fangin.com RC, photos & tech

25Aug/110

GoPro Hero, External LiPo power

I recently tried my hand at making a timelapse video using the GoPro (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rO3IPMI9TEI) video and still image functions. I was a bit disappointed with the battery life and because I didn't have a spare battery, or access to power the device via a USB charger.

I needed a portable power supply to plug in via USB port on the side of the GoPro. To this end I took a UBEC, hooked it up to the balance tap of a 3S lipo and the output to a USB cable. In the photo below, I added the HK Wattmeter to see if I could measure any current draw by the GoPro. The lowest resolution of the Wattmeter is 100mA and didn't register. 

Next to do is maybe add a voltage detector so I can leave it running and get an audible warning if the LiPo gets low however I hope a 2650mAH battery will outlast a 32GB SD card in the camera. I'll have to hook up a proper multimeter and measure the average current draw and figure out how long batteries might last. Maybe integrate a low voltage cut-off circuit as well.