Raspberry Pi Battery Power

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  • เผยแพร่เมื่อ 18 พ.ค. 2024
  • Running a Raspberry Pi on batteries -- specifically a 12V lead acid battery and a USB power bank. Video includes expected battery life calculations and battery life tests and for a Raspberry Pi 4, Raspberry Pi Zero, and other Pi models.
    The Raspberry Pi Foundation power consumption page is here:
    www.raspberrypi.org/documenta...
    If you enjoy this video, you may be interested in my recent Raspberry Pi project videos:
    Raspberry Pi Weather Station:
    • Raspberry Pi Weather S...
    Raspberry Pi Anemometer:
    • Raspberry Pi Anemomete...
    More videos on SBCs, computing and related topics can be found at:
    / explainingcomputers
    You may also like my ExplainingTheFuture channel at: / explainingthefuture
    Chapters:
    00:00 Introduction
    00:52 Five Pis
    02:41 USB power bank
    05:34 Power bank tests
    12:34 Lead Acid battery
    19:37 Wrap
    #RaspberryPi #Batteries #BatteryPower #ExplainingComputers
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ความคิดเห็น • 1.1K

  • @qc15pvetter
    @qc15pvetter 3 ปีที่แล้ว +517

    These videos are like what Saturday morning cartoons use to be to me when I was a kid.

    • @dougcox835
      @dougcox835 3 ปีที่แล้ว +7

      Except very few children would watch this on a Saturday morning. I will say though that when I was a kid on saturday mornings there were times when the cartoons were not interesting and I would switch over to the PBS station where they would play educational videos for the local community college. I learned a lot from watching those boring college course supplemental videos.

    • @nosuchthing8
      @nosuchthing8 3 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      Yes!

    • @tedoyle61
      @tedoyle61 3 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      I look forward to each one he creates.

    • @Whipster-Old
      @Whipster-Old 3 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      I wish I'd been watching Professor Barnatt when I was a kid. Hell yeah.

    • @Matrxmonky
      @Matrxmonky 3 ปีที่แล้ว +6

      Yup, woke up at 10, got some clothes on and the PC warmed, had the lovely better half brew a coffee, and we begin our Sunday with the dulcet tones of Mr. Barnatt.

  • @kev7345
    @kev7345 3 ปีที่แล้ว +183

    Rumour has it that Chris is running a P Zero off a car battery .. he hopes to show us the results on his 85th birthday...

    • @TwoTonTaft
      @TwoTonTaft 3 ปีที่แล้ว +16

      So, like a month or two? (this guy's got jokes for days)

    • @QWERTASDFG303
      @QWERTASDFG303 3 ปีที่แล้ว +19

      Umm, everyone knows Chris is a vampire. Make that his 385th birthday.

    • @michealkinney6205
      @michealkinney6205 3 ปีที่แล้ว +13

      Lol, how about running it off a 159lb 12v 255ah AGM Lead Acid Solar Battery (that a ridiculous 3.06kWh's of capacity). In retrospect, that's 36 times more than the Lead Acid battery tested (12V @ 7Ah = 84 wH). That power a RPi for nearly a year, in theory (Lead Acid tested lasted 187 hours x 36 = 6732 / 24 hours == 280.5 Days). There's a "fun" or boring video for you, depending on how you look at it. Just some food for thought!

    • @acromatfpv894
      @acromatfpv894 2 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      "Inconceivable!" 😄

    • @grimuk3817
      @grimuk3817 2 ปีที่แล้ว +6

      Rumor has it Chris is running a car off a P Zero ...

  • @An.Individual
    @An.Individual 3 ปีที่แล้ว +35

    re table at 5:15 A power bank is rated at it's nominal voltage which is 3.7V for lithiums cells. So the energy in a 10,000mAh battery is 37 watt hours (10A * 3.7V)
    The current consumed by the Pi is rated at 5V.
    runtime for Pi4 is (3.7 * 10 * 75%) / (5 * 0.6) = 9.25 hours

    • @michealkinney6205
      @michealkinney6205 3 ปีที่แล้ว

      I agree, but nominal power of a Lithium battery is actually 3.6 volts.
      Lithium Power Bank: (3.6 * 10 * 0.75) / (5 * 0.6) = 9 hours
      Lead Acid Battery: (12 * 7 *.75) / (5 * 0.6) = 21 hours (2.33 times more energy)
      But I also expect a slightly higher efficiency for the Lead Acid batteries "capacity" over the Lithium battery bank as the differential between maximum and minimum voltages is greater, and there is a step down converter in the power bank, so the efficiency loss also needs to be considered. This accounts for the Lead Acid battery getting nearly 3X the time.

  • @RaviRJoshi
    @RaviRJoshi 3 ปีที่แล้ว +63

    Videos like this is what makes world a better place, and EC a popular channel. Prof.

  • @bananus815
    @bananus815 3 ปีที่แล้ว +14

    We shouldnt forget Mr.Scissors. He helps to get all reviews

    • @ExplainingComputers
      @ExplainingComputers  3 ปีที่แล้ว +6

      True.

    • @ddegn
      @ddegn 2 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Mr. Scissors' witty humor is the main reason I watch this channel.

