setting up camera for hunting

[Brkuhn1]

My friends grandpa is big into deer hunting, but due to age and diabetes he now just drives out into the prairie and watches deer. But it is difficult for him to hold binocular or spotting scopes for very long.

So the idea we came up with is to make a PTZ mount that we can set on top of his hunting vehicle and run off of the vehicles 12 volt and a laptop.

My question is can it be done with something like this, or would there be a better or easier solution. The pickup is usually running when he's out there watching deer too but if not how long could something like this run off of battery power.

 

[TonyR]

That's a combo inverter / converter that accepts 12 VDC from the accessory jack (cigar lighter) and outputs 120 VAC and 5 VDC (USB) so it won't suit your needs.
Sure you could run a POE injector for the PTZ from the 120 VAC but lots of inefficiency there. That would provide 802.3af/at compliant POE for the camera but it's silly to invert 12 VDC to 120 VAC then convert that to POE (from 48 to 52 VDC).

However, you may have to do that if you cannot locate a PTZ that suits you that will also operate on 12 VDC.

Many PTZ's will operate on 12VDC and if you find one that'll work for you then you just need to stabilize the power coming out of the accessory jack (nominal 13.8 VDC or more) when motor is running/charging. You'd also need to insure that jack can supply up to 4A of current since nowadays it's usually NOT for actual cigar lighters!

If the existing jack cannot handle the 12 VDC @ 4 Amps, then a regulator/stabilizer like this can be fused correctly then its input wired directly to battery with appropriate gauge stranded wire and its output can power the camera safely. If the jack can handle 4A, then wire the regulator's input to a FUSED 12 VDC male power plug that'll plug into the accessory jack.

Car DC 12V 4A Voltage Stabilizer Surge Protector Power Supply Regulator for Auto Truck Vehicle Boat Solar System etc.(DC10-36V Input, DC12V Output)

 

[TonyR]

MORE:
Look for a PTZ from Dahua or Hikvision that is ONVIF-compliant . The cam's built-in webGUI as viewed on the laptop's browser should allow you to view the video stream AND operate the PTZ controls since you said no recording is required.

I'm looking for a PTZ discussed on this forum just in the last week or so that mounts from the bottom, not the top. I think that would work best for your application. Maybe someone will offer that link soon but if I find it first I'll share it.

EDIT: OK, here it is. It a Dahua PTZ1A225U-IRA-N but brace yourself...it's not cheap! The specs say it'll run on POE + or 12 VDC @ 4 Amps!