 54636 866-493-6064 www.reconyx.com
Frequently Asked Questions
Battery damage caused by solar charger?
In direct sunshine, a solar panel like this one linked to a battery will charge the battery and maintain charging it over and beyond the usual suggested voltages. The battery would unquestionably suffer internal damage. Utilizing the right solar charger is crucial.
Can I still use my solar panel while it’s charging?
Yes, most solar generators may be used safely while they’re charging, but there are a few things you should be aware of. Check the user manual for your solar generator before operating it while it is charging.
How does a solar charger work to recharge a battery?
Connect a charge connector to the solar panel in order to use it to recharge a battery. To determine how many amps your charge connector can handle, divide the solar panel’s power by the battery’s voltage.
When a solar battery is fully charged, what happens?
When the batteries are fully charged by the solar panels, the charge controller will switch the majority of the current to go straight to the inverter. You might build a solar monitoring system to keep track on every aspect of your energy production.
How much energy can a solar battery store?
Solar batteries do occasionally need to be recharged, just like all other batteries. While Tesla batteries can operate without a charge for up to seven days, the average fully charged solar battery can only last one to five days.
A 12V battery may be overcharged, right?
If the voltage is kept low enough to avoid electrolysis and the charging current is kept below 0.2C, a 12V lead-acid battery won’t be harmed by overcharging (5 times less than the Ah capacity). Lead-acid battery types vary in their ability to withstand voltage.
Why isn’t my battery getting charged by my solar panel?
The causes range, but there are straightforward fixes. If your solar panel is not properly charging your battery, the major causes are: Incorrect solar panel setup, equipment issues, internal battery issues or a defective battery, and solar charge controller problems. Replacing broken equipment is the simplest solution to the problem.
Do solar batteries require upkeep?
While the most popular type of solar battery placed in homes and businesses, lithium ion battery technology, require little to no maintenance, other types of batteries could need an annual inspection from a qualified expert.
Where are solar batteries supposed to be kept?
However, the majority of solar energy systems use flooded batteries, which produce hydrogen gas and should be kept out of the living space in a well- ventilated area. The best option is a garage, sheltered shed, or enclosed porch. The ideal battery storage container is a strong, well-ventilated battery box