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Power Alternatives for Imagers

Traditionally, storage batteries for thermal imagers have been proprietary and available only from the imager manufacturer. Often, these special battery packs have cost hundreds of dollars each.

With a moderate amount of electrical skill and some homework, there are affordable power alternatives to be found in commercially available battery packs. To use an alternative battery, do the following:

1. Determine the required voltage of your imager.

2. Use a DC ammeter to determine the imager current requirements. If you know your imager’s power consumption in Watts, divide this number by the voltage required by your imager. Example: An imager that uses 12 Watts at 6 volts will draw 2 amps of current.

3. Select a battery with appropriate voltage and capacity. To determine how a battery will last with your imager, divide the Amp Hour rating by the current draw of your imager. A wide variety of rechargeable batteries are available through many professional video retailers.

4. Construct a fused power cord to connect your imager to your power supply making sure that the polarity is correct.

Constructing your own battery packs can save you money and result in longer run times between battery charges.