17달러 태양광 패널로 도어벨 카메라를 업그레이드한 뒤,これが最高의 스마트 홈 투자였어요.

출처: ZDNet
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Trust, but verify.

저는 영국에서 인기 있는 트레일에 무인 상자를 설치하도록 요청받았습니다. 여러분은 그 흐름을 알 것입니다 — 피곤한 등산객에게 케이크, 음료수, 스낵을 제공하는 상자이며, 그들은 현금으로 상자에 돈을 넣거나 전자 결제 방법으로 지불합니다.

Also: I’ ve tested solar power at home for years - 12 myths you shouldn’ t fall for in 2026
저는 집에서 수년 동안 태양광 전원을 테스트했으며, 2026년에 피해야 할 12가지 신화를 소개합니다.

While I think most people are honest and trustworthy, with honorable intentions, there are a few who aren’ t. So I suggested installing a security camera in this box. I had a bunch of cool battery- powered cameras sitting here doing nothing, so I suggested using them.

The problem is, these would need to be taken down and recharged every few weeks. While there’ s nothing backbreaking about that task, it is “something else to remember.” That got me wondering if I could MacGyver a solution and leverage the power of the sun!

I had a couple of small EverExceed solar panels lying about that I’ d been sent for testing, but hadn’ t gotten around to it. Would it do the job? There’ s only one way to find out!

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그것은 대자연을 위해 설계되었습니다

I’m not normally a fan of tiny solar panels. Most of what you come across, built into power banks or other cheap accessories, is a gimmick and doesn’ t do much in the way of charging.

In fact, I’ ve seen cheap solar panels that will actually discharge items attached to them!

The panels I had were rated 5W, measured approximately 7 x 6.5 inches, and came attached to a 10- foot cable with a convertible microUSB/USB‑C connector on the end. The panels claimed to be IP65 water resistant, and had an operating range of -4°F to 122°F.

Also: Why lithium- ion batteries fail us - and the gadgets I’ m relying on to protect myself
리튬 이온 배터리가 우리를 실패하게 하는 이유 - 그리고 제가 자신을 보호하기 위해 의존하고 있는 기기들.

Sounds perfect for the UK weather!

The panel also includes a 360°-adjustable wall bracket. While being mostly made of plastic, it is tough enough for the job.

Adrian Kingsley-Hughes/ZDNET

For a clean, professional job, you could use cable clips (either self‑adhesive or with nails), but since I’ m attaching the unit to a wooden shed, I used duct tape and a staple gun.

Nothing will destroy a cable quicker than having it rub against something in the wind for a few weeks. And if this cable breaks, it can’ t be replaced without tearing the panel apart.

For a clean, professional job, you could use cable clips (either self‑adhesive or with nails), but since I’ m attaching the unit to a wooden shed, I used duct tape and a staple gun.

And you’ ll also need some way to secure the cable so it doesn’ t flap about in the breeze.

You need to plan the solar panel’s positioning. You have 10 feet of cable to play with, so that offers a fair bit of flexibility.

If you’re in the northern hemisphere, you want it as south‑facing as possible, and away from shadows (and the less sun you have, the more important this is to maximize the sunlight the panel captures).

Adrian Kingsley-Hughes/ZDNET

You want the panel angle to be roughly the elevation of your location (or about 45 degrees if you can’ t be bothered figuring it out).

Adrian Kingsley-Hughes/ZDNET

There are apps that will help do this. I used the built-in Measure app on my iPhone to do both, but Android users have plenty of options too.

그것은 가짜가 아니다

Attaching the camera is simple. You figure out where you want it to go, screw the bracket to the wall, attach the panel, orientate it to the sun, run the cable to the device you’re charging (remember to put a drip loop in the cable at the point it enters through a wall into a building or shed as this stops water running along the cable, and you can fill the hole with silicone caulk), and finally connect the cable to whatever you’ re charging.

Adrian Kingsley-Hughes/ZDNET

I set this up a few weeks ago, and it’ s worked great. Not only did it charge up the camera from about 75% to 100% in a day, but it’ s kept it fully charged since.

Also: Why lithium- ion batteries fail us - and the gadgets I’ m relying on to protect myself

And it’ s been far from sunny most of the time. I also checked the solar panel the other day for any signs of damage or corrosion, and there were none, which is very promising.

Adrian Kingsley-Hughes/ZDNET

You could give the solar panel a hand and make sure the doorbell camera is fully charged, especially if the weather isn’ t all that sunny.

ZDNET 구매 조언

For $16, this EverExceed 5V solar panel is a winner. You can pick them up individually, or in a 2-pack or 3-pack. You do need a camera with a battery that can charge via USB.

The sales page for the panel on Amazon claims that it doesn’ t work with Arlo, Blink, or Ring cameras. I’ ve tested it with a few cameras that I have here from these brands, and it seems to work fine, but I don’ t have them all.

Arlo cameras use a magnetic connector, and for those, you’ ll need a USB‑C‑to‑USB‑C adapter.