Handheld & solar · 2 models
Two cameras that do not need a cable run
Every other camera in this range assumes a deck plan, a cable route and a power supply. These two do not: one is carried, the other is powered by the sun and talks over 4G. They are the answer when the cable is the expensive part of the job.
The handheld unit
A 2 MP camera with 2, 4 or 6 MP sensor options, 4, 6, 8 or 12 mm lenses, 50 m IR and IP68, built into a cylindrical stainless housing with a handle. It carries a built-in lithium battery (12 V, 20000 mAh, stated for about 10 hours) and supports LTE-TDD/FDD, WCDMA, TD-SCDMA, CDMA and GSM — so it streams without a cable.
Local storage up to 256 GB on a micro SD card means the unit works where the data link does not. Under 5 kg, it is the camera for inspection rounds: open a tank, look inside, record, move on.
The solar unit
A 2 MP camera with 4, 6 or 8 mm lens, 30 m IR, IP68, mounted on a solar panel and battery. No cable, no shore power — it is installed where a permanent camera would need a new circuit, such as a remote jetty, a temporary site, a lay-up berth or a barge.
The trade is honest: 2 MP only, 30 m IR, and the duty cycle depends on the sun and the battery. It is a monitoring camera for a location that would otherwise have none, not a replacement for a wired deck camera.
Where the lack of a cable decides the choice
Cost the cable, not the camera. On a steel vessel, a new circuit to a remote deck position can cost more than the camera and take a yard period to install. That is where a solar 4G unit wins even though its specification is lower.
The same logic applies to the handheld: if four cameras would each need a cable run to inspect four tanks once a week, one handheld unit carried by the crew is the cheaper system — and it can inspect things no fixed camera can see.
The models on this page
| Model | Marking | IP | Resolution | Lens | IR | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 MP Handheld Wireless Explosion-proof Camera | Ex d IIC T6 Gb/Ex tD A21 IP68 T80°C | IP68 | 2 MP / 4 MP / 6 MP | 4 / 6 / 8 / 12 mm | 50 m | < 5 kg |
| 2 MP 4G Solar-powered Explosion-proof Camera | Ex d IIC T6 Gb/Ex tD A21 IP68 T80°C | IP68 | 2 MP | 4 / 6 / 8 mm | 30 m | — |
Transcribed from the the 2026 manufacturer catalogue. The full 17-model data sheet is on the hazardous-area camera page.
Specify it against these four points
- Handheld: battery-stated 10 h, 4G/LTE, micro SD to 256 GB, under 5 kg
- Solar: 2 MP only, 30 m IR — a monitoring camera, not a deck camera
- Compare the cost of the cable run, not just the unit price
- Both need a SIM and a data plan if you want live view
Buyer questions
Handheld & solar cameras
How long does the handheld run on a charge?+−
The catalogue states a 12 V 20000 mAh built-in battery with about 10 hours of theoretical working time. Real endurance depends on IR use and streaming, so treat ten hours as an upper bound and carry a spare charge for a long round.
Does the solar camera work at high latitude in winter?+−
The catalogue does not publish a duty-cycle figure. At high latitude in winter the panel input collapses, so size the requirement for the worst month rather than the best, or keep it for seasonal use.
Can either unit record without a network?+−
The handheld records to a micro SD card up to 256 GB, so yes. The solar unit is documented as a 4G camera; ask for local storage capacity before relying on it where coverage is intermittent.
Are they the same protection class as the wired cameras?+−
Both are listed at IP68 with the same Ex d IIC T6 Gb / Ex tD A21 marking. Portability changes the mounting, not the hazardous-area specification.