    • @bananus815
      @bananus815 2 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      @@ddegn noice

  • @xjet
    @xjet 3 ปีที่แล้ว +158

    Perhaps the lead-acid results were skewed because without an intelligent voltage cut-off, the lead-acid battery would exhaust its entire capacity, well below the safe minimum. The power-bank is smart enough to disconnect the load when the battery is down to the safe minimum voltage but that simple buck converter will likely keep going down to almost 5V of input voltage.

    • @CampGareth
      @CampGareth 3 ปีที่แล้ว +18

      There isn't much energy in a lithium ion battery below safe cutoff voltage, something like 5% of the rated capacity if I remember my curves. But yes, the lead acid depth of discharge here is far too much for that battery to have a long life.

    • @Avocettech
      @Avocettech 3 ปีที่แล้ว +9

      Yes - a nice add on feature for lead-acid applications would be some sort of RPi power down and then complete power switch off when the battery approaches 12.3 Volts.

    • @RealJonDoe
      @RealJonDoe 3 ปีที่แล้ว +10

      @@Avocettech a voltage divider on an analog input should be able to accomplish this.

    • @arthurhardy
      @arthurhardy 3 ปีที่แล้ว +13

      That is exactly what happens, And every time you run the lead acid down that far you reduced the capacity and skewed the numbers for subsequent tests

    • @nid274
      @nid274 3 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      @Abstractism I learned that lead acid battries should not discharged below 10 to 9.5v in the worst case.

  • @techntell6684
    @techntell6684 3 ปีที่แล้ว +46

    As this experiment went on, you could hear his enthusiasm diminishing with each run 😄 It probably felt like the universe would come to an end before production was finished! Kudos and great video!

  • @aryantiwari1945
    @aryantiwari1945 3 ปีที่แล้ว +33

    This video was incredible. This must have taken a lot of effort!
    Lead acid FTW!

  • @msulemanf
    @msulemanf 3 ปีที่แล้ว +72

    Love it, solar next? Easily one of my top 10 channels - consistently delivering well produced, interesting, accurate, exhaustive & kind-spirited videos. Thank-you.

    • @RaviRJoshi
      @RaviRJoshi 3 ปีที่แล้ว +5

      Yep. I used to run Rpi 4 on a mobile battery. I guess I'll power that battery from solar, soon.

    • @AdrieKooijman
      @AdrieKooijman 3 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Solar? Running a RPI until the sun runs out? 😜

    • @AdrieKooijman
      @AdrieKooijman 2 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      @@flethacker at night time the sun is hidden for some of us, not 'out'

    • @jacobcastro1885
      @jacobcastro1885 2 ปีที่แล้ว

      Solar is perfect for charging and maintaining these batteries.
      The best channel on TH-cam is DIY SOLAR POWER with Will Prowse.

    • @dang48
      @dang48 ปีที่แล้ว

      @@RaviRJoshi I did some research a couple of years ago and if I remember correctly, a 9W panel could power a pi. (That would be the model 3B).

  • @duytdl
    @duytdl 2 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    Can always count on EC for no-nonsense to the point videos on these subjects. Well done sir!

  • @BryanBenoit
    @BryanBenoit 3 ปีที่แล้ว +10

    I absolutely love every single video on this channel. Thanks a million !

  • @xjet
    @xjet 3 ปีที่แล้ว +78

    It is also worth nothing that the mAH capacity of many power-banks is not what you might think. Many of them use the mAH capacity of the battery in the bank and since that capacity is at a lower voltage (nominal 3.7V) then you do not get anywhere near that at the 5V the power bank sends out the USB port. To deliver 1A at 5V the battery will see a drain of (@4V)) 1.2A. This means that a 10,000 mAH power bank has a deliverable capacity of significantly less than the 10,000mAH at which the battery is rated. Then there are the efficiency losses of the boost converter that steps the voltage up from a nominal 3.7V to 5V.

    • @michealkinney6205
      @michealkinney6205 3 ปีที่แล้ว +8

      Exactly what I was thinking. So the actual number of the power bank would be 3.6V nominal (though advertised as 3.7V which is misinformation, which someone smarter than me pointed out years ago) x 10Ah = 36 Watts / 5V = 7,200 mAh. That and, I expect a slightly higher efficiency for the Lead Acid batteries "capacity" (84 wH / 5V is 16.8 Ah) over the Lithium battery bank as the differential between maximum and minimum voltages is greater. And then calculate the internal boost converters loss (boost conversion is slightly worse than step down efficiency) as you suggest, and bob's your uncle, the numbers are nearly spot on, lol. Anything left over can be attributed to "estimates" in efficiency and usage. I love math, especially as it applies to energy.

    • @Lord_Legolas_Greenleaf
      @Lord_Legolas_Greenleaf 2 ปีที่แล้ว

      Was the current draw of the LED accounted for? What 15mA or less? The power draw of anything is a general guideline. Components specification's are a guideline as well. Not all components are equal - some will draw more than rated, some will draw less. But this is only part of the equation. The other part is when the battery starts to drain; it's ratings get worse with the condition (remaining charge) of the battery as the condition goes down. And here again the 'components' of the battery comes into play. As for that converter - I doubt it's efficiency is 90%! I saw similar converters with a google search and they're 'unknown manufactures.' I would guess that if your lucky they're "approaching" 90%! YES! Having worked with fire alarms and security systems that all use those types of batteries they are great! And especially since these 'uses' aren't 'critical' it doesn't really matter. Since I am an Electronics/Computer Technician I would use 'dependable' & "reliable" parts from known and trusted manufacturers. And then there comes 'component' availability! If you can only get certain parts - then that's what you'll use! But @ExplainingComputers is correct! Test before you put it out into the real world.

