Your Perch Camera can be powered in two different ways. In this article, we will discuss these options, advantages and disadvantages of each, and how to implement your chosen method.
How to Power the Camera
There are two options to power your Perch camera system.
- Wall Power. We supply a 12 volt, 5 amp power adapter that can be plugged into any wall outlet or extension cord.
- Portable Battery. We sell an external battery that can be used to power your camera system. The battery will come with a cable that connects it to the camera and a 12.6 volt, 2 amp wall adapter to charge the battery.
Wall Power vs Battery Power.
This all comes down to personal preference. Here are a couple questions to ask yourself before making a decision:
- How many Perch cameras will I have? How long will it take my organization to take the batteries on and off the rack to charge them?
- Do I have the man power to take the batteries on and off the rack daily or every other day?
- Do I have access to outlets in the weight room?
- How close are my outlets to where the Perch cameras will be mounted?
- Is there a way to route power cables that will look clean and not diminish the aesthetic of my weight room?
- Do I value flexibility of moving the camera around or taking it with me on the road?
Your decision will primarily come down to your need for flexibility, how many cameras you are buying, your access to power outlets, and the man power you have to keep the batteries charged. We have customers both large and small that have made either work.
Battery Specs
- Perch batteries have about 12 hours of continual use in them. Depending on your facility needs, turning the battery off in between uses is a good option. This will elongate the run-time of your battery and help you get several days of use.
- Batteries, once depleted, can be recharged within about 3 hours.
- The battery measures approximately 5" x 3" x 1.5"
- The battery contains 4, 12 lbs magnets to firmly secure it to the rack.
- The battery is 12 volts, 11,000 mAh.
Charging The Battery
- To charge your battery, remove it from the weight rack and take it to an outlet
- Plug your battery charger into an outlet. The charger will be labeled. It is rated at 12.6 volts, 2 Amps.
- Plug the other end of your battery charger into your battery
- Make sure your battery is ON. It MUST be on in order to charge. On means line (-) side down.
To Power the Tablet Via the Perch Battery:
- Connect the battery to the camera as usual via the power port on the right-hand side of the camera
- Turn the battery on (line down)
- Connect the appropriate tablet charging cable's USB side into the camera. The USB Port is next to the circular power port where the battery is connected. Connect the other end of the USB charging cable into the tablet
- If your tablet isn't receiving power, please email our support team at support@perch.fit