I did some research but I haven't been able to find the information that I really want.
I am building a home made security system consisting of several IP cameras. Brownouts are very frequent so I have purchased a 12V 7Ah that I am intending to use to power my system during these periods.
I also have a 12V battery charger which runs off 220V AC.
So,
- Can I wire a load to my battery if it is connected in parallel with the charger?
- Are 12V devices (IP cameras) supposed to tolerate 14V coming from a fully charged battery?
I also have a 12V solar panel that I'd like to use to charge my battery during the day and have the 12V charger provide the remaining necessary power to keep up with the demand. I have a solar controller which connects to the solar panel and the battery and takes care of regulating the charge.
- How can I add a solar panel + controller to the previous circuit?
Updates:
- Power consumption will be less than 3A.
- Battery is lead acid
- I am guessing the solar controller DOES have diodes that prevent the battery from being discharged.
I am going to get some regulators but are there any other alternatives? I have plenty of resistors, transistors and the like but no regulators like that.
I am not sure what the maximum voltage for the cameras could be ( no datasheets or anything like that available ) but would it be such a bad idea to add a series diode to cause a voltage drop of about 0.7V? Voltage would be about 13.5 if the battery is fully charged ( 12% more than 12V ).