    • @ddegn
      @ddegn 2 ปีที่แล้ว

      Without knowing the voltage of those mAH, the figure it pretty much meaningless.
      mWH is what should be used in comparisons like this.
      The 75% is pretty close to what you get if you're assuming 5V from a 3.7V battery.

    • @nickpelov
      @nickpelov 2 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      @@Lord_Legolas_Greenleaf A led can be clearly visible at just 1-2 mA

    • @santoshstudy5812
      @santoshstudy5812 2 ปีที่แล้ว

      Actually, what it really means is instead of specifying battery capacity in mAH, it should be specified in volts*amps*time I e. In Joules.
      A 10,000 mAH at 3.6v will amount to 10Amp*3.6v*3600sec = 129 K Joules of energy.
      Just a comparison, 1 kg of gasoline has 40M Joules of energy. So, the 10,000mAh battery above is really only worth 3 grams of gasoline.
      Just shows how energy dense fossil fuels are and why humans are so addicted to it.
      And if he runs pi-0 on a full tank worth of gasoline (like 50kg or so), it indeed may last till his 85th birthday, may even last till his son's 85th birthday.

  • @FuzzyElf
    @FuzzyElf 3 ปีที่แล้ว +4

    From one Christopher to another: Thank you very much for sharing your knowledge and creativity -- and humor -- in your remarkable videos.

  • @mikecarlson6416
    @mikecarlson6416 2 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    this is absolutely pure fun to see the experiment result, thanks a lot

  • @Uniblab8
    @Uniblab8 3 ปีที่แล้ว +17

    ...forgot to mention...my Sunday mornings are not complete unless I view and digest your videos. Well done.

  • @alerey4363
    @alerey4363 3 ปีที่แล้ว

    Excellent real-world tests and comparison in a key department for SBCs; it also covers both bases: small-portable-lightweight powerbank vs heavy bulky durable lead acid battery

  • @deechvogt1589
    @deechvogt1589 3 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    Awesome practical application testing Chris. I will remember the buck converter if I ever have a need for long term away from main power application for my Raspberry Pi. Thanks Chris. Cheers and as always stay well.

  • @dj_paultuk7052
    @dj_paultuk7052 3 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    Great Scott setup a SBC to water his greenhouse a few weeks back. His also manually activates via a txt message from a mobile phone.

  • @iwinrar5207
    @iwinrar5207 3 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    I was just researching this topic. This brings it all into one easy place. Thanks!

  • @shawn8054
    @shawn8054 3 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    Always enjoy waking up to a new video from you!

  • @spiders-tours
    @spiders-tours 3 ปีที่แล้ว +18

    Your next project would be interesting if a solar panel (which should be usable in a greenhouse) can charge the battery whilst it's in use. The application could work for a very long time indeed. Nice tests, thanks for the video.

  • @ritmo1130
    @ritmo1130 3 ปีที่แล้ว +6

    What a great video! Always wanted to see something like this. Thanks!!

  • @robloxianfilipinocars
    @robloxianfilipinocars 2 ปีที่แล้ว

    I'm grateful that you did all of these test. Now I know what power source is the best for my raspberry pi project.

  • @nathanisip
    @nathanisip 3 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    Kudos to going through all the effort of testing! I was thinking of some fancy gpio interfacing to a monitor pi and had to do a face palm when you discussed writing to a spreadsheet, simple and elegant!

  • @jeyendeoso
    @jeyendeoso 3 ปีที่แล้ว +8

    Excellent video, Chris, I wasn't expecting battery benchmarking hahaha
    Now I can't wait for the greenhouse video!

  • @gregadams558
    @gregadams558 3 ปีที่แล้ว +19

    Always love the dry humor.

  • @HermannKerr
    @HermannKerr 3 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    This is probably one of the most interesting videos you have put out. I am really impressed. Thanks it was very informative and liked how you programmed the test.

  • @lorderectus1849
    @lorderectus1849 3 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Those spectacles look 👀 absolutely electrifying!

  • @markdonnelly1913
    @markdonnelly1913 3 ปีที่แล้ว +24

    Your videos never disappoint, well done again. I nearly choked on my coffee with your reasoning for not testing all the devices though, hilarious!

  • @apflewis
    @apflewis 3 ปีที่แล้ว +79

    "Lets go and get started", Noooo, I want to take a closer look!

    • @lemailpoubel6210
      @lemailpoubel6210 3 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      🤣🤣🤣🤣👍👍👍

    • @CTCTraining1
      @CTCTraining1 3 ปีที่แล้ว +6

      Yes, but is the ‘closer look’ indicating an unboxing rather than ‘getting started’ on a project?

    • @lawrenceallwright7041
      @lawrenceallwright7041 3 ปีที่แล้ว +5

      @@CTCTraining1 You've been watching this channel too long!

    • @gutwallst6645
      @gutwallst6645 3 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      Right!

    • @Plasros
      @Plasros 3 ปีที่แล้ว

      So!

