Solar Powered X10 Camera

Sounds funny, getting free electricity from the sun but it is true. Save the world and all that. Get off the grid. These are my first steps. I do know some electronics so here goes.

I wanted to make my Rez camera solar powered. My first project was with a $30 solar panel made out of glass. It produced 24 volts and the camera needs 12 volts. I bought a voltage regulator for less than a buck and it worked. Since I was not going to charge a battery and it was only to be used in the day light I didn't need any more circuitry. I then got some plywood and 1 x 1's, made a mount and mounted it a old satellite dish on my roof. My first solar panel was made of glass and was kind of small. It only worked on bright sunny days so I decided to do another one.

The new one cost $100 and puts out 30 volts. It is made out of some type of flexible material. There was another one available that was really flexible but it was smaller and cost $200. This time I got a much larger regulator. It is a five amp regulator while my original one was 1 1/2 amps. It cost $1. I then got some plywood but I noticed at the wood shop there were cap plates for a redwood fence that had grooves in it. I bought it and the solar panel slips down the grooves perfectly. I used wood screws, put the thing together and painted it. 

The big panel is now mounted. It does work on a cloudy day. We will see how it works over the long run. Now the camera is solar powered.