  • @theflyingsmiley01
    @theflyingsmiley01 2 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    I have always wondered about powering R-pis with batteries. You did a great job on this video!

  • @tanyoivanov-personal
    @tanyoivanov-personal 2 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Thank you. It was useful to me. I thought to use an acid battery and now I know how long should work with it. Great help.

  • @frankligas2249
    @frankligas2249 3 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    Thanks for the video. Design experience idea. Back in the mid 1990's I had a project where a laptop needed to run a weather station for one month. This was out in a remote farming location. I set up the laptop to run from two 12 volt marine deep cycle boat batteries. The batteries were connected with wires soldered onto the power connection ports of an APC brand battery backup unit designed to run the computer when the power failed. So by starting with a battery backup unit, that took almost all of the engineering out of the equation. APC battery backups run on a 12 volt, lead acid battery identical to the one you show in this video. The build was simple. Buy a battery backup unit. Open it up and remove the small 12 volt battery and solder longer wires that would connect to the two bigger boat or car batteries. Then take the battery backup apart and cut the alarm buzzer off of the circuit board. When the backup unit is not plugged into the wall, it runs on batteries. the annoying alarm is buzzing as a needless warning. Other than that, the only other thing to do was to put the whole thing in a waterproof box, and connect the ground wire to a grounding rod in the field. We ran these laptops for years this way. The trick of having two batteries was so that when we were swapping out the batteries on a monthly basis, we could keep one battery connected while swapping out the other. This allowed for the laptops to run without needing to be shut down. Later, around 1997 small 12 volt solar pannels started to show up in local auto parts stores. We bought one and connected that to the batteries as well. This allowed us to run the laptops off-grid for six months until the whole thing was blown to a million pieces by a direct strike of a lightning strike. : ) Also, to charge the spare batteries I was swapping out, I used a second modified battery back up as the battery charger to recharge the batteries. This just needed some longer wires with alligator clips soldered onto them.

  • @TheTechieScientist
    @TheTechieScientist 3 ปีที่แล้ว +20

    Whatever happens in the world ....EC is always there to support us and get our spirits up on sundays.. 😁...thank you

  • @theoriginaldylangreene
    @theoriginaldylangreene 3 ปีที่แล้ว

    This is really interesting data, very useful. Thank you for putting in a huge amount of time and effort to collect it!
    Every time someone asks about battery endurance with a RPi, I will link them to here.

  • @emilrasmussen7429
    @emilrasmussen7429 2 ปีที่แล้ว

    This is by far the best video I have found on TH-cam, thank you so much!

  • @slawomirkortas
    @slawomirkortas 3 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    This was exactly what I was pondering for a remote Pi setup. But that's half of my puzzle. The other half is a small solar panel installation that would charge the battery during the day. Could you include that scenario in your next video?

  • @W4RR4NTW0LF
    @W4RR4NTW0LF 2 ปีที่แล้ว +9

    Really interesting figures! In relation to the PiZeroW, I regularly use one running at full load, with an e-ink display off a 12,000mAh LiPO bank and I generally get about 50-55hrs of use from it. It's neat to see your figures fitting in so well with my experience on a number of Pi systems. :)

    • @corpliner1506
      @corpliner1506 5 หลายเดือนก่อน

      Wow, I am doing the exact same thing. Odd coincidence

  • @arthurmint
    @arthurmint ปีที่แล้ว +1

    im glad you got this video out before the universe came to an end, very helpful !

  • @roembol
    @roembol 2 ปีที่แล้ว

    This is exactly the video I needed. I rarely like a video these days, but this one deserves it!

  • @Evaldas65
    @Evaldas65 3 ปีที่แล้ว +14

    I was hoping you'd touch on power level sensing (that is, the pi shuts down safely once the power level gets very low), perhaps in part 2 of this video? :)

  • @mohnkhan
    @mohnkhan 3 ปีที่แล้ว +60

    Lead Acid chemistry is strange yet useful. The rate at which we draw the current determines how much useful capacity you can make of it. May be you should run a video series on battery chemistries and how to select a right battery type. Its an interesting subject.

    • @dougcox835
      @dougcox835 3 ปีที่แล้ว +7

      It is interesting but I think it's a bit of a stray from "explaining computers". I think he has other channels that he might put stuff like that on. If you look around youtube I think you will find lots of videos on batteries. Including people who make their own from individual cells. There's one guy who shows how you can use an old battery case and make your own lead acid battery. It's actually pretty simple, but messy with the sulphuric acid.

    • @zackaboy1236
      @zackaboy1236 3 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      I’m all up for this but maybe on a separate channel as this channel is mainly for computers/technology.

    • @g-r-a-e-m-e-
      @g-r-a-e-m-e- 3 ปีที่แล้ว

      @@dougcox835 Who is the person you are thinking of?

    • @Aaron-hg8jo
      @Aaron-hg8jo 3 ปีที่แล้ว

      I would watch that.

    • @diogenesdevletoglou6190
      @diogenesdevletoglou6190 3 ปีที่แล้ว

      Lead acid is obsolete, bulky and very heavy. Your best bet here is to buy 4 Li-ion 1.5Volt rechargeable AAs connected in series and then add the simplest linear regulator which is just one small resistor in series as a voltage divider. Benefit of Li-ion chemistries are light weight, energy dense, and a very stable discharge curve (

  • @BeOurBee
    @BeOurBee 3 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    This is fantastic, exactly the kind of thing I always wondered about but never found satisfactory information for on the web. Until now!

  • @dakotadanderson
    @dakotadanderson 3 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Excellent forethought on the use case when testing the battery life!

  • @MicrobyteAlan
    @MicrobyteAlan 3 ปีที่แล้ว +11

    Excellent I’ve been wanting to control my garden railroad with a Raspberry Pi.

    • @ExplainingComputers
      @ExplainingComputers  3 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      Then this may help make it happen!

    • @ronb6182
      @ronb6182 3 ปีที่แล้ว

      I thought the train ran on AC. St least all mine do.

  • @treshanremolano159
    @treshanremolano159 3 ปีที่แล้ว +12

    Rushed in to watch this, learned a lot in under 10 to 20 minutes of video!

  • @OriginalRaveParty
    @OriginalRaveParty 3 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Very handy reference for RPI remote project builders. Thank you.

  • @techman2471
    @techman2471 3 ปีที่แล้ว

    You were extarordinarily "Energized" about this project. I learned i can do the projects I want to do on my Pis. Thanks!

  • @ahmad-murery
    @ahmad-murery 3 ปีที่แล้ว +6

    Interesting indeed how old-tech lead-acid batteries still performing very well,
    14:33 That was a very useful formula to calculate the output amps,
    for your greenhouse, you maybe can extend your battery runtime by charging it using a small solar panel,
    Thanks Chris,

    • @tomhath8413
      @tomhath8413 2 ปีที่แล้ว

      Or just buy another inexpensive battery and swap them out every few days.

  • @jmctoob2
    @jmctoob2 3 ปีที่แล้ว +10

    I am sure you know this, especially since you calculated this for the lead acid. The 74% of listed capacity is because that is the cell capacity at 3.7v. When running at 5v the mAh will be lower by a ratio of 3.7/5.0=0.74. A better capacity rating is Watt hours (Wh).

  • @petertwiss4215
    @petertwiss4215 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Thank you! A clear demonstration. I did this and then modified to connect to Google sheets though their API. This means that when the power fails, the spreadsheet will not corrupt and also I can view from anywhere.

  • @SuperWiseacre
    @SuperWiseacre 3 ปีที่แล้ว

    This episode is pure gold, I really learnt so much things

  • @insanemainstream3633
    @insanemainstream3633 3 ปีที่แล้ว +5

    Woohoo happy Sunday morning everyone!

    • @nosuchthing8
      @nosuchthing8 3 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Dude, your icon...

  • @sandeepkulkarni3695
    @sandeepkulkarni3695 3 ปีที่แล้ว +19

    Due to low space constraints and Higher Power Requirements of Raspi 4 (1GB RAM) I had to design a converter for 3 Li-ION cells in series (3.7*3=11.1V) and then stepping down this voltage to 5V using a buck converter at nearly 2A!
    Happy to see similar work Chris!!

    • @ExplainingComputers
      @ExplainingComputers  3 ปีที่แล้ว +5

      We are clearly both on the same page!

    • @littlechestnutorchard
      @littlechestnutorchard 3 ปีที่แล้ว +14

      @@ExplainingComputers if anyone is interested Lidl and Aldı sells 20v 4 and 5 Amp cordless tool batteries, the prices are £25 and £30 respectedly, sometimes it comes with charger or if you want to buy it seperatelyi it is usually £12. These batteries are very compact and protection circuits are included in the casing , great for portable, mobile applications. I have been using them last couple of years for remote water reservoir level control and charging them with a small solar panel and very happy about the results .

    • @sandeepkulkarni3695
      @sandeepkulkarni3695 3 ปีที่แล้ว

      @Shogun Zoro Sure

    • @zackaboy1236
      @zackaboy1236 3 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      @@sandeepkulkarni3695 ur not even a good youtuber tho

    • @sandeepkulkarni3695
      @sandeepkulkarni3695 3 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      @@zackaboy1236 Though I am a capable Electrical Engineer

  • @marksterling8286
    @marksterling8286 3 ปีที่แล้ว

    Absolutely fantastic video, i think you must be a mind reader, I started last weekend thinking about a project to power a raspberry pi4 running retropie in the back of my car, to allow the children to play games on long journeys, the thing i was working on was to have a power bank power the pi after the car ignition was turned off to allow the pi to shutdown nicely. I have designed a circuit that charges the power bank from the car, and the pi from the power bank but when the cars power is lost it signals the pi via a gpio pin to shutdown the pi. Looking at the test results I am tempted to just have the pi’s power from the power bank and then just change the power bank when the car is running. Really great video Chris. Thank you so much.

  • @TheMadRocker
    @TheMadRocker 3 ปีที่แล้ว

    I use a Pi for ADSB flight tracking. Adding a solar panel and charge controller to a 35amp hr SLA battery has been on my to do list. Thanks for the vid with real world numbers.

  • @adrianschneider1977
    @adrianschneider1977 3 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    Nice video!
    According to my knowledge, lead acid batteries should not be discharged below 50% on a regular basis as this would shorten their life. So ideally implement some battery monitoring that prevents too deep discharging.

  • @gigteevee6118
    @gigteevee6118 3 ปีที่แล้ว +7

    Gratuitous use of Mr Scissors! That bag of "magic beans" had a tear option.

    • @ExplainingComputers
      @ExplainingComputers  3 ปีที่แล้ว +10

      Tear options often may a bay more difficult to reuse, and more difficult to control in close-up on camera! :) And Mr Scissors would be upset.

    • @Aaron-hg8jo
      @Aaron-hg8jo 3 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      @@ExplainingComputers Mr. Scissors is that last person I would want to upset.

    • @klaxoncow
      @klaxoncow 3 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      @@Aaron-hg8jo I don't know. I'd be more worried about upsetting Mr. Stanley Knife than Mr.Scissors, personally.

  • @michaelgkellygreen
    @michaelgkellygreen 3 ปีที่แล้ว

    Brilliant tests and presentation. I have loved looking back through your older videos. Learned so much, Thanks

  • @DeusinMachina
    @DeusinMachina 3 ปีที่แล้ว

    I've been super interested in figuring out the raspberry pi's capabilities on batteries, so this video was perfect!

  • @plica06
    @plica06 3 ปีที่แล้ว +10

    This video must have taken weeks to make.. now that is dedication!

  • @Matbombardier6985
    @Matbombardier6985 3 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    a small solar panel (something for automotive since its already small, mobile, and setup for 12v... I've seen 'em with banana clips) should be in your near future

  • @drewswoods
    @drewswoods 2 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Really appreciate these types of videos. Learning more and more about my new computer.

  • @spikekent
    @spikekent 3 ปีที่แล้ว

    Fantastic as always Chris. Looking forward to the remote watering project.

  • @parkamark
    @parkamark 3 ปีที่แล้ว +13

    Is the lead acid battery going to be re-charged from sunlight in that greenhouse? That would make an awesome little project!

    • @volvo09
      @volvo09 3 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Perfect "cheap and easy" chemistry for a diy solar setup or first battery project to get you learning.
      You can add a cheap pwm solar charge controller and 12v panel from amazon, and in the states you can find those batteries locally in home depot.

    • @filthylucreonyoutube
      @filthylucreonyoutube 3 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      @volvo09 Right on! I've been doing a bit of that and it's amazing how useful and affordable the new panels and controllers are now. Practical and economical solar power has definitely arrived for low and moderate power consumption projects.

    • @ajantis.ilvastarr
      @ajantis.ilvastarr 3 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      I was acutally thinking about installing Pi in my car connected to power bank which would be charged by solar panels. Would that work?

    • @volvo09
      @volvo09 3 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      @@ajantis.ilvastarr you could if you wanted to do it for fun, but since it's in a car if you drive the car enough, keep the pi's battery charged when you run your car (and use solar to keep it going for long term storage).
      use the separate isolated battery for the pi to keep from draining your cars battery. You may be able to get away with keeping it powered off your cars battery alone, but those batteries are not designed to be run down and they fail wuickly with even little draws, so having the 2nd battery would be ideal... Then just pick your method of charging. Your setup would be a smaller version of what rv's use... The main vehicle battery stays seperate, and the house batteries run independently and charge when plugged in or the vehicle is on.

  • @pavan13
    @pavan13 3 ปีที่แล้ว +5

    A raspberry pi video after a long time

    • @ExplainingComputers
      @ExplainingComputers  3 ปีที่แล้ว +8

      They always return. :) And two weeks today there will be a Raspberry Pi Pico video.

    • @TheTechieScientist
      @TheTechieScientist 3 ปีที่แล้ว

      @@ExplainingComputers Yay

  • @horseradishpower9947
    @horseradishpower9947 3 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    This will be helpful, because it likely help me out in the questions I have in home made portable computing.
    Thanks for making this video.

  • @conicEllipse
    @conicEllipse 3 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    I thoroughly enjoyed this video. It's one of my favorites of yours. I have a tip, though, regarding the Sealed Lead Acid (SLA) batteries. Unless you purchase a "deep discharge" SLA, you are going to ruin the battery quickly with multiple deep discharges. Also, heat kills these things. So you may wish to keep it close to the floor in your greenhouse or keep it out of the greenhouse, if possible. Also, do not place it on a cement floor as I've "heard" that this discharges them more quickly. This may be a myth as I haven't tested this yet. When using SLAs, they like to be kept charged up. If the total power drains are small at each use, you could get hundreds of discharge/charge cycles out of them. If you drain them (something like 80%), you'll only get very few discharge/charge cycles (maybe 8 or 10 -- your mileage may vary). If you drain them more than 80%, the battery is permanently damaged. Also, give them a top-up charge every month as each month without a charge causes a permanent capacity reduction of a couple percent. After 6 months without a charge (and no power taken out of it) the battery will have permanently lost 20% of its capacity meaning that even if it is charged to 100%, the most capacity you'll have is 80%.
    SLAs lose capacity with each charge/discharge cycle; more so than LIon and LiPO. I would love to see your results from running the same test 5 consecutive time on the Pi 4b. It would be interesting to see how much capacity (measured in runtime) is lost on each go-around.
    YUASA is a middle-of-the-line to upper-line brand. When you completely discharge an SLA, it takes a longer time to charge (obviously). With deeper discharges, the voltage has to be higher to charge it up, which causes the lead plates inside the battery to heat up. The longer the charge, the hotter the plates get. This can cause the plates to warp, causing shorts. Additionally, it can evaporate the acid in the battery more quickly, which causes oxidation on the plates, which causes even less capacity.
    Keep making your vids. I get some good ideas from you an expand my knowledge. Thank you. :)

  • @markconger8049
    @markconger8049 3 ปีที่แล้ว +5

    Regarding the small lead acid battery seen in this video they can be found at Walmart stores in the US in the fishing equipment section. Otherwise, I’ve had to order from Amazon.

    • @Aaron-hg8jo
      @Aaron-hg8jo 3 ปีที่แล้ว

      Thanks!

    • @ernestgalvan9037
      @ernestgalvan9037 3 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Walmart, Academy, Tractor Supply, Northern Tools, Home Depot, Lowe’s, Cabela’s.
      To name a few places that sell those small batteries.
      They are used in alarm systems, deer feeders, emergency back-up lighting, small trolling motors… etc

  • @jub8891
    @jub8891 3 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    interesting tests! although running down a lead acid battery can reduce its capacity- will you be using the battery for general rasp pi computing?

  • @commentingpausedtoprotectus
    @commentingpausedtoprotectus 3 ปีที่แล้ว

    I now know which battery to use for my long-term raspberry pi 0 lapel camera project, nice one!

  • @conororeilly5492
    @conororeilly5492 3 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    I'm really excited to see the greenhouse project video

  • @ahoj113
    @ahoj113 3 ปีที่แล้ว +9

    19:52 Really looking forward to that! :)

  • @OwtDaftUK
    @OwtDaftUK 3 ปีที่แล้ว +6

    You can buy a USB cable that has a power switch. Which is good for power since they tend to not do data. It might help with the auto on thing.

    • @georgemaragos2378
      @georgemaragos2378 3 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Hi, my PI3b+ came with one, when i looked at it i thought very high tech like a bedroom table lamp - but it has its uses

  • @larrywebber2971
    @larrywebber2971 3 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Immensely and timely video for me Chris. Thanks!

  • @GarretW
    @GarretW 3 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    Great video! I think a great addition to this would be a review on power management boards for rpi. For example, omzlo pi watcher. And see how that improves battery life.

  • @ElmerFuddGun
    @ElmerFuddGun 3 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    _"Usable capacity"_ at 4:39 is not 75% but actually based on the *false advertising* of USB battery pack manufactures. The manufactures get their claimed capacity from the li-ion battery's capacity at a _nominal_ 3.7V *NOT* at 5V. You will not get 10,000mAh at 5 or 5.1V on the USB output. You need to convert that 10Ah (10,000mAh) at 3.7V to watt hours (37Wh) then divided it by 5V (or 5.1V) then multiply by the boost or buck converter efficiency (~87-95%). *Yes, all USB battery capacities should be claimed in watt-hours.* I hope this helps to clarify why you are not getting "10,000mAh".

    • @ElmerFuddGun
      @ElmerFuddGun 3 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      Also remember "10,000" can be a model _name_ and is often an approximation of the total of the batteries. Better manufactures will round down while others "round" up quite a bit. Cheap manufactures can also use batteries that vary greatly depending on when and who they got them from so the capacity of one USB battery pack with the same markings can be much different than the next.

  • @MWPdx
    @MWPdx 3 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    0:45 Woah! Here I was, ready to take a closer look, and suddenly we're getting started? Idk if I can handle this emotional roller coaster.

  • @piconano
    @piconano 3 ปีที่แล้ว

    When my daughter moved in her apartment, I garbed the small alarm controller the previous owner left behind.
    It had a battery like yours making 3/4 of the enclosure, and it was only 2 years old.
    It now provides power to my RPi2B+ Rpi Noir camera, running RPi-Cam-Web-Interface on Raspbian, making the best IP security camera in the world for $50 !!
    I connected a beefier 5V @5A buck converter than what you show in your video to power the setup 24/7. That's all I had.
    Fortunate for me, the internal 12V SLA charger circuitry can supply 1A to charge the battery (~12W). Running a Rpi is a walk in the park for the built-in charger.
    When I lose power the charger will stop, but the 12V battery is fully charged and ready to go.
    I never tested how long it would take for the system to run down.
    Now I've got a pretty good idea. Thanks to your video.

  • @Coyotehello
    @Coyotehello ปีที่แล้ว

    Your videos are always such a treat! Thank you.

  • @Felixvioleta
    @Felixvioleta 3 ปีที่แล้ว +7

    Now I'm curious how many Raspberry pi's do you even have? and should make a video about it?

  • @BQQBIES
    @BQQBIES 3 ปีที่แล้ว +15

    Heat death of the universe, I can wait.

  • @lukeearthcrawler896
    @lukeearthcrawler896 3 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Great, informative video, Chris! Thanks a bunch! The Pi is definitely a good solution for battery powered applications, but if you really want performance nothing beats low power microcontrollers like ST's L-series. The problem in that case is the ridiculously long runtime (many years).

  • @henryl200
    @henryl200 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    this information is so use full to have it was nice that you took the time to figguer this all out.

  • @jaykayenn
    @jaykayenn 3 ปีที่แล้ว +7

    You seem to have overlooked the capacity calculation for the powerbank, as they are rated at 3.7v not 5v. Otherwise, fantastic video! That surely took a lot of patience.

  • @Reziac
    @Reziac 3 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    Lesson learned: when testing battery capacity vs a low-draw computing device, run that device at max CPU, because otherwise it won't finish until sometime after the heat death of the universe.
    Didn't know Belkin was making that little power bank; I'm looking for another one so there we go.

    • @simpletongeek
      @simpletongeek 3 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      Yeah. I was wondering about that. I'd have the RaspiZero at max CPU and WiFi. Then run a cronjob at every minute and hour logging "date >>hour|minute.log"
      May even do it every second as well
      While true: sleep 1; date>>second.log
      Or something like that.

  • @littlechestnutorchard
    @littlechestnutorchard 3 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Great subject as always , I am definetly looking for RP to be used in real time applications like green house automation, remote telemetry , climate control, irrigation etc.

  • @philiprobinson999
    @philiprobinson999 3 ปีที่แล้ว

    Great video, thanks for posting it. I use multiple Pi's to feed adsb data to various sits and found it to be very useful indeed.

  • @BruceWayneReal
    @BruceWayneReal 3 ปีที่แล้ว +4

    So you're telling me that lead acid batteries store for ages and you can run a pi with them for ages? Noted

    • @georgemaragos2378
      @georgemaragos2378 3 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Hi, each product has its own advantage and disadvantage
      In this case lead acid battery was a similar price to the battery pack and the lead acid unit purchased is able to last 3 times longer
      The negative aspect is you loose simple portability, while you could mount it all in a small box the usb charger unit can still sort of fit in your pocket or be hand held
      I believe chris mentioned the lead acid battery will take 12 hours to recharge, i dont know what the usb power bank will require in recharge time but some quick google mentions 2-3 hours
      So to me if you want portability use the USB powerbank if you want it stationary and less frequent maintenance use the lead acid, is you need it 24/7 then use 2 x lead acid batteries and use battery A when empty plug to battery b then charge A for 12 hours and disconnect - you could do it all with small jumper leads
      Regards
      George

  • @warrengibson7898
    @warrengibson7898 3 ปีที่แล้ว +21

    My takeaway: the time has come to say goodbye to Fortran and learn Python!

    • @hxhdfjifzirstc894
      @hxhdfjifzirstc894 3 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      What's wrong with PASCAL, buddy?

    • @David_P132
      @David_P132 3 ปีที่แล้ว

      Gee do they still use Fortran? I learned it when I first started in IT back in 1971 - thought it would be only a historical curiosity by now.

    • @tophlaw4274
      @tophlaw4274 3 ปีที่แล้ว +5

      @@David_P132 you'd be surprised that Fortran is still alive and kicking! There are a lot of legacy systems out there as I've recently learned (last year) when an astrophysicist acquaintance asked me if I could look at their system for an upgrade (formula modification) as his programmer was unreachable at the time.

    • @ernestgalvan9037
      @ernestgalvan9037 3 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      @@David_P132 ..Lordy, I started on FORTRAN back in 1970… along with COBOL and RPG. Then dived into assembler.
      All on an IBM 1130… 8k core, 500k single-plater HD. Punch-card.
      🤓

    • @David_P132
      @David_P132 3 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      @@ernestgalvan9037 We're showing our age guys! Back when we learned IT from the zeros and ones upwards eh?

  • @ollie-d
    @ollie-d 3 ปีที่แล้ว

    Great video! I recently used a Raspberry Pi 4 running off a power bank and then an 18V Makita battery stepped down to measure the temperature inside and outside of my car during a camping trip. I found that having temperature probes didn't really illustrate how much more comfortable my car was than sleeping outside or in a tent, so next time I'll probably end up bringing a micro weather station and additional probes and will definitely be powering that project with lead acid batteries!

  • @onepalproductions
    @onepalproductions 3 ปีที่แล้ว

    Brilliant! I look forward to the greenhouse automated watering. I'm searching for such a solution myself.
    Cheers.

  • @alextrusk1713
    @alextrusk1713 3 ปีที่แล้ว +4

    I use a zpm from stargate to power my raspberry pi

    • @ExplainingComputers
      @ExplainingComputers  3 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      Ah, a very wise move. I here they last a long time.

  • @martyburgess341
    @martyburgess341 3 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    Perhaps even add a small solar panel to the greenhouse to make it low maintenance 🙂

  • @liveyourdreammedia
    @liveyourdreammedia 3 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    I bought an odroid n2 for portable streaming while on the go. Lasted almost 24 hours (while live streaming!) On a 12v battery. It amazed me, sbc's are definately cheap on consumption even when pushed to the max

  • @hansoak3664
    @hansoak3664 3 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Excellent tests. Thank you for the real world data.

  • @dreddguy6454
    @dreddguy6454 3 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Nice to see the Pi 3A+ making an appearance. Much underrated SBC.

  • @LostInThe0zone
    @LostInThe0zone 3 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Interesting results. I'm glad that it was not my time spent on this test, even though I do appreciate the information.

  • @tonyweavers4292
    @tonyweavers4292 3 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    Hi Chris, thanks for another great video. You really should insert a fuse as close to the 12 Volt battery terminals as possible. If you get a short circuit or fault there is a hell of a lot of current available and it won't end well!

  • @gam85191
    @gam85191 3 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Wow that's amazing! Great video! I think it would be great use as a backup power source for the raspberry